It seems that music really is good for the soul! Our lives are filled with music and music has always accompanied man from the beginnings of time. From the radio in the car, listening to your iPod or your MP3, on TV and in every advertisement, music is everywhere, and it invites itself into our lives. Did you know that the amounts of different substances released by the brain when listening to music is a pretty impressive line-up? Endorphin for well-being, dopamine for pleasure, serotonin for mood, oxytocin for human relations...
Who has never turned up the sound in their car, tapping on their steering wheel and singing at the top of their voices? Who has never just given themselves up totally to the music, even been put into a trance in the middle of the dancefloor, during their favorite tune? Who has never cried over a song that is a reminder of a particularly difficult memory, or a person whom you miss?
Listening to music is good for the health. However, it all depends on your state of mind. I would even say that above all, it depends on your state of mind at the exact time that you listen to it. The benefits of music on our emotional health are substantial and multiple. Music undeniably improves our social skills and promotes our ability to listen.
Astounding benefits of music
In palliative and geriatric care, a significant reduction in pain has been observed when music is involved. The benefits include a reduction of anguish and anxiety related to pain, lower blood pressure, even the reduction of certain side effects of cancer treatments. It should be noted that these results were visible in terms of cerebral repairs among very premature babies.
From a cognitive point of view, the observations made on patients with Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s remain astounding too. For these two diseases, very promising results were also observed; patients with Parkinson's disease regain coordination of movements, as for Alzheimer's disease, this helps patients to better cope with memory loss, paradoxically, by reviving certain memories.
When music relaxes us
A feeling of tranquility, calm and relief… Relaxing melodies naturally reduce cortisol levels and promote the release of endorphins. Endowed with calming and analgesic properties, these endorphins regulate our emotions and promote a feeling of well-being. Certain types of music can even induce a deep state of relaxation to help you fall asleep. To relax, it is possible to listen to different types of relaxing music, available for free on YouTube, such as the sound of the rain or the sea. also available on Google Play and the App Store.
And let’s not forget the Hindu and Buddhist sound of OMMMMM ॐ. Yes, the sacred songs also have virtues, such as the mantras, whose vibration of sounds promotes relaxation and soothes our spirits, one of the best known of which is the mantras of PEACE “Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu” sung by Tina Turner.
When music makes us dance
When we hear music, our bodies react instantly and start to move: it's stronger than we are! The synchronization of our movements blend naturally with those of the people around us, like a kind of attraction. Dancing together to music brings you closer together. Some music makes you want to dance, seemingly beyond your control. The choice of song is important, and it can take you to very high places. Sound frequencies stimulate different parts of the body. You've probably noticed that music with a fairly fast tempo around 120 beats/minute increases the heart rate and that's why you can't stop yourself from gyrating!
When the music makes us melancholy
The great paradox of music is that it can make us feel sad, and yet we still take pleasure in listening to it. Music is a symbol of emotional release. From a neurochemical point of view, listening to sad music releases prolactin, a hormone that causes a feeling of comfort, in order to evacuate too many emotions or a simple emotion that is still very present, without causing pain, but rather by shedding a few tears to get rid of it.
Darwin recognized that music is “one of the most mysterious gifts that characterizes man”. Now, when it comes to which type of music is most beneficial, trust your desires and your mood. So, now we have understood that music really does soothe. It can make us happy, make us dance and help us release certain emotions.
Music is the soundtrack of life, it is the emotional life of most people. Music is a world unto itself with a language we understand.
