Highlighting an anecdotal observation common among cannabis consumers, a group of Canadian researchers has published a new study showing that cannabis may make music more enjoyable, and compared to sober listening. “The overall effect of cannabis on experience may be enhanced.”
The study “highlights the profound and unique effects of cannabis on the auditory experience of experienced recreational cannabis users,” the authors from Toronto Metropolitan University wrote in a preprint.
“This study provides a framework for understanding the complex interactions between cannabis, hearing, and musical experience,” the report states.
Participants were recruited through the university and through flyers at 38 retail cannabis stores in and around Toronto. A total of 104 people completed the online survey, 15 of whom were further interviewed in a one-hour individual Zoom call.
According to self-reports, participants showed “significantly higher levels of music absorption when high compared to when sober.”
“Participants showed that heightened emotional sensitivity had a significant impact on their auditory experience while high.”
Among survey respondents, 50% reported improved hearing sensitivity after using cannabis compared to when sober, 18% reported worse hearing sensitivity, and 32% reported no difference at all. did. Another question found that 60% of participants said they felt cannabis affected their hearing in general.
Listening to music was also the most popular activity people said they did while high, including videos (38 percent), podcasts (9 percent), silence (4 percent), and radio segments (2 percent). compared to 45 percent. Activities (2%).
However, the researchers found that there was no significant difference in the types of music people listened to when they were high compared to when they were sober.
The bulk of the 36-page paper is made up of qualitative responses and excerpts from interviews with 15 participants, who found that they experienced “changes in attention, absorption, lyric interpretation, memory, and critical analysis. “We focused on this and reported changes in cognitive processing,” the authors write.
“When I'm not high, I don't pay enough attention to the music. It's like… background noise,” said one participant. “Compared to when I was high…I feel like I'm just concentrating on that.”
Participants “generally” reported paying more attention to auditory stimuli when high, but marijuana “may make it difficult to allocate attention, especially in auditory overstimulating environments.” Some people said that.
Speech perception also changed, with participants “frequently” reporting changes such as “increased auditory sensitivity, new sound perspectives, and changes in audiovisual, rhythm, and timing.”
“They stated that their awareness and sensitivity to sound and volume increased, even when the music's set volume did not change,” the authors write.
According to the study, participants also reported “an increased sense of immersion and immersion in the music when they were high.”
“When I'm sober, I just listen to music and don't do anything else,” said one person. “But when you're high, sure, you can lie down for a while and listen to music.”
“Participants also reported listening to music with a different approach and openness that differed from their sober listening habits.”
Others said that familiar songs “often sounded new or different,” or that they understood or interpreted the lyrics better or sounded different compared to when they were sober.
“I've noticed that when I'm feeling down, I tend to focus a little more on the meaning behind the lyrics. I'll stumble across a song I really like, and later Google it and find out it's actually I felt like it was about very serious themes that I hadn't noticed before.[When I'm high]I listen to the lyrics a little bit more and analyze them a little bit more.”
Individuals also say that cannabis and music together enhance memory recall, bringing back past memories, both positive and negative. Some people reported nostalgic memories, while others felt “embarrassed” as they recalled past events.
However, others said that when they are in a high mood, they feel like they can make associations and connections that would otherwise go unnoticed.
“[When you're sober]you can connect different things that you wouldn't normally connect. In music, it's scales, rhythmic patterns, harmony, and how they work together,” said one participant. Ta. “I discovered the ability to think critically about cannabis and wonder, is this a major scale? Or what rhythm was I playing?”
The authors write that their discussions generally fall into four main themes: “(1) changes and reinterpretation of cognitive processes, (2) effects on auditory perception from novel sensations to sensory overload, (3) emotional openness, sensitivity, and regulation, and (4) embodiment, immersion, Out of body.”
“Together, these themes emphasized a general improvement in musical appreciation and appreciation. They also emphasized increased musical rewards, such as enhanced rhythmic perception and a tendency to respond physically to rhythm. ” they explained.
“Many participants acknowledged that they felt the bass and beats of the songs more deeply, supporting their desire to embody and dance.”
However, the researchers added, “there are considerable individual differences in the experience of cannabis.” “For example, some participants may have experienced sensory overload, while others reported that auditory stream segments were clearer when high.”
The new report cites previous research dating back to 1971 and says its findings are consistent with findings dating back decades, but their study “doesn't show the effects of cannabis on hearing and music. The study represents the first mixed-methods retrospective study on the subject and “provides novel information.” Insights highlighting the many significant effects cannabis has on the auditory experience of recreational cannabis users. ”
The authors said cannabis' apparent enhancement of the audio experience “warrants further exploration through experimental research.”
In another example of how science delves into a generation-old problem with marijuana, a recent federally funded study reveals exactly what happens in the brain after marijuana use that may be responsible for the munchies. was identified.
Washington State University (WSU) researchers have published a study in the journal Scientific Reports that reveals how cannabis activates a specific group of neurons in the hypothalamic region of the brain that stimulates appetite. It was announced on .
Marijuana's hunger-inducing effects have been well understood by consumers, but the results of this new animal study could lead to the development of targeted therapies for people with conditions such as anorexia and obesity. provides insight into the nature of
Regarding music, another study published a few years ago investigated the intersection of music and psilocybin-assisted therapy, overturning the conventional wisdom that classical music is somehow more effective in that setting.
“Western classical music has long been considered the standard for psychedelic therapy,” the researchers wrote in a study published in the journal Pharmacology and Translational Sciences of the American Chemical Society (ACS). It is stated in “Our data challenge the notion that Western classical music, or any particular musical genre for that matter, is an inherently superior musical form that supports psychedelic therapy, at least for all people, all the time. ”
A team from Johns Hopkins University analyzed a 10-person trial on the use of psilocybin therapy to help people quit smoking, and found that sessions featuring classical music and instruments like gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, didgeridoo, etc. compared sessions featuring harmonic-based music featuring instruments from others.
“Although we did not find a significant difference between the two music genres studied here, harmonic-based playlists ended up yielding somewhat better results,” the researchers wrote. “Several trends suggest that it is preferred by some people.”
One of the study's authors wrote on social media: “Apparently classical music isn't all that sacrosanct for psychedelic treatments.”
Research shows psilocybin helps reduce stress and curb occupational burnout in first responders
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