Music and Health - Playlist (Spiritual, Religious and Emotional Mind Intro)

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Spiritual, Religious and Emotional Mind

Another way musicking improves the health of the mind is through its ability to connect with our spiritual, religious and emotional mind. Spirituality, religion and music has a long history of association that in most, if not all, spiritual or religious

groups and movements, different kinds of music have been used to celebrate the gods and express belief about he divine (Bossius, Hager & Kahn-Harris, 2011). Spirituality and religiousness are said to benefit health of individuals as those who engage in spiritual and religious practices are more likely to engage in healthy behaviour (Krause, 2008). Although there is a lack of empirical research which demonstrates strong correlation between spirituality and religion and music, people tend to view religion and spirituality as a 'valuable source of strength and comfort' (Metzger, 2006).

Emotion, on the other hand, plays a significant role in music listening and making. Studies have found a positive association between musicking and the level of self-esteem and empathy (Hietolahti-Ansten & Kalliopuska, 1990), and an increase in self-esteem, pleasure, and relaxation in undergraduate students undergoing music therapy sessions (Wu, 2002). Not only is emotion in music beneficial for the health of the mind, it is also found to be related to physical health: fluctuations in emotional arousal are linked to physical health aspects such as 'changes in the immune system, the interpretation of physical symptoms, cardiovascular functioning,  and other outcomes relevant to health and illness' (Woolery & Salovey, 2004).