When in the state of perceptive listening, you are fully aware of your music; that is the lyrics, rhythm, all of the instruments and components of the track. This state may be difficult to achieve if you have never been a perceptive listener before. It is the most rewarding listening experience, clearing our mind of everything but the pure sound of music. We cannot achieve this state if there are other thoughts racing through our head; your mind must be completely blank, letting the music take you away. How do you know when you are in a perceptive listening state? You will become unaware of your environment (closing your eyes is strongly recommended), focusing on nothing in your life but the music going through your head. Your mood will be directed by the type of music you are listening to, and some will experience a state of Euphoria. When in perceptive listening mode, always aim to be in a Euphoric state, as it will make the music that much more enjoyable. This can lead to becoming more relaxed, having less stress, and an overall improvement in life. If you haven’t given perceptive listening a try, do it right after you finish this article. What have you got to lose?

We spend a lot of time in the Casual listening mode, which is the line right between Perceptive and Background listening. You are fully aware of the lyrics/rhythm, and auditory elements are comprehended. We are usually performing some task that distracts us from the full perceptive state, so euphoria cannot be experienced. When listening casually, our mind only donates part of its attention to the music, so only part of us is affected while listening. Our mood does change along with the music, but it is generally a weaker feeling than perceptive listening. While we listen to music casually for a long period of time, our subconscious processes the information, and songs have a tendency to get stuck in our heads. Unfortunately, you cannot be fully immersed in the music, and that takes away a key element of enjoyment. Since we spend so much time casually listening to music, we think this is the most involving method of listening. Practice perceptive listening, and you will see the vast difference.

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