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Do you use music to modulate your emotions?

whale_bone

whale_bone

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
I've started doing this more and it's helping reign in my crazy-tendencies.

Boards of Canada is my safety. It's my "North star" which, with others form constellations. Kind of like landmarks in cultural-emotional terrain.

This is an alexithymic thing for me, but I think it might be common across the spectrum?
 
I do this constantly. Music has a really powerful effect on my emotions. Both negatively and positively. I use various bands and songs to regulate my emotion, to keep me within a functioning level. Sometimes though I listen to stuff that really provokes strong emotions that I don't fully comprehend. I just kind of use music to change my emotions then use that to think about stuff..
 
I have lots of pieces of music that I listen to frequently as a sort of auditory "security blanket." There are several pieces by Vangelis that I find particularly soothing.

 
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I definitely do this, i practically live in my headphones now. I have my iPod set to repeat song and just choose a song that fits the mood i want to be in. It's kind of odd that i do this considering how long it took me to get into music, i listen to music more than everyone i know now.
 
Ow yeah! Life's so much better with a soundtrack. Music can take control of my emotions, and I have used it for that purpose many many times. Nowadays I think I use it more to suit my emotional state though, not as much to alter it. It can be a very powerful fuel to stir up emotions. Like putting kerosene in a moped. It'll go like crazy for a short while, but expect to spend a lot of time on maintenance afterwards, that is if it doesn't disintegrate completely 5 seconds after ignition. But not to worry, there's a song for that type of situation too, when the emotional void arrives, that realization of profound emptiness?what was I feeling? Who am I?
And then there's the soothing part. Sometimes I'd sit in front of my speakers as if I was entranced, like it's charging up some kind of inner battery that was running low. The best is when it feels like my entire body is resonating with the music in a way, a sense of floating in some kind of fuzzy electricity.
I think I also use it for guidance, like a religion almost. I mean, I really take a lot from it in terms of how to look at life, how to deal with certain emotions or situations, to find peace with what is, and motivation to do what isn't. Although that's based more on things like lyrics and background stories than sound itself.
Also, there's this feeling about certain songs, they bring with them a distinct state of mind/state of being, and if I can't bring myself to fit that state of mind I can't enjoy the music, even though I might like the music itself very much. In some situations it even hurts. I have had meltdowns because of this. Unwanted ones.
 
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All in all I'd say music is what gets me through life. There are all these groups of songs, each with their own features, and put together, they form this huge geographical landscape to roam in emotionally, with rocky desserts to get lost, soft plains to enjoy, mountains to feel free and caves to find shelter.
 
I do use music for my emotions, but i dont use them in a pre emtive way... its usually to calm me or to cheer myself up.

Or just to blow off some steam.
 
Yeah, the right music helps alot, especially if it's a song I can relate to on a personal level. Certain rhythms give some sort of tingly feeling, others are just plain torture and everything in between. Lyrics are not really of importance, I focus more on the rhythms unless (as I said before) the lyrics remind me of a past or present situation. Not only that, it jumpstarts my creativity and everything else that's otherwise on standby which is not ironic given that it varies as a function of my current emotional state.
 
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Yesterday evening, I had a slight emotional meltdown due to various personal woes and exacerbated by fatigue/sleep deprivation (in private thankfully), and after I finished having a good long cry, I found myself in need of some "music therapy." I picked out "Rhubarb" by Aphex Twin, and it made me feel better (I put it on a loop on my iPod and listened to it about four or five times in a row).


Even though I'm doing better today, I thought I could use a little more "music therapy." This evening, I have prescribed for myself Ryuichi Sakamoto's incongruously magical soundtrack for the rather grim WWII POW camp movie Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.

 
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I also use music to regulate my emotions. I constantly have my music playing all day from the time that I get up until I go to work.
after work, I have my music on from the time I wake up until I go to bed. How do I have my music constantly going and have a social life during daytime hours? I carry my disc man and a few CDs with me. Music is a very big part of my life.:H
 
So I haven't been very active the last couple of days, and today, I woke up, went straight back to sleep, then woke up again, back to sleep and so on 'till around 6 PM when I was getting royally fed up with myself, so I put this on

[video=dailymotion;xcufqo]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcufqo_the-vines-get-free_music[/video]

followed by this


to induce some sort of controlled mini-tantrum, which did manage to pull me out of bed.
 
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Absolutely any time I am depressed I listen to songs that always lift me up or just set the tone of the mood
I want to be in. Mellow, Happy nostalgic, pumped for exercise, spiritual, to vent anger and stress, fun.:bounce:
This song always touches my soul in a unique way.
 
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I've never been into classical music, but this video is stimulating to the eyes, ears and brain.
It will take up only 5:41 of your time. Just turn up the volume and enjoy.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Well Gomendosi, it appears I don't take instruction very well. :)
 
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I don't know if I use music to modulate my mood. However I do tend to listen to music that keeps me calm or blocks out things I can't handle or don't want to listen to such as an ex-friends grating laughter. Ugh I can't deal with it I never could but it was more tolerable now I just find it horrid. So I listen to music to block her out. So if that is modulating my mood then yes.
 
I use music most days depending on my emotions and moods. Sometimes if I'm feeling stressed I'll listen to "space" music on my internet radio or if I'm in a more reflective mood I'll listen to medieval music on Ancient FM. If I'm feeling in a good energetic mood I'll listen to some classic 80s Van Halen which always maintains my mood really well.
 
whale_bone said:
I've started doing this more and it's helping reign in my crazy-tendencies.

Boards of Canada is my safety. It's my "North star" which, with others form constellations. Kind of like landmarks in cultural-emotional terrain.

This is an alexithymic thing for me, but I think it might be common across the spectrum?
Click to expand...
I totally agree with this, I love to listen to the Beatles & Blue October. Sometimes to dwell in the past for a moment, and sometimes to look to the future. And at other times to stay in the moment.
 
whale_bone said:
I've started doing this more and it's helping reign in my crazy-tendencies.

Boards of Canada is my safety. It's my "North star" which, with others form constellations. Kind of like landmarks in cultural-emotional terrain.

This is an alexithymic thing for me, but I think it might be common across the spectrum?
Click to expand...
Fascinating premise. I use music to zone out, and to change my mood for artwork and writing, and sometimes just to feel the one emotion I need to process at that time.
 
Oh yeah. I love the Pandora app. I can stream whatever mood I want to be in. I can bring myself to a worship mood with southern gospel or contemporary Christian, or bring out my inner country boy with some 80s country or even combine the two with some gospel bluegrass.
 
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