The Be-In was a spiritual occasion culminating from the countless preceding events, dances, thoughts, breaths, lovemakings, illuminations. The Be-In was a blossom. It was a flower. It was out in the weather. It didn't have all its petals. There were worms in the rose. It was perfect in its imperfections. It was what it was - and there had never been anything like it before. - Michael McClure (The Summer of Love)

The Human Be-In was a gathering in Golden Gate Park on January 14, 1967 in which the world was invited to join in spiritual togetherness. A prelude to the San Francisco Summer of Love, the gathering promoted key ideas of the counterculture: personal empowerment, cultural and political decentralization, communal living, ecological awareness, and higher consciousness. Music, dance, and spoken word conveyed these messages. Timothy Leary, set the tone for the Human Be-In with his famous phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out."