How Mirror Neurons Explain the Joy and Connection of the Eras Tour
If you attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, you may have noticed something extraordinary. Beyond the music and visuals, many fans felt deep joy, safety, and connection with both the crowd and the artist. This is not just shared excitement — it is also how our brains are wired for empathy and social connection through mirror neurons.
What Are Mirror Neurons?
Mirror neurons are special brain cells that activate when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing the same action. Your brain can simulate the experiences of others, helping you understand and feel what they feel. In essence, your brain mirrors the movements and emotions of those around you.
Mirror Neurons at Work During Concerts
At concerts like the Eras Tour, mirror neurons help explain why being in a crowd feels so electrifying. Watching Taylor sing, dance, and move her body activates your own motor and emotional brain areas. This process, called embodied simulation, allows you to mirror her joy and the energy of the audience internally.
Even when sitting still, your brain can simulate the dance and movements of performers. Observing music and dance triggers motor regions in your brain, helping you feel the rhythm and emotion of the performance. This is why reliving concert moments through recordings like End of an Era can bring back the same visceral feelings of joy.
Why Shared Musical Experiences Feel So Powerful
The mirror neuron system is closely linked to empathy. Being surrounded by people dancing and expressing joy activates your own brain in similar ways. Your motor areas simulate the movements and your emotional circuits mirror the feelings. This creates a profound sense of connection, shared experience, and collective happiness.
How Mirror Neurons Can Support Mental Health
Understanding mirror neurons can help you apply their effects to everyday life and relationships. Here are some strategies:
1. Co-regulate with attuned people
Spending time with calm, emotionally attuned individuals helps your brain feel safe and supported. You naturally mirror their emotional state, which can reduce stress and anxiety.
2. Notice when you are absorbing others’ emotions
Sometimes you unconsciously take on the feelings of others. Recognizing and naming these emotions can help you ground yourself and differentiate your own feelings from those you mirror.
3. Tune into your body
Mirror neurons work through the body as well as the mind. Paying attention to how emotions show up physically, like tension or relaxation, helps you understand how social contexts influence your nervous system.
4. Use music and movement intentionally
Watching performances, dancing, or listening to music engages your mirror neuron system, boosts mood, and fosters empathy. Embodied experiences like these help your brain feel connection and joy, even outside the concert environment.
The Science Behind the Eras Tour Magic
The joy Swifties felt at the Eras Tour is more than fandom. Your brain’s mirror neurons were activated by seeing thousands of people dancing, singing, and expressing freedom. Your motor and emotional regions fired as if you were performing those actions yourself, creating a powerful sense of social and emotional connection. This explains why concerts can feel healing, joyful, and emotionally unifying.
If you are curious about how your nervous system responds to others or want guidance on strengthening emotional connection in your relationships, counselling can help. Understanding how your brain mirrors and resonates with others is a step toward deeper empathy, self-awareness, and emotional well-being.
About Moha
Hi, I’m Moha. I am a trauma-informed therapist who specializes in working with eating disorders, perinatal health, and sexual wellness.
Before I was a therapist, I volunteered at the Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders. I also worked in women’s health research exploring sexual pain, shame, and desire, and supporting new parents navigating postpartum mental health challenges. Here, I directly connected with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations, and learned that while our journeys may look different, our core struggles remain the need. We all want to feel seen, supported, and secure. Whether you’re wanting to make peace with food, finally achieving more pleasurable intimacy, navigating your new life as a parent, or learning to accept yourself as you are, I promise to take this path together with you.
I also acknowledge that we live in a world that systematically makes it more difficult for women and folks of other marginalized genders to avoid burnout and overwhelm. Intersecting identities and systems of oppression can make it even more challenging. This is why the bulk of my practice focuses on the experiences of women and non-binary folks. I aim to be a safe space where you can rest your armour and let yourself be vulnerable, knowing that you are seen and valued. Together, we will equip you with tools to take care of yourself, and continue to live your life to the fullest.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer any questions about my process and to see if we might be a good fit!
