The relevance of the vagus nerve in sound-based therapies
The ear and hearing have a substantial effect on the rest of the body because of their proximity to the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve, or tenth cranial nerve does not play an active part in the process of hearing, therefore it is not normally taken into big consideration in things that relate to music, hearing and the like outside of the medical field. However, this incredibly important nerve is connected with the posterior wall of the external auditory canal, the lower part of the eardrum’s membrane and, in the middle ear, the stapedius muscle. From these parts of the ear, it makes its way all the way down to the lower internal organs and is responsible for a high number of regulatory functions in pharynx, larynx, thorax and abdomen.
Basically, stimulating the ear can potentially mean stimulating all the vital vegetative internal organs.