The Nontheistic Sacred

The Psychological Functions of Metal Music and Artifacts

Bibliographic Data

ID12389727
AuthorsKyle J Messick (0000-0002-0452-0922, CTPSR, Coventry University, corresponding author), Jonathan Jong (0000-0002-8039-9298, CTPSR, Coventry University), Valerie van Mulukom (0000-0002-0549-7365, CTPSR, Coventry University), Miguel Farias (0000-0001-5925-795X, CTPSR, Coventry University)
Year2023
Volume33
Issue3
Pages198-213
Publication date2023-04-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal for the Psychology of Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1050-8619 • E-ISSN: 1532-7582
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10508619.2023.2196898
OpenAlexW4366816186
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited67

The psychological functions of the nontheistic sacred in a secular context (metal music culture) were examined for their consistency with previous studies of the sacred in religious contexts using two studies. The first experiment examined music as a form of nontheistic sacred through a comparison of death metal fans (n=89) listening to death metal or hard rock. The second experiment examined how some metal cultural artefacts were perceived as sacred by metal fans (n=52), and how their loss or defilement was experienced when compared to non-sacred artefacts. The first experiment found that the death metal music was perceived as more sacred than hard rock music to the metal community, it promoted higher levels of positive affect, and it was associated with significantly higher levels of prosocial behavioural intentions, social relatedness, mood maintenance, and self-awareness, with no differences in empathy and negative affect. The second experiment found that acts of desecration of sacred items, when compared to non-sacred items, led to a higher state of anger and the loss of the items led to significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety. The two experiments present evidence that the nontheistic sacred is experienced within the secular context of metal music in terms of functions and effects consistent with previous literature exploring the sacred in religious contexts

Active listening · Affect (linguistics · Anger · Anxiety · Art · Consistency (knowledge bases · Context (archaeology · Empathy · Literature · Mood · Popular music · Prosocial behavior · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Rock music · Communication · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · History · Media Influence and Health · Music History and Culture · Psychology · Social Psychology