由 home-healthhaven 
Why do you love the music you love? Why do certain music genres often align with particular lifestyles? Do drugs influence music, or does music influence drug use? These are common questions people ponder when considering the deep connection between music and drugs. For as long as both have existed, music and drugs have been intertwined, with one rarely found without the other.
So, what is it about music and drugs that leads people to experience them together? Why are so many popular musicians linked to drug use? Is this a challenge unique to the famous, or is there a deeper connection at play? To better understand this link, we need to look beyond the surface-level associations painted by the media and pop culture, and explore the scientific underpinnings of this relationship.
From a physiological perspective, music and drugs target the same brain areas associated with anticipation, reward, emotions, and feelings. When you listen to music, your brain builds up a sense of anticipation much like when you’re excitedly waiting to see someone you like. This anticipation creates a yearning for a rewarding climax. Take classical operatic music, for example: as the music builds and progresses, you might get chills because your brain is riding along with the music’s crescendo, eagerly awaiting the peak moment.
This climax in a musical piece brings resolution, whether it’s through a grand clash of sounds or a gradual easing of beats, signaling your brain that the buildup has come to an end. This point usually triggers the release of dopamine, known as the reward hormone, which relaxes you and provides a sense of calm and satisfaction. It’s similar to how you might feel if, after a nerve-wracking date, your date tells you they’d like to see you again.
Drugs, on the other hand, trigger a similar cycle of anticipation and resolution, but through chemical means. Your body anticipates the effects of the drug, creating a physiological need for resolution. Unlike music, which fulfills an emotional desire for climax, drugs fulfill a more powerful chemical craving. The drug induces a surge of dopamine, providing instant reward and pleasure, which can lead to dependency and addiction over time.
Given the similarities in how both music and drugs affect the brain, they often enhance each other’s effects when experienced together. The combination results in a stronger release of dopamine, amplified by both emotional and chemical reactions. For musicians, this state of heightened relaxation and intense reward can fuel greater creativity and boldness, leading to remarkable artistic achievements. Therefore, the scientific connection between music and drugs can be seen as rooted in the brain’s anticipation/reward cycle, with the final outcome being a burst of dopamine release.