Why Is Rain So Calming?
Surprising Links to Emotional Validation
I’m sitting at my desk, and I’m tired beyond reason. The rain is pouring and the droplets gently patter against the window.
I type away on the computer, trying to ignore the rhythmic but calming noises.
I find myself getting sleepier and sleepier, until I finally dart a cautious glance at my lofty bed, a mere several inches away. I want to crawl into that bed. I want to be wrapped inside a warm blanket cocoon. I want the rain to lull me to sleep. I try, against my better judgement, to fight against the sounds, but the pull to sleep becomes increasingly strong.
The bed calls for me, beckoning me to consume its embrace and recharge for the day. The rain lulls me into a sense of complacency as if I were a child, ready to be soothed into slumber by a lullaby.
However, a grand question lingers on my mind: why is rain so calming? Is this a placebo effect, or is there an underlying scientific explanation?
When we hear a plethora of noises, our brains interpret them in various ways. It can be quite hard to ignore a random blood-curdling scream or a sudden blast from our annoying alarm clock. Our brain inadvertently triggers its flight-or-fight response, where these alarming sounds cause us to be alert and fearful of danger, resulting in us either fighting back or running away from danger. Our earliest ancestors benefitted from being alert, as it often meant life or death.
However, for us, sounds alone can trigger a variety of behaviours, even if that danger is no longer existent in today’s time. That scream from the other room could be our cue to call 911 instead of stupidly investigating the source of the sound and falling into your demise. That alarm clock is our conditioned cue to wake up or face the consequences of not showing up to work on time. While the alarm is not as dangerous, the sound is so jarring that it takes us out of slumber, allowing us to go on with our day.
By contrast, non-threatening noises like the wind gently grazing grass, mundane elevator music, and the sounds of the waves lapping up onto shore are much easier to process. After a while, we may even tune these sounds out, especially as these sounds fall into a steady but seemingly endless rhythm.
Studies on “pink noise” have suggested that certain frequencies of sounds interact with our subconsciousness, promoting elevated levels of deeper sleep, which bolsters our memory. If these non-threatening noises eventually fade into the background, then it’s not unreasonable to assume that the sounds of the rain could do the same for certain people.
When you’re sad, perhaps you want someone or even something to validate how you feel. That’s likely why some of us listen to depressing music while we are fighting our own personal demons. Surprisingly, some people do feel better after listening to such sad music. Perhaps a similar source of validation is found in gloomy weather, alongside the familiarity and the comfort of rain.
For a little artificial rain, you can click the link below:
