The Doors, Pink Floyd, and The Mind

Hello everybody, this is my first post here at ATS, been lurking for a mighty long time.

I'd like to start an open discussion on The Doors, Pink Floyd, psychedelics, and musics impact on the mind.

Let's begin with the opening song from the S/T album "Break on Through"

So anyone familiar with The Doors, may know that this was a song Jim wrote about essentially breaking through the realms of traditional consciousness in order to 'wake up' and live the life you want.

Now this may be a stretch, but lets dig a little deeper.

We know Jim Morrison was an intelligent individual, with a sharp mind and great recollection skills. We know he was endlessly intrigued by the mind, and what life is really about.

Through almost all of his lyrics, I feel he is trying to get a message through. His lyrics are filled with symbolism.

Here's a song about the universal consciousness.

It sounds like a general love song, but what he's talking about is something real. It is known that during their early concerts, and before any real turmoil from his trial came into play, that people who attended their concerts believed them to be a spiritual experience.

So that makes me wonder, what exactly about music, or about their performance can trigger this?

Now, a popular drug during that time, Miss Lucy, had the uncanny ability to make you step outside your standard perceptions, and allowed you to almost look at yourself from an outside view. As if you were forced into becoming the observer of your own body, and mind.

A lot of creative people were utilizing this drug to discover things about themselves and the world at large.

What I believe some more... Popular musicians discovered was how powerfully certain frequencies can affect the mind.

It's known by science, that music can invoke deeply emotional feelings, along with a mass of other benefits.
Now before I get too crazy, let's discuss Pink Floyd a little.

I'm not sure how many people out there have listened to or enjoyed Floyds Pre-Darkside music. But there are some very strange things going on here.
They have even mentioned mind expanding!

There are a ton of bootlegs and shows out there from this era, and you will find almost no audience noise... The band was able to engage the audience to such a degree, they literally couldn't speak.

Here's an example of one of their early songs, headphones suggested.

Pay attention to all the silence they insert, and how free their playing seems.

I believe these gentlemen had tapped into something that most of us don't understand.
If you continue to dig into their music, you may see what I am talking about.

So, my question to everyone here is, do you think its possible to reach different stages of consciousness through music alone?

Do you think that Lucy actually showed these artists a way to present ideas?

There were many other artists from this era that I feel took advantage of these things.

Jimi Hendrix, Zeppelin, Santana, among others.

What impact do you feel the Lucy had on the music?

Do you think someone like Jim Morrison would hide any messages in his music, that were intended to be decoded?
The last song I'll share is called Celebration Of The Lizard. I believe this is an important piece of music with hidden meaning.

"Lions in the street and roaming
Dogs in heat, rabid, foaming
A beast caged in the heart of a city
The body of his mother
Rotting in the summer ground
He fled the town

He went down South and crossed the border
Left chaos and disorder
Back there over his shoulder

One morning he awoke in a green hotel
With a strange creature groaning beside him
Sweat oozed from its shining skin
Is everybody in?
Is everybody in?
Is everybody in?
The ceremony is about to begin

Wake up!
You can't remember where it was
Had this dream stopped?

The snake was pale gold
Glazed and shrunken
We were afraid to touch it
The sheets were hot dead prisons
And she was beside me
Old, she's no, young
Her dark white hair
The white soft skin

Now, run to the mirror in the bathroom
Look!
Shes coming in here
I can't live thru each slow century of her moving
I let my cheek slide down
The cool smooth tile
Feel the good cold stinging blood
The smooth hissing snakes of rain

Once I had, a little game
I liked to crawl, back in my brain
I think you know, the game I mean
I mean the game, called 'go insane'

Ritual/Ceremony seems evident, that's all I can say.
Would love to hear what everyone thinks!

I've got a lot of ideas about this topic, but had trouble pushing them into one post, or language in general.

If any of this resonates with anybody, I am sure a deeper conversation can develop.

Here's a little diagram on Musics effect on the mind.

Music!

I agree that there was something cool in the music of certain bands. I guess I assume it had to do with the psychedelic / counter-culture movement. (when SNIP and listen to those bands so I may be projecting my experience to the bands, but I assumed that Pink Floyd probably took something when they wrote the music.)

Yeah, I always felt at the edge of perception that they (various bands / musicians) were onto something.

I think that music (or rhythm) is how people remembered the oral histories so maybe there is an evolutionary mechanism that music triggers.

I do think that people can reach altered states with music and meditation, so music only seems likely.

I figured a rambling reply would be okay since it's a wild and broad topic.

a reply to: AnnihilateThis


None of your embeds work my man.

originally posted by: Elton
I agree that there was something cool in the music of certain bands. I guess I assume it had to do with the psychedelic / counter-culture movement. SNIP and listen to those bands so I may be projecting my experience to the bands, but I assumed that Pink Floyd probably took something when they wrote the music.)

Yeah, I always felt at the edge of perception that they (various bands / musicians) were onto something.

I think that music (or rhythm) is how people remembered the oral histories so maybe there is an evolutionary mechanism that music triggers.

I do think that people can reach altered states with music and meditation, so music only seems likely.

I figured a rambling reply would be okay since it's a wild and broad topic.

Ya know, thats a good point, about the evolutionary mechanism, Jim Morrison actually mentioned something about this...

And that’s why poetry appeals to me so much—because it’s so eternal. As long as there are people, they can remember words and combinations of words. Nothing else can survive a holocaust, but poetry and songs. No one can remember an entire novel. No one can describe a film, a piece of sculpture, a painting. But so long as there are human beings, songs and poetry con continue.

SNIP I can say for myself, it has encouraged and moved me to be a better, more open minded person.

Music is very important to me.

Listening to some Pink Floyd concerts while flying, specifically one called "Animal Instincts"

I felt like I was able to feel the energy from the audience, and that the band itself was able to manipulate a sort of "Mind Movie" That the audience could mentally participate in.

As if they were able to get a good amount of people to perceive, or "see" with them.

Which brought me to the idea that energy itself can be stored within music, just audio recordings in general. Even energy from thousands of people...

I've got some other wild theories about this stuff.

But I can comfortably say Lucy got me into Hi Fi Audio. I'm an avid record collector now.

originally posted by: norhoc
a reply to: AnnihilateThis


None of your embeds work my man.

Fixed, thanks!

The Doors, Pink Floyd...shallow attempts a profundity. It all seemed heavy at the time, but was ultimately puerile.

Lazarus, you are mistaken my friend: your either on the bus or off the bus... you just never got on my friend. Your statement was a beautiful piece of poetry itself, so maybe there is hope for you yet. Puerile! Come on my friend. That’s insulting to some of the greatest minds our word have provided for our enjoyment and ascension:
a reply to: Lazarus Short

a reply to: Lazarus Short

I'm not so sure. Although, a lot of it got buried, the impact this music has on me, and on others who experience in the same light... It's hard to say it was Childish.

I mean the entire L/S/D Movement was monumental... Not only to creativity, but to science.

The originality of that era is still echoing today.

A lot of the cinema and entertainment, stemmed from the 60's and 70's.

If you take a look around now, people are desperate for new ideas. We are endlessly scrapping the barrel. The old producers and directors are dying out and tired.

In my opinion we need a new spark... But how do we do this?

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a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Hey thanks for the reminder!

Do you mind if I ask why?

Specifically to the discussion of personal use or experiences? Seems like an odd rule.

Is the discussion about other peoples experiences okay?

a reply to: AnnihilateThis

there is nothing like pink floyd. personally i think, in 100 years people will still listen to their music. best band ever. every album is a journey.

a reply to: AnnihilateThis

He crawls back to his brain to go insane.

Most believe that if you lose your mind you will go insane..... but he states the opposite.
Notice that the mind speaks..... Is it speaking about you?
Or are you simply the witness of whatever appears?
The freedom you seek is found when you find that you are not any particular thing that appears..... you are the ever present witness that never comes or goes.

a reply to: AnnihilateThis

Many pop artists had parents who were very high up in the military.... check out who Jim Morrusons father was.
Some believe that the sixties pop and drug culture was contrived to control and change society.

Very cool thread thanks, snf 👍🏻

I spent 2 years solid listening to these 2 bands and reading their books and Jim's poetry etc.
I was only living the green life at the time personally, but Jim wasn't really into Miss Lucy, he was into Peyote (similar to '___') and Break on Through was about breaking through to the spiritual realm. So yes I think you're on the money with your OP. I'm not sure if the Floyd delved into the deeper realms of reality as I think they were mainly into Miss Lucy in the Barret days.
I'm no expert, but I don't think you can 'break through' on miss Lucy, like you can on '___', Peyote and 5me0 '___'.
Thanks again, cool read 👍🏻

a reply to: FinallyAwake

Who could breakthrough?
And who is asleep?