Music appreciation as psychological interventions for astronauts
- Paper number
IAC-11,A1,1,15,x10736
- Author
Mr. Junting Dong, CASC, China
- Year
2011
- Abstract
KEYWORDS: psychology; music appreciation; long-duration manned space missions During long-term space missions, astronauts could improve the well-being by taking the psychological countermeasure of music appreciation, which may help reduce the effects of sensorial deprivation and impulse repression caused by being secluded. As a psychological countermeasure, which will be presented and discussed in this paper, music appreciation plays an important role in dealing with psychological disorder that astronauts commonly have during long-term space missions. Being secluded from the world for a long period, astronauts would suffer claustrophobia which is one of the most usual symptoms caused by limited space. Claustrophobia is a morbid psychological phenomenon caused by environmental discomfort. It leads to sense of crisis, repression and even such illusions like pulse increasing, short of breath, and clammy skin. The small and enclosed spacecraft tends to cause fatigue and severe anxiety which leads to a malignant cycle of symptoms such as stress increasing and physical discomfort. And it would influence astronauts’ health and work in outer space, unless the psychological pressure could be relieved. Music appreciation might be considered as one kind of psychological interventions that cope with psychological disorders. On the one hand it improves the function of nervous system, cardiovascular system, and helps the body produce a kind of active substances to adjust the blood flow and nerve conduction. And on the other hand it brings psychological reactions,such as excited cerebral cortex and high spirits, through the frequency and sound pressure from the music. These help the astronauts to eliminate stress, anxiety, depression, and fear caused by psychological changes, and raise irritability. In conclusion, music appreciation as a psychological intervention in the isolated environment of living in space, can effectively support a manned space mission's success.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)