“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” —Johann Sebastian Bach

At one of the hospitals where I work as a music therapist, I recently had a referral to visit with a young man, in his 30s, who was in a coma and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU). He recently had some sort of cardiac event. When I arrived at the room, the "scene" I walked in on gave me pause. His mother was holding one of his hands and his nurse was holding the other—and they were praying. The image just stopped me in my tracks. It looked like a piece of art through the lens of the glass doors of the hospital room, haunting and beautifully poetic at the same time. I paused for what seemed like minutes…just looking. I’m sure I won’t soon forget it.

Soon after, I went in. His mother told me that their family had just decided to take him off life support. But she wanted him to hear some music first. “Because he loves music.”

I took a breath, then I sat and took out my guitar, and I played. She held his hand and stroked his head. Something made me move into a "lullaby" version of Stand By Me. She became emotional and put her........

© Psychology Today