3 years ago, Argo asked a group of people to, one by one, enter a dark room with 16 loudspeakers, a ‘sonic womb’. They were connected to a device that resembles a lie detector and a camera record their facial expressions. They were asked to listen to a soundscape and to pay close attention to the sensations they felt and the emotions or memories triggered. At Ted X the audience were asked to do the same.

The audience were told about a new way in which you can use music for therapy – to trigger catharsis and to better understand and live with anxiety.

Chills down the spine can be triggered by both musical bliss or high pitched abrasive sounds – the same sensation can be caused by either a positive or negative stimulus. There are anxiety symptoms which can be perceived as positive. But we know that these anxiety sympotms are surprising or distressing in our everyday experience. Nonetheless, they are vital, our body’s way of telling us something needs to change – we need to press pause, stop running away from unresolved traumas and uncomfortable emotions to confront our fears. Sometimes we need help to feel more deeply, and immersive soundscapes fused with emotionally manipulative music can provide this kick.

No-one can ever be cured from anxiety: its an instinct that keeps us alive. What we can do however is educate ourselves about the benefits of emotional immersion, to understand our anxiety and learn from it, to improve our lives and discover just how resilient we can be.

So if you are currently lost in a monotonous looping cycle of anxiety or depression, instead of tuning out, why tune into the noise, and even amplify it - so you can understand it better. The effects may surprise you.