The Power of Music on the Brain

• Research shows that brain waves resonate with the beat of music, causing breathing and heartbeat to match the rhythm, a phenomenon unique to humans and songbirds. • Listening to pleasant music boosts serotonin, a brain chemical responsible for good feelings and regular bowel movements. • Processing music is one of the few daily activities that engage both hemispheres of the brain, making individuals better at lateral thinking and creative problem solving. • Music engages the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory storage, which is why listening to old songs can bring back forgotten memories, even in individuals with Alzheimer's and Dementia. • Listening to music at volumes over 95 DB can reduce mental and physical reaction times by 20%, and loud music tends to increase alcohol sales in bars. • Music therapy is a field of study that researches and documents the connections between music and brain chemistry, including music as a painkiller and a possible way to kick addiction. • The connection between music and the brain is physical, affecting brain chemistry and body functions, but the exact reasons behind it are still unknown.