Enhanced relaxation in students after combined Depth Relaxation Music Therapy and silence in a natural setting

Abstract

This study includes a design that combines Depth Relaxation Music Therapy (DRMT)/Hypnomusictherapy (HMT), silence, and nature. Participants (n = 84) were divided into seven groups and first received 16 min of DRMT/HMT followed by 6:30 min of silence or a 16-min seminar focusing on silence in therapy and counselling succeeded by 6:30 min of silence. In the seminar, the subjects were invited to participate in a moderated group discussion and to communicate their experiences and ideas concerning silence in health-related settings. Each group then experienced the other condition (within-subject design) with one week in between. The overall process was conducted in the natural setting of a city garden. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of a 6:30-min silence following either a group discussion on silence (university seminar) or a session of DRMT in a natural setting. Participants in the DRMT/HMT condition relatively overestimated the duration of silence and felt that time had passed more slowly as compared to silence following the seminar. Relaxation was significantly increased both after silence following DRMT/HMT and silence following the seminar, a probable effect of exposure to nature. Within the DRMT/HMT-study arm, participants who were more relaxed also felt themselves more intensely, experienced space to a lesser extent, and felt that time had passed more quickly. In conclusion, both silent conditions in nature fostered relaxation. These study conditions combining silence, nature, and DRMT/HMT proved to be effective as a group music therapy method and should be further explored.