Bridges In The Sky

The song's original title was "The Shaman Trance"

If I was to go out on a limb and come to a quick conclusion, I would say that this song is about somebody getting guided through an Ayahuasca trip. (Heavy heavy doses of the strongest psychedelic known to man Dimethyltryptamine)

Ayahuasca is taken orally in the form a tea, and it used as a religious sacrament.

The chorus made me come to this theory so I'll break it down first.

"Make healing waters bury all my pain" - the healing waters may be reference to the ayahuasca tea, as people take it to get rid of the negative energy in their bodies, which also physically eliminates parasites in your body - it also has been used as a healing remedy "the fabric of reality is tearing apart" - the man is really high on a level 5 psychedelic "the piece of me that died, will return to live again" - people have had severe psychic changes as a result of the use of a psychedelic like this, many changes for the better

"blackness awakens, visions come alive, seeing through darkness with borrowed eyes" - the man is starting to be guided through the experience by the shaman "death survivor, take me higher, reunite my soul" - telling the shaman and the drug to start to heal the sickness he may have "whisperer of truth, i trust in you, to make me whole" - ^^^ pretty much the same as above, i think the whisperer (and later messenger) of truth refers to both the drug and the shaman

"Feeling myself slip away, silently dreaming awake, hidden memories flooding back. I will not grow in the light until I pass through the darkest caverns of my heart."

Maybe he's fighting with himself during the experience, needing to break through some of his flaws in order to become a better person.

Honestly, even if you don't put the "medicine" into the picture, it still makes sense. o.o

The psychedelic comment is really interesting. I thought it had to do simply with a person coming to terms with their own mortality, maybe at the end of their life, because there are lines about "the piece of me that dies will return to live again". It could be that a person on a psychedelic trip IS coming to terms with their own mortality.

The matter from lifeforms that die end up nourishing, and becoming a part of, other lifeforms, and this is what has happened since the beginning of time--this leads me to think of how interconnected living things really are.

I think Petrucci wrote the lyrics? He is Catholic but I like how he explores other spiritualities in his music too (meanwhile I'm nonreligious).

Read this with the understanding that I am a devout follower of Christ. I identify with the savior - not a religion or denomination. I also believe we can take away what we want from the lyrics. Whatever they were feeling when they wrote them (or John P was feeling) - one of the beauties of high art (yes I consider DT high art) is it can be interpreted individually by the listener.

Let’s start at the beginning-

Death survivor, take me higher, Reunite my soul. Whisperer of truth, I trust in you To make me whole

I read this as Christ (the only man to overcome death) - take ME higher so I can be reunited with my creator - the Father. Now, whisperer of truth makes me think of the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sinful nature (whisperer of truth) and creates in us a new spiritual being (make me whole).

Second, and I'll stop here - I won't do the whole song:

Sun, come shine my way, Make healing waters bury all my pain. Wind, carry me home, The fabric of reality is tearing apart. The piece of me that died Will return to live again

I like the allegory - Sun - "son", the baptism and renewal through Christ heals us and takes away our pain. The person is feeling reality coming apart because their known existence (their reality) is turned upside down by the truth of the Gospel of Christ. We were once children of God - separated in the Garden by sin - that "piece of us that died" - can return to live again through the blood and redemption of the Cross of Christ. The Wind - the Holy Spirit carries us home!

I hope this helps in some small way. I'm not proselytizing, I'm simply sharing what I feel when I hear this beautiful song.

It sounds like a person who wants to open up to nature and spirituality.

I believe I see the connection of the 'Agnus Dei'-part and some of the lyrics. I think The song is about a mix of Catholic beliefs and Native American beliefs. There is no dubt thers some Catholic involvement in these lyrics.

I've heard that some N.A. took some of the Catholic sacraments into their beliefs (I recommend the short-story "The Man to send Rain Clouds" by Marmon Silko for further understanding of this.)

I think 'Healing waters' refers to the Catholic sacrament, and the N.A. use this to never get thirsty in the afterlife e.g. "Bury all my pain".

It´s a trip. As dt1x1tree puts it. Describes exactly what happens in that situation, and the things you evaluate, the dead here it refers to a new beggining, you have to die to live, here dying means clear all past and start something new.

I thought it was about people who so often make "bridges in the sky" for themselves so they don't have to go through any problems or opposition on earth. "I will not grow through the light until I pass through the darkest caverns of my heart" leads me to believe that more... And in the chorus he says "the fabric of reality is tearing apart the piece of me that died will return to live again" I took that as JP referring to how empty society is and it's just "fabric" that's finally starting to come apart and reveal truth and through that he will be able to come out and be his true self, the piece of him that died? I hope that makes sense...

Read this with the understanding that I am a devout follower of Christ. I identify with the savior - not a religion or denomination. I also believe we can take away what we want from the lyrics. Whatever they were feeling when they wrote them (or John P was feeling) - one of the beauties of high art (yes I consider DT high art) is it can be interpreted individually by the listener.

Let’s start at the beginning-

Death survivor, take me higher, Reunite my soul. Whisperer of truth, I trust in you To make me whole

I read this as Christ (the only man to overcome death) - take ME higher so I can be reunited with my creator - the Father. Now, whisperer of truth makes me think of the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sinful nature (whisperer of truth) and creates in us a new spiritual being (make me whole).

Second, and I'll stop here - I won't do the whole song:

Sun, come shine my way, Make healing waters bury all my pain. Wind, carry me home, The fabric of reality is tearing apart. The piece of me that died Will return to live again

I like the allegory - Sun - "son", the baptism and renewal through Christ heals us and takes away our pain. The person is feeling reality coming apart because their known existence (their reality) is turned upside down by the truth of the Gospel of Christ. We were once children of God - separated in the Garden by sin - that "piece of us that died" - can return to live again through the blood and redemption of the Cross of Christ. The Wind - the Holy Spirit carries us home!

I hope this helps in some small way. I'm not proselytizing, I'm simply sharing what I feel when I hear this beautiful song.

Sorry for the duplicate posts - my internet connection was not strong and when I clicked "add comment" nothing was happening.

Read this with the understanding that I am a devout follower of Christ. I identify with the savior - not a religion or denomination. I also believe we can take away what we want from the lyrics. Whatever they were feeling when they wrote them (or John P was feeling) - one of the beauties of high art (yes I consider DT high art) is it can be interpreted individually by the listener.

Let’s start at the beginning-

Death survivor, take me higher, Reunite my soul. Whisperer of truth, I trust in you To make me whole

I read this as Christ (the only man to overcome death) - take ME higher so I can be reunited with my creator - the Father. Now, whisperer of truth makes me think of the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sinful nature (whisperer of truth) and creates in us a new spiritual being (make me whole).

Second, and I'll stop here - I won't do the whole song:

Sun, come shine my way, Make healing waters bury all my pain. Wind, carry me home, The fabric of reality is tearing apart. The piece of me that died Will return to live again

I like the allegory - Sun - "son", the baptism and renewal through Christ heals us and takes away our pain. The person is feeling reality coming apart because their known existence (their reality) is turned upside down by the truth of the Gospel of Christ. We were once children of God - separated in the Garden by sin - that "piece of us that died" - can return to live again through the blood and redemption of the Cross of Christ. The Wind - the Holy Spirit carries us home!

I hope this helps in some small way. I'm not proselytizing, I'm simply sharing what I feel when I hear this beautiful song.