33. The Long Way Home | Music, Memory & the Moments That Find Us

Send us Fan MailIn this special episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee brings together music, memory, and meaning in the podcast’s first original musical collaboration.At the heart of this episode is a beautiful piece of music titled The Long Way Home, created by Johan Sebastian Ledesma, who composes under the name Bragei. What begins as a chance conversation on an ordinary street becomes something far more unexpected. A story of timing, recognition, and the kind of moments that seem to arrive without being planned, yet feel deeply aligned when they do.The episode moves through personal memory, from childhood road trips filled with music, to the people who shaped a lifelong relationship with sound, rhythm, and presence. It reflects on how music is not simply something we listen to, but something that holds memory, carries emotion, and connects us across time.Alongside this, Dr Mohi briefly explores what science understands about music and the brain. From its effects on stress, mood, and the nervous system, to the way it engages multiple regions of the brain at once, music is both deeply felt and biologically significant.At its heart, this episode is about the moments we do not plan. The ones that arrive through chance encounters, shared interests, and quiet attention. What some might call synchronicity, or serendipity. Moments that shape direction without announcement.The original piece The Long Way Home plays at the end of this episode, and will be available separately on YouTube for listeners who wish to return to it.With reflection, story, and collaboration, this episode offers something slightly different. A pause. A memory. And a reminder of the ways we find our way back, often without realising we were looking.References:1. Music and the brain — stress, dopamine, and emotional response:Salimpoor, V.N. et al. (2011). Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nature Neuroscience.https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.27262. Music, stress hormones, and the nervous system:Thoma, M.V. et al. (2013). The effect of music on the human stress response. PLOS ONE.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.00701563. 3. Singing and wellbeing:Grape, C. et al. (2003). Does singing promote well-being? Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02734261Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.