How music can change our emotion. Feeling the chills yet ?

We all listen to music, we all have favourite artists and songs, all of us feel attached to certain songs. Some might say that music is even more powerful than language itself.

Whether we're just chillin' in our room or watching a movie in the cinema, specific kinds of music can awake emotions inside us that changes our experience for the better or for worse. It could also give us the needed motivation for certain things. For example, some music could motivate you to do some exercise.

Probably makes you think, "what's the science behind all this ?". It's certainly very interesting how music can awaken emotions in us and change our experience. While listening to music we can feel:

• Emotional arousal

• Change of breathing rate

• Shivers

• Pulse changes

• Chills

• Change of heart rate

See, all the time your brain tries to predict what's going to happen next. When you're listening to music your brain tries to follow the song and predict the beat, whether it surprises your or not, it gives you pleasure.

Skilled artists can predict what the audience is expecting, this way they can manipulate your emotions with a song. For example, when you're watching a movie in the cinema and you're all into it, suddenly a moving song comes and BAM ! You feel chills all over your body. This changes your emotions toward the movie, most likely it makes you enjoy it even more.

Also, music doesn't necessarily raise positive emotions all the time. When you you hear specific songs (especially sad ones) while having a bad/sad mood, the music most likely wont improve your mood at all.

In fact, it will raise even more bad emotions which could lead to bad decision making and lack of focus. I tend to not listen to sad songs when I'm not in the mood because why should I make myself even more sad ? :D

Of course all music doesn't raise the same emotions for everyone. It all depends on what kind of music you grew up with, your taste and other things like:

• The setting you're in

• Your familiarity with the music

• The amount of concentration you have on the music

• Your current mood matters a lot

• The volume of sound you're liseting to

• Genre of the music

Music can also help you distract yourself from your body's fatigue. When you are working out with music, you can do much more because your endurance will increase and you'll be much more pumped and motivated to move. So bring your headphones to the gym !

Song of the day:

Sean Tyas feat. Lo-Fi Sugar - The World (Darren Porter Remix)

Trance forever