Group Songmaking Rewrites Predictive Brain Signals in Psychosis

A six-week Yale study found that weekly two-hour group songwriting helped some people with psychosis reduce paranoia and shift language from I to we, suggesting music-making can help re-tune the brain’s predictive coding and reconnect with reality without the side effects of medication. Benefits were stronger in those with milder symptoms; hallucinations didn’t disappear for everyone, but social engagement and creativity improved. Researchers see potential for lasting brain changes and view music therapy as a complementary treatment, not a replacement for antipsychotics.