Written for Muse On Monday. Our host, David,
challenges us to write a story where the main
character is in an altered mental state.
This is an oldie from 2018, but it fit the theme very well so…..
Here’s a burning question: How many of us can honestly say we’ve seen God …. not just seen Him but had a full-blown conversation …. a religious experience replete with images and epiphanies? Ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred perhaps unless, of course, while under the influence of mind-expanding, hallucination-inducing psychedelic drugs, when the number would increase exponentially.
That is exactly what happened one night in 1973 when my husband emerged from the bedroom after an hours-long LSD trip and announced to everyone in the living room, “I have just seen God and he told me there’s no such thing as eternal death.”
Being in varying stages of synthetic delusion, our friend’s reactions ran the gamut from “Heavy, dude!” to “WTF?!” to fits of hysterical laughter. Undeterred, although somewhat unsteady, my husband wound his way through the mass of pillows strewn about the room and situated himself in the middle of the floor like the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
A dozen pairs of glazed-over eyes watched while he went on to explain how God revealed to him that the followers of Pythagoras were extremely superstitious and mystical. They believed that the human soul was trapped in a continuous cycle of death and reincarnation. Although the body dies, the soul lives on, lying dormant in a constantly spinning dimension of the universe where it patiently waits to be catapulted back to earth, implanted into one form or another of the female species, and is reborn. And this cycle of death and reincarnation can be experienced by an individual an infinite number of times.
Minds officially blown, we all agreed this new-found knowledge was indeed “heavy” and required more contemplation while listening …. again …. to Dark Side Of The Moon. But I, who was always somewhat preoccupied and frightened by the thought of dying and ceasing to exist for all eternity, wanted to learn more about this profound concept. I found it comforting and hopeful. My husband and I discussed this amazing theory, which I took fully to heart, and I was filled with a beautiful feeling of peace which I still feel today …. a confirmation that the soul lives on, returning after mortal death. How ineffably cool.
And Pink Floyd continued playing in the background:
“I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do, I don’t mind.”
NAR©2018,2026
This is “Great Gig In The Sky” by Pink Floyd
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
