--Kind of ironic...--

[Borris]

Do you not think it is sort of ironic that we are all discussing what the song means when in the song it states that over thinking and over analyzing seperates the body from the mind? I sometimes wonder if we are over analyzing some of the songs we hear and I sometimes wonder if we should just accept them for what they are.

What do you guys think?

Borris

[rewnfloot]

Writing, and sharing, your interpretation is good because it gives you a chance to think about it more logically (and understand it better) than you might otherwise. A lot can be gained from hearing how someone else interprets it- such as gaining new insights which can be helpful for self-evolution.

You're right in that we sometimes dwell on meanings too long, but as for seeing more meaning than intended, I don't think that's a problem. Over-thinking can be a problem, but so can under-thinking. There's nothing wrong with just listening to a song, but it seems rather numbing to pop in a CD and sing along without thinking just to keep your brain occupied.

[ShackledEidolon]

What says that seperating your body from the mind is a bad thing? The only thing that this will impede is the desires of the flesh. When we are worried about what we are going to eat, where we are going to find shelter, and when we are going to get-off we aren't thinking about spirituality and any growth of consciousness.

At the same time though the other line "...withers my intuition" might be a negative thing...unless of course intuition is based on false pretenses (physical restraints)

[mike tyson]

Ironic... yes
True... yes

Kind of funny, but everyone has their own interpretations on everything. This board is the opinion board which gives us fans the opportunity to express what the song means TO THEMSELVES, not what they think Marynard means. You're correct about the lyrical irony, and this message board, but it's great to spread your opinion out to others, and maybe enlighten them, or give them another viewpoint on a song/video. The song kicks my as- , ( ah, the gods of censorhip ), and this song in a nutshell means to me evolution. We must evolve ( spiral out ) as a human race, evolution and new levels of thinking/enlightenment. By ' spiralling out ' , we might just ' ride the spiral to the end, and may just go where no ones been ' .

[The Border Line]

Originally posted by ShackledEidolon
What says that seperating your body from the mind is a bad thing? The only thing that this will impede is the desires of the flesh. When we are worried about what we are going to eat, where we are going to find shelter, and when we are going to get-off we aren't thinking about spirituality and any growth of consciousness.

At the same time though the other line "...withers my intuition" might be a negative thing...unless of course intuition is based on false pretenses (physical restraints)

Shackled took the words out of my mouth (OK, only some of them.....) But I'll just add that in the song Lateralus, separating the body from the mind is the GOAL. Perhaps Maynard WANTS us to overanalyze his music. It even says in the quote on the main Opinions page, "I just get resentful and upset when people don't use their heads about stuff. It upsets me when people sell themselves short and let themselves down, whether it's education or information."

I'll continue my overanalyzing, thankyouverymuch.

[moonburn]

the funky thing about evolution is that it doesn't go anywhere. it's about what works- that's all. the whole idea of a spiritual evolution was coined in the sixties by folks who tried to reconcile science with religion. lateralus. imagine a single line representing the entire scale of consciousness.. imagine yourself somewhere on that line. the funny thing about this line is that it extends into infinity and being infinite- places no importance on where you are on the line. think of the idea of being lateral(not up or down, but to the side). stay on the point that you are on and develop another way. a new way.
the idea of embracing the random takes paramount importance here in that what the song is saying is that life has no inherent intention or meaning. embrace that idea. in the parabola video the whatever pointed star is made by a cat's cradle. anyone who's read the story by vonnegut will understand. it just is. everything exists because everything exists

[ShackledEidolon]

There is a lot of wisdom in that statement. I do feel that you are right in the idea that the parabola is an infinite curve and that it in a way represents the karmic wheel that the soul is trapped in....that even though we may learn new things we will remain connected to that wheel for eternity...but to truly transend we must move in a direction not found on the wheel...sideways...accept that part of ourselves that is lateral to us...to spiral off of the circle (we would still kind of have a rotation as we left the confines of wheel)

[akinoyugure]

I already posted something similar under the thread "seperating the body from the mind". I thought it would apply here also. For a more detailed comment,
make your way over there :)

It seems people want to cite the song Lateralus as a reason to just "enjoy the music" and "not think" about what Tool is saying. That is absurd. I'm not leaving opportunities behind while being at this message board. The only reason I am here is because I have nothing better to do! If you are here, think and analyze. If you find yourself not enjoying the moment then stop immediatly! However, I think this sort of thing is fun. I'm embracing the moment right now. this moment...OH YEAH!

The problem with the OVERanalyzing is that it is "withering his intuition". Look up the definition of intuition and you will see why.

[Mike]

Originally posted by The Border Line


Shackled took the words out of my mouth (OK, only some of them.....) But I'll just add that in the song Lateralus, separating the body from the mind is the GOAL. Perhaps Maynard WANTS us to overanalyze his music. It even says in the quote on the main Opinions page, "I just get resentful and upset when people don't use their heads about stuff. It upsets me when people sell themselves short and let themselves down, whether it's education or information."

I'll continue my overanalyzing, thankyouverymuch.


but see, over thinking/analyzing relies to much on concious thought and reason, and not enough on intuition...........but i still can't totally make sense of why separating the body from the mind is a bad thing (although i have some ideas in the "separating the body from the mind" thread)

[Morgoth]

Hello,


In addition to the above post:

"Over thinking over analyzing seperates the body from the mind....withering my intution"

I think it means that if you worry, and over think relationships you end up being fake and phony because you lose your intution...the invisible hand that guides you.


I was in some counseling, because I worried too much, especially regarding relationships with people close, and far from me as well as social situations.

There is a technique called "Centering". Its a form of relaxation and something that gets your mind off these over analying thoughts...


In other words it brings you back into your body ....the moment ....the now ....so you can trust your instincts and be yourself

thanks for listening

[Vincent]

I worry too much about relationships.....I can get myself crying even when nothing's wrong....*looks into this "centering" shit*

[djm]

Just in reply to the "infinite line" theory posed by moonburn... I thought it was an excellent and simplistic means of offering an insight to Lateralus.

I recently wrote a piece for an online collaboration re. the presence of 'hope in adversity', and I referenced several passages from this masterful track...

I personally interpret the meaning as opening our eyes to the limitless array of variables that are open to us in all that we may choose to pursue, those that allow the boundaries to be pushed "outside the lines of reason" despite the seemingly non-transient nature of 'good' and 'bad' ie. "black and white".

"Embrace the random"... to combat the experience of adversity, and to come to nurture and cherish those capabilities that remain, and to engage them for all that they're worth. "Swing on the spiral of our divinity"... hardships and turmoil should not be viewed upon as solely detrimental to our wellbeing... they should push us to push our own selves into realizing what we have to offer, that we are 'divine' in just being US, that we may take adversity and use it as leverage to appreciate all that is GOOD... that no matter what, HOPE will spiral infinitely... "keep going".

So there you go...

[stagger lee]

if we think such questions as the meanings of songs are irrelevant because they cant be reduced to simple black and white terms then we are dangerously close to positivism. im not sure if this is really in the spirit of tool. how many bands can we dissect in this way? if you go at a sum 41 song with a scalpel you may find little more than hot gas inside! the fact that we can post for hours on the point of a tool song does not preclude a gut emotional/ physical/ spiritual response to the same song. its just another division in the same league.

[moonburn]

i don't know what you meant by "in the spirit of tool" but it seemed to strike me in a particular way. tool does not "have the answer." they have an answer. i hear a lot of "well this isn't what maynard or tool thinks therefore it's wrong" and it bugs me. it bugs me that people can't disagree with the songs. they argue about them like they're the bible and interpreting them is going to give them some ultimate truth. though that MIGHT be the case, don't assume that it will be.

again, i'm not sure what you meant by what you said, but i just had to get that out.