“Trance 4 life” - Why does Trance carry such meaning for its listeners? Why do music genres in general have such dramatic impact on our species?

Hensmon

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^^^ I dont think any of those make sense in the context of the people who say "your music saved my life", which I agree with the OP, is common to see on Youtube. Escapism wouldn't drive people out of depressive states, it's usually the opposite (i.e video games). It's not about community bonds or hobbies either. It's the literal music that is effecting them so powerfully that in some cases it's preventing depression and maybe even suicide.

Really hard to understand how pattern solving can produce such a thing, and why no other pattern solving instances in our lives produce this kind of feelings. I have no better suggestion though.
 

Jetflag

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Why wont other pattern solving instances in life cause the same effect?
it does. This is why people get such dopanime rushes from simple games like bejewled or angry birds, or why people like cardboard puzzling, or chess or even football. And it not different from the patterns in say house, or techno or even country :)
 

Motion

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I always found it interesting how other animals don't seem to get pleasure by music. It's like my dogs don't even notice when it's turned on or off, their ears wont even move. It's a human thing only. And imagine if our ear were slightly different or did not exist (we relied on other senses), then the entire experience would never be known. Maybe there is advanced life out there that does not hear, and to who music would be a completely impossible concept to understand.
 

Hensmon

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it does. This is why people get such dopanime rushes from simple games like bejewled or angry birds, or why people like cardboard puzzling, or chess or even football. And it not different from the patterns in say house, or techno or even country :)

Whats happening with sports is very different. If youre watching there is no pattern solving, you just project yourself onto the team and thats why you experience the highs and the lows. If you play, the buzz is from win, not the experience itself really.

Video games also work in a completely different way with their reward mechanisms when compared to music, and they dont even come close to replicating the type of emotional depth or intensity. Not really following why you think these are examples to show whats happening with music is happening in other places.
 
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Jetflag

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Whats happening with sports is very different. If youre watching there is no pattern solving, you just project yourself onto the team and thats why you experience the highs and the lows. If you play, the buzz is from win, not the experience itself really.
I think you misunderstood my example there. I was refering to actually engaging/playing it. not watching from the side. Chess or strategic table top games like 40K are an excellent example of pattern solving dopamine rush. Now granted. In any game the emphasis is on winning whereas this isn't the case with music. but the reward mechanism for pattern recognition is definitely there. which is why for instance.. one punch knockouts or the type of football games where the match is pretty much settled the first 15 minutes are so damn uninterresting/unrewarding, even for the victor an even though the win is obvious. Its the back & forth, changing of the pattern, dance of chance and skill that makes it exciting (in part)

Video games also work in a completely different way with their reward mechanisms when compared to music, and they dont even come close to replicating the type of emotional depth or intensity. Not really following why you think these are examples to show whats happening with music is happening in other places.
well first, You'll notice I mentioned specific type of games and not say, first person shooters. second. I again refer you to the aforementioned Qualia problem. We/You simply have no idea what the emotional depth or intensity is for (example) a game addict of the type i mentioned. You (and I) only have our own frame of reference.

Third: it is happening in other places just not to the same degree, like... to pick another example.. visual arts...Music (IMO) just takes the highground due to its format as opposed to other mediums party because of its (I think) ancesteral roots (at least that's my theory as far as a "rational scientific explanation" goes)
 
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Spacetime

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Returned to read the replies. I got covid and not the good kind, an entire month wiped out, definitely the long variety. I have never felt so ill in all my life I was so shocked actually. Wow what an awful ride it was, couldn't even muster the energy to turn on a computer and visit the internet for some forum time. I digress...

I see a comparison was made with movies. I would disagree that movies hold the same power. Do movies really help people through depression like music does? I have never heard of instances like that. I cry at movies sometimes, but probably more so with music. There is a key difference too, because with movies we cry because we relate to the human experience, empathizing and projecting ourselves vicariously through the characters. Music has no story, characters or relatability in this way, so the experience is not the same. So how does music bring such deep emotional responses?
 

No Return

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My morning watch today, an interview with the greatest music producer of all time, lord Rick Rubin. The opening question is about Nietzsche's quote: "Without music, life would be a mistake."

Rubins response is:
"It seems like music has the ability to bring us so much depth in our soul thats difficult to access any other way... it's a window into something else."


He suggests that other mediums could maybe do the same, suggesting poetry. Music however may allow it more quickly or automatically. Its a nice theory.