PGM 1389 'ISOLATION' : jan.17-24

Hearts of Space Promo Podcast

Last year, the Surgeon General of the United States released a report warning about “an epidemic of loneliness.” What’s being called “an anti-social century of self-imposed solitude” was becoming a social fact, with negative effects on health equivalent to tobacco or obesity.

In 2020, over half of Americans were unmarried, separated, divorced, or widowed. Of those, two thirds had never been married. In 2023, 38 million Americans were living alone—more than 30% of households—and three quarters of all restaurant business...was take-out. For those who did eat in a restaurant, dining alone had increased by 29%.

At the same time, the highly social entertainment business was moving to digital home delivery: video was booming, while theaters and clubs were closing. For those who did venture out, thanks to ear buds, music consumption on mobile phones created a class of “audio-isolated” individuals.

in the wake of these developments came an ambient music sub-genre called “Isolationist Ambient.” It creates a sense of being alone in vast, empty spaces. It’s an experience that has both positive and negative aspects: it can immerse listeners in sublime natural or virtual environments, with powerful psychological and physical benefits. Like meditation, it can lead to increased self-awareness, and respect for the natural environment. It can also deepen feelings of loneliness, depression, and despair.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, an ambient winter journey in solitary spaces, on a program called ISOLATION.

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