MUSIC, RELIGION AND HEALTH; A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE ORIGIN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO MUSIC

Why do we react emotionally to music? Does music appreciation have an adaptive value? What is the role of music in spiritual and healing practices? Music is a fascinating area of research for evolutionary theory, psychological development, and emotional perception and elicitation. It is a highly valued feature of all known living cultures and societies, pervading many aspects of daily and devotional life and playing many roles. The question that still lingers among music researchers however is why is this so. This paper will discuss the influence of music on our emotional life, psychological wellbeing, spiritual practices and finally on physiological processes present in our body. The aim is to examine the origin of our relationship to music through the mentioned perspectives and to attempt to link the various theoretical perspectives on this subject across two major domains; health and spirituality.