Psychological aspects of cultural inheritance and their molecular biological correlates: new data
Psychological processes and states (primarily at the level of psychological tension, activation, concentration, as well as psychological defense mechanisms), along with their molecular biological correlates (telomere length, telomerase activation), providing the process of cultural inheritance, were studied, basing on observation of 63 young, healthy Russian-speaking urban dwellers, who passed an audiocourse of music of different kinds. Perception of light classical music, belonging to the realm of cultural heritage of our respondents, resulted in an increase of telomere length, which was most possibly related to stress reduction, and prolongation of the expected lifespan. Perception of modern designer music, which did not belong to the realm of cultural heritage of the Ss, resulted in activation of telomerase, which was not accompanied by an increase in telomere length. Strategy of this kind is most possibly applied for means of preventing telomere shortening, which tends to occur in stressful conditions.