I want to experience music with intensity.

[AudioArtist]

This is quite a strange request...

When I've been high on marijuana, I've mainly done so because of how it improves my appreciation of music. I'm a musician, and I love getting lost in music-so that is why marijuana is so tempting.

However, I also feel that God does not want me to use the drug. I miss, however, how music sounds while I'm high....Every time I listen to music, or even watch films or play games these days, I always have a pesky thought: "This could be so much more involving, so much more powerful, if you were to get stoned..."

Are there any mental techniques I can use to achieve a transcendal state, similar to that of being stoned (without the negative aspects), in order to hear music and experience art in an intense way? I don't doubt the wrongness of using marijuana, but is there anything wrong with wanting to experience music in a powerful, intense, atmosphere-shifting way?

I hope I have made this clear enough for fans of music who have been through this to help me out. It doesn't help that a lot of my friends who make music or listen to it (both live and at home) use drugs to enhance the experience. How can I get away from the thought that I'm always missing out when I listen to music sober?

 

[ephraimanesti]

This is quite a strange request...

When I've been high on marijuana, I've mainly done so because of how it improves my appreciation of music. I'm a musician, and I love getting lost in music-so that is why marijuana is so tempting.

However, I also feel that God does not want me to use the drug. I miss, however, how music sounds while I'm high....Every time I listen to music, or even watch films or play games these days, I always have a pesky thought: "This could be so much more involving, so much more powerful, if you were to get stoned..."

Are there any mental techniques I can use to achieve a transcendal state, similar to that of being stoned (without the negative aspects), in order to hear music and experience art in an intense way? I don't doubt the wrongness of using marijuana, but is there anything wrong with wanting to experience music in a powerful, intense, atmosphere-shifting way?

I hope I have made this clear enough for fans of music who have been through this to help me out. It doesn't help that a lot of my friends who make music or listen to it (both live and at home) use drugs to enhance the experience. How can I get away from the thought that I'm always missing out when I listen to music sober?

MY DEAR BROTHER,

The allurements of weed are so attractive that it is one of Satan's major ways of luring Christians away from their Lord by causing them to break the 1st Commandment--"THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME." Most people get high because, like you, they feel that it makes "music sound better" or "food taste better" or "sex more fun" or . . . whatever. As you say, it is used "to enhance life." What does that sound like to you? Did not our Lord state that "I HAVE COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY."(John 10:10)
Life, as created by God, DOES NOT NEED CHEMICAL ENHANCEMENT! Enjoy life--and your music--in the condition in which you were created to the extent the faculties your Creator gave you will allow--WHICH IS PLENTY--understanding that anything beyond is just a chemical distortion which, though perhaps pleasurable, is unreal and thus ungodly.

BE BLESSED WITH OUR LORD'S ABUNDANT GRACE!
ephraim

 

[goldenviolet]

AudioArtist, i'm guessing here, so you may want to ponder this and how to do this as time goes bye.
my guess is that you need time to unlearn your old habits (seperate from the teptation to go back into old habit)... like an aquired taste or new activity. you need to exsplore and make observations about it and you. analize your moods and activities... see where and why... learn the what makes you enjoy, etc. your activities. i do have a focus for you if i am guessing correctly. focus on how you feel in the eyes of God. like in what you do. do you feel righeous or good about your choices of *fill in blank*... i'm trying to say turn your focus onto spiritual satisfaction.

and also... it is good to have both good and bad, and neither exsperiances. everything is balanced out. we need to except that each will be apart of our lives. downs make ups much lovelier. downs make us appreciate more. downs make us humble and obediant.
ups make us rejoyce and love. ups make stress disappear. and all circumstances draw us to ponder and meditate on life and where we fit into God's will.

God bless your question and you! a wise thing you ask.

 

[jerry ralph]

I felt like you do at one time. I have been involved in music since I was 11 years old when I first started playing the guitar. That was 1958. I received an associates degree in music in 1974. I played in groups all through the 1960's, 70's, and 80's. Most were bar bands I got saved in 83 and in 86 started playing in church. From 1999 till 2005 I played in a Christian praise band. What an awesome experience that was. The reason I am telling you this, is to explain why I understand how you feel about smoking dope and music.
The truth is that if you think it makes you play better, you are wrong, sorry if you are offended, but it is just the truth. You will understand as you progress more in your knowledge of music........smoking dope causes us to have a loss of short term memory. If you think that smoking dope makes your playing better, then maybe you don't know enough to suffer much of a memory loss. As far as listening goes, dope causes it to just flow in one ear and out the other so to speak, sort of by passes the mind, you can't learn complex musical progressions and patterns blitzed out of dope. I speak from experience my friend, trust me on this one. If you are serious about playing music, I suggest you get clean and stay clean...........go to some meeting and tell your pastor about your problem so that you can get some corporate prayer behind you.

Here is the bottom line in this whole smoking dope thing, like what Ephraimmanesti told you, it is one of Satans greatest tool that the old trickster uses today. I started out my drug use in 1967 in Vietnam, just a few joints now and then. That led me to doing acid and speed. I then became a full fleged alcoholic and drug addict. I ended up shooting heron and meth for many years. I got very sick, physically mentally and spiritually over the years...........I did not just bounce back over night, I suffered much in my road to recovery. Praise God for the Grace of a Loving God who never gave up on this servant and saw that no matter how far I had fallen, I could still be of use to the Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry of redeeming lost dopers..........keep in contact if you want, send a private message and we can help each othe stay clean and sober and possibly trade a few guitar lick.........Jesus loves you my friend....jerry

 

[ArmouredSaint]

I gather you have people giving you all types of advice but really I've been there. I think the brain is a weird tool. I got more out of alot of things when stoned. Sad to point out though,the things I got more out of stoned were not up to par when I was straight. What does that tell me? Pot is a fantasy drug.

 

[DeafeningSilence]

Marijuana is a mind-altering drug. But, being an illegal substance does not constitute that EVERY perception while under the influence is flawed or negative.

Weed always made music a more intimate experience for me. I suppose that by weakening my own thoughts and emotions, I made myself more succeptable to the lyrics, music, and emotion of the artist. I could really understand the band's heart when high.

Being clean for 4 years now, I have a new way of listening to music. Because I could listen to anything while high, I can' t just listen to any song that comes my way in my new lifestyle. FM is only turned on when I am absolutely bored. Instead, I have a collection of MP3 CDs, each categorized by "mood." So, whatever the moment calls for, I can pop in the appropriate disk and crank up the volume just as high as the speakers can take it.

In your post, you were almost desperate sounding. You have a deep passion for music, I can tell. The good thing about rock is its liberating effects when administered correctly and timely. If I were you, I would take hold of a wonderful opportunity to further explore my musical horizons by venturing into the unknown waters of lesser known bands, or even genres.

 

[SirChronique]

This is quite a strange request...

When I've been high on marijuana, I've mainly done so because of how it improves my appreciation of music. I'm a musician, and I love getting lost in music-so that is why marijuana is so tempting.

However, I also feel that God does not want me to use the drug. I miss, however, how music sounds while I'm high....Every time I listen to music, or even watch films or play games these days, I always have a pesky thought: "This could be so much more involving, so much more powerful, if you were to get stoned..."

Are there any mental techniques I can use to achieve a transcendal state, similar to that of being stoned (without the negative aspects), in order to hear music and experience art in an intense way? I don't doubt the wrongness of using marijuana, but is there anything wrong with wanting to experience music in a powerful, intense, atmosphere-shifting way?

I hope I have made this clear enough for fans of music who have been through this to help me out. It doesn't help that a lot of my friends who make music or listen to it (both live and at home) use drugs to enhance the experience. How can I get away from the thought that I'm always missing out when I listen to music sober?

It really doesn't matter, if you want to smoke Jah Jah herb then enjoy!

But remember this, use with respect. The adverse effects of marijuana and alcohol and other drugs are avoided if you can handle them maturely.

So keep smoking your herb, and don't let any conservative republicans tell you that you are wrong in doing so. If it truly prevents you from being christian you should get rid of it. But the herb in itself is not bad.


That being said, few have the willpower to use it correctly. Just using it to make music better is foolish. It will lead to to meth and coke if your a stimulant using fool, yes.

It's funny how you people lable things as satans tools and such. Any posession COULD be a tool of evil or good. But it is we who are in control of our descisions. And there is such thing as too much of a good thing.

If you smoke all the time it just becomes lazy powder. Smoke once in a while if you ever want to enjoy toking again in the future, and use responsibly!