Study Says Raving Causes Strong Emotional Bonds

A study conducted by the University of Kent explores the nature of a rave and its effects on human behavior and emotional states. The study demonstrates that individuals who engage in raves open themselves up to awe and transformation. The rave is considered a “liminal” space that allows one to disengage from the normal modes of societal operation and explore new perspectives outside of the ego. As a result, ravers will create “identity fusion” with their cohorts, and promote prosocial bonds in the future. 

For the purposes of this study, a rave is considered to be a liminal event held in a group setting where people are engaging in the 4Ds of altered states: Dance, Drugs, Drums, and Sleep Deprivation. The common element here is their ability to help individuals dissociate from their normal lives and lose themself in the music.

Dance

Dancing has been around since tribes learned to bang bones together to make sounds. It fills the void of formal structure, and intrinsically stimulates a holistic total body movement. There is an idea of “flow”, pure freedom, and loss of identity that can occur when one loses themselves in movement. And all that exercise is also associated with the production of endorphins and dopamine release (think runners high).

Drums

Drums and rhythm also play an element. Music is considered medicine in many cultures and there are many music therapies emerging now in the western world. Music and rhythm are learned. As a song plays you come to expect a beat to drop, or a chorus line to play. And when expectations are met with reality, cortisol levels go down and your dopamine levels go up. This all plays into that euphoric feeling bringing a raver closer to “Awe”. 

Deprivation

Sleep Deprivation is another element, as raves usually occur at hours well outside of the normal sleeping regimen. Lack of sleep and odd hours can play into the liminality of a space. It can get a raver outside of their normal mode of operation. Furthermore, sleep deprivation can be considered an altered state. Inhibitions can shift, and more ego dissociation can occur.