Music can be felt in the heart and abdomen, study reveals

Researchers conducted a study that showed that music can be heard in organs and also bring different emotions depending on its composition and melody. The researchers point out that the results could be useful for expanding the use of music in the mental health treatment .

Eight musical sequences were composed based on 890 songs of the Billboard charts in the United States. Each of them had only four musical notes combined and which created music caused surprise or a feeling of predictability.

The 567 participants were exposed to the songs created and had to choose from images which parts of the human body that melody affected and the feeling they related to.

It was detected that the songs that people felt most in their abdomen had sequences that lacked surprise or unpredictability. The emotions selected were calm, relief, satisfaction, nostalgia and empathy. Participants chose heart when the first three notes of the song brought little surprise and uncertainty, but the last four chords provoked high surprise. These were linked to feelings of pleasure.

In total, all the melodies felt in the heart and stomach brought degrees of aesthetic appreciation and reduced negative feelings such as anxiety and discomfort.

By combining the results, the researchers were able to create a cup map for each chord sequence. As a next step, the researchers want to combine this data with studies of the physical impacts that these songs can bring, such as changes in heart rate.

“This research offers data on how musical experiences are intrinsically connected to our bodies. It promises to contribute to the use of music in relieving stress and improving mental health,” commented Tatsuya Daikoku, associate professor at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo.