This thesis is about music therapy with brain damaged people. It is a qualitative analysis of two brain damaged women’s fantasy journeys. The music therapy method used is modified Guided Imagery and Music inspired by Torben Moe (1997 and 1999). In analysing the journeys I have used two major theories. The first theory used is Daniel Sterns (1985/2000) theory about the subjective self experience. The second theory used is Irvin Yalom (1998) theory about existential psychotherapy, and the four existential ground conditions. At the same time the thesis describes the receptive music therapy placed at a activity center in Aarhus, it futher goes on to discuss which brain areas that has an influence on the ability to work towards insight, and finally the thesis is also a general introduction to some of the assumptions about music’s effect on the brain. All the theories form thesis is viewed trough Henrik Rydalhs musictherapy meta-model (Rydahl 2003).
The main goal of the thesis is an attempt to enlighten the reader about brain damaged people’s intra psychic experience in music therapy. In reaching that goal, the thesis works with following sub questions:
•In which way does the placement of brain damage influence the music therapeutic work? – and the clients ability to work towards insight?
•Which function does the music have in this specific kind of music therapy with this client group?
•Is it possible on behalf of the clinical work, possible to describe a change in the clients self experience – if so which?
•Is it possible on behalf of the clinical work, to identify the clients existential themes? – if so has there been a change in the way they relate to them?
The answer to the first question takes its starting point in the neurologist Antonio Damasios (1999) research. He has identified a number of brain areas that all work in making decisions on a personal and social level. All of these areas is dealing with emotion/feeling and rationality. I believe that if the brain damage is placed in these areas it will compromise the individual’s ability to work towards insight.
In answering the second question I have found that music influences a large number of areas within the brain. The way the individual experiences music has to do with his or hers musical background. Beside that the structures from the music experience according to Hannibal (2000) on a pre-verbal level is experienced as contours, tempo, timbre, dynamics, and so on. Because the fantasy journeys is experienced in a pre-verbal state of mind, the music can create a dynamic movement in journey.
To answer my third question I have analyzed two clients’ fantasy journeys and found that there has been a change in their subjective self experience. This in the direction of a lager self-constancy, drive and improvement of social skills.
In answering the last question, I have used Irvin Yalom (1995) theory about existential psychotherapy, and the four existential ground conditions. I have analyzed how the two clients relate to the four existential ground conditions (dead, meaning, freedom and isolation) in their fantasy journeys. Moreover the two clients have related to the four ground conditions in speech. According to Yalom (1995) the conscious relating to the ground conditions will change/transform the anxiety linked to the ground condition. Therefore it is possible that the clients way of relating to the ground conditions has changed.
To make a link between the theories and the clinical work I finish the thesis of by viewing the theories though Rydahls meta-model (Rydahl 2003).