Yes.
Or sudden intensification of it?
For the past year he's been on a rather outlandish growth spurt. In
that year has gone from pretty much 50th percentile (maybe a bit more
for height) to something like 90th--suddenly the second tallest kid in
his class. It's stressed him physiologically; gone thru a really
"nice," intense calc-p (could not think or do math to save his life,
plus a charming "attitude", those are the main things I recall--calc-p
high made a dramatic and lasting difference, tho haven't ruled out
giving it again). He's sleeping a phenomenal amount, and pretty much
hiding out. No energy for anything "extra", including that my formerly
very social boy now has very little interest in *anything* that would
take him out of his room or away from the house--weird! (That doesn't
seem like Tub, does it...)
Tub does fit the suddenness of the growth spurt, which I have assumed
to be related to the suddenness in his change in musical taste, but I
could be wrong.
What's your thought about it?
Certainly other factors also influence musical choice!! Association,
familiarity, etc., sure. Which is why I made of point of saying I did
NOT see any of that to explain his sudden change. Which is why I've
seen it as very much a reflector of his inner state.
And I am specifically speaking about pathological states.
To my mind, a preference for music with themes of killing, suicide,
hopelessness, hatred and despair is, sorry, reflective of a
pathological state. Pardon my judgment!
Agreed. That's in the definition.
I agree that it need not *necessarily* be. I suppose, in theory, one
could become so accustomed to lyrics about murder, mutilation, etc.,
that one finds it "interesting" or "amusing", or simply tunes out the
lyrics. I'm not sure I can imagine a situation, tho, where *liking* to
have one's head filled with those images is really compatible with good
mental health. Maybe I'm mistaken... But again, none of that applies
to my son's situation. He IS in a "pathological" M/E state: not
horribly pathological, I'm not saying there's anything dreadful or even
unusual going on, but I AM saying that there *is* inner unease, showing
up in many ways, and that is the only potential explanation I see for
the sudden taste in music, and as such I am assuming that the music is
mirroring etc.
His taste is specific. He doesn't, for instance, like rap--which can
be just as intense, intrusive, etc.--and he's not into the ones about
"knockin' my lady around, feels so good to see her cry", etc.; that is
not his pathology, and that is not the music he chooses.
Wide range of possibilities.
Most music IMO would qualify.
Might or might not be relevant, but there are numerous studies showing
the different kinds of music (I think it was specifically different
patterns of rhythm and possibly melody?) have distinct physiological
effects, and that some rhythms have disturbing (in the sense of
changing them from optimal) physiological effects, whereas others have
optimizing effects; not only on human volunteers, but even on animals
and plants.
Not every liking for "disturbing" influences is necessarily a sign of
something, I'd think, and yet at some point doesn't it become so? At
some point you have to wonder what is being suppressed, or avoided, or
compensated--at least that is the way my thoughts run, if I see a habit
of self-damaging behavior. I think in part it's a matter of degree,
and in part a matter of context. In my son's case both "degree" and
"context" seem, IMO, to support the idea that his current musical
choices are not just a la-de-dah isn't music great meaningless
coincidence.
For a start, something that doesn't involve repeated themes of death,
revenge, suicide, supernatural threats, etc. Does the music you've
become fond of lean heavily on those themes, by any chance? If so, do
you actually enjoy the messages, or do you just let them slide by?
Best wishes,
Shannon