Question from @Malkuth (original post):
@qOS Question: Over the last years of Terminus and Terminus 2 builds, what are the main patterns of effect, criteria of appropriateness, or other special observations that have been observed? Are there any characteristics or profiles of a Terminus-appropriate listener or listener use-case? Are there any common or typical ways that Terminus-build programs tend to express their effects or impacts? At least, so far, up to this point in time, what, in general, can we say about the comparison between Terminus and non-Terminus listening experiences and listening effects? And even more theoretically, what might we say about the ‘why’ of these contrasts? Thank you again.
Summary
@Malkuth — results vary from person to person, and qOS will not summarise other members’ results with Terminus or Terminus Squared builds. What can be said is what each strength is for, who it suits and why.
How the strengths compare. Terminus is more powerful than Standard, and Terminus Squared is more powerful than Terminus. More power does not mean faster results. Standard is the most stable of the three and brings the least reconciliation, which is why it is the right strength for a new custom and for most listeners.
Who the higher strengths suit. Terminus and Terminus Squared are for advanced users. That means people with extensive experience with subliminals, who know their own processing capacity well, who recognise reconciliation and manage it, and who have already run titles at Standard successfully. The clearest use case is a custom you have already run successfully at Standard and want more power from.
How they tend to express. A stronger build gives your mind more to process. In a listener who is ready for it, that can mean the same direction of change with more force behind it. In a listener who is not, it can overwhelm the system and slow results.
The why. Reconciliation is the pressure that builds when your inner state changes faster than your outer life, and it eases when action gives the change somewhere to go. More power adds to the inner side of that balance. A listener who already acts readily on what a title develops has an outlet for the extra force. A listener who tends to sit with change has less of one, so the pressure stays inside. That is why a higher strength fits listeners with experience and a readiness to act, and interest alone is not enough.
Start any new custom at Standard, learn how it lands, and move to a higher strength through a discounted rebuild only once that custom has worked well and you want more from it. Listening guidance is in the official instructions: https://instructions.subliminalclub.com