Why Do We Cry When We Listen To Music?

Have you ever been moved to tears by music? “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Eva Cassidy does it for me. What are your thoughts? Many types of music can bring people to tears; in opera, blubbering in the balcony is legendary. The phenomenon of music-induced crying is an intriguing but little-studied phenomenon.

According to a new study, whether music makes you cry or not reveals something about your basic personality, and the specific shade of emotion that grips you, as you feel choked up, differs for different personality types.

Music has the ability to tug at the heartstrings, and evoking emotion is what music is all about – whether it’s joy or sadness, excitement or meditation. A song’s melody or line, a falling phrase, the delayed gratification of a resolved harmony – all of these elements contribute to music’s interest, excitement, calming, pleasurable, and moving qualities.

Tears and chills – or “tingles” – are a physiological response to music that activates the parasympathetic system, which is activated by reward-related brain regions. However, it is a purely physiological response. Genre in particular takes us on a mysterious journey through our senses, eliciting unexpected and powerful emotional responses, which can lead to tears – and not just sad tears. Tears flow freely in response to a release of tension, perhaps at the conclusion of a gripping performance. Certain pieces of music can evoke memories and emotions by reminding us of past events, experiences, and people. At other times, we may be overcome with emotion in the face of the music’s greatness or sheer greatness.

When someone is gazing at the artwork, an upset, also known as Stendhal Syndrome or hyperkulturemia, causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, sweating, disorientation, fainting, tears, and confusion. The phenomenon, also known as ‘Florence Syndrome,’ is named after Marie-Henri Beyle, a French author who wrote under the pen name ‘Stendhal.’ While there is some debate about whether the syndrome exists, there is no doubt that music (as well as art and literature) has a significant impact on our emotional responses.