The spirit of underground living

The benefits of living by the values of the night cannot be bought. They are earned through merit.

Today, with Grace, I managed to put into words — more and more clearly — the reason and the layers of the why and the how. It kept me from backing away and let me express it, even though I am still very much inside it. It isn’t recorded, but at least it crossed my mind.

And all this — why?

Because it has to be answered. And explained, especially on the website.

It reminded me that, above all, people need to be told what SOUL is.

It isn’t only an ethical code.

It isn’t only an action against misconduct.

The spirit of underground living is, first of all, the way you feel.

It is that extraordinary and intimate moment when everything becomes right: surrendered to the music, immersed in the light, connected to the people around you and to yourself.

It isn’t something you make up. It isn’t only about you.

Suddenly, you find yourself in a place, at a moment, in a state where you are you, you are them, you are us, you are all of you. You are everything — just like everyone — all of it, all at once.

And your “you” no longer matters, because everything matters to you.

Being SOUL means feeling deep empathy for the people you are with, and kindness — just as they feel for you. It is that innocence, that state of trust and well-being, free of suspicion, that lets you be aware and confident, without doubting, without needlessly protecting yourself, so you can welcome far more than your own truth, with compassion, openness and love.

And it feels SO good.

You laugh, you’re funny, you’re witty. Coincidences follow one another. Everything happens as if it were all planned. It’s magic.

It’s a bit of all that, and not all of it at once.

It’s different for everyone, of course. But in the end, the more personal it is, the more universal it is. We are all united, because none of this happens alone.

SOUL is neither free nor accidental.

It is not to be taken lightly, and it can truly be observed only under very precise conditions: environmental, temporal, momentary, fleeting.

This emotional state is real. And yes — gratitude to the universe — it can carry on beyond the dance floors and the underground world.

But its source is on the dance floor. It first shows itself in those magical moments, where a state of being, encounters, intuition and that deep feeling of connection meet.

It is this state of connection to oneself, to one’s soul and to the whole universe that makes up the spirit of underground living.

And it is in the name of this state of mind — intimate, emotional, so precious — that it is worth establishing, naming and protecting behaviours and values that encourage good conduct, and that prevent situations or attitudes that could go against this priceless well-being.

It cannot be bought. It is earned.

The spirit of underground living — SOUL — can only be nurtured by laying good values at its foundation, and by encouraging behaviours grounded in a social ethic of the night that we identify with, that resembles us and brings us together.

That is why SOUL is neither a company, nor a trademark, nor a venue, nor a for-profit organization.

It is an idea.

It is a social ethic rooted in a consensual culture.

These are values that have value.

Because everything you invest — in time, in money, in energy — to free up time to go dancing and live incredible experiences, which have become all too rare because of all the irritants that can take over a night… all that time, that love and that joy are worth gold.

It is in this sense that the SOUL concept offers landmarks and an identity system that are easier to identify with: free, accessible, available and open to every event organizer, and more broadly to anyone who wishes to raise the level of awareness and kindness at their events — and to draw concrete benefits from it, which may eventually translate economically.

Conversely, toxic behaviours that break consent ruin the value of nights out and of private moments.

Chasing them away is not enough.

Good conduct must be actively encouraged, to dissolve the darkness into the light.