Dr. Lawson

[3rdi(O)]

Some people have been saying that the doctors name is Dr. Wasson, which would make sense because he studied the religious use of mushrooms and the next song could be interpreted as a hallucinogenic trip the user is on. However, R. G. Wasson was not a Doctor. What I hear instead is Dr. Lawson. I searched google for this Dr. Lawson, because there is nothing of him on Wikipedia, and found this:

"Over the past decade, a research project was conducted at an Anaheim, California hospital by Dr. Alvin Lawson and physician W. C. McCall. Their research has led to a scientifically testable hypothesis in regard at least to some alien abduction experiences – the so called ‘Birth Memories Hypothesis.’ The birth memory hypothesis asserts that some alien abduction experiences are a spontaneous involuntary fantasized sequence of images and events unconsciously based on the witness’ own prenatal or birth memories. Interestingly, this was given little credence in the alien abduction research community and was mostly ridiculed by prominent ET-proponents."

To me this makes more sense that it is Dr. Lawson. I have not contemplated the meaning in relation to Rosetta Stoned yet so I am curious as to everyones thoughts on this.

Here's the link: http://www.ivanfraser.com/articles/conspiracies/milabs.html

[ProfoundHaytred]

Thats really interesting.. I wonder the validity.

[zol]

I just cranked it with the headphones on and I think you're 100% correct. He does say:
'I'm Dr. Lawson'

Reading the article now. Definitely linked. Well done. It's all starting to make a bit more sense ;)

[StereoScopicLenses]

I just cranked it with the headphones on and I think you're 100% correct. He does say:
'I'm Dr. Lawson'

Reading the article now. Definitely linked. Well done. It's all starting to make a bit more sense ;)


THANK YOU FOR POINTING THIS OUT... in another thread posted under LK I mentioned I heard Lawson. Not Wasson.. Good thing I'm not crazy and am the only one who hears Lawson.

[ZeroPointEther]

Impressive. I also hear Lawson every time but never bothered to look it up. It just can't be a coincidence anymore that this particular Dr.Lawson did a thesis on alien abduction. I doubt if there is really a message behind the song, but I'm kind of convinced that this is where they got the name from.

edit :
now this snippet is interesting (http://www.magonia.demon.co.uk/arc/80/boundary.htm)
Alvin Lawson precedes me in noting the striking correspondence between bad LSD trips and abduction experiences in terms not only of emotive engagement, but of bizarre somatic threats such as umbilical pain being a common narrative sub-plot. Far and away the most useful observation, however, is that nightmares provide the ideal model to map abduction experiences. Nightmare overwhelmingly involve powerlessness. They commonly reflect certain basic fears of childhood: fear of completely dissolving or being destroyed; fear of mutilation, castration, loss of body parts; fear of isolation and abandonment; fear of loss of sustenance and love; and an inability to control the body. They are intensely rendered dramas which utilise numerous motifs familiar among abduction stories: chase, capture, torture, imminent catastrophe, wild kinetic sensations, and eerie background scenes. Regarding the last, it is especially damning how fog frequently finds its way into abduction tales, this being a form of artistic license utilised in dozens of SF movies and programmes and possessing a lineage stretching back to Lovecraft and probably beyond

[3rdi(O)]

Thanks for the post Zero. It seems that this is very much related to Lost Keys and Rosetta:
"Alvin Lawson precedes me in noting the striking correspondence between bad LSD trips and abduction experiences in terms not only of emotive engagement, but of bizarre somatic threats such as umbilical pain being a common narrative sub-plot."

It's late so I will just put out a couple quick ideas here. One thing is that it seems Maynard choose Dr. Lawson for a reason and not someone like Dr. Grof, who studied LSD experiences extensively. With this in mind I then look at what Dr. Lawson contributed in his research of alien abductions. One thing that I found, as I posted above was the birth memory hypothesis or BMH for short. Initially when I listened to Rosetta it came off as a bad LSD trip where the guy thought he was being abducted by aliens. Now that I know about the BMH I look at the song from a different angle. Which seems to be an important idea throughout most of Tool's records. The idea of not taking things for face value. I still look at the song as a bad trip, but within that bad trip I now think of it as him remembering his birth represented by many many metaphors. I can't go into deeper analysis now because it is late and I don't have a solid theory yet, but this is how they start right? Some ideas come together to eventually form a solid theory. That is the hope anyway.

One more thing is that the reason why I think these two songs need to be analyzed is because of the track names. Lost Keys(Blame Hoffman) and Rosetta Stoned. When I first read these song titles they said puzzle to me. I may be overanalyzing, but I remember when I analyzed Lateralus in depth I felt extremely rewarded and enlightened for that matter at the end. I may not get that with this cd, but I have to hope there is something. Anyway this is all fun for me, keeps my mind stimulated. Hopefully this sparks some ideas and discussion. Go.

[Vicarious_Lee]

I heard Lawson, but both could be 100% valid in this case. Im pretty sure that Maynard Knew of both of them before hand, its not like maynard not to do his homework.

[3rdi(O)]

Thanks for the post Vicarious. The other option to Lawson would be Wasson, which is what others are saying. However Wasson was not a Dr. from what I have read. He did do research on mushrooms as a religious experience so him being the person is definately possible. I'm not saying it isn't Wasson, but I feel that there is more supporting evidence for the person to be Lawson, as I have posted above. Of course this is all my opinion, but I am pretty sure that It is Lawson. If someone can show me better evidence for it being Wasson please do, I am open to it.

[blackandwhite]

I don't think anyone can now disprove it being Lawson.

[The Dharma Bum]

I definately hear Lawson

[HallsOfMandos]

I may be wrong, but I hear "Hello, my name is RED HERRING..."

[3rdi(O)]

Hmm.. and this argument is a red herring because????

[zol]

As I said above I agree that it's probably Dr. Lawson but then I thought that the way the dialogue is played out, it's like the doctor and nurse are just regular Dr/nurse in a regular hospital. The 'patient' would not have just wandered into wherever Dr. Alvin Lawson did his research I wouldn't imagine.

It all ties in and makes sense with Dr. Lawson's studies but it really sounds like the abductee/tripper has ended up in a normal medical hospital and the staff are trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with him.

I love the link with Dr. Lawson (thanks third eye) but the more I think about it and listen to the track the more unlikely it seems...

[ZeroPointEther]

Indeed zol. They do sound like a regular doctor and nurse.

It seems likely however that Tool named him Lawson deliberately. There is probably only one doctor in the world at most who would ever do a serious study on alien abductions and the related psychology. Too much of a coincidence imo.

Nonetheless, this song is probably the "hooker with a penis" track of 10.000 days, considering the sarcasm in it and because of the not so meaningfull theme.

[Q'ayin]

After looking into this more I'm going to take this as the rational foundation for many of my own feelings on the two songs, for awhile.

This allows at least most of the other major points of view I've come across, as well as leaving several of those which it allows unaddressed/unchallenged. Of course.

As for the chosen-one theme, early childhood is now frequently a hard place from which to recognize the equality of others.

[anarcho-commie]

This makes way more ssense than Wasson or Watson. Thanks for the research.

[ZeroPointEther]

As for the chosen-one theme, early childhood is now frequently a hard place from which to recognize the equality of others.

yeah absolutely. I've had many occasions when I was little where I wondered if the whole world and its social rules was one big setup like the Truman Show, with myself as the center of it. Kind of a bummer that it's not, and that you actually have to make the best of it as it is...without godpowers and stuff...yet