An increasingly common form of torture during Iraq’s horrific war was forced listening to loud music. New York University musicologist Suzanne Cusick reported that this tactic did not qualify as torture as it did not involve physical pain.
However, the choice of music was particularly troubling. Songs for children such as Barney’s I Love You Song as well as commercial jingles like Meow Mix’s Meow Mix theme were played.
Music as a form of torture
Music has long accompanied acts of war. From trumpets at Jericho to modern military’s use of music as torture, music seems to have an incredible ability to trigger emotional responses that can have tragic outcomes for prisoners. For example, in 2009 a CIA official revealed they used various techniques during interrogations sessions such as playing loud rock music or children’s songs as “futility music,” designed to convince prisoners that resistance against interrogation is pointless while simultaneously creating nightmare-like feelings among them.
One of the most troubling aspects of music as torture is that it can be hard to distinguish between psychological pain and physical distress, particularly if played at high volumes. Suzanne Cusick of NYU musicology described how music torture used by the CIA constitutes “cultural humiliation and sonic bombardment”, leading to both psychological distress and discomfort for victims.
Cusick’s report highlighted how the CIA utilized loud music to torture detainees both during Iraq War detentions and at Guantanamo Bay. They utilized various genres ranging from Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ to Metallica’s Enter Sandman to break down resistance and distract detainees during interrogations processes.
The use of music by the CIA to torture detainees became so widespread that according to The Associated Press (AP), some musicians began organizing against it. Reprieve, an international legal action group representing thirty prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, launched Zero dB as an initiative encouraging artists to speak out against its misuse as torture instruments.
Music as torture remains an open debate in both scholarly and legal communities, with some scholars contending that any music which causes psychological distress qualifies as torture; other scholars disagree and see music merely as an less distasteful alternative to other forms of torture.
Music as a form of punishment
While many may balk at the thought of listening to Metallica’s Enter Sandman at full volume as a form of torture, music has often been employed as such a strategy. Although not physically damaging as other methods of torture may be, music can still be psychologically painful and traumatising for its target. The US government has used music as a method for extracting information from detainees, although scholars remain dubious as to its effectiveness.
Suzanne Cusick, an NYU professor who specializes in European music of the 17th century, is amazed at how casually music as torture is discussed. Even after giving many talks on it, some still dismiss or don’t take it seriously – “it seems so odd and out-there to suggest that music could be a way of torturing someone,” says Suzanne.
Anthropologist Tore Tvarno Lind agrees, but notes that while some studies have looked into how music affects perpetrators, more should be conducted on victims. He wishes to examine if certain types of music can be used to cause emotional distress in victims and which genres work best in this regard.
Music can be used to elicit various feelings in prisoner, with unfamiliar sounds having the most dramatic impact. One prisoner likened hearing unfamiliar soundscapes as being similar to hearing foreign languages and found the jarring, harsh sounds particularly distressful and disorienting.
Music as a form of torture has numerous advantages over other forms of punishment, as it can be played loudly without harming its target’s ears like other methods would do. Furthermore, prolonged playing times may lead to sleep deprivation which ultimately leads to mental and physical breakdown for prisoners held captive in captivity.
Music can be combined with other forms of torture to increase its intensity; such as forcing detainees into stress positions for long periods or withholding food and water supplies, etc. The CIA refers to this combination as “torture lite.” While its effects are unpleasant, music does not cause permanent scars like other methods, such as suffocation or holding razor blades against penis – leaving permanent scarring behind.
Music as a form of interrogation
Music can bring back unforgettable memories or generate feelings of euphoria, but it can also be used as torture. Many detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and elsewhere were subjected to music torture by being exposed to loud rap, heavy metal and pop tunes as part of CIA “enhanced interrogation” programs – known as music torture – which caused serious mental trauma and psychological harm; extremely loud volumes can drown out detainees’ thoughts leading to panic and overwhelm; often combined with stress positions or strobe lights for added sensory attacks on torture targets causing detainees’ fears to increase further.
The use of music by the CIA for torture has caused controversy and many musicians are speaking out against it. Zero dB has launched to get musicians to sign an anti-torture pledge – many celebrities including Jon Snow, Martha Lane Fox and former Guantanamo detainee Bisher al-Rawi have already taken this step; plus this campaign is supported by musicians’ union which encourages its 30,000 members to show support.
Though the CIA denies using music as torture, prisoners have reported experiencing it. Prisoners were forced to listen to songs such as Saturday Night Fever, Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC and Meow Mix Jingle by way of being subjected to musical torture sessions. According to them, this music was designed to produce fear and disorientation – which are essential components of interrogation – as well as prolong capture shock by keeping an individual locked into captivity longer than necessary.
As opposed to other forms of torture, music does not leave marks or blood on the skin. Yet it still counts as torture since it causes pain and discomfort without breaking bones; nevertheless it can still be just as excruciating to listen to an incessant looping song of your favorite artist for hours on end.
The US Army field manual on Survival, Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) first promoted listening to loud Western popular music as a torture technique, leading many critics to regard it as cruelly destructive to prisoner resistance. Music may also be combined with other sensory attacks like stress positions, extreme temperatures or flashing strobe lights; collectively known as cluster techniques these assaults aim at rendering physical pain intolerable while at the same time disengaging from surrounding reality.
Music as a form of psychiatric treatment
Psychiatric treatment has long relied upon music as a therapeutic technique to help patients regain control over their emotions. While often associated with rock and heavy metal music, this approach can be utilized across genres. Furthermore, music therapy has proven highly successful at helping individuals regain confidence and overcome self-esteem issues; providing low risk, noninvasive solutions for various mental health disorders.
However, some musicians have voiced concerns over the use of music as torture on fellow humans. Industrial band Throbbing Gristle have denounced such usages of their songs while Metallica frontman James Hetfield has spoken out against it in interviews. These protests have helped place this topic on this year’s Meltdown festival agenda in London where Massive Attack will play while projecting images depicting secret prisons and renditions.
As to whether music can serve as an effective psychiatric treatment, there remains some debate. While some experts claim otherwise, other studies demonstrate its positive benefits on mental health – for instance reducing anxiety and depression by increasing dopamine levels in the brain or increasing focus and memory as well as energy.
One of the major difficulties with using music as therapy for psychiatric treatment is that there are no established guidelines on how much or little music to play to reach an effectful result. Compounding this issue further, different genres of music affect people differently – thus an individual song may have no therapeutic value at all for everyone.
Even so, many experts remain of the belief that music therapy should be pursued. Some medical practitioners have begun including it in their treatment plans while respecting individual preferences for music. Further study must also be conducted in order to find effective methods of using music in psychiatric treatments – while there may still be obstacles in implementing this approach it could eventually replace traditional therapies altogether.