I always wonder why and more importantly how some music touches us to the very depths of our soul… How a melody instantly captivates us; evoking a myriad of emotions; instilling radiance full of inspiration, happiness, excitement, beauty, hope, and at the same time a deep sense of sadness, anger, hate, lust, and questioning that only our unique experiences can induce.
How can one quantify or even study the robust neurological effects of music when the emotion it brings to mind is so subjective? Music is undeniably emotionally powerful, regardless of degree, and is experienced in countless ways by each of us. Our emotional responses are affected by a multitude of factors; memories associated to a song, the environment, our specific mood at the specific time we’re taking in a track, our unique personalities, the culture we were raised in; by an endless number of factors both impossible to control and impossible to measure. That said, how can we ever deduce the intrinsic quality of a piece of music and the specific emotional response it creates?
There have been several studies performed indicating the possibility to see and measure our emotional responses to music through the use of imagery techniques. But the data could never be accurate given the subjective nature of our emotional responses. These studies can neither explain the how nor the why, but only confirm the already known neurological effects of music on the mind…
To say the least, the intricacies of our mind are truly extraordinary in every sense of the word. They leave me utterly speechless...
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