Critical listening and altered states

I remember the listening scene from the '70s where I grew up (not far from hillbilly country) and what was a listening session was in reality a party, with bodies on the lawn the next morning. Thankfully, I wasn't one of them.
I do most of my listening alone. At one time, I belonged to a club (NYC crowd that met in Westchester and other places) and had my share of sessions with OPS ("other people's systems"). This was obviously before the Internet, which changed how we communicate, putting present circumstances aside for the moment. 
I'm sure I learned during those listening sessions; what the equipment at the time was capable of, what a really good reproduction of double bass or piano (hard to do) is like. 
I find myself listening alone quite a bit and I'm good with that. In fact, when I have had people over during the years (and this extends for decades), I wanted to make sure they were impressed.
But me, alone, exploring music without regard to making sure the stuff is "buffed to a show finish" is a different kind of experience. And in that, I do find some jewels. 
I continue to learn, about artists and their music, and in the process, reassess my perspective on what music is. 

@mijostyn


You’re one of the “know-it-all’s” on the forum who loves telling others they are “hearing things” or wasting their money when you’re too ignorant to understand something … and now we learn you’re a pothead?

🤦‍♂️

Decades ago I took some sort of acid and thought my friends car stereo was the best I had ever heard.  I believe mushrooms had a similar effect on me.  The interesting thing is that both increase ones sensitivity to seratonin, which is similar to staying up a long time with no sleep, but seratonin also builds up the longer one is awake, so perhaps that’s why those late night listening sessions sound so good- as well as quieter electric grid.  

daj makes a point.
When I was between 18 and 22, I used cannabis on a regular basis and found that when listening to music, it turned down the "noise" in my head as well as peripheral thoughts and allowed me to connect with the music deeply much more easily, with a relaxed concentration. I then used it  only on rare occasions up until I was around 40, noting the same effects. 
In the end, I decided to stop using it altogether because I hated the unpleasant side effects and found that for me, it just wasn't worth it in total. 
Thinking now of some of the unpleasant parts of using it, I recall being very surprised in recent years when I heard that people were using it for pain relief. It always had the opposite effect on me. Any small ache or pain that I had seemed greatly amplified after smoking.
Everyone's different. For me, it just got played out over time. I know people my age who still smoke every day.

I find THC to give a hyper sharp focus. It can also turn on the the illuminated, 3 dimensional inner landscape of visuals, sound, emotions and an ineffable blend of them all, that I would bet many a person doesn't even suspect is there to be experienced. (won't even go into what other substances have to offer) Show me a person with a fearful, negative attitude toward the use of mind altering substances and the exploration they make possible, and I will show you someone who is most likely locked into the consensual dream state of life as the character they learned to be. There is nothing beyond these confines for them. Bless their hearts.

Let me guess, you were high when you wrote this?

I rest my case.