Is there psychoactive music?

Question

Listen to this music for X minutes to observe Y result. Is there something like that that has been demonstrated to work for general public?

The only example of an experiment that is similar that attempted to find out that I could find is: http://www.zlab.mcgill.ca/home.html

Music, an abstract stimulus, can arouse feelings of euphoria and craving, similar to tangible rewards that involve the striatal dopaminergic system. Using the neurochemical specificity of [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, combined with psychophysiological measures of autonomic nervous system activity, we provide direct evidence for endogenous dopamine release in the striatum at peak emotional arousal during music listening.

(Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music)

I know that there's a field of psychology called music therapy that attempts to help people with music. But from what I hear, people's responses to music are hard to quantify and are very subjective. I'm interested if there's a music track out there that has been demonstrated to "entrain" brain activity (shift it from one state to another.) That is, psychoactive music that has been developed not to express an emotion of the artist, but to change cognition and consciousness.

Answer 1

Also see Brainwave audio recordings and beta waves: how do they affect positivity and Is there evidence to suggest that music can trigger release of a particular kind of neurotransmitter??

In short, yes. All forms of stimulation result perceptions based on psychology and culture. It is, however, difficult to predict the way in which even the most simple tones like binaural beats will affect emotions and behaviour, because of past associations and cultural biases.

A recent study not posted on Wikipedia (sorry for lack of citation) shows that binaural beats have no effects on the tested traits of visual attention and task switching by the Color Trails Tests or an ADHD test called "test of variables of attention" when compared with placebo.

Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze pre- and postintervention scores on the Color Trails Tests, Homework Problem Checklist, and the TOVA. The effect of time was significant on the Color Trails Test. However, there were no significant group differences on the Color Trails Test or the TOVA scores postintervention. Parents reported that the study participants had fewer homework problems postintervention.

-Pilot Feasibility Study of Binaural Auditory Beats for Reducing Symptoms of Inattention in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This does not exactly answer your question, as binaural beats may have an effect on the brain which does not have to do with attention or task switching. In that case, further study would need to be done under controls of placebo, multinational and multiculturalism.