Personality Cafe banner

relaxing high vs excitement high

[INFJ] 
2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Linus 
#1 ·
yet again, i found another polarising concepts :-0 hope you don't think i am TOO black and white hehe
maybe tomorrow when i will wake up i will be that weird character who has half white and black face LOL

i am interested in peak experiences induced by either aural or visual stimulis (aesthetics)
especially because i have music as career
i have to learn about different types of peak experiences that have to do with emotions
to figure out which i identify with more, which i need to work on more and so on
and i think this applies to a lot more of artistic fields
and i was hoping whether you could share some of your views on this

so far i've discovered that the big divider is 'RELAXANT' VS 'STIMULANT'
although i've never done drugs i read the simiar analogy is applied when assessing the effects of them too

anyways i like both too.. but then again i can only be loyal to one at a time.. so i would like to ask your opinion about the two

RELAXANT emotional state

eg. claude debussy, enya, monet, impressionism, celine dion, french music... so on etc

upside: it makes you feel very present, serene, stable, calm, conscious, clear, relaxing, peaceful, tranquil, slow, warm, cozy, gentle, soft, airy, more mature, more reserved, more refined, more intact, atmospheric, more sensitive, more sophistiated, wholesome, more depth in terms of sophistication... pure in terms of mood quality. it makes you feel that everything is alright. the danger is gone, it feels tranquil, calm and safe. it is very round and nourishing. it makes you feel romantic. it is sublime, expressive in a sense that's mature, refined, controlled, elegant, rich, hush.. you can chill. liquid, fluid. there is a bit of warmness flowing in your bloodstreem. you are warm and chilling. very divisible so it can be more refined, pure. it can help you melt stress. really dreamy. more sublime mentally.

this type of music is more personally enjoyable
less sustainable in terms of momentary sensation but more precision and refinement, purity
a charmer.

downside: overall it drains energy more and make you feel weak. it makes you evade reality more than face and fight and change them sometimes. it can be to wishy-washy overtime. it can be too small and not enough structure. you become paralysed and depressed. it can make you feel loose and immobilised.

STIMULANT emotional state

eg. WAGNER!, LED ZEPPELIN!, BJORK!, FUCIK! german and scandinavian genes, baltic... so on etc

upside: it's energetic, stark, gutter, edgy, wild, raw, hardcore, solid, grand, explosive, alive, sexual, youthful, young, strong, simple, intense, more depth in terms of intensity, exciting, charged, driving, immediate, dynamic, pure in terms of raw and wildness. it makes you feel strong, you can change everything, you are in the prime time of yourlife. it is sublime, expressive in a way it is passionate, full-on. it is grandios, it makes you look at the bigger landscape and picture, it makes you feel giant. solid. there's a bit of pepper running in your bloodstreem. you are hot pumping and hopping. it is sharp in terms of intensity. a seducer. it can help you burn off stress. empowering. fast pace. dramatic. exuberent. more sublime physically. throbbing, pushing. pushy.

this type of music is more crowd-uniting
more sustainable in terms of momentary sensation but less precision and refinement, purity

downside: it can give you a stroke, it can wear you off, it can make you angry and flippant, it can make you impatient, violent, crazy. it charges more than consumes energy and can make you feel stressful. it can be heavy over time. it is edgy and thus less wholesome and round. if it is too intense and edgy or dry it can lack certain sensitivity. it can be too big and not enough details. a huge amount of pressure builds up. you run out of energy afterwards. it can make you feel restless.

it is about mastering the both sides and also finding your own position between the two.. but i think this applies to not only music but also a lot of other creative activities..

so what kind of emotional highs do you experience and identify yourself with more?
are you more of a RELAXANT type of person or STIMULANT type of person?
which sensation makes you feel more wholesome and complete?
which would be your signature quality?

(personally i feel more wholesome and complete and more sublime mentally with RELAXANT types but STIMULANT types also have empowering, very exuberant dynamic and physically alive in the moment)
 
See less See more
#2 ·
It depends entirely on my mood.

When I am feeling more relaxed I love listening to music like Enya, Pablo de Sarasate, IZ, Samba, Priscilla Ahn, Nat King Cole, big band, Coyote Oldman, Earth Wind and Fire, ...
Relaxed music usually physically manifests its effects in the upper torso, neck, and head. Mostly towards the front. I feel relaxed (obviously, right?) with a soothing sensation. It clears my mind and causes my feelings to resonate inside of me.

When I am feeling more energetic I sometimes listen to Dragonforce, Spor, Samba, Bhangra, Bagpipes, old Irish/Scottish drinking songs, ...
Stimulant music manifests its effects in the same areas as relaxant music, but towards the back and up and down the spine. Something like that. I feel energized with a strong need for physical action. It makes my heart beat faster and pulls my mind into the physical world.

Overall I am very picky about my music. I listen to specific songs rather than specific artists.
The majority of my music would probably be relaxant, also.

I listened to a lot of rap while growing up due to the environment I grew up in. I can't listen to the grand majority of it anymore. Not only does the message of most rap bother me, but it has a stronger negative effect on my mood than nearly all other music.
 
#3 ·
i started to notice this too as i'm shuffling through my music, picking ones i want to listen to rather than going by a playlist.. and i always go for the 'relaxant' type. i think i feel more myself when i'm listening to it and the stimulant type is just used as a break out of routine or change of pace. i never get low in spirits listening to this type, it gives me energy just like the stimulant, but a different kind. i also have some more stimulant type music but somehow it's a bit different, i can listen to it everyday. usually i can't for really upbeat music. maybe one is for grounding, the other is to push myself to do some work :p but i find if i sing along, it doesn't matter what type
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top