Stenrose

I agree, when under the influence of some psychedelic drug (or even sometimes when just drunk), I tend to percieve things differently. Of course we all know that, but some people don't really "take advantage" of it.

I don't believe you need to be drugged to dig deep down into those meanings and symbolics of art and music, but it lets you focus more and submerge yourself more into the audio and visual expiriences that you want to analyze.

I wouldn't say that psychedelics is the key to analyzing things like Tool's music and videos, but it definetely gives you a second perspective that you might not normally get, which in turn could lead you to understand things better.

That said, I think being "normal" is the most important state though. Psychedelics is only a short-cut or a guide to self enlightenment and better understanding of yourself and the world around you.