Attracted to the dark?

[Tangwystyl]

I've noticed in various threads that many people have mentioned liking music that has darker overtones. Also some people's avatars seem to have a darker theme to them.

I am curious how many people went through a period, perhaps in their teenage years where they listened to heavy metal, thrash, death metal, emo, gothic or other genres of music that society considers dark or bad. And if so what has attracted you to this area?

I spent some years in gothic circles and many years as a hippie.. the two polarities I know. I am not attracted to evil in any sense. But I used to love the thumping bass of metal, and the lyrics filled with pathos resonated with the sadness in me. For me the gothic culture was not about vampires or any of that, but was about the literature (Byron, Poe), the clothing and the fact that they accepted the social outcasts. i wore black because I didn't want to be seen, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Tell me have you had such stages in your life?

[Darkflame]

Yeah, all I used to listen to was dark electro-rock music, usually with meaningful lyrics rather than incomprehensible screaming.

Of course these days I've been listening to alot of jolly Ska music and the like, but I still often listen to the darker stuff and I can't deny a few years ago it was a huge part of my life, and definately the musical direction I would take as a musician.

[Fragments]

I can be a big Black Metal listener. All my life I've been attracted to ''extreme'' forms of music, although thats beginning to diminish and I'm starting to take note of some lighter, more accepted types of music that I resonate with.

I feel that it's all in how the individual percieves the music. It's not the ''evil'' that I like, most of it is ignorant. It is usually a ''stage act'' that few take seriously anyway. I don't really even like the lyrics, usually. Ideally Black metal wouldn't have lyrics, I'd much prefer the soundscapes alone. Most of my music recently has shifted from fast-paced ''death metal'' to a sort of slower depressive ambient black metal. I guess I like the range of emotional expression, however dark and cold it may be. It expresses how I can feel sometimes, and how I usually felt when I was younger.

[EnemyAtLineSix]

depends on the mood, which is why there is a ton of different styles to be enjoyed.
woo for itunes and bit torrent.

[Tazjma]

I came in when goth was applied to Count Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein...not to general dress or music. I was attracted to the hippie movement but resisted most of its pull. There was a very dark underbelly...with cheaper drugs (beyond heroin) first hitting the streets. Before then, alcohol was king as the means to get buzzed...and still is in many circles. Perhaps because I have been plagued or blessed by having a sensitive body I never allowed myself to get caught up in drugs.

When I hit my teens it was considered avant garde to have long hair, wear beads, cut-offs, peasant shirts and sandles. Before that we had the surfers and greasers... Things change and they don't change. I walk through stores today and see what I was wearing over 30 years ago and laugh...Cycles...

Today I prefer fresh air, organic food, flannel shirts, hiking boots and a good walk in the woods!

Taz

[blackrose9824]

I dyed my hair black for years... and was I guess associated with goths- most of my clothing is still black... but I love the bright random colors- so I've been called a hippie goth...
Music preference is all over the place... most of the time on the same cd... I'll have NIN, Bollywood, Happy hardcore techno, Reggae, country, and whatever on one mix... ha lol
drives people in my car nuts!!!
Since massage therapy school- I do scrubs, sweats, and tank tops... comfy all the way..

[EnemyAtLineSix]

yay for misreading threads too.
i prefer darkness by nature
light is beautiful in all ways yes, but light is also beautiful in the complete dark too, trails and the likes, woot
like being in the deepest regions of the sea/ocean
usually i tend to enjoy watching sunrise, its so beautiful, and then to stay up until everyone goes to work, wake up when everyone is gone, peaceful ;p

[fairytiger]

Hi I'm new. But just wanted to get this off my chest. I liked heavy metal as a form of my mood when I was a kid. now I just listen to what ever is out there. Mostly hip hop. I like the beat. But "Evil" that was me, I have a saying I spent the first 26 yrs. as the right hand man (woman) of the devil. Now I can see myself as the right hand of GOD. (And Universe ) I have to much power and had it at my hands to easy. I use to use it to get what I wanted or change the game. I'm sad about that now. I have wasted so many years . I hope I can make up for them. My life has been such a mess, I am finially getting things straight and heading in the right direction. Sorry if I seem to be all over the place I'm just bursting with my new life, love and the awww of it all .
blessed be,

[Annette]

Fairytiger,
*Great big cyberhug* Congrats on your new direction! Don't worry about "wasted years." Life lessons are never wasted time. How can you use those important lessons to better yourself or help others? The dark side is not necessarily bad. Its the flipside of light but dark/light share a oneness just as two sides of the same coin share oneness.
Much love and light and another cyberhug!
Annette

[fairytiger]

Annette,
thanks for the cyberhug! Right back at ya! I feel so good now you have no idea. And thanks for the new perspective on the dark, lovely way to view things Thanks!
blessed be
Sarah

[Sunshine]

Fairytiger,
*Great big cyberhug* Congrats on your new direction! Don't worry about "wasted years." Life lessons are never wasted time. How can you use those important lessons to better yourself or help others? The dark side is not necessarily bad. Its the flipside of light but dark/light share a oneness just as two sides of the same coin share oneness.
Much love and light and another cyberhug!
Annette

Hi Annette. I've sent you two emails (in response to your PM to me) and one PM and have not heard back from you. I'm assuming that your email is not working or there is some other technical problem. Can you please verify this?

Thanks
Sunshine

[ocean_soul]

The time leading up to the Great Meltdown of 2003 I was very much attracted to dark/depressing music. Once I had my favorite band of the time, Stabbing Westward, playing out loud in the studio and after a bit one of my classmates stopped working and said, "This music is so depressing, it's like we're all going to commit suicide or something."

^^;

I no longer listen to Stabbing Westward non-stop as I did prior to the Meltdown, but I still listen a lot to goth, ebm and darkwave. I find myself very much drawn to the music of VNV Nation, a lot of their songs focus on war. I got into them after a person mentioned that a vignette of mine sounded like it would have been perfectly at home in VNV Nation's discography.

[angelalouisa]

love all

[fairytiger]

attracted to anything that to me represented freedom and rebellion, non conformist. I still am now- a being of light with a splash of darkness lol I always seeked out the light but I enjoyed looking for it in the dark

I can totally see that, I don't think you could have put it better.

[ethtardo]

jst wondering if anyone likes to wear black..i mostly just have black or white shirts..n always use black while meditating..a lot of other people who meditates also seems to be wearing black..
and a student of mine in one of my meditation class said that im too into mystical things coz i wear black and meditate ALOT.n thats one view that is often misunderstood,that black is evil or mystical..i wear black while meditating coz black absorbs more energy.

dark isnt evil..just a dimmer shade of light..

[fairytiger]

black means protective, secureity, and grounded. if used in healing with colors
i like that dark isn't evil.. just a dimmer shade of light.
Ethan, i see we meet again...again thanks grounding that is definately you...

[Sunshine]

jst wondering if anyone likes to wear black..i mostly just have black or white shirts..n always use black while meditating..a lot of other people who meditates also seems to be wearing black..
and a student of mine in one of my meditation class said that im too into mystical things coz i wear black and meditate ALOT.n thats one view that is often misunderstood,that black is evil or mystical..i wear black while meditating coz black absorbs more energy.

dark isnt evil..just a dimmer shade of light..

What about wearing black?
Bio-electrography measurements seem to suggest that wearing black creates weakening and fragmenting of our electro-photonic bio-energy field. In view of the evidence collected by Dr. Chalko using bio-electrography, wearing and promoting black clothes seems to be an act against human Nature and well being.

http://bioresonant.com/faqb.html

[Tangwystyl]

That is interesting, it should also be pointed out what he says about wearing white:

Bio-resonant garment contains ALL colors. Would wearing WHITE also work?
Our research seems to suggest that the most stimulating is a distinct CHANGE of well-defined light frequencies. Not only is white a terrible and chaotic mix of frequencies, but our body and mind quickly get used to it. When we get used to something - it doesn't stimulate us at all. Our perception works on contrast. White by itself provides none. Results of some independent University studies seem to indicate that the best thing to do with white (and also black) garments is to take them OFF.

What about wearing black?
Bio-electrography measurements seem to suggest that wearing black creates weakening and fragmenting of our electro-photonic bio-energy field. In view of the evidence collected by Dr. Chalko using bio-electrography, wearing and promoting black clothes seems to be an act against human Nature and well being.

[Annette]

Hi Annette. I've sent you two emails (in response to your PM to me) and one PM and have not heard back from you. I'm assuming that your email is not working or there is some other technical problem. Can you please verify this?

Thanks
Sunshine

Sorry, Sunshine. I read the report and it was right on! Thank you so much for doing this!
Much love,
Annette

[ethtardo]

well in my experiences..its like when u go out on a hot day and wear black,u feel warmer much quicker.i usually meditate in a room with lots of windows,so sun rays can come in and i can absorb it n pick the energy i need from mother earth.

i know i dont have a scientific reasoning behind all that,but it works for me.