Music as a trigger of religious experience: What role does culture play?

Demmrich, Sarah

Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed

Abstract

Music and religion are linked in many ways. For example, music can trigger religious experiences,which has been a topic since the beginnings of the study of the psychology of religion. Whetherthis musical effect is culture-dependent, a pure neuropsychological phenomenon, or a combinationof both remains empirically unanswered. This cross-cultural experiment among n = 84 Turks andn = 63 Germans shows that religious music can trigger religious experience but this is, at leastpartially, a culture-dependent experience. Moreover, certain kinds of religious music can fail totrigger a religious experience independent of culture, which can also underpin a neuropsychologicaleffect of musical features on religious experience. Religious experience during music is stronglypredicted by positive emotions that are felt during the musical experience. Future studies should bemore interdisciplinary, focusing on the effect of certain musical features on the religious experienceof individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

Details about the publication

JournalPsychology of Music
Volume48
Issue1
Page range35-48
StatusPublished
Release year2020
Language in which the publication is writtenEnglish
DOI10.1177/0305735618779681
Link to the full texthttp://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/JMp7s8qPpcT2bjqIA2z7/full
KeywordsReligious experience; emotions; culture; Islam; Turkey

Authors from the University of Münster

Demmrich (verh. Kaboğan), Sarah
Professorship of Sociology of Religion (Prof. Pollack)
Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics"
Institute of Sociology (IfS)