People who find music more rewarding also tend to experience deeper states of absorption—complete immersion that can involve losing track of time or self-consciousness. In two samples totaling 920 participants, scores on the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire and the Absorption in Music Scale were strongly correlated (r = 0.78). Four absorption-related items were added to create an extended version of the reward questionnaire. Statistical analyses confirmed the extended measure's reliability, suggesting that including an absorption facet improves the characterization of individual differences in music-related reward and pleasure.
Listening to music is the most common activity among recreational cannabis users while high, reported by 45% of participants. Users report greater hearing sensitivity and a deeper state of absorption in music when under the influence of cannabis compared to being sober. Individuals with a higher natural tendency to become absorbed in music experience even greater absorption while high. Qualitative analysis reveals four main themes: altered cognitive processes and reinterpretations, auditory perceptual effects ranging from new sensations to sensory overload, emotional openness and regulation, and embodied immersion with out-of-body dissociation. The findings offer a theoretical framework for understanding how cannabis interacts with musical experience.