The Wonders of Spiritual Energy in the Music of Naseer Shamma: Healing and Cure – An Analytical, Philosophical, and Scientific Study
Prepared by the researcher and critic: Donia Sahib – Iraq
From the works of the world-renowned musician Naseer Shamma emanates a spiritual energy that transcends lower dimensions and rises beyond the fifth spiritual dimension, expressing through it the essence of his human and artistic experience in the realm of art and music.
From my philosophical perspective, Naseer Shamma’s musical compositions are a reflection of his contemplative states and his emotional passion for existence, transforming into an expressive language with philosophical and scientific horizons. They contribute to building the scale of notes and shaping the melody in a civilized style rooted in his Iraqi heritage. Thus, they become a complete experience belonging to an Arab-Eastern musical model with a traditional, spiritual, and Sufi character, while simultaneously merging with elements of modernity.
This vision is clearly evident in his works such as the albums Journey of Souls, Doors, Ishraq, Hali Bihi Yahlu, and Jalal al-Din al-Rumi, through which he seeks to make a profound impact on the intellectual, psychological, and spiritual structure of the listener.
His musical vision blends the contexts of romantic expression and Sufi spirituality, laden with an emotional reservoir pulsating with the melodies of life, emerging from the depth of his diverse culture and the serenity of his spirit, with roots drawing their depth from a civilizational heritage extending from Mesopotamia to the horizons of all human civilizations. This grants his works a universal dimension deeply embedded in human memory.
His music is distinguished by features that enhance what is known as the Deep Emotional Response, a powerful emotional state recognized by scientists in this field, occurring when music touches specialized centers in the brain, such as the Limbic System—particularly the Amygdala and Hippocampus, which are responsible for regulating emotion and memory.
These effects stimulate the activity of the Autonomic Nervous System, directly influencing physiological functions such as heart rate, breathing, and psychological balance. Scientific and medical research, including numerous clinical studies, has proven that listening to calm music helps regulate blood pressure, stimulate heart rate, and reduce levels of Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress and psychological pressure.
Studies have shown that listening to calm music or participating in group playing sessions supports the immune system by stimulating natural killer (NK) cells, increasing levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), lowering cortisol levels, and improving the balance of inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6). These effects enhance the body’s ability to resist both psychological and physical illnesses.
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The Multi-Dimensional Nature of Naseer Shamma’s Music
The music of Naseer Shamma exhibits multi-dimensional qualities encompassing therapeutic, spiritual, existential, aesthetic, and human aspects, making his musical experience a fertile field for analysis from both scientific and philosophical perspectives. This wide range of influence is attributed to his use of Eastern maqams, renowned for their expressive richness and high capacity to evoke emotional and spiritual responses, as well as his use of rhythms characterized by Temporal Flexibility. This feature helps create what is known as the Open Sonic Space, providing the listener with a contemplative auditory environment open to self-interpretation and deep emotional engagement.
Numerous experimental and anthropological indicators have shown that this type of musical composition promotes inner focus and stimulates cognitive processes associated with meditation and self-awareness—consistent with the principles applied in Music Therapy, where musical frequencies are purposefully used to stimulate neuro-psychological balance and improve the functional performance of the autonomic nervous system.
Studies in the fields of neuroscience and music have demonstrated that regular exposure to certain sound frequencies, especially within structured musical patterns, can enhance cell growth in the body and support immune function by stimulating the release of neurochemicals such as β-endorphin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters activate the nervous system in ways that promote well-being and reduce stress and tension.
In this context, Naseer Shamma’s music is regarded as a pulse of positive sonic energy, capable of transmitting vibrations with therapeutic and healing qualities. It psychologically motivates the listener to adopt thoughts of recovery, optimism, and vitality, helping to break free from cycles of stress and distress associated with illness or suffering.
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The Direct Impact of Naseer Shamma’s Music on the Mental Health and Physiological Functions of Patients
Naseer Shamma’s music—particularly his live oud performances—has been scientifically proven to reduce pain and stress levels and improve patients’ physiological functions. These effects intertwine with the Sufi dimensions of his music, acting as a psychological and spiritual catalyst that accelerates healing by stimulating positive emotions and enhancing inner balance. This makes his therapeutic approach a unique model combining scientific influence with deep human awareness.
1. Clinical Context:
A clinical study was conducted on 12 patients who had undergone cardiac surgeries. Half listened to a live oud performance by Naseer Shamma for 20 minutes before and after surgery, while the other half were exposed to regular hospital noise. Results showed a significant decrease in pain levels, improved respiratory performance and breathing rate (P = 0.034), regulated heart rate, and reduced anxiety and cortisol levels (P ≈ 0.06) compared to the control group.
2. Cultural Context – The Sufi Samaʿ Dimension:
Evidence suggests that Sufi music, based on Eastern maqams, enhances emotional states and helps calm the nerves, especially during difficult treatment periods such as chemotherapy, dialysis, or blood transfusion sessions.
The spiritual music of Naseer Shamma draws on the seven fundamental Eastern maqams:
Maqam Rast
Maqam Bayat
Maqam Sika
Maqam Hijaz
Maqam Saba
Maqam Nahawand
Maqam Kurd
These maqams are distinguished by their ability to evoke feelings of love, hope, relaxation, serenity, and contemplation, depending on the nature of the musical composition and performance context set by the musician—making them effective tools in therapeutic and psychological contexts, particularly when expressed through the oud with sincere and profound emotion, as in Naseer Shamma’s work.
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The Deep Emotional Response to the Spiritual Music of Naseer Shamma: A Systematic Analysis of Psychological and Aesthetic Mechanisms
Naseer Shamma’s music is more than just harmonious sounds; it is a universal emotional and spiritual language that penetrates the depths of the human soul, evoking diverse responses including tears, chills, contemplation, joy, peace, and tranquility—sometimes even reaching states of spiritual transcendence.
This phenomenon, known in psychology and neuroscience as the Deep Emotional Response, results from a complex interaction between the sonic and spiritual structure of the music and the psychological and neural structure of the listener.
Concept of the Deep Emotional Response
The Deep Emotional Response refers to the direct and profound effect felt by the listener when exposed to musical stimuli, especially in the context of spiritual music with a Sufi character. This response is clearly evident in Naseer Shamma’s works, particularly in his albums accompanied by chants and devotional hymns, as in his “Divine Love” pieces performed during Ramadan nights, which carry emotional charges infused with high spirituality, elevating the listener’s taste towards spiritual ascension.
This response manifests in various ways—such as chills, tears, deep contemplation, entering a state of spiritual ecstasy, inner joy, and soul-comfort—arising from the effect of the oud tones played by Naseer Shamma. His oud does not merely produce sounds but sends subtle suggestions to memory and the senses, stirring emotions within a deeply spiritual framework.
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The text continues with detailed psychological and aesthetic mechanisms, including:
1. Innate Sound Response – Involuntary reactions to sudden changes in tone or melody, awakening forgotten memories deep within the brainstem.
2. Rhythmic Harmony with Bodily Functions – Synchronization of melodies with heartbeat and breathing, creating neuro-physiological balance.
3. Emotional Memory Link – Connecting present melodies with past emotional experiences.
4. Emotional Contagion – Internal simulation of the emotions embedded in the music.
5. Mental Imagery and Visual Suggestions – Vivid inner imagery evoked by music.
6. Existential Memory – Stirring feelings of identity, belief, and belonging.
7. Aesthetic Tension and Expectation Violation – Breaking expected patterns to provoke aesthetic reflection, akin to Sufi illumination moments.
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Musical Frisson Phenomenon and Its Link to the Nervous System
Musical Frisson is one of the most prominent manifestations of the Deep Emotional Response—experienced as a light shiver or wave of static-like tingles through the body at the peak of an emotionally charged musical moment, often coinciding with unexpected harmony or a sudden melodic shift.
Brain imaging studies (EEG and fMRI) show that this phenomenon is associated with increased activity in the brain’s reward centers—particularly the Nucleus Accumbens, Caudate Nucleus, and prefrontal cortex—accompanied by dopamine release, similar to the pleasure experienced in love, delicious food, or spiritual ecstasy in Sufi devotion.
Thus, music is not merely art or entertainment, but an existential, emotional, and cognitive state in which feeling and thought merge in perfect harmony—promoting inner clarity, psychological comfort, and emotional coherence, as is clearly embodied in the works of Naseer Shamma that unite expressive beauty with the spirituality of the message.
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