In an interview on the eve of Metallica's 72 Seasons release day, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke candidly about his "extreme" belief in meditation and the idea that all people are interconnected.
"I meditate a lot," Hammett, who also does yoga, explained to 95.5 KLOS about his spiritual investment in the ancient practice. "I meditate sometimes a couple of hours a day; I've been meditating for about 25 years."
Watch the full interview near the bottom of this post.
READ MORE: Kirk Hammett Is Ready to Score Films
How deep are the Metallica guitarist's convictions about his meditation? "My beliefs and my outlook on meditation [are] pretty extreme, I would say," he told the Los Angeles rock station on April 13, as Blabbermouth reported and transcribed.
He continued, "I've come to believe that meditation is what we are, and when we're not meditating, that is like, the dream. [Laughs] And I've [concluded] that meditation is pure consciousness, and everything is pure consciousness. And I also believe in the unity of being, which means we're all connected."
Yet even more than that, Hammett added, we're "all the same being. I believe that, and I believe that with my heart. It really dictates how I am day to day. And how I treat people. Because if I believe that we're all connected and we are all one, then when I talk to you, I'm basically talking to myself. When you look at me and into my eyes, you're seeing a version of yourself back. That's how deep I believe it is."
Kirk Hammett + The Unity of Being
Asked for what info Metallica fans could further seek about meditation, Hammett recommended "The Direct Path" by spiritual leader Rupert Spira, saying the perspective "changed his life."
Spira describes "The Direct Path" as the "essential [spiritual] understanding that has been divested of all its local, temporal, and cultural tradition."
Hammett also said, "I believe that consciousness, what people believe is our soul or spirit, its energy, and energy is never destroyed. It just changes. So I believe that consciousness is everything and eternal. And being in present and in the moment contains all the possibilities that are available in life."
The Metallica rocker underscored, "That's what I believe. If people want to find out more, there's a name for what I believe, and it's called non-duality or idealism. It's a relatively new school of thinking that's based on teachings that go back two thousand years or so. … I know my spirituality can be very, very challenging for people."
Conversely, at one point last year, Hammett discussed how "toxic masculinity" had fueled Metallica. Ready to see the band live? Go here for Metallica's "M72 World Tour" dates. Find tickets here. Get the Loudwire app and Loudwire newsletter for rock and metal news.
Kirk Hammett on 95.5 KLOS - April 13, 2023
Metallica 2023 Tour Dates
April 27 – Amsterdam NL @ Cruijff Arena
April 29 – Amsterdam NL @ Cruijff Arena
May 17 – Paris FR @ Stade de France
May 19 – Paris FR @ Stade de France
May 26 – Hamburg DE @ Volksparkstadion
May 28 – Hamburg DE @ Volksparkstadion
June 16 – Gothenburg SE @ Ullevi Stadium
June 18 – Gothenburg SE @ Ullevi Stadium
Aug. 4 – East Rutherford, N.J. @ MetLife Stadium
Aug. 6 – East Rutherford, N.J. @ MetLife Stadium
Aug. 11 – Montreal, Quebec @ Stade Olympique
Aug. 13 – Montreal, Quebec @ Stade Olympique
Aug. 18 – Arlington, Texas @ AT&T Stadium
Aug. 20 – Arlington, Texas @ AT&T Stadium
Aug. 25 – Inglewood, Calif. @ SoFi Stadium
Aug. 27 – Inglewood, Calif. @ SoFi Stadium
Sept. 1 – Glendale, Ariz. @ State Farm Stadium
Sept. 3 – Glendale, Ariz. @ State Farm Stadium
Nov. 3 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Dome
Nov. 5 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Dome
Nov. 10 – Detroit, Mich. @ Ford Field
Nov. 12 – Detroit, Mich. @ Ford Field
May 24, 2024 – Munich DE @ Olympiastadion
May 26, 2024 – Munich DE @ Olympiastadion
June 7, 2024 – Helsinki FI @ Olympic Stadium
June 9, 2024 – Helsinki FI @ Olympic Stadium
June 14, 2024 – Copenhagen DK @ Parken Stadium
June 16, 2024 – Copenhagen DK @ Parken Stadium
July 5, 2024 – Warsaw PL @ PGE Narodowy
July 7, 2024 – Warsaw PL @ PGE Narodowy
July 12, 2024 – Madrid ES @ Estadio Cívitas
July 14, 2024 – Madrid ES @ Estadio Cívitas
Aug. 2, 2024 – Foxborough, Mass. @ Gillette Stadium
Aug. 4, 2024 – Foxborough, Mass. @ Gillette Stadium
Aug. 9, 2024 – Chicago, Ill. @ Soldier Field
Aug. 11, 2024 – Chicago, Ill. @ Soldier Field
Aug. 16, 2024 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ US Bank Stadium
Aug. 18, 2024 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ US Bank Stadium
Aug. 23, 2024 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Commonwealth
Aug. 25, 2024 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Commonwealth
Aug. 30, 2024 – Seattle, Wash. @ Lumen Field
Sept. 1, 2024 – Seattle, Wash. @ Lumen Field
Sept. 20, 2024 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
Sept. 22, 2024 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
Sept. 27, 2024 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
Sept. 29, 2024 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
