Critical listening and altered states

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)

Yep, the idea that past experiences of ASC would influence us going into the future. This was always part of my intention when seeking ASC, per the band 'Doors', opening the doors of perception. Some have called this mind expansion, I can think of so many ways in which this serves me well to this day. When one is consistently mindful of the known unknowns they remain curious, and we all know curiosity is the mother of invention. When one is curious much more likely to follow their own path, this can serve you well in your audio pursuit. 

As per ASC and external substances, I've never listened to a high end system when under the influence of hallucinogens, just the live concerts.

@mahgister But on the other hand no piece of gear can replace acoustic control impact to gain natural timbre and sound spatial characteristics...

The equipment can greatly affect both timbre and spatial characteristics. Over many decades have been through much equipment, specifically amps, in order of use, class a/b solid state, class a SS, push pull tubes, SET tubes. SET tubes my final destination, this likely very much allied to their relatively high levels of 2nd order harmonic distortion, a pleasing, some say more natural timbre. I've also found spatial characteristics are much affected by equipment. I'd add loudspeakers make perhaps the largest impression on both timbre and sound staging. Roon acoustics are like the icing on the cake, they allow the full potential of the equipment to come shining through.