Music

Utilizing Music to Customize and Curate the Journey and Psychedelic Experience

Music and psychedelics are powerful therapies in themselves — but when combined, their effects can stack for impressive outcomes, massive introspection, and monumental transformations.

Music has real health benefits. It boosts dopamine, lowers cortisol and it makes us feel great. Your mind is better on music. – Alex Doman

As research continues to shed light on the effectiveness of psychedelic medicine to treat certain mental health conditions, many insights have indicated a potential link the plant medicine and music as a means for creating a more positive experience. As with psychedelic journeys, set and setting are considered the groundwork for dictating how effective treatment will be and how enjoyable the overall experience is.

Music, Research, and Psychedelics

Research has found that the use of tunes and the integration of psychedelic medicine is rooted in its ability to have profound effects on a person’s emotions and physical body. We see this quite often, whether it is upbeat, lending more alertness and concentration, or calming quieting the mind and relaxing muscles—the auditory connection with our mental and physical impulses is well documented. In 2017, research shows music can amplify people’s emotions under the influence of psychedelics. Now researchers and practitioners are studying this relationship to facilitate the potential transformation brought on by “mystical experiences.”

Setting the Stage for a Positive Experience with the Best Transformational Music

Because maintaining a positive environment is so important when integrating psychedelics into your journey, properly setting the stage for these insightful experiences must be a primary focus.  Why is this so important because we are seeking balance, and this balance will occur when being vulnerable and open to change.  When you have the willingness to change, the combination of the psychedelic medicine and music is so surrendering.  The personally meaningful the experience as this lends, the medicine offers introspection and openness, the music helps supply directionality. This symbiotic relationship is integral to having a personally meaningful experience that can change the pathways of everyday life.

With that said, Dr Mendel Kaelan of Wavepaths, who has conducted numerous studies on psychedelics and music found that psychedelics allow regions that process emotions and memories to do so more freely. And when it is rolled out to play, the music directly activates these regions. Dr Kaelen goes on to state that, “in the temporarily absence of the usual control systems, this may explain why we observe such profound interactions between psychedelics and music. Vivid recollection of personal memories, strong emotions and new perspectives”.  Dr Kaelan’s paper also outlined how musical style, and if it resonated in the moment, might create an optimal environment for working with psychedelics. It can also be calming during stressful moments and, in essence, “guide” the psychedelic session, leading Kaelen to dub music “The Hidden Therapist.”