A scientific experiment at Dresden Music Festival has shown that the hormone oxytocin increases more during a concert experience than during physical proximity.
In partnership with TU Dresden (Dresden University of Technology), the Dresden Music Festival measured the levels of the so-called “love hormone” in concertgoers before and after a concert at the Center for Regenerative Therapies on 27th May, part of the “Sound & Science” series in this year’s festival. The study found that the average level before the concert was 37.54 picograms per millilitre (pg/ml). After listening to music, the volunteers’ oxytocin levels rose to an average of 203.17 pg/ml.
A significant effect was also observed among musicians: while hugging produced little change, playing music together led to a clear increase in oxytocin levels – an average increase of 88.49 pg/ml.
These two increases were found to be greater than those measured in previous studies after a passionate kiss or even after sex. According to scientific papers, a 20-second hug with a partner leads to an increase in oxytocin of 3-5 pg/ml, while very close physical proximity causes an increase of 50-150 pg/ml – concluding that making music together can create a more profound biological bond than a hug.