Slashdot Mirror


"World's Most Relaxing Music" Composed

Musical group Marconi Union and Lyz Cooper, the UK's leading therapeutic sound practitioner, have released what they claim is the world's most relaxing music. They contend that the calming effects of "Weightless" are not subjective but are based on scientific evidence. The music was found to cause brainwaves and heart rate to synchronize with the rhythm, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In fact, Scientists played the song to 40 women and found it to be 11% more effective at helping them relax than songs by Enya, Mozart and Coldplay. The eight-minute track is so effective at inducing sleep, motorists have now been warned they should not listen to it while driving.

24 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Wha? by nman64 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sorry, I nodded off for a moment there. Not sure if it was the music or the Daily Mail article.

    1. Re:Wha? by Flipao · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's a shame you;re missing out, It's really good!, you can almost feel the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

    2. Re:Wha? by ottothecow · · Score: 3, Interesting
      What about trained athletes who have low resting heart rates? I am by no means trained at a high level (although more so than average and *definitely* more than the test subject pictured in the article) and when I checked my pulse after 5 minutes of the song, it was going slightly slower.

      My first thought when the song started was "hmm that feels fast like my heart beat is accelerating". The song seems to be at about 60BPM while any young healthy person with any sort of moderate endurance training could be below that.

      --
      Bottles.
    3. Re:Wha? by jitterman · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm so out of shape that I can't confirm that I even have a heartbeat. For my activity level, this is dance music.

      --
      For conscience is the wound, and there's naught to staunch it
  2. Or not by suso · · Score: 3, Informative

    I find that any claim of "World's most ....." is usually just a case of people not doing enough research. Try Stars of the Lid - Even (Out)+ for some really relaxing music.

    1. Re:Or not by Missing.Matter · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I used to listen to stars of the lid while doing homework. I have trouble listening to music with words because I sing along in my head, and I have a trouble listening to classical music because I play along in my head (I'm a violinist). Ambient stuff like Stars of the Lid is great though. I find it doesn't actually put me to sleep, but gets my brain in a thinking rhythm.

    2. Re:Or not by nharmon · · Score: 2

      I too find music with words distracting when doing work that requires a lot of concentration (school work, coding, etc). I tend to listen to electronic music in those situations. My favs:

      Boards of Canada
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrBZeWjGjl8

      Tycho
      www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCOEg-iUK1U

      Ulrich Schnauss
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s50jAWtCdQ

    3. Re:Or not by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 2

      I highly recommend both Daft Punk or Deadmau5 for those long coding/scripting sessions. Helps my mind keep a tempo with what I'm doing.

    4. Re:Or not by pwizard2 · · Score: 2

      Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention Karl Jenkins.

      --
      "It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."
  3. Just wait by Sarten-X · · Score: 3

    The techno remix will be awesome!

    --
    You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
    1. Re:Just wait by DigiShaman · · Score: 2

      Ya, and maybe they'll call it Trance. Oh wait...

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
  4. Re:Uh...right by demonbug · · Score: 4, Funny

    An 11% improvement in a subjective, multifactorial category like 'relaxation' and they're calling it the World's Best Music for that purpose? Why are we reading this mumbo jumbo, even in idle?

    I don't know whose editorial judgment sucks more, samzenpus or Timothy. I'd say samzen just took a major lead for the day, though.

    Didn't you see the photo with the guy in a lab coat? It's science.

  5. Worlds most relaxing music? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Worlds most relaxing music?

    I want chicken,
    I want liver,
    Meowmix, Meowmix,
    Please deliver

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  6. Reaver breeding by vaene · · Score: 5, Funny

    99.9% of the test subjects eventually just stopped working, talking, eating, and moving they were so completely pacified. The other .1% became insanely enraged and started slaughtering, eating, and/or raping the the musicians and producers. So the problem kinda worked itself out.

  7. Smooth jazz by derfy · · Score: 2

    ...will be deployed in 3, 2, 1

  8. Binaural Beats by virgnarus · · Score: 2

    A lot of confusion in here has to do with people and determining 'taste' or 'approach' of music, which of course are relative. What the article is describing is music utilizing binaural beats as a method for causing relaxation. I personally think binaural beats is one of those cases where it's claimed to do far more than its originally discovered effect, but there are no doubts that this - and music in general - have the capacity to stimulate an individual beyond a superficial and emotional level. Binaural beats is just merely focusing on sound and its ability to do such, which is no different to the therapeutic capabilities of just about any other sensation.

  9. Re:Not subjective at all by Dunbal · · Score: 2

    Yup, they are measurable. Measuring something does not give it meaning. Cortisol levels vary greatly in the same individual throughout the day. Heart rate and blood pressure changes constantly unless you are very athletic or take beta blockers. Etc. To claim that even an 11% variation (presumably in the same individuals) is significant is a bold claim indeed, especially when we're not privy to the methodology. Were subjects allowed to get up and go to the bathroom between songs? Was the order of the songs randomized? There are millions more questions like these. Occam's razor states that it is far more likely that this is just a marketing stunt based on some pretty hokey pseudo-science. "Sound practitioner" indeed.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  10. Relaxing is subjective by justdiver · · Score: 2

    For years I have been listening to music my wife refers to as "screaming hell music." I don't know the exact genre but I guess you could call it metalcore. I find this far more relaxing than "Enya" and have been sleeping (headphones so as to not disturb the wife) to this for years.

  11. GRRR! by oGMo · · Score: 2

    Relaxing? First the link takes me to a page that doesn't actually have the music, but has a link to another page with the music.. but it's flash. So, opening the music on the computer hooked up to actually play music .. launch firefox, and take advantage of Sync .. oh, but this causes Firefox to halt for about 10 seconds. Once the page loads, and flash stops spinning up (grrr), press play and BOOM BOOM ... high default volume! GRRRRRRRR! The page's design with the volume up in the corner is further annoyance!

    Screw the music, I think it'd be more relaxing to go shoot things in RAGE.

    --

    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

  12. Download link by Crudely_Indecent · · Score: 4, Informative
    --


    "Lame" - Galaxar
  13. Re:Not subjective at all by gsslay · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Coldplay standard has been well established in the study of coma inducement for some years now.

    It's roughly logarithmic. 1 Coldpay is equivalent to the coma induced by band itself. 2 Coldplay is brain stem death induced by prolonged exposure. 3 Coldplay is clinical death. 4 Coldplay is sudden death at a Coldplay concert.

    "11% more relaxing" is therefore around 1.05 Coldplay. Will leave you woozy, but you'll be fine after a few cups of coffee and some fresh air.

  14. Re:Flawed study by mooingyak · · Score: 2

    Probably a reference to the decidedly soporific nature of their music.

    --
    William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
  15. Re:Downloading the worlds most relaxing music by mr_stinky_britches · · Score: 2
    --
    Censorship is obscene. Patriotism is bigotry. Faith is a vice. Slashdot 2.0 sucks.
  16. Re:Eh, Sonny? by larry+bagina · · Score: 2

    Why is death relaxing? I did a lot of research for my master's degree in relaxation studies. Turns out, it's quite simple. I'm sure you're aware from popular culture and ribauld humor that upon death, you shit and piss your pants. That's the key. Think about it: is there anything more relaxing than sitting on the toilet, drawers dropped, taking a nice fat shit? Nope. (Unless you're getting a blowjob and smoking a joint at the same time!).

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.