Music Is The Only Way I Feel

[KidHybrid]

This is my first post so bare with me here.


I just read an informative article about the emotional response of INTPs. It really helped me to understand the way in which we feel such drastic emotional highs and lows and helped me to understand our usage of logic and reasoning which creates the avoidance of the often turbulent emotional spikes.

That said, I find that my walls tend to come down whenever I listen to music and this is one of the few times I'm ever able to really "feel" emotion. I was wondering if anyone had any insight as to why music seems to cause this more than anything else and if there is any scientific research to back anything up.

Any help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Arc.Demi]

i don't have any backup research and i have no time to search for one so ill just state my point of view if you don't mind

Music got allot of logic in its self that make us think more and widen our imagination ..
as there aren't many people who can understand an INTP , music ( especially without lyrics ) is easily adjustable that sometimes you feel like its telling your story ( or some times make u imagine a story ) and go side to side with your feelings and emotions while your thinking about it so it gets easier to open your heart and feel more emotional than usual ..

INTPs with a high musical intelligence would feel that way more than others who might find that in poetry or painting ..

 

[KidHybrid]

Hmm. That makes some sense. I am a musician myself. I guess I've always found music to be quite an escape. I've always just wondered why music could enable such a strong response within me when nothing else seems to be able to. Just was curious if music has similar effects on others and if it's based on the individual or if music released any certain chemicals, etc that could cause this.

Thanks for the response though. Much appreciated.

 

[Cognisant]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ckuXx64abc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Architect]

This is my first post so bare with me here.

Should we bare ourselves, or bear with you? I'm in shape but I'd prefer keeping my trousers on.

That said, I find that my walls tend to come down whenever I listen to music and this is one of the few times I'm ever able to really "feel" emotion. I was wondering if anyone had any insight as to why music seems to cause this more than anything else and if there is any scientific research to back anything up.

Music is a controlled environment for emotions. This is probably why INTP's have such a predilection for it. The composer purposefully intended to elicit an emotional response in you, grossly you can think of it as using a minor key for a melancholic emotion and a major key for a positive emotion. When I was younger I would use music from the Romantic era to elicit an emotional response for myself. No doubt this was my way of controlling my emotions which were normally ignored.

Now that I'm older I'll do that by playing Chopin or Rachmaninoff on the piano. For listening to music and usually listen to Bach, Haydn or Handel.

 

[redbaron]

I get a response from music, more so than anywhere else (usually). Listening to or playing music is one of the few times I genuinely feel things as well. It's sort of an outlet for me, and I play/listen to music a lot.

As for why, I speculate that it's the combination of logical/rational composition, the theory behind the notes, combined with the sensation of aural, visual (my imagination tends to run wild when I listen to music) and kinetic (dancing, foot-tapping, that urge you get to move to the rhythm, even if it's just bobbing your head) energy I get while listening.

I tend to listen to jazz, funk, and stoner rock. I listen to hip hop as well - the gritty, intellectual style of artists like Nas, Army of the Pharaohs, Celph Titled and Kendrick Lamar. Stuff that brings to life vivid scenery, painted with words, but interpreted by the listener's imagination. I know that when I play music, I end up closing my eyes and making movements I'm barely aware of and I get a sort of feeling in my chest, it's similar to infatuation or anticipation. Like asking your high school crush out on a date, or having sex with the girl you love for the first time.

In any case, the only other times I consistently feel the same type of feeling apart from these moments is as I said above; when I'm infatuated with someone. Other than that, my feelings are pretty unpredictable. I don't know when or why I end up fancying someone or when I might have a furious outburst or 'soft' moment. I haven't experienced any real strong emotions outside of music for a while, despite having been in and broken up from a relationship.

That wasn't really that on topic, but I got a little excited exploring the idea of music and emotional responses

Some examples of the type of music I like to listen/play for reference:

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38TqTNojLi8&

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzUBiTITM3o

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLR7o_ri7bU

 

[Duxwing]

I too experience emotional stimulation from music, but I suspect that the logic of its composition acts upon my emotions not due to any inherent power of the notes, but due to the song mirroring what I feel, or wish to feel, already. For example, if I want to feel "epic" whilst writing a battle scene of enormous proportions, I'll play the "The Unsung War" through my headphones to accentuate the emotions that I intend to communicate. Moreover, if I were to hypothetically feel frustrated and miserable simultaneously, I could easily imagine myself looking for something by Greenday, Rise Against, Breaking Benjamin, or other such bands to release my emotions. The importance of the music, then, isn't in its composition, but its selection: epic music for epic feelings, angsty music for angst, and on into the infinite passions of the human heart.

-Duxwing

 

[KidHybrid]

Music is a controlled environment for emotions. This is probably why INTP's have such a predilection for it. The composer purposefully intended to elicit an emotional response in you, grossly you can think of it as using a minor key for a melancholic emotion and a major key for a positive emotion. When I was younger I would use music from the Romantic era to elicit an emotional response for myself. No doubt this was my way of controlling my emotions which were normally ignored.

I assumed this much, my question is why does music create that response when nothing else does? All types of art and even people in general are trying to elicit this response, no? I guess my concern here is why music seems to have a stronger pull than movies, poetry, or paintings, etc? I was then wondering if this could be applied to INTPs in general or if it's just my individual response, and if it's the latter, helping to understand why this happens would be a much beneficial tool for understanding myself and how I interact with my emotions in the world around me.

 

[snafupants]

Richard Kuklinski, the "iceman" killer, said he only got an adrenal rush from sex. Different strokes.

 

[KidHybrid]

To be fair, I think it goes a little beyond an adrenaline rush but I appreciate the point being made none the less. Haha.

 

[MsAnthropy_Indefatigably]

I have a book I read called "This is your Brain on Music" Wonderful book about the correlations between the brain and music. It was a great read for me, and it will probably answer a lot of questions in general about how people respond to music psychologically, physiologically, etc. Not specific to personality types, but personally, I don't have a broad range of emotions on an every day basis, so your "highs and lows" are not something I related to. I range from "meh" to "Ehh?" I have very few interests (outside of my mind) that I get excited about EXCEPT MUSIC.
I also got this wall art for my bedroom (just a peel-away) that states, "Music is what feelings sound like" ($10 on Amazon!) . My mother seems to think that's some sort of cry for help, but she's ISFJ so whaddas she know! lol

 

[KidHybrid]

I have a book I read called "This is your Brain on Music" Wonderful book about the correlations between the brain and music. It was a great read for me, and it will probably answer a lot of questions in general about how people respond to music psychologically, physiologically, etc. Not specific to personality types, but personally, I don't have a broad range of emotions on an every day basis, so your "highs and lows" are not something I related to. I range from "meh" to "Ehh?" I have very few interests (outside of my mind) that I get excited about EXCEPT MUSIC.
I also got this wall art for my bedroom (just a peel-away) that states, "Music is what feelings sound like" ($10 on Amazon!) . My mother seems to think that's some sort of cry for help, but she's ISFJ so whaddas she know! lol

My friend just loaned me the same book! Only got through a little though where he explains what tempo and everything is. Looking forward to finishing it though.


And I think you misinterpreted what I meant when I feel emotions. I usually have a lack of them as well. I think that's normal for INTPs. I was just saying that when we do feel emotion it is often supercharged. However, I only get this "supercharged" feeling with music and normal daily life there isn't much emotion whatsoever. I'm pretty-much how you described. Anyways, thanks for posting!

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Yes, I can relate. Don't have much else to say.

edit:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=music+emotion

 

[INeedToPee]

every type is prone to feel emotional when listening to music. there are articles on it on the internet (google "music and emotion"). maybe for us the emotions are stronger? for me, i feel strong emotions when i listen to music, maybe stronger than i would feel on a typical day. maybe that's why i listen to music whenever i get the chance (earbuds with good isolation when i'm outside, speakers when im home). and when i listen to music, i find that i skip over a lot of songs to find a song that matches my mood or something like that.

i know this comparison has been made before but maybe its because music is like a drug. when you listen to a certain song, it gives you a certain emotion. maybe when i want to feel a certain way, i listen to music and i feel the emotions almost instantaneously. usually i want to feel awake (and euphoric?) i guess, because i listen to house/trance (high tempo, to be more general) most of the time

also, could you post a link to that article about the emotional response of INTPs?

 

[KidHybrid]

every type is prone to feel emotional when listening to music. there are articles on it on the internet (google "music and emotion"). maybe for us the emotions are stronger? for me, i feel strong emotions when i listen to music, maybe stronger than i would feel on a typical day. maybe that's why i listen to music whenever i get the chance (earbuds with good isolation when i'm outside, speakers when im home). and when i listen to music, i find that i skip over a lot of songs to find a song that matches my mood or something like that.

i know this comparison has been made before but maybe its because music is like a drug. when you listen to a certain song, it gives you a certain emotion. maybe when i want to feel a certain way, i listen to music and i feel the emotions almost instantaneously. usually i want to feel awake (and euphoric?) i guess, because i listen to house/trance (high tempo, to be more general) most of the time

also, could you post a link to that article about the emotional response of INTPs?

http://www.intpexperience.com/emotions.php

Let me know if that works.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

my imagination tends to run wild when I listen to music

Same here too, I get themes in my head and vague scenes that complement the music. Wish I had some art skills to develop the imagery.

I listen to hip hop as well - the gritty, intellectual style of artists like Nas, Army of the Pharaohs, Celph Titled and Kendrick Lamar. Stuff that brings to life vivid scenery, painted with words, but interpreted by the listener's imagination.