Bridging internal states with music: An exploratory analysis of music-induced embodied emotion regulation in autistic youth and young adults

Emotion dysregulation in autistic individuals often manifest as atypical reactivity or maladaptive expressions, frequently accompanied by dissociation or detachment from self-experiences, avoidance, suppression, or rigidity in response to external and internal experiences. These challenges highlight the need for population-specific approaches to emotion regulation (ER). This study explored the potential of music to integrate interoceptive and exteroceptive processes for embodied ER. We proposed the Music-Induced Embodied Emotion Regulation (M-EER) model, a conceptual framework that guides sequential regulation through synchronization with modulated musical stimuli, and outlined step-by-step procedures for its implementation. Pilot interventions were conducted with three autistic individuals, one youth and two young adults, aged 19–25. Each participated in two 1-hour trial sessions, including pre-intervention interviews. During structured M-EER sessions, participants engaged with sequentially modulated music and developed self-directed plans for applying ER in everyday life. Following the sessions, participants provided self-reports of their regulatory experiences, which were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis to capture first-person perspectives. Findings suggest that the M-EER model facilitated regulated emotional changes by mapping sensory processing onto motor expression (e.g., instrument playing) and promoting embodied internal state shifts (e.g., arousal modulation). Empirical insights from lived experiences were summarized with the core themes of “agency in creating expressive space” and “music-self connection” emerged. The thematic framework of ER derived from this study suppots the role of music as a bridge between bottom-up sensory mechanisms and reflective, top-down processes (e.g., reflection on emotional changes). Although exploratory in scope, these findings also highlight the potential of the M-EER model as an integrative paradigm that combines structured clinical guidance with individual agency to address ER challenges on the autism spectrum, offering promising directions for future research and clinical application.