Neuroscientists Discover Most Relaxing Song

„Weightless” by Marconi Union can dramatically reduce anxiety by 65%; listening to „Weightless” can slow heart rate, reduce blood pressure and decrease cortisol levels.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health in the U.S. approximately 10% of teenagers and 40% of adults in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders, which costs the country more than $42 billion a year. The situation in Britain isn’t much better – psychiatrists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Hertfordshire report that more than 8 million people in Britain suffer from anxiety disorders, costing the country over £10 billion a year. Between 1990 and 2013 the World Health Organization observed that the number of people suffering from depression and/or anxiety worldwide increased by nearly 50%, from 416 million to 615 million.

Anxiety disorders bring about the feeling of worry and fear. They also damage friendships, relationships, and careers. Disorders such as these make people feel tired, upset and frustrated. To top it off, only around one-third of people suffering from anxiety receive treatment. To stay calm in the face of daily stress resulting from the pressures of modern life, technology, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and social media, people take to various measures: drugs, meditation, yoga, or… sound therapy.

Neuroscientists in the U.K. claim to have found the most relaxing song in the world. It’s Weightless by Marconi Union. According to neuroscientist Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson, Weightless is more relaxing than any other song by 11%. Listening to this song can reduce anxiety by 65%, enhance well-being, and improve health conditions. Furthermore, it can slow heart rate, reduce blood pressure and decrease cortisol (a steroid hormone that causes stress and anxiety) levels. It is so effective that it could even help insomniacs to drop off.

“The results clearly show that the track causes the greatest relaxation – higher than any of the other music tested. Brain imaging studies have shown that music works at a very deep level within the brain, stimulating not only those regions responsible for processing sound but also ones associated with emotions. In fact, “Weightless” was so effective, many women became drowsy and I would advise against driving while listening to the song because it could be dangerous.”

Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, said:

“Weightless contains a rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to around 50. While listening, your heart rate gradually comes to match that beat. It is important that the song is eight minutes long because it takes about five minutes for this process to occur. The fall in heart rate also leads to a fall in blood pressure.”

Interestingly, there is no repeating melody in the song, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are no longer trying to predict what is coming next. Instead, there are random chimes, which help to achieve a deeper sense of relaxation. The song finishes with low sounds and hums similar to Buddhist chants. While high tones are believed to stimulate, low tones put the listener in a trance-like state.

Today, reducing stress is more important than ever. An analysis of 228 studies carried out recently by Stanford University and Harvard Business School researchers found that workplace stress (long hours, job insecurity, lack of work- life balance) causes more deaths than diabetes, Alzheimer’s, or influenza, and brings about $190 billion in health care costs in the U.S. So if you are experiencing even slight symptoms of anxiety, don’t hesitate and listen to this song:

Marconi Union – Weightless

Wordlist:

approximately – about – około
anxiety disorders – health problems related to being very worried – zaburzenia lękowe
to bring about – to cause – powodować
to top it off – furthermore – co więcej
treatment – something that you do to try to cure an illness – leczenie
in the face of – while having to deal with a difficult situation – w obliczu czegoś
FOMO – Fear of Missing Out – lęk przed tym, że coś nas omija (związany z rozwojem mediów społecznościowych i kanałów informacyjnych)
to take to – to start using/doing something – sięgać po
to enhance – to improve something – poprawiać
well-being – how comfortable somebody is feeling – samopoczucie
furthermore – what is more – ponad to
heart rate – how many times a heart beats per minute – rytm serca
an insomniac – a person who suffers from problems with sleeping – osoba cierpiąca na bezsenność
to drop off – to fall asleep – odpłynąć, zasnąć
track – a song – utwór
drowsy – feeling tired and wanting to sleep – śpiący, senny
to contain – to include – zawierać
random – chosen without any plan – przypadkowy
chime – the sound of a bell or clock ringing – bicie dzwonu, zegara
hum – a low, continuous sound – szum, szmer, nucenie
chants – a religious song or prayer that is sung using a very simple tune – pieśń
diabetes – a serious medical condition in which your body cannot control the level of sugar in your blood – cukrzyca
hesitate – to pause before doing something, especially because you are nervous or not certain – wahać się