The concluding chapter of a book on electronic music and altered states of consciousness traces a historical continuity from ancient shamanic rituals through psychedelic rock shows, raves, outdoor electroacoustic concerts, synaesthetic films, and hallucinatory video games. It argues that while underlying principles have remained consistent, evolving technologies have produced increasingly accurate representations of altered states in electronic music and audio-visual media. This trajectory leads to 'Altered States of Consciousness Simulations' that replicate sensory experiences using immersive technologies like fulldomes and virtual reality headsets. The chapter explores possible uses and ethical implications of these simulations at the frontiers of electronic music and art.
Music technologies and electronic studio processes have been used to create altered states of consciousness in popular music. Audio technologies such as multi-tracking, echo, and reverb have illusory capabilities. In 1950s rock 'n' roll, distortion enhanced energetic and emotive properties. Surf rock used echo and reverb to evoke teenage surf culture. In 1960s and 1970s psychedelic rock and space rock/jazz, warped sounds elicited impressions of psychedelic experiences, outer space voyages, and Afrofuturist mythologies. Sound design communicates various forms of conceptual meaning, including the psychedelic experience.