The following are selected lyrics written by Maynard James Keenan. They are quoted for their mystical nature and overall brilliance. Tool's music has been a highly instrumental force in my life and I would like to pay homage to them for providing me an opportunity to use my mind in ways I never conceived possible. I have never heard a better band, and I don't believe I ever will.      The entire Lateralus album is what I would consider a masterpiece. I could have quoted the entire thing, but I took what I consider to be the more upfront metaphysical content just for the sake of keeping this relatively short. Listen to the entire album, its absolute perfection. Parabol So familiar and overwhelmingly warm This one, this form I hold now. Embracing you, this reality here, This one, this form I hold now, so Wide eyed and hopeful. Wide eyed and hopefully wild. We barely remember what came before this precious moment, Choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside... This body holding me, reminding me that I am not alone in This body makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion. Parabola We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment, 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 here that I am not alone in This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion. Alive This holy reality, in this holy experience. Choosing to be here in... This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion... Of what it means to be alive Swirling round with this familiar parable. Spinning, weaving round each new experience. Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this Chance to be alive and breathing Chance to be alive and breathing. This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality. Embrace this moment. Remember. We are eternal. All this pain is an illusion. Ticks & Leeches Suck and suck. Suckin up all you can suckin up all you can suck. Workin up under my patience like a little tick. Fat little parasite. Suck me dry. My blood is bruised and borrowed. You thieving bastards. You have turned my blood cold and bitter, Beat my compassion black and blue. Hope this is what you wanted. Hope this is what you had in mind. Cuz this is what you're getting. I hope you're choking. I hope you choke on this. I hope you're choking. I hope you choke on this. Taken all I can taken all I can, we can take. Taken all you can taken you can, we can take. Got nothing left to give to you. Blood suckin parasitic little blood suckin parasitic little Blood suckin parasitic little tick Take what you want and then go. Suck me dry. Is this what you wanted? Is this what you had in mind? Is this what you wanted? Cuz this this is what you're getting. I hope, I hope, I hope you choke. Lateralus Black then white are all I see in my infancy. Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me. Lets me see. As below, so above and beyond, I imagine Drawn beyond the lines of reason. Push the envelope. Watch it bend. Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines. Black then white are all i see in my infancy. Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me. Lets me see there is so much more and Beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities. As below, so above and beyond, I imagine Drawn outside the lines of reason. Push the envelope. Watch it bend. Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind. Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line. Reaching out to embrace the random. Reaching out to embrace whatever may come. I embrace my desire to I embrace my desire to Feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow To feel inspired to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, To bathe in the fountain, To swing on the spiral To swing on the spiral To swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human. With my feet upon the ground I move myself between the sounds and open wide to suck it in. I feel it move across my skin. I'm reaching up and reaching out. I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me. What ever will bewilder me. And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been. We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been. Spiral out. Keep going. Spiral out. Keep going. Spiral out. Keep going. Spiral out. Keep going. Spiral out. Keep going. Disposition Mention this to me. Mention something, anything.. And watch the weather change. Watch the weather, change. Reflection I find that I can see a light at the end down Beneath my self-indulgent pitiful hole. Defeated I Concede and move closer. I may find comfort here I may find peace within the emptiness. How pitiful. It's calling me. It's calling me. It's calling me. It's calling me. And in my darkest moment, fetal and weeping. The moon tells me a secret. My confidant. As full and bright as I am, this light is not my own A million light reflections pass over me It's source is bright and endless. She resuscitates the hopeless Without her we are lifeless satellites dreaming dreams. And as I pull my head out I am without one doubt Don't want to be down here feeding my narcissism I must crucify the ego before it's far too late I pray the light lifts me out before I pine away. Before I pine away. Before I pine away. Before I pine away. So crucify the ego before it's far too late To leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical And you will come to find that we are all one mind Capable of all thats imagined and all conceivable Just let the light touch you and let the words spill thorough Just let them pass right through, bringing out our hope and reason. Before we pine away. Before we pine away. Before we pine away. Before we pine away. The following is also necessary to quote as I feel that the song is incredible and the subject manner is similarly metaphysical/eschatological in nature. Rosetta Stoned Alrighty, then ... picture this if you will. 10 to 2 AM, X, Yogi DMT, and a box of Krispy Kremes, in my "need to know" pose, just outside of Area 51 Contemplating the whole "chosen people" thingy when a flaming stealth banana split the sky like one would hope but never really expect to see in a place like this. Cutting right angle donuts on a dime and stopping right at my Birkenstocks, and me yelping... Holy fucking shit! Then the X-Files being, Looking like some kind of blue-green Jackie Chan with Isabella Rossellini lips, and breath that reeked of vanilla Chig Champa Did a slow-mo Matrix descent Outta the butt end of the banana vessel And hovered above my bug-eyes, my gaping jaw, and my sweaty L. Ron Hubbard upper lip, and all I could think was: "I hope Uncle Martin here doesn't notice that I pissed my fuckin' pants." So light in his way, Like an apparition, [that] He had me crying out, "Fuck me It's gotta be the Deadhead Chemistry The blotter got [right] on top of me Got me seein' E-motherfuckin'-T!" And after calming me down with some orange slices and some fetal spooning, E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose. He said, "You are the Chosen One, the One who will deliver the message. A message of hope for those who choose to hear it and a warning for those who do not." Me. The Chosen One? They chose me!!! And I didn't even graduate from fuckin' high school. You'd better... You'd better... You'd better... You'd better listen. Then he looked right through me With somniferous almond eyes Don't even know what that means Must remember to write it down This is so real Like the time Dave floated away See, my heart is pounding 'Cause this shit never happens to me I can't breathe right now! It was so real, Like I woke up in Wonderland. All sorta terrifying I don't wanna be all alone While I tell this story. And can anyone tell me why Y'all sound like Peanuts parents? Will I ever be coming down? This is so real Finally, it's my lucky day See, my heart is racing 'Cause this shit never happens to me I can't breathe right now! You believe me, don't you? Please believe what I've just said! See the Dead ain't touring And this wasn't all in my head. See, they took me by the hand And invited me right in. Then they showed me something I don't even know where to begin. Strapped down [to] my bed Feet cold [and] eyes red I'm out of my head Am I alive? Am I dead? Can't remember what they said God damn, shit the bed. Hey ... Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position. Such a heavy burden now to be the One Born to bear and bring to all the details of our ending, To write it down for all the world to see. But I forgot my pen Shit the bed again ... Typical. Strapped down [to] my bed Feet cold and eyes red I'm out of my head Am I alive? Am I dead? Sunkist  and Sudafed Gyroscopes and infrared Won't help, I'm brain dead Can't remember what they said God damn, shit the bed I can't remember what they said to me Can't remember what they said to make me out to be the hero Can't remember what they said Bob help me! Can't remember what they said [We] don't know, [and we] won't know (x12) God damn, shit the bed!