The Wiener Symphoniker, elevator music, the monotone beeps of a supermarket till, the chimes of a bell, gentle relaxation music – sounds create moods, induce emotions and feelings, and evoke memories and images that affect people. When purposely employed, acoustic stimuli can be used to bring about specific effects, such as making people feel well or relaxed.

This can of course also work in a negative way, as when advertisements broadcast continuously in supermarkets lead to more stress or to a continuous, unconsciously experienced background noise – the sound of printers, the loud drone of electrical appliances, and so on – which make us aggressive or lower our energy level.