U.S.A.: PETE TOWNSEND THINKS HE HAS THE SPIRIT OF A SUFI MOSLEM

Pete Townshend Believes He Was a Mystical Muslim in a Past Life

Rocker Pete Townshend is convinced he was a mystical Sufi in a former life after 'finding himself' during a "Muslim mission". The guitarist admits meeting spiritual leader Meher Baba had a profound effect on him and prompted him to give up substance abuse. But his studies of Islam since that meeting have led Townshend to believe his spirit is passed down from a mystical Muslim.

He explains, "After Monterey Pop (festival) I got very disturbed by acid and I started to get very sickened by LSD and psychedelia. I went off on a little kind of seeking mission. The teacher who I happened upon was Meher Baba, who said continued use of drugs would lead to madness, death and insanity. I was attracted to his interest of the Persian poets, so I went off to Islam and read a lot of Sufi writing and became utterly convinced in some previous life I'd been a Sufi. It explained why I do all that turning, which is done in Islamic prayer, on stage, and the windmill thing with my arm."

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1) Pete Townshend Believes He Was a Mystical Muslim in a Past Life