Effect of different music genre: Attention vs. meditation

It is challenging to quantitatively evaluate the effect of music on human mind. In this paper, effect of music on human mind is studied using brainwaves. Changes in alpha and beta brainwave signal patterns are analyzed for meditation and attention states. Parameters mean, standard deviation and normalized standard deviation are used. First, the effect of 8 different music genres on states of human mind is studied. Next, the effect of music genre selection, i.e., with the subjects choice or random selection is also studied. Effect of classical music is highest for meditation state, across 15 subjects. It indicates quantitatively the effects of classical music on calming the mind and leading to meditation. Average meditation levels are also higher for preferred music for both male and female subjects. It infers that the preferred classical music helps leading the human mind to meditation state faster than the attention state. The study can help studying other affective states as well.