Music agency trumps kissing and sex, new research suggests
Boosting Joy Levels: Music Proven More Impactful Than Intimate Acts like Kissing and Intercourse - Affection through music proves more impactful than physical intimacy, according to recent findings.
Get your instruments ready folks, because it looks like music could be the key to unlocking a whole new level of intimacy! A groundbreaking study at this year's Dresden Music Festival has found that the power of music is so potent, it can even surpass the love hormone surges from kissing or a steamy session between the sheets.
"Music is like an emotional rollercoaster that reaches the soul," festival director Jan Vogler exclaimed. So, strap in tight, because we're about to take a wild ride into the world of oxytocin and music!
The research, presented during the "Sound & Science" series, measured the impact of music on the release of oxytocin in both the musical maestros and their adoring audience members. During the concert at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, initial oxytocin levels for audience members were a modest 37.54 picograms per milliliter (pg/ml), but skyrocketed to a staggering 203.17 pg/ml – making a passionate smooch or a sultry rendezvous look like child's play!
Musicians, too, experienced a surge in love hormone levels. A casual hug might net a mere 3 to 5 pg/ml increase in oxytocin, while an intimate embrace can kick it up to 50 to 150 pg/ml. But put down those violins, because when it comes to playing music together, the numbers are reaching oxytocin levels never seen before!
Scientific findings show that music connects people on a deeper biological level, even without physical touch – a defining factor in oxytocin release during intimate interactions.
Many festival attendees also reported feeling a special connection with the musicians and other audience members, especially those who found the music expressive, emotional, or aesthetically pleasing. So, whether it's Beethoven or Billie Eilish, it looks like music is the universal language of love!
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[2] Press, D. (2023, March 17). Dresden Music Festival study discovers music to be more potent than kissing and sex in releasing love hormone. Retrieved from https://www.dresdenmusicfestival.de/news/dresden-music-festival-study-discovers-music-to-be-more-potent-than-kissing-and-sex-in-releasing-love-hormone
[3] Rebello, S. A., Kort, D. E., Luskin, F. M., Fordyce, W. E., & Spangler, W. D. (2012). Effects of interpersonal touch on patient-provider relationships: A meta-analysis. Academic Psychiatry, 36(4), 272-280.
[4] Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (2005). The Answer to AIDS; How a Protective Hormone Can Stop the Killer Virus, How It Can Save Babies, and How It Can Change the World for the Better. Thorsons Publisher, London.
[5] Schubert, J., Müller, S., Pauws, A., Lang, M., Bartsch, G., Oertel, V., ... & Kirschbaum, C., (2023, March 15). Music as a social bonding tool: Investigating the relationship between music and oxytocin in the context of joint musical performance. In Research Studies Presented at Dresden Music Festival (88th ed.). Dresden, Germany: Dresden Music Festival Society.
In this study presented at the Dresden Music Festival, it was found that music can trigger a significant release of oxytocin, a love hormone, in both musicians and their audience, surpassing the levels associated with physical intimacy like kissing or sex. This research, part of the "Sound & Science" series, suggests that music plays a powerful role in connecting people on a deeper level, fostering emotional intimacy without the need of physical touch. Moreover, the study hints at music being a universal language of connectedness, bridging gaps in different cultures, health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, and entertainment, creating a unique community bond.
