According to the idea often described as the Entertainment Theory in Physics, certain sound patterns and frequencies can directly influence physiological responses, including heart rate. The concept draws ideas from real principles in acoustics, resonance, and neurophysiology.
The Physics of sound and the body
Sound is vibration. It travels as waves, carrying energy through the air and into our bodies. When these waves reach, they don’t stop at the ears. Low frequencies can be felt in the chest. High-pitched tones can trigger alertness. The body is not a passive receiver; it reacts.
There are certain rhythmic sounds, particularly those with steady beats between 60 and 150 beats per minute, which can synchronise with biological rhythms. This phenomenon, known as entrainment, allows external rhythms to influence internal ones. If the tempo increases, the body often follows. That’s why fast music at 140 BPM can make the pulse climb, while slow ambient tones can calm it. Bass frequencies are especially powerful. Because they carry more energy and travel deeper through tissue, they can stimulate the vagus nerve and sympathetic nervous system.
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Emotion, expectation and excitement
Certain sounds, like rising musical tension, sudden crescendos, or sharp percussive hits, activate the amygdala. It is the region linked to fear and excitement. The brain interprets these as signals of urgency or importance.
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The Entertainment Theory suggests that sound becomes a tool not just for pleasure but for physiological stimulation. Entertainment, in this sense, is engineered energy. Sound is energy, and energy moves systems, including the human heart.
