Classical Music's Impact on the Mind
Studies show that classical music may be for more than just enjoyment.
Listening to classical music is a fine leisure to some, and a relic of the past to others. Is it possible that passively listening to the genre can impact your brain? Studies show that the simple act of listening to classical music can improve mental health, and even temporarily increase intelligence. The skeptical may chalk this up to the arousing state provided to us by music in general, but another study concluded that even rats receive cognitive benefits from listening to a specific collection of pieces by Mozart.
Depression
Music therapy has been proven to reduce the symptoms of depression. The illness entails many symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia, loss of interest and social isolation. In 26 studies of 1,810 participants, classical music was shown to significantly reduce depression. 43.4% of participants who received music therapy using the classical genre showed an improvement in their illness. A questionnaire following the studies indicated higher levels of confidence, self-esteem and motivation in the group. The participants listened passively in a music therapy session, either alone of as part of a group. The findings indicate that using classical music for music therapy can be quite effective, but the most effective strategy was using both jazz and classical together in treatments, which resulted in almost half of all participants having an improved condition (48.7%).
IQ
Listening to classical music has been shown to provide a short-term cognitive boost. In 1933, Rauscher et al discovered that subjects experienced spatial IQ scores 8-9 points higher than in other conditions after listening to Mozart’s sonata K488. However, the effect did not last more than 15 minutes. Rauscher claimed that that the benefits were limited to spacial temporal reasoning only. Spatial-temporal reasoning refers to our ability to mentally move objects in space and time, and solve multi-step problems. To refute critics of the experiment who claimed the effect was due to ‘enjoyment arousal’, there were studies done using rats. Rats that were exposed to K488 for 60 days postpartum completed mazes significantly quicker and with less errors, compared to other rats exposed to Philip Glass (a minimalist composer), white noise or silence. In other experiments, the specificity of Mozart was not important, but the exact properties that evoke the phenomenon are not yet known. Other work has been done regarding the state the brain is in when listening to the piece, and the result found greater unison between the right frontal and left temporoparietal brain regions. The long-term benefits of such a practice are unclear, but spatial-temporal reasoning is improved for up to 12 minutes after being exposed to K488.
Epilepsy
Mozart’s music has been found to significantly improve the plight of epileptic patients. Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes seizures, and around 65 million people world-wide have the illness. In a patient having a seizure, the occurrence of ictal patterns fell 41% after exposure to Mozart’s sonata K488. Ictal patterns are repeating brain patterns that are abnormal and indicate a seizure. A couple of other patients experienced bilateral spikes and wave complexes ~95% of the time, then after being exposed to Mozart’s sonata K488 the rate suddenly fell to 50% within 5 minutes of exposure. Considering these effects occurred in unconscious patients, it’s unlikely to be a result of music arousal, but rather due to the particular state the brain is nudged towards after exposure. In a separate experiment, an epileptic young girl experienced a 90% reduction in seizures after being exposed to the piece for 10 minutes every hour, as well as a 56% lower time spent in an epileptic state. The data indicates that Mozart’s sonata K488 piece can put the brain in an alternate state that seems to benefit some epileptic patients in short-term studies.
Sleep Quality
Listening to relaxing classical music can improve sleep quality. Around 70 million individuals in the United States have sleep disorders, and 11% of people report poor sleep every night. Sleep disorders and lack of sleep are correlated with many other issues such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In a study, 3 groups of students listened to either classical music, an audio book or nothing for 45 minutes prior to bedtime. The study lasted for 3 weeks, and the result indicated that the group listening to classical music had significantly improved sleep quality and reduced depression symptoms, while the other 2 groups had little or no impact. While classical music was used in this study, the effect can be seen in any calming music that the listener enjoys, especially if the BPM is around 60-100. Peaceful music you enjoy can calm areas of the autonomic nervous system, which reduces blood pressure, lowers the heart rate and slows breathing. It’s worth noting that another study found that music containing lyrics is less likely to improve sleep quality, and could even worsen it due to “earworms”. Earworms entail a piece of music that gets stuck in your head, which can lead to involuntary rumination on the sound when trying to sleep. Ultimately, listening to classical music before bed has been proven to improve sleep quality, but the effect can extend to any genre of music you find calming; however, catchy music with lyrics or that evokes a strong emotional response can worsen sleep and should be avoided before bed.
Conclusion
The fact that listening to classical music can reduce symptoms of depression, give a temporary spatial IQ boost, improve sleep and reduce the amount of seizures an epileptic patient suffers is a surprising but welcomed conclusion. It is without a doubt that this style of music has an impact on the mind and well-being that is favorable. The reasons or duration of this impact are not fully understood, and should be researched more, but listening for your own enjoyment, or as a form of personal therapy is a practice anyone can potentially benefit from.