Music is a powerful tool for our mental well-being, from reducing stress to being therapeutic in disorders. It is crucial to know how to choose melodies that positively nourish our emotions and mind.
Science has been able to establish that musical rhythms stimulate different areas of the brain. An investigation of the University of Florida suggests that musical rhythms offer more brain activation than any other known stimulus.
Sascha Fruhholzprofessor of the Neuroscience Unit of the University of Zurichhas spent years studying how emotion is transmitted through sound “studies that analyze live music are more necessary, and I think it is something that we all know on a personal level, that in a concert, you feel the music more intensely”
The following study was carried out in the Bolivian jungle by a group of scientists to ask about rhythms, sounds and musicality of the tribe of the Tsimane. Nori Jacoby, psychologist M.I.T.led the experiment, which has been published in Nature, with evidence in situ of more than 900 people from 15 countries.” Many came from societies whose traditional music contains distinctive rhythmic patterns not found in Western music, explains Jacoby, who currently works in Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics from Frankfurt.
Another study analyzed the electronic genre that can make listeners dissociate and alter their states of consciousness and was led by Raquel Aparicio Terrés, psychologist at the University of Barcelona.
The benefits of music on the brain
Science reveals the effects of music on our brain and body, research has shown that it can affect our mood, reduce stress and anxietyand improve memory and concentration, it has even been discovered that it can have therapeutic effects in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Music has been an integral part of the human experience for centuries and its modern production combines creativity and science. Technology has been instrumental in creating and playing music, from the first string instruments, then digital synthesizers, and now the use of artificial intelligence.
Various research has suggested that music can play a crucial role in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. The positive impact of music on mood and general well-being has led to it being considered a form of therapy in itself. Sports and clinical psychologist Javiera Cornejo Schilling highlights that music can act as an emotional expression, allowing people to process and channel their feelings.
He states that “some research suggests that listening to music can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, as well as improve mood and increase the feeling of general well-being.”
Music not only affects the mood, but it can also be a therapeutic tool to treat mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Music therapy, led by trained therapists, uses music in a structured way to address specific therapeutic goals. This approach has been shown to be effective in stress reduction, relaxation, and cognitive stimulation. “Music can positively influence people’s emotional and psychological well-being in several ways. “It can act as a form of emotional expression, allowing people to process and channel their feelings,” they say.
Additionally, “music can activate areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward, which can generate feelings of joy and satisfaction.” It can serve as an effective distraction tool, helping people disconnect from negative thoughts or worries.
What musical genres help health?
Regarding the relationship between specific musical genres and improved mental health, there is some controversy. The classical and instrumental music have been commonly associated with positive effects on emotional well-being, but music psychology points out that personal interpretation and the meaning that each individual attributes to music They are fundamental factors.
Luis Pino, Director of the Psychology Course at the University of Las Américas (UDLA), highlights that “there is no conclusive scientific evidence that certain types of music will promote greater psychological well-being, but rather it has to do with how the person means music and the meaning they give to that type of music.” .
This means that although there is evidence that music, for example, of Mozartproduces cognitive effects and a feeling of well-being and relaxation, we could perfectly think that a young person, an adolescent who listens urban musicevokes certain spaces of acceptance, of identity, of identification with their peers, it will also produce a positive effect.”
Likewise, he states that “music is a therapeutic tool that accompanies certain types of circumstances and conditions. For example, first of all, music will involve focusing on a rather relaxing state and condition and will imply a reduction in stress and anxiety.”
negative letters
Psychologist Javiera Cornejo indicates that “listening to music that is not in tune with mental health, such as music with negative or violent lyrics, could have a negative impact on some people, especially if they are going through an emotionally vulnerable moment.”
The interpretation of music and its impact can vary depending on the emotional disposition and personal experiences of each individual.
Cornejo adds that “this type of music could reinforce negative thoughts or painful emotions, instead of providing comfort or relief. However, the specific effect of music on mental health can vary considerably between individuals and depends on a variety of contextual and personal factors.”
Luis Pino, for his part, emphasizes that “it can undoubtedly affect whether the person prior to the music has certain psychological conditions, for example, with depressive symptoms and, eventually, the music will imply that if he is sad or melancholic , you feel a little more depressed or sad.”
The relationship between music and mental health is fascinating and we can highlight the positive influence that music can have on our emotional and psychological well-being, having the ability to reduce stress and anxiety, without forgetting its therapeutic role in the treatment of mental disorders; Music is revealed as a powerful tool that goes beyond mere auditory appreciation. @mundiario
