Here's the Most Relaxing Song According to Neuroscientists That Makes Your Stress go Away

Choice in music differs from person to person based on the way an individual's brain reacts to a specific tune or genre. Since Music is considered an effective stress buster, people often listen to white noise or ambient music such as the sound of falling rain and forests to get better sleep. But it turns out that there is one particular ambient music track that eases stress faster and more effectively compared to any other piece of music.

According to Discovery, that magical song is called "Weightless" and it was created by an English ambient music brand called Marconi Union. Mindlab International comprising neuroscientists from the UK conducted a test on volunteers solving puzzles while they were attached to sensors. The activity increased the stress levels in the participants and the scientists were able to measure their brain function, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. After that they introduced the ambient track and according to Dr.David Lewis-Hodgson from Mindlab International, "Weightless produced a greater state of relaxation than any other music tested to date by dropping participants' anxiety rate by 65 percent."

But how does this piece of music work its magic on people? "The song contains a sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to around 50. While listening, your heart rate gradually comes to match that beat. It's a phenomenon called entrainment. This reduction in heart rate leads to a reduction in blood pressure," Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy explained.

Cooper breaks down the "Weightless" track further by showing how the notes of the song have gaps in between which goes from creating a feeling of euphoria to bringing a sense of comfort. The melodies don't repeat in this song and it enables our brain to stop overworking because it doesn't require us to try to predict the notes that are coming next, per Cooper. This song designed to reduce stress is a collaboration project between a band and a group of therapists.

There's also some skepticism about the song’s universal application since every individual has their own musical preferences. Additional studies suggest that the composition could be as effective as some anxiety therapies but more research is needed for definitive conclusions, per Psychiatrist.com. The song starts with a tempo of 60 beats per minute (BPM), mirroring the average resting heart rate of an adult. Over its duration, the speed gradually moves to 50 BPM, a deliberate choice to guide the listener’s heart rate into a slower, more mellow state, as per the outlet.

According to a recent study conducted by US researchers, listening to the “world’s most relaxing song” before surgery may have the same calming effects on patients' anxiety as taking medication. Before administering an anesthetic to numb a part of the body, trial participants were either given the medication midazolam or made to listen to Marconi Union's "Weightless" for three minutes. In the trial involving 157 people, the song worked well as a sedative, although the patients expressed a preference for being able to select the music, as reported by The Independent.