Critical listening and altered states

I just asked Generative AI for more information on Musical Absorption. This is what it came up with.

Musical absorption refers to a state of heightened attention and altered consciousness where individuals become deeply immersed in music, experiencing a sense of being moved and transformed. This state can involve both intense focus and a sense of detachment from external reality.

Here’s a more detailed look:

Key Characteristics of Musical Absorption:
    Intense Focus:
    Listeners become intensely focused on the music, often to the exclusion of other stimuli.

Sense of Alteration:
There’s a subjective experience of being affected or changed by the music, potentially leading to emotional responses like awe, connectedness, or feeling moved.

Loss of Self-Consciousness:
Some individuals report a temporary loss of self-consciousness or a sense of being "lost in the music," according to research on the topic.

Time Distortion:
The perception of time can be altered, with minutes feeling like seconds or vice versa.

Positive Transformation:
Many individuals report experiencing a sense of positive transformation or a feeling of being moved by the music.

How it relates to altered states of consciousness:
    Not a single state:
    Musical absorption can encompass a range of experiences, from focused listening to more intense states where self-awareness is diminished.

Connection to neural entrainment:
Some studies suggest that the rhythmic nature of music can influence brainwave activity, potentially leading to altered states.

Distinct from mind-wandering:
Musical absorption is distinct from mind-wandering, where attention drifts away from the task at hand.

Potential for therapeutic applications:
Understanding the effects of musical absorption could lead to new therapeutic approaches for managing stress, anxiety, and other conditions.

In essence, musical absorption is a fascinating phenomenon where music can profoundly alter an individual’s state of consciousness, creating a unique blend of heightened attention, emotional response, and a sense of being transported to another realm.

I am thinking that musical absorption is better description of what we audiophiles do than critical listening.

@newton_john  AI is getting remarkably good. At the very least, it is grammatical replies that have a beginning, middle, and an end. It may hallucinate facts sometimes, but at least I don't feel like I'm hallucinating while trying to read it. It doesn't make me want to throw up my hands and think, "WTF are you even saying?" No, it makes sense. Which is refreshing.

Very interesting post thanks.

I am thinking that musical absorption is better description of what we audiophiles do than critical listening.

 Music absorption or immersion cannot coexist with a state of acoustic stress or dissatisfaction...

This is why to be put in an altered states of joy listening music Timbre perception must be optimal because it help a lot to make the union of the listener with the sound and then with the musical content affecting the body ONE experience.

Then if we do not lose our tendency to "critical listening" we cannot enter into the altered states without help (pot,beer, and friends)

It is why owning a system/room touching the  minimal acoustical threshold of satisfaction matter a lot... Acoustics, it is my opinion, matter more here than the gear price...

Absinthe.