The following might seem overly strange to many of you, but it's been bugging me a lot over the years. I need to know if I'm the only one with this "issue", or if it's happened to anyone else. I have googled the anomaly many times, have asked around, with no luck whatsoever. My therapist suggested I should study up on psychology, but I don't see how that would help. Though I should say the issue isn't harmful... hell, I can't even see any real point for why it might occur. So to enlighten most of you, since you are probably scratching your heads trying to figure out what the heck I might be talking about, I will clarify.

I first noticed this issue in 10th grade. I had started to get into the habit of listening to music while I fell asleep. I had a CD set to repeat all. Usually it was trance music. But as this progressed I started trying out different genres. I noticed it when I had set a song to repeat itself over and over while I slept. When I woke up in the morning, I found myself listening to what sounded like a totally different song. It was the same song, but it changed rather dramatically.

After a bout of thinking that I might have gone insane, I decided to put it into a sound editing program and alter it to what I remember the song sounding like. I remember both versions of the song every time this happens. Turns out, the majority of the time, the songs pitch is lowered about 12 semitones(barely noticeable), the tempo is slowed a tad, and the fidelity of the song absolutely skyrockets. As in, the clarity of the song is a gajillion times better... I notice instruments that I hadn't payed any attention to the first time.

That was about.. 8 years ago. Three weeks ago I got the grand idea of recording myself singing/humming a song that I picked out to listen to that night. As usual, the song altered, so when I went back to listen to my previous recording, it had also changed to reflect the new sound. Which only further baffles the sh!t out of me.

I have tried this with classical music, bluegrass, heavy metal, electronic, jazz, blues, alt rock, etc etc.. same exact results in each area. The only constraints I've noticed, is that it has to be playing at a certain volume (not too quiet.. but right on the line that I can just barely fall asleep to it), and it has to be less than 7 minutes long.

I had theorized a few possibilities, though none still seem completely believable. The only one that I could even remotely consider plausible would be that the song is getting full exposure to my subconsciousness, and then forces it's interpretation of the song to my consciousness while I'm awake. *shrug* But still, I see no real point as to why it's doing this. To be honest it's a bit of an annoyance sometimes. I keep testing it and trying different things, but it still happens.

Of course, I have tried to get some other people to try this themselves, but they either don't want to try, or nothing happens. So I typed all this for a double whammy measure. If anyone tries to google the issue, it might pop up. But also for if anyone has any clue as to what the hell this is. Any psych majors out there? Or dream researchers perhaps? I am quite sure the changes are completely mental oriented. And before you start off with any smart-ass comments, the only mental "illness" that I've been diagnosed with is slight autism. So ponder away. 

Well, I still think that the recording being altered is still mental oriented. Perception of it, I mean. Which is what all this is about. Just perception. I don't see any of this as being physical. In fact, that would indicate something completely different. The songs do eventually go back to the way I remember it, if I don't listen to the song over a long period of time.

But what you described in your first paragraph does seem to be what I've been experiencing. More involved would be a good way to put it, but as you said, it can't be easily explained. But this does make me feel slightly better, knowing that it isn't just me.

Thanks for the response.

I know I listen to classical music as I sleep (Pachabel's Ocean is the name of the CD).  Ocean waves and classical music makes a nice backdrop to sleep to.  I can say that I have heard different parts of the CD later that i never recognized before but I knew them. 

I will use that technique in the coming weeks...I have a case and electronics project I am beginning to realize.  Maybe that will refine my designs to a level I would not have realized in my concious hours.

Ok, off to kill people....virtually.

I think this is something that is a part of all of us, starting from before birth. Reading your description of what you're experiencing and some of the little details you mention made me think of a passage in The Expectant Father, by Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash that I read this past summer.

Communication with the fetus isn't limited to words, of course. Boris Brott, a famous Canadian orchestra conductor, traces his interest in music to the womb:

As a young man, I was mystified by this ability I had to play certain pieces sight unseen. I'd be conducting a score for the first time and, suddenly, the cello line would jump out at me: I'd know the flow of the piece before I turned the page of the score. One day, I mentioned this to my mother, who was a professional cellist. I thought she'd be intrigued because it was always the cello line that was so distinct in my mind. She was; but when she heard what the pieces were, the mystery quickly solved itself. All the scores I knew sight unseen were ones she had played when she was pregnant with me.

So given that, Decepticon's similar experience, and others', I think you're just more aware of things that other people may be experiencing but not realizing they are experiencing. In other words, you are letting your conscious mind be aware and cognizant of your sub-conscious mind's activity. I would seem to think most people just let their sub-conscious disappear when they are awake.

I dont have any idea what is "wrong" with you or what causes it... but falling asleep to trance can probably explain away some of your "issues" lol

Thanks for the comforting words there dave.

Anything for u my brotha!  You know im just being an ass!!!!

but subconsciously he means he is being an ASS!!