We are machines of transformation, constantly combining ideas with materials and turning them into technology and art. The mind is at the core of these processes, guiding and commanding, destroying and creating… we are nothing without it, and yet we poorly understand its nature. What is it? Is it really a thing or is it a construct? Is it immutable or changes over time? Does it have layers or compartments? Many of these questions are rather philosophical, and ironically, we can lose our minds over them. Yet, we know how it is affected by different things.
We are familiar with that sense of warmth and mild euphoria after a glass of wine, or how the veil of confusion is lifted after a cup of coffee, or the heavy head that comes after a rich piece of lasagne and desert that put us straight to sleep. There is an old saying that states we are what we eat (and drink!). How much of truth is in it? Can the pattern of our diets make us miserable or content? What about psychedelics? There are those who think they are the key that opens the door to the subconscious part of our minds… can those “trips” really rewire our brains, changing our minds? Interestingly, not only food, drinks and drugs can alter our minds.
How many times have we felt lifted and swung around just by listening Puccini’s famous aria Nessun Dorma? Or Carl Orff’s energetic O Fortuna from his Carmina Burana? There is no need to understand the lyrics to evoke the emotions, it is enough just with a particular combination of sounds! How does that work? Is the meaning in music intrinsic or we learn it through culture? How different types of music affect the mind? Can it affect our perception of reality, just like drugs do?
Exploring these and more questions, mainly from the point of view of science, is the main goal of this blog. How the mind is affected by what we consume and by music is a subject that has fascinated me since I remember, and I decided to add some systematic investigation to my raw curiosity. Because some themes might be sensitive, I feel obliged to state that I’m not health professional, nor I am providing advice of any kind. I’m not a musician either, just an avid listener –my experiences listening to music is what have awakened this thirst for understanding. My intention is to ask questions and see how the available evidence answer it (or not), sometimes speculate and in general have a good time in awe of the wonders of the mind and the many ways we can nourish it, with food and with music.
Psych Bites in Tune 