The Strange History of the Doors of Perception

William Blake had two distinct phases in his poetry. The poems of his younger years are all romantic whimsy: tygers burning bright and little boys lost and found. His later poems are a little bit different – they’re all violent mystical visions of humankind’s final judgement. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is one of these later works and one quote in particular has had an interesting legacy.

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would seem to man as it is, Infinite.”

Aldous Huxley’s Interesting Afternoon

One afternoon in May 1953, under medical supervision, the novelist Aldous Huxley took 4/10 of a gram of mescaline - a psychotropic ingredient synthesised from the hallucinogenic Peyote cactus. He spent the afternoon listening to Mozart and became absorbed by the spiritual beauty of a vase of flowers. He wrote a book about his experience that borrowed its title from the famous Blake quote. The Doors of Perception became a cult bestseller.

Jim Morrison’s The Doors

In the mid-1960s, Jim Morrison was looking for a name for his West Coast rock band. He was famously infatuated with the spiritual aspects of the Californian scene which essentially consisted of reading the psychedelic literature of the day – including Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. The band took their name from the book’s title.

Oliver Stone’s The Doors

Oliver Stone made a biopic of the band in 1991. Val Kilmer played Jim Morrison and provided the vocal live during filming, which was often arduous. Oliver Stone insisted on 24 takes for a version of The End sung in a recreation of a smoky bar - this took five days and destroyed the Kilmer’s voice for some time afterwards. The visual look of the film - parts were filmed through a filter to give the viewer a slightly trippy feel - and Kilmer’s central performance makes it an interesting rock biopic that has been dividing viewers for a quarter of a century. We wonder what William Blake would have made of it?

Here at Automated Garage Doors and Gates, we are more concerned with doors of steel and fibreglass than doors of perception. So if you are looking for enlightenment, we recommend you read some William Blake or listen to the Doors. However, if you are looking for an automated garage door, we are only too happy to help. Call us on 01603 787069.