Music translated to drugs

[cafolini]

Many people are now talking about specific music waves being alternatives to cocaine, heroine, etc. They claim to achieve the same equivalent highs. What do you think about this? I know little about it.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Sounds interesting. I would assume (if it's possible, and I'm kind of skeptical to if it even is) that there'd be little chance of addiction. I'm more curious as to how it'd actually work.

[Delta40]

sounds like tosh to me. If addiction really is a disease, why would music only be an alternative to one of the countless aspects of the disease? That would suggest to me that addiction isn't a disease at all and we've all been taught to accept that it is. So the question is: Is addiction a disease or not?

[Insane4Twain]

Many people are now talking about specific music waves being alternatives to cocaine, heroine, etc. They claim to achieve the same equivalent highs.

Do you have a link? Sounds like a lot of hooey to me. Music is sound waves, same as any other wave. Perhaps the proponents of this theory are referring to modes.

Some music is more soothing than others. If I were trying to calm someone, I'd try Gregorian Chant before Ozzie Osborne. Perhaps THERE the theory might hold water.

Speaking of waves, . . .

Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me,
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity.
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
- Christopher Cross

[JuniperWoolf]

Sounds... untrue.

[RicMisc]

I don't think this is scientifically possible since there are certain substances in heroine and cocaine that cause a high and I don't think the same effect can be accomplished by music. However, music can really effect some things; it can make you happy, sad, it can make you heartrate go up etc..

[cafolini]

I tend to agree with most of your responses. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the case. I saw a movie where there was a trial and didn't see the whole thing. It seems to be a case fit to psychology rather than psychiatry. Perhaps we are dealing with psychosomatic considerations and conclusions without biological considerations. I just wondered if anyone knew a little more about the trance. I don't even remember the name of the movie, and what I said was months later.

[Charles Darnay]

I agree with this last point. Music does can, and has, acted as mood elevators in ways akin to such drugs as heroine &c - but this correlation does not imply causation. Music is more than just "sound waves" but it is not an addiction.

[MystyrMystyry]

There are four major (perhaps more) Brainwave Patterns ranging from deep sleep to acute awareness. Listening to sounds that have been waved for periods of 5 minutes or more will produce the desired state of awareness in the listener. Sessions of 25 minutes or so work really well!

This is from the Cool Edit help file. The program has the ability to encode subliminal waveforms within a larger waveform. I've tried it but didn't notice any effect (it's really boring and perhaps I couldn't be bothered to do it long enough - but either way it's not intended to be a drug replacement thing).

More:

The major brainwave patterns are:

Beta > 13 hz Normal state of alertness, stress and anxiety.
Alpha 8-12 hz Light relaxation, "superlearning", positive thinking.
Theta 4-7 hz Deep relaxation, meditation, increased memory and focus.
Delta 1-3 hz Deep sleep, lucid dreaming, increased immune functions.
Gamma 200+ hz Not sure exactly what these do...

Sounds really hokey doesn't it?

[cafolini]

There are four major (perhaps more) Brainwave Patterns ranging from deep sleep to acute awareness. Listening to sounds that have been waved for periods of 5 minutes or more will produce the desired state of awareness in the listener. Sessions of 25 minutes or so work really well!

This is from the Cool Edit help file. The program has the ability to encode subliminal waveforms within a larger waveform. I've tried it but didn't notice any effect (it's really boring and perhaps I couldn't be bothered to do it long enough - but either way it's not intended to be a drug replacement thing).

More:

The major brainwave patterns are:

Beta > 13 hz Normal state of alertness, stress and anxiety.
Alpha 8-12 hz Light relaxation, "superlearning", positive thinking.
Theta 4-7 hz Deep relaxation, meditation, increased memory and focus.
Delta 1-3 hz Deep sleep, lucid dreaming, increased immune functions.
Gamma 200+ hz Not sure exactly what these do...

Sounds really hokey doesn't it?

I do not see the connection of the subjetcs. But in any case that subject depends too much on undefined terms. I rather use Euclidean geometry with a few things like point. Better than positive thinking. Have fun.

[Alexander III]

While i am quite sure that bethoven and heroin can give great amounts of pleasure, it s a completley different types or pleasure which cannot be compared. It would be like saying a book can give the same pleasure as a woman, both of them can provide great pleasure but pleasures compleatly different in nature, it is not that one can replace theother or vice versa.

[KCurtis]

As one who has had experience with both drugs, all I can say is (unscientifically) that I have experienced a quite similar almost trance-like high while at certain musical concerts featuring my favorite guitarist (considered one of the best) it only happened once or twice while listening to his (Richard Thompson) electric guitar solos.

[paradoxical]

Many people are now talking about specific music waves being alternatives to cocaine, heroine, etc. They claim to achieve the same equivalent highs. What do you think about this? I know little about it.

The sound waves you are referring to are what as known as binaural beats. "Digital drugs" are a type of binaural beat designed to simulate the effects of drugs.

Many people are skeptical that binaural beats work at all, and insist that any perceived change in consciousness is due to a placebo effect. A binaural beat is produced using two sound waves which oscillate at different programmed frequencies. To produce an effect, stereo headphones must be used.

I'll probably get this next part wrong but I'll try to explain as best I can. Along with white noise, a carrier wave is used at a specific frequency, let's say 440hz. Another sound wave will be used at 430hz, for example, and these two sound waves will take turns "canceling each other out", leaving a tone of 10hz which is below the range of human hearing, but this "beat" will still be "heard" within the brain.

The result is a type of brain entrainment designed to change the electromagnetic frequency of the brain. Many people notice a profound effect. Others report nothing at all. The effect will be much more noticeable if you close your eyes and lie down in a room where you won't be disturbed. Again, you must use headphones and it works best with high quality, expensive headphones.

The digital drugs take binaural beats a step further. Instead of merely changing the frequency of the brain, they attempt to reproduce the EEG patterns associated with different drugs: marijuana, heroin, etc.
In other words, there is certain brain activity associated with each drug. Reproduce this activity in the brain, and as far as your brain is concerned, you have taken the drug. At least that's the theory.

I think the name digital drugs is somewhat unfortunate because many of the sound files deal with things such as lucid dreaming, out of body experiences, even falling in love. That is, they try to reproduce the EEG patterns involved in such states.

I have tried many of these and noticed some pretty amazing effects at times. The out of body experience sound file was very intense and immediately gave the feeling of being "outside" your body. The anesthesia sound file was very powerful, and the marijuana, LSD, and peyote sound files eerily reproduced some of the effects of these drugs. I even felt high, but it was still far from the real thing.

If these digital drugs could really produce the effects of things such as marijuana or opiates, I would probably listen to them very day, several times a day. Still, there's no denying that it produces a change in brain activity that is hypnotic and relaxing. I think it's a good substitute for things such as meditation, since most people will lack the discipline to meditate anyway. At least your brain is getting relief from stress and anxiety, and without the harmful effects of taking drugs.

You will find that many of the drugs have little to no effect at all on you, but the same files may produce a strong reaction in someone else. Likewise, certain digital drugs that worked for you in the past may "stop working". Also, it may take several tries with a digital drug for it to work for you.

This is a subject that I find interesting. Thus, the long reply. If you are interested, I would say to start with binaural beats that simply produce a theta or delta state. Then, if you want, try some of the digital drugs such as lucid dreaming or alcohol or marijuana. You may find it strangely fascinating, although it won't really get you drunk or high.

[cafolini]

The sound waves you are referring to are what as known as binaural beats. "Digital drugs" are a type of binaural beat designed to simulate the effects of drugs.

Many people are skeptical that binaural beats work at all, and insist that any perceived change in consciousness is due to a placebo effect. A binaural beat is produced using two sound waves which oscillate at different programmed frequencies. To produce an effect, stereo headphones must be used.

I'll probably get this next part wrong but I'll try to explain as best I can. Along with white noise, a carrier wave is used at a specific frequency, let's say 440hz. Another sound wave will be used at 430hz, for example, and these two sound waves will take turns "canceling each other out", leaving a tone of 10hz which is below the range of human hearing, but this "beat" will still be "heard" within the brain.

The result is a type of brain entrainment designed to change the electromagnetic frequency of the brain. Many people notice a profound effect. Others report nothing at all. The effect will be much more noticeable if you close your eyes and lie down in a room where you won't be disturbed. Again, you must use headphones and it works best with high quality, expensive headphones.

The digital drugs take binaural beats a step further. Instead of merely changing the frequency of the brain, they attempt to reproduce the EEG patterns associated with different drugs: marijuana, heroin, etc.
In other words, there is certain brain activity associated with each drug. Reproduce this activity in the brain, and as far as your brain is concerned, you have taken the drug. At least that's the theory.

I think the name digital drugs is somewhat unfortunate because many of the sound files deal with things such as lucid dreaming, out of body experiences, even falling in love. That is, they try to reproduce the EEG patterns involved in such states.

I have tried many of these and noticed some pretty amazing effects at times. The out of body experience sound file was very intense and immediately gave the feeling of being "outside" your body. The anesthesia sound file was very powerful, and the marijuana, LSD, and peyote sound files eerily reproduced some of the effects of these drugs. I even felt high, but it was still far from the real thing.

If these digital drugs could really produce the effects of things such as marijuana or opiates, I would probably listen to them very day, several times a day. Still, there's no denying that it produces a change in brain activity that is hypnotic and relaxing. I think it's a good substitute for things such as meditation, since most people will lack the discipline to meditate anyway. At least your brain is getting relief from stress and anxiety, and without the harmful effects of taking drugs.

You will find that many of the drugs have little to no effect at all on you, but the same files may produce a strong reaction in someone else. Likewise, certain digital drugs that worked for you in the past may "stop working". Also, it may take several tries with a digital drug for it to work for you.

This is a subject that I find interesting. Thus, the long reply. If you are interested, I would say to start with binaural beats that simply produce a theta or delta state. Then, if you want, try some of the digital drugs such as lucid dreaming or alcohol or marijuana. You may find it strangely fascinating, although it won't really get you drunk or high.

Thanks so much for the explanation. I know and science has confirmed psychosomatic situations where the human body has been capable of manufacturing substances that addressed an objective. The ultimate question would have to be answered in those terms. Can digital drugs cause the manufacturing of biological drugs? And to what extent?

[Jair]

When you say that a binaury beat can simulate the effect of a drug, do you mean that it will cause an increase in the brain's dopamine production, or that it will simulate the effects of dopamine production (i.e. pleasure, enjoyment, and relaxation)?

[paradoxical]

No, it won't actually produce dopamine or serotonin in the brain but it does produce a change in consciousness somehow.

Let's say you download and install the software on your computer then buy a few of the "drug" files (you have to pay for these).

What you will find is that binaural beats oddly simulate the effects of certain drugs. How this is done, I'm not sure, but you may find for example that the sound frequency and white noise combined on the alcohol sound file somehow cause you to feel kind of giddy and talkative. Very sociable.

You may then try the LSD sound file and find that you immediately begin to feel a strange, otherworldly effect. You may experience hallucinations.

Again, I'm not sure how this works because I know that certain files should produce dopamine, such as cocaine. You will notice a edgy, racing feeling from listening to that one but not feel the effects of real dopamine production. But there is a big difference in the subjective experience you will have by listening to cocaine versus other sound files. That is what I find so interesting about the subject. How it is able to mimic these effects.

[russellb]

Many people are now talking about specific music waves being alternatives to cocaine, heroine, etc. They claim to achieve the same equivalent highs. What do you think about this? I know little about it.

I would certainly say music can alter consciousness, say from a rational ordered state to a disordered and emotional one. For me dance music can do this. Is there not a difference between music and drugs though in that a person may almost be said to be 'in' the music whereas with drugs you just put them inside your body?

I apologise if anyone has made a similar observation. I only read the first couple of replies to the thread. Laziness bred by listening to too much dance I think (as opposed to smoking too much dope)