posted on Sep, 6 2003 @ 03:50 AM
I've read a couple of sci-fi author Philip K. Dick's books like The Man in the High Castle, seen Minority Report and Blade Runner too, but have just
recently discovered the oddities of his life. Especially his later life when he either became a completely paranoid schizophrenic or was possessed by
something.
Anyway, in 1974, eight years before he died, he was in the hospital on a lot of drugs (plus he did a lot of recreational drugs) when he claims to have
been overtaken by some kind of force that from then on directed his life. For the positive it seems. He began to spew greek words, which his wife
wrote down phonetically and apparently could be translated into meaningful greek text (he claimed to never have studied the language). The entity in
him also told him his newborn son had a potentially life threatening illness even though he bore no signs of it. He took the child to the doctor and
he indeed had a hernia which could manifest into fatal gangrene if not treated surgically. He also was told to go to the doctor to treat high blood
pressure, and he did, coming back feeling far better. He also managed to get money flowing. Several thousands of dollars from previously unpaid
debts suddenly came in. He also purportedly could predict he would recieve a death threat and what day it would come, and indeed he did (in the form
of one of his books with all malicious words underlined).
Philip called this entity the "VALIS" (an acronym for Vast Active Living Intelligence System). Which showed him all of reality that man sees is
simply a filtered illusion. He ended up writing until his death an 8,000 page journal on this that is now called the "Exegis".
All the positive and seemingly factual stuff didn't come without its doubts though. He became very paranoid that the FBI/KGB was spying on him. At
one point he thought they had rifled through his papers only to later concede it was probably himself who did it. He also made claims that at least
one specific popular singer on the radio would speak directly to him about how worthless he was and how he should just die. This is typical of
schizophrenics. His wife would claim that their radio came on by itself (and unplugged) around 2am at times, but she never did hear the voices
directed at her author husband. The Exegis journal is basically the ramblings of a man who may or may not have been driven mad.
I've only just found out this information about him, but it does sound fascinating. I only wonder if it was something real and not psychosis why do
possessions happen so randomly and without any meaningful way of gathering more evidence as to their reality.
[Edited on 6-9-2003 by heelstone]