Abstract
<p>The influence of music on affective and cognitive processes has been widely explored; however,much of this exploration is limited to Western stimuli and samples, which may lead to a lack ofgeneralizability in findings and basing models around them. This work introduces HindustaniClassical Music as an ideal case that raises questions around the cross-cultural validity of thesefindings. Hindustani music, with its system of ragas, follows a unique structural pattern thatgives each raga its own emotional identity, and performance is primarily based aroundimprovisation and ornamentation, hence making it the ideal testcase for making theoretical andempirical comparisons. It critically reviews empirical evidence across five cognitive domains –emotions, memory, imagery, embodiment, and predictive processing, concluding with an appliedtherapeutic implication as a consequence of these domains. Each domain includes a sectionwherein findings from HCM-based studies converge with those of Western studies and thendivulges into findings that are distinct and unique for HCM, such as that of the bhava-rasasystem, the memory-improvisation relationship, internally generated pulse, and culturally-codedimagery, factors that Western models may not fully be able to explain. The consistentconvergence-divergence reflects that although cognitive processes may be influenced by musicin a general manner, this is true only to a certain extent. Other findings may be more system-specific and thus reflect that paradigms and models of studying music cognition cannot belimited to one tradition. The review concludes with future directions for developing paradigms tostudy the influence of HCM on cognition in a more systematic and culturally relevant manner.</p>