Spanish scientists have concluded that electronic music can change the state of consciousness. Their findings may help relieve pain in various pathological conditions and also hold promise for effective training.
An altered state of consciousness is not a figure of speech, but a phenomenon that has clear criteria. This term refers to qualitative deviations of subjective experiences or psychological functioning from certain norms characteristic of a particular person (he notes them himself or others notice them). Simply put, an altered state of consciousness is one in which a person behaves differently from what is typical for him in most cases. Such conditions can be caused by psychological trauma, severe stress, medication, alcohol or drugs.
The study involved 20 people aged 18 to 22 who listened to six pieces of electronic music, each one minute long. The music tempo was different: 1.65, 2.25 and 2.85 hertz. Using electrodes attached to the scalp on an electroencephalograph, the scientists measured the electrical activity of the participants' brains.
While still listening to music, the subjects answered questions assessing how a particular melody affected their state of consciousness. For example, did they feel some kind of unity with the music or disconnection. The volunteers' tests did not end there: they also performed cognitive tasks that showed the level of concentration and reaction time.
It turned out that synchronization between the brain activity of the subjects and the rhythm of the music occurred at all three tempos studied, but this effect was most pronounced at a tempo of 1.65 hertz. Participants also reported that it was while listening to a song at this frequency that they felt the most connected to the music. In addition, the researchers found that the more engaged listeners were with the music, the longer their reaction time on cognitive tasks was at the end of the song.
According to scientists, their research will help to understand the mechanisms behind changes in the state of consciousness, which, in turn, will be promising for therapeutic interventions. For example, to relieve painful symptoms, when it is better for a person to “separate” his consciousness from the suffering he is experiencing (in psychology, the defense mechanism responsible for this is called dissociation). In addition, music can help in learning: a piece of music listened to can affect the degree of a person’s passion for the subject being studied.