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How do you teach an old punk new tricks? After years of listening to the likes of the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and The Minutemen, I kind of tune out to any mention of "chilling out", or "having good vibes", in favour of righteous punk rock fury. So it was with no small amount of confusion that your correspondent found himself in the much vaunted Body and Soul area of Electric Picnic.

One of the many things that distinguishes Electric Picnic from other major festivals is the unique atmosphere it creates. This is not just a weekend of big bands and partying, but a completely immersive experience, where one quickly leaves any notion of the 'real world' behind. Partly this is down to the selection of bands on display, which are carefully chosen to reflect Electric Picnic's reputation as a truly alternative festival, but partly it's because so much attention is focussed on atmosphere.

Alongside the usual stalls and food vendors, one can find all manner of information points, holistic healing booths, shops selling books of esoteric lore, or even a spiritual healing tunnel (shaped like a big dragon, or something). Smack in the middle of everything lies the Mindfield, which hosted a variety of spoken word appearances, and more left-field performances, including an Irish language tent. It says something for the quality of entertainment on display here that it always seemed to have a healthy number of people milling about, despite being right between the Electric Arene stage, the Crawdadddy Stage, and the Main Stage.

However, this is nothing in comparison to the huge Body and Soul area, situated some distance from the main stage. Amidst a grove of trees, there lies a different world, so much so that one can quickly become lost and forget that the rest of the festival is taking place. This is an area unlike anything witnessed at the likes of Oxegen, and it is crucial to the appeal of Electric Picnic.

I found myself making the journey to the Body and Soul area on Saturday evening, after finding myself with a gap in my schedule. Initially reluctant to go in, I was pressured into taking that great step by two friends who told me that I would love the place. Every fibre of me being was resistant to what I expected to find there, and it was with no small amount of concern that I crossed the threshold into this hippie paradise.

The first thing one should do upon entering the Body and Soul area is to leave all preconceptions behind. If the thought of dreadlocked hippies being spiritual together, be warned: this is their turf, and you are merely an interloper. Immediately upon going through the wooden entrance, I found myself surrounded by people in tie-dye beating drums, and trying to buy the cab fare to nirvana. My first reaction was one of complete and absolute horror.

A quick scout around the main area did nothing to weaken my fears as I found all manner of people being groovy to each other, and doing their best to recreate the sixties. Trance music blared out of the speakers, mingling with dancehall reggae and - strangely enough - Leonard Cohen, creating an unholy mixture of chilled out hippy vibes and misery. I wanted to run around wearing my Husker Du t-shirt, throwing over tables of beads and trinkets, but managed to remain in control for the time being.

The layout of the Body and Soul area actively encourages people to get stuck in and have a rake about. As well as stalls and shops, there are "wishing areas", "paths of mystery", and "enchanted walkways" (My descriptions, not theirs... I think). Sunken into the ground is the main stage, with the natural contours of the earth creating a kind of arena, where bands and djs seemed to be perpetually doing something, whilst a pretty impressive laser display created tiny red, green and blue dots over everything. Further round the main walkway lay a more relaxed area, with a pool lit by oil lanterns, chairs made out of turf, and a huge winged serpent, where people were encouraged to walk through and have a spiritual re-birth...or something.

Eventually settling on an area made out of a tree resembling a hobbit hole, I sat down on a wooden bench to catch my thoughts. My solitude was immediately destroyed by a liquid splashing on my head, and I looked up to see two hippies in the tree who'd accidentally spilt a drink on me. Despite the fact that they had unbalanced my chi, they were very apologetic, so I was quick to forgive them. Also my attention was disturbed by a drumming group nearby, who were just starting out, pounding out some tribal rhythms, whilst decked in fairy lights.

I ventured over to investigate, and discovered it to be Beat 'N' Drum, from Belfast. This drumming group is becoming quite a fixture at festivals and outdoor events, and a large crowd quickly developed around them. Almost immediately, people started dancing and getting into the spirit of things, whilst the group kept things tight and exciting. They're very well rehearsed, and this allowed some of the more over exuberant amongst us to show off some of their more amazing dance moves, with two small children easily winning the prize for the best dancing on display all weekend. Indeed, even your humble correspondent found himself busting a few moves, using muscles he never knew he had.

After this, I was drawn towards a stage made entirely of wooden pallets (dubbed the "12th of July Stage" by my companion), where fire dancers were juggling and performing to an enraptured crowd. Despite the fact that the Saturday night line-up included 2 Many DJs, Chic, and Madness, it seemed that there was no shortage of people who felt that this part of the festival was where it's at, and I found myself very surprised to be agreeing with them.

The more one stays in the Body and Soul area, the easier it is to get sucked into it's charm. In the end, I opted to remain there and just soak it up, attaining levels of relaxation I didn't think were possible. Sitting in my little grove, with cup of organic coffee in my hand, I realised that I had found my own little corner of nirvana.

In order to redress the karmic balance, I suppose I'll have to form a hardcore band or something, but it's been worth the cost.