I just finished watching an amazing video clip where music cognition enthusiast and author Oliver Sacks is tested for certain mental response to different musical stimuli. Before Sacks enters the MRI, he states that he prefers Bach to Beethoven. Two tests are then done.
Test 1: Bach is played first and then Beethoven. Sacks knows which is which. He indicates that he "felt" more emotional when listening to the Bach. Similarly, the brain scans reveal a strong reaction from his brain's amygdala (see my 'A Brainy Review' post) when listening to the Bach and almost no reaction when listening to Beethoven.
Test 2: A clip of Bach is played and clip of Beethoven is played. This time, however, the clips played sound very similar and so Sacks cannot determine which is which. He therefore doesn't perceive much emotional change throughout the duration of both recordings, ...or so he thinks...The brain scans tell a different story, however. Even though Sacks couldn't distinguish between the two recordings, his brain could. The scans showed that his amygdala had a much greater response to the Bach than to the Beethoven.
This illustrates a rift between how we are aware we perceive music, and how we truly perceive music from a biological point of view. It also sheds light on how we are still unable to consciously access all parts of our brains.
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyY1ul_DbcQ&feature=fvw
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