jackson@curium.DEC (Seth Jackson) (03/29/85)
decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc12!nm34 Subject: The Dead Experience & Tripping Posted: Tue Mar 26 08:27:57 1985 > One unique thing about Grateful Dead concerts is that approximately >30-50% of the attendees are tripping. This may >not be interesting to those of you out there who haven't experienced the >alternate reality of these 'magical' substances, but those of you who >have, and haven't been to a Dead concert, you should try it. I believe that this is a misconception that reflects badly on the Dead and Deadheads. I would say that at most 10% of the people are actually tripping, if you define tripping as being under the influence of hallucinogens. This type of statement perpetrates the myths that a) all Deadheads are stoned out freaks and 2) You need drugs to enjoy the Grateful Dead's music. It's nice to have a buzz on at a Dead show, as with any rock concert, but it's certainly not a requirement. The Dead's music is so powerful that it induces a feeling of "tripping" in and of itself. "Magical" substances simply enhance that feeling (albeit by orders of magnitude). I myself have managed to thoroughly enjoy upwards of 90 Dead shows without the benefit of hallucinogens. __ "We used to play for silver, now we play for life..." Seth Jackson
abh6509@ritcv.UUCP (A. Hudson) (04/01/85)
> decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc12!nm34 > Subject: The Dead Experience & Tripping > Posted: Tue Mar 26 08:27:57 1985 > > > > > > One unique thing about Grateful Dead concerts is that approximately > >30-50% of the attendees are tripping. This may > >not be interesting to those of you out there who haven't experienced the > >alternate reality of these 'magical' substances, but those of you who > >have, and haven't been to a Dead concert, you should try it. > > I believe that this is a misconception that reflects badly on the > Dead and Deadheads. I would say that at most 10% of the people are > actually tripping, if you define tripping as being under the influence > of hallucinogens. This type of statement perpetrates the myths > that a) all Deadheads are stoned out freaks and 2) You need drugs to > enjoy the Grateful Dead's music. It's nice to have a buzz on at a > Dead show, as with any rock concert, but it's certainly not a requirement. > > The Dead's music is so powerful that it induces a feeling of > "tripping" in and of itself. "Magical" substances simply enhance > that feeling (albeit by orders of magnitude). I myself have managed to > thoroughly enjoy upwards of 90 Dead shows without the benefit of > hallucinogens. > __ > > "We used to play for silver, now we play for life..." > > Seth Jackson Give me a break!!!!!!!!! Of all the unwarranted sterotypes, drugged out deadheadism is Certainly NOT in those. Drugs permeate the deadhead way and always have!! I suggest you read the Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Ken Kesey. For god's sake, if anything, then deadhead => drugs. Having known many deadheads, the only true deadheads (ranked by thier peers) have always had excessive recreational tendencies. Granted that many different kinds of music induce states of mind, but there is no way to escape the Dead's associations with drugs.
nm34@sdcc12.UUCP (nm34) (04/03/85)
I received a letter in reponse to this article on net music. The letter made me sad. This is a part of what I said. > One unique thing about Grateful Dead concerts is that approximately >30-50% of the attendees are tripping. This may >not be interesting to those of you out there who haven't experienced the >alternate reality of these 'magical' substances, but those of you who >have, and haven't been to a Dead concert, you should try it. > ... The Dead, gear their music to >stimulate these reactions to music. The music is at times intense, >moving you higher and higher then dropping you then picking you up and >bringing you even higher. The intensity can get frightening but just >when it is too much to bear, they break into the most sedate and >melodious pastoral music in which you can smell the fields and stream >they evoke. The lyrics are also both stimulating to confusion then >understanding and reassuring. In one song, often played after a long >unmelodious passage, the words "...If you get confused, listen to the >music play..." leap out at you and grab you and hold and comfort you. > > At a Dead concert many people are tripping. It seems as if >everyone is on the same wavelength. >You can look at the person next to you, who you have never met before and >you KNOW that they KNOW what you are feeling. You are really soulmates >for that short time. Brought together by the music but also the >experience. I received this mail message in response to my article: >Hi...actually, I became quite sad when I read your message. I am new to >this music and I enjoy it alot. Before I went to my first concert last >month, a friend told me all about what you were saying except that she >said that people who are tripping don't always accept people who aren't. >She gave me the impression that I might not be welcomed where I had >always been welcomed. It was a definite warning. It made me have real >misgivings about going etc. Well...needless to say, I had a very good >time and in fact no one was mean to me and I found myself very much >accepted. I am hoping that people like myself who don't do drugs won't >be put off to going to a concert after reading what you've said, because >if I'd become so apprehensive after all that my friend had to say that I >didn't go, then I would have missed out on something that I really like >now. > >Sincerely, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX I first want to apologize if anything I said upset you. It is the last thing want to do to keep people from attending GD concerts. I also want to say that I can see how my remarks might be interpreted in a clickish fashion. It is often difficult for me to express my feelings about things I hold to be important, wonderful or fantastic without sounding as if any other way is not as good or wonderful or fantastic. I should have said that a Dead concert or any other musical event is a wonderful thing in itself, and that is where the joy comes from, not from the tripping. The people in the Dead themselves are not tripping, and they seem to be having a good time at their concerts. The only thing that tripping does, and I want to stress that it is the only thing is that it makes you feel these great things more intensely. It makes you feel the unity of the crowd (people on no drugs, stoners, and trippers) it helps to appreciate the "spacy" nature of parts of the music and it makes you think you are in touch with the moment. I will repeat myself, the wonderful aspects of Dead concerts and music in general are there without the trippers, but the tripping adds to it. In apology I dont want to retract anything I said about the merits of tripping ( and I am sorry I am upsetting the sensibilities of some who would wish that I dont talk of such taboo things in net.music) I just dont want my remarks to exclude anyone from the Dead experience. For example, I have been to more concerts without these aids, than with them. I enjoyed them all to the fullest. I enjoyed the ones were I was tripping much more. I would not be honest if I did not admit that there can and is snobbishness by tripping people at Dead concerts. I submit now, that these people would be snobbish if they were tripping or not. They look on the Dead experience as a way to give importance to themselves and they dont understand the true meaning to the Dead movement. The Dead experience is to bring people together in joy. So keep going to the concerts and continue to enjoy them they are for you. C. Charlie
smeier@ihu1h.UUCP (s. meier) (04/03/85)
> Of all the unwarranted sterotypes, drugged out deadheadism is Certainly > NOT in those. Drugs permeate the deadhead way and always have!! > I suggest you read the Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Ken Kesey. > For god's sake, if anything, then deadhead => drugs. > > Having known many deadheads, the only true deadheads (ranked by thier > peers) have always had excessive recreational tendencies. > Granted that many different kinds of music induce states of mind, > but there is no way to escape the Dead's associations with drugs. Come on, what's this "true deadhead" crap? Deadheads are as eclectic as the Dead's music. There are no tests to pass, no requirements to join, no standards to maintain. Anyone who enjoys the music can consider themselves "deadheads". To *most* of us, it doesn't matter whether or not you use drugs, or whether you go to concerts only in your home town, or anything else at all. Sure, many deadheads use recreational drugs, but that certainly does not make either implication valid (deadhead==>drugs or drugs==>deadhead). Yes, the Dead have an association with drugs, but that has little to do with many deadheads' enjoyment of their music. Steve Meier.
jackson@curium.DEC (Seth Jackson) (04/04/85)
>> I believe that this is a misconception that reflects badly on the >> Dead and Deadheads. I would say that at most 10% of the people are >> actually tripping, if you define tripping as being under the influence >> of hallucinogens. This type of statement perpetrates the myths >> that a) all Deadheads are stoned out freaks and 2) You need drugs to >> enjoy the Grateful Dead's music. It's nice to have a buzz on at a >> Dead show, as with any rock concert, but it's certainly not a requirement. >> >> The Dead's music is so powerful that it induces a feeling of >> "tripping" in and of itself. "Magical" substances simply enhance >> that feeling (albeit by orders of magnitude). I myself have managed to >> thoroughly enjoy upwards of 90 Dead shows without the benefit of >> hallucinogens. >> __ >> >> "We used to play for silver, now we play for life..." >> >> Seth Jackson >Give me a break!!!!!!!!! > >Of all the unwarranted sterotypes, drugged out deadheadism is Certainly >NOT in those. Drugs permeate the deadhead way and always have!! >I suggest you read the Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Ken Kesey. >For god's sake, if anything, then deadhead => drugs. Electric Koolaid Acid Test is ancient history. Do you really believe that that's how it is today?? >Having known many deadheads, the only true deadheads (ranked by thier >peers) have always had excessive recreational tendencies. "True Deadhead"? What on Earth is that?? >Granted that many different kinds of music induce states of mind, >but there is no way to escape the Dead's associations with drugs. Of course the Dead have historically been associated with drugs. I never said they haven't been. I suggest that you carefully reread my original posting. __ "We used to play for silver, now we play for life..." Seth Jackson