Dr. Stephen Porges (Interview Archive)
People hear me describe this and they push back with Barry White. Yes, Barry White speaks in a very low register, but he does it inside a close, contained setting. And when he actually sings, the voice rises. It stays melodic. The melody is doing the work. If you want to show someone how to shift their own physiological state, breathing matters enormously. So does singing, playing a wind instrument, even sitting and listening to the human voice in music. Plenty of people gravitate toward vocal recordings, and a lot of them toward female vocalists in particular.
Eric: One singer who comes to mind right away is Enya. She has a huge following.
Dr. Porges: The reason any of this works traces back to something older. Take the Disney songs from the films. Children adore them. Don't only follow the rhythm; pay attention to the frequency range of the voices. They soothe because they imitate a mother's voice. The same holds for Mozart and a good deal of the classical repertoire. Listen to how so many symphonies open: the first movement draws on what are essentially mothers' lullabies, and it begins with violins that signal safety. Only after you feel safe does the music widen out across a broader range of frequencies.
Dr. Porges: There's another image I keep returning to. Stand in an airport and watch parents with their toddlers. When the child is with the father, you'll often see tears, because the father is correcting the child, telling them to be quiet, to stop, to behave. Then the mother leans in and says a single word, and the child settles. The sound itself is gentle, and that gentleness is what calms.
Eric: Dr. Porges, this is genuinely fascinating, and I think a lot of listeners will value it. Thank you again for being with us on 'The Psychology of the Future.' Before we close, was there anything else you wanted to be sure we touched on?
Dr. Porges: No, I think we've covered plenty. For anyone who wants to know more about my work or where I'm speaking, I keep a website at stephenporges.com. You'll find transcripts of some interviews there, a bibliography, and a schedule of upcoming talks. For me this has been a remarkable ride, and it's still unfolding. I never set out to explain the harder parts of the human condition. Seeing this cluster of ideas actually help people has left me thrilled, a little humbled, and quietly validated. That basic research can be carried over into how we live our daily lives has meant a great deal to me.