Education and PLURR

Dear John and respectively Katherine,

Your website is amazing. It really conveys an aesthetic sense of enlightenment through living, in general.

The rave scene here in Southern California, as well as in the metropolises of America, is in a constant state of decline as the media focuses more and more on the derogatory aspects of the community.

Because of the rave scene's neo-social stigma we are beginning to see the ideals of PLURR diminish among ravegoers due to the mass of people who now come to rave because the media labeled it THE place to go to take drugs. The majority of ravers that I have seen lately are those who come only to attain physical stimulation from other ravers and visual/auditory stimulation from the rave in general while on ecstasy, etc. This is the facade of raves here. I can only hope that the love they feel and radiate is incorporated in their lives outside of the venue.

I'm part of (what we call) a "movement" consisting of ravers who feel the need to educate people, specifically parents of younger ravers, about the importance of PLURR. We are also trying to show society what raves and gatherings were (I think) originally about, which is expressed in your website. Right now "Parents Night Rave" is planning on hosting a rave oriented to teach people a variety of philosophies that were evolved into the scene, the science behind drug effects, and basic things like "why do ravers wear that crazy jewelry and baggy pants"?

I plan on showing the Parents Night Rave planners your website in hope of getting us on the same page so to speak about this project's goals.

But mainly I'm writing you to tell you how wonderful it is that you found dance and natural ecstasy to be beneficial to your life. One of my only hopes for humanity is that people somehow become intrinsically motivated to expand their mind and well of knowledge, transcend societal and personal barriers, and experience the epitomes of existence.

A bit about myself-
I've been raving for two and a half years. Now I am 18. Since I was very young dancing has been an important part of my self-expression. But for most of my childhood and before I began dancing at raves, I felt so inhibited by fear of ridicule that I only danced in my head. Techno, specifically trance, music was always just simply fun to listen to until I heard the first track that made me feel so unbelievably human and alive (Cygnus X-Moonman's Orange Theme).

Life in general has always given me peak experiences; like watching meteors, children making sandcastles, writing poetry or playing piano, but never had I felt so compelled to interact with a stimulus. When I first started raving I didn't know how to dance. But eventually I realized that it comes naturally if you let the music take over your body and allow yourself to express what the music means inside your heart and soul.

The ecstasy I've done a few times has never compared to natural ecstasy I hope everyone can feel to pulsing rhythms, kaleidoscopic colors silhouetting the sea of people, the beat of your own heart jumping from the confines of bodily being, and a celebration of music and dance.

Sincerely,
Alicia