PLUR and spirituality

Like many electronic music heads, my first exposure to spirituality came through drugs.

In the early 1990s, the rave scene was happening. Hundreds or thousands of people would assemble to dance all night. Often in illegal locations.

It was through rave that I learned about the philosophy of PLUR:

Peace

Love

Unity

Respect

What this means is:

Internal peace and acceptance

Love for yourself and others

Unity consciousness (we are all one)

Respect for yourself and others

For context, rave came out of Great Britain. The UK was a rough place at the time. Maggie Thatcher was making bold, painful moves to bolster the economy. There was a lot of unemployment.

Before raves and long before clubs, people went to pubs. They drank. The vibe was divisive. There was lots of fighting.

Raving completely eliminated the barriers. People who would have previously fought each other now danced together. It was transformative. It was unifying.

Why PLUR is spiritual

The combination of elements in PLUR has a lot in common with Buddhism.

Several decades after learning about PLUR, I began exploring Buddhism. I wish I had connected those dots earlier.

Buddhism emphasizes compassion and non-harming. It teaches us how to be fully present. It teaches us the meaning of happiness and how to be happy at all times. It unites people and explores the idea of a deeper unity consciousness.

There are so many similarities between these concepts and the ethos of PLUR.

Lasting bonds

Many people dismissed PLUR as naive. They saw these ravers in baggy clothes, sucking lollipops, on drugs and laughed.

I get it...

But, my deepest, most meaningful friendships come from people I have raved or clubbed with.

There is a bond and connection that lasts WAY longer than the drugs.

Nobody talks about PLUR now, but that feeling and intention is still there. I randomly met some people in Amsterdam in 2021 who share my passion for electronic music. They are now extended family.

I am guessing you have similar experiences. This is part of what makes electronic music culture so special.

And whether we like it or not, electronic music culture is linked with drugs.

PLUR is long gone. But my hope in this era of bottle service and showiness is that we can still find these true connections. We can truly connect to the music and through each other.

That is what PLUR did for us.