Sound-altering app could improve user’s mental state

Telegraph : Sound can affect not only people’s self-perceptions about body shape but also their physical capabilities, according to scientists at University College London. The phenomenon has to do with how the brain works: Rather than passively receiving acoustic and other sensory input, a person’s brain is constantly using that information to update and modify one’s sense of self. To better understand that ability, the researchers created a pair of sandals linked to headphones that change the sound of the wearer’s footsteps. By manipulating the sound a certain way, the researchers could make the wearer feel lighter and able to move more quickly. Now the researchers are working on an app to achieve much the same effect. They say it could have myriad uses, such as helping athletes to train for longer periods of time and encouraging depressed people to leave their homes and socialize more.