an explanation of 'Within You Without You' by The Beatles from Songmeanings.net

Anybody who doesn't see the relationship between concepts covered in this song, and psychedelic drugs, have either never taken a psychedelic themselves, or did so with a vastly different mindset to what they have now. The link between psychedelics and spirituality, enhanced states of consciousness and many other similar themes is undeniable. A huge amount of people with very deep spiritual connections have also had a lot of experience with psychedelics, and while psychedelics might not be the best, most effective, or even the most reliable way to open yourself up to spirituality and experience life outside of a normal state of conciousness, they are certainly the easiest and most approachable for most people. It gives a lot of people the opportunity to get their "Foot in the door" so to speak, and its a great way to blow away all those barriers and limitations that have been conditioned into you since birth. Psychedelics open you up to a world of wonder, but they also allow you to live for the first time, free of the chains of everyday human life. Psychedelics plant a little idea in your head that everything you think you know, everything that seems so "real" and concrete, might just be not quite what is seems.

Personally, this is by far one of my favourites, George Harrison really is a genius. I think it is about life, spirituality, consciousness, the universe, everything. To me the "Wall of illusion" is referring to the illusion we live in, "Maya", the universe and life as we know it, experiencing a subjective illusion which we know as life. The people who live this life go on day in day out, motivated by basic human instincts of survival, which includes things such as greed and selfishness. "Never glimpse the truth" is them never realising the mistakes they are making, they never find out that its all meaningless, that survival is nothing you can't take your possessions with you. "Then its far too late, when they pass away", in those final moments before you pass away, your individual consciousness begins to dissolve (or so I believe) and people will finally see the truth, whatever it may be, but they'll likely realise how foolish they have been struggling to survive, to "win", when it doesn't really matter and they should have just enjoyed life while it lasted. But its far too late.

The next stanza bounces straight off the back of the last one, this time referring to the people who do begin to perceive this illusion, who do glimpse the truth, and seek to spread love and joy of life rather than wasting it away pointlessly. "the love we all could share" is in my opinion a love of life, a love of everything and everyone, a desire to seize and live every moment to its fullest and just.. live. "With out love, we could save the world, if they only knew" refers to the others, for everybody to truly live in peace, everyone has to participate. Love could save the world, if only everybody realised it.

"Try to realise its all within yourself no one else can make you change". You are in control of your own life, complete control. Nobody else can ever make you do anything, but they'll do a damn good job of convincing you otherwise. You are the master of your own universe, nobody else can change your life but you. "And to see your only very small and life goes on within you and without you". You are insignificant outside of your own life. Time has existed forever, and will forever more, along with space. You are such a small and insignificant part of everything that has ever happened and ever will happen, nothing really matters. Once you realise this you can truly start to live your life, true freedom. Everything is only as important as you perceive it to be.

The final stanza refers back to the themes covered at the beginning of the song. The people who gain the world but lose their soul, all the money in the world won't give you peace of mind, to do that you need to realise the truth, break free of the illusion, experience and live life. Come to the realisation that you are only what you think you are, you are so insignificant outside of your own life, we're all just the same bunch of energy and vibrations experiencing our own life individually, or so we think we are. I really can't possibly put this into words, that's why George Harrison wrote a song. 

Life goes on within you and without you. Listen to this song, live life to its fullest, cherish every moment, enjoy yourself, realise everything is only as important as you think it is, and please for the good of humanity and your sanity, try some LSD.

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