anonymous January 31st, 2006 11:41AM  

Tool the living legacy, best band of all time more than just a band to me, Parabola is a song that I think really highlights the gift of life and the spirtual awaking a individual can recieve just by taking a breath of fresh air. And in the end not much really maters rember all this pain is an illusion. Dont take the only thing you really have for grainted, life. To all the true tool fans out there I know you feel what I feel when we turn on any matter peice of Tool's. futher more this is one of tools more optomistic songs, as well as the Album itself. Keep the hope alive people heres a salute to real music!

QTOOL666 April 8th, 2006 07:06PM  

Before I say anything I am not being hostile, big headed,or boasting in any way shape or form.
I have listend to tool for a few years now every day. Lateralus changed my life.it was a literal turning point in my state of mind. Parabol and Parabola in my opinion cannot be played without each other. Any one who smokes as much weed as me or take acid or mushrooms a lot will understand what I mean when I say, at the end of the night when you are completely slashed you lie on your bed or any flat suface and you start spiralling in no paticular direction.This song is displaying 2 states of mind. "Reality", and the other side. Parabol is showing you the state of mind you are in when you are in "reality" the as it switches into Parabola,the entire purpose of the link between the 2 songs on the album,(In my opinion) to transfer you smoothly to the other side and onto the spiral. Thanks for reading. :)

anonymous June 30th, 2006 02:39AM  

Parabol and Parabola, to me, represent the duality of life. Like one of the dudes up there^ said, the first represents reality and the second represents everything beyond reality. Parabol is like the calm meditation leading to the mind's enlightenment, which becomes the surrounding, exciting feel of Parabola.

anonymous August 20th, 2006 05:00AM  

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

anonymous August 23rd, 2006 08:08AM  

Parabola may either symbolize one's birth into this world, or one's spiritual awakening. It describes a person in a state of breathing meditation (probably buddhist), feeling the air and chi move within him (it is later detailed and explained how in Lateralus). Parabola may simply be the moment (lack of a better term since that state is timeless), one gets into absolute, deep meditation. Which includes 9 months within a mother's womb.

Also there's references to reincarnation. So the birth theme is very likely.
"we barely remember, who or what came before this precious moment..."

thanks for reading.

anonymous October 1st, 2006 06:21PM  

I have found that if you listen to parabol/parabola when you are high, it does kinda give it a new sound.

Instead of doing this however, 1 month ago, I had a serious eye injury. I was put on bedrest and couldnt move around very much so that a clot in my eye wouldnt tear. In order for me to stay sane, all I did was listen to lateralus, aenima, and 10,000 days trying to understand their meaning.

It was while I was doing this that I found a differnt perception of the world. It happened after I had not moved from my bed for 4 days, sleeping in and out, having those cds on repeat.

I heard Parabol, one of my favorite songs. As it was playing, I faded into a wierd kind of mind where I saw very little, but I heard everything around me, the people outside, birds, even the air seemed to be alive. Then I heard Parabola switch and it all made sense to me. It is hard to explain in words, but after you go to sleep, listen to those two songs and you will get something more. I felt as if I did what the lyrics were always talking about, achieving spirituality. I couldnt remember what happened before that (precious) moment. I realized that all my pain was an illusion and that I was eternal. I embraced the moment. For 1 month I have been trying to do it again, but it just is not the same.

anonymous December 30th, 2006 11:49PM  

it's hard to say anything without really repeating what everyone else before me has said... but here goes:
it's ultimately about not knowing who you were before life and who you will be afterlife but you walk around in your body knowing/thinking/believing that you were or will be something better one day. Honestly, I don't go a day without thinking about death or something different from the life I'm currently passing. I do think about my skin being my vessel, but I wouldn't say temporarily because I don't know any better. MJK sounds so sure in all his songs about what he's saying, but then I think about it and a lot of it is uncertainty... I guess that's how you could summarize Tool (if I dare!) - very certain about uncertainty... maybe ill go listen to all the albums I have and think about this some more...huzzah!

kjcisco777 February 19th, 2007 08:06AM  

i think this song is talking about a reality that exist on top of seeing the world through a higher state of consciousness (third eye). The definition of the word parabola is " a plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the cone" I can't draw it with a keyboard but it looks something like this |(

if you play the song before parabolA called parabol I think its suppose to represent the | which is looking at reality as most people do and parabola is suppose to represent the (
meaning that there's this state of mind we all experience in our minds everyday where we have jobs/cars/eat food/feel pain...but then there's an alternate state of mind that exist in the same point in space where we are "eternal" as the song says. However I think that the song is trying to say that the only times most people reach this higher state of mind is when we are first born, deep meditation, high on (psychedelic or hallucinagenic) drugs, death etc.

anonymous March 2nd, 2007 11:19AM  

Here, this may help you understand this song even more.

In this moment, focus your attention on your internal states (emotions, thoughts) and observe them. Do not become identified with them, just observe.

As you do this, receive all incoming phenomena of external events with the consciousness, observe them and analyze.

You must learn to observe all external and internal events simultaneously. This is living in the moment, without becoming identified with the mind and letting your ego (anger, lust, pride, gluttony, etc.) take control. We must learn to eliminate these psychological defects so we can be awakened, and know the Truth.

Now listen to this song, and stay in the moment, in this holy reality.

(to learn more, go here http://www.gnosticteachings.org/content/view/53/1/)

anonymous April 12th, 2007 12:51AM  

This whole album is entirely comprised of therapy concepts, concepts used in counseling and therapy to help people keep from freaking out. This is not about sex, although that is what I thought it was about when I first heard it. The concept here is the practice of living RIGHT NOW, which is very hard. It is about the difficulty and the reward of not living entirely in the past and in the future. The idea is to live without your preconceptions and your hopes and projections ruining the wonder of the immediate world. Try it sometime, and you will see why it is worth writing songs about. The pain mentioned is the anguish of always worrying about the past and the future. Those things are not happening right now, so any pain you are feeling from the past and the future is illusionary. It is only you. Crucify the ego, and you find that there is not much that is worrisome that is happening RIGHT NOW. Try it

anonymous May 20th, 2007 01:46PM  

"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

anonymous May 30th, 2007 02:18AM  

This is my interpretation of Tool lyrics for Parabola ;

As we all know, (sorry for those who don't) Tool members are experiencing drugs and their songs often refers to some trips they had in the past. In this song, I see a way they found to free themselves (and ourselves too, well it works for me) from a bad trip... They always repeat REMEMBER WE ARE ETERNAL ALL THIS PAIN IS AN ILLUSION... It also says : <This holy reality, this holy experience.>> what means to me : <>. And then Tool seems to pass a message for the next times you planned to go high on drugs :<Spinning, weaving 'round each new experience.
Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this
chance to be alive and breathing>> Like if we shouldn't neglect our lives, it's a gift after all and we are lucky to have it, so why do we scrap our health in doing drugs? But remember, it's all gonna pass, 'cause we are eternal, all this pain is an illusion.

anonymous June 7th, 2007 07:12PM  

I don't want to say what everyone else said... and to tell the truth I only read half of the things here... But I don't think anyone mentioned a good thing to use this song for.

If the pain is an illusion, and if you are eternal, Why should you then fear anything. This song really taught me to fear nothing.

anonymous June 24th, 2007 03:09AM  

I agree that this song is about a disassociative experience, most likely DMT or tranquilizers. However, there is a subtle connection to spirituality in the song.

Firstly, the recognition of your own body as a separate entity from yourself, holding you, is a feeling shared by people who experience certain drug effects and those who experience transcendental enlightenment. Recognizing the body as a container for our true self, "This body, this body holding me," illustrates a psychological and spiritual disassociation from the body which forces one to recognize that our physical form is temporary.

The line "twirling round this familiar parable" obviously connects this song to the previous one, Parabol. I also agree that there is a duality to this arrangement. However, I believe it is a progression between being within your own body (parabol) and leaving your body to experience something larger (parabola).

Personally, I believe that the parabola, a mathematical shape that touches an origin at the center but extends into infinity at each end, symbolizes the ascension to the origin of all things through a particular experience, then returning back down. However, this aspect of my interpretation is less supported than the rest.

This song could also reference other disassociative experiences such as astral projection, out of body sensations, or general meditation. Whatever the specific mode, the song is about leaving the body and finding something larger and divine on the other side.

Excellent song.

anonymous July 18th, 2007 04:11AM  

My interpretation is much like the ones listed above, but I don't think it is directly linked towards dmt specifically. Yes tool's music may be a product of dmt experiences but I do not think it is simply a dmt trip. I think the transition from parabol to parabola is a metaphor for enlightenment or reaching enlightenment. The lyrics (and we all know them) feel like they are directed towards either birth or reaching a state of body and mind meld. By realizing that nothing really exists or matters we can deal with all the shit in the world and pain seems merely as a warning that we are in harms way, to not die. Pain is an evolutionary tool to keep us alive longer. I think the "holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing" is basically saying just that. That we should just chill the hell out and not worry about this trivial bullshit because there will be time later to worry about it. We will be dead and gone and then who knows what happens? Instead of griping about it we should just realize that we are lucky as balls to be here and enjoy it for the short time we have it. The "body holding me" is his body and it is holding him from being free. He almost sounds angry about it though. like he is repeating to himself to make him believe it. But he says "stay inside" pretty much saying to be a bitch and kill yourself because your mom didn't buy you that ipod just chill out and live because it might be the only chance you get at it. The transition between the songs I think is key. And I really do believe that it is the transition from our monotonous lives of puke and jobs and putrid bullshit to a pure overwhelming all encompassing white wash of enlightenment. I believe the video backs up my claims. The very end when the dude has the eyes circling up him and opening the iron cross looking thing floating above a lotus in his chest and then opening his third eye is pretty much the meat and potatoes of the song. Then you see the person just become a loop of energy surrounded by others and we at the moment are meant to realize that everything is just part of a bigger thing. We are all just energy grooving off our own vibrations and these vibrations that we call pain are just there to screw with us. So just chill in your body for now because we might only get one shot at it and it would suck to go through life thinking you got another chance and not enjoying the things that are given to us. Thanks for listening and even if I am wrong as hell and Tool would laugh at me for days for my lackluster interpretation it is still pretty good to just chill every once in a while and just say none of this bullshit matters and to close your eyes and groove out on your vibration.

-The almighty Bob

anonymous August 13th, 2007 08:20AM  

I think that this song deals with life in its physical form as a journey, starting from the beginning of the song (birth) and ending at the last words of it (death). Note the beginning, "We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment" referring to having no memory of before your birth from you mother into the physical world; "Swirling round with this familiar parable (relates to your lifetime on this world),
Spinning, weaving round each new experience (is talking about the gift of learning),
Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this (is talking about how precious life is - chance to be alive and breathing)"
then, the final verse, "This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality, embrace this moment; Remember: we are eternal, all this pain is an illusion" directly states that the human body is merely a mortal existence, and death is inevitable, you should embrace life with what you have.
Anyway that's just my interpretation.
Sorry its so long

anonymous September 28th, 2007 12:06PM  

I think I heard somewhere that the song is about Maynard's son. Maynard holding him as an infant. That could be. But, that would only be a dual meaning. The song is pretty obviously about sex, being inside a woman, connecting, being so totally into them that the entire world does not exist. No pain, no future, no past, only their body and yours. If you are not getting this out of the song, maybe you just have not had sex like that, which is sad.

anonymous October 11th, 2007 02:39AM  

Before I say this, I am not a stoner myself. Completely sober in every way shape and form.

However, to back up QTOOL a bit

LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs have much greater purpose in spirituality than most people realize. For some, yes, it's about getting baked off your mind. However, for the user thinking of the drug's intended purpose, it is a way to transcend and get a kind of "preview" of the divine without actually reaching that state. Many artists have cited using the drug and being about to see a type of "Universal Mind Lattice" (speaking specifically of Alex Grey on the quote). Though it may seem like complete fodder, many have depicted the same exact thing and some have come to Alex Grey himself crying because his depictions have been the exact experience they had gone through.

To sum up, hallucinogens aren't simply a means to get baked, they, for some, are a means to experience the divine in the world. To transcend the body and truly become one with all that surrounds you.

anonymous October 17th, 2007 05:29PM  

"Parabol is like the calm meditation leading to the mind's enlightenment, which becomes the surrounding, exciting feel of Parabola."

Yup. There are many other words for it.. being a "Warrior", or "open-minded". Well, this is MY interpretation of being "open-minded". Tool is quite similar to me.
It's, like in many of Tools songs, the question "wtf free will!??" and how to use it.

Fenno February 1st, 2008 04:50AM  

We and all other things on this planet are eternal energy. Our body, and it's many components are our vessels much like a leaf is the vessel of the leaf. The difference between our vessel and the vessel of a leaf is our ability to realize ourselves. Many transitions of energy occurred prior to your vessel becoming what it is today. Perhaps some of the same energy that makes you up was once a leaf. After all, you are what you eat. I believe Maynard could mean that we don't remember what came before this precious moment of realization. The energy of our mind is held by the key to our mortality, our bodies, our vessels. Of course our energy is eternal, but our life as our present selves is momentary. Therefore, we have but a blink of an eye, compared to time as a whole, to realize, rationalize, and remember who we are.