Listening to music without internal dialogue

[InfinityTruth]

I noticed something amazing recently. When listening to music without saying, "Hey I like this song" or ,"Hey, I hate this song." Just feeling the music. It's more amazing. More free to just move around and be enjoyed.

 

Why do humans always feel so inclined to say what they love and hate? Takes you out of the moment and then it's harder to enjoy/notice what's going on around you.

[manitou]

I guess because we were taught to judge from day one. I agree - one night I was watching Dave Chappelle and he had a hip-hop group on - I was about to flip the channel because hip hop isn't my thing, lol. But I decided to force myself to sit through it and DAMN! It was wonderful! But the pre-judgment almost made me miss it.

 

Not to sound too much like a doper, but smoking a joint, (which brings you totally to the here and now) is an incredible addition to a music listening experience. No doubt you've experienced this...

[Otis]

smoking a joint, (which brings you totally to the here and now) is an incredible addition to a music listening experience. No doubt you've experienced this...

Particularly when discovering new music. I forget, for the moment, who I was, and so am open to new possibilities. Helps show that "who I was" is a framework of certainty, and an impediment to growth.

[manitou]

Helps show that "who I was" is a framework of certainty, and an impediment to growth.

 

 

Oooooh. I like this.

[walkerinthewoods]

Life is much more enjoyable and beautiful when we are not judging it. This is not only great about music and entertainment, but really helps when you are in situations that you can't really avoid, such as work, being stuck in traffic, natural disasters, etc. By judging we are creating conflict, but when we stop creating conflict all the time we can relax and really enjoy life.

 

 

[buscon]

I've already posted this link sometimes, I do it again because it fits perfectly the subject:

http://deeplistening.org/

 

It's a mixture of practices, qigong and listening to music.

Very interesting stuff, just try it out - enjoy

[InfinityTruth]

Life is much more enjoyable and beautiful when we are not judging it. This is not only great about music and entertainment, but really helps when you are in situations that you can't really avoid, such as work, being stuck in traffic, natural disasters, etc. By judging we are creating conflict, but when we stop creating conflict all the time we can relax and really enjoy life.

 

That is SO beautiful. I didn't really think about that at all. I forgot about this thread, and thought it bombed so I haven't seen any responses until now. Excellently said. I love that expansion. I've like...sort of subconsciously noticed that. lol.

 

All days are good days if you don't label them as bad days!

Edited May 20, 2011 by InfinityTruth

[InfinityTruth]

I guess because we were taught to judge from day one. I agree - one night I was watching Dave Chappelle and he had a hip-hop group on - I was about to flip the channel because hip hop isn't my thing, lol. But I decided to force myself to sit through it and DAMN! It was wonderful! But the pre-judgment almost made me miss it.

 

Not to sound too much like a doper, but smoking a joint, (which brings you totally to the here and now) is an incredible addition to a music listening experience. No doubt you've experienced this...

 

Yeah, haha judgements set you up for a box of what you can really enjoy in life. Which as time goes on gets pretty limited if you continue to accumulate stuff.

 

Why limit the playpen to what's possible?

 

 

Not only that but I notice they often interfere with what you actually feel in situations.

 

Yeah, lol. I love listening to music high. I feel a million times more carefree and can just enjoy it without interference. Normally I won't sing or dance to music because I feel too cheesy, but when I'm stoned none of that matters at all.

 

Lately, my highs have been evolving into something totally different. It's been really fun and I've felt so appreciative of life. I don't usually feel like that...at all. lol.

 

The last time I did it was a real eye opener (I've heard so many anti-drug things on spirituality I didn't think weed could help you). I could literally see everywhere I had adopted these really negative beliefs, and where I was decieving myself. I still need to work on uprooting them though.

 

That coupled with this deep appreciation for life it was absolutely amazing. Usually, I avoid eye contact with passing cars on the road. I actually found myself smiling at people. They didn't seem so negative.

 

What's even more odd is I actually waved to these people in a golfcart. lol. They didn't wave back, but I didn't give a damn. I waved because I wanted to and I didn't care one bit if they didn't wave back.

Edited May 20, 2011 by InfinityTruth

[InfinityTruth]

Particularly when discovering new music. I forget, for the moment, who I was, and so am open to new possibilities. Helps show that "who I was" is a framework of certainty, and an impediment to growth.

 

That's deep. I heard a part of a quote in my mind when I read that (Something I memorized a long time ago)

 

"If you live through defeat, you're not defeated. If you are beaten but aquire wisdom, you have won.

Lose yourself to improve yourself. Only when we shed all self definition do we find who we really are."

[doc benway]

Some nice comments in this thread - awareness, mindfulness, non-judgement - beautiful stuff.

[manitou]

What's even more odd is I actually waved to these people in a golfcart. lol.

 

 

This is because you secretly must want a golf cart to ride around in, lol. Are you getting up there in years? They're sure looking pretty attractive to me about now...

 

Music. The oddest thing happened the other day. I was smoking a little weed and sat down at my keyboard. I closed my eyes, didn't open them. I put the keyboard on piano with strings layered above.

 

I let my left land lightly land on the keyboard with an odd chord. The strings sustained it. My right hand started walking around the keys (my eyes still closed). I started playing the most hauntingly beautiful music that sounded a bit like it was from outer space, but beautiful! Occasionally my fingers would happen upon a viable chord, sometimes lucky enough to get both the right and left hands on the same key. When that happened, I indulged that key for a moment, played a few measures 'with form', just to make a little cohesion in the piece; then back to the soft and unstructured flow of what spirit chose to do.

 

Damn! I wish I had recorded it.

Edited May 21, 2011 by manitou

[InfinityTruth]

This is because you secretly must want a golf cart to ride around in, lol. Are you getting up there in years? They're sure looking pretty attractive to me about now...

 

Music. The oddest thing happened the other day. I was smoking a little weed and sat down at my keyboard. I closed my eyes, didn't open them. I put the keyboard on piano with strings layered above.

 

I let my left land lightly land on the keyboard with an odd chord. The strings sustained it. My right hand started walking around the keys (my eyes still closed). I started playing the most hauntingly beautiful music that sounded a bit like it was from outer space, but beautiful! Occasionally my fingers would happen upon a viable chord, sometimes lucky enough to get both the right and left hands on the same key. When that happened, I indulged that key for a moment, played a few measures 'with form', just to make a little cohesion in the piece; then back to the soft and unstructured flow of what spirit chose to do.

 

Damn! I wish I had recorded it.

 

 

Haha, I'm only 19 but golfcarts were a blast when I was younger! When I was a lot younger like only 10 or 11 my friend lived by a lake. His parents would leave for a while and we'd go to the gravel pit or down by the boat launch and rip it up. We'd also race (his grandma had one and his parents had one, they lived next door to each other) to like his mailbox and it was the main transportation up his really steep hill. My mom hated going down the hill so she'd pick me up at the top of it and they'd drive me up with the golf cart. Most of the time we'd walk up it though.

I actually got thrown from the golf cart once from him turning so hard. No harm done though, and there was this beautiful sunset on the lake that made it really memorable in a good way.

 

Maybe it was like a subconscious wave. lol. I didn't really think of that at the time.

 

I've never tried making music while stoned. I've thought about it though. That sounds like a lot of fun. The most beautiful/realistic music I ever heard was in a dream. I actually had two different dreams where I heard intensely beautiful music and the second one I forgot. The first one was recognizable ('where is the love' black eyed peas)it started out playing pretty quietly until it was literally blaring in my head as loud as could be. I woke up feeling like the dream world was more realistic then here. It was stunning. Wish I could do it again lol.

 

The second one was during my first death dream I had (I woke up with sleep paralysis in my arm)and it was really intense. It was played at my funeral I think. I heard this amazing music that I should have wrote down the lyrics when I woke up, but it was 5 in the morning and I figured I'd remember when I woke up again...I forgot the lyrics. All I know is it was really masterful piano playing with a beautiful voice. I realized I was dreaming though and I woke up before it finished.