20 Jan Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine
The above lyric from The Door’s song The End does not even begin to describe the varieties of spiritual-seeking that have gone on in Joshua Tree and the surrounding desert since the beginning of recorded time.
First of all, the land itself is riddled with vortices and ley lines pointing to strong spiritual energy.
Secondly, the land around Giant Rock and the Integratron was holy land for Native Americans where the north and south tribes met annually.
Third, the Joshua trees were named by Mormon travelers who imagined a desert filled with praying plants- to them the trees looked like Joshua holding up his arms to God in supplication.
There are more reported UFO sightings in Joshua Tree and the Mojave Desert than any other place in the US. In the 50s this brought an influx of the curious, the eccentric, and the rich. (Whether this has anything to do with spirituality is debatable, but some people think it does so I’m including it as it’s fascinating.)
In addition to the spiritual flowering in the 50s, there was another in the 70s concerning spirituality, hallucinogens, rock and roll, and the counterculture. The above-cited Jim Morrison often took acid trips in the area, as did The Rolling Stones, Donovan, and many musicians to follow. John Lennon recorded The Joshua Tree Tapes in the 70s.
Of course, later U2 recorded their album, Joshua Tree. And amongst a certain crowd, partaking of drugs in the desert remains a popular pastime.
All in all, however you plan to enjoy it, you are in store for a magical time on a day-trip tour of the desert.
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
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