The generalized Ernst angle

•The Ernst angle concept is more generally applicable than its original scope.•Spin state equivalence after a single pulse and after a complex experiment.•Synergy in concatenation can enhance sensitivity beyond single Ernst angle gains. Though the Ernst angle concept presented in the original paper introducing Fourier NMR spectroscopy was developed for sensitivity optimization in a time-averaged single-pulse experiment it is shown here that its conclusions may be generalized to complex multidimensional experiments. The salient message is to explore (re-)design of NMR pulse sequences to return some of the magnetization to the z axis at the end, so that they can be performed without a relaxation delay. In favorable cases, such pulse sequences can be concatenated in a synergistic way to further enhance sensitivity. [Display omitted]