Alfred Tomatis was born in Nice on January 1, 1920 and died in Carcassone at Christmas 2001. A Doctor of Medicine from the University of Paris, he specialised in Ear, Nose and Throat and in Speech Therapy. As early as 1947 he identified the relationship between the ear and the voice. This discovery was made official in 1957 by the Academy of Science and Medicine in Paris, with the name “Tomatis Effect”, and is the basis of the techniques he has created for the treatment of listening and communication problems.
Alfred A.Tomatis is also the author of many books and scientific articles covering the different fields he has worked in: Education, Psychology, Linguistics and Philosophy.
The Tomatis Method
This discovery was made following research, started in 1947, in several disciplines, namely: Audiology, Phonology and Psychology. Research carried out on the linguistic function has led to the development of techniques that structure the control circuits of voice and language by acting on listening.
Alfred A. Tomatis showed that listening starts with the foetus in the womb, which was a highly innovative idea at the time.
The ear and nervous system are intricately connected; so, as the ear expands its capacities, the brain also expands its capabilities and states of awareness.
Listening is disturbed when there is a dysfunction of the two muscles located in the middle ear. The role of these muscles is to enable the precise and harmonious integration of acoustic information in the inner ear, and from there to the brain. When the brain is disturbed, it triggers protective mechanisms which inhibit listening.
The Mozart Effect
One of the most famous Tomatis Method publications is Don Campbell’s The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit – it has a simple but life-changing message: music is medicine for the body, the mind and the soul.
If you want to know more about the Tomatis® Method or find a Tomatis® consultant near you, please visit www.tomatis.com or www.tomatisassociation.org