Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists
- Text by Zahra Onsori
- Photography by Shutterstock

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.
Can having a rager actually be good for you? It might be hard to comprehend while struggling through the Tuesday after with limited serotonin, but according to neuroscientists, hitting the club and dancing all night to music while surrounded by others can have a positive impact on our wellbeing.
The impact that dance music has on the human mind is the subject of We Become One – a new 60-minute documentary from AlphaTheta, which has been released today, April 2.
The film is led by London-born, now Berlin-based DJ Kikelomo, who speaks to neuroscientists and experts about the effects that listening to dance music can have on the human brain.
In the film, cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist Daniel Levin explains to her that dance music can help the brain reach a different state – a flow state – that can be difficult to reach in daily life.
He asks: “Why are they sending out electricity? They’re trying to spur the production and release of different chemicals. These different brain states characterise different states of consciousness.”
“There’s this thing called the flow state, and it’s characterised by focused attention, a loss of a sense of self, a loss of a sense of time, and, really, the focused attention is a special kind where you’re not really aware of yourself or what you’re doing,” he continues.
- Read next: Hypnotic Scenes of 90s London Nightlife
“You’re outside yourself, and electronic music is really great at inducing it, which is why so many raves and so many parties and even therapeutic uses of music involve the repetitiveness. That repetition allows you to enter a meditative state, and you can close off the inner chatter of your brain and the inner dialogue and just be, and when you can relax into that state of here and now, that’s when the trance can come.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Dr Julia C. Basso, neuroscientist and director of the Embodied Brain Lab, who explains that when people dance with others, it creates a feeling of unity among those sharing a dancefloor. “That whole social network of brain areas is lighting up, firing together, so there’s a lot of inter-brain synchrony that’s happening.”
Apart from scientists, We Become One also sees Kikelomo speak to longtime DJs and producers including Detroit legends Moodymann and Seth Troxler, exploring how music has the power to bring people from far-flung places and backgrounds together.
Watch We Become One via AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ’s YouTube channel.


Zahra Onsori is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Instagram.
Buy your copy of Huck 81 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
Latest on Huck
Meet the hair-raised radical women of Berlin’s noise punk scene
Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy within the German capital’s female-only bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.
Written by: Miss Rosen

Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms
Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.
Written by: Jack Styler

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.
Written by: Uwade

Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets
“I have a few animals...” — For his new series, photographer Jonty Clark went behind closed doors to meet rare animal owners, finding ethical grey areas and close bonds.
Written by: Hannah Bentley

Frazer Clarke: “I had a hole in my leg, I’m very lucky to be alive”
Hard Feelings — For our interview column on masculinity and fatherhood, the Olympic boxing medallist speaks to Robert Kazandjian about hard graft, the fear and triumph of his first fight, and returning to the ring after being stabbed on a night out.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian

Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer
Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.
Written by: Miss Rosen