taking a break from music

[whitecoast]

Recently my phone had to be sent in for repairs for a week, so I had the coincidental fortune of having no music for when I travel about or do my business t throughout the day. It felt a bit funny to be honest. There were times in my life where I actually felt anxious when I left the house without having any headphones. So from that perspective it was a good opportunity to detox from constant music listening and observe my reactions to having none around.

I think the chief effect I noticed was that I do seem to notice the effects of certain music on me much more strongly, compared to the baseline of simple environmental sounds. There are times when I would listen to music and have a cathartic experience, but there are other times when I felt like I was using music to disconnect from reality in some ways. Another possibility I thought of was that somehow my mind was using the constant music to maintain some kind of inner equilibrium. There's another thing also to music that I can't put my finger on, but will try and describe. I've noticed that a lot of music can carry a negative psychic influence in the lyrics, but more markedly in the melodies, rhythms, etc.

On the whole I'd say the music fast was a productive experience for me, so far so that I've decided to just listen to music at home, and not when I'm at work or running errands.
I'm interested in hearing other people's experiences, especially for those for whom music is a large part of your life. Have you ever done a "music fast", and if so for how long? What effects did you notice, if any? :)

 

[Mikey]

In my teens I went from pop/rock music to heavy metal, then to techno/trance. Then I realized that this was making me somewhat detached and not very grounded, the pendulum swung to the other extreme, and I started listening to classical music only. But then I realized that even classical music was messing with my head in various ways. I always enjoyed the cathartic properties of certain music, but noticed that consuming too much weakened that catharsis, almost like when a drug loses its effectivity when used too much. In recent years I take all music in small doses -- I make time for it -- and I make an effort to always listen with attention. I try to pick out and hear all instruments/voices simultaneously. More recently, I make music myself: I started learning piano! Can't lose my attention there! :D

So yes, I did have extended periods of 'music fast', weeks at times. When coming back to music after such a period, it sounds much richer and has a higher emotional impact.

What you describe seems to be a kind of withdrawal syndrome. Music has emotional properties, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_and_emotion

 

[Voyageur]

In my teens I went from pop/rock music to heavy metal, then to techno/trance. Then I realized that this was making me somewhat detached and not very grounded, the pendulum swung to the other extreme, and I started listening to classical music only. But then I realized that even classical music was messing with my head in various ways. I always enjoyed the cathartic properties of certain music, but noticed that consuming too much weakened that catharsis, almost like when a drug loses its effectivity when used too much. In recent years I take all music in small doses -- I make time for it -- and I make an effort to always listen with attention. More recently, I make music myself: I started learning piano! Can't lose my attention there! :D

What you describe seems to be a kind of withdrawal syndrome. Music has emotional properties, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_and_emotion

Yeah, listing has been variable for me with changes. I've started playing (learning) music and listen to less and and less, although when listening more often in youth there was also more interaction - dance and such.

Fwiw, SOTT has this article Music listening habits tell about mental health {bold text as per the article}

Participants were assessed on several markers of mental health including depression, anxiety and neuroticism, and reported the ways they most often listened to music to regulate their emotions. Analysis showed that anxiety and neuroticism were higher in participants who tended to listen to sad or aggressive music to express negative feelings, particularly in males. "This style of listening results in the feeling of expression of negative feelings, not necessarily improving the negative mood," says Dr. Suvi Saarikallio, co-author of the study and developer of the Music in Mood Regulation (MMR) test.

To investigate the brain's unconscious emotion regulation processes, the researchers recorded the participants' neural activity as they listened to clips of happy, sad and fearful-sounding music using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at the AMI Center of Aalto University. Analysis showed that males who tended to listen to music to express negative feelings had less activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In females who tended to listen to music to distract from negative feelings, however, there was increased activity in the mPFC. "The mPFC is active during emotion regulation," according to prof. Elvira Brattico, the senior author of the study. "These results show a link between music listening styles and mPFC activation, which could mean that certain listening styles have long-term effects on the brain."

 

[Alada]

I went through a similar pattern to Data, listening to a lot of music in my youth (pretty much constantly), then going into a phase of mostly listening to only classical music, and then that gradually dropping off too. These days I play music mostly in the car, and then most often it’s something that I play so that I can sing along to it, so it’s for the signing as much as the music.

When you take music in that way you do consider a lot more what effect the music and lyrics are having, I think of singing something but then when it comes to it find that it is not something I want to be singing / saying out loud at all! And yes, when listening to music only there does seem to be a connection between music and lyrics and the kind of state that we can associate with it, and/or that it moves us in to. There’s a big difference between taking in and hour of Radiohead and an hour of Stevie Wonder (and I have liked and played both). Not only in lyrical content here’s the difference in the mood that can be struck by music in either major of minor keys.

It’s always been a fascinating thing that we can ‘read’ the mood of a musical chord, this one bright, happy and joyous, that one darker, sad and reflective. And it does seem to make a difference, can take your own mood with it, something to be mindful of I think.

 

[maiko]

You made me think about my own music consumption. It changed a lot over the years. I used to go through my days with a soundtrack in my ear. I had music for my running, music when taking the bike through town (don’t do that). The girls I shared a flat with for some years used to work in the music industry and whenever one of us was at home and awake there was music playing. A lot of it was Hip Hop, Funk and some Electro where as now I can’t listen to most music without getting caught up in the lyrics and that is why I nowadays like certain classical music, and a lot of singer-songwriter stuff and folk. Something I couldn’t stand a couple of years back when it made me restless to listen to it. It was a really a physical experience that made me want to get away as if the music resonated with something inside me that at that time I didn’t want to look at.

When listening to mainstream music on the radio in the car I ‘m often shocked by the vulgar /empty/ deceiving lyrics that worm their way into your thoughts and set the mood. Especially as a non-native English speaker it is easy not to see the crappy content you fill yourself with.

And looking back I see that for me music was at times as tool to distract myself from what was going on in my life and inside me. Like some people have constantly their TV switched on. It is a constant distraction. It has become a rather conscious decision to switch on the music and I noticed that I tend to react much stronger to it emotionally. Just an example, the first time I was listening to the Gurdjieff and De Hartmann piano pieces for the movements I couldn’t stop myself from crying. A part of me thought “How pathetic are you?” But I the end it was a rather liberating, cathartic experience.

But what I’m really grateful for and that is not least due to the crystal connection and the forum are the moments you come to enjoy music with others and maybe even sing together.

 

[Marina9]

Interesting whitecoast. I too had some time in my teens where I would listen to very dark music... and nowadays I can see that I have certain patterns within my music taste.. I consider myself very eclectic tho, but I do have several things which I will listen to on a daily basis, it's more like a habit for me, whenever im writing or doing something creative music is always there, but more mellow things or classical music..

I used to listen to music while in the subway or whenever I was walking or going somewhere, I realized I can't now, it's like if im out of the world and im not aware of my environment so I don't do it anymore. It also made me think about certain states where im in where I will listen to music that maybe is not the most cheerful or helpful in those times, I can listen to one song for several times a day also and it doesn't really bother me, but maybe there's something more going on.. dunno.

I once read this article about how sad music can make you feel better.. although im not sure if it's the correct thing for everyone, I wouldn't say so, nonetheless it's an interesting point:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sad-music-is-good-for-you-says-new-study-9848757.html

It could be interesting to see how my day could go without listening to music.. :O

 

[Phill4]

That has been my experience as well with music, thought the aspect of detaching from reality was more like an addiction related problem.

Namely I was identifying a pattern of daydreaming, dissociation with the theme of the music. I was identifying certain emotions that were generated through music to cope with another emotion hanging in the background, the loop keeps going as it is an imaginary measure to manage the stress generate by a situation or any other problem that has not been resolved.

I think that is how it happened, as if the imagination was creating the scenery to recreate the drama with other figures, while at the same time evoking emotions to satisfy the need for a response. A coping mechanism. I identified this one and went for periods of intentional withdrawal from music to try and see where when and how the dynamic played.

Here is one of the things the C's said that stuck with me:

Session 9 April 2011

Q: (Burma Jones) What do they mean by “psychic hygiene”?

A: Being careful about what you allow into your ”field”.

Q: (L) In what sense?

A: All senses.

Q: (L) What do you mean “all senses”?

A: Seeing, hearing, speaking, and so on

Q: (Ark) So, uh, I will tell a story about this “using all your senses”. A few days ago, I went out and I almost had an accident. I was driving on the interior peripherique - on the lane that was closest to the middle. There are three lanes. There was a guy behind me who was very unhappy that I was driving only 90kmh. He was swaying from left to right, trying to get past me and I could see it in the rear-view mirror. I looked to the right and realized I cannot do anything, because there was a car. I could see it.

So, I stayed. After about two minutes, you know, the one behind me again starts to act impatient behind me. But then, I look in the mirror again and the car to the right is gone. So I figure he must have moved somewhere else. Then I started to do {Ark makes descriptive hand gestures showing his driving maneuver} – only the car was there exactly in the right angle [to be in the blind spot.] But, uh, he was a young guy and he was fast. He steps on the brakes – and nothing happened, you see? I usually do not do such things. I was thinking very fast and that he must be gone, but I was not 100% sure. So, I should have waited until I was 100% sure. So, of course nothing happened, he just got upset.

A: We have more in mind. Take care with interacting with negative energies.

Q: (L) Well that’s kinda like creating your own reality, isn’t it?

A: Not what we mean… Keep your guard up and do not allow negative energies to slip by… such as believing lies… listening to negative music while thinking it is positive…watching negative movies and thinking it is negligible. It is extremely important to not lie to the self. One can listen or watch many things as long as the truth of the orientation is known, acknowledged, and understood. Clear?

Q: (L) So, in other words: awareness. Calling a spade a spade and not allowing something negative to enter you and believing it is positive. You can see it, perceive it and acknowledge it but not allow it to influence you. Because obviously, you cannot shut off your perceptions of the world, but you can control how it affects you. So, don’t let it inside, thinking it’s something that it’s not.

(Belibaste) So, see it as it is. If it is negative, see it as negative.

(L) Yeah, and they’re saying to focus on truth in order for changes to manifest in you that are positive. That is, “positive” can mean acknowledging that something is negative because it is truth.

Q: (Galatea) Choose the seeds you wish to water.

(L) Is that basically what we’re talking about here?

A: Yes

 

[987baz]

I listened to and played a lot of rock/metal in my younger days and although the music was "heavy" and aggressive the lyrical content was generally anti establishment, philosophical and thought provoking, especially compared to the pop music of the time, which was, and still is, as has been mentioned before, devoid of deeper meaning and typically just a tool of the PTB to shape popular culture.

Having said that, my musical tastes are pretty eclectic, but for the most part I don't listen to the heavy stuff anymore, it just doesn't seem to resonate with me now and I much prefer the singer/songwriter folk genre. (something I would not have listened 10 years ago)

As far as listening, I listen to music in the car, and sing along. When at home I have Marconi Union- Weightless on in the morning when I'm doing my EE and Qi Gong and sometimes when I'm reading, but it's pretty much just background music, so I don't look at it as active listening.

I used to have music on when doing chores and cooking etc, but now I just have SOTT radio on instead :)

Being a musician myself, I guess I spend more time creating and playing music than I do listening to other peoples music.

A: Not what we mean… Keep your guard up and do not allow negative energies to slip by… such as believing lies… listening to negative music while thinking it is positive…watching negative movies and thinking it is negligible. It is extremely important to not lie to the self. One can listen or watch many things as long as the truth of the orientation is known, acknowledged, and understood. Clear?

Q: (L) So, in other words: awareness. Calling a spade a spade and not allowing something negative to enter you and believing it is positive. You can see it, perceive it and acknowledge it but not allow it to influence you. Because obviously, you cannot shut off your perceptions of the world, but you can control how it affects you. So, don’t let it inside, thinking it’s something that it’s not.

(Belibaste) So, see it as it is. If it is negative, see it as negative.

(L) Yeah, and they’re saying to focus on truth in order for changes to manifest in you that are positive. That is, “positive” can mean acknowledging that something is negative because it is truth.

Q: (Galatea) Choose the seeds you wish to water.

(L) Is that basically what we’re talking about here?

A: Yes

I guess the problem is, as far as I can see, you can't know the intentions of the musician who wrote the song, I mean you can read the lyrics and analyze the key/chords, and you can subjectively "feel" the song from your own perspective, but how else can you objectively know if a song is positive or negative?