Or why what we listen to matters
Music is not just a word that, on its own, sounds beautiful. It is a sensation that awakens in almost everyone a feeling of harmony, calm, and rest. It is time for a break and meditation. Music is a kind of language that brings a different view to the classical understanding of "a foreign language." It reveals itself in different styles and genres, arranges itself in low and high tones, and unfolds in the chorus of every song. Its origin comes from the Greek language and means "art of the muses." But in fact it is much more than that. It is freedom, tenderness, and ethereality; sensations springing from every line and phrase.
Music is an escape from reality and a journey toward dreams. Everyone has their own personal interpretation of its meaning, which cannot be described in words. The reason lies in the secret that the essence of music is not expressed verbally — it is felt with the heart and soul, hides everywhere around us, and awakens different emotions. Sometimes we feel sadness or joy, other times we get goosebumps and listen, captivated, to the end of the musical piece.
But how exactly does music affect the brain, and why does it awaken different emotions in us?
Many studies have been done aiming to find answers to these and other related questions.
Skin orgasm
We can start with how the skin reacts to music — or, in other words, what a skin orgasm or "frisson" is. When we hear a song that excites our senses, our skin tingles, and the hairs on it stand up even more. In such a moment, the brain releases dopamine. It is a catecholamine — a substance that functions as a neurotransmitter released by neurons. It is also called the addiction hormone. Experiments were carried out on students using a technique called diffusion tensor imaging, a kind of magnetic resonance imaging. It turned out that those who got goosebumps from music had a denser volume of brain fibers compared to those who don't get goosebumps from music. This means that the former are able to assimilate the information they receive more efficiently. Another assumption is simply a high level of emotionality in a given person. Such people are more open to experiences, and more factors affect them, since they are more easily influenced by them — they are more anxious, more fearful, more easily swayed by the opinions of others, and more easily offended.
According to several studies done in the early '90s, music also has a more favorable effect on the administration of anesthesia in the operating room — that is, it is taken in by the patient more quickly and more effectively. It even reduces the percentage of infant colic in newborns by an impressive 75%, while cultivating responsibility, order, and discipline of the spirit, and protecting it from negative emotions throughout the entire period of the child's growth.
Tell me what you listen to and I'll tell you who you are
An interesting effect of music is that it can reveal the basic character traits of a given person. Like colors, every musical style hides different meanings within it. Various sources cited in this article lay out the qualities that different people possess according to their preferred musical genre:
⦁ Blues – high self-esteem, freedom, vitality, improvisation, calm
⦁ Jazz – self-respect, creativity, responsiveness, freedom, intelligence
⦁ Country – hard work, sympathy, emotional stability, sociability, responsiveness, workaholism
⦁ Classical – self-respect, introversion, freedom, inner harmony
⦁ Rap and hip-hop – self-confidence, responsiveness, extroversion
⦁ Opera – self-respect, creativity, attention
⦁ Reggae – laziness, closeness to God, freedom, high self-esteem
⦁ Dance – energy, sociability
⦁ Rock / Heavy metal – gentleness, agreeableness, selfishness
⦁ Pop – extroversion, traditionalism, hard work, responsibility, friendliness
Music therapy
Music therapy is used to recover from certain states, such as stress and grief, and to treat disorders such as depression, anxieties, panic disorders, autism, stuttering, hyperactivity and attention deficit in children, and to diagnose mental-health needs. Music therapy is also accepted as a psychotherapeutic approach in which music is applied to purposefully mediate the body-mind-emotion connection, in the process of experiencing and becoming aware, with the aim of charging the person with positive emotion, supporting healing, as well as the development of the human being. Music is also prescribed to people suffering from Parkinson's disease. The therapy includes physical exercises combined with music, with the goal of helping the patients break free from the thought of their illness.
In Bulgaria, the psychologists at the Bulgarian Association of Music Therapy work with such methods.
According to other research, however, music doesn't always have a positive effect on our brain functions. And it isn't only responsible for ringing in the ears. The reason lies in the fact that with some styles, primarily electronic ones, the heart rhythm adjusts to the frequency of the music and beats at its speed. In such cases, it is even possible for a person to suffer a heart attack. In clubs where mostly such music is played, it is recommended that people not stand close to the speakers and that they go outside the venue periodically, so that both the heart and the ears can rest and return to their normal rhythm.
All these studies, and many others, prove the connection between psychology (or rather the psyche) and music. Or more precisely, the impact of the psychology of music on the human brain. From them we can draw the conclusions that music is not solely entertainment and a way to fill time. It is an external factor that not only awakens different processes in us, but also possesses healing powers, with which it heals body and soul.
See for yourself with a few suggestions from us in the form of playlists for relaxation:
More from the same author:
Emotions under the magnifying glass — part one — highly sensitive person test
Emotions under the magnifying glass — part two — eight exercises for managing negative emotions
Sources cited:
⦁ Stefanova, Svetoslava — Psychology of music and its influence on emotions
⦁ Milanova, Yoana — Tell me what music you listen to and I'll judge what kind of person you are
⦁ Hristov, Todor — A short history of jazz
⦁ Radio Energy — Musical preferences determine intelligence