Flicker light stimulation enhances the emotional response to music: a comparison study to the effects of psychedelics

Flicker light stimulation (FLS), a non-pharmacological method that induces altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and hallucination-like phenomena, can enhance emotional responses to music. In a study with twenty participants, listening to emotionally evocative music while undergoing FLS significantly increased reported music-evoked emotion, particularly emotions related to “Joyful Activation.” The intensity of the FLS experience correlated with higher levels of emotional arousal. These results suggest that FLS may serve as a method for inducing ASCs and that visual stimulation can interact with music-evoked emotion, paralleling effects seen with classic psychedelics like LSD.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Flicker light stimulation (FLS) is a non-pharmacological method of inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs), producing hallucination-like phenomena as well as effects extending beyond the visual modality, including emotional effects. Research into the psychological and neural mechanisms of FLS is still in its infancy, but can be informed by research into other methods of inducing ASCs. For instance, research on classic psychedelics has reported enhancement of emotional responses to music. Here, we test to what degree FLS might also enhance the emotional response to music, using a study protocol designed to resemble a previous study on the effects of LSD as closely as possible, to allow for comparison of effect sizes across modalities and inform future research into FLS as an ASC-induction method. Twenty participants listened to emotionally evocative music in two conditions – with and without FLS – and reported on their emotional response to the music. FLS showed a significant enhancing effect on reported music-evoked emotion, especially emotions relating to “Joyful Activation”; additionally, we found that the experienced intensity of FLS correlated with reports of higher levels of emotional arousal. These findings motivate further research into FLS as a method for inducing ASCs and into the interactions between visual phenomena and music-evoked emotion.