---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic…"
description: "\"Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic vision is reality to me and always was.\" — John Lennon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg"
---

#  Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic vision is reality…

![“Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic vision is reality to me and always was.” quote by John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg)

> “Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic vision is reality to me and always was.”

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He equates surrealism and psychedelic visions with reality, suggesting perception defines what is real

**In simple terms:** Surreal and psychedelic experiences are his version of reality

Key Takeaway

Accept that reality can be shaped by perception

Themes

art perception reality philosophy

Mood

thoughtful philosophical creative

Type

philosophical artistic

When to use this quote

- Creative expression
- mind-altering experiences
- artistic inspiration
- philosophical debate

Key Concepts

Surrealism psychedelia subjective truth

Questions to Reflect On

- How does perception influence our understanding of reality?
- Can art change what we consider real?

A Different Perspective

Such views may be dismissed as overly subjective or escapist

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Psychedelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychedelic/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Surrealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrealism/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/)

## Related quotes

> [Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realised that the imagery in my mind wasn't insanity. Surrealism to me is reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/surrealism-had-a-great-effect-on-me-because-then-i-realised-that-the/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [“Astral Weeks,” insofar as it can be pinned down, is a record about people stunned by life, completely overwhelmed, stalled in their skins, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/astral-weeks-insofar-as-it-can-be-pinned-down-is-a-record-about/)

[Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/)

> [Another aspect of the psychedelic vision for me that has been very profound, is the sense that every-thing is alive or at that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/another-aspect-of-the-psychedelic-vision-for-me-that-has-been-very/)

[Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/)

> [My altered perception of reality while on psychedelic drugs came as a total shock to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-schneider/my-altered-perception-of-reality-while-on-psychedelic-drugs-came-as-a/)

[Susan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-schneider/)

> [To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the kind of poetry I found in high school English books. I didn't get really excited about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-equi/to-be-honest-i-wasn-t-crazy-about-the-kind-of-poetry-i-found-in-high/)

[Elaine Equi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-equi/)

> [We must always remember to thank the CIA and the Army for LSD. That's what people forget… They invented LSD to control people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-must-always-remember-to-thank-the-cia-and-the-army-for-lsd-that-s/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [If you want to turn a vision into reality, you have to give 100% and never stop believing in your dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/if-you-want-to-turn-a-vision-into-reality-you-have-to-give-100-and/)

[Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/)

> [“Anytime things were going right for you, the future of the world seemed bright. Anytime they were going wrong, the imminent collapse of civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-boudinot/anytime-things-were-going-right-for-you-the-future-of-the-world/)

[Ryan Boudinot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-boudinot/)

> [We're getting close to making our vision a reality. It's exciting to be on the cusp of opening our doors to the public. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-coyne-iii/we-re-getting-close-to-making-our-vision-a-reality-it-s-exciting-to/)

James K. Coyne III

> [“Our ability to see the impact of changes before we make them is an important part of being human. Every new discovery…. is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sturt/our-ability-to-see-the-impact-of-changes-before-we-make-them-is-an/)

[David Sturt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sturt/)

> [“While he wanted to teach me what he knew, I wanted him to see what it all looked like for me—perhaps love is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/while-he-wanted-to-teach-me-what-he-knew-i-wanted-him-to-see-what-it/)

[Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/)

> [I'd begun to realize that there was an unspoken predjudice among book-learned people, a secret conviction they all seemed to share, that life as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-begun-to-realize-that-there-was-an-unspoken-predjudice-among-book/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leadership-is-the-capacity-to-translate-vision-into-reality/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Winners bring reality up to their vision. Losers bring their vision down to reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-knox/winners-bring-reality-up-to-their-vision-losers-bring-their-vision/)

[Chuck Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-knox/)

> [VAR is a tool we have that can make us better. But we must use it and have a clearer vision of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quique-setien/var-is-a-tool-we-have-that-can-make-us-better-but-we-must-use-it-and/)

[Quique Setien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quique-setien/)

## More by John Lennon

> [Well, I don't want to be king, I want to be real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/well-i-don-t-want-to-be-king-i-want-to-be-real/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [ We went to America a few times and \[Brian\] Epstein always tried to waffle on at us about saying nothing about Vietnam. So there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-went-to-america-a-few-times-and-brian-epstein-always-tried-to/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [As someone from the working class I was always interested in Russia and China and everything that related to the working class, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/as-someone-from-the-working-class-i-was-always-interested-in-russia/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [I never went to high school reunions. My thing is, out of sight, out of mind. That's my attitude toward life. So I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-never-went-to-high-school-reunions-my-thing-is-out-of-sight-out-of/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [Today's folk song is rock and roll. Although it happened to emanate from America, that's not really important in the end because we wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/today-s-folk-song-is-rock-and-roll-although-it-happened-to-emanate/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [If you want to get peace, you can get it as soon as you like if we all pull together. ... Think peace, live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/if-you-want-to-get-peace-you-can-get-it-as-soon-as-you-like-if-we-all/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [The reason why kids are crazy is because nobody can face the responsibility of bringing them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-reason-why-kids-are-crazy-is-because-nobody-can-face-the/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [In my case I've never not been political, though religion tended to overshadow it in my acid days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/in-my-case-i-ve-never-not-been-political-though-religion-tended-to/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It's like being possessed. You try to go to sleep, but the song won't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/songwriting-is-about-getting-the-demon-out-of-me-it-s-like-being/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [Imagine there's no heaven... it's easy if you try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/imagine-there-s-no-heaven-it-s-easy-if-you-try/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/man-you-should-have-seen-them-kicking-edgar-allan-poe/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [Love is like a flower - you've got to let it grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/love-is-like-a-flower-you-ve-got-to-let-it-grow/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-don-t-know-which-will-go-first-rock-n-roll-or-christianity/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [The main hangup in the world today is hypocrisy and insecurity. If people can't face up to the fact of other people being naked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-main-hangup-in-the-world-today-is-hypocrisy-and-insecurity-if/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

[Explore all 681 John Lennon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

## More Dreams quotes

> [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/)

[Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/)

> [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/)

[Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/)

> [“Now you’re wet. You’re so wet you’re leaking down your ass. You’re soaking my pillow. I don’t think I’m ever washing it. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stoker/now-you-re-wet-you-re-so-wet-you-re-leaking-down-your-ass-you-re/)

[Susan Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stoker/)

> [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/)

[Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/)

> [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/)

[Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/)

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/)

[John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/)

> [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/)

[Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/)

> [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/)

[Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/)

> [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/)

[Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/)

> [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/)

[Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/)

> [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/)

[Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic vision is reality to me and always was.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Lennon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic-vision-is-reality-to-me-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dreams"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic-vision-is-reality-to-me-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/john-lennon-322_dreams_surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic_287974.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic vision is reality to me and always was.” — John Lennon",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Lennon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Surrealism to me is reality. Psychedelic...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic-vision-is-reality-to-me-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/surrealism-to-me-is-reality-psychedelic-vision-is-reality-to-me-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
