inspiritme

cultural legacy of the 1960s

..wondering what's going on in the world...?..

" Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption." John Stuart Mill

We live in momentous times, at a historical point of confluence of a range of escalating global and personal pressures. On the one hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020 clinical depression will be the second largest cause of the global health burden, currently standing at 40 million prescribed cases in the West. Why is this ? We have never been more affluent or had more opportunities to purchase luxuries our forebears could only dream about, enjoying unprecedented leisure time. We can travel with ease to wherever we want to go. Our children enjoy superb education and are bombarded with career opportunities. Our TV and PC give us access to instant awareness of a global culture, arts and literature formally the preserve of a priviledged few. Fresh water, wholesome food and modern healthcare are instantly available.

It all sounds so good. And yet, apart from those who are literally going mad in the midst of this materialistic utopia, many more experience a general sense of unease and discomfort. Nothing you can necessarily put your finger on, just a feeling that...somehow something is not quite right. Maybe it's the awareness that while many are becoming wealthier, actually levels of extreme global poverty are increasing, with vast numbers dying unnecessary and avoidable deaths for the lack of a few pence. Or maybe, as we sit in the daily traffic jam belching out poisonous fumes into the atmosphere, there is that uncomfortable thought that it's actually us who are creating a global environmental catastrophe. "Oh well.. can't be helped... I have to pay the mortgage, the gas bill, the life insurance, the council tax, the loan repayment. These problems are the job of government to solve... Just as long as my own taxes don't go up, everything will be alright... " Or maybe, its something about the way that things are changing at work in a way that compromises personal values, but if I speak out they won't like it... so best to keep quiet for the sake of the pension, the holidays and a quiet life...

The point is that rather than appreciating our relative stupendous wealth, many actually feel poorer. We have, bit by bit, moved into a society where the constant message inflicted on us by advertisers is that, to be happy, we need MORE. More stuff, more drink, more sex, more food, more holidays, more distractions and. of course, more money. And when we are still not happy, we need more people to blame; the government, young people, the opposite sex, foreigners....

What is actually going on here ? An imaginary visitor from another planet might be forgiven for thinking that they had inadvertantly strayed into the galactic lunatic asylum, rather than a "jewel of the cosmos", managed by a human species that possesses the imagination, intelligence and technological ability to solve any problem with which it is confronted, but instead appears to be locked onto a trajectory of global catastrophe. A simple answer is that the problem is human nature and nothing can be done about it. A slightly more complex answer is that the political, media and financial establishments have tied us into a lifestyle that promises us everything but instead delivers a subtle imprisonment that is difficult to escape from. Also, it indicates that needed change is somehow achieved out there, with more rules, procedures, initiatives and enemies to blame...., rather than in here, the only place where true lasting change can occur.

Arguably, the single instance that symbolised and defined both the obstacles and opportunities marking our transition into a planetary post-industrial digital age, was the first live global television link in 1967; a programme called "Our World". Broadcast to 26 countries and watched by 350 million people, the programme brief was to come up with a song containing a simple message that would be understood by all nationalities. Defining himself as a revolutionary artist whose art is dedicated to change, John Lennon came up with:-

  "There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
  Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
  Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
  It's easy. All you need is love."

To define this era, which began to change from that point, in terms of flaired trousers and unrealistic pipe dreams is to miss the point. The alternative culture of the 1960s saw a widespread awareness of and participation into two linked streams of transformative psycho-spiritual influence; humanistic person-centred therapies originating from a group of radical US psychologists and Eastern religious traditions. The concept of radical transformation of consciousness and being, reflected in a loving respect for others and the natural world, underpinned both.

Almost immediately, the hippie dream soured and became ridiculed in public awareness. Substance gave way to Style in the 1970s, the peaceful benevolent influence of psychedelia turned into a more sinister emphasis on hard drugs and benign ideas of a liberal socio-political radicalism gave way to the values of the market and the pre-eminence of the bottom line. Fast forwarding to today finds a growing mainstream awareness that we are, in fact, facing not just threats from environmental destruction, horrific crimes of violence, global food shortages, financial instability, terrorist outrages, to mention just a few... but rather a wholesale collapse of a way of life. Perhaps our collective lifestyle, in some aspects, has reached its sell by date ?

The same influences that inspired The Beatles to move from making pop songs to sitting in meditation, speak very much of the principles of death and rebirth. That something has to die in order for something else to be born in its place. That from the harsh depths of winter new life always emerges in the spring. That from a society at risk of auto-destruction, the principles of a new culture and civilisation are sprouting in the hearts and minds of those who feel that, somehow, something is not quite right. This includes those in the caring professions, or from a background of person-centred management, who feel that the traditional caring values are being squeezed out, at great peril. It can also include the recognition that the principles of profitability and the market-place are not necessarily compatible with the type of wholesale changes which really do need to take place. This website aims to offer tools, resources and perspectives that might aid in giving definition to that new movement that is taking shape in growing numbers of people, and which has its origins in the same influence that flowered in the 1960s, became hidden and is now emerging in new forms for the 21st century. Those forms include new methods of self-work which utilise digital technology, rather than LSD and marijuana, to create changes in our thoughts and emotions, as well as exciting new genres of literature. The website is conceived of as a labrynth with the suggestion to just follow where your interests and curiosity indicate and see where it leads. After all, as Lennon indicated, you can only be where you're meant to be.

 Recommended Products

The World's First Digital Drug. This is a 60-minute brainwave entrainment audio CD which includes specific frequencies that research has shown to be associated with particular experiences. 20.215 Hz mimics some of the effects of LSD-25. 30 Hz is linked to Marijuana. 2.5 Hz is associated with pain-killing and reduced anxiety through the production of endogenous opiates. And this isn't all.... The manufacturer states that there are no adverse effects. Around £15. Free worldwide delivery.

Astrology . Many believe that the energy and social movements of the 1960s are indicative of the birth of the Age of Aquarius (Wikipedia info).  Certainly, a well-produced natal chart; an individual interpretation of conditioning influences at the time & place of birth, can be a useful tool for self-awareness, knowing oneself and helping make sense of personal ups and downs. AstrologySource.com offers a comprehensive service from experienced practitioners at modest prices, including many free resources and useful information.

link to astrology chart services

Self Healing Expressions. A comprehensive and fascinating website offering a range of e-courses on various subjects at around £17 each, which came into public awareness during the 60s. Topics, covering the spectrum of contemporary spiritual and self development themes, include Reiki, Shamanism, Nutrition, Soulmate, Discovering Life Purpose etc.. Worth checking out.

Inspirit Me Bookshop.  The influence of the 1960s is alive today in a large number of issues we take for granted now but have their origins in 60s counterculture; including counselling, equal opportunities, the green movement, alternative energy, maternity leave to name but a few. We have here assembled our selection of what we think are the top 5 sources of future influence to understanding the crises we face today. Click each item for full reviews.

         

Democracies Children. The burned bras, draft cards, and even the American flag. But what drove a group of young Americans to democratic revolution in the tumultuous years of the 1960s, and what made them think they could win? In this new book, Edward K. Spann looks at the motivations and values of the young rebels of the 1960s. He links their fight for equality for African Americans, women, and other marginalized groups to the democratic values of their World War II-era parents. Spann provides a cultural portrait of who the rebels were, what they thought, what they did, and what became of them after they crossed that magical divide of age thirty. Democracy's Children will fascinate readers with its colorful depictions of the individuals, events, and drama of the 1960s.
Esalen.Jeffrey J. Kripal here recounts the spectacular history of Esalen, the institute that has long been a world leader in alternative and experiential education and stands today at the center of the human potential movement. Forged in the literary and mythical leanings of the Beat Generation, inspired in the lecture halls of Stanford by radical scholars of comparative religion, the institute was the remarkable brainchild of Michael Murphy and Richard Price.Set against the heady backdrop of California during the revolutionary 1960s, "Esalen" recounts in fascinating detail how these two maverick thinkers sought to fuse the spiritual revelations of the East with the scientific revolutions of the West, or to combine the very best elements of Zen Buddhism, Western psychology, and Indian yoga into a decidedly utopian vision that rejected the dogmas of conventional religion. In their religion of no religion, the natural world was just as crucial as the spiritual one, science and faith not only commingled but became staunch allies, and the enlightenment of the body could lead to the full realization of our development as human beings.
Small Is Beautiful. First published in 1973, this controversial study looks at the economic structure of the western world in a revolutionary way. Schumacher maintains that man's current pursuit of profit and progress, which promotes giant organizations and increased specialization, has in fact resulted in gross economic inefficiency, environmental pollution and inhumane working conditions. He challenges the doctrine of economic, technological and scientific specialization, and proposes a system of intermediate technology, based on smaller working units, communal ownership and regional workplaces, utilizing local labour and resources.
Be Here Now. A social scientist recreates his search for expanded consciousness, through the psychedelia of LSD to the final calm and inner wisdom of Rajah Yoga.
The Medium Is The Message. First published in 1967, this text is now more relevant than ever, as McLuhan's foresights about the impact of new media is actualized at unprecedented speeds via the Internet. It portrays technologies as an extension of man, illustrating how our senses are massaged and our preceptions altered as these devices become integral parts of our lives.