The Spirit of Raving
The Spirit of Raving 
Dance ecstatically to the techno beats, become mesmerized by psychedelic visuals and mind-bending music, stay up all night and explore an enhanced state of consciousness... What is raving? Check out the rave FAQ for a more thorough attempt at defining it. You may also want to explore Hyperreal for in-depth information on the music, publications, mailing lists, and activities often associated with the world-wide rave scene.
But many will claim that the rave experience is much more than the
sum of its parts. Dancing for hours to trance-inducing music
in a mind expanding, sensory stimulating atmosphere often
creates a focus much different from the typical nightclub scene.
Good raves have what is referred to as a ""; a shared feeling
of togetherness and excitement that takes us beyond simple hedonism.
Egos and personal prejudices are left behind as people celebrate life and
feed off of each other's positive energy. The party becomes a
spiritual ritual in which the music's machine-driven
beats and transcendental
sound timbres synchronize our bodies and souls to the
rhythms of the universe. We feel connected not just to
each other, but also
to the forces of nature that revolve around us and pulsate within us.
Some see music and dance as a means for spreading to the entire
planet feelings of Love and Unity with
everything that exists.
The rave experience is unique to each individual
and no single person can define what raving means for
anyone but hirself. But certain themes do seem to repeatedly
emerge from ravers who try to express the magic they
discover at these gatherings. For some, the magic is a
sense of oneness with music that transports them to another realm. To
others it is the positive energy and ecstatic joy
they share with their fellow ravers.
Usually it's a combination of many
such feelings.
The Spirit of Raving archives contain
the thoughts, feelings, visions and dreams of ravers and
others who are associated with the global rave culture.
There has never been a definition
or manifesto on what rave ideology is supposed to be. The spirit
ravers have discovered comes from
the feelings and insights experienced when we come together
in a tribal communion on the dance floor.
