Thank you for starting this thought provoking thread. I did say that I'd come back to it after I given the topic further thought. That turned out to be quite a trip, but here I am again with my response. This is going to be speculative but has some grounding in relevant scientific literature.
Over the past few years, I have significantly upgraded both the turntable and digital source in my hifi system. That has significantly improved the sound quality of both these sources. Yet, my preference for vinyl records has become even more pronounced than it ever was. Often, I can get into the vinyl versions of albums that were impenetrable on streaming or FLAC files. Also, I never get bored with vinyl as I can with digital sources and can enjoy listening almost indefinitely.
Your use of the phrase “mindful listening” suggests one’s state of mind may be of significance in listening to vinyl records. Clinical trials have shown that mindfulness can induce altered states of consciousness (ASC). Moreover, there is a significant body of research indicating that ASC such as absorption and trance are involved everyday music listening (see Critical Listening and Altered States in Misc Audio part of this forum, particularly the most recent posts pages 4 and 5).
Therefore, I don’t think it is completely out of the question that there is something about vinyl records that more readily gets me and maybe others to this receptive ASC condition of absorption, which is likely to enhance our enjoyment of music. It just doesn’t seem to happen so much with a purely digital source.
ASC are highly subjective so there will be a range of responses by different individuals. Perhaps those who prefer the pristine sound quality of digital sources are appreciating music intellectually, whereas we who like vinyl are experiencing it on a more visceral level.
To give just one example of many, I have been listening to FLAC rips of the original CDs of Suzanne Vega’s 2014 Close Up box set for ten years. Recently, I acquired the vinyl versions of these albums. I really liked them and wondered what makes the vinyl versions sound so good. It is hard to explain this in words. The best I can do is say it seemed as if they had a sheen like texture and a slight crunchiness that really hits the spot.
Remembering a thread here on the sound of vinyl, I switched to the FLAC versions for the sake of comparison. These were of superb sound quality being crystal-clear. However, they lacked the sheen of the vinyl and weren’t as enjoyable a listen. The difference was quite marked. I’ve always thought the digital versions were good, but it seems the vinyl has something extra that makes it special. Of course, this is only one example, but it is typical of my experiences with vinyl.
The sacred ritual of vinyl that you so eloquently describe would clearly be a key factor. However, its sound is also involved. This might an artefact of vinyl itself, something the turntable/cartridge/phono stage adds, a consequence of different mastering or caused by some other factor. Possibly it is a combination of these factors. Given the subjective nature of ASC and our responses to music, this is going to be difficult to pin down. One possible factor I would rule out is analogue versus digital encoding – there is often digital signal processing in the chain both before and after the vinyl record.
Not only are our responses subjective, but we also listen on different equipment in different circumstances. Yet I regularly listen to vinyl records on a range of gear from modest systems to extremely expensive but always feel the same about vinyl.
In summary, it seems to me that the feeling vinyl evokes is a trigger for my mental state that makes music more real and enjoyable. Digital sources don’t affect me in quite the same way, although I wouldn’t dispute that both formats have their pros and cons.