SF Signal: The Religious Experience Of Philip K. Dick

The Religious Experience Of Philip K. Dick

In 1974 after having his wisdom teeth removed, Philip K. Dick experienced a profound religious experience. Pumped full of Sodium Pentathol, Dick answered the door to meet a girl from the pharmacy who was delivering his pain medications (if only they delivered now) and, upon seeing her golden fish pendant, experienced what he called 'anamnesis'.

This experience led to his 'discovery' of the 'Black Iron Prison' and, slowly, Dick would believe that he was a Christian from Roman times. Often times assuming the personality of that person.

If you've ever wondered what that might be like, then look no further than The Religious Experience of Philip K. Dick, as illustrated and written by R. Crumb. There's something about reading this in comic form that works extremely well and gives us a great sense of what it must have been like to slowly loose touch with reality. Or did he?

I'm inclined to think the bizarre coincidences Dick describes might have been a bit of self-mythologizing.

But who knows? Maybe he really did believe the story he was telling....maybe it even really occurred. Or maybe he was just testing the limits of his audience's credulity.

Posted by DBE on Friday February 29, 2008 at 11:57 AM

Yet another reason why I am glad to be one of the very few lucky people who was born without wisdom teeth.

Posted by Stefan on Friday February 29, 2008 at 2:51 PM

Self-promotion time: Anybody who's interested in this should check out my book Pink Beams of Light From the God in the Gutter: The Science-Fictional Religion of Philip K. Dick (University Press of America, 2004).

Posted by Gabriel Mckee on Friday February 29, 2008 at 7:35 PM