Remember that song that gives you goosebumps? Or that chorus that makes your feet tap. Or maybe that melody that brings a tear to your eye without asking. The lyrics that comfort you when you’re feeling sad. Have you ever wondered why music has such an influence on you? The explanation could come from Neural Resonance Theory.
The enormous and underestimated power of music
Music helps us cope with bad times. It’s a kind of temporary cure for feelings like sadness and nostalgia. In fact, neuroscientists have proven that during the peak of music, dopamine, the “happiness hormone,” is released, generating pleasure and motivation.
However, the psychological effects of music go beyond mood. A study conducted at Bishop’s University showed that it’s also an excellent tool for relieving pain. People who listened to music reported less pain and increased pain tolerance; in other words, they were able to tolerate it better.
Part of music’s influence is due to the fact that it stimulates the emotional areas of our brain, especially the amygdala, bypassing the rational areas. This gives it great power, as if it were speaking directly to our most instinctive, emotional, and intuitive side.
However, now a group of researchers at McGill University has discovered another reason why music is so powerful: we don’t just listen to it, we literally become it.
What does it mean to “resonate” or vibrate with music?
According to this study, our musical experiences are not based solely on what we know or anticipate about a song, but on something much deeper: our brain’s and body’s ability to resonate with music. This idea, supported by findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, is part of what is known as Neural Resonance Theory.
Imagine your brain and body as a set of vibrating strings. When you listen to music, your brain doesn’t just interpret the sounds coming from outside; its “strings” synchronize, align, and vibrate in time with the rhythm, following the harmony. This means you don’t just hear a set of notes; you resonate with them.
And this isn’t a poetic metaphor, but a physical process. Your nervous system, from your ear to your spinal cord, enters into a kind of internal dance, synchronizing your brain rhythms with the tempo of the music. In other words, your body “becomes” the music.
Neural Resonance Theory, a symphony within you
Neural Resonance Theory posits that the brain follows natural oscillations; that is, rhythmic patterns of activity that, in the presence of music, tend to match its rhythm. This synchronization doesn’t depend on whether you’re a professional musician or not. In fact, one of the study’s most revealing findings is that these responses are present in almost everyone, regardless of their musical training.
This explains why a toddler just learning to speak instinctively moves to the rhythm of a song. Or why in different cultures accustomed to completely different musical genres, people still feel the need to dance or sing.
These neuroscientists explain that “music is so powerful not only because we hear it, but because our brains and bodies embody it.” This discovery redefines our relationship with sound: music ceases to be something external that we simply hear and becomes a deeply corporeal and visceral experience.
At the same time, this study suggests that music reflects stable resonant patterns in our brain that we all share. The structure of a beat, the harmonic progression of a song, the crescendo of a symphony… All of these elements are not merely cultural constructs, as we previously thought, but rather reflections of how our nervous system is organized to perceive and respond to the world.
Therefore, the beat of a drum can make you feel euphoric and compel you to dance, while a soft ballad has the potential to relieve anxiety and promote sleep. Music speaks the language of the body, not just the ear.
And what’s that for? Well, it helps you consciously choose the music you listen to because it will penetrate deeply into your mind, your brain, and your body. You don’t just hear the music, you literally become it. So choose songs that allow you to inhabit them and let them resonate with you.
References:
Harding, E. E. et. Al. (2025) Musical neurodynamics. Nature Reviews Neuroscience; 26 (5): 293
Mitchell, L. A. et. Al. (2008) An investigation of the effects of music and art on pain perception. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts; 2(3): 162-170.
Koelsch, S. & Siebel, W. A. (2005) Towards a neural basis of music perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences; 9(2): 578-584.
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