My mom is protestant, my dad is catholic. The Christian god was in my life since day one. However, once I got to be a certain age (around five-ish), I began to question things. A lot. So much so that my parents were asked to not bring me to Sunday school classes anymore.

I am not what one would call a spiritual person. I understand the concept, and I appreciate the need. I've just never felt a need for it in my life. I have a definite interest in the origins and history of religions, however.

Rush has a song on their Snakes & Arrows album called "Faithless," and Neil Peart nailed it for me with these lyrics:

I don't have faith in faith
I don't believe in belief
You can call me faithless
You can call me faithless

I still cling to hope
And I believe in love
And that's faith enough for me
And that's faith enough for me

Hope, love, dreams, family, music. These are the things that move me and shape me the most. Now, my wife is a devout Christian, which leads to some interesting...conversations?...between us. She prays for me. lol

I don't look down on those who are religious. People do what they need in order to be happy, and I'm cool with that. I do look down on the actions of some organized religions, however. But I digress.

Don't hurt yourself, don't hurt others, and be happy. Live, laugh, love, rock. Question everything, but expect no answers. Be excellent to one another. That's my bible.

So lyrically, on the surface, I can't relate to Decon. I've never had those kinds of internal struggles as far as "God" or spirituality goes, or about my place in the universe. But that in no way prevents me from enjoying the lyrics and the story. In fact, lyrically, it looks like Dev's best work yet.

This album is going to kick all kinds of ass.

[The Dev]

If you view the concept as a metaphor for fear of yourself, perhaps it would make it easier?

I think thats what it may ultimately be about.

[The Dev]

Oh yeah...and it's almost ALWAYS stream of conscious.

If I labor things or think too much, it ends up shit.

So I guess my question is, are the "Poltergeist" and the "Ghost" one in the same, your demons/past/mistakes and so on, with just a different frame of reference? As in on one hand it's viewed as evil and you need to get rid of it, but then learn that it's just kinda there and you have to accept it and move on? Or are they supposed to be separate entities?

Now that we have the lyrics to all four parts I'm loving seeing the whole picture, and can't wait for the music to complete it. Even though he writes very stream of consciousness like he says, I think there's things we can all relate to in the overall concept. I didn't really get the whole "it's about being accountable for yourself" part when I just had Ki and Addicted, but reading the lyrics for Decon and Ghost have definitely made it all make sense. Stream of consciousness and maybe about Devin personally, but also very touching and true to the human condition I think.

[The Dev]

So I guess my question is, are the "Poltergeist" and the "Ghost" one in the same, your demons/past/mistakes and so on, with just a different frame of reference? As in on one hand it's viewed as evil and you need to get rid of it, but then learn that it's just kinda there and you have to accept it and move on?

yup.

I'm curious now, have all of your past lyrics been mostly stream of consciousness too?

[Octillus]

So in a way... it seems like it's communicating a similar message as Infinity, but from an older, more learned perspective of trying to understand life and the universe around us. And then understanding to just let it flow, because there's only so much you can control. And as an adult understanding yourself and responsibilities in the order of things.

Rad. And it does seem like the clearest version of a message you've been putting out throughout your career.

Good for me since my arrogant mid-20s self is trying to make sense of the fact that we're self-aware chimps with hyperactive brains.

I think there was something that you said in an interview around when Ki was coming out that was particularly humbling, about all of these realizations you've come to, and you speak to folks around your age or a bit older and they're like "Oh, yeah, I remember when I came to that." It's something I certainly try to remember when I give in to the arrogance of youth.


Anyway, can't wait Dev.

If you view the concept as a metaphor for fear of yourself, perhaps it would make it easier?

I think thats what it may ultimately be about.

Yeah, I think I can relate to that. lol

[The Dev]

Every day that goes by, I get dumber. (my last mail seemed condescending...)

my douche-isms know no bounds.

plus...I am truly a dumb-ass. Here's the lyrics for the latest example of that.

'gee whiz! praise the lowrd! Ah lurv mah life!!! hyuk hyuk...'

If you think you truely are a dumbass, maybe consider moving to South London. You'd totally blend in. Although all this deep philosophical natter going down in this thread is swooping right over my head.

*special clap*

Oh yay 1000 posts!

Every day that goes by, I get dumber. (my last mail seemed condescending...)

Huh? What? Where?

He decides to move past that, and wants to meet 'god', and to do that, he goes through all manner of chaos and intellectual bullshit until he is presented (by angels, just to be cheeky) the 'face of god' ...and it ends up being a cheeseburger...

the point is that everything is in everything, the cheeseburger is a metaphor for god, god is a metaphor for the unknown, and the ultimate point is that there is nothing but reality... there are no secrets, or illusions.

No god, no devil, just the infinite. But the character needs to solve this for himself. In a way, it's a forced exorcism.

And the next album is called 'Ghost' as almost a shadow of that quest.

The character (right...character) comes to the conclusion at the end of the 4 records that he knows no more than when he started. And that ultimately, at this stage of human development he is too primitive to understand any of the concepts anyways...but no worse for the journey.

So there are no answers, but less questions if that makes any sense.

Well said, I have come to a similar conclusion in the last few years. It's especially nice to have come to that conclusion in my 30s (as opposed to those who either never do or do so when it's too late) because it leaves me with plenty of time left to just "enjoy the ride," good or bad.

Cheers to Devin and to Steve Vai for helping me to meditate and find "god" with music & guitars.

My stream of conciousness contribution to the thread:

I don't really think I believe ignorance is bliss (as I seem to understand by the statement of Decon.). I believe knowledge and logic..( that can also be admitting you don't know something) and to build upon your experence/comparing things can make you a better person and more confident. So of course you should think about things, but not ruminate about them or get trapped in a downward spiral. Life is a roller coaster ride and acceptance of painful emotions is necessary, I think as they are the flipside of happy emotions. But of course you should be realistic and meet some challenges, that are, ideally, neither to easy( or things get boring) nor too difficult( or they get stressful). It's about finding balance. That being said we are most flawed in some sense and have to come to terms with some of them and try to right others.

I've been reading and listening/watching to some positive psychology if you can tell, hehe.

On a sidenote... I meant to ask at the clinic if Ghost was perhaps inspired by Enya, but was too shy to do so... ( you see... fear, nervousness and failure.. the center of most human problems? )

[The Dev]

The center point is that the arrogance of humans to assume we are capable of understanding the infinite leads to headaches.

I guess I find myself more interested in the equation of the mandelbrot set, rather than the specifics of going into what it creates (which is infinite)

So a grand equation seems much more intriguing to me at this stage rather than the guts of it.

Logic sometimes gets caught up in it's own cleverness maybe? Ultimately it's something that doesn't apply to life? (a cheeseburger for a vegetarian?)

...on and on

Probably not what you were thinking, but when I think of the vegetarian being presented with the cheeseburger, I kind of imagine it as a "Do the best with what you're given" situation, much like life.

Might just be me, though.