<p>Dr. Mei Rui is a Yale-trained molecular biophysicist, concert pianist, and clinical researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she runs trials on the measurable effects of music on the human body. In this conversation, we explore what actually happens in the brain the moment music enters it, why the auditory system is the first sense to develop in the womb and the last to go when we die, and how something as accessible as a curated playlist can outperform FDA-approved pharmaceuticals in reducing cortisol.</p><p><br></p><p>What We Dive Into:</p><p>1. Music is not a supplement to healing. In the right context, it is the intervention.</p><p>2. The brain responds differently when you actually show up for the music.</p><p>3. A longitudinal study in twins showed that three to four years of musical training reduced the risk of Alzheimer&#39;s and cognitive decline by 64%, an effect size found in no other single activity.</p><p><br></p><p>THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:</p><p>Oneskin — Code KNOWTHYSELF for 15% off - Limited time only!</p><p>https://oneskin.co/KNOWTHYSELF</p><p><br></p><p>BASED Body Works — Code KNOWTHYSELF for 20% and a free toiletry bag!</p><p>https://www.basedbodyworks.com</p><p><br></p><p>___________</p><p>00:00 Introduction: Dr. Mei Rui</p><p>01:44 A Life Between Music and Science</p><p>05:26 What Happens When Music Enters the Brain</p><p>07:26 How the Brain Processes Sound and Music</p><p>11:32 Why Minor Keys Feel Sad: The Science of Tonality</p><p>14:37 Live Piano Demo: Matching Music to Mood</p><p>19:06 Music in the Operating Room</p><p>27:41 Music as Medicine: Clinical Applications</p><p>29:10 The 32% Cortisol Study</p><p>31:19 The 16 Compositional Elements of Healing Music</p><p>35:11 Oxytocin, Familiarity, and the Parasympathetic Response</p><p>36:18 Timbre and the Cello&#39;s Resemblance to a Mother&#39;s Voice</p><p>42:31 Cymatics: Sound Made Visible</p><p>45:16 The Ancient Roots of Music as Healing</p><p>47:09 Listening vs. Playing an Instrument</p><p>55:33 The Musician&#39;s Brain: Structural Differences</p><p>57:46 Music Training and Protection Against Alzheimer&#39;s</p><p>59:44 Music, Empathy, and Neural Synchrony</p><p>1:01:36 The EEG Experiment: Reading André&#39;s Brain Live</p><p>1:18:21 What the EEG Data Revealed</p><p>1:22:26 Music, Flow State, and the Disappearance of Self</p><p>1:26:55 Music as Spiritual Medicine</p><p>1:30:23 How to Listen More Intentionally</p><p>___________</p><p><br></p><p>MORE FROM MEI</p><p>✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@meiruipiano</p><p><br></p><p>MORE FROM KNOW THYSELF</p><p>🎙️Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9l</p><p>🎧Apple: https://apple.co/4iATICX</p><p>✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/</p><p>🎬TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andreduqum</p><p>👥Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knowthyselfbyandreduqum/</p><p>🌐https://knowthyselfpodcast.com/</p><p><br></p><p>MORE FROM ANDRÉ</p><p>✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@andreduqum</p><p>💼Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/know-thyself-podcast</p><p>📚Book recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list</p>