Even I, one of the more dickheaded skeptics I know, sometimes likes to think metaphysically about music. Maybe that’s because I’m someone that really, really likes music and has devoted a significant portion of their life to it, and there’s something not so appealing about the idea that idea that music, whether it’s harsh noise, gamelan music, or corporately crafted pop reduces to the same chemical experience for everyone. Trolling the aisles at Amoeba or listening to Jack FM, we’re fundamentally all chasing the same feeling. Which makes me feel a little better about listening to that “Pumped Up Kicks” song like three times this morning. Anyhow, courtesy of the fine folks at AsapSCIENCE (via “Brain Pickings”:), here’s the scientific explanation behind music enjoyment, why humans crave it, and what music has in common with coke.If there’s something disappointing in the “it’s all chemicals” explanation, take comfort in the likelihood that those same chemicals probably also drive religious belief.
Advertisement