Exploring Wellbeing Through Sound: Hedonic and Eudaimonic Perspectives

Music and sound have a remarkable ability to touch us on multiple levels lifting our mood, soothing our bodies, and helping us make sense of our emotions. In my sound healing practice, I often find myself reflecting on two complementary ways that sound can support wellbeing: hedonic and eudaimonic.

Hedonic wellbeing is all about pleasure, joy, and emotional uplift. It’s the feeling of tension melting away during a sound journey, the gentle pleasure of resonance vibrating through your body, or the simple delight of immersing yourself in beautiful tones. It’s immediate, experiential, and often obvious.

Eudaimonic wellbeing, on the other hand, is subtler and deeper. It’s about meaning, growth, and connection. It’s what happens when sound helps you move through emotions, notice patterns in your thoughts, or reconnect with your body in a profound way. While the pleasure of a sound journey may be immediately felt, the eudaimonic effects: insight, emotional integration, and personal growth, often emerge quietly over time.

At first glance, sound healing might seem passive. Participants lie down, close their eyes, and “receive” sound. But this apparent passivity is deceptive. The vibrations gently guide participants to explore their own inner landscapes. In this sense, sound is not something you just listen to, it’s something you inhabit, something that interacts with your body, mind, and emotions. The process is active, even if it is subtle and internal.

This idea of active engagement through “passive” experience also makes me reflect on the difference between therapy and healing. Therapy often feels structured and goal-oriented, while healing feels emergent, holistic, and relational. In my sessions, I aim to create a space where healing can naturally arise, allowing each person to respond to the sounds in their own unique way.

I’m also fascinated by communal musical experiences. For example, high-energy electronic music or dancing in a crowd might seem overstimulating at first. Yet the shared rhythm, movement, and social connection can be deeply therapeutic. Could a rave be both hedonic; through the joy and intensity it brings, and eudaimonic, through the sense of belonging and shared experience it fosters? These kinds of questions remind me that the effects of music are complex, layered, and deeply contextual.

I also love thinking about the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Give, and how they appear in sound healing. Even in a quiet, meditative session, participants connect with themselves and the group, take notice of sensations and emotions, and are active in their inner processes.

Some of the theories that guide my thinking include Self-Determination Theory and Health Musicking. Self-Determination Theory emphasises autonomy, competence, and relatedness; all things I aim to support in my sessions. Cognitive Evaluation Theory, a sub-theory, suggests that intrinsic motivation thrives when these conditions are present. Similarly, Bonde’s Health Musicking reminds us that music is not just an aesthetic experience but a practice that supports emotional regulation, social connection, and embodied awareness. Both frameworks feel closely aligned with the work I do in sound healing.

Ultimately, sound healing is a space where hedonic joy and eudaimonic depth meet. You can feel pleasure and relaxation in the moment, while also engaging in deep emotional processing and personal growth. Each session offers a chance to connect, notice, and be present; and the effects can ripple into everyday life in subtle and meaningful ways.

Whether you’re curious about exploring sound for relaxation, emotional release, or personal insight, sound healing offers a gentle yet powerful path to both immediate joy and lasting wellbeing.