In the wake of Whitney Houston’s death there has been a lot of discussion about her having provided the “soundtrack” for our lives for the past nearly 30 years. Music moves us. We’ve all experienced it, hearing a song that suddenly brings us back to particular time, place or experience.
Music also gets into our bodies. We’ve gotten chills, goosebumps and been moved to tears. Did you ever wonder why? The Wall Street Journal just published an article about the science of music and the power that it has over our sympathetic nervous system, the system that regulates involuntary bodily functions, e.g.: cardiovascular system, digestion, sweat glands, etc. Backed by research, the article details the mechanics of musical arrangements, how they are experienced by our bodies and why sometimes, we can endlessly listen to the same song.
So the next time you feel moved, as the article so beautifully invites us to do, “sit back and let the dopamine keep us coming back for more.”
jodi rubin, acsw, lcsw, ceds 