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Why Music Gives You Goosebumps and Courage · PTT Music Podcast

• 0:21
  So I, I was sitting in my car last night, just, uh, parked outside the house,
• 0:26
  right?
• 0:27
  And I was listening to this final mix, and right when the crescendo hits,
• 0:32
  I literally felt this, this warmth spread right through my chest,
• 0:37
  like an actual physical sensation, almost like an expansion.
• 0:43
  Oh yeah!
• 0:44
  That, that is not just in your head, Jordan.
• 0:48
  That physical warmth in the chest, it's actually a documented psychological state
• 0:53
  called moral elevation.
• 0:55
  Wait, moral elevation?
• 0:58
  I mean, I thought I was just getting goosebumps from a loud chorus,
• 1:02
  you know?
• 1:03
  No, it is a whole distinct emotional response.
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  The research on this is so fascinating, like, psychologist Jonathan Haidt did a lot
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  of the foundational work on it.
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  Moral elevation is defined as the emotional response to witnessing acts of moral
• 1:19
  beauty.
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  And what is crazy is that it produces a totally different physiological reaction
• 1:26
  than, say, basic happiness or seeing something funny.
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  Moral beauty.
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  So when you see someone do something brave or completely selfless,
• 1:37
  or, or even when you hear art that captures that spirit, your body literally reacts
• 1:43
  to it.
• 1:44
  Yes, exactly.
• 1:45
  It actually stimulates the vagus nerve, which is, like, the main trunk of your
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  parasympathetic nervous system.
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  And when that gets activated, your body releases oxytocin.
• 1:56
  That is where that literal feeling of warmth or expansion in your chest comes from.
• 2:02
  It is a physical, physical signal from your nervous system.
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  The vagus nerve!
• 2:08
  That is wild because it really does feel like this physical opening up.
• 2:14
  Like your chest is literally expanding.
• 2:17
  And, and I guess that ties into how our minds open up too, right?
• 2:21
  Yes!
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  That is where Barbara Fredrickson's, Broaden and Build theory from two thousand and
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  one comes in.
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  Her research showed that when we experience positive, elevated states like this,
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  it breaks the brain out of that narrow, stress driven self focus.
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  You know that survival mode where we are only thinking about our own immediate
• 2:42
  problems?
• 2:43
  Oh, yeah, the, the blinders come on.
• 2:46
  You get super focused on whatever is stressing you out right in front of your face.
• 2:50
  Right!
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  But moral elevation broadens our mental scope.
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  It expands our perspective and makes us significantly more willing to take brave,
• 3:00
  pro social action.
• 3:01
  It shifts you from thinking about me to thinking about us.
• 3:06
  That makes so much sense.
• 3:08
  Because when I had that moment in the car with that music crescendo,
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  I did not just feel good.
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  I felt this sudden urge to, like, call a friend I had not talked to in months,
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  or, or jump into a project I had been putting off.
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  It felt like purpose, not just entertainment.
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  That is the exact power of sound!
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  Sound and music can amplify those feelings of moral beauty and human connection,
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  turning an abstract emotion into a physical sensation that demands a response.
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  It is like a biological spark plug.
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  It really is, but, but here is the catch with biological sparks.
• 3:47
  If you do not catch the flame right away, inspiration decay sets in.
• 3:53
  Inspiration decay?
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  Like, how fast does that happen?
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  Within minutes, honestly!
• 3:58
  Research shows those positive emotional spikes, that surge of oxytocin and vagus
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  nerve stimulation, it starts fading almost immediately unless you pair it with a
• 4:09
  physical action cue or a clear sensory trigger.
• 4:13
  So you feel that incredible surge of warmth and purpose while listening to a
• 4:18
  powerful song, but if you just walk away and check your email,
• 4:23
  five minutes later it is completely gone.
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  It just vanishes back into the noise of the day!
• 4:28
  That is why I started using what I call my Micro Courage Protocol.
• 4:34
  Whenever I need to break out of hesitation or fear, I use a specific sonic anchor,
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  like the track "Rise" from P T T Music dot com.
• 4:44
  Oh, "Rise" is such a powerful track!
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  That build up in the middle is intense.
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  Right?
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  So the protocol is super simple.
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  I put that track on, and I give myself a strict sixty second rule.
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  During those sixty seconds while that music is triggering that physical sense of
• 5:04
  elevation, I have to perform one immediate act of encouragement or courage.
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  No waiting, no second guessing.
• 5:13
  Wait, so like, what kind of act?
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  Give me an example.
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  It can be sending a quick text to support a colleague who is having a tough week,
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  or hitting send on an email for a daunting goal I have been procrastinating on,
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  or forgiving someone in my head and reaching out.
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  The key is doing it before the brain has time to talk you out of it.
• 5:34
  Man, that redefines how we think about music entirely.
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  We usually treat inspiring music like passive background noise or something to just
• 5:44
  enjoy while driving, but you are using it as functional fuel.
• 5:50
  Exactly!
• 5:51
  Music is not just passive entertainment.
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  It is a biological tool to build resilience and force us to live with intentional
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  purpose every single day.
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  When you feel that warmth in your chest, do not just sit in it,
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  use it to move forward.
• 6:08
  Love that.
• 6:09
  Well, I am definitely going to put "Rise" on repeat today and start putting that
• 6:13
  micro courage into practice.
• 6:16
  Again, thanks for spending this time with us on the PTT Music Podcast.
• 6:21
  We hope today's conversation left you inspired, encouraged,
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  and ready to carry that energy with you wherever life takes you.
• 6:28
  I'm Jordan Sterling...
• 6:29
  And I'm Ava Brooks.
• 6:30
  We'll see you next time for another conversation that celebrates creativity,
• 6:35
  purpose, and the power of music.
• 6:38
  If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to continue the journey with us.
• 6:43
  Visit PTTMusic.com to explore our latest music, official videos,
• 6:48
  exclusive merchandise, artist updates, and much more.
• 6:52
  You can also stream PTT Music on your favorite music platforms.
• 6:56
  And be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with
• 7:01
  someone who could use a little inspiration today...
• 7:04
  Until next time, keep moving forward.
• 7:07
  And let the PTT Music continue to move you closer to who you truly are.