I've never thought about consciousness that much, but I can sort of see what you're saying. For me, the things that can cause the strongest feelings of being overwhelmed are certain music and nature (perhaps the sky, in particular; there's something about looking up at the stars and feeling so small and insignificant and far away from things.)
I'm happy for you. I may consider trying a trip while listening to music one day. I just seem to remember my mental and emotional state being somewhat volatile (in the sense that I would have certain feelings and think about a certain topic, and then I find myself in another world, thinking about something else and feeling other things). Therefore I have concerns that whatever music I pick will be something I won't want to listen to a little while later, and then I can't imagine wanting to fumble with my phone and try to pick something else to listen to.I listened to late Beethoven. It WAS the trip (or, rather that stage of the trip). I remember feeling strong empathy for and connection to Beethoven. And the sublime element of the music was almost unbearably beautiful (like I think B's late works are his communication of his "religious experience").RedFinn wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 2:22 pm Amazing because it makes the trip more enjoyable, or because it increases the beneficial effect of the trip? (Note the implicit, possibly unfounded assumption that those two goals may be in conflict.) I feel like music would reduce the value of the trip because it would impede the "scrambling" of the brain that I referred to. But I can't be sure of this.
I didn't get any brain scrambling. And my brain scrambles pretty easily (weed scrambles it pretty effectively). But I really think the experience helped massively.
It sounds like your trips are more calm than mine.
My subjective opinion of my trips is that parts of my brain that don't usually fire and connect, are made to fire and connect by the mushroom trip. That's why I feel it creates a real opportunity to sweep away bad habits (and perhaps things more ingrained than the word "habit" implies, like destructive patterns in interpersonal relationships, perhaps).
I am still slightly concerned that mushroom trips could cause or enhance certain mental illnesses, but I am tentatively planning to do another 4-6 gram trip at some point. I liked sitting in the shade on a nice summer day.