From Magical Mystery Trips to Mindful Integration – how the Beatles’ journey from psychedelics to meditation mirrors today’s search for meaning
The Beatles’ inner world has long fascinated generations of fans, and their years of psychedelic exploration remain some of the most iconic chapters in their story.
Back in 2001, Paul McCartney sat down with Terry Gross on her show, Fresh Air (you can listen here), and reflected on that era and the shift that ended it. He explained how the band moved through both a psychedelic phase and what he called their “spiritual” phase, when they immersed themselves in meditation with their guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, in both the US and India.
Paul is candid in the interview about how separate those two chapters were for them:
“… at that time everyone, including us, were doing a lot of drugs. And that can burn you out – as anyone who’s done it knows.
So we were in the London scene and it was getting a little bit wearing really. I remember feeling very tired with just all this activity – you never stopped.”
What stands out in his reflections is how different today’s psychedelic renaissance feels compared to the groovy culture of the 1960s. Back then it was largely recreational and untethered, while today many people are approaching these experiences with more intention, integration, and a sense of spirituality.
From Psychedelics to Stillness
When the shine of recreational trips wore off, the Beatles began to lean into meditation – a shift from stimulation to stillness, as Paul describes it. He recalls the first time they met Maharishi and learned to meditate:
“We went to see him and it was like a breath of fresh air because instead of just getting crazy, this was the opposite.
This was getting un-crazy. I think all of us liked it – I certainly did. John and George did and I think Ringo did too. We ended up going to India, to Rishikesh, for a retreat kind of thing.
It was a very nice experience; it was calming, which I think all of us needed. And it was spiritual although it wasn’t like you were worshiping a God. You were finding the truth or the calmness, I would say, inside yourself. So that was very good for us particularly post-psychedelics.”
Medicine Needs Meaning
In our culture today psychedelics, spirituality, and meditation are often embraced together.
Why?
Because psychedelics have the ability to lift us into a deep meditative state, awakening us to the self-limiting beliefs and patterns that create chaos in our lives and turmoil in our personal and professional relationships. Yet, without practices like meditation and self-reflection, the revelations can remain fleeting, leaving people untethered.
In my Emotional Liberation work, I see this firsthand. Many people come to me after trying psychedelics for healing but without the change they were hoping for. The missing piece is rarely the medicine itself – it’s the lack of a vital framework that anchors the experience and makes it lasting.
That’s why preparation and integration is central to my work, whether through microdosing or full journeys. For some, taking small amounts of psilocybin or cannabis gently opens the door to the meditative process, creating a steady rhythm of release and ongoing support for growth.
For others, a full journey can bring profound breakthroughs – insights that take root when they’re woven back into daily life. Some people weave both approaches together, using microdosing to prepare for or follow a big journey. Any of these paths can be powerful tools for healing, as long as intention, preparation, and integration guide the way, turning insights into lasting change.
Here, There and Everywhere
After explaining The Beatles’ history with psychedelics and later meditation, Paul was asked, “Do you still meditate?”
“Yes,” was his reply. Then he added, “I sometimes think I should’ve developed! I should be somewhere else by now,” and says wistfully, “but I haven’t.”
There’s no set destination for what growth or healing is supposed to look like – it’s more like the Beatles’ song Here, There and Everywhere: a reminder that the journey unfolds in many places and directions. Sometimes we just know, deep down, that we’re not quite where we want to be. Even if the way forward isn’t clear, simply recognizing that truth can be the first gentle step into growth.
Paul’s reflection captures what so many are feeling: he still meditates, yet sometimes senses he hasn’t gone as far as he hoped. Perhaps what’s missing is the same thing many seekers struggle to find – a framework that unites the medicine with the meaning.
With Love,
Becca
P.S. Have your own reflections on psychedelics, meditation, or the Beatles? I’d love to hear. Feel free to share in the comments.
