Breathing & Music

I have two friends who have done things with the Wim Hof method. One of them gave me some very interesting insights about breathing and human emotion, meditation, etc.

He was telling me that listening to aggressive music or, basically, any sort of music that heightens your breathing and is intense, can result in putting you in a very different mental place.

If you are mindful, you can apparently notice how intense music begins to alter your breathing; now, try to transition quickly from listening to an exciting song that you like into a calm, cool, meditative state...

It reminds me of being in my room and listening to some punk music I really loved at a loud volume, and my mother opening the door to tell me something. No matter what, I would be annoyed -- and for no good reason. I knew that, on some level, I had no right to be annoyed, but when your favorite song is suddenly interrupted in the middle, and you are in a heightened state, it'll invariably result in a big disconnect.

This has got me thinking... what is the effect of listening to lots of intense music that alters the breathing and your state of mind?

Is it cathartic? Is it perhaps cathartic up to a certain point, and then it begins to have a negative impact?

Is there ultimately no impact?

Is there music or other forms of input that can be used to produce optimal breathing, optimal mental health, and a generally happier disposition..?

It's really a wide, open topic and I am curious as to everyone's experiences.

@philokalia said
He was telling me that listening to aggressive music or, basically, any sort of music that heightens your breathing and is intense, can result in putting you in a very different mental place.

When I was teaching I did a little "research" into this.
Apparently Mozart was good for learning ... this was consequently debunked.
However I found it had a positive effect on my pupils ... perhaps any music would have worked?

I think there was some clear research on the tempo of music.
Fast music made people more aggressive.
I think it was to do with road safety.
Havent time to google.

@philokalia said
If you are mindful, you can apparently notice how intense music begins to alter your breathing; now, try to transition quickly from listening to an exciting song that you like into a calm, cool, meditative state...

Is it a new idea that music can affect one’s emotions?

@philokalia said
I have two friends who have done things with the Wim Hof method. One of them gave me some very interesting insights about breathing and human emotion, meditation, etc.

He was telling me that listening to aggressive music or, basically, any sort of music that heightens your breathing and is intense, can result in putting you in a very different mental place.

If you ...[text shortened]... ier disposition..?

It's really a wide, open topic and I am curious as to everyone's experiences.

This is a fantastic question which I do not believe is answered well by mental health literature from the perspective of the health goals of adults.

I think the related issue is whether or not human beings need an outlet. Would it be healthier to achieve a serene state of calm and even breathing at all times or do we need to take ourselves into states of heightened arousal such that it would not be healthy if we never did that? Should that just be limited to the seemingly obviously appropriate situations such as sex or do we need the less intuitively obvious pursuits of arousal such as punk music. Which is the healthier way to be?

There is certainly a school of thought that sees childhood as a rehearsal and argues that we evolved a significantly longer childhood than most species because there is so much more social behaviour to be learned. The argument goes that without creating different scenarios of arousal in childhood we miss out on the development of the self regulation skills needed for adult life. Using that model the scene where you were interrupted by your mother becomes crucially important because reflection on your self management through the episode becomes key learning e.g. for dealing with an interruption by the boss at work whilst in a state of heightened arousal, whilst working on something difficult. Arguably you were drawn to constructing the scenario by your developmental needs and that is the child or young person's part of the attachment dance.

Silence is golden.

@secondson said
Silence is golden.

“I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity.”

Nadezhda Mandelstam, Hope Against Hope

@ghost-of-a-duke said
“I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity.”

Nadezhda Mandelstam, Hope Against Hope

I usually employ a primal scream at the start of each new day. After that quiet serenity envelopes my soul.

@secondson said
Silence is golden.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” ― Arthur O’Shaughnessy

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” ― Leopold Stokowski

“If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that… I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it.” ― John Lennon

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“There is nothing more to be said or to be done tonight, so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle

'My melancholy wants to rest in the hiding places and abysses of perfection: that is why I need music.'

'Without music life would be a mistake.'

Nietzsche

@philokalia said

Is there music or other forms of input that can be used to produce optimal breathing, optimal mental health, and a generally happier disposition..?

a drum circle composed of adepts and rookies
the beat will not be even and well composed, and the off-balance vibrations will enhance mindfulness

unless of course yer annoyed by it and then one must begin again

@suzianne said
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” ― Arthur O’Shaughnessy

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” ― Leopold Stokowski

“If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my ...[text shortened]... hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle

I wish I could still hear the silence, but in the silence of the early morning outside my door here in the country all I hear anymore is this multi-frequency high pitch ringing in my ears. 😉

@philokalia said
If you are mindful, you can apparently notice how intense music begins to alter your breathing; now, try to transition quickly from listening to an exciting song that you like into a calm, cool, meditative state...

It reminds me of being in my room and listening to some punk music I really loved at a loud volume, and my mother opening the door to tell me something. No ...[text shortened]... upted in the middle, and you are in a heightened state, it'll invariably result in a big disconnect.

It depends on what kind of "intense" music you're referring to. An uptempo dance song usually puts people in a good mood while an angst-filled rock song may do the opposite. If it's the former, it's quite easy to transition to a cool, calm meditative state if you've been dancing and need to unwind.

@philokalia said
I have two friends who have done things with the Wim Hof method. One of them gave me some very interesting insights about breathing and human emotion, meditation, etc.

He was telling me that listening to aggressive music or, basically, any sort of music that heightens your breathing and is intense, can result in putting you in a very different mental place.

If you ...[text shortened]... ier disposition..?

It's really a wide, open topic and I am curious as to everyone's experiences.

I think it's somewhat normal to be irritated by interruptions, especially when one is mentally "in the zone". It doesn't have to be music. It could be a video game, or playing a game of blitz chess, or whatever.

A Buddhist teacher read a story about a guy going away to a lengthy meditation retreat and getting snippy with his wife when he got back, mostly because he had gotten used to the silence. Teacher quipped, "don't be a Zen-hole".

@suzianne said
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” ― Arthur O’Shaughnessy

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” ― Leopold Stokowski

“If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my ...[text shortened]... hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life." Ludwig van Beethoven

@secondson said
Silence is golden.

And "Children should be seen and not heard" ?