What science says about the power of music

Overview

When we think of meditation, the image that pops up in our mind is often a combination of silence and stillness. On top of that, perhaps we think we must focus on breathing and empty our minds to meditate. Yet, what if one of the most easily accessible forms of meditation is not about silence at all? Science informs us that listening to music from our favourite playlist can be meditative. It helps us empty our minds and reach greater relaxation. In other words, music offers healing for our minds.

How Music Improves Our State of Mind

Listening to music, if done with intention, is a powerful meditative practice. It provides a focal point for our awareness, pulling us out of the recurring cycle of anxious thoughts and into the present moment. When we listen to music we enjoy, science informs us that our brain responds by releasing a rush of beneficial chemicals, including endorphins and dopamine. Endorphins — our organic “feel-good” chemicals — help uplift our mood, while dopamine — an important neurotransmitter in our internal reward system — fosters feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

Simultaneously, engaging with music can lower the production of cortisol, one of our bodies’ primary stress hormones. The chemical shift has tangible effects: decreasing our blood pressure, relaxing our muscles, and quietening our anxiety. This means music orchestrates a physiological state remarkably similar to that achieved through conventional meditation, which fosters a calm, alert, and centred sense of being.

How to Strategically Listen to Music to Improve Our Wellbeing

In usual practice, one of the primary challenges of meditation is anchoring a wandering mind. Here, music provides this anchor effortlessly. Meditation helps us focus on our breath, while music leads us to focus on the melody, rhythm, and/or the texture of any voice. Active, intentional music listening engages both the left and right hemispheres of our brain. This process helps maximise listening, improve concentration, and leaves less room for distracting thoughts. To put it simply, we hardly have room to worry about tomorrow’s worries when we are fully immersed in listening to music that we enjoy. This helps achieve the purpose of meditation.

How we can instrumentalise music as a meditative tool lies in its deep personalisation. We all have our own personal preferences when it comes to music, and we may want to listen to specific genres of music or songs at any given time. The key is to curate our auditory environment to suit our listening needs. According to Harvard Health Publishing from Harvard Medical School, a particularly effective technique we can adopt is the ‘iso principle’. This means we begin by matching the music to our current mood. Feeling agitated? Then start with something fast-paced and energetic. Next, we should gradually transition our playlist towards slower, simpler, and calmer tracks, allowing our state of mind to follow suit.

Personally, when I am feeling low and my brain signals that I might need to listen to music, I browse my Spotify playlists for sentimental pop tracks. I often prefer gentle, slower tracks with touching melodies and lyrics. I will sit in my armchair, close my eyes, and immerse myself in the songs. To date, this habit remains one of my most effective and organic therapies, allowing me to withdraw tentatively from negative emotions.

Conclusions

Regardless of whether we are easing into sleep, finding motivation to complete a repetitive task, or simply sitting for ten minutes to take a short break, we often crave listening to some music so as to practise this form of mindfulness. We are choosing to guide our focus, regulate our emotional state, and connect with the present moment. Therefore, next time we feel overwhelmed, we should not just put on any random background noise.

We can put on our headphones, close our eyes and truly listen. We may, therefore, be able to find the peace we are looking for. Sometimes it is as simple as that.

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