They say that music is medicine for the soul and the body because it activates more parts of the brain than any other human stimulus. But what happens when that song starts boring into your head unbearably? There are melodies, simple, rhythmic, repetitive and captivating, capable of infecting the brain like a virus: they are auditory worms, a term adopted from the literal translation of the German word ohrwurm, which graphically captures their invasive nature. In the scientific literature this phenomenon is also called “involuntary musical images”musical compositions that are stuck in the auditory cortex of the brain -responsible for processing sounds- and the need to hum these songs works as a kind of “mental itch”, which is only relieved by repeating the melody over and over again, and whose effect can last hours or days.
Pedro Bekinschtein, biologist and researcher at Conicetin dialogue with the UNQ science news agencyexplains: “These fragments of melodies or songs, which repeat themselves in our heads without our control, are scientifically known as ‘involuntary musical images’ or simply ‘auditory worms’ and it is estimated that more than 90 percent of people are affected by these imaginary bugs at least once a week.”
The main factor for a song to stick is to have heard it recently and that its components correspond to some characteristics such as repetition, simplicity and unexpected changes of rhythm, with an irregular beat. It is also related to the moment when the melody reaches the ears. It often occurs when performing tasks that do not consume cognitive resources, for example, walking, driving, and cleaning the house.
But not everything is so bad, the annoyance comes with some benefits, as these melodies activate opiate receptors in the nervous system, which are involved in pleasure and trigger the release of dopamine, the same hormone as food or sex. In this direction, among the benefits of these worms, Bekinschtein highlights that “Music regulates our mood, so worms can make us feel better because they are often parts of songs with fast, energetic rhythms that tend to lift our spirits.”.
In addition, they are associated with information storage. In addition to the melody that is drilled into the auditory cortex, events associated with these songs are stored better than those that are not. “Many people report that worms are triggered by some reminder, such as similar music, a related photo, or a place they heard it,” he explains.
And he clarifies that “the dark side” of it is slightly associated with obsessive-compulsive traits. I mean, if you have musical worms, do you have OCD? “No, maybe you’re just a little ‘obsessed’ with that little spot on the wall that won’t come off and has the face of the Queen of England. The other dark side of worms is that it disturbs some people’s sleep. For example, that song from the mattress commercial that repeats to infinity and, ironically, doesn’t let you sleep.”
Some keys to eliminate the bug
A particularly interesting question about these repetitions is how to get rid of them. There are some successful proposals that might work.
People experiencing this earworm often don’t know the entire song, making it difficult to complete. In this sense, one of the recommended strategies to break free is to learn the song, sing it completely, from beginning to end, to get out of the loop.
Another widely used resource is to place obstacles and interferences. Chewing and using your vocal joint muscles and associated neural circuitry prevents the subvocalization that occurs when music sneaks into your head. Along these lines, it is also recommended to accentuate the tasks that interfere with the auditory worm. The most effective are tasks that involve vocalization (speaking out loud): talking to someone and practicing tongue twisters can work.
Another widely used strategy is to put a rubber band on the wrist and give small pushes each time the melody appears. Something that likely recruits new sensory components, like mild pain.
In any case, the truth is that these catchy tunes, which become neurosistibly irresistible and almost impossible to banish from the mind, are embedded in the brain and can harass you mercilessly for hours, days, and even months sooner or later. They end up disappearing.