DAWNING OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS.
HERE COMES THE SUN
The 'Love Bomb' explodes
This was the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
Now, 50 years later, I see it as Consciousness was contracting...a whole generation, my parent's generation, was suffering post-traumatic stress from both World Wars, "Men had to be men!"Stoicism was the word of the day and many horrific experiences were not spoken about. And now the Vietnam War was adding to the pain.
Something radical was needed to expand consciousness and release more love and peace into a battle-weary world.
Albert Hoffman's accidental discovery in 1948 of LSD 'acid'-( Lysergic acid diethylamide) a potent hallucinogen had led to "psychonauts" writers, psychologists, and philosophers exploring 'inner space', altered states of consciousness, and insights into the "Nature of the Universe" and the liberation from rigid consciousness.
"Experiments", countries apart, appeared to show one common "religious" experience, a feeling of connection with the Universe accompanied by intense feelings of unconditional love and innate "knowing"- in short an experience of bliss.
A few rogue scientists started producing 'Acid' in large quantities and seeping out into a younger generation, and it quickly became a powerful influence .
The Beatles discarded their suits, and their outfits and music were becoming a lot more 'colorful', and their hair a lot longer.
I was adding a lot more color, and hair too.
Mu
Soon I was regularly 'tripping', walking down the street as the pavement rolled up towards me like sets of giant waves and it became a challenge just to take a few steps. I must have looked like something out of a comic book as I negotiated these waves of ashfelt.
It was amusing, for a while, looking at women with makeup and watching it dance a few inches off their faces.
"BE HERE NOW"
'Be here Now', Ram Das's first book, instantly inspired and excited me when I opened it, a simplified and joyful interpretation of ancient Vedic philosophy and I was delighted how he broke design rules with his own 'funky' style. He focused on uncovering the love in your heart, and becoming present in the 'Now'.
Richard Alpert, had gone to India to see what he could experience through yoga, and the timeless wisdom and teachings of the 'Masters'.
He was taken to visit Nireem Karoli Baba, reputed to be an 'enlightened being’. Enlightened or 'self-realized' beings have a powerful presence of the pure state of consciousness and 'radiate' unconditional love, and are virtually like 'transmitters' who can transmit these experiences, even non verbally, and insights to those whose 'Inner antennas' are receptive.
Having a spontaneous direct experience of pure love in the presence of Neem Karoli Baba, he returned with a new name given to him by 'Baba'= Baba Ram Das, 'Lover of God', He introduced the concept of an enlightened 'Guru', the true nature of consciousness and the love that often lay uncovered in our heart, hidden by the conditioning of outside influences.
Baba Ram Das went on to introduce thousands of people to yoga and meditation, and particularly the true purpose of yoga
or our 'Divine Nature' He encouraged others to turn within to find taht source of that love within their own 'Inner Selves', his popularity continues to grow 60 years or so later, even now after his passing on.
A small Sydney Harbor bay with a bit of bush with a small hidden cave was our main launching pad for budding 'psychonauts' exploring this new 'gateway' to "expanded consciousness".
The sounds of Greensleeves, the musical call to action of the Mr. Whippy Ice Cream van would fill the park like a magical orchestra weaving through the park in and out of the trees as I wandered through the little park overwhelmed by the beauty of the world.I made my way back to my little cave sanctuary I would sit in the cave as my consciousness altered states. To reach the park you had to cross a bridge, this beautiful little harbor-side park in the city became my own little "Itchykoo Park". And it soon became 'all too beautiful'
TURNING ON, TUNING IN, DROPPING OUT
Ram Das's close friend and fellow 'psychonaut' started walking on the wilder side. He shared his own unique philosophy encouraging the 'turning on' with psychadelics, 'tuning in' to this 'alternate consciousness', and in turn 'dropping out' of the mainstream .... many people were doing just that and the alternative culture was growing..
I turned on, was starting to tune in and before long would be dropping out.
Called ' The most dangerous man in America', Leary went on to be involved in many of the famous music and alternate Festivals aligning with Alistair Owsley who was manufacturing LSD and 'turning on' thousands of people, for free. not surprisingly, he spent time quite a bit in jail along his path.
Another who captured my imagination and sense of fun was Ken Kesey, 'Head Prankster' of the 'Merry Pranksters', who hit the road in a psychedelic painted bus 'turning on' or 'tuning in' as many people as possible across America.
Painted in brilliant Day-Glo colors and wired for broadcast sound, they named it Further, painted 'Furthur' on the bus.
A 'Prankster' stood on the roof with a flute 'tootling the multitudes', making sounds to imitate people's reactions.
Clocking up many miles, often high on LSD Neal Cassady, ( Dean Moriarty of Jack Kerouac's ''On the Road''. yet another great read!) drove from California to New York City.
Kesey had written the successful ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,'' and used the money to fund the 'Merry Pranksters'.
Determined to turn people onto this new consciousness, he got a job at a hospital giving him access to the drugs, and created his own experiments at parties called, ‘Acid Tests’ which encouraged 'sensory stimulation'.
THE PSYCHADELIC PIED PIPER
Acid Tests were parties with live music, strobe lights and LSD-laced Kool-Aid and the final Acid Test, the graduation ceremony, was to achieve a new mind set without LSD.He essentially helped blow a whole generation's mind fostering psychedelic art and acid-rock groups like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.
After the bus trip, the Acid Tests, and being sentenced for a six-month sentence on a work farm in 1967, he settled down on his father's farm with his wife and children immersing in community activities and writing.
He wasn't aboard the second Prankster bus trip to the legendary Woodstock
AND THEN THERE WAS WOODSTOCK
"Psychadelics are the medicine of the future"
Literally thousands of 'experiments', countries apart, appeared to show one common 'religious' experience, a feeling of 'connection with the Universe', accompanied by intense feelings of unconditional love and an innate sense of 'knowing'. Some Psychiatrists believed this experience could contribute to resolving many emotional and psychological problems. Today,'Micro-dosing' is explored as a form of therapy, in those days we were more inclined d to 'macro dosing'.The CIA was investigating if it could be a psychological weapon, but discovered it the opposite effect to that they were hoping for, and it was soon to become illegal. A few rogue scientists started producing large quantities and seeping out into the public and it quickly became an influence on a generation.
SURFING RAINBOWS
The surfing culture was also expanding its' horizons, and consciousness as psychadelics were being introduced.
Gerry Lopez, a Hawaii and one of the best surfers of the time became a pioneer of yoga not just an influencer but an inspirer, in surfing said:
"You don't want to condone any drug use, but it was pretty widespread and it certainly
opened a lot of minds to a lot of things I don't know would have been opened by anything else."
Drew Kampion, editor of Surfer Magazine from 1968-72 whose articles opened a window to the era recalled.
"This thing came in, hit with a flurry, and there was a lot of spiritual excitement
around these mind-altering substances,
The idea came out of a very square, '50s / early-'60s realm of consciousness,
and this really was an opening."
Australia was a great influencer in this period. The short board was revolutionizing board shapes, led by some great Australian 'legends' who started winning World titles on these radical boards. An innovative Australian film-maker revolutionized the classic approach of "The Endless Summer" with his creation "Morning of the Earth' using the new psychadelic effects and showing surfers enticingly living on farms close to Nature.It also introduced the magic of Bali to the Surfing world.
Boards were also becoming a lot more colorful and I was creating images of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix for one board maker on a few of his boards.
I was also 'transitioning' from the classic Malibu board shape which was designed to 'glide' to the shorter board which required quicker
responses , more aggresively 'attacking the wave.