Does anyone have any idea why music affects emotional states, triggers memories, or induces moods upon a person?
(I know, this is off-topic, but where else am I going to ask?! Who else would know?! ((or care.)))
I've been doing some reading on this. As it turns out, there's been several studies done on this, but no one really explains 'why.' Now, music can sometimes trigger memories by the natural way the brain often does, relating certain objects, images, and placement of certain shapes will bring back a flash of feeling/imagery of the past.(Similiar to what is talked about the Deja Vu topic on this board.)
Adults between the ages of 40-50 are more likely to listen to 60's music and love every second of it, than the modern day teenager is. Why? It's because of the mood that it put the adults in at that time, and their mind automatically tunes in to feel the same feeling.
Heavy metal, something I used to- and sometimes still do adore by some ways can often times bring up emotions of rebellion, sorrow, hate, anger, but even at times:self-confidence.
The reason music is even seperated into different categories could be because they create different emotions and enviroments that the brain recognizes. Kind of like the every day human recognizing a different ethnic code of their own. It's just not the same. Beautiful and ugly. Not the same. ( see Survival of the Prettiest, and Dress for Success (available at Amazon.com)
It's also said that the right brain interprets and recieves music more, and in a different way than the left. Also note that you dream with the right, PR with the right, and read with the left/recognize with the left
The left brain allows us to recognize when letters are letters. "A," will always look like "A," and make the same sound. Otherwise, we might think A looks like B, and B looks somehow like X.
The right is more visual, and relies not so much on the direct mathematical/logical standpoint to determine things. If it did, we wouldn't be able to dream about flying, or talking to fantasy people we've never seen before, but can still make their faces.
Studies have also shown that humans with brain disorders interpret songs differently, and sometimes even get completely different reactions. Mentally retarted have shown to actually get angry, rather than happy, at a happy song.(Or so it may be categorized.)
Dancing has been brought about culturally by the brain reactions to the different forms of music.
Even more amazingly, music actually has the ability to bring about different heart rates, blood flow, hormonal organizations within the body for a temporary amount of time. Search time.com for more information.
Hrm. . .maybe I just answered a lot of my own questions. . . no, couldn't be. I've just given you guys a lot of information. Does anyone else have anything other than what I've said here to offer?
