Ch. Mckinney et al., THE EFFECT OF SELECTED CLASSICAL-MUSIC AND SPONTANEOUS IMAGERY ON PLASMA BETA-ENDORPHIN, Journal of behavioral medicine, 20(1), 1997, pp. 85-99
This study explored the effect of music and imagery on plasma beta-end
orphin in 78 undergraduates. Subjects screened for relevant psychologi
cal and health criteria were assigned to music imaging, silent imaging
music listening, and control conditions. Subjects donated 15 ml of bl
ood prior to and following the 2-hr intervention period. There were no
group differences in potential confounding variables. Split-plot fact
orial analysis controlling for individual differences in pretest level
of beta-endorphin revealed that those in the music imaging group expe
rienced a significant pre-post decline in beta-endorphin, while no oth
er group demonstrated any significant pre-post difference. These data
suggest that music imaging may lower peripheral beta-endorphin levels
in healthy subjects. Further exploration of the effects of music and i
magery interventions on physiology and health may be warranted.