Hippy culture 

The hippy trail

The 1960s was the first time young people began to travel extensively beyond Europe. Hippies rejected conventional Western religions in favour of what were perceived to be more holistic and spiritual belief systems such as Buddhism and travelled to the Far East in pursuit of enlightenment. India became an essential stop-off point on what became known as the 'hippy trail', and Goa remains today a centre of spiritual hedonism for Western travellers. The widespread acceptance of yoga and meditation in contemporary Western culture is in large part due to the hippies and their interests in the 1960s and early 1970s.
 

Psychedelia

Many hippy clothes, interiors and even vehicles were decorated with swirling psychedelic patterns in clashing colours that reflected the increasing use of 'mind-expanding' drugs such as marijuana and LSD. One of the effects of the halucenogenic LSD and of magic mushrooms was heightened colour awareness, and the swirling vibrancy of psychedelic design could be seen everywhere in hippy pop culture, from boutique exteriors to John Lennon's infamous Rolls Royce. 

 
Oral histories

Brighton & Hove Museums' Renegade collection contains oral history interviews with hippies who recollect their experiences of hippy culture. Find out more about Community History.

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