# Music and Cognitive Functions



## Etherealite (Nov 26, 2011)

With music such as classical, do you believe more intuition is used over sensing? Or do you believe more sensing is used over intuition due to hearing being a sense? Do you believe more introverted people listen to music over extraverted people? Why? Do you believe more feeling people listen to music over thinking? And, do you believe that more perceiving people listen over judging? I believe the most likely music listener is an:

I
N
F
P


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## McSwiggins (Apr 2, 2013)

It seems like people of all types listen to music, but probably for different reasons. I listen to a lot of music and played guitar for 17 years -- my main interest was moving beats and rhythms, and catchy lyrics with an intellectual perspective and with thought provoking symbolism. I suppose more feeling types may focus on how the music or lyrics resonate with them on a deeper level -- e.g. representing values, moods, relationships, etc. I could write at length on this issue . . . but in the interest of brevity, I can attest that in my days of playing in bands I met all people of all types from all walks of life.


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## KaiserinRose (Mar 27, 2013)

McSwiggins said:


> It seems like people of all types listen to music, but probably for different reasons. I listen to a lot of music and played guitar for 17 years -- my main interest was moving beats and rhythms, and catchy lyrics with an intellectual perspective and with thought provoking symbolism. *I suppose more feeling types may focus on how the music or lyrics resonate with them on a deeper level -- e.g. representing values, moods, relationships, etc. *I could write at length on this issue . . . but in the interest of brevity, I can attest that in my days of playing in bands I met all people of all types from all walks of life.


That's how I use music when I'm listenting to it. I think it also explains why I have such a eccentric taste in music.


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## LadyO.W.BernieBro (Sep 4, 2010)

Not especially. There are several different personal motivations related to listening to music and also in processing it.

I might think a more traditionally “creative” person would be well suited to the abstract musical concepts.

But music is also technical. l wish l played an instrument myself, l tend to score well on tests for musical ability but best with tests that measure ability to detect rhythm and melody over pitch. l'd say rhythm is the more technical aspect.

lt could be said that people who prefer a feeling function might be drawn to music for different reasons, which l would say is true. There's much to be said for the literal and technical interpretation of music too, though and many classical composers seem to focus on developing that and many people like learn to through music that way.


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## chaoticbrain (May 5, 2012)

I don't know but I swear to god sometimes I use Ne to imagine a certain song i'm listening to another way. Like a different version of a song.


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## Etherealite (Nov 26, 2011)

You can also use Ne a lot when imaging a scenery and plot happening as a song is being sung or played. I can see how both feeling and thinking types would be drawn to music, as rhythm would appeal to thinking due to the mathematical side of things.


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## KaiserinRose (Mar 27, 2013)

Looking back on my first post, I can see how music can appeal to thinker and feeler types, along with intuitive and sensor types.

I think most people use some or all of the congitive types when it comes to music. It just that most people use some congitive types more than others. For example, someone may use the feeling and intuitive function one day, and use the thinker and sensor the next day, and etc. But then again, I can be completely wrong since I'm still learning about the congitive function types.


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## Etherealite (Nov 26, 2011)

Part of me thinks that because music is so... invigorating to our human minds, I can't help but feel it takes all of our functions, and spins them round and round until art is formed. Hehehe x)


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## JungyesMBTIno (Jul 22, 2011)

Jung seemed to think art/music was a representation of intuition in a sense (I mean, obviously, you need the senses to enjoy it, but the activity of engaging with it is intuitive - if it were sensation-related, it would basically be a very literal engagement with the "tools"). Having a sense of "where something is going and where it came from" is what gives art life to the mind.


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## Etherealite (Nov 26, 2011)

Art and psychology are all very interesting when you think about the correlations.


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## Hari Mohan (Jul 7, 2012)

Interesting stuff. When i listen to music i instinctively imagine scenarios. Sometimes those images and movement reflect the symbolism the song conveys. But sometimes i just tend to envision it in the oddest manner possible. For eg a romantic song turns into a goofy one, either by taking double meaning or by changing the scenario.


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## Etherealite (Nov 26, 2011)

And when we try to using imagination and such to shift our perspectives on songs, which cognitive functions do you believe are used the most?


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## Hari Mohan (Jul 7, 2012)

Etherealite said:


> And when we try to using imagination and such to shift our perspectives on songs, which cognitive functions do you believe are used the most?


Well, imagination being used may denote iNtuition. But I am not sure if it's Ne/Ni. But "perspective shift" is something Ni excels at. Ne is still focused on the objective, so Ne-doms may change entire scenario itself. Ne is more expansive and Ni is more deep. 
I guess.


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## DualGnosis (Apr 6, 2013)

For me music has always been an interesting phenomenon. I guess you can say my taste in music has always been in a constant state of transformation, usually depending on what songs I hear on the radio, other people's cars, youtube etc. I didn't really pay much attention to different kinds of music when I was a child; it wasn't until I hit puberty that I became (for a lack of a better term) invigorated by it. I borrowed a 2pac CD from my cousin and I was inspired to write at a furious level. I wrote poems, stories, journal entries, reflection pieces and even got into calligraphy. It was the best thing to ever happen to me I could say; it was my escape, my outlet, of all those puberty flared emotions and existential depression I had when I was younger. Nowadays, I still get my old cravings to write but not as much as before. But to get back on topic... I consider loud music like Heavy Metal, Dubstep, and Gangster Rap to give me huge bursts of stimulation, often in the form of increased testosterone levels. When I want to relax I enjoy some Jazz, Acoustic, and Underground Hip-Hop. When I am in a state of contemplation I often listen to the old masters like Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff. Other times when I want to meditate I listen to listen to Buddhist Hymns, Gregorian Chants, and to Azans. I, too, get visions and scenarios in my mind when I listen to songs. I picture how the songs can be made into visual representations or music videos. 

tl;dr... I <3 Music. I only wish I could play an instrument or sing well. As for cognitive functions, I believe it would be around the the Fi, Se area.


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## Kalimar (Mar 21, 2013)

I have a seemingly random taste in music. I listen to music in every genre/style, including rap. Whilst there are some artists I like multiple songs from, I tend to pick and mix. I do listen to more songs without lyrics than the average music listener, and I'm not sure why that is. A part of it, I think, is because I don't process the lyrics well. Basic ones aside, there isn't a single song I can remember the whole set of lyrics to accurately, although I do pick up fragments that stand out. A look at the lyrics separately can be interesting though, for example I recently deconstructed a song and thought it was a lot more intelligent than others had given it credit for. 

I like music that fits a certain setting well - this can be 'real' (e.g. video game music associated with certain cutscenes or locations or songs used at particular points of movies) or 'imagined' in that I can imagine another setting appropriate for the music. I often listen for the melody and the beats and sometimes the different types of sounds and combinations of sounds used - it interests me how despite having a fairly limited array of available sounds so many musical constructions are made. Oh, and I often play songs (melody and beats more than lyrics, though) back to myself mentally and intentionally, although I do get earworms as well.

In terms of cognitive functions, I'm no expert on it. It's tricky - two entirely different types could listen to a song and like it for the same reasons, I could imagine, even if they took different roads to get there. People may not even be processing the music with their 'dominant' function at the time they listen to it. Indeed, it may be a way of indulging in different ways of processing, even if only temporarily. I could be talking nonsense here, of course...


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