I have heard from a lot of people that in 60s or 70s, there was this culture common. People doing LSDs, dancing, having strange aesthetics, entry of Eastern religions into West and all that spirituality and if I am not wrong, conservative institutions of that time in West like church, families, and etc. did not like that and were in opposition of that.
I have never met a person who used to be a hippy so I thought why not ask here. What made you a hippy? What was your parents’ reaction? How long did you remain a hippy? How was the experience?
You have to understand that society was quite restrictive back then. This was something we considered truly new. We were breaking out from the long established norms. Today, it’s taken for granted that being different is okay. It wasn’t then. The music was incredible. Everyone was experimenting with different styles and instruments. Drugs were bad. A lot of overdoses and bad trips. Festivals were amazing. Like any era, it had its good and bad, but it felt like we were the colour in a world of black and white. Hippie didn’t have a strict definition. I was hippieish. Most all the people my age were. I had long hair and bell-bottom jeans and went to festivals because that was the style. Of course, my parents hated it, but they were surprisingly laissez-faire about the whole thing. (Except when I joined a cult. They had big issues then). I think the adults mostly shook their heads and hoped the fad would end soon.
You’ve gotta tell us more about this cult
It didn’t amount to much. We gathered in the leaders home and were fed propaganda. It was almost like the early version of fake news. Anything that didn’t come from within the group was suspect. We were only going about six months then the police came in and removed all those who were underage. It got some of the insiders thinking about what we had become. I don’t think I would have listened to anyone else, but when the people inside the group started questioning, it got everyone questioning.
That sounds eerily reminiscent of a certain American regime in power
There are definitely similarities. Although, probably all countries and power groups use some cult techniques to enforce loyalty and acceptance.
I heard that some Christian churches have forbidden keeping beards from this time to look different from hippies. Is it true? I feel jealous of you guys sometimes cuz like you were such a young society yet you guys did it. Where I live, we never had that hippie thing atleast I did not hear of that.
I’ve never heard of that. Didn’t happen in my area. The hippies who went to church were called Jesus Freaks. They had an uneasy but not hostile relationship with the churches.
Many Christian cults came into being at that time if I am not wrong like Jonestown, Branch Davidians, 12 Tribes, Ant Hill Kids, and etc.
Yes, lots of communes and cults all around. People were looking for meaning and answers to the big questions of life.