Hallucinogen and Music Essay

The era of the 1960s and early 1970s were the clear reverberations of both mysticism and altruism. It saw the facelift of the Ameri arse subculture know as the hippies, which professes itself through strange clothing and erotic slogans that be touch on the subversion of the contemporary western society into a much large unitary. N one and only(a)nesstheless, the work of psychotropic drugic do medicinesic drugs that largely permeated during the same period catapulted the rise of a medicament genre that is centered on an intensely esthetic entrancement, kn declare as psychoactive medical checkup specialty.Beca map of this, various artists startd and gained touristyity in the state staining field, get along reinforcing the economic consumption of psychotropic drugs through their craft. In this respect, this paper desire to analyze how the medical specialty of some groups during 1960s, specifically The Doors, The Beatles and The Jefferson planing machine wer e affect by the usage of hallucinogens, and the jar that their harmony had and still prepare at bottom the society. Hallucinogens A Background Hallucinogens be diversified groups of drugs that merchantman alter a persons perception, thoughts and mood.Be puddle it is a heterogeneous group, hallucinogens be state for their varying chemical structures and mechanism of actions as stronghead as different courseward effectuate among its make recitation up ofrs. While opusy take up that hallucination is the instantaneous effect of use hallucinogen, which are identified as assumed perception that maintain no existent basis, it was stated that virtually hallucinogens are much likely to change moods and thoughts rather than the factual hallucinations itself (Richards, 2006).The usage of hallucinogens can be traced from the floor of many cultures notably as a means of religious and mystical gives. put together Veda, which is the Hindus holy password, mentioned t he use of soma, a substance that is cap equal to(p) of bring on higher levels of consciousness among its users. It is believed that Soma is derived from the succus of Amanita Mascaria, a psychoactive mushroom. Similarly, in pre-Columbian Mexico , the Aztecs were remark to give birth employ teotlaqualli, a paste that is derived from the hallucinogenic heyday known as ololiuqui, during their religious ceremonies.both the Aztec priests and soldiers rub the substance on their skin, and it was though that the teotlaqualli eliminates the feeling of fear and places its users chthonian a proper psychogenic state of value to the Aztec gods. The aboriginal slew of Mexico were to a fault mention to ready a long biography of employ peyote, which is mescaline that contains hallucinogens, during religious ceremonies. Likewise, in Salem, Massachu raimentts, it was proposed that hallucinogen use is the main cause of unlikely behaviors of alleged witches during witch trials (Richards, 2006).The real first synthetic puzzle come out of the closet of hallucinogen known as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (lysergic acid diethylamide) 25, was discover in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffman in Basel, Switzerlands Sandoz Laboratories. At that time, Dr. Hoffman was searching for drugs that have medical purposes. He stumbled upon lysergic acid diethylamide and did not name that the verbalise drug have psychotropic blows. It was in 1943, that Dr. Hoffman accidentally consumed the drug that he realized its mind-altering do undecomposed by and by he experienced hallucinations.From thus on, lysergic acid diethylamide was widely distri entirelyed for medical research. It was overly used for psychotherapy as much(prenominal) the term hallucinogenic is used to bring turn up lysergic acid diethylamide which implies that it actually causes the symptoms of common mental businesss (Levinson, 2002). By 1957, Dr. Humphry Osmond coined the term psychoactive in order to come up with more positive label for drugs that have consciousness-expanding properties, and posterior on the term lysergic acid diethylamide emerged. psychoactive was and used by timothy Leary and other advocates of LSD during 1960s in order to market the tell drug as a substance of hot kind that boost an individuals inter and intra-personal savvy, gives a heightened feeling of spiritualty and increased level of creativity. Leary and his colleagues found their breathing in in promoting LSD in the personal indistinguishability of Aldous Huxley (1954), a British novelist and essayist. Huxleys confine entitled The Doors of Inspiration, was one of the major influences that throw in Leary toward the positive use of LSD.The title of the book was based on William Blakes (1963) lecture If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would come out of the closet to man as it is infinite (Blake, 1963, p. 14 cited in Levinson, 2002, p. 76). Generally, Huxleys book chronicled the well-he eled experiences he encountered in government note to mescaline, a psychoactive drug that can be derived from peyote mushrooms (Levinson, 2002). Due to Learys sound advocacy, many people were swayed to use LSD.His devised byword turn on, tune in, drop out spurred many young individuals to experiment with the express drug in order to remove themselves from mainstream society. Likewise, flick stars and entertainers alike lauded the mind-altering personal effects of LSD many have thus farther merged it in spite of appearance their smellstyle that it has draw a square partitioning in the establishment of the hippie counterculture. Hallucinogen and medicine Psychedelic rock During the 1960s the general use of hallucinogens was accept in account to the belief that ingesting the said substances last get overer cable to mind expansion. It was even asserted that, why limit oneself with the experience of life on a banal level when one can experience life in a world where places are unfermented and exciting through the usage of the said chemicals? Due to this, many are swayed by such rhetoric that hallucinogen use has sour a tr ending incorporated in the counterculture lifestyle (Levinson, 2002). Young people tried to exist differently from the conventionality of the society they rather become in large groups instead of small families avoiding life-threatening paying jobs, and generally looking for lighting instead of becoming obedient and duteous citizens.Nonetheless, the medicinal drug of the said era reflected the beliefs and attitudes of the said counterculture becoming the voice to the pertly contemporaries that cared less for power cash and hardly wanted to live after-school(prenominal) the rules set by ordinary society (Grimbly, 2001). The way out of psychoactive rock has played a profound role in reinforcing the understanding that hallucinogen use is an inviting activity that promotes the esthesis of intra and inter-spiritualit y and becoming one with the environment.Many caboodles jumped into the bandwagon of the psychedelic era, including The Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles and The Doors which were considered as the forerunners of psychedelic sound. Before motion to the discussion of the unison of the pertained bands, it is first an insistent to define psychedelic medicine. Popularly known as Psychedelic Rock, psychedelic melody or acid rock emerged during the later parts of the 1960s in California. It was euphony created under the influence of mind-altering drugs preponderantly the LSD.The main features of this form of medicine are the long improvised instrumental passages, which are deemed as the replication of the mind-altering effects of LSD, in the setting of musicality. Likewise, bands who used this form of music clearly shows their willingness to engage in experimentation through effect pedals, that are responsible for notes distortion from guitars, that range from hollo to sustained percu ssive sounds (Grimbly, 2001).Such feature is a clear manifestation of the musicians cutpurse with hallucinogen characterized by their profound usage of distortion of notes and experimentation, which metaphorically represents the strong effects of hallucinogen use. The Jefferson Airplane Considered as one of the most weighty bands during the psychedelic era, The Jefferson Airplane from California experienced a considerable commercial success because of their hallucinogen bring on music. The music of the said band was noted to have epitomized the drug-taking ethos of the hippies. Their interaction with people during their concert mirrored what was going on at that time.The 1967 album known as surrealistic reside contained one of the most renowned psychedelic poetrys of all time which is white-hot hunt. As the term surrealistic indicates, having the experience of disoriented and hallucinatory quality of dreams it was a clear manifestation of the bands inclination to hallucin ogen use and its impact on ones mind (Jefferson Airplanes exsanguinous hunt down, 2008). White Rabbit has rifle a full blown cultural phenomenon as it manifested the rampant usage of LSD during the said period. Written by approval Slick in 1965, Whit Rabbit was influenced by Lewis Carrolls Alices bump in Wonderland.However, instead of maintaining the classics original agency of the characters, Slick infused the metrical composition with hippie messages, do the characters appear a shade darker, erasing their innocence, as it was centered on the purportedly induced hallucinations of hallucinogens. From the opening lyrics of the poem which indicates One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you dont do anything at all. Go consider Alice when shes ten feet tallto the end part that states When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead.And the White sawhorse is talking foulwards, and the Red Queens off with her channel Remembe r what the dormouse said feed your head Feed your head (Slick, 1965) Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit is indeed a transitory var. that is wholly interpreted in the realms of Carrolls classic but in a more hallucinatory light. What adds to the depth of this adaptation is the bands usage of slow down building crescendo, snapping snare drum, strong driving force electric guitar that creates the hallucinatory experience of its own (Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit, 2008).Because of the lustrous representation of hallucinogen used by the Jefferson Airplane, White Rabbits influence extended itself in modern music and culture. The song has been covered by more than 100 di versify bands during their acts, and has been featured in popular television shows such as the Simpsons, the Sopranos. White Rabbit also animate the creation of the book Go take up Alice written by an anonymous writer, which chronicled the life of a teenager who died from a drug overdose.Hunter Thompsons 1972 fil m idolize and loathing in Las Vegas, featuring a man tripping on bad faction of drugs which are LSD, mescaline, cocaine and alcohol gave rise for the recognition of White Rabbit. Slicks pharmaceutical prescription advice was also referred to as the definitive rendition of the film The intercellular substance (1999) during a scene where Morpheus offered Neo a pill and said You take the dour pillthe story ends you wake up in your bed and believe whatsoever you believe. You take the red pillyou wedge in Wonderland and I show you how rich the rabbit-hole goes (cited in Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit, 2008, n.p. ). Based from the given perspectives, it is evident that in spite of Jefferson Airplanes advocacy for hallucinogen use, they remained as one of the most sought after psychedelic bands that greatly impact 1960s and the culture today, as they have become the striking visuals of rebellion that animate various groups and artists, as well as populace to stand for what they believe. The Doors By far the most influential group to emerge in California is The Doors. Their brief but intensely creative career, where they were able to eternalise some of the greatest masterpieces in music storey, has been widely recognized to date.Fronted by self-proclaimed poet Jim Morrison, the Doors was able to establish their name in the field of psychedelic music. From their name The Doors, which is noted to be a tribute for the poetry of William Blake and Aldous Huxleys psychedelic drug book The doors of perception, the band clearly conveyed their music in the context of mind-expansion accounted to hallucinogen use. In fact, The Doors has been widely recognized for their notoriety in the usage of LSD in most of their performances (Whiteley, 2005).According to diversify Manzarek, the groups keyboardist, the early eld of the band was marked by usance of LSD. Due to this, their usage of the said hallucinogen provided them a sense of shared of experiences. for dist ributively one individuals tripping specifics real a sense of bonding for the group, thereby giving them strong emotional feelings for each other, and eventually becoming the symbolic partial of how they created their musicsexual and inhibition rationalise which are strong parts of the LSD experience (Mazarek, 1999 cited in Whiteley, 2005).Although, Manzarek and Morrison did not openly discussed the details of their trips with LSD, the shared knowledge that they did have experienced the said drug has become evident within their trance-like music. Their songs reflected LSD use with each members extended solos. Likewise, Morrisons adjustive character, the Lizard King became the metaphorical representation of the hypnotic powers of the drug that entices the listeners to listen to their music and embrace the wild child within them (Whiteley, 2005).It was also found out that the hallucinogenic experience provided by LSD became the most crucial ingredient for the music of The Doors, a s they believe that its use provided access for them to pass around the metaphysical. As Manzarek pointed out about the hallucinogenic experience and we were off Flying on the wings of love To Nirvana, to the pure land It was divine. It was expansive and harmonious and beatific in one (Manzarek, 1999, p. 120 cited in Whiteley, 2005, p. 143). Apparently, they have used their music to express the exceeding moods that can be experienced under the influence of LSD.Songs such as strike my fire, People are Strange, as well as LA woman reflected the way of life The Doors have lived. Nonetheless, Riders on the hale is said to be the culmination of the preferably hallucinogenic tracks of the band, as it is dark, mystical, and sinister and alienated, further reflecting what it is like to hallucinate (Whiteley, 2005). The music of The Doors keep to fascinate legions of rock fans even after the death of Morrison. During the mid-80s, the doors music was much popular as it has been during 1 960s.Numerous quantities of the bands original album have been sold, including the reissues and run downs of their live materials. By 1991, director Oliver Stone created the movie The Doors which tackled the story of the band. From here, it is easy to point out that the fame of The Doors never ceased despite their inclination to LSD usage (Ruhlmann and Unterberger, 2009). The Beatles The popularity of The Beatles throughout the 1960s has been well documented. They started out as mainstream band that eventually marked the British invasion in the music industry, and was considered as the reason for the arise of the womens sexual revolution.Their ability to popularize trends and the capability of their music to achieve worldwide dissemination, fireed that they are one of the most significant forces in popular music history (Whiteley, 2000). By the year 1967, The Beatles eventually changed pace. From their mainstream music they jumped on to the the Statesn psychedelic bandwagon. Th e release of their album, Sgt. Peppers Lonely hearts Club marked their conversion to the secret music. Such change of pace was considered as a significant factor for the British Psychedelic rock.The Beatles change image and accent mark on both love and drugs as expressed in the Sgt. Peppers album is said to be in perfect harmony with the 1960s LSD-influenced mood. The considerable popularity of the album notably indicates that the absence of the Beatles during the psychedelic era would have made the British counter culture insignificant. In short, the jump that the Beatles created from mainstream music to psychedelic rock open up the British counter culture in the context of cultural themes and music (Whiteley, 2000).Lucy in the sky with diamonds, which was the third track in the album, was considered as the central force underside the British psychedelic rock because it served as the musical metaphor for the hallucinogenic experience. Musically, the songs gentle beats is works directly towards the pulse rate of the listeners making it slow down, while slow geological fault of the harmonies used in the base suggest relaxation that brings the audience into a comfy dream state. Likewise, the melodic lines of each verse is very trancelike, allowing the audience to become reflective, and also creates a feeling of reassurance.Similarly, the well structured rising and falling phrasing of And I love her, For no one, and Yesterday partnered with exotic timbres and filtered vocal delivery makes the audience a heightened evocative good trip. The Beatles knew the effects of LSD and they have enjoyed the hallucinogenic experience. As such, they use it to their own advantage by inculcating it within their music so as to arise a heightened sense of awareness. They used psychedelic imagery such as tangerine trees and marmalade skies in order to strongly endure the spatial dimension experienced during a hallucinogen trip.Finally, their jump to psychedelic music pro mised the audience a route where they can have a changed state of consciousness, which is an bona fide experience (Whiteley, 2000). Conclusion Based from the selective information drawn from the study, it is evident that hallucinogen use has become a significant part of the 1960s history. It affected every flavour of the society which paved way for the discipline of the counter culture known as the hippies. What further reinforced people to go out such drug as an important part of the society was the music that deep reflects the entrancement that can be attain through the use of hallucinogens.The Jefferson Airplanes, The Doors and The Beatles, were considered as the forerunners of psychedelic music. They reflected the beliefs and attitudes of the counter culture and they became the voice to the new generation that cared less for power money and only wanted to live outside the rules set by ordinary society. In this respect, they were able to establish their own call through t heir music that has been significant back then, and is still considered as significant to date. References Grimbly, S (ed. ). (2001). 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