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    marye
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    In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.

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  • capt tapes
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    Religion, Spirituality and Deadheads
    the dead and deaheads are and always have been proponents of freeform expression. I must strongly encourage all of you to not repress you expressions of joy, extasy, spirituality and any other of your feelings or emotions. The consequences could be disastrous, you my cease to be you! I love you, the capt
  • Hal R
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    mtfreak
    Very well said. Thank you.Hal If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. Wiliam Blake
  • this one
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    energy
    Yeah, there was something going on at the shows. I only saw them 6 times when Jerry was alive and once since, but one show in particular, Nov. 10, of '73 at Winterland, comes to mind. I got in line at 7AM in the rain, which eventually stopped, but there were already 20 or so people there. They let us in at 4PM, show started at 7:30, played for 3 1/2 hours plus break time, plus at Winterland the stage was 4-5 feet above the floor so I'm standing up for the whole show, so it's a pretty long day. But when I got out of the show I felt "energized" somehow. I smoked whatever pot was passed to me and drank some beer, but no chemicals, yet I stayed up until 3AM, no coffee, nothing, just this energy buzz. At the time I wrote it off as a "contact high" but something was definitely up. I now believe that whatever it was came from interaction between the Dead and the crowd. The time I saw them without Jerry was in '04. I noticed that they didn't jam on their songs as much and no space (not at THAT show, anyway), but the crowd got into it the same way as before, lots of swells of applause with no pattern, neat atmosphere. But I think the energy flowed from both directions; from the band to the crowd, back and forth for the whole show. The band lit the fuse, but without the crowd, THAT crowd, not the same effect. That line in 'The Music Never Stopped' comes to mind....while the music played the band, Lord, they're setting us on fire...the "music" is referring to the crowd. I've seen other bands and gotten a good feeling, but nowhere near as consistently as the Dead. Something definitely was going on at their shows that seemed beyond the natural.
  • mtfreak
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    Connection to a higher energy is where you find it...
    To me, "God", or "The Tao that can be named", or whatever you choose to call the higher energy of the universe is a VERB not a NOUN and that makes all the difference. Even the bible says the name of The Lord is "I am" - a process of being. When you see it like this, it is easy to see how religions are all talking about the same process, even using similar stories, when you see the content as symbolic. Unfortunately, many people that tie themselves to organized religions get so caught up in the content - man's interpretation of it all, that they exclude other perspectives and argue over details. To try to know the dynamics of such a huge force, we must listen to and respect the perspectives of others. It is like a hologram - the more points of light focused on the one truth, the more clearly we can see. Knowing this, all ritual serves the same purpose, to connect us to a higher energy level, whatever you choose to call it. Going to a Grateful Dead show was spiritual in this sense. Energy came through the band, to us, and we increased it and gave it back, creating an energy loop that lifted ALL of us up - band members included - to a higher level. Spinning was one way to focus and build that energy, but there were others. When you consider the archetypal symbolism in the songs as well, there is no doubt that we created our own form of church, "living myth" as Joseph Campbell called it. But that ability to connect to the flow of energy didn't end at shows. Showing thanks and connecting with the small but meaningful moments in life is another way we express our connection to the higher energy. When we come together to practice gratitude and ritual the energy increases. It is important to me that we remember that a Grateful Dead show was more of an experience, often spiritual, than it was a concert, and we were lucky to have been able to participate in it. It connects us in an important way and we should remember and foster that connection.
  • this one
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    relieved
    I thought I might be the only Christian deadhead on the planet. Right now I look to God and the bible for spiritual truth and wisdom; I look to the Dead for entertainment. Sure I see parallels between the 2 sometimes, but the Dead never claimed to be God. God has never let me down, and, as entertainment, the Dead haven't either.
  • heathaafeathaa
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    wow
    just came across this topic.what a way to end a beutiful day.i enjoyed reading what everyone posted,thank you all for sharing your truths ,your inner beings. when i was growing upmy mums family would go to 'long house ceremonies up in new york.im turtle clan mohawk so as a kid i learned that the creator is in all.it was to me a way of life,you lived balenced,harmonious.giving.respectful.so.on.i also on my dads side had the catholic'dogma side.then my mumstudied 'variouse'things on spirituality.the simple things i could embrace.i journyed off as i got little older,,always confused about god.music weather it was the dead or others held me together.i learned from friends to play instruments/ it connected me to somthing.life to its shape things ,got more confussing.then god saw it fit that i would again reach out to him.my own experiences have taught me it is not a belief or an ideal.that is dogma to me.it is always a journey of learning humility.helping others,of service.tolerance,forgivness"NO MATTER WHAT",that gives me such peace and freedom.as i continue to grow up,i have found a power greater than myself,that loves me,forgives me and that i can turn to in all my afaires.i cannot try to understand this age old perplexity.nor do i wish to.it does not matter.if i as a human being can live a life being principled,and when i cause harms,take an action to do somthing different and make it right w/another.to me thats love,thats peace.thats goodness.as long as i have unity w my god on a daily baisis i will continue to grow ,and change and experience all that im suppose to.its a leap of faith i have taken and it evolves its not eclussive. prayer and meditation is what also helps rearange my soul.thanks for letting me share,on this topic w/out being judge on my beliefs.peace heathaafeathaa
  • paintedmandolin71
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    that was by the way...
    The Tao Te Ching...verse 71
  • paintedmandolin71
    Joined:
    am always
    up for a good dance!!your right hal,pop in a good show and all chores get done in harmony..i had the best time choppin wood today..it was all about crazy fingers and the tao of choppin wood!!heres a goood one for all to ponder... To know that you do not know is highest.. To not know,but think you know is flawed.. Only when one recognizes the fault as a fault, can one be without fault.. Therefore the sages are without fault, because they recognize the fault as a fault... That is why they are without fault:D have a grate day all!!and prosper!!.......--Moondrop
  • TigerLilly
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    Perhaps if we reactivate virtual dancing
    with her, she will come back, Hal. Paintedmandolin would join us too, am sure. SunnyG-am dancin' now! ********************************** Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live. Samuel Clemens
  • Hal R
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    this space
    paintedmandolin - we have had some good talks over on this forum. I wonder where SuunyG has been. Did she just do the virtual Dead dance and move on the next virtual space? If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. Wiliam Blake
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In one of the other topics, one of the folks seemed not to be so sure of the reception he'd get for saying he was a youth minister at his church. In my experience, Deadheads span the full spectrum from Agnostic to Zoroastrian. I've met atheist Deadheads, Muslim Deadheads, Buddhist Deadheads, Catholic Deadheads, Jewish Deadheads, and Wiccan Deadheads. My Deadhead friends are all over the map on this stuff, and as far as I'm concerned one of the real richnesses of the scene is the ability to see how things look to other folks and, sometimes, experience it from their world. Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on. But talk about it here, and please maintain a safe respectful place to do so.
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Hey, great name there brother-sister.I hope that one of the enduring legacies of Fare Thee Well is that no one has to treat being a Deadhead as a contradiction to any other aspect of their life. When more non-Heads realize how many Head have been living in their midst all these years, they might start to recognize the common traits in them.
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The blue moon this weekend makes me look back.: 5 young adults in my extended family went to FTW there with their Deadhead parents (not exactly dragged there). Each came away ready to confess: There is NOTHING like a Grateful Dead concert. The full sensory immersion, plus the overflowing love, peace and harmony shown by everyone there, did much more than would any amount of listening to recordings. But full credit to the band, to continue to experiment and innovate, to improvise new music in front of a massive crowd which did have its skeptics. Morgan40, I read the article you link below. There is unquestionably a message of hope and redemption running through the Dead music, but it would be too much to say that it is only draws on Biblical influences (which I know you did not). In the same way, I would not want anyone to think that my avatar implies I see a unique link between my faith and Dead-ism. That’s not any more true of my stealie than someone who inserts their favorite team logo on the Face.
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what`s your religion. Music takes your spirit and gives you wings so you can soar upt to heaven if you want to.I`m very grateful to the spirits that my baby-grandson , born July 31 - two days ago - is healthy and so beautiful........
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amen, amen. Thanks for your note, Graceful Dead. I feel very blessed by the Fare Thee Well event. I was fortunate enough to fly into the states and attend the last night. It was a bit sad to say good-bye, but really i feel like the music means as much to us now, and can lead us to shine our love lights into the future. Know our love will not fade away. Hey, btw... did you happen to see the following article??? http://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionnow/2015/07/once-in-a-while-you-ge… Peace be with you and yours, a sister down under
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Turn around and I'll be there like a road leading home.We are everywhere⚡️
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Heard Phil yell that after Box of Rain encore 12-18-93 Oakland col. Great show!!
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I'm In Adelaide. I was lucky enough to see both Santa Clara shows. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to the guys as a group, but we can't say goodbye to the Music. What they started 50 years ago is still evolving, and will continue to as the legitimate genre it has become. Thanks, Guys! See you at Bluesfest, loveandpeace (Sat Tedesci Trucks, Lucas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and Joe Bonnamassa)
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I'm in Melbourne. We're an American family with three children, who came here four years ago. I was blessed to attend the last night in Chicago... my original hometown. It was a beautiful night, spent with folks from tour 20+ years ago. I have to admit that i felt both inspired and sad after the shows. The spirit of the shows lingered for weeks and i was completely blown away by how the music and the vibe of a show was just as relevant and important for me now, as it was back then. In fact, it felt like it had just been too, too long. We need that music, and i think you are right... it's so important, that it will evolve and stay alive. anyways... i'll have the check out bluesfest. Any music suggestions are welcome, as i haven't got a clue down here. Peace be with you and yours, jennifer
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Three observations about the infectious lilt that is the pace of Grateful Dead music (and that gives Deadheads their characteristic walk while listening to Jehovah's favorite choir). John Mayer said that the pace of Dead music made him notice how different it was from "everything ..processed and quantized and gridded out – to hear 'Tennessee Jed' played with that lope.." And in Kreutzman's recent interviews he stated that one of the main lessons he learned from Garcia about music was to play "a really full four beats. Don't rush to the end of the bar". Finally, learning that the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds have joined the Giants in planning Grateful Dead nights (thanks for the tip from Holly Hiker), makes me speculate that a steady, measured pace of things might make for more overlap between Dead fans and baseball fans than there is with football fans. I'm runnin', but I take my time.
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You know who I mean. For their unrivaled track record of creativity and innovation, continuing even today, in light and sound. For the highest level of musicianship, sustained over many decades. For the breadth and durability of their own songbook. For their lively and invigorating interpretation of the traditional American songbook. And of course the testimony of the fan base, who the word "loyal" does not begin to describe. No other band has ever had anything like that following, neither in their heyday nor continuing so long, long after.
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A mighty giant had laid down to join his ancestors. But he fell across the trail in the Pacific rain forest that we were hiking on. The forest service cut the tree to re-open the path, and left the fresh face of the trunk at about eye level, leaning up the hill side where it fell. The outer edge of the bark was a deep rust color, and the color had been seeping down in the month or so since it fell. In successive rings, though, the inner core had brighter and brighter tones, until the central core was virtually white. And centered there was a pattern that resembled a tree in outline, with a great canopy spread above the center point, and a vast root system below. At the well spring of life for that large creature was the very idea of Tree, the Form of what each tree of its kind should be. Though this particular embodiment of that concept was now to begin its very prolonged decay, it is succeeded by many, many others which sprang from the same source. Or maybe I am projecting my feelings about my father in his decline.
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Sounds like compassion ,pouring out of the pores. Very Beautiful, THANK YOU ,GOD BLESS .
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PEACE ,TOO AWL,KEEP ON TRUCKIN. YEAH, LOV LIFE !
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GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WAIT,THEY REALLY DO ,EASIER SAID THEN DONE I KNOW ,BEING AS ONE WITH IN IS A GOAL,YOU CAN ALWAYS UP,WERE EVER YOU GET YOUR ENERGY FROM ,BE GRATEFUL!
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Going thought some hard times ,same as everybody else ,just looking around,man its a different world,been sleepin,lol lol ,wake up tomarrow ,[spellings bad]lol.PEACE.
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English!LOL
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I do hope that what sounded like a very good night for you did not turn in to a bad day come morning.
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All is Good,All is Well,opened up a couple more doors, Thanks for Asking, Hows things on your end?
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Thanks for asking, 1973. My Dad died two weeks ago; myself and my siblings were at his side, trying to comfort his passage. We can always wish that the inevitable will be put off a little longer, but his very long, very fruitful life had finally run its course. All of his 15 young adult grandchildren participated in his funeral (and two great-grandchildren delighted the very large crowd that gathered). One grandson did him proud, and moved everyone in attendance, by reading a passage from Saul of Tarsus: "Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you." What more could you want?
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Very sorry for your loss.....it is never easy.....it sounds like your dads memory was honored and will continue to be.
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I'm sorry. May God's peace be with you and your family. What God did in Saul's life, renaming him Paul, is amazing. HE can change us all one person at a time.
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Im truly sorry for your loss,Saul to Paul,WoW, Strenth,Love,God Bless...
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Prayers With You ...
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!!!
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Thank You !!!
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It is my impression that a high percentage of Dead Heads are 5-for-5 on the beliefs that William James lists in his 1902 book "The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature" as the "characteristics of religious life": 1. That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance; 2. That union or harmonious relation with that higher universe is our true end; 3. That prayer or inner communion with the spirit thereof—be that spirit 'God' or 'law'—is a process wherein work is really done, and spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, within the phenomenal world. 4. A new zest which adds itself like a gift to life, and takes the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism. 5. An assurance of safety and a temper of peace, and, in relation to others, a preponderance of loving affections.
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Tom you hit the nail on the head, those words ring true here. glad that you are enjoying your new musical stash.... please pay it forward...