Update: In this extraordinarily stressful time, this post seemed more needed than ever.
Don’t believe us? We just sat through eight minutes of Marconi Union’s “Weightless“, and we can say, it leaves you feeling………. substantially calmed. Like a peaceful hour of quiet alone time, in song form.
And if you don’t want to take our word for it, scientists have proven that listening to this particular track gives people a 65 percent reduction in overall anxiety and a 35 percent reduction in their vital signs at rest.
The airy, dreamy song isn’t alone in helping to calm people’s nerves and make things a little smoother, but it’s one of the few tracks that have been scientifically tested and proven, which we find fascinating.
We’ve similarly found the music app Endel to be compelling, creating calming, personalized music that helps you focus, relax, and be at ease.
In our stressful, high-paced world, it’s crucial to find time to bring calm back into focus, and we think music therapy like this is a great way to go. Oh, and if you’re really wanting a deep dive into this relaxing track, there is a ten hour version.
More fascinating tidbits on Treehugger:
Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, says that the song in comprised of a “sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to around 50.” She explains that our heartbeats will naturally slow down to match the song’s beats per minute. And at just over eight minutes long, she says the song’s length was intentional. “It takes about five minutes for this process, known as entrainment, to occur. And there is no repeating melody, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are no longer trying to predict what is coming next.”
