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.
THC helps me enjoy music more. It has even helped me make important decisions in my life, including audio purchases. I don't care if others don't use it or don't like it, but I'm grateful for having access to it and have been for many years.
Psychedelics, in their time and place, have this effect to a much greater degree, but are best used sparingly.
Alcohol, on the other hand, not as useful in my experience.
I'm strongly for the legalization of THC and other drugs while being strongly against their prohibition.
To those who dislike government interference in their lives generally: what could be a greater personal freedom than deciding for oneself what to put in one's body and mind?
I guess I'm reflecting my Germanic roots in that I want my system to be satisfying both when "unenhanced" and when "enhanced" with THC. Both scenarios are equally valid for me (although I must agree that the THC mode is often quite special). If a component or system change doesn't pass both scenarios, I don't go with it.
@mikelavigne Thanks for taking the question seriously and answering it in such detail.
To others denigrating the idea of changing one's state of mind is not about getting "wasted." That is an interpretation that says more about fear than anything else.
The idea is not about altering one's state because their system is already good enough. To see why not, simply read the OP again, perhaps more slowly this time.
The idea is about challenging ruts. As anyone who attends to their own experience knows, we often listen with preconceptions and biases which confine how and what we hear. One needs to sometimes loosen up or shake things up a bit so see things differently.
What I see in the accounts of systems that have improved over time, their owners did something to push their own limits. That could be listening to a friend's system, or new music, or even altering their mental state somehow. It's not "poisoning" their mental state, whatever the eff that means. (Puritan alert!)
You listen with your brain not your ears. The ears are only the hole the sound comes thru. Altering brain chemistry can increase pleasure but usually at the expense of true critical thinking. If you’ve ever written down those mind bending epiphanies and read them back the next morning you’ll know what I mean. If you think the stereo sounds better high and all your doing is listening what can be better than that? On the other hand making large purchases not including pizza is probably not the best decision you can make in the long run.
Altered States,,, great movie. Especially when high
I love this question and how it will divide the respondents into two distinct camps. Those who use and those who don't. I have previously mentioned the fact that "a bit" of THC greatly improves my listening experience. That garnered some agreement, but also the stereotypical (no pun intended) "pothead" remarks from the unenlightened. I have to laugh when the person denigrating the use of THC is likely to be holding a glass of Scotch or wine in their hand while doing it. Failing to realize, or except the glass of wine is simply their drug of choice. As someone who has enjoyed the recreational use of THC for over 50 years, I feel qualified in stating it greatly enhances the listening experience. Bear in mind I'm not talking about getting wasted. Just as a person can have a single drink of alcohol and not consume the entire bottle, so can a person consume a small amount of THC. Those of you who indulge will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say the listening experience can take on an almost physical pleasure when just a little high. I am able to sink more deeply into the musical experience. Follow in detail several instruments soloing at the same time, pick out much more detail and emotion in the playing. Does it matter why this is happening? Does it matter if it the THC and not my ears? NO. All that matters is the experience for me is enhanced and improved. In summary, if you haven't tried it, and I don't mean the "I tried it once so I know what it's all about" crowd, then you have no point of reference and have no right to knock it. I'll get off my soapbox now. ha ha
At WSU we gained a lot of experience with altered states. I have an advanced degree- or would, if only I had remembered to show up for the final. This question reminds me of one time when I came back to the dorm and everyone was already deep into studying altered states. They were discussing the various topics as deeply as ever, you could tell they were really getting somewhere. Only something strange, they were hearing deep philosophy, I was hearing blather.
From this experience I conclude if you get messed up to make decisions don't be surprised when you make messed up decisions.
first off, no doubt i view this as a legit subject matter, one i take very seriously, and one i think about and plan for. i’ve made a considerable hifi system life commitment.......so building my system has taken a huge effort and i’ve loved the process. OTOH i can’t be stressed about critical listening. i have to free my mind.
for me to do ’system building’ listening, where i’m making decisions about gear or set-up, i need to first-off, feel good personally. if i’m tired or something is heavy on my mind, or feel rushed or bothered, i don’t really try to listen critically. i have 100 or so digital tracks i use, and another 20-25 vinyl cuts, as my references.
then i just start listening and try to clear my mind. certainly i will have the food fuel part behind me, and will have water of some form or fashion. i avoid alcohol for the most part as that will make me drowsy and shorten my listening time. i go along and see if i’m slipping into my ’zen’ mode where the music is connecting. if it feels good i just let go and float along. i can then really hear my familiar cuts, consider how i’m pulled into the music, and what i’m hearing. is it something new, different, better?
depending on what i’m investigating, i might remove it or make a change and continue. as long as it’s not disruptive to my state of mind.
if work or my wife calls and interrupts, sometimes i will abandon my critical listening and come back to it an hour later and re-boot.
i love this type of listening, and can go for 5-10 hours doing it. my room is in a barn, and there are zero noises or distractions. if i’m doing an extended session, i will have a meal without engaging in conversation where i will lose my state of mind and focus. i view my method as a learned thing. i discovered how this best works for me. i’m sure everyone is a bit different on how you might get into your most effective state of discovery.
my room and system are now at a mature end-game arrival point where these sessions are almost completely behind me. 5 years ago i spent 9 months tuning my room literally with every square inch (this was after 10 years of learning about my room). and also have made digital front end and vinyl front end decisions where i’ve added 4 tt’s, arms, cartridges. i’m all done with that now so little critical listening on my horizon unless i were to move residences. my only critical listening these days involves media choices and format compares.
Tacitus (I think) says the Germanic tribes used to make decisions: (1) at night when they were all sh*t-faced, and (2) in the morning when they were sober. They only followed their own counsel if the decision was the same in both cases.
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