Music and the Limbic System

Music and the Limbic System

Most people have felt the well-known rush of memories and emotions when listening to an old song. Usually, these memories are detailed recollections of the moment or time period that they listened to that particular song or genre. But why are these memories so well preserved? And what makes them different from any other memory?

Listening to music stimulates almost every part of the limbic system, a set of structures that control emotion, arousal, and memory. Several important sections of the brain are associated with this system, including the hippocampus and amygdala.

The hippocampus, which is essentially the “memory center” of the brain, has a few major functions. Firstly, it’s very involved with episodic memories, which are basically specific experiences in our lives. So it’s with the help of this section of the brain that you have a detailed recollection of an embarrassing moment or and injury. Big thanks for that. Even more importantly, it helps associate those memories with different senses. That’s why it’s so common for people to be able to clearly associate the smell of their first house with experiences from their childhood. That’s why certain songs bring back detailed memories. 

The amygdala plays a big role in our emotional responses to certain stimuli. It regulates fear, pleasure, and aggression. In the context of music, the amygdala is what causes us to feel pleasure when we listen to certain songs or pieces. In addition, our responses are attached to our memories and those with a bigger emotional meaning tend to last longer and be more detailed. Our emotional reaction to a certain moment of time, when associated with certain music, strengthens the memory. For example, many people associate certain Christmas carols with the festive holiday, and listening to these songs makes them feel the same joy that they feel during Christmas celebrations.

These are just two of the important sections of this system. The brain is much more complex and intricate than this post makes it seem. There are several other sections of our brain that help us form long term memories, and because they all work together, our brain is able to perform amazing tasks with such a high level of accuracy.

[1] Richter-Levin, Gal. “The Amygdala, the Hippocampus, and Emotional Modulation of Memory – Gal Richter-Levin, 2004.” SAGE Journals, 2004, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1073858403259955.

[2] “Brain Ripples Could Hold Clues to Memory.” Medline Plus Magazine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2019, magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/brain-ripples-could-hold-clues-to-memory.

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