Critical listening and altered states


Ok, this is not a question about relaxing, but about listening to evaluate how the system (or a piece of gear is sounding).

What, in your experience, are the pluses and minuses of altering your state of mind for listening? This can include anything you've used to affect your everyday state of mind, from coffee, beer, scotch, tobacco, to much stronger — and psychoactive, dissociative — additives.

What do you gain by altering your consciousness in terms of what you notice, attend to, linger on, etc?
What causes more details to emerge?
What allows you to stick with a thread or, alternately, make new connections?

Or perhaps you like to keep all those things *out* of your listening; if that's you, please say a bit about why.

hilde45

The issue is THC not a hallucinogen, if we are seeking altered states this not enough. Not against using various substances for system and music enjoyment, but I see the goal of high end audio to induce the altered state without the need for these substances, this what I mean by sustainable. I'd suggest medicinal/pharmaceutical substances not sustainable in that they can severely impact our physical and/or mental well being. I know this from first hand experience having gone through drug rehab, and I've know far too many casualties who never sought rehab/therapy. Using mind altering substances on a regular basis can be difficult, as they say moderation is the key.

Huh. I always thought THC was a mild hallucinogen.

"Cannabis has been historically classified as a hallucinogen. However, subjective cannabis effects do not typically include hallucinogen-like effects."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5908416/ 

THC is not considered a 'hallucinogen', I don't think, but I can testify that with a high enough dose, one can visually hallucinate....  I'll see if that happens later today after consuming a salad with cannabis salad dressing about 30 minutes ago... 

The issue is THC not a hallucinogen, if we are seeking altered states this not enough. Not against using various substances for system and music enjoyment, but I see the goal of high end audio to induce the altered state without the need for these substances, this what I mean by sustainable. I'd suggest medicinal/pharmaceutical substances not sustainable in that they can severely impact our physical and/or mental well being. I know this from first hand experience having gone through drug rehab, and I've know far too many casualties who never sought rehab/therapy. Using mind altering substances on a regular basis can be difficult, as they say moderation is the key.

 

You are right about drugs !

I did not use THC save one time or 2 a year...

My ASC  experiences are linked to music listening in good acoustics conditions...

 Some music can be very powerful....

 I use some  specific album since 20 years for example  to relieve stress and it is as powerful as a drug...

To merely relax i had many other choices...

To accelerate the thinking or creative process as writing, nothing beat Bach or Choral music for me...

To enter into more subjective moods  i can use Jazz or Liszt  or Scriabin or Chopin etc ...

 

 

@rockysantoro .....there was a parody of 'Tighten Up' called the 'Loosen Up' where the players began detuning instruments, the drums went random, and the organist just...well, it's good there wasn't a vid of it..... ;)