Written By
Aditya Shukla, Psychology Consultant, Cognition Today
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music is perhaps one of the only stimuli received by a single sense organ, which stimulates almost all of the brain in unique ways with a sense of reward attached to all of that stimulation.
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Liked music, favorite music, disliked music target specialized brain regions that stimulate unique reward sensations.
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All liked forms of music regulate emotions and help people destress. This happens almost unconsciously.
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Music helps people focus and concentrate, especially if the work is boring. Music also makes doing cognitive work more enjoyable.
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Because music engages a widespread network of brain regions and triggers memories & unlikely bits of knowledge, music gives "aha" moment insights.
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Inputs from the environment & your own recent experience modify what you pay attention to. E.g., If you see yellow for too long, and someone asks you name 2 fruits, you'll likely name 2 yellow fruits.
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Music has been proven to be a powerful coping mechanism for pain and it also acts as a strong supporting method for mental health therapy.
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Music helps people feel less lonely and less angry, regardless of what the music is.
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Music activates the premotor brain regions that signal movement in the form of dance, grooving, and social connection. These essentially make shared music a way to like each other.