Pleasant effects of sad music explained

Have you ever wondered how is it possible that we can enjoy sad music although we always try to avoid these negative emotions in our everyday life? According to researchers from Japan, sad music does not generate only negative feelings but they tend to transmit romantic vibes as well. This kind of ambivalence could be the reason for the pleasant feeling that we get from listening to gloomy melodies. Moreover, by listening to sad tunes we get the opportunity to play with the feeling of emotional anguish without having to face the uncomfortable and harmful effects that sadness has on us when it appears in our everyday life.

It seems that we are inclined to use our mind and emotions as a playground. Whether we consume pieces of art or use mind altering substances, the truth is that we are making sport of modifying neural processes going on in our brains. Some people put on a sad piece of music to help them combat their sorrow. Others pop some antidepressant pills. In both cases we get the same result - biochemical processes in the brain change for the better and happier. Which is acceptable and which is wrong? It seems to be a matter of personal choice where we set the barrier in the mind-altering game.

Being stressed about stress is risky

A study examining more than 7000 civil servants concluded that those people who feel that their health is affected "a lot or extremely" by stress have double the risk of having a heart attack or dying from it compared with those who does not feel that stress has an effect on their health. There can be two possible reasons for that.

First and more viable explanation for doctors is that people may have an ability to feel the limits of their bodies and have an innate alarm system that alerts when the owner of that body should stop undertaking more stress. Second, people who are worried about living a stressful life can multiply the burden of stress by constantly focusing on it. This may induce negative feelings and attitudes which indeed may lead to a deteriorating health. At the same time those people who experience stress but are not anxious about its effects on their well-being may have a higher chance of getting away without negative consequences.

In either case the interconnectedness of body and mind seems obvious. Advocates of relaxation and meditation techniques usually emphasize that if you cannot solve a problem in your life, at least try not to focus on it all the time, you are still better off with that. These new findings may prove the validity of this concept.
Read more about the research here.