Music-induced emotion as controlled hallucination: an active interoceptive inference account.
Frontiers in Psychology January 1, 2026 Chen-Gia Tsai
Music evokes emotion by making the brain infer a 'virtual body' whose internal states are implied by musical patterns. The framework treats rhythm, dynamics, and timbre as pseudo-interoceptive cues that the brain integrates with real physiological signals and context. Within a hierarchical generative model, top-down predictions combine with actual arousal to produce a conscious blend of genuine bodily sensation and simulated affective qualia. Analyses of works by Mozart, Schubert, Berlioz, Beethoven, and Verdi show how composers manipulate these cues to drive precision-weighted prediction error, sustaining attention and immersion. Music-induced emotion is redefined as a controlled hallucination of bodily change, with implications for aesthetic empathy and therapy.