Music is easily one of the go-to means to feel good when you need to uplift your mood but have you ever wondered why music makes you feel so good? People love music for several reasons, perhaps as much as they love sex, alcohol, food, or any other thing that makes them feel good.
Music has been in existence for the longest time and no one can tell how or when it started. However, it has grown into something more beautiful today, especially with the improved technology now used in the music industry. There are now better studio equipment, music apps, and even free converter and downloader apps such as www.mp3shack.com. All these have made access to music easier than ever and in the comfort of your home, you can stream music on any platform in your preferred mode. Several music blogs also talk about music all day long to reach the right audience and keep them informed of the latest trends.
While music becomes more available to the average person through the easiest means every passing day, we still wonder how and why it makes us feel good. It’s not a one-way street answer but we do know that we most times resort to playing music, whether on loudspeakers or listening with headphones, to feel better. How does this happen?
A study conducted by neuroscientists Anne Blood and Robert Zatorre at McGill University in Montreal showed how people listening to pleasurable music activate the limbic and paralimbic areas of the brain that are connected to euphoric reward responses. This is due to a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. So, every time you listen to a song that you like, dopamine is released in your brain, which makes you feel good! You also experience a similar feeling when you eat any food you love such as chocolates or when you’re with someone you truly love.
Researchers in this study used a combination of PET (positron emission tomography) and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imagining) techniques to scan the brains of some of the participants as they listened to music. Through this, they found how dopamine rush was at its peak when they reached their favorite part of the song and also when they were approaching or anticipating the peak emotional arousal from the music.
Technically, you constantly train your brain every time you listen to music, especially when you have to repeat the same songs over again. This constant release of dopamine makes you feel good and also encourages you to listen to more music.
Music moves people and there are several factors attached to this, including the lyrics and beats of the music. Most people feel connected to the lyrics of the song, especially if it pertains to a specific culture. As you listen, you try to take in the words and let them speak to you, which is also another way by which music can make you feel good. It is no surprise why some sad songs only make you feel sadder and happier songs make you feel even better.
Music will always be here and will be a relief for many people for as long as possible.
