Critical listening and altered states

@12many By the way, I like your handle – clever!

Agree that what is heard gets incorporated.

I agree with others that music is an ASC. (I mean, what isn't an ASC given certain definitions? That's a rhetorical question, FWIW.)

The point of my question (which is not as fun as what others are bringing up, so it's all good) is how do we break out of "ruts" in the way we are presently analyzing our systems? So many people on the forum seem stuck about what to do next, and they look for advice about gear, etc. But one could change a thousand things, and so the problem comes back to how we break out of our larger perspective. An ASC had long ago is of little help, as it has already become routine in our present habit. A new ASC has the potential to shake up present habits, provide an analytical clue, and lead to experimentation with the system or room with greater potential.

Music experience is a perpetual ASC : as a trance hypnosis, or a spiritual awakenings...

What we listen to affect us and our body and it is not just a matter of taste but a matter of education about music and about knowledge...

The way to suppress a stressful experience with our audio system is not a new ASC but  simple information about what matters in installation of audio system...

Acoustics basic knowledge (not a new ASC ) comes first, and acoustics is way more bigger than just room acoustic..

  Or we can listen our music without being bother by a sound quality that matter not much for  most of us for sure...

But for me and many others, a minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold is necessary to forget the system and enter in the music experience as ASC , not just an ASC as trance hypnosis but time to times a spiritual awakenings.

See lots of takes here and I get all sides, keeping clear mind no need for altering etc...  Someone mentioned clearing the mind "Wuji"  Being and old school Dead Head I have done my share of experimentation.  I do not partake in much of what I had done in the past but occasional Gummy and occasional smoke.  That being said nothing creates the oneness with the music like some solid smoke.  A single note can send a chill down the spine as you meld with the music and become enveloped.   This may be some of my Dead Head seeping in as that is kind of what all Dead Heads do.  Probably why many do not get it as they cannot let go and truly get feedback from the music in the body and soul.  If you can't become one with the music you are just listening at an auditory level and music is much more than that, there is whole other level of experiencing music. This is why Dead Heads dance so crazy, the feedback of energy comes from within, and some good old THC will lock you in.   

I may sound like a crazy hippie but if you met me you wouldn't think that at all.  Someone asked a question, and the answer led me down this path.  Actually, told me I need to smoke more and listen to more music.  

@searchingforthesound + 1

THC  is not ,music as ASC, which is not acoustics...

If we kept all these conflated and confused we will go nowhere..

 We will reach only one simplistic  conclusion :

Pot and beers are great and solve all problems (after a new audio upgrade)