Soma. Myths tell us that it was the secret drug of the gods. Mystics claim it’s the secretion of higher glands when activated by special yoga. Yet one needn’t get all mystic or mythic to know of pheromones, endorphins, adrenaline and other blood-altering substances our bodies create quite naturally. Anyone who works out regularly knows the quasi intoxication from deep oxygenation which burns off impurities and resultant sluggishness. Now imagine that a Big Pharma Corp., somewhere, somehow, managed to synthesize the exact molecule responsible for workout-induced changes in blood chemistry. It gets marketed as Fitrush©. Take it whenever you feel low and depleted. Popping Fitrush©, would you really expect to feel just the same as after a strenuous workout? After all, the workout effect is earned. And not only physically. You might have had to overcome laziness, emotional reluctance, fatigue or pain to perform your daily routine. This has also booked you psychological and emotional wins well beyond muscle strength and joint flexibility. Pitching a pill places zero demands on you. Only your wallet sees the bill. Hey, doesn’t that sound exactly like ordinary hifi consumption? Replace pill popping with power on and presto: sound without any preceding effort to earn its intoxicating effects. Really, pushing ‘play’ and expecting magic is no different than feeling sluggish and depleted but not being disciplined enough to get down and work (it) out. Swallowing chemicals isn’t the solution. Neither is upgrading components. The thing that needs upgrading is the listener’s psychology, personal discipline and blood chemistry.


A ‘worked-out’ listener gets satisfaction from lesser gear. That doesn’t mean he/she wouldn’t appreciate better hardware. It’s simply not any prerequisite to enjoying present satisfaction. The responsibility for the experience remains squarely with the person. It’s not pawned off on the machines. This is so basic that it can’t be stressed enough for fear of being habitually overlooked. Our ability to be taken elsewhere by the tunes as though on a virtual day-spay session depends on us. It’s not the inanimate gear. Our emotional readiness varies from moment to moment. And just what to feed our musical needs of the day to enjoy a response does, too. It’s like eating. Even where veg, fruit and steamed/cooked not fried things are best most the time to maintain low blood acidity, occasionally our bodies may ask for a greasy-spoon exemption. Sensitivity to these moods and needs is vital to being healthy. Musical health is no different. Whatever our core diet, anything too bland and repetitive dulls our senses and sensitivity. Eating when not hungry is bad not only for the belly even when the bell says 12:00 on the dot to ring in lunch break. Listening when one isn’t receptive is like eating without being hungry. It dulls the mind and clogs up emotional digestion.


The major risk with modern music consumption is that it's far too easy. A galaxy of choice accompanies us everywhere where there are mobile phones with live batteries. 24/7 availability completely obliterates any requirement for preparedness or personal effort. This fosters mindless consumption. That's perfectly fitting for a zombie consumer society where nobody expects anything more. But if you want to unplug from the matrix, habits need changing. Here it might be a good notion to consider actual blood chemistry and its influence on musical highs. No matter how one rides these personal bio rhythms of emotional availability which allow deeper feeling inquiry during playback sessions, it takes listening to one’s own psyche, not hifi measurements and test tones. If one expects more than sonic wallpaper and background noise fill, personal preparedness and ordinary discipline acknowledge that we must bring more of ourselves to the experience. We can't just slouch back into the hot seat with a trigger-happy remote. It could mean more quality time, less quantity time. And, it could mean creation of a personal process which stabilizes in us an ideal ‘musical PH value’ that works as a natural not synthetic form of Fitrush©. If we be chasing goose bumps, tears or other slightly altered states that is...