To be clear, I love music and songs. They have been an integral part of my growth. They can be an amazing force for good.
But, like any force, it can also be very damaging.
Music pushes the brain into the Alpha state.
This is a state of mental relaxation. It's like a backdoor to your subconscious mind. It makes you more susceptible to external influences.
This is the state where hypnotherapists put you at the beginning of a session because they need you in an alpha state to influence your mental processes.
Music does the same thing, and if you regularly practice meditation, you can easily feel it.
Songs are a form of self-hypnosis.
Imagine repeating to yourself, "I'm depressed, I'm depressed, I'm depressed..." over and over again.
What do you think happens? You gradually convince yourself that you are depressed. You are creating depression out of thin air.
Now read the lyrics of popular songs. What themes do you see popping up over and over again?
Feelings of sadness, of love that can never be found, of loneliness, of anger, of self-harm...
And these messages, through constant repetition and with the help of the alpha state, become your reality.
Change songs, change your life.
Try this experiment. For the next 30 days, completely remove songs from your life. Only stick to classical and jazz music.
After 30 days, try listening to "ordinary" songs once again. I tried it, and I realized what kind of poison I was putting in my mind.
And when you feel like you need a pick-me-up, use it to your advantage and find songs with empowering messages. Listen and sing them.
Examples? "Live to Win" by Paul Stanley, "Indestructible" by Disturbed and "Stand Up and Fight" by Turisas.