: Published in ScienceDirect , this paper assesses how chronic stress or trauma shifts emotional responses from social reinforcement to socially-avoidant behavior, potentially explaining the appeal of more solitary, intense musical experiences. 4. Decision-Making and Emotional Processing
For a more technical look at why "dark" music feels so cathartic, you can look into the opioid systems of the brain. MoonDark - True Emotions [Dope&Sick]
: Available on ResearchGate , this paper reviews how substance dependence affects the neural networks critical for processing emotional information, linking the physical state of "dope sick" with impaired emotional regulation. A mu-opioid feedback model of human social behavior : Published in ScienceDirect , this paper assesses