Hippies wanted to live in harmony with others. Much of the sixties counterculture was concerned with ending discrimination and ensuring individual rights, especially for minorities. The black power movement inspired the new left student leaders, and the sixties saw the birth of the women’s movement and gay liberation. Hippies were among the most active supporters of the emerging environmental movement. They actually tried to practice what they preached by setting up alternative organizations, some of which are still around today.

Hippies also believed in the power of certain psychedelic drugs to facilitate personal transformation. We were encouraged by our musical leaders to “feed our heads” (Grace Slick) and “break on through to the other side” (Jim Morrison). Hippies realized the benefits these altered states of perceptions provide. Open, but selective, use of drugs was one of the hallmarks of the hippy paradigm.

Hippies valued all forms of creativity and often blended them together. We sought wisdom and inspiration from any source, no matter how unlikely it may first appear. Music, dance and the visual arts were key components of the hippie lifestyle. Music and politics became closely linked. Psychedelic music had roots in a wide ranges of genres, including rock, blues, jazz, and bluegrass. We were known for listening to San Francisco and LA psychedelic bands along with the British rockers. Other parts of this site contain much more information about hippy music and other forms of creativity.