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

Showing 1 response by dynacohum

My audio journey was launched sober, but really took off on pot. There was a barrier to listening vs. being “convinced” that pot seemed to help remove. I no longer partake, and my tinnitus prevents me from trusting my judgement on what sounds best, but I can fairly say my best years as an audiophile were spent high.
And nitrous oxide? There’s a barrier buster!