Music, Transcendent Spiritual Experience, and the Grateful Dead
Get Shown the Light October 13, 2023 DOI: 10.1215/9781478027324-008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the Grateful Dead's improvisational music was intended by the band members to induce transcendent experience and that this motivation is religious in nature. |
Abstract
This chapter first discusses the associations between music and spiritual/religious experience. Then, drawing on band members’ own discussions, it establishes that the band members themselves (and not just their fans) understood their music, particularly their improvisational music, as potentially a means of inducing transcendent experience. It further argues that this motivation behind the band’s music can be understood as religious—not merely “spiritual”—in nature.