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

@puptent ....Thurston didn't hang with me....😏  When down to sticks 'n stems, the 'long beyond needing to be committed' hippie tykes get creative.... ;)

Gets a bit 'raw', but....no pain no gain....db or otherwise....

Planning a run to the MAF in 8/'25 with my mutants....be there or blow it off.

I will be obvious....

...and not as obnoxious as you might think or fear.... ;)

In it to win it.
Spouse is behind me....if only to get me out of town for a couple of daze....

Had all my shots, don't bite hard, and need bodies to eat and drink next to....

Don't freak, you likely taste overdone.... ;)

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/