Meditation, for example, with or without music, is reported to bring major physiological and emotional benefits. The objective test is whether the auditory profile has changed and whether associated improvements start occurring. It is our repeated experience that they do. Unfortunately, like many areas in the complementary field, the few studies that have been done do not initially appear very encouraging for the outsider wondering whether this or that therapy will be helpful. One difficulty is the range of conditions for which these therapies are being used.
Every client is different and has a different combination of experiences and presenting conditions.
In severe cases, clients or parents may be desperate and have tried, or are trying, several other remedies at the same time, so it is difficult to disentangle what caused what benefit. It is difficult therefore to assemble an acceptably large test and control population with matching conditions. Another difficulty is that research tests are not necessarily carried out by fully trained practitioners and may not have followed the prescribed protocols or used the specified equipment. SAIT recently published an interesting commentary about a number of published research reports. However, most practitioners keep their own records of case studies and are happy to put new clients in touch with clients with similar experiences.