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Culture & Society
Scientists say the 432Hz TikTok trend has no scientific backing and that any relaxation comes from slow, low-pitched music.
A TikTok trend has been claiming in recent days that music tuned to 432 hertz can “reset the brain,” calm the mind and balance the body. Scientists say those claims have no scientific evidence behind them.
Videos circulating on the app say 432 hertz has extraordinary powers to improve human health. One user said the frequency “resonates naturally with our bodies and has a direct connection to the earth and nature.”
Another said it “calms the mind, balances the body and quickly resets the energy field.” A third claimed it “vibrates in harmony with your biology to lower cortisol and pull your brain into a state of deep, centered peace.”
Scientists have stepped in to say the assertions lack any scientific proof, and that feeling relaxed while listening to this frequency is no different from listening to any other calm music with a low tone.
Dr Sandra Garrido, a music psychologist at the University of Sydney, said in an article: “While 432 hertz may sound soothing to some ears, it is not a shortcut to cosmic harmony.” She said the idea that specific frequencies can improve health is not new, having been put forward by the ancient Greeks and Renaissance thinkers, but modern science does not support it.
She added: “Although the concept of cosmic harmony is interesting, there is very little scientific support for the idea that specific frequencies have any magical effect on health and well-being.”
Rather than a single “magic” frequency, Garrido says recent research suggests music affects the body through how we perceive and interpret sound. The rhythm we hear affects physiological systems such as breathing and heart rate, and those systems synchronise with any rhythm we hear.
That can help lower levels of alertness and stress, which is why people prefer slow, calm music when they want to relax. A slow rhythm helps slow breathing and heart rate and makes people feel sleepy or calm.
According to Garrido, the explanation comes down entirely to personal preferences and individual perceptions, not any magical property of the frequency. She says our brains tend to interpret sounds as expressions of emotional states.
Human voices are low-pitched when relaxed and rise when excited or agitated, she explains. For that reason, people see low-pitched musical notes as more relaxing than higher ones.
She said: “This does not mean there is anything special or magical about 432 hertz, only that lower notes seem calmer to many people. The same effect can be achieved by listening to any other music or frequencies with a low tone.”
If someone wants to relax through music, Garrido advises not to get caught up in specific frequencies and instead pay attention to how sounds make them feel. She says to notice which sounds slow breathing, relax the body or improve mood.
“When it comes to well-being and mental health, what works is what relaxes you personally,” she said.
