Reading Psychedelia

[Dunderhead]

I'm certainly not surprised about Jung or Hesse. One of the things that helped create the psychedelic movement were the "nature boys" and proto-hippies who were mixed up with German life reform ideas that came to California in the late 19th century. This is where a lot of stuff like health food and vegetarianism, and sunbathing, and fitness come from. Both Jung and Hesse associated with the life reform movement during the early 20th century, and resort towns sprung up in Europe that put those various ideas into practice. These ideas, that even Brian Wilson was influenced by, were developed by post-Romantic German thinkers like Rudolf Steiner who further developed the thought of Goethe and started the ecology movement in general.

[ghost]

I'm certainly not surprised about Jung or Hesse. One of the things that helped create the psychedelic movement were the "nature boys" and proto-hippies who were mixed up with German life reform ideas that came to California in the late 19th century. This is where a lot of stuff like health food and vegetarianism, and sunbathing, and fitness come from. Both Jung and Hesse associated with the life reform movement during the early 20th century, and resort towns sprung up in Europe that put those various ideas into practice. These ideas, that even Brian Wilson was influenced by, were developed by post-Romantic German thinkers like Rudolf Steiner who further developed the thought of Goethe and started the ecology movement in general.

Check out Eden Abhez. Brian met him during the Smile Sessions.

[roll plymouth rock]

People were pretty into Castaneda in the 60s too

[donald]

Speaking of Jefferson Airplane, here's some information about Crown of Creation (I stumbled across this novel back in the day when I read a lot of science fiction):

This was written by Airplane singer/guitarist Paul Kantner, who based the lyrics on the science fiction novel The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. The title comes from the line in the book: "They are the crown of creation, they are ambition fulfilled - they have nowhere more to go. But life is change, that is how it differs from rocks, change is its very nature."

I cut & pasted it from here. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=14316

I found that story in a SF compilation long ago.   Being an Airplane fan I locked right onto those words.  Then I realized it was no surprise given Paul Kantners love of the genre.  Gotta wonder how many other Kantner songs had "borrowed" lyrics.

[Dunderhead]

People were pretty into Castaneda in the 60s too

Thanks I mentioned that one earlier but I had forgotten the name. I read his first book and found it a little disappointing to be honest.

[roll plymouth rock]

People were pretty into Castaneda in the 60s too

Thanks I mentioned that one earlier but I had forgotten the name. I read his first book and found it a little disappointing to be honest.

Yeah I feel he was sorta cashing in on the hippie mystic thing going on at the time

[rab2591]

Anyone here ever read 'Cosmic Consciousness' by Richard Bucke?

http://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Consciousness-Study-Evolution-Compass/dp/0140193375/ref=pd_ybh_20?pf_rd_p=280800601&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_t=1501&pf_rd_i=ybh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1BN347G6RTJNYWBR783K

I haven't, but I was thinking about getting it; and wondered if anyone here would recommend it...seems like it would be considered a psychedelic book.

[Dunderhead]

The trippiest book I've ever read is probably Julian Jaynes - The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. It's from the 70s so it's a little too late to be psychedelic, but it's a real mind bender. The premise being that during pre-history, up until about 1000 BC, humans didn't experience consciousness in the way that we do today. Instead people were essentially schizophrenic, and "heard" voices commanding them to do things, and these voices became known as gods. The Pyramids for example weren't built by fully conscious individuals. The author of the book uses evidence from every field imaginable. He does a literary analysis of The Iliad and Odyssey to show how consciousness developed between the two. He considers philology, ancient Assyrian art, neurology, psychology. Really interesting stuff. Just like Robert Schumann heard symphonies playing in his head when he went insane so "Homer" probably "heard" The Iliad being recited to him. Jaynes even postulates that Native American civilizations were still bicameral when the Spanish arrived. It's the sort of book that doesn't get much mainstream attention, but it's really captivating when you read it, and just sort of clicks.