How Psilocybin Enhances the Emotional Power of Music
Article Title: “Changes in music-evoked emotion and ventral striatal functional connectivity after psilocybin therapy for depression”
Author: Melissa Shukuroglou, Leor Roseman, Matt Wall, David Nutt, Mendel Kaelen, Robin Carhart-Harris
Publication Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1177/02698811221125354
Background
Music and psychedelics have a long-standing relationship in therapeutic settings. Music stimulates deep emotional responses by activating brain regions related to pleasure and reward. One such region is the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which plays a central role in processing music-induced pleasure and is often impaired in people with depression, particularly those experiencing anhedonia (the reduced ability to feel joy). Psilocybin therapy, which is showing growing promise for treatment-resistant depression, is known to intensify emotional experiences and alter brain connectivity. This study explores whether music-evoked emotions and associated brain activity change after psilocybin treatment.
Study Overview
Nineteen patients with treatment-resistant depression received two doses of psilocybin, 10mg followed by 25mg a week later. Functional MRI scans were taken before and after treatment, with patients listening to emotionally evocative music during some scans. Emotional responses were measured using self-reports (including the Geneva Emotional Music Scale), while changes in brain connectivity were assessed via fMRI, with a focus on the NAc’s functional connectivity to other brain areas, especially those resembling the Default Mode Network (DMN).
Key Findings
Increased Emotional Response to Music
After psilocybin therapy, participants reported significantly greater pleasure when listening to music compared to pre-treatment. Ratings of music-evoked peacefulness increased, while feelings of sadness decreased.Reduced Anhedonia
Measures of anhedonia (via the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale) significantly improved after treatment and remained lower at 1 day, 1 week, and even 3 months post-treatment.Brain Connectivity Changes
Post-treatment, fMRI scans revealed reduced connectivity between the NAc and areas resembling the DMN during music listening. This contrasts with pre-treatment, where these regions showed higher coupling. The change may reflect a reduction in the brain’s “inhibitory” control over emotional processing, enabling greater access to feelings of joy or meaning.Emotional Ratings and Brain Activity Not Directly Linked
While pleasure and anhedonia scores improved, these changes were not directly correlated with the changes in brain connectivity. This suggests that while the NAc-DMN link may be involved, it is not the sole driver of improved emotional experiences.
Discussion
This research highlights how psilocybin therapy may open a “window of receptivity” to emotional experiences—particularly through music. After treatment, participants found music less sad and more peaceful, which could point to a more balanced or positively biased emotional state. The brain imaging results suggest that psilocybin may disrupt overactive pathways between the NAc and DMN—an effect seen in depression. This potentially restores the brain’s ability to feel reward, especially through emotionally charged stimuli like music. Interestingly, while brain changes were observed, they did not directly predict emotional outcomes, indicating the complexity of psychedelic therapy’s effects.
Implications
The study offers preliminary evidence that psilocybin-assisted therapy can restore the brain’s sensitivity to emotionally rewarding stimuli—such as music—in those with depression. Music may act as a therapeutic amplifier during and after psychedelic sessions, reinforcing positive emotional processing and potentially sustaining long-term benefits. This supports the therapeutic practice of using curated music playlists in psychedelic retreats.
Potential Application
For psychedelic retreat providers, the findings reinforce the importance of high-quality, emotionally evocative music as a core component of the therapeutic setting. Music that evokes peacefulness and wonder may help catalyse emotional breakthroughs during psilocybin sessions. Post-session integration practices might also benefit from encouraging clients to re-engage with music, potentially supporting ongoing emotional healing and reduced anhedonia.
Conclusions
Psilocybin therapy appears to heighten music-evoked emotional pleasure and reduce anhedonia in people with depression. These emotional and psychological benefits are accompanied by changes in brain connectivity, particularly involving the reward system. Though more research is needed, these findings provide encouraging support for integrating music meaningfully into psychedelic therapy.
Reference:
Shukuroglou, M., Roseman, L., Wall, M., Nutt, D., Kaelen, M., & Carhart-Harris, R. (2022). Changes in music-evoked emotion and ventral striatal functional connectivity after psilocybin therapy for depression. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 37(1), 70–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221125354
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