Music and Self-Awareness: A Relationship or Not?

Abstract

In this paper I reviewed two main themes: (1) how music can be used as a tool to increase an individual’s self-awareness (SA) and (2) how music and SA relates to individual and social psychology. To investigate these themes, I searched academic databases for music and its effects on SA at the individual and group level. This paper is focused on music in the context of therapy, development, neurobiology, the relationship between bodily sensations and conscious awareness, and group or social implications. Overall, I found that there are potential future applications for music in the context of individual or group therapy. Furthermore, due to lack of specific research in this area, I explored limitations in the research and offer suggestions for future researchers trying to determine if music has an effect on individual SA.