Audio promotes REM state while conscious?

[Colin]

OK, engineers and technocrats, here is one for you. Sometimes, in the cool of the evening, with the lights down low, and the music playing melodically away, I rest my weary feet and drift away into a nether world of rapture. A world beyond the nerve plucking that jars the senses and the staccato grind that numbs the brain. A world just barely into the other side of dreams. This is what audio does for me. A therapeutic mind wash by the somehow magical combination of artist, recording, disc, pre-amps, amps, cables, speakers, researching, testing, measuring, tweaking and listening patiently. I have often thought that tweaking audiophile might enter the low alpha state experience during REM stages of sleep while in this period of somatic bliss. Awake, but not really. An alpha wave state rarely induced while conscious. Has anybody seriously examined the psychoacoustic affects of this blissful state of audio nirvana?

[mike stehr]

Yeah, I've fallen asleep in front of the stereo before.

[Fish]

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On 2/10/2005 9:09:31 PM mike stehr wrote:

Yeah, I've fallen asleep in front of the stereo before.

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Ha..thats what I was thinkin',but I like Colins phraseology better.

[Colin]

I am not thinking of sleep, that natural state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. During sleep, the brain undergoes a characteristic cycle of brain-wave activity including intervals of dreaming. I am thinking of REM activity and alpha wave states while conscious. A pattern of smooth, regular electrical oscillations in the human brain that occur when a person is awake and relaxed. As recorded by the electroencephalograph, alpha waves have a frequency of 8 to 13 hertz. I am thinking of the achievement of a feeling of bliss without somatic activity induced by our home movie and music reproduction systems.

I am thinking of a state of wellness induced not by yoga mediations but external electronic devices.

Is there a correlation perhaps to the audio nirvana tweaking audiophile seek and the alpha wave pleasure our tweaked systems provide?

[Daddy Dee]

I love this forum.

Mike, you are one funny man. That's what you call dry wit.

Colin, Interesting question, and articulated well. Not sure of the correct answer, but what you are describing sounds like a deeply relaxed meditative state. What kind of music are you listening to when you experience this?

[Colin]

Good question. Almost always small ensembles, usually female vocals and mellow smooth jazz, most has probably been Diana Krall, relaxing at the end of the day, close to sleep already, drowsy, perhaps actually asleep, possible I only perceive consciousness (beauty is not the only thing in the eye of the beholder), when if fact, I am quickly in a REM stage of sleep

[middlecreekguy]

After how many martinis Colin?

[sfogg]

I've done something similar quite a few times too. Usually late at night (when I'm tired) with the lights dimmed down and no distractions but me and the music. Happens more in my dedicated room which is very quiet except for the music.

I think Mike is basically right in that it is like half and half awake/asleep. Sort of like when you are dreaming and you know you are dreaming but you keep doing it.

In my case I don't think it is fully asleep as if I ever take a nap I wake up very disoriented and groggy. When the above happens to me with music I don't 'wake up' like that at all... it is very refreshing and relaxing.

I have however fallen fully asleep in the above state a few times too.

Shawn

(P.S.... it has even happened when I have used SS too (oh dear lord....))

[Colin]

The state of intoxication or the use of other stimulants is indeed a crucial variable to be considered. In this particular singular subjective observation no mood altering stimulants were employed, although it should be noted that often the subject (me) completed a early or late night dinner and my experience quieting, restful moods common after digestion. Eating therefore might be a dependant variable in the creation of alpha wave state during consciousness.

[sfogg]

Did you use an electroencephalograph to verify you are in an alpha state?

Shawn

[Thoriated_Tiger]

I very rarely fall asleep at the hi-fi. Mine just doesn't let me fall asleep -- it demands my undivided attention. I can't even use it to play background music because of this.

But I fully dig what Colin says. I get into this disconnected half-here-half-not-here state where the body remains in the chair, but the soul just wanders off wherever the music takes it.

Which is why I sometimes call my rig the Warp Engine. It bends timespace and takes me to other places and times.

I find it easiest to get into this trance-like state late, late at night, lights out, low volume. As low as possible while still getting good bass impact.

[Colin]

These dreams were mental activities of free flowing possibly random nature occurring during sleep in conjunction with rapid eye movements. The dreams were not defined by electrical activity of cortical neurons represented by electroencephalograph (EEG), but realization by subject (anecdotal) of rapid eye movements. The REM-dream state was a neurologically and physiologically active state while subject was conscious subject was aware of the dreams and the REM. In REM-sleep, alpha waves come at a rate of about 60-70 per second and brain generates about five times as much electricity as when awake. Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, etc. can change dramatically during REM-sleep, but no physical or independent observations were made. Obvious external physical cause of this state was activation of subjects superior home movie and music reproduction system. Stimuli was not considered internal.