Abstract
A rave is a party where people dance for hours to the rhythm of electronic music. Rave culture is nowadays very heterogeneous. However, there are some common elements to all raves that make up its basic anatomy: the music, the substances consumed and the type of social interaction that characterizes it. All these elements have a common goal: to achieve a trance state characterized by a kind of depersonalization or temporary dissolution of the self. Traditionally, this ecstatic experience has been conceived as one that serves escapism. Recently, however, the rave has been seen as a form of neo-tribal ritual capable of generating transformative experiences. In this work, the basic anatomy of the rave is analyzed, considering its structure and function. The relationship between these two elements helps illuminate why a person might want to go to a rave. To do so, we will examine what functions could a rave fulfill in the context of developed societies like ours. It is concluded that raves, just like many other contemporary human practices, has an undeniable ethical-political potential, and can become a meaning-giving practice.
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