Tool: Parabola Meaning
Song Released: 2002
Parabola Lyrics
We are Choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside...
This holy reality, this holy experience. Choosing to be here in...
This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:There is an psychologist named dr rick strausman. He wrote a book titled "dmt: the spirit molecule." it was a report on some studies he had done on a psychedelic substance called n,n-dimethyltryptamine. The fda approved him to administer the drug under a controlled environment to a group of different people from different backgrounds. This chemical also is found in your pineal gland in your brain. It is medically documented to be released into your bloodstream during birth death and any near-death experience in between. The penial gland forms in the fetus the 44th day after conception. It is beliefs of buddhist and hindu religions that the 44th day after conception is when the soul "enters" the body. Coincidence?
Okay now getting to the point... During the studies all volunteers described the dmt trip as a separation of body and soul. They described it as their soul leaving and entering a "white light". Ever heard of people having near-death experiences involving this? Well, he submitted his reports, and published his book, the fda deemed that further studies of this drug would cause social upheaval due to the belief that it was nearing a scientific discovery of the existance or non-existance of a god. The fda cut off his authorization and changed the drug to a schedule 1 drug (the same legality as cocaine, heroine, and such). This song describes a dmt trip.
Another wierd coincidence... The album artwork includes an image from the cover of the book.
Http://www.Myspace.Com/thefallengrace -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:Now I believe a few people here have gotten from this (these) song(s) that I have. It's a very spiritual, not religous, but spiritual in a way that this life you've been chosen to be given is not something to be taken for granted. It's a sacred thing to be alive and breathing, just to appreciate all life around you and how simplistic the beauty of it is. Now, I don't think Maynard wants people to listen to them high, as he is avidly against drugs (see: thirteenth step album and rosetta stoned) but he wants us to see things from two perspectives.
This reality that we percieve.
And not so much an afterlife, as a sort of pre-life, where we are all but one life force, joined together, as seen at the end of the parabol/parabola video.
When he says this body, he means the one he's actually in, his own skin, the song is told from a spirit point of view, where life is a given, it's all around, but it's a privalege to be able to live.
Thanks for reading, this is just what I've gotten from this masterwork of a song.
Metallica442@retardsrule.Com -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:"There is an psychologist named dr rick strausman. He wrote a book titled "dmt: the spirit molecule." it was a report on some studies he had done on a psychedelic substance called n,n-dimethyltryptamine. The fda approved him to administer the drug under a controlled environment to a group of different people from different backgrounds. This chemical also is found in your pineal gland in your brain. It is medically documented to be released into your bloodstream during birth death and any near-death experience in between. The penial gland forms in the fetus the 44th day after conception. It is beliefs of buddhist and hindu religions that the 44th day after conception is when the soul "enters" the body. Coincidence?
Okay now getting to the point... During the studies all volunteers described the dmt trip as a separation of body and soul. They described it as their soul leaving and entering a "white light". Ever heard of people having near-death experiences involving this? Well, he submitted his reports, and published his book, the fda deemed that further studies of this drug would cause social upheaval due to the belief that it was nearing a scientific discovery of the existance or non-existance of a god. The fda cut off his authorization and changed the drug to a schedule 1 drug (the same legality as cocaine, heroine, and such). This song describes a dmt trip.
Another weird coincidence... The album artwork includes an image from the cover of the book.
"Http://www.Myspace.Com/thefallengrace"
Whomever wrote this is exactly right. People, your looking through a view point of religion and such, because those are the prevelant view points in all major societies. You need to also accept the fact that just as possible as there is a God; its just as likely that we are just a product of evolution. There is so much evidence that supports the latter. Please, we are all human, and we are all on this rock called Earth together. All these different beliefs only cause divisions on Mankind; please accept that science is more material that the idea of divinity, and quit killing each other over different beliefs. We have no way to prove how these prophets came across their knowledge purported in the so called "Holy Books". Much evidence support accounts of encounters with "otherworldy" beings"; thinking rationally, you can deduce that more than likely this was probably alien encounters. prime example is Moses, he accended the mount, and on top was a brillant light. There he recieved the ten commandments, this coincides with either the alien theory, or the DMT theory stated above. Ezekiel's account, its the "smoking gun" of sorts, that gives even more evidence to the Alien theory. (Ever notice how "Alien like" Tool is?, or how Aliens are being used more and more in Media, to in a sense, ready us; bringing the idea to the forfront so that we will not be as scared? Notice that?) Dont forget that all these "Holy recounts" in the books happened in the Middle East. There is a lot of DRUGS produced in this area of the world. There was then, and there is now. Don't be so gullable, just because its in a book, doesn't mean its true, it was written by men. Anyone feel the same?
taylorbr@cwu.edu -
Now, I know people might get mad at me, but I personally think it’s about conceiving a baby. I know that this is probably the right meaning, the lyrics to me just feel like it’s about conceiving a baby.
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spiritual
Political
Natural
Open
Honesty
Bewilderment
Faith
God
Reality
Life
Nature
Openness
All describe ALL OF THE MATERIAL THAT MR KEENAN HAS EVER DONE
PERFECT CIRCLE TOOL AND PUSCIFER -
Well, I am shocked no one has pointed this out, so in the absence of a real interpretation of the imagery in Parabola, I am forced to bring an important element to light.
Yes, I know so many of you wish to adamantly deny any links to theology in Tool's art, and I am slightly the same, being atheist. But, Tool is very much inspired by theology; Hinduism, in particular. And I will explain how this is betrayed.
At the end of the clip, you see the main figure come to an epiphany of sorts, and an extended vision is granted to him as he transcends. Watch carefully as the eyes travel through his body, at different nodes, most notably the solar plexis, throat and brow, you see flowers blossom. These areas correspond to the areas of Manipura, Vishuddha and Ajna, the last of which is also known as the Third Eye. Ring any bells? These areas, in Hindu doctrine, are called the Chakras. Which I'm sure you have heard of.
Now, more explicitly, after those eyes have unified the Chakras, you see an eye open at the figure's brow.
What this video depicts is a transcendence of soul from body. So, much to your disgust, the song (and Tool in general) is/are actually religiously inspired. But I honestly don't see the bad thing about this. Hinduism is a good theology to follow, if any.
Look up the Chakras and Hinduism for more info. You'll start seeing the connections. -
For me, this song is about meditation. In meditation, you ignore all thoughts about the past and the future and focus on the present moment ('We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment, we are choosing to be here, right now').
Meditation helps us to embrace the only reality we are certain exists: the present moment.
It also helps us to ignore any physical or emotional pain we may feel ('pain is an illusion'). -
This song is alot more simple than most people would think. It's pretty much just about mindfulness meditation and being right in the moment enjoying life.
'We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment, we are choosing to be here'
In mindfulness meditation, you totally forget about the past and the future and focus on the present moment. Once you stop thinking about the past and the future and let go, all moments in your life become precious and divine.
The line 'Pain is an illusion' refers to all types of pain, whether they be physical, emotional or whatever. Anyway, with meditation you can put your mind over pain and interpret the feeling as just like any other sensation or by focusing your mind on something other than the pain like vizualisation. Also, with enough meditation you notice that all types of emotional pain (anger, resentment, sadness, hate) are all choices that we make, yet most people make choices to feel these ways because it almost comes automatically to them. But when you meditate you notice how you torture yourself with your thoughts and stop it before it happens.
Anyway, that's just my interpretation. I doubt it has anything to do with DMT but that's just my opinion, if you think it does then that's cool. -
For those of you that don't know Maynard was in the army and, this is a little different interpretation, but when he says "All this pain is an illusion" he's talking about how the army brainwashes you to the point to were you have to be dead to stop in order to do that you have to push through all pain (or believe it doesn't exist). Or when he says "this body holding me it's a reminder that I am not alone" is showing how you only have your body and nothing else. Breaking down the civilians to learn how to kill. Thats my interpretation of it it could be wrong but many of my family have been in the service and most of what the song was saying sounded how they described their experience. That's all from I love tool and always will. Thanks for listening.
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I could be completely wrong, as I have seen some great answers that seem pretty accurate. However, I mean to discuss different interpretations here. I think the song might be talking about the deliverance of a newborn as they are passing through the birth canal, since a newborn is not experiencing things willingly when they are being born. A newborn's holy reality would be being inside of a womb, praising this body holding it safe. A mothers body is always a reminder that you are not alone, that the pain the newborn is feeling is a reminder of the reality that you are alive inside of someone else. The pain a newborn goes through when being delivered is an illusion because we can never remember what that experience was like. What we need to recognize as a gift would be the sacrifice the mother has to make because of the painful experience she will go through delivering her baby. The parable here is this sort of religious experience, one that parents have gone through because they have experienced the miracle of having a kid. It is apparent to me that this is the kind of life being praised in the song, the ability to see life go on.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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Well my opinion about this song is maybe that Maynard with his mind-drilling lyrics is trying to build a huge widescreen inside our minds so that we can imagine and convert this imagination to a more solid optical theme.Death is an experience that all of us on this planet will have to deal sometime each and everyone with his personal pain and remorse.When i read the lyrics hearing this song the same time i closed my eyes and the picture i saw is a man who is ready to leave this life with the worst body and soul pain.The truly meaning is that in this state of mind all this illussional pain we get is nothing else but our personal soul katharsis that prepares us for the next level of life and consiousness that we can find on the other side.More simple don't fear death just put the best smile in your face and let nature do the rest.
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Great music so powerful and so deep meaning of lyrics Lateralus , Parabola Aenima etc… In this song artist represent geometrical shapes as line of life way of thinking.. In Lateralus song saying to think like a spiral, not like a straight line. It also refers to the spiral as a kind of shape that represents our divinity and soul. The song is also about trying to become more spiritually aware and connected with the universe and God.. This line refers to developing as a society into a more intelligent and more aware people. When we start to look deep within and push the boundaries that we know. We will see more of ourselves and the universe than we thought existed in our ignorance. Once we start to realize our own divinity and our connection with the universe and God through swinging on the spiral, we may be the same physically and individually, but not mentally, spiritually, or as a whole. Maynard James Keenan said himself: "A circle is the reflection of infinity; it has no beginning, no end, and theres no way to tell one part apart from another. When you lay circles on top of each other, you get a spiral." Then Parabola also representing a line. The name "parabola" is derived from a New Latin term that means something similar to "compare" or "balance" , now this song saying about balance of what is real and what is not real seeing a world through window of reality and how hypnotizing media surround us also that saying in the song Vicarius… And how are people are weak and easy to control we just embrace what came to us whit out any question we just accept thing what they serve to us from some unknown peoples who control our way of life… Balance (Parabola) when u build your ego in this fake world and then u realize that u living in box and when u come out box your ego does not exist anymore and u are out of balance... what left is “ This body holding me remains me of my own mortality . Embrace this moment. Remember : we are eternal all this pain is illusion…”
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He got hurt in the past, schism, magdalena, pushit, the grudge...the list goes on and on. She effed him up real bad and this song is about banging other chicks and not feeling bad about it anymore. This body holding me...that body isn't his own, it's another girl. And he finally doesn't feel bad about stickin' it to her, he sees the moment as a divine gift. I suppose the biggest give-away is the first line "WE......."
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I'm a form of energy and my body is the physical representation of it. I'm glad that i have ability to connect, interpret and spiral. I'm captivated in the illusion where my conscious mind is separated from my unconscious mind. This separation has made reality different for each of us and deeper than we can dig.
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he wanted his listners to use his music as a "tool" i think really this song is just to remind us when we are depressed or sad that this life is such a blessing that this pain we feel is an illusion and we neeed to keep our minds optomistic and appreciate that the experiences whether sadening or happy should be cherished and appreciated as well as life....at least we can say we have experienced it and lived...
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This song is about ultimate consciousness experiencing itself subjectively in the human form and the bull shit we are made to believe by those who want to control others vs awakening from a form of conditioned sleep. It is about recognizing your universal self in the moment and reconnecting through higher dimensions where time does not exist only the moment. Then it makes reference to traveling through the realm of the mandalla.
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