Does music Heal Depression?

Music therapy seems to reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety, and helps to improve functioning (e.g., maintaining involvement in jobs, activities, and relationships). It is unclear whether music therapy is better than psychological therapy.

Why do we like music?

We like music because it makes us feel good. Using magnetic resonance imaging they showed that people listening to pleasurable music had activated brain regions called the limbic and paralimbic areas, which are connected to euphoric reward responses, like those we experience from sex, good food and addictive drugs.

How do our brains process music?

The inner ear translates vibrations into electrical signals. The signals travel along the cochlear nerve system to the brain’s cerebral cortex. Like a supercomputer, this part of the brain. Other areas of the brain add their power to analyze different elements within the music, such as rhythm, pitch, and dynamics.