Music & Altered States of Consciousness

Question 1

Edmund Husserl uses the experience of perceiving a melody to explore what?
He argues that the temporal mechanisms of consciousness form what?

Answer 1

Questions about time & human consciousness;

The conditions for the creation of objects e.g in sound (as in a melody) or in sight (as in a table)

Question 2

Music’s claim to a strong relationship to consciousness is based on the way it combines what?

Answer 2

Social, conceptual, technical, emotional, perceptual & motor attributes; it’s distributed in/around societies; many cultures place high value on it; seems not to be the official medium of communication in any culture (therefore perhaps escapes formalised controls); remains closer to a reflection of what it’s like to be human

Question 3

According to Gabrielsson, in relation to strong experiences in music (SEM), what does music seem to reveal?;

Answer 3

Something about our experiences, something deep-seated, meaningful, yet often difficult to describe with words; exposes the potentially life-altering capacities of music

Question 4

What do the strengths of experiences, wide range of situations, musical styles & musical engagements suggest about music?

Answer 4

That it addresses something fundamental in human experience

Question 5

According to Maslow, what are “peak” experiences?;

It fills the individual with a sense of wonder & awe, & is self…

Answer 5

Moment of highest happiness & fulfillment; a spurt in which the powers of a person come together in a particularly efficient & intensely enjoyable way;
Validating & self justifying

Question 6

Describe some key features of a peak experience

Answer 6

Positivity; powerfulness; physical (chills, tears, heart rate changes, close eyes, sing, shout, dance or silence); emotional (positive & negative); perceptual (strong visual impressions, tension/relaxation of muscles); cognitive (changed attitude, loss of control, connection to associations, thoughts & imagery)

Question 7

Research has identified some general personality characteristics of “peakers”. What are they?

Answer 7

Openness, tender-mindedness, flexibility, experimental nature, interesting creativity & holistic, interpersonal & emotional approach

Question 8

Effects of peak experiences can be long lasting; they’re often remembered and are often ascribed causal significance for after-effects, such as what?;

Answer 8

General appreciation of music or visual art; altering of self-appreciation, relationships with others & attitudes towards life or world in general; increased aesthetic sensitivity; enhanced perception of everyday reality; long-lasting mood effects

Question 9

According to Salimpoor et al., anticipation & experience of a peak experience releases what in the brain?;
Music elicits reward response & also anticipatory responses due to what?

Answer 9

Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (mediates emotional responses) ;
Cognitive expectations & prediction cues

Question 10

Emotions induced by music are evoked by temporal phenomena such as what?

Answer 10

Expectations, delay, tension, resolution, prediction, surprise & anticipation

Question 11

How is anticipation of the peak evidenced in the brain?;

This has some important implications for what?

Answer 11

Dopamine activity in the caudate (sensory, motor & associative regions, stimulus-response, reinforcing qualities of rewarding stimuli);
Understanding how music has become pleasurable

Question 12

In relation to music & altered states of consciousness, music plays only a part in…;
What other factors are involved in the scenario?

Answer 12

The total fabric of the stimulus;
A whole range of physical & psychological factors affecting all of the senses (e.g. trance ceremony involves sleep deprivation, ritual, manic movement, spiritual beliefs, expectation)

Question 13

Szabo aimed to analyse the effects of monotonous drumming on the subjective experience, & hypothesised what?;
What was presented in the experimental condition?

Answer 13

That monotonous drumming has significant effects on subjects; experiences are similar to altered state of consciousness in hypnosis; drumming has effect on the content of the experiences;
Drumming with different volume & frequency

Question 14

118 uni students volunteered & were divided into what groups?;
The drum rhythm was 210 BPMs & was created by what?;
What measures were used?

Answer 14

28 subjects in monotonous drumming (sitting alone, eyes closed, listening to drumming for 20 mins, with semi-guided imagery task); 3 control groups: imagery task, hypnosis induction or alert (3 mins in silence with eyes closed);
Synthesizer;
Phenomenology of consciousness inventory & content analysis of interviews

Question 15

What results were found?;
Was this the same with the imagery task?;
What did louder drumming evoke?;
What do these results affirm?

Answer 15

Participants in drumming & hypnosis conditions experienced same strong alterations of subjective experience; changes in state of consciousness & perception
No, drumming had a definitive role;
Bigger changes, deeper trance, bigger unconscious involvement;
Monotonous drumming induces altered state of consciousness (trance state)

Question 16

What does Ruth Herbert suggest on the topic of normative dissociation?;
This confirms Bull’s observation on “mobile musicking” used for what purposes?

Answer 16

Rather than simply accompanying dissociative experiences, music actually mediates this process;
Configure environment; demarcating public & private spaces; filtering out/emphasising aspects of experience; dislocation from surroundings; freedom from social interactions

Question 17

Music’s invisibility & portability means it’s particularly able to what?

Answer 17

Blend with & inform other elements of experience such as visual & imaginative faculties to transform perception