“The voice is a wild thing. It can’t be bred in captivity.” – Willa Cather
We all know that yelling can be cathartic. When we are feeling anxious or tense, it helps us to let go of negative emotions and feel a little better.
The voice has a different tone and acoustic intensity when we yell (or scream) than it usually has when we speak. The acoustic intensity of the voice as we speak is about 55–65 dB1 but when we yell, it is about 80–120 dB. Some people2 can even scream to such an extent that their yells have an acoustic intensity on par with the sounds emitted by jet engines!
The effects of screaming on humans have been analysed in many scientific studies of psychology and neuroscience. Measurements made with functional magnetic resonance equipment have shown that screams produce different effects in those who emit them compared to those who hear them. Neuroscientists have found that the brains of yellers activate the limbic system and secrete endorphins, causing them to calm down. Yet, hearing other people’s screams can trigger a strong state of alertness3 and intense negative emotions.
Many scream-based nerve-discharge techniques are now used in psychology,4 with the first of its kind being launched in the 1970s by Dr Arthur Janov [1]. He believed that healing psychic problems caused by childhood trauma can be achieved through screams that contain only inarticulate sounds.5 According to reports written by Janov, many patients – including James Earl Jones and John Lennon – were able to achieve a good mental balance by practicing this technique [2].
In psychology, there are many known techniques for nerve discharge through screaming that can be practiced both individually and in groups [3]. Such techniques are practiced, for example, in Iceland where thousands of people come from all over the world each year to let out some good screaming. Students on university campuses in Sweden also practice such group techniques every night during exam sessions. On university campuses in Sweden (Upsala, Lund, Linköping, Lappkärrsberget), students open the windows of the rooms at 10:00 pm and shout for an hour in order to be rid of stresses.6
The release of emotional tension through screaming has been observed and investigated in many scientific studies. A study from 2024 used nuclear magnetic resonance equipment to monitor the brain processes of subjects7 experiencing intense negative emotions, often expressed through screaming. [4]. The results were then compared with those obtained from the subjects on another day when they – despite feeling negative emotions – did not discharge their irritation but tried to speak normally. During the two stages, all areas of the subjects’ brains were monitored, being related to emotions, speech, voice, behavioral control, attention and so forth. The results showed that the emotional discharge time was at least three times shorter in all subjects when they screamed than when they spoke normally.8 The study concluded that upset affects our emotional balance if we keep it inside and recommends that we expel such sensations through scream therapy. This therapy can be done whenever we feel the need and, if concerned about the neighbours, we can use a special screaming pillow that we can buy from Amazon.
Memo
Acknowledgment: This text was taken from the book The Power of Voice, with the consent of the author Eduard Dan Franti. The Power of Voice can be obtained from Memobooks, Apple Books, or Amazon.
Footnotes:
- Decibel (dB) is the unit of acoustic intensity of sound. This depends on the distance between the sound source and the receiver: if the sound source moves away from us at twice the distance, then the sound loses intensity at a ratio of 6dB.
- Jill Drake entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2000 for the loudest human screams [5].
- The researchers found that the screams emitted by humans have acoustic characteristics similar to the sounds of police sirens [6].
- Amazon has launched special cushions for screaming relaxation.
- Some therapists, however, believe that nerve discharge can also occur if the screams contain articulate words.
- In Sweden, screaming therapy is known as “Flogsta scream”, after the name of the student district where it was first performed.
- All adult volunteers gave their consent to participate in this study. During the selection phase, all volunteers were informed that the study would generate negative emotions and were encouraged to express themselves emotionally through screaming. Volunteers were free to withdraw from the study at any time if they felt unable to control the intensity of their negative emotions. All subjects who enrolled participated in every stage of the study. All participants were mentally healthy and demonstrated good emotional balance.
- Measurements using MRI from this study showed that screaming activates the amygdala and makes us watchful and alert [7] [8].
Bibliography
[1] A. Janov, *The Primal Scream*, Abacus Publishing House, 1991.
[2] R. Letzter, “This is Your Brain on Screaming!,” *Screaming Primal Therapy Science*, 2017.
[3] H. Riddle, “Scream It Out: This Unique Form of Meditation and Therapy Could Be Just What You Need,” *Flow*, 2021.
[4] A.-G. Andrei, C. A. Brătan, C. Tocilă-Mătășel, B. Mureșanu, B. Ionescu, A. V. Tebeanu, M.-I. Dascălu, G. Bobeş, I. A. Popescu, A. Neagu, E. Franți, G. Iana and Iorgulescu, “Initial Insights into Deep Learning Analysis for Detecting Brain Oxygenation Changes from MRI,” 2023.
[5] “Classroom assistant pierces world record for loudest scream,” 6 September 2015. [Online]. Available: Tes.co.uk.. [Accessed 10 May 2023].
[6] L. H. Arnal, A. Flinker, A. Kleinschmidt, A.-L. Giraud and D. and Poeppel, “Human Screams Occupy a Privileged Niche in the Communication Soundscape,” *Current Biology*, 2015.
[7] T. Basu, “Scientists Now Know Why People Scream,” *Time*, 2015.
[8] P. Gilchrist and C. Grossetti, “Please explain: Why do we scream?,” *The Lighthouse*, vol. 25, 2022.
