A cosmic pursuit.

Zen, is something subjective to the individual who seeks it. Whether it's a state of alertness or calmness, the formula remains the same, we all have different things that affect us.

As humans, when it comes to music, our minds have the potential to become optimal through music when in a state of calmness or even tiredness. While when being fully alert, music can be disruptive to that focus. It's all about knowing if what you're listening to clashes with what's going on in your head. When doing things like meditation or some form of NSDR (non sleep deep rest), finding music with constant patterns can help keep you leveled, it doesn't necessarily need to be white noise or some form of ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response). Music with the twists and turns of certain instruments or beats can dislodge you from your place of peace. For those of you with ever busy and ever racing minds; a constant level of chaos is not the same as peace.

When meditating or even working on personal projects, that state of tired calmness is right where zen is achieved. The noise that moves me and keeps me from sinking into mental stagnance is something cosmic, something constant that makes me forget the rest of the world exists. For me, it exists in three forms.

Cosmic Noise.

Spaceship ambience, orbiting earth, interstellar sleeping quarters, etc. Over the past 3 or so years this type of white noise ambience has been cropping up across YouTube, maybe it's presumptuous of me to think we all yearn for the stars, but there's something about space that fulfills zen much better than any snow storm, rain shower or steady violin.

I've found that this cosmic ambience fills the space in my mind, keeps me on task, and keeps foreign thoughts outside. I know for some of us being alone with our thoughts might be worse than a loud lunch room with a migraine, but I've found that cosmic ambience is the solution to this problem. It's a versatile tool. I've used this cosmic ambience for focusing on work, personal projects, sleeping, and even a quick 10 minute NSDR. Although it can vary, all cosmic ambience achieves the same goal.

Yearning for the future.

I've found my second choice to be a bit of a hidden gem. Amongst the sub-genres of ambient music out there, I discovered something I never knew I needed. A number of artists out there have taken to aiming for ambience similar to the feelings we got from Blade Runner. I listen to this largely in the same manner as the former but have noticed it works better when used during personal work.

The interesting thing is how it affects me every time I listen to it. The primary reason I like it so much is that it guides me to start thinking more cosmically. The peace I achieve is one where I imagine myself floating through the cosmos, thinking about my own insignificance and the weight of everything out there and how much more important it is than most people in our world realize. It brings me to the shallow shores of an ocean of existential dread. I always sit and watch, admiring the void.

Yearning for the darkness.

This final iteration takes me even deeper than the previous. I begin to walk into that ocean, yearning for an empty void. The peace I find here is from simply enjoying the idea of existential dread. This always steers me to think more pessimistically about the universe beyond our world, questioning if it's all just empty, and if we were born into existence too late.

I derive enjoyment from where these dark ambient noises take my thinking. Each one has a different feeling but all do largely the same thing; I begin to think about things I normally never would.

Peace is subjective to the one who seeks it. My pursuit is a cosmic one, subjective to my life. Just as your pursuit is subjective to your life. The formula remains the same, we all have different things that guide us.