The modern social phenomena known as "raves" exhibit prominent themes of Eastern spirituality. Raves are gathering events typically targeting late high school and college age youth, and normally combine pulsating music, fantastic light and computer graphic shows and hallucinogenic drugs in an all-night episode of revelry and dance. Although the combinations of these effects in said environment may facilitate a seemingly spiritual experience, can it be considered "authentic?" From a Pragmatic point of view, is there any point of questioning the possibility at all? The prolific gatherings that originated in England and have been quickly adopted in the United States provide an assortment of possible catalysts for spiritual enlightenment, but in their obtrusiveness and tendency to act as a fantastic spree, stand to thwart chances of true transcendent edification.

Raves are often seen from the outside as a glorified party, an excuse to get high and dance. But to the participants, most feel a shared, non-Self harmony with other attendees. Raves are likened to trance-like tribal rituals where ravers celebrate their unity and shared uplifted state, giving and receiving freely from one another ("The Spiritual Aspect of Rave Culture"). An escape is provided from the materialistic, everyday world into a realm of overt transcendental consciousness and release from the hum-drum state of normal behavior. Ravers often express a individuality and feeling of being "one" and at the same time a connection to others. In his book Ecstasy: Dance, Trance & Transformation, Nicholas Saunders shares a personal account:

Although Saunders makes no direct mention of spiritual ascendance and does not correlate his ordeal to Eastern Spiritual practice, it could be deduced that this experience of the "One" and the "Many" is akin to the persuasions evidenced by followers of various Asian religions.

Through music and dance, ravers work themselves into a blissful, rhythmic state that could be compared to the Zen practice of "walking meditation." With no pressures of ‘social grace’ or proper form, the dancing becomes instinctive and is driven by mind-altering drugs that, unlike alcohol or opiates, prevent clumsiness and promote enhanced sensory perception and higher awareness modes. With no social pretenses or obligations and a shifting of the normal ego-state that permeates mundane routines, the raver acts for the reason of simply acting. As Alan Watts says in his "Lecture on Zen" (aka Zen Bones):

"Techno," the music normally associated with raves, is classified in loosely recognized permutations such as trance, ambient, shamanic, goa and psychedelic (although most all are worthy of psychedelic classification). The common trait of techno is a non-stop, pulsating beat that is often accompanied by emotional mid- and high-range layers of melodic sound, sans vocals. As the name implies, it is created using technology such as synthesizers, drum machines and analog modulation. In an effort to maintain a "return to the source" motif, the tempo is usually fixed around 130 bpm (beats per minute) which is the heartbeat rate of a fetus in the womb just prior to birth. The trance-inducing beat might be taken as the "dadada" which, as Watts articulates in his lecture, represents the all-as-one universe in Buddhist tradition: "'ten thousand functions, ten thousand things, one suchness,' and we're all one suchness." The resonating beat, skillfully maintained by DJs throughout the duration of a rave event, might represent the ‘on-off’ cadence of the world itself.

The feeling of empathy and communication through non-communication at raves is often facilitated by the use of MDMA (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxy-A), otherwise known as "ecstasy." Often misunderstood by the press and public as an aphrodisiac, MDMA acts more as an empathogen affecting serontonin production in the brain and generally promoting understanding, strong empathy and "connectedness" to others. Users of the drug are aware of its effects within 30 minutes of ingestion and the peak effects are normally experienced within an hour. As with the better-known psychoactive LSD-25, sensations of the "is-ness" of things are often reported during MDMA use. During a recent session with a friend who consumed MDMA for the first time, he repeatedly explained how he felt by saying: "Things just are." This invites ideas of "suchness" (tathata) eloquently described by Alan Watts ("Empty and Marvelous" 127).

"Brainmachines" are audio-visual devices that combine pulsating LED flashes through goggles covering the eyes with synchronized sound emanated through headphones. The idea is to encourage relaxation and mood changes. The devices can be programmed to range from invigorating stimulation to consistent meditative pitch to relaxation and sleep-inducing patterns. With or without the accompaniment of entheogens, users have reported various results, the most interesting of which, for this study, revolves around meditation enhancement.

The focus on a mandala, mantra or other ‘holding’ symbol is conducive to meditation and an attempt to isolate senses and maintain concentration (or lack thereof) on centralized stimuli, apparently improving the state of meditation. Brainmachines sold by Photosonix include preset sessions "earth" (Shumann resonance frequency at 7.83 Hz, known as the "brainwave of the planet") and chakra meditation. The chakra preset ramps through the seven body sections of internalization (muse# Owner’s Manual 6). Installations of brainmachines are often deployed at raves and in presence of incense.

Is the opportunity for spiritual experience enhanced at raves? With the wide range of extraordinary effects, it would seem to be fertile ground for metaphysical realization of some degree. At this point, I must paraphrase an aphorism by D.T. Suzuki: "The hand pointing at the moon is not the moon" (8). Aside from the varying physiological and psychological harm possibly imposed by the use of illicit drugs, a dependency danger exists in ravers becoming too "wrapped up" in the event and whimsical circus-like atmosphere that surrounds the rave environment. Although an opportunity exists to open the "Doors of Perception" as Aldous Huxley would describe them, the chance to become enamored not with the "moon" but the "hand" pointing at it is equally viable. In addition to the passing revelations and possible fleeting moments of realization, the overwhelming temptation and luring call of "escape" is present in the opportunistic environment of rave culture.

Even if a truly overwhelming mystical epiphany occurs and transcendence is by chance assimilated, is it of benefit to utilize these modern, often technologically-enhanced diversions as a "short-cut" to satori? Perhaps in the context of escalating hyperspeed American life and the routine displacement that many American youth find themselves in, it is an inevitability and convenience of technological innovation yet another miracle of progress that allows expedient emancipation of Ego never-before-experienced by laymen. Given the right outlook, openness and state-of-being, perhaps raves are an outlet for willing initiates able to see beyond the façade of outward hedonism and chemically-induced mixed signals entrenched in rave culture.

muse# Owner's Manual. Cerritos, CA: Photosonix, 1995.

Saunders, Nicholas and Rick Doblin. Ecstasy: Dance, Trance & Transformation. Oakland, CA: Quick American Archives, 1996.

Saunders, Nicholas. "The Spiritual Aspect of Rave Culture." The Guardian 22 July 1995.

Suzuki, D.T. Zen Buddhism. New York, NY: Doubleday Books, 1956.

Watts, Alan. Lecture on Zen (Zen Bones). Unknown location and date. Available: HTTP:http://deoxy.org/watts.htm. 11 May 1998.

Watts, Alan. The Way of Zen. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1957.