Why Music Will Save Us

Ask yourself, when was the last time you have been listening to the music? Was it on your way home, as the beat has pulsed in your headphones, or did you hear it coming from the cafe on the street? Reality is, music takes a huge part in our lives; it's everywhere. One song can make you feel sad for no specific reason, while others will put a smile on your face.

But since when did the music have a power to control our emotions?

Well, since always. Kind of. Let's put away any song that has words in it for a little while, and talk about the pure music. Instrumental music is the universal language which has never been taught to us. Some say it communicates directly with our soul, others stick to the idea that music activates certain regions of our brain and, depending on the type of music one listens to, either brings us joy or makes us want to cry. Whichever theory seems more appealing to you, music can, in fact, change your mood.

However, not all music out there exists for solely pleasing you. You see, when someone says "the power of music," he barely realizes what kind of power it is. Music can affect your conscious state much in the same way psychotropic drugs can. And guess what, shamans knew about that thousands of years before modern scientists could prove it.

Shamans mostly used drums as the major instrument in their rituals. Monotonous patterns played with the varying degree of speed, and eagerness made them and those who listened to their "song" experience a different kind of reality, putting them in a meditative state, sometimes called "trance."

Now, if you've read until that moment and thought, "Oh, that's just bull... hmm, sorry, nonsense," I have a scientific explanation for you. Our brainwaves have four different ranges of frequencies. While two of them can be experienced while we are awake, the other two occur only during sleep. So, what does shaman music do? It makes your brain shift from the normal daily functioning frequency to the one people usually experience while dreaming. Think of it as of sleepwalking, except you stay conscious. And it's kinda cool.

However, you don't need to go and find a shaman to get the similar type of experience; just go clubbing. Of course, not all music played in the clubs will work, but modern electronic music, such as techno, trance, or house will do the trick. Loud non-stop music, alongside with flashes of strobe lights and laser projections which add sensory stimulation, altogether create a unique atmosphere for your brain, similar to the one shamans created during their rituals. And yes, same as for clubbing, dancing took a crucial part in the ritual.

And what all that has to do with saving the world?

Music unites people. No matter what language you speak, what your religion is, ethnicity or culture, we all are able to understand music and its meaning. It influences our feelings and emotions. Think about that; when you are in a good mood, you stay productive and make the right choices that will benefit your future self. You are nice to those around you, and simply enjoy living your life. And finally, music is a powerful tool for accessing deeper parts of your consciousness, opening your mind, and bringing you thoughts you might not have thought of before.

Don't you think that that's all we might need to save the humankind?