Music and States of Mind
Before we get started with this post I want to include my ALL-time favorite inspirational video from YouTube. While watching I want you to think about how this music plays on your state of mind.
You may also want to pay attention to Arthur’s anti-aging properties. Notice how much younger he looks once he reaches his goal.
Never give up!
Click Here now to read the email on this episode that includes a touching story on the song that goes along with that video above!!
Our everyday states of mind shape how we think, feel and act.
Each state uniquely influences perceptions, thoughts, feeling, memory, motivation, interpersonal interactions, and the sense of self at that moment.
Over time, repeated states become an enduring aspect of our character and behavior.
However, we mostly ignore or subconsciously ignore, the influence of any particular state that we are in at the moment.
Music is an easy way to transform our mood. For example, calming music can reduce physiological symptoms of anxiety thereby activating a relaxation response.
Watch the video here:
Listen to the episode here:
Here are 6 ways music can actually alter our state of mind:
1. Stress management.
Music provides calmness and relaxation.
Music listening is strongly associated with stress reduction by the decrease of physiological arousal as indicated by reduced cortisol levels, lowered heart rate.
Similar to meditation practices, music listening is linked to significant improvements in mood and sleep quality.
For example, music with a slow steady rhythm, such as meditative music, is shown to provide stress reduction by altering inherent body rhythms, such as heart rate, resulting in greater relaxation.
2. Emotional effects of music.
Music can evoke a wide range of feeling states, such as exuberance, compassion, or tenderness.
For example, the “Star-Spangled Banner” stirs pride (just FYI pride is on the force level of consciousness (more on that here), Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” makes some people feel energized, and “The Last Song” by Elton John triggers sadness.
3. Musical pleasure.
Music has the ability to evoke powerful emotional responses (chills and thrills) in listeners.
Positive emotions dominate in musical experiences.
Pleasurable music may lead to the release of neurotransmitters associated with reward, such as dopamine.
Dopamine releases driven by music can increase the attractiveness of the surrounding environment and the motivation to pursue and desire positive feelings.
Positive feelings tend to broaden our mindset in ways that are beneficial to health and creative thinking.
4. Social bonding.
Music is thought to be the social glue that enhances cooperation and strengthens feelings of unity. Music triggers the hormones oxytocin and serotonin, responsible for bonding, trust, and intimacy.
Social isolation and feelings of loneliness can be reduced simply by listening to music.
5. Music and time perception.
Music is a powerful emotional stimulus that changes our relationship with time. Time does indeed seem to fly when listening to pleasant music.
Music is therefore used in waiting rooms to reduce the subjective duration of time spent waiting or in supermarkets to encourage people to stay for longer and buy more. Hearing pleasant music seems to divert attention away from time processing.
For example, consumers spend more time in the grocery store when the background music is slow. Music keeps workers happy when doing repetitive and otherwise boring work.
6. Music as a trigger for craving.
Music is commonly found in substance-using contexts. Music can act as an auditory cue for cravings in adults with addiction.
For example, an individual who has repeatedly smoked cannabis while listening to reggae music may experience cravings for cannabis when s/he hears reggae music during a period of treatment.
In sum, emotion is a fundamental aspect of musical experience. Music can regulate mood (cheer us up or calm us down), reflect feelings, enhance group cohesion, and influence shopping decisions.
Music and Aging (or Anti-Aging)
There is overwhelming evidence that music is important for the well-being of older adults and is meaningful in later stages of life.
Research has shown that both listening to and making music can, reduce loneliness, promote positive affect and provide feelings of meaningfulness and purpose in life, contributing to delayed aging.
Music is also beneficial for people affected by dementia and moderate cognitive impairment, improving their cognitive functioning, memory, mood, and general well-being positive effects have also been observed for their relatives.
Reality Transurfing
Listening to music that brings back memories of your younger days is very beneficial and provides an effect similar to what Vadim terms as Forward to the Past in Reality Transurfing.
By incorporating music into their everyday life, seniors can give their quality of life a much-needed boost. Older adults benefit from music that improves their moods, brings back older, happy memories encourage socialization, and promotes overall mental and physical health.
Benefits of Music and Older Adults
An elderly person can benefit from music in the following ways:
More exercise. Increases coordination and mobility. ...
More social interaction. Improves cognition and speech. ...
Better overall health. Reduces pain and recovery time. ...
Improves memory. Assists in memory recall.
In conclusion
Music exerts a powerful influence on human beings. It can boost memory, build task endurance, lighten your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, stave off fatigue, improve your response to pain, and help you work out more effectively.
I highly recommend creating a playlist that includes popular music from your younger days and contemplating those memories often.
This will do wonders for your state of mind and as you read above this reduces loneliness, promotes a positive effect, reduce anxiety and depression, improve your response to pain, builds task endurance, and provides feelings of meaningfulness and purpose in life <—- so many complaints listed in the menopause groups!