Don't know if you got the back story. Ren developed lots of symptoms, including chronic pain. It was all eventually diagnosed as psychosomatic. They treated him for years as a mental patient. The accurate diagnosis was Lyme disease. During the years it was left untreated, his body and brain were severely damaged by the disease. He has been undergoing some cutting-edge stem cell therapy in Canada in an attempt to heal some of that damage. The person in the bloody butcher outfit with the pig mask that wheeled him in at the beginning of the video, was his representation of those doctors that misdiagnosed and mistreated him for all those years.
Ren is a great artist. You put him a room with a lion that is his instrumentalist/writer who Eminem has mentored like jdilla ; need not to say anymore. All from a night in Detroit, with this stranger he is trusting. This lion is angry to be giving him this song , so he is never more so testing . This shady character just fights everyone and everything. Where REN feels everything, and is nevertheless real and trusting. Problem is skin in Detroit is different and trust is different with pain. The lion attacks the instrument which is the guitar. It’s like if Mozart has to give away his first born and can never leave his guitar. Trapped inside a dark room where no one wants to see or hear nor taste the scent between the twos anguished minds. They work together to make something amazing to feel better forever. Never more so hard work and having a voice. Just have to listen
The pig wasn't representative of the individual doctors, but the system itself that incentivizes expensive procedures and drugs, and treating patients as commodities instead of people. The pig is in many of his videos and represents greed in many different forms.
I’d avoid “psychosomatic” because that’s usually used to represent illnesses that have no pathology and are created by negative thoughts alone. REN’s issues were all products of Lyme disease and medical psychosis brought on by improper treatments. I had a friend who was institutionalized for a time because they had a medication that sent them into psychosis and their ex reported them. The consequences of malpractice and misdiagnosis can be devastating and REN is an example of both the horrors that can be thrust upon a person and the absolute resilience of the human spirit.
Yes but he also incorporated the Shadow (note that the lights flashed throughout when the Shadow was speaking and yet in the end when "Good Ren" took over, the lights still flashed).
@ThundahThat's not my interpretation. I thought it was quite straightforward. The light is good, the angel, the dark is bad, the demon. Since he is a human, as he literally stresses in the outro monologue, he ends his song with the dance between light and dark, because he is human
@@Zundfolge He is relaxed and dancing, fully himself.... as he talks about just a few moments later - in an exaltation which reminds me of the Diva dance from 5th Element (without trying for a direct comparison)
"The voice you hear when you loosten the noose on the rope" That line hit me so damn hard, I was there in the past, I heard that voice, the one that said "You have more to do". And discovering Ren recently reminded me of that voice, I got myself into a deep pit, but I been making steps to get out.
that line had me openly weeping. this song resonates so much with me that i send it to people to give them an insite into my mind since i'm awful at verbalizing what happens in my head
i remember doing that when i was a kid i was standing there looking at the rope but instead of jumping i went and talked with my uncle and he saved my life that day.
This is a line that many miss, but it breaks me every time I hear the song. Maybe some people are much more attuned to hearing a line like that, not sure. As one who has been there I hear it loud and clear and thank God daily that I heard that voice, a friend who 'just happened' to show up when I needed him to. Ren, and much of his music, is a true gift to so many.
I like the part where you explained the Left part of your brain to be more Rigid with illness and the Right part is more accepting because Ren turns left for his "shadow" personality and turns right for his good side💯 he really is a GENIUS💯
Ren has really struggled with years of misdiagnosis and many trials of medication, which did not help. Like many people with chronic illness, he has not felt heard by medical and psychological professionals. It took almost 11 years for him to really get a definitive diagnosis, during which time, he was unable to function and suffered a great deal of physical damage from the Lyme Disease, as well as PTSD from his experiences. He has made great music about this and has also posted a number of videos about advocacy for chronic illness. Please react to his other music, including Sick Boi and Chalk Outlines. Thank you for your reaction!
@@DankNasty574 Sony signed him at 17 and then he got sick with Lyme, which was misdiagnosed as Bipolar disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome. He was medicated with lots of psychotropics, which just made him worse. He has written that he did experience psychosis. Sony dropped him due to his physical and emotional difficulties. In my opinion, they would have stifled his incredible creativity and limited him.
I am glad you brought up Jungian Philosophy. If you notice throughout the video, the lights only flash when the shadow is speaking, that is, until you get to the end. When he sings at the end, the lights flash. To me, this is symbolic of his achieving the integration of his shadow. Ren really is genius!
Yes, the Jung shadow self is there for sure. And even though he stays in the 1 chair it's like Fritz Perls is having him jump back and forth and talk to the other chair. In the creation of the song I can see how valuable it would be if we always kept the dialog between the 2 sides of the coin. Open.
As a father of four autistic children, haven’t lived with autism for 26 years. This video starts off with him, singing to his drumming with no words, but rather with sounds then we get to take a visit inside and see what’s going on inside his head when it’s all said and done, he returns to the singing without words perhaps the beginning in the end that’s how he sounded the whole time, but he let us see inside to see how things go inside to the person walking by the room. He always sounded like the beginning and the end, but there’s so much in the middle we never hear he brilliantly breaks the fourth wall and he reminds us we’re all human, regardless of how our brains work
Simply beautiful and so deep in many ways and the insights from reactions show so much from the shadow and the meanings in the video with lighting etc reflect an amazing intelligence and depth that makes me realise how lucky I am to hear him and this reaction so thank you 🌈🏴
I’m 62 and an old high school buddy sent me the link to “Hi Ren”. I’ve watched several different takes on this song from different perspectives and the takeaway is pretty consistent. After all the times hearing “Hi Ren” I still weep. Seems like you’d have to be terribly jaded to not be effected by this. Turns me inside out and I’m grateful.
I think his work makes you see that we all should be kinder to each other, to not be judgmental, we are all fighting our demons in different ways every day, look after each other sometimes the simplest compliment to a stranger can help them defeat their demons even if only for a day.
I, actually, find that to be a miss/shortcoming in her analysis. It’s the devil. He outright says “I have been present since the dawn of creation.” “I am the snake in the garden of Eden.” He uses multiple phrases that refer to the devil and she never mentions that. He is, in fact, saying that the devil is in all of us. That this primordial evil force is behind it all BUT the devil manifests in all of us. The devil is humanity. She comes short of that, by a lot. It’s the same story as “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones. They tell this story of all the things the devil did or was present for. Then they wrap of by dropping the bomb that humans are the devil and it was in all of us, the whole time. A bit of a predictable trope but Ren makes it extraordinarily unpredictable and heavy.
I have seen 50 or so reaction to Hi Ren so far. That was one of the best. I have been deafened by silence more than once by "the voice that you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope". At 54 years old I am only just trying to learn to laugh at, rather than listen to, what the demon on my shoulder seductively whispers in my ear. You have earned a sub, looking forward to checking out some more if your content.
Same here. Never have I seen such a number of reactions to this track... and never have I watched so many of them. Like I'm expecting to see or hear from other people how they feel about this piece which I personally took like a kick in the throat. I have little in common with Ren; French, 64, healthy (so far), poor guitar player... but I was Ren so many times. I could/should be jealous of his creativity but instead am admirative of his skills, his will... and his guts.
Me too. I’m currently day 3 into the ‘Hi Ren’ reaction videos Rabbit hole and I like it here. It’s fascinating to me to watch people’s reactions to this incredible masterpiece. It’s unlike ANYTHING I’ve ever seen and I’m OBSESSED…in a healthy way of course. I didn’t even know reaction videos existed?! 20 reaction videos later I STILL tear up when he stands up and sings “sing from the top of my lungs” towards the end. So incredibly powerful. ☺️
My favorite line in this song is, "I stood in the flames that cremated my brains and I didn't once flinch or shake, so cower at the man I've become...". Such a strong and powerful way to relate strength. I also feel the most overlooked part of this is, "there are no real winners or losers in psychological warfare, but there are victims and there are students". Namely the students part. One can be a victim and let it control them or one can be a student and study it, learn from it, and control it. This and O Virgin Pure by Nektarios of Aegina are the 2 most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
Everything Ren does has a meaning. From the hard plucking, acting, cadence, flickering of the light to choice of location and everything else. He is a genius. Sadly he is still very ill and getting treatment in Canada.
I have been trapped in a neverending Hi Ren pilgrimage. No doubt led by the powerful UA-cam algorithm to guide me for more nefarious rather than altruistic purposes . I am glad it led me to your review and perspective. I love your post. I have dropped twitter, unsubscribed to a few UA-camrs and I am starting to feel, a bit better. This is an amazing performance. Transformative, enlightening and uniting. Everything this medium should be, but seldom is.
I’ve had type one Narcolepsy since I was 7, with all the bells and trimmings. My immune system is shot to shit and I’ve struggled with depression since I was 10. I’m on so much medication my blood probably has street value. This piece makes me feel so many emotions all at once. It gives me hope. Its just wonderful ! I kinda wish I’d been able to read Steal Like an Artist back when I was a teenager, when I still believed in my music.
I personally think that even without visually seeing the personality changes you can hear them, like the “normal” ren’s voice always had a bit of vulnerability and uncertainty until he became angry and when hope took over that vulnerability became courage and strength, and the darkness always sounded a bit unhinged, the vocal exaggeration is to die for.understanding that the darkness is part of you is important,but you don’t have don’t let it control you, you can accept that it exists without letting it consume you. Also his vocal range is so freaking impressive. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk😂
@@bdyt for the great revelation that life is chaos yet still blanketed in a neat little balance-fallacy to remain palatable for wider audiences? anchorings like these are in almost any song you listen to, what this does differently is pointing at some of them, that's not a grand movement to make, it's just pointing the composition is p slammin tho ofc
I've watched this video/reactions at least 50 times now. The part to me, that stands out the most (besides the speech at the end is; "I am Temptation and I'm Immortal. Oh yeah? Well I'm hope and I'm ETERNAL! We are a coin of different sides" and you can't kill me either! Powerful clash of forces that collide throughout the test of time... Ren is Shakespeare like with his writing and a bard of like I can't compare any to of this time... I hear his music and INSTANTLY time travel into a pub 500 years ago where a man tells tales though music and live performances.
that's funny because I saw in some comments section people trying to describe what genre(s) of music to classify Ren as... and one person called it Bardcore, which I thought sounded just about perfect!
I've watched people react to this song for over a month now and I continue to cry tears of joy as I watch how this song touches another individual deeply. Might be the greatest independent song ever created, inmy humble opinion. Ren is currently undergoing treatment in Canada for his health issues. Thank you for your professional insight you just received a new subscriber! 😁
I was diagnosed with MS in 1997 , one of the first things my team of doctors did was listen to me and ask me questions about my thought process and the help a psychologist might be. Fast forward to today this song by Ren has summed my last 28 years…
His song Ren x chinchilla - Chalk outlines (LIVE) is absolutely beautiful and is about how the meds he was put on makes him feel dead. Hence, chalk outlines. It showcases his singing voice.
I would also recommend Crutch feat. Bibi that he wrote after an emotional breakdown following multiple trips to the hospital. It’s beautiful and heart wrenching.
@@shanem5705 the agony in his voice and the music is so real. And the simple music video is perfect too. Definitely one that deserves more attention and to be recommended more to reactors going down the Ren rabbit hole.
This was not what I expected... how about you Anna? This will resonate with millions of people... First time I have ever heard something like this. Powerful, Beautiful, Strong. I would say he did it, his music will last lifetimes.
That was very interesting to see you change from a Neurologist to a Psychologist and then back to a Neurologist after the song finished. I couldn't speak after the first time I heard this. The second time, I just cried. I'm an amateur musician, but have been playing the guitar for 50 years. My family have learned to gauge my mood on the frequency of my playing. If I'm not happy I don't play, the other negative side to that is people close to me realise I'm not happy. A person like Ren, only comes along once in a lifetime, and I must not forget, we must not forget, that we are human beings.
this was an incredibly smart idea for a neurologist to give their thoughts on music and where the words come from in the artists' lyrics, might even help other's understand these stories for what they really are🤟🏻
I love watching peoples expressions when Ren stands up. You catch if the song has truly hit them and it was so obvious in your eyes how much it did so. Those who have been through these fights feel that catch in there throats and that emotion pours from their eyes. No matter how many times I have watched this video, it catches me every time at that point. The breaking of the cycle even if it is not permanent is something to be truly rejoiced.
I love the breakdown of the hemispheres at the end. I had a large brain tumor smack dab in the middle of my brain -- front to back, side to side, top to bottom -- dead center. It was benign and my general health is fine now. But the damage it left was so evenly distributed I have all the things -- issues with memory, orientation, balance, logic, hallucinations. It's challenging but also fascinating! In another life I think I would love to have been a neurologist. Thank you for an insightful reaction -- I'm addicted to "Hi Ren" reactions and yours was fantastic! (You'd love all of Ren's work; it's so diverse and as he said in the song [with a touch of irony, perhaps], he is a genius! His covers are as wonderful as his originals.)
It’s so refreshing to hear a neurologist discuss creative arts, most MDs shut that part of themselves off when they start studying medicine. I’ve never heard of this singer, but thank you UA-cam algorithm for sending me this vid.
I think next psycologist visit I'm going to play this video with my therapist to talk about nerve pain and my evolving journey conquering mental illness, he's definitely open enough and I'm ready to stand up to a few more of my demons, thanks Ren :)
Great reaction. I love watching people react to this song because it is such a real and powerful work that still, after dozens or maybe even hundreds of views, brings tears to my eyes. Another reason is that by nature, people who are reactors and in a public, recorded setting, they play a role, a persona for their channel and the camera - at least to some degree. But with this song, you can see that veneer, that mask slip away at some point (usually when Ren stands up) and you can view the human beneath. It is a beautiful thing and very few works of art and/or music can consistently do this. And this song does it nearly every time. That is the power of well executed art. It draws the raw, vulnerable human being from the false shell we protect ourselves with. All I can say is, thank you Ren for this gift.
I've lost count of the Hi Ren reactions I've watched 🙈 Every reaction I watch, the more I learn, the greater perspective I get of this song... Ren has buried so many gems in these lines, the inflections in his voice, the camera-work, the lighting, the different styles of guitar playing. Pure genius. Thank you for your own honest reaction and for helping to share Ren's work 💞 Hope you will continue to explore Ren's other work, you won't regret it!
While I have no illness or psychological issues this son gets to me. Tears me up. I lost someone I loved like a daughter and was the daughter of my best friends. To know people are dealing with difficult issues like Ren’s are eye opening. Makes me not want to rush to judge someone for they might be going through something we cannot understand.
This song resonates with me, not only because of how it relates to the hypnotherapy work that I do, but because of how it mirrors my own mental health struggles. And I know that's why it's resonating with so many others as well. Even if we haven't experienced severe mental illness, we can all relate to the inner battle of the dark and the light within us all. Like he says, we are all human beings. Thank you for your reaction and helping spread this important song to an even wider audience. (Oh, favorite line: "It's the voice that you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope". Effing A. Gets me right in the heart bone every time.)
Thank you. Finally, someone got it, you seen what so many have missed. He ends the sing eith the feeling he began with. He ended with hope. With joy in song, his triumph, not over his darkness, but its acceptance and acknowledgment that it is always there and to win you balance.
his talent, his authenticity, his truth, totally blew me away... been fckn breathless since i found the song 3 days ago... it's amazing how the effect is the same across the board.. we are all human beings. He is the G.O.A.T.
I have watched/analyzed soooo many reaction videos to this song.. (I found it touching and relatable) and I have to say, you've knocked it out the park in your own analysis and interpretation.. I do hope you learn more about Ren and are able to speak on his personal battle with Lyme's disease (he was miss diagnosed for almost a decade) Thank you so much for sharing your educated insight & at the same time sharing your emotion through your reactions visually. A wonderful breakdown (& representation) of the two halfs.. and the importance of a balance between the two. BRAVO! 👏👏👏
Notice that the whole song, when it's the "Shadow" talking, the lights are flashing in the background, but not when it's him. But at the end, after the line about being a coin with two different sides, he's singing as the lights are flashing, which I take to mean that it's him and the "Shadow" singing together, because he's accepted the "Shadow" as part of himself.
You felt this just as many of us did. It hits hard. Ren is a lyrical and musical genius. This song/video is a masterpiece! Thank you for reacting to this. You've gained a new subscriber.
He decided to be an open book to share, explain and help others like him and give them hope ....and relaxation in the process to try to be sane .....and oh my !!! Have some taste of happiness. Why not ???!!!
I appreciate you sharing this with us! Honestly, it's nice to see someone with your knowledge and credentials just hit just as hard as us by this song. I don't think I've stopped hearing the line "I'm the voice that you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope" since I heard this song the first time.
The way you simply broke down the differences of the left and right hemisphere was the best I’ve ever heard for such a complex topic. The first 5 years after my TBI I saw a lot of different neurologist, neuropsychologist and therapist that would just end up confusing me more when they tried to explain it. I had three hemorrhages on the right side of my brain and the next time somebody ask me how the TBI effects me I will start with your explanation, thanks.
I just want to let you know that what you said from 6:50 to 8:25 resonated with me to a level of which I did not expect. I'm 35 with diagnosed Bipolar, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder, amongst others. I have been fighting that shadow for a long time and never have I looked at it in the way you described. It felt you were talking to me and it helped me to kind of snap out of this current depressive rut I've been in. I feel inspired to try something new, when I had previously felt like I'd tried everything. It's just a great new perspective, and I appreciate it very much.
Ren is a very special artist. A multi instrumentalist and poet that can perform in many different genres . He calls his music BARDCORE. For example , his poetic storytelling is exemplified in the masterful trilogy Jenny and Screech's Tales (Full). A Shakespearen fable of modern life in London recorded live whilst sauntering around Brighton late at night.
Yes to Carl Jung. Ren expressed this human condition perfectly. I am 60 years old and he brought tears to my eyes as well. Amazing young man, artist, poet, performer.
I stumbled onto your channel because i fell down the REN rabbit hole. I love your analogies'. Descriptions. I would love to see a video of you interviewing REN or CHINCHILLA. I think that would be so helpful to a lot of people. Subscribed immediately.
Same here. Asperger’s Syndrome, PTSD, Bipolar, MPD, etc. This touched me so hard when I heard it on TicTok, I listened to the little 30 second portion of it 5 times and bawled my eyes out!!
@@audiehendrix992 the trauma we carry from parents is horrific. I’m 42 with sons in their 20s and my main task in life has been to break the cycle. ♥️♥️
Have watched it several times. I like how he uses the unusual vocal noises that he starts the song with to end it and how the context changes for the viewer. I've seen many other reactors (I include myself) go from smiling or chuckling uncomfortably at it the first time (like you might when you are young and see someone on the street making unusual noises) to celebrating with him and his triumph by the end of the song to the same noises. Reminded me of how important it is that I grant an extra quantity of empathy to people up front because I don't know their story. Enjoyed your professional insights.
The vocalizations at the beginning and end are two of the most impactful parts of this. At first those vocalizations are so one note. So discordant and then oh god that glorious moment where Ren's dancing in the rhythm of the dark and the light just fully moving within his full spectrum. It's so powerful
One of my favourite reactions so far. It was nice to see you talk about Jung and the shadow work, this is something I was telling a friend about recently. This song is an amazing performance on many levels. It was done in 1 shot, beginning to end. Such a tallent. But the way he portrays the escellation between himself and his shadow - with the shadow getting ever more worried and therefore more viscious.... brilliantly done. You should watch his trillogy "The tale of Jenny and Screech (Full)" it is a masterpiece, a modern day shakespearian tradgedy. He calls his genre Bardcore. He could not be more accurate.
The depth of this pure poetry is pure bliss, I listen to this song nearly every single day because every single song of his matches me like a mirror. You'd swear we were brothers. What it has taught me is that we are not alone. And that gives us hope.
I relate to this song in a deep way. My illness (ED with my autism and developed POTS too) has been misdiagnosed my whole life. I DID suck it up like my family told me to. I did all the things normal people did, because it was made very clear that I was a bother. I worked, got married had kids and gave 125% always. Now I’m 50 and my body just quit about 4 yrs ago. Just refused to function for me. If I had ever been kinder to myself, I might have been able to enjoy my life for a longer period. I’m in year three of trying to recover. That would have been easier if I hadn’t tried to absolutely brute my way through another year, but I did and made it all worse. My goal this year is to get out of bed and try to go camping with assistance. I won’t be able to hike or anything I used to from but I just want to try. That’s it. That’s the goal. Any energy left in my life is only going to things I like. That ‘ voice you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope’ line? That voice telling me to wait a while longer and see if I feel the same way tomorrow is what’s kept me alive. And maybe even the idea that someday I’ll make it back to the beach. I love Ren’s music.
As an IFS (internal family systems) therapist, I really appreciate the fact that you acknowledged that the shadow is not all about lies and distortions but can be a source of solid perspective and information if listened to and understood correctly. Its sad how the majority of mental health workers devalue and dismiss those darker, immature parts of the patients psyche even when the patients desperately scream and cry to be heard. Its easy to tell someone "oh just stop listening to that crazy voice in your head, here take this pill and it'll go away" but that only makes things worse, leaves the patient feeling even more ashamed of themselves and invalidated. All of our parts contain some truth and its crucial to understand each of their perspectives and where theyre coming from and how old they are if we really want to help people restore inner harmony and ease their anxiety for them to thrive in life. Sending love from Istanbul ❤
Brilliant reaction lady !!! Thank you so much!! That song is so powerful and needed...even myself suffer with some form of mental health !!! I thank you 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Can't be a coincidence. I just had a spinal stroke and my neurologist said to listen to this song. Because I always loved Jung. Read the red book many times. I love how you explain things at your level, but at the same time in a way the common man can understand. Gotta watch more of you. Let my war begin
I've listened to Ren for over a year now. I've also listened to countless react videos to this song. You really nailed this! Those of us who have these internal battles and diagnosed severe depression, I find that others have a very hard time understanding this. Great work, Doc!!!
My darkness haunts me. I finally (through my therapist) learnt to make friends with the darkness. She told me to name it (a good normal name) and now I call upon it and sometimes...just sometimes...it helps me.
I really love your thoughts. You just keep open to both sides, not following his path of defining one as good and one as bad. By looking at the "dark" side, finding truth and reason, giving it some light, too. Havn't found anyone doing this actually.
I'm so glad I got to see this reaction because its so refreshing to see how other people view this battle with his subconscious. It's not an easy thing to go through and his speech at the end is so empowering because fighting with yourself is never a battle to win and be done with forever. You're always going to bicker with the voice in your head for the rest of your life, but coming out on top at the end of each battle seeing the light is something we always strive to do. With that aside I wanted to recommend another song from NF that I forgot to say on the NF reaction video. I'm not sure if you've already done a reaction to it, but the song How Could You Leave Us makes me cry every time and it's an emotional song with a lot of meaning behind it.
Glad I found your channel and REN. A synchronicity, AI algorithms, coincidence or divine guidance. REN speaks for many. And your understanding is light.
This song is just pure, high art on so many levels. Musically, lyrically, theatrically, psychologically, and as a piece of live musical performance. It's quite remarkable. Really enjoyed your breakdown of this. 👍
I love the information on the right and left side of the brain and learning to find solutions and see the big picture. 🧠 this is great! Trying to share a clip in my community. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video and comment @RosalieReacts! Your kind words really mean a lot to me. As a fan of yours on YT, I am honored you found my content informative! Your videos are amazing and I always look forward to watching them :-)
@@neurogalmd oh wow! You watch my content? Thank you!! I’m honored. Still trying to share a clip of your video as a post. (Tech trouble). But love the neurological approach ❤️🧠
The whole uptick section is fucking incredible. "I stood in the flames that cremated my brain and I didn't once flinch or shake" and the emphasis on the end of that line when he raises his voice before he starts singing sends shivers down my entire spine. Then uses that to lead into "cower at the man I've become" Nothing on this planet has made me feel more inspired or motivated
Very insightful analysis on this one. I also thought about Jung the first time I heard this. This is just the tip of the Ren iceberg. He is a once in a generation talent and can write, perform, produce every genre of music out there. I know a lot of folks here will say you need to react to his magnum opus “Jenny’s tale (trilogy)” and you definitely should, but his song “How To Be Me” with Chinchilla relates to depression from losing someone close to suicide and possibly one of the most beautiful arrangements I’ve ever heard. There really isn’t a wrong Ren song out there really. It’s just all that good. Welcome to the Ren multiverse.
The outro is the most visually powerful part of the whole song. The lights flickering (inner demons), but his voice is not dark. He's in harmony with himself.
I have watched far too many reaction videos to this song, and yours is the only one that succeeded in adding any insight and understanding what was going on. Well done. Nobody else pointed out that really, Dark Ren had some valid points and it felt like Light Ren's only reply was to tell him to fuck off. BUT can we all take moment acknowledge this monster line: "Where are you Grammys, Ren? Nowhere." SHOTS FIRED!
In Ren I see someone with his use of rhyme and meter as someone who rivals the linguistic skills of Shakespeare, his musicianship and the use of the dynamic qualities of his instrument are at the level of Maestro and his stage performance skills rival the very best you will have ever seen in your life. All this comes together in one individual, truly remarkable.
wow amazing artwork Hi Neurogal i live with a brain injury and this is exactly what i live thru evryday it feels good to listen to this song but it also bring back bad memories that were dormant and makes me want to make due with progress in my life move forward with improvements
A connection between "Hi Ren" by Ren and "46 & 2" by Tool is now forever formed in my brain! I hadn't considered the Jungian Shadow angle for Hi Ren yet. So, Thank You! Also, "46 & 2" by Tool is my suggestion for next reaction. Or more Harry Mack(he keeps getting better!).
I know you did this a long time ago, but I have to say, this was one of the best reactions/analyses of "Hi Ren" that I have seen (out of a WHOLE lot). Outstanding.
Idk if it's just me but every time I listen to this song, when he says "relax" I feel like a full body sigh. The way you do when you take a deep breath and exhale.
Thank you wonderful reaction! I have been a listener and watch Ren for several years and considered him to be in a class of his own! First time seeing this Carl Jung and the shadow work was the first thing that came to mind. Thank you!🌿💔
I take it as this: At the start you can see that he is talented but he doesn't know what to say, ala the yodeling, and the quick changes from riff to riff, on the guitar. As he battles his inner demons, he finally sees the demon for exactly what it is, and this provides him the moment of clarity he needed, to rise above the demon, and express himself loudly and clearly, with actual vocals, with a polished and consistent melody on the guitar.
If you notice, his vocals, like his guitar playing had two distinct and opposite styles. His simple vocal had two different tones, one hard and sharp, and the other a little lower, mellower and melodious. His symbolism is so subtle that it takes thinking to actually recognize it. Also, did anyone notice at the beginning when he was rolled in? The back of his chair, in bright red paint was the two letters "ID", as in Freud's term for the personality traits you are born with.
this is the best reaction ive seen for this song. most people out there turn it into sounding super deep and replaying it and repeat themselves on the same idea while simultaneously getting the message wrong. one person made their video last 40 minutes and said that it was a good side against the bad, like demon verse angel but in reality i feel like it was more like the bully and the bullied. this reaction seemed super honest and educated. it wasnt to long at all and you get your point across really well at the same time. :)
I will show everyone i possobly can this song because i cant stop listening....it connects in a way thats hard for me to describe but its undoubtedly powerful. Thank you and i cant wait to hear more man.
A few subtle things I picked out of this video is the "evil" side of the room is messy and the "good" side is tidy.. The lamp on the evil side is bigger, meaning evil is such a huge temptation IMO, while the good side had a small lamp on a table but representing God/heaven whatever you want to call it, there is also a bright light shining down from above ;) There are so many ways you can slice and dice interpretations and multiple meanings of the lyrics and the stage so to speak, seeing everyones take on things is so interesting. Also to me I had wondered for a while why he did not wear the cross on his ear ring on the good side of Ren.. and then it hit me that the cross is on the so called evil side to help ward it off. I may or may not be right with my take on this but it is my take :) I could type a ton more but will leave it there for now.
This is the first reaction video I've seen that actually acknowledges the most important fact about this whole song and theme. "Good" does not triumph evil. It exists with it. It NEEDS it, even. Think about it in the simplest terms possible. How do we measure "good?" You can't unless you know what the opposite is. In this video I love how the shadow figure is so aggressive in the beginning. It's like it knows Ren needs him to be his best. And does he? Well, are we watching this video if he doesn't? It also reminds me of Anakin Skywalker when he was being tempted into harnessing the dark side. The benefits of chaos and that part of your life can be enormous, but left untempered and unchecked, they can be a huge problem.
Ive seen many others interpret Rens darkside as an evil force... that indicates something EXTERNAL is entering into Ren. The correct interpretation is that its Rens own Darkness that hes forever wrestling with...
The Devil went down to Britton looking to make a deal.... Ren was out late one cold night looking for a heart to steal hopen prayen to make her sqeal as he was singing & buskin just to make a meal...... The devil Went Down to Britton & Ren Said No Deal Just made that up for fun.
Well done in linking this to Jung’s Shadow. I have watched (too) many reactions to this song and your the first to explain it from the perspective of understanding and accepting your shadow. Bravo.
![Council Ring - Melange//Silica [Drum Cam]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WaOxwzGdV2g/mqdefault.jpg)
Don't know if you got the back story. Ren developed lots of symptoms, including chronic pain. It was all eventually diagnosed as psychosomatic. They treated him for years as a mental patient. The accurate diagnosis was Lyme disease. During the years it was left untreated, his body and brain were severely damaged by the disease. He has been undergoing some cutting-edge stem cell therapy in Canada in an attempt to heal some of that damage. The person in the bloody butcher outfit with the pig mask that wheeled him in at the beginning of the video, was his representation of those doctors that misdiagnosed and mistreated him for all those years.
Ren is a great artist. You put him a room with a lion that is his instrumentalist/writer who Eminem has mentored like jdilla ; need not to say anymore. All from a night in Detroit, with this stranger he is trusting. This lion is angry to be giving him this song , so he is never more so testing . This shady character just fights everyone and everything. Where REN feels everything, and is nevertheless real and trusting. Problem is skin in Detroit is different and trust is different with pain. The lion attacks the instrument which is the guitar. It’s like if Mozart has to give away his first born and can never leave his guitar. Trapped inside a dark room where no one wants to see or hear nor taste the scent between the twos anguished minds. They work together to make something amazing to feel better forever. Never more so hard work and having a voice. Just have to listen
Thx didnt know that
The pig wasn't representative of the individual doctors, but the system itself that incentivizes expensive procedures and drugs, and treating patients as commodities instead of people. The pig is in many of his videos and represents greed in many different forms.
I’d avoid “psychosomatic” because that’s usually used to represent illnesses that have no pathology and are created by negative thoughts alone. REN’s issues were all products of Lyme disease and medical psychosis brought on by improper treatments. I had a friend who was institutionalized for a time because they had a medication that sent them into psychosis and their ex reported them. The consequences of malpractice and misdiagnosis can be devastating and REN is an example of both the horrors that can be thrust upon a person and the absolute resilience of the human spirit.
@VirtuallyLucid thanks
The last sung part of the song, when Hope is finally asserting itself, is one of the most powerful stuff I've heard in a while.
Its god against the devil
Yes but he also incorporated the Shadow (note that the lights flashed throughout when the Shadow was speaking and yet in the end when "Good Ren" took over, the lights still flashed).
@Thundah Great observation!
@ThundahThat's not my interpretation. I thought it was quite straightforward. The light is good, the angel, the dark is bad, the demon. Since he is a human, as he literally stresses in the outro monologue, he ends his song with the dance between light and dark, because he is human
@@Zundfolge He is relaxed and dancing, fully himself.... as he talks about just a few moments later - in an exaltation which reminds me of the Diva dance from 5th Element (without trying for a direct comparison)
"The voice you hear when you loosten the noose on the rope" That line hit me so damn hard, I was there in the past, I heard that voice, the one that said "You have more to do". And discovering Ren recently reminded me of that voice, I got myself into a deep pit, but I been making steps to get out.
JAKE, right on target; I had that 'you have more to do' message & refocused me on finishing my race laid out for me by my CREATOR!!!!!
That line fills me with tears every time
that line had me openly weeping. this song resonates so much with me that i send it to people to give them an insite into my mind since i'm awful at verbalizing what happens in my head
i remember doing that when i was a kid i was standing there looking at the rope but instead of jumping i went and talked with my uncle and he saved my life that day.
This is a line that many miss, but it breaks me every time I hear the song. Maybe some people are much more attuned to hearing a line like that, not sure. As one who has been there I hear it loud and clear and thank God daily that I heard that voice, a friend who 'just happened' to show up when I needed him to. Ren, and much of his music, is a true gift to so many.
He is right about people who find his music respect it. What a genius.
I can even imagine someone not liking the music (not me. I love it) but still respecting it.
For Ren, that's enough.
This is 100% true.
Yes 🥰👏👏👏
Facts.
This performance will save lives ❤
It has. ❤
I like the part where you explained the Left part of your brain to be more Rigid with illness and the Right part is more accepting because Ren turns left for his "shadow" personality and turns right for his good side💯 he really is a GENIUS💯
Ren has really struggled with years of misdiagnosis and many trials of medication, which did not help. Like many people with chronic illness, he has not felt heard by medical and psychological professionals. It took almost 11 years for him to really get a definitive diagnosis, during which time, he was unable to function and suffered a great deal of physical damage from the Lyme Disease, as well as PTSD from his experiences. He has made great music about this and has also posted a number of videos about advocacy for chronic illness. Please react to his other music, including Sick Boi and Chalk Outlines. Thank you for your reaction!
Medical trauma is a thing.
@Steve Pagani BC if gone untreated the neurological issues can cause a significant amount of mental health issues, it's pretty nutty
also hear sony dropped him when doctors diagnosed him with psychosis
@@DankNasty574 Sony signed him at 17 and then he got sick with Lyme, which was misdiagnosed as Bipolar disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome. He was medicated with lots of psychotropics, which just made him worse. He has written that he did experience psychosis. Sony dropped him due to his physical and emotional difficulties. In my opinion, they would have stifled his incredible creativity and limited him.
Lyme Loonies here. Simply brilliant and this will certainly put Ren on the map as an artist and the suffering of Lyme disease!
I am glad you brought up Jungian Philosophy. If you notice throughout the video, the lights only flash when the shadow is speaking, that is, until you get to the end. When he sings at the end, the lights flash. To me, this is symbolic of his achieving the integration of his shadow. Ren really is genius!
Yes, the Jung shadow self is there for sure. And even though he stays in the 1 chair it's like Fritz Perls is having him jump back and forth and talk to the other chair. In the creation of the song I can see how valuable it would be if we always kept the dialog between the 2 sides of the coin. Open.
Only she pronounced his name "yang" 😂
Whoa! (I just said to myself). I had noticed the lights flickering again at the end but not put two and two together. Thank you Chris Morgan 🙂
As a father of four autistic children, haven’t lived with autism for 26 years. This video starts off with him, singing to his drumming with no words, but rather with sounds then we get to take a visit inside and see what’s going on inside his head when it’s all said and done, he returns to the singing without words perhaps the beginning in the end that’s how he sounded the whole time, but he let us see inside to see how things go inside to the person walking by the room. He always sounded like the beginning and the end, but there’s so much in the middle we never hear he brilliantly breaks the fourth wall and he reminds us we’re all human, regardless of how our brains work
Simply beautiful and so deep in many ways and the insights from reactions show so much from the shadow and the meanings in the video with lighting etc reflect an amazing intelligence and depth that makes me realise how lucky I am to hear him and this reaction so thank you 🌈🏴
I’m 62 and an old high school buddy sent me the link to “Hi Ren”. I’ve watched several different takes on this song from different perspectives and the takeaway is pretty consistent. After all the times hearing “Hi Ren” I still weep. Seems like you’d have to be terribly jaded to not be effected by this. Turns me inside out and I’m grateful.
I been struggling with the same thing three days now
I think his work makes you see that we all should be kinder to each other, to not be judgmental, we are all fighting our demons in different ways every day, look after each other sometimes the simplest compliment to a stranger can help them defeat their demons even if only for a day.
I don't remember asking about your age. Why does every fossil on UA-cam feels the need to shove their age in your face?
@@wooshbait36 sorry
the simple fact that you immediately acknowledge the 'shadow figure' is speaking some amount of truth earns you a instant sub
indeed :) not all therapy requires medication...
No shit Sherlock, he's literally talking to his shadow figure since the first second
I, actually, find that to be a miss/shortcoming in her analysis. It’s the devil. He outright says “I have been present since the dawn of creation.” “I am the snake in the garden of Eden.” He uses multiple phrases that refer to the devil and she never mentions that. He is, in fact, saying that the devil is in all of us. That this primordial evil force is behind it all BUT the devil manifests in all of us. The devil is humanity. She comes short of that, by a lot. It’s the same story as “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones. They tell this story of all the things the devil did or was present for. Then they wrap of by dropping the bomb that humans are the devil and it was in all of us, the whole time. A bit of a predictable trope but Ren makes it extraordinarily unpredictable and heavy.
@@wooshbait36 Hard to bait when it's in your username lolol
@@lewis8775 I ain't reading allat lil' bro but I'm happy for you 🙏 or sorry that happened? 🤷♂️
I have seen 50 or so reaction to Hi Ren so far. That was one of the best.
I have been deafened by silence more than once by "the voice that you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope".
At 54 years old I am only just trying to learn to laugh at, rather than listen to, what the demon on my shoulder seductively whispers in my ear.
You have earned a sub, looking forward to checking out some more if your content.
It's a great line. 👍
Same here. Never have I seen such a number of reactions to this track... and never have I watched so many of them. Like I'm expecting to see or hear from other people how they feel about this piece which I personally took like a kick in the throat. I have little in common with Ren; French, 64, healthy (so far), poor guitar player... but I was Ren so many times. I could/should be jealous of his creativity but instead am admirative of his skills, his will... and his guts.
Being there more than once....
Me too. I’m currently day 3 into the ‘Hi Ren’ reaction videos Rabbit hole and I like it here. It’s fascinating to me to watch people’s reactions to this incredible masterpiece. It’s unlike ANYTHING I’ve ever seen and I’m OBSESSED…in a healthy way of course. I didn’t even know reaction videos existed?! 20 reaction videos later I STILL tear up when he stands up and sings “sing from the top of my lungs” towards the end. So incredibly powerful. ☺️
Yep agreed
My favorite line in this song is, "I stood in the flames that cremated my brains and I didn't once flinch or shake, so cower at the man I've become...". Such a strong and powerful way to relate strength. I also feel the most overlooked part of this is, "there are no real winners or losers in psychological warfare, but there are victims and there are students". Namely the students part. One can be a victim and let it control them or one can be a student and study it, learn from it, and control it. This and O Virgin Pure by Nektarios of Aegina are the 2 most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
I THINK WE ARE SEEING HISTORY IN THE MAKING, REN WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN ANYTIME SOON
Everything Ren does has a meaning. From the hard plucking, acting, cadence, flickering of the light to choice of location and everything else. He is a genius. Sadly he is still very ill and getting treatment in Canada.
His Buddy Sam does his Videos !
@@westboundbadger what does he have?
@@JuancoPRoFlow A canadian accent lol
@@JuancoPRoFlow I saw someone saying he has Lyme disease, which caused the physical and mental symptoms
@JuancoPRoFlow Lyme disease but he was misdiagnosed and treated for psychiatric issues.
I have been trapped in a neverending Hi Ren pilgrimage. No doubt led by the powerful UA-cam algorithm to guide me for more nefarious rather than altruistic purposes . I am glad it led me to your review and perspective. I love your post. I have dropped twitter, unsubscribed to a few UA-camrs and I am starting to feel, a bit better. This is an amazing performance. Transformative, enlightening and uniting. Everything this medium should be, but seldom is.
You're not alone mate
I’ve had type one Narcolepsy since I was 7, with all the bells and trimmings. My immune system is shot to shit and I’ve struggled with depression since I was 10. I’m on so much medication my blood probably has street value. This piece makes me feel so many emotions all at once. It gives me hope. Its just wonderful ! I kinda wish I’d been able to read Steal Like an Artist back when I was a teenager, when I still believed in my music.
Welcome to the Army of Ren.
The Army of Ren marches on.
Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
I personally think that even without visually seeing the personality changes you can hear them, like the “normal” ren’s voice always had a bit of vulnerability and uncertainty until he became angry and when hope took over that vulnerability became courage and strength, and the darkness always sounded a bit unhinged, the vocal exaggeration is to die for.understanding that the darkness is part of you is important,but you don’t have don’t let it control you, you can accept that it exists without letting it consume you. Also his vocal range is so freaking impressive.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk😂
Yes, I completely agree. This young man has massive talent. I bet he could help others as a therapist as well.
This is more than music. This is art.
All music is art.
This piece is much bigger than both
Ehm ... music Is art
@@bdyt for the great revelation that life is chaos yet still blanketed in a neat little balance-fallacy to remain palatable for wider audiences?
anchorings like these are in almost any song you listen to, what this does differently is pointing at some of them, that's not a grand movement to make, it's just pointing
the composition is p slammin tho ofc
If there was ever an argument for performance art being good, this is it.
I've watched this video/reactions at least 50 times now. The part to me, that stands out the most (besides the speech at the end is; "I am Temptation and I'm Immortal. Oh yeah? Well I'm hope and I'm ETERNAL! We are a coin of different sides" and you can't kill me either! Powerful clash of forces that collide throughout the test of time... Ren is Shakespeare like with his writing and a bard of like I can't compare any to of this time... I hear his music and INSTANTLY time travel into a pub 500 years ago where a man tells tales though music and live performances.
that's funny because I saw in some comments section people trying to describe what genre(s) of music to classify Ren as... and one person called it Bardcore, which I thought sounded just about perfect!
@@itsputman I believe that is how Ren himself describes it so, his community echo it; for sure a good term for "what he does".
@@reactivereplays5666 that’s great… good not realize that. Very fitting and descriptive!
I've watched people react to this song for over a month now and I continue to cry tears of joy as I watch how this song touches another individual deeply. Might be the greatest independent song ever created, inmy humble opinion. Ren is currently undergoing treatment in Canada for his health issues. Thank you for your professional insight you just received a new subscriber! 😁
I was diagnosed with MS in 1997 , one of the first things my team of doctors did was listen to me and ask me questions about my thought process and the help a psychologist might be. Fast forward to today this song by Ren has summed my last 28 years…
His song Ren x chinchilla - Chalk outlines (LIVE) is absolutely beautiful and is about how the meds he was put on makes him feel dead. Hence, chalk outlines. It showcases his singing voice.
That song gets me every time.
I would also recommend Crutch feat. Bibi that he wrote after an emotional breakdown following multiple trips to the hospital. It’s beautiful and heart wrenching.
@@Shiroar that’s definitely a good one too.
@@Shiroar oh I just saw that one yesterday.. and I cried for him.. (again)
@@shanem5705 the agony in his voice and the music is so real. And the simple music video is perfect too. Definitely one that deserves more attention and to be recommended more to reactors going down the Ren rabbit hole.
This was not what I expected... how about you Anna? This will resonate with millions of people... First time I have ever heard something like this. Powerful, Beautiful, Strong. I would say he did it, his music will last lifetimes.
That was very interesting to see you change from a Neurologist to a Psychologist and then back to a Neurologist after the song finished. I couldn't speak after the first time I heard this. The second time, I just cried. I'm an amateur musician, but have been playing the guitar for 50 years. My family have learned to gauge my mood on the frequency of my playing. If I'm not happy I don't play, the other negative side to that is people close to me realise I'm not happy. A person like Ren, only comes along once in a lifetime, and I must not forget, we must not forget, that we are human beings.
I really dig the song and the delivery, thanx for the decode, cheeerz fron NNy
this was an incredibly smart idea for a neurologist to give their thoughts on music and where the words come from in the artists' lyrics, might even help other's understand these stories for what they really are🤟🏻
I love watching peoples expressions when Ren stands up. You catch if the song has truly hit them and it was so obvious in your eyes how much it did so. Those who have been through these fights feel that catch in there throats and that emotion pours from their eyes. No matter how many times I have watched this video, it catches me every time at that point. The breaking of the cycle even if it is not permanent is something to be truly rejoiced.
I love the breakdown of the hemispheres at the end. I had a large brain tumor smack dab in the middle of my brain -- front to back, side to side, top to bottom -- dead center. It was benign and my general health is fine now. But the damage it left was so evenly distributed I have all the things -- issues with memory, orientation, balance, logic, hallucinations. It's challenging but also fascinating! In another life I think I would love to have been a neurologist. Thank you for an insightful reaction -- I'm addicted to "Hi Ren" reactions and yours was fantastic! (You'd love all of Ren's work; it's so diverse and as he said in the song [with a touch of irony, perhaps], he is a genius! His covers are as wonderful as his originals.)
It’s so refreshing to hear a neurologist discuss creative arts, most MDs shut that part of themselves off when they start studying medicine.
I’ve never heard of this singer, but thank you UA-cam algorithm for sending me this vid.
I think next psycologist visit I'm going to play this video with my therapist to talk about nerve pain and my evolving journey conquering mental illness, he's definitely open enough and I'm ready to stand up to a few more of my demons, thanks Ren :)
💙💙💙
Great reaction. I love watching people react to this song because it is such a real and powerful work that still, after dozens or maybe even hundreds of views, brings tears to my eyes.
Another reason is that by nature, people who are reactors and in a public, recorded setting, they play a role, a persona for their channel and the camera - at least to some degree. But with this song, you can see that veneer, that mask slip away at some point (usually when Ren stands up) and you can view the human beneath. It is a beautiful thing and very few works of art and/or music can consistently do this. And this song does it nearly every time. That is the power of well executed art. It draws the raw, vulnerable human being from the false shell we protect ourselves with.
All I can say is, thank you Ren for this gift.
Great take, well said 👍
I've lost count of the Hi Ren reactions I've watched 🙈 Every reaction I watch, the more I learn, the greater perspective I get of this song... Ren has buried so many gems in these lines, the inflections in his voice, the camera-work, the lighting, the different styles of guitar playing. Pure genius. Thank you for your own honest reaction and for helping to share Ren's work 💞 Hope you will continue to explore Ren's other work, you won't regret it!
Ren has been through hell and survived and now he is leading others out through his music.
While I have no illness or psychological issues this son gets to me. Tears me up. I lost someone I loved like a daughter and was the daughter of my best friends. To know people are dealing with difficult issues like Ren’s are eye opening. Makes me not want to rush to judge someone for they might be going through something we cannot understand.
I love that Ren loves these reacts. That's the sign of a real artist in the space.
This song resonates with me, not only because of how it relates to the hypnotherapy work that I do, but because of how it mirrors my own mental health struggles. And I know that's why it's resonating with so many others as well. Even if we haven't experienced severe mental illness, we can all relate to the inner battle of the dark and the light within us all. Like he says, we are all human beings. Thank you for your reaction and helping spread this important song to an even wider audience. (Oh, favorite line: "It's the voice that you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope". Effing A. Gets me right in the heart bone every time.)
Thank you. Finally, someone got it, you seen what so many have missed. He ends the sing eith the feeling he began with. He ended with hope. With joy in song, his triumph, not over his darkness, but its acceptance and acknowledgment that it is always there and to win you balance.
his talent, his authenticity, his truth, totally blew me away... been fckn breathless since i found the song 3 days ago... it's amazing how the effect is the same across the board.. we are all human beings.
He is the G.O.A.T.
A dialogue in his mind , this is so compelling. Thanks for posting.
Get well Ren. The world needs you mate
I have watched/analyzed soooo many reaction videos to this song.. (I found it touching and relatable) and I have to say, you've knocked it out the park in your own analysis and interpretation.. I do hope you learn more about Ren and are able to speak on his personal battle with Lyme's disease (he was miss diagnosed for almost a decade)
Thank you so much for sharing your educated insight & at the same time sharing your emotion through your reactions visually. A wonderful breakdown (& representation) of the two halfs.. and the importance of a balance between the two. BRAVO! 👏👏👏
the fact that he plays the song backwords on the guitar when he "loses control" is just insane... awesome
Ive been listening to Ren since i discovered him a few nights ago and i still cry every time i see this. Its overwhelming
Notice that the whole song, when it's the "Shadow" talking, the lights are flashing in the background, but not when it's him. But at the end, after the line about being a coin with two different sides, he's singing as the lights are flashing, which I take to mean that it's him and the "Shadow" singing together, because he's accepted the "Shadow" as part of himself.
Yep! right on the money.
You felt this just as many of us did. It hits hard. Ren is a lyrical and musical genius. This song/video is a masterpiece! Thank you for reacting to this. You've gained a new subscriber.
Great take on Ren's performance. I worry for anyone who does not get emotional watching that video.
It’s definitely a test of whether someone has a pulse or not.
He decided to be an open book to share, explain and help others like him and give them hope ....and relaxation in the process to try to be sane .....and oh my !!! Have some taste of happiness.
Why not ???!!!
I appreciate you sharing this with us! Honestly, it's nice to see someone with your knowledge and credentials just hit just as hard as us by this song. I don't think I've stopped hearing the line "I'm the voice that you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope" since I heard this song the first time.
The way you simply broke down the differences of the left and right hemisphere was the best I’ve ever heard for such a complex topic. The first 5 years after my TBI I saw a lot of different neurologist, neuropsychologist and therapist that would just end up confusing me more when they tried to explain it. I had three hemorrhages on the right side of my brain and the next time somebody ask me how the TBI effects me I will start with your explanation, thanks.
What a beautiful and insightful reaction, I'd like to see more females react to this moving, magical masterpiece
I just want to let you know that what you said from 6:50 to 8:25 resonated with me to a level of which I did not expect. I'm 35 with diagnosed Bipolar, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder, amongst others. I have been fighting that shadow for a long time and never have I looked at it in the way you described. It felt you were talking to me and it helped me to kind of snap out of this current depressive rut I've been in. I feel inspired to try something new, when I had previously felt like I'd tried everything. It's just a great new perspective, and I appreciate it very much.
Ren is a very special artist.
A multi instrumentalist and poet that can perform in many different genres . He calls his music BARDCORE. For example , his poetic storytelling is exemplified in the masterful trilogy Jenny and Screech's Tales (Full). A Shakespearen fable of modern life in London recorded live whilst sauntering around Brighton late at night.
Yes to Carl Jung. Ren expressed this human condition perfectly. I am 60 years old and he brought tears to my eyes as well. Amazing young man, artist, poet, performer.
Great song and great breakdown. I really liked this. Hope to see more like this👍
Ren is one of the most talented people on earth at the moment, check out all of his stuff they are all kinds of genre he can do anything
I stumbled onto your channel because i fell down the REN rabbit hole. I love your analogies'. Descriptions. I would love to see a video of you interviewing REN or CHINCHILLA. I think that would be so helpful to a lot of people. Subscribed immediately.
As a mental health warrior ptsd, gpd, bpd, anorexia etc I feel ren in my soul. ❤️❤️
Same here. Asperger’s Syndrome, PTSD, Bipolar, MPD, etc. This touched me so hard when I heard it on TicTok, I listened to the little 30 second portion of it 5 times and bawled my eyes out!!
@@audiehendrix992 the trauma we carry from parents is horrific. I’m 42 with sons in their 20s and my main task in life has been to break the cycle. ♥️♥️
Ren is the most inspiring artist I have ever heard in my 50 years of loving music/art. Really loved your in depth reaction, so very interesting.
Have watched it several times. I like how he uses the unusual vocal noises that he starts the song with to end it and how the context changes for the viewer.
I've seen many other reactors (I include myself) go from smiling or chuckling uncomfortably at it the first time (like you might when you are young and see someone on the street making unusual noises) to celebrating with him and his triumph by the end of the song to the same noises. Reminded me of how important it is that I grant an extra quantity of empathy to people up front because I don't know their story. Enjoyed your professional insights.
Nice reaction. I wanted to lend you my shoulder when you started tearing up. So smart and beautiful you are. 🥰
The vocalizations at the beginning and end are two of the most impactful parts of this. At first those vocalizations are so one note. So discordant and then oh god that glorious moment where Ren's dancing in the rhythm of the dark and the light just fully moving within his full spectrum. It's so powerful
I love your reaction to his song. It is beautiful to see someone connect so deeply with the reality his music brings to light
Thank you for your reaction to my comment. You are an amazing person, yourself! Please continue your pursuit!
One of my favourite reactions so far. It was nice to see you talk about Jung and the shadow work, this is something I was telling a friend about recently. This song is an amazing performance on many levels. It was done in 1 shot, beginning to end. Such a tallent. But the way he portrays the escellation between himself and his shadow - with the shadow getting ever more worried and therefore more viscious.... brilliantly done.
You should watch his trillogy "The tale of Jenny and Screech (Full)" it is a masterpiece, a modern day shakespearian tradgedy. He calls his genre Bardcore. He could not be more accurate.
The depth of this pure poetry is pure bliss, I listen to this song nearly every single day because every single song of his matches me like a mirror. You'd swear we were brothers. What it has taught me is that we are not alone. And that gives us hope.
This song is an incredible masterpiece!! The ability to put into words the inner dialogue of self conflict is not easy to do.
I find it cathartic to see people have a similar reaction to my own. This moved me at my core. Thank you for your professional insights.
I thought it was interesting the enemy telling ren I AM you and you are me. Like she said we all have this dark side I totally agree.
I relate to this song in a deep way. My illness (ED with my autism and developed POTS too) has been misdiagnosed my whole life. I DID suck it up like my family told me to. I did all the things normal people did, because it was made very clear that I was a bother. I worked, got married had kids and gave 125% always. Now I’m 50 and my body just quit about 4 yrs ago. Just refused to function for me. If I had ever been kinder to myself, I might have been able to enjoy my life for a longer period. I’m in year three of trying to recover. That would have been easier if I hadn’t tried to absolutely brute my way through another year, but I did and made it all worse. My goal this year is to get out of bed and try to go camping with assistance. I won’t be able to hike or anything I used to from but I just want to try. That’s it. That’s the goal. Any energy left in my life is only going to things I like. That ‘ voice you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope’ line? That voice telling me to wait a while longer and see if I feel the same way tomorrow is what’s kept me alive. And maybe even the idea that someday I’ll make it back to the beach. I love Ren’s music.
As an IFS (internal family systems) therapist, I really appreciate the fact that you acknowledged that the shadow is not all about lies and distortions but can be a source of solid perspective and information if listened to and understood correctly. Its sad how the majority of mental health workers devalue and dismiss those darker, immature parts of the patients psyche even when the patients desperately scream and cry to be heard. Its easy to tell someone "oh just stop listening to that crazy voice in your head, here take this pill and it'll go away" but that only makes things worse, leaves the patient feeling even more ashamed of themselves and invalidated. All of our parts contain some truth and its crucial to understand each of their perspectives and where theyre coming from and how old they are if we really want to help people restore inner harmony and ease their anxiety for them to thrive in life. Sending love from Istanbul ❤
I agree .. this man has opened up a revolution of conversation about mental health and the ways to deal with it.
He is an ambassador .
I've been watching your videos for 4 years. Everytime interesting and authentic!
Thanks for u're content!
Brilliant reaction lady !!! Thank you so much!! That song is so powerful and needed...even myself suffer with some form of mental health !!! I thank you 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Can't be a coincidence. I just had a spinal stroke and my neurologist said to listen to this song. Because I always loved Jung. Read the red book many times. I love how you explain things at your level, but at the same time in a way the common man can understand. Gotta watch more of you. Let my war begin
I've listened to Ren for over a year now. I've also listened to countless react videos to this song. You really nailed this! Those of us who have these internal battles and diagnosed severe depression, I find that others have a very hard time understanding this. Great work, Doc!!!
My darkness haunts me. I finally (through my therapist) learnt to make friends with the darkness. She told me to name it (a good normal name) and now I call upon it and sometimes...just sometimes...it helps me.
I really love your thoughts. You just keep open to both sides, not following his path of defining one as good and one as bad. By looking at the "dark" side, finding truth and reason, giving it some light, too. Havn't found anyone doing this actually.
I'm so glad I got to see this reaction because its so refreshing to see how other people view this battle with his subconscious. It's not an easy thing to go through and his speech at the end is so empowering because fighting with yourself is never a battle to win and be done with forever. You're always going to bicker with the voice in your head for the rest of your life, but coming out on top at the end of each battle seeing the light is something we always strive to do. With that aside I wanted to recommend another song from NF that I forgot to say on the NF reaction video. I'm not sure if you've already done a reaction to it, but the song How Could You Leave Us makes me cry every time and it's an emotional song with a lot of meaning behind it.
Glad I found your channel
and REN. A synchronicity, AI algorithms, coincidence or divine guidance.
REN speaks for many.
And your understanding is light.
This song is just pure, high art on so many levels. Musically, lyrically, theatrically, psychologically, and as a piece of live musical performance. It's quite remarkable.
Really enjoyed your breakdown of this. 👍
I love the information on the right and left side of the brain and learning to find solutions and see the big picture. 🧠 this is great! Trying to share a clip in my community. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video and comment @RosalieReacts! Your kind words really mean a lot to me. As a fan of yours on YT, I am honored you found my content informative! Your videos are amazing and I always look forward to watching them :-)
@@neurogalmd oh wow! You watch my content? Thank you!! I’m honored. Still trying to share a clip of your video as a post. (Tech trouble). But love the neurological approach ❤️🧠
The whole uptick section is fucking incredible. "I stood in the flames that cremated my brain and I didn't once flinch or shake" and the emphasis on the end of that line when he raises his voice before he starts singing sends shivers down my entire spine. Then uses that to lead into "cower at the man I've become" Nothing on this planet has made me feel more inspired or motivated
I've watched over 50 reactions to this video. Yours could arguably be the best one I've seen. Great stuff!
Very insightful analysis on this one. I also thought about Jung the first time I heard this.
This is just the tip of the Ren iceberg. He is a once in a generation talent and can write, perform, produce every genre of music out there.
I know a lot of folks here will say you need to react to his magnum opus “Jenny’s tale (trilogy)” and you definitely should, but his song “How To Be Me” with Chinchilla relates to depression from losing someone close to suicide and possibly one of the most beautiful arrangements I’ve ever heard.
There really isn’t a wrong Ren song out there really. It’s just all that good. Welcome to the Ren multiverse.
I felt your emotion when he stood up, broke it down. Your face softened and I teared up with you. This is why I watch reaction videos ❤
The outro is the most visually powerful part of the whole song. The lights flickering (inner demons), but his voice is not dark. He's in harmony with himself.
Thank you! This always affects me the same no matter how many times I listen to it.
I have watched far too many reaction videos to this song, and yours is the only one that succeeded in adding any insight and understanding what was going on. Well done. Nobody else pointed out that really, Dark Ren had some valid points and it felt like Light Ren's only reply was to tell him to fuck off. BUT can we all take moment acknowledge this monster line: "Where are you Grammys, Ren? Nowhere."
SHOTS FIRED!
It was so impressive how you came to the conclusion of the song circling around the aspect of the humanity so early. New sub
In Ren I see someone with his use of rhyme and meter as someone who rivals the linguistic skills of Shakespeare, his musicianship and the use of the dynamic qualities of his instrument are at the level of Maestro and his stage performance skills rival the very best you will have ever seen in your life. All this comes together in one individual, truly remarkable.
wow amazing artwork Hi Neurogal i live with a brain injury and this is exactly what i live thru evryday it feels good to listen to this song but it also bring back bad memories that were dormant and makes me want to make due with progress in my life move forward with improvements
A connection between "Hi Ren" by Ren and "46 & 2" by Tool is now forever formed in my brain!
I hadn't considered the Jungian Shadow angle for Hi Ren yet. So, Thank You!
Also, "46 & 2" by Tool is my suggestion for next reaction. Or more Harry Mack(he keeps getting better!).
I second, third and fourth this! I'd love to hear @Nerogal MD deep dive on that one.
I know you did this a long time ago, but I have to say, this was one of the best reactions/analyses of "Hi Ren" that I have seen (out of a WHOLE lot). Outstanding.
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words 🙏😊
Idk if it's just me but every time I listen to this song, when he says "relax" I feel like a full body sigh. The way you do when you take a deep breath and exhale.
Thank you wonderful reaction! I have been a listener and watch Ren for several years and considered him to be in a class of his own! First time seeing this Carl Jung and the shadow work was the first thing that came to mind. Thank you!🌿💔
I take it as this: At the start you can see that he is talented but he doesn't know what to say, ala the yodeling, and the quick changes from riff to riff, on the guitar. As he battles his inner demons, he finally sees the demon for exactly what it is, and this provides him the moment of clarity he needed, to rise above the demon, and express himself loudly and clearly, with actual vocals, with a polished and consistent melody on the guitar.
If you notice, his vocals, like his guitar playing had two distinct and opposite styles. His simple vocal had two different tones, one hard and sharp, and the other a little lower, mellower and melodious. His symbolism is so subtle that it takes thinking to actually recognize it. Also, did anyone notice at the beginning when he was rolled in? The back of his chair, in bright red paint was the two letters "ID", as in Freud's term for the personality traits you are born with.
this is the best reaction ive seen for this song. most people out there turn it into sounding super deep and replaying it and repeat themselves on the same idea while simultaneously getting the message wrong. one person made their video last 40 minutes and said that it was a good side against the bad, like demon verse angel but in reality i feel like it was more like the bully and the bullied. this reaction seemed super honest and educated. it wasnt to long at all and you get your point across really well at the same time. :)
Gawd Damn Ren.
I've connected and shed tears, countless times. Thank you foe reviewing this. ❤🤗
i luv this tune , cheerz from nny
I will show everyone i possobly can this song because i cant stop listening....it connects in a way thats hard for me to describe but its undoubtedly powerful. Thank you and i cant wait to hear more man.
A few subtle things I picked out of this video is the "evil" side of the room is messy and the "good" side is tidy.. The lamp on the evil side is bigger, meaning evil is such a huge temptation IMO, while the good side had a small lamp on a table but representing God/heaven whatever you want to call it, there is also a bright light shining down from above ;) There are so many ways you can slice and dice interpretations and multiple meanings of the lyrics and the stage so to speak, seeing everyones take on things is so interesting. Also to me I had wondered for a while why he did not wear the cross on his ear ring on the good side of Ren.. and then it hit me that the cross is on the so called evil side to help ward it off. I may or may not be right with my take on this but it is my take :) I could type a ton more but will leave it there for now.
This is the first reaction video I've seen that actually acknowledges the most important fact about this whole song and theme. "Good" does not triumph evil. It exists with it. It NEEDS it, even. Think about it in the simplest terms possible. How do we measure "good?" You can't unless you know what the opposite is. In this video I love how the shadow figure is so aggressive in the beginning. It's like it knows Ren needs him to be his best. And does he? Well, are we watching this video if he doesn't? It also reminds me of Anakin Skywalker when he was being tempted into harnessing the dark side. The benefits of chaos and that part of your life can be enormous, but left untempered and unchecked, they can be a huge problem.
💯
Ive seen many others interpret Rens darkside as an evil force... that indicates something EXTERNAL is entering into Ren. The correct interpretation is that its Rens own Darkness that hes forever wrestling with...
The Devil went down to Britton looking to make a deal.... Ren was out late one cold night looking for a heart to steal hopen prayen to make her sqeal as he was singing & buskin just to make a meal...... The devil Went Down to Britton & Ren Said No Deal
Just made that up for fun.
Well done in linking this to Jung’s Shadow.
I have watched (too) many reactions to this song and your the first to explain it from the perspective of understanding and accepting your shadow. Bravo.
Greatest react video of Hi Ren. On point all the time. Thank you.