Editing Brian Wilson (section)

===Spirituality===
Wilson was raised in a [[Presbyterian]] family.<ref name="B&N01" /> In many interviews, he has emphasized the spiritual essence of his music, particularly with ''Pet Sounds''.{{sfn|Lambert|2007|p=244}} He was also intrigued by [[astrology]], [[numerology]], and [[the occult]], as reflected in his original concepts for ''Smile''.{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=173}} In 1966, Wilson expressed his belief that all music "starts with religion", and while he recognized a "higher being who is better than we are", he was not traditionally religious.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=73}}

In the late 1960s, Wilson and his bandmates promoted [[Transcendental Meditation]] (TM).{{sfn|Highwater|1968}} By 1968, he had equated religion and meditation,{{sfn|Highwater|1968}} though he ultimately abandoned TM.{{sfn|White|1996|p=319}} He described himself in 1976 as having over-diversified his readings,<ref name="Oui">{{cite magazine |last1=Rensin |first1=David |title=A Conversation With Brian Wilson |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/a-conversation-with-brian-wilson |magazine=[[Oui (magazine)|Oui]] |date=December 1976 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> maintaining then that he still believed that the coming of "the great [[Messiah]] [...] came in the form of drugs" while acknowledging that his own drug experiences "really didn't work out so well".{{sfn|Love|2016|pp=150, 164}}{{sfn|Leaf|1978|p=180}}{{refn|group=nb|Asked whether his music was religiously influenced in 1988, he referred to the 1962 book ''A Toehold on Zen'', explaining that he believed that he possessed what is called a "toehold", meaning that having "a good grasp" on one aspect of life can translate to others.<ref name="Jeremy Gluck 1988">{{cite web|last=Gluck|first=Jeremy|title=What A Nice Way To Turn 17: Brian Wilson by Jeremy Gluck – "Y'know what I mean ...|url=http://www.rocksbackpagesblogs.com/2011/02/what-a-nice-way-to-turn-17-brian-wilson-by-jeremy-gluck-yknow-what-i-mean/|access-date=August 13, 2013|date=February 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109130549/http://www.rocksbackpagesblogs.com/2011/02/what-a-nice-way-to-turn-17-brian-wilson-by-jeremy-gluck-yknow-what-i-mean/|archive-date=November 9, 2011|url-status=usurped}}</ref>}}

In 2011, he said that while he had spiritual beliefs, he did not follow any particular religion.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Yakas|first1=Ben|title=Our Ten Minutes With Beach Boys Legend Brian Wilson|url=http://gothamist.com/2011/10/27/brian_wilson.php|date=October 27, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725054715/http://gothamist.com/2011/10/27/brian_wilson.php|archive-date=July 25, 2015}}</ref> Asked in 2004 for his favorite book, Wilson answered "[[the Bible]]", and questioned if he believed in life after death, Wilson replied "I don't".<ref name="Q&A2004">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/jul/24/popandrock |title=Q&A: Brian Wilson|last=Greenstreet |first=Rosanna |work=The Guardian |date=July 23, 2004}}</ref>