Music is more than just an auditory experience. It is also a physical object that transcends cultural boundaries and evokes similar emotions and physical sensations in people all over the world.
This is the core finding of a groundbreaking study by Finland’s Turku PET Center, which investigated how music affects listeners around the world emotionally and physically.
learn music experience
The study was a collaboration between the Turku PET Center, Aalto University, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), and involved a large-scale online survey with 1,500 participants from Western and Asian backgrounds.
Participants were asked to rate the emotions and physical sensations they experienced while listening to a variety of Western and Asian songs.
Emotional and physical reactions to music
Academy researcher Vesa Putkinen explains the study’s interesting findings.
“Music that evokes different emotions, such as happiness, sadness, and fear, evokes unique physical sensations. For example, people generally feel happy, danceable music in their arms and legs, but soft, sad music causes them to feel it in their arms and legs. It is often felt in the chest area,” says Putkinen.
This discovery highlights the deep connection between our emotional responses to music and the physical sensations we experience.
Cross-cultural similarities in musical experiences
Another important finding of this study is the universality of these musical experiences. Despite cultural differences, Western and Asian listeners reported similar emotional and physical responses to music.
This suggests that the emotions evoked by music may be rooted in genetic biological mechanisms rather than cultural learning.
Professor Lauri Nunmenmaa explains these universal patterns in detail.
“Certain sonic features of music, such as distinct beats and dissonance, were consistently associated with specific emotions across cultures,” Numenmar explains.
“For example, distinct beats often lead to feelings of euphoria and the urge to dance, while dissonance is associated with aggression,” she concluded.
These cross-cultural similarities indicate that our responses to music may be deeply rooted in our biology.
The role of music in human evolution
The study also delves into the role of music in human evolution. Putkinen suggests that music may have evolved as a tool for social cohesion.
“Music’s effect on the body is universal. Across cultures, people move to music, and the synchronization of posture, movement, and vocalizations expresses a sense of familiarity,” Putkinen points out.
“Music probably arose during human evolution to enhance social interaction and community by synchronizing our bodies and emotions,” he concludes.
therapeutic use of music
Music therapy is a dynamic field in which health professionals use music to support mental, emotional, physical, and social health.
This therapeutic approach harnesses the inherent properties of music to promote healing and personal growth.
Music therapy plays an important role in cognitive rehabilitation. For patients with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, familiar melodies may evoke memories and improve cognitive function. Therapists actively use music to help these patients recover lost memories and maintain cognitive abilities.
Music experience and mental health
In the realm of mental health, music therapy provides a unique means for emotional expression and processing. It is especially effective for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
As explained above, creating and listening to music allows patients to express their emotions nonverbally, often leading to significant improvements in mood and mental health.
Music therapy also promotes the development of social skills. Group sessions encourage communication, collaboration, and emotional sharing, which can be beneficial for people with autism and social anxiety.
Implications and future research
Experiencing music production and music listening together allows individuals to build connections and improve social interactions.
In summary, this comprehensive study highlights the universal power of music. It transcends cultural barriers and evokes similar emotions and physical sensations in people from different backgrounds.
This discovery deepens our understanding of the role of music in human life and highlights its potential as a unifying force in an increasingly fragmented world.
The entire research is Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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