Serj & Rainn On Why It's Time to WAKE UP!
A visit from System of a Down's Serj Tankian
On this week’s episode of the Soul Boom podcast, we have one of my favorite creative beings, Serj Tankian. You might know Serj best as System of a Down’s frontman with golden pipes — but his work is much more far-ranging than that: he is a poet, painter, film scorer, and entrepreneur as well. I’ve known Serj for a number of years now. We even had a lovely conversation when I was making Metaphysical Milkshake. (Incidentally, in that Metaphysical Milkshake conversation, he talks about his encounter with the Dalai Lama, which was definitely funnier than mine).
Since Serj, like me, has now come out with a book, I thought it might be fun to correlate some of the big ideas we explore in our respective tomes... So here goes…
Serj and I have lived very different lives, but we do share a few similarities. One, we are close in age, and we both took part in roller discos and the Columbia House Music Club in our youth. Secondly, we are both beloved celebrities (obviously). And thirdly, we connect deeply on the purpose of art and our role as artists. Part of that connection is a shared belief that art can help alchemize our suffering into something precious and beautiful — both in the making of and in the experiencing of it. The words of Jorge Luis Borges come to mind: “All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.” For me — and I believe for Serj — that is a deeply spiritual thing.
While all forms of art can impact the human heart, perhaps none has a power quite like music. And while I might have achieved a certain degree of renown for my bassoonery, nonetheless, I have long admired musicians like Serj for what they bring into our world. Of all the art forms, perhaps none is as universal a language as music. Nothing can replicate the vibrant and heartfelt energy that music brings. It goes beyond the boundaries of language, space, and time, leaving a lasting mark on our minds and hearts. Perhaps that’s why many seniors with dementia might forget something as basic as their own name but can recall every word of a beloved song upon hearing just a few notes.
I love Serj’s creative origin story. By his own telling, big responsibilities fell on him when he was very young, and he sank into a deep depression. He needed something to occupy his mind, and it turned out that something was a little Casio keyboard. It had been sitting in his bedroom, collecting dust. One day, he started to plonk around on it. The simple melodies he could produce captivated him, and soon, he found himself lost in hours of playing. For Serj, this act of generating music felt almost transcendent, tapping into parts of his mind and soul that he rarely accessed otherwise. It offered him a respite from the constant thinking and energy expenditure of daily life, providing a form of solace and expression he hadn't known before. Growing up, he spent so much time and energy thinking, and that little Casio was his invitation to stop. By his telling, that creative space was like being cocooned in a warm netherworld, insulated from all the everyday hassles that could drag him down. Making music was meditative.
Yet, thankfully, his love of music didn’t just stay in his bedroom. When we get to a certain level of proficiency in a craft, it can be a gift to others, and that’s when it realizes its greatest potential. As the Bible reminds us, we aren’t to light a candle only to put it under a bushel. Instead, we lift it up and give light to all who are around us. The potency of arts isn’t just in how it affects us as individuals at the psychic level. It has a unique power for the collective as well. The arts have always been at the heart of every social revolution. Major social movements are unimaginable without the contributions of the arts. And Serj has long been on the front lines for marshaling the force of music to leverage positive change. Perhaps his ability to do so is due to the fact that he was an activist long before he was an artist. Serj never wanted to just be a demonic pretty boy who spoke to millions but talked to no one. He was fascinated with life’s big questions and was especially interested in the intersection of justice and spirituality. Serj's life’s work has always been about learning how to compassionately deliver hard truths in ways people could hear them.
And because his intention is to be of service, I truly believe Serj’s creative work is spiritual in nature. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words of encouragement to an artist come to mind:
“I rejoice to hear that thou takest pains with thine art, for in this wonderful new age, art is worship… That is to say, when thy fingers grasp the paintbrush, it is as if thou wert at prayer in the Temple.”
Every time we engage in a creative act — whether we pick up a guitar, or step on stage, or our hands touch a keyboard or move a mouse — when our intention is of service, it is like we are praying in the temple. Now while I find this to be a beautiful way of looking at artmaking, it might make sense to pause here and ask what we mean by prayer. Because if prayer is simply reciting words in a congregation or reading a prayer out loud from a prayer book, without any real connection, it’s worth asking: is it really prayer? I would say categorically no. For me, prayer requires turning our heart to the Source. When this happens, a spiritual connection is established, through which we become a channel of divine influence.
Of course, if we’re talking about prayer, we also have to talk about meditation. Prayer and meditation together form that great mystical back-and-forth conversation with the vibration of the universe. As Serj explains, he turned to meditation when System of a Down first became famous, and he realized he lacked the emotional and spiritual tools to handle anxiety and stress. For Serj, meditation is allowing for a sacred silence. There are no bills to worry about paying, no fraught conversations to replay in your mind, no concerns of what came before or what comes next. Serj asks a deep question in his book: how can you think beyond survival when your mind is not at rest? How can you hear the answers when you’re obsessed with the questions? Engaging in this practice brought about profound changes in his life, rendering him more attentive, less reactive, and cultivating inner peace and empathy. Meditation became indispensable, sharpening his focus and awareness, while creating room for personal growth.
Meditation brings us to a more connected state, and connection is the heart of spirituality. Connection to ourselves, to each other, to nature, and ultimately, to the Source of it all. Our problems begin with the illusion of separateness. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá put it, “From separation doth every kind of hurt and harm proceed…” Indeed, many clinical psychologists now surmise that the roots of addiction often lie in the early and frequent rupturing of attunement between a child and their caregiver. When this crucial bond is disrupted and remains chronically unrepaired, it can lead to deep emotional wounds. These unresolved issues may drive individuals to seek solace in addictive behaviors as they attempt to fill the void left by unmet needs. I thought of this when Serj offered a novel theory in his book about why people become addicted to smoking cigarettes. His idea? Because they so desperately need a spiritual pause but don’t know where to find it. When people smoke, they’re getting in touch with their breathing — just not in a healthy way. So maybe those that are tempted to take up smoking just need to learn some breathwork?
It’s worth noting the etymology of the word spiritual. It derives from spirit, which itself comes from the latin spīrāre, meaning to breathe. The word soul is Germanic in origin but also is derived from concepts of breathing and breath. The same is true in Arabic and Hebrew, and in other languages as well. It makes sense if you think about our breath: it is invisible yet essential to our existence. Much like spirituality. And just as deliberate breathwork can reset our nervous system, so can a deliberate spiritual practice harmonize our spirit. As above, so below. As in our bodies, so in our soul.
Serj’s inner journey also pushed outward as his search for spiritual truth and wisdom expanded. It broadened his understanding of Indigenous philosophies. Serj’s passion for justice was no doubt stoked with the experience of growing up as a child of diaspora, the descendant of survivors of a genocide. He experienced and fought against the gaslighting of genocide denial. That passion had been with him since his adolescence. But with the spiritual awakening he experienced, he saw justice more and more in its global and human context. From spiritual texts, he segued into books about our combined Indigenous past and its intuitive understanding of humanity's journey on this planet. Stories about Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Māori, and Indigenous communities from the Middle East shared similar customs, beliefs, and an underlying conviction about the importance of living within nature. We both share a deep love for Indigenous expressions of spirituality and how, throughout the world, native cultures have a deep connection to the cycles, beauty, and mystery of nature.
My dialogues with Serj often veer into the subject of what the future holds for humanity. On the pod, Serj himself confessed that he is low on hope right now. And I get that. Around the world, there is a mounting realization that the coming decades will bring some of the toughest challenges humanity has ever faced. What disturbs me even more, is the escalating division, hatred, and anger that we see all around us.
In my Metaphysical Milkshake conversation with Serj years ago I asked him “Why do we hate?” And still I recall his wise reply: “Because we don’t feel the interconnectivity of all things... otherwise it would just be ourselves that we are hating.” So, the real question is, what’s next? Is there a way out? The cacophony of conflicts among nations threatens to drown out the voices of noble-hearted individuals across societies calling for peace. Until it’s recognized that we’re all in this together, the world's disorder and chaos will escalate, potentially leading to catastrophic outcomes.
Perhaps humanity is like that addict who needs to hit rock bottom before truly turning over a new leaf. It does feel like we are moving towards a kind of reckoning. During our podcast, Serj invoked that old-timey biblical notion of a day of reckoning for humanity. He said he always felt that on the day of reckoning, if there is one, people will not be divided into believers and nonbelievers, but instead, they'll be divided between those who truly feel at one with all beings and the universe, and those who don’t.
Amen brother. May we one and all WAKE UP to our oneness sooner rather than later. Our very salvation depends on it.
PS: If you want more Serj, check out his new memoir Down With The System. It’s a beautifully written book that delves into his life as an immigrant, his rise to fame in an unconventional metal band, and his evolution as an activist and artist.
PPS: We’re just scratching the surface here. If you want to dive deeper, buy the Soul Boom book.
A podcast talking about spiritualality and music I'm there. 🤭🏃♀️
YHWH is the name God gives us for him. You pronounce it by breathing in and out.