tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post5759101093770530241..comments2023-12-21T02:07:28.683-08:00Comments on My Favorite Monsters: Prophets and Possession: PKD & GnosticismDevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-2377788328626376452009-05-12T18:31:00.000-07:002009-05-12T18:31:00.000-07:00Thanks as always for stopping by Xdell!! Really ap...Thanks as always for stopping by Xdell!! Really appreciate your thoughts on COINTELPRO-I also thought your take on PKD empathizing with his friend very valuable and interesting-I so agree about the movies that is why Blade Runner is by far the best for me-I also want to apologize for my laziness as of late-I have been hit with a case of the summertime blahs like a punch to the gut-I hope to start an article tonight on drafts and have it ready to go by tomorrow-but not promising anything-as always thanks so very much for your thoughts and best to you as always!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-45554994249480248772009-05-12T09:13:00.000-07:002009-05-12T09:13:00.000-07:00I have so many thoughts on Dick, and consequently ...I have so many thoughts on Dick, and consequently of this post, that I could write for hours. But I won't. <br /><br />This post really hits the major themes of his life. I remember reading about the burglary episode, the timing, and the paranoia that existed outside of himself--particularly in US Intel. Dick was friends with a minister ative in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Many such people were targeted by COINTELPRO. <br /><br />I've always wondered if he were merely empathizing with this friend (the speculation with respect to the government spying on him), or in some way creating, as a writer might, by exploring the various facets of himself, pushing himself onward. Surely, that's what the drugs were for.<br /><br />I would have been curious to see if Dick would have liked any of the movies made from his stories. I've often said that I'd love to see a movie produced that matched the tone and nuance of Dick's visions. So ofen, they somehow turned into mindless action/violence flicks ("We Can Get It for You Wholesale"/<I>Total Recall</I> comes screeching to mind). At least <I>Bladerunner</I> captures Dick's ideology, and keeps that intact. The others, not so much. Basically, they seemed only to like his "high-concepts."X. Dellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17561609651507566271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-80693856427184713522009-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:002009-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00Pisces and Leigh -thanks so much for stopping by!!...Pisces and Leigh -thanks so much for stopping by!! That was a cool poem Pisces!! Leigh that seems to be a common theme between publishing between the UK and the USA-I have no idea why-but it was always that way with a magazine I used to buy religiously that was published there-I will see if I can get an answer-but when I ordered a book some time ago and had probs I emailed then I called-and the call patched through somewhere overseas and I could hardly understand the CSR-all the best to the both of you-thanks again for your comments!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-72396603650710497422009-05-09T04:12:00.000-07:002009-05-09T04:12:00.000-07:00So informative, Dev. Ironic and sad too. Suffering...So informative, Dev. Ironic and sad too. Suffering so often seems to spark creativity - I'm thinking of Van Gogh and Mozart. Or maybe it's the other way round. Creative genuises don't fit in the conventional world because they aren't so-called 'normal'.<br /><br />I wonder if you'd email amazon.com to enquire why they can't dispatch my book before <I>October</I> when it's published in June... USA 5 months behind the rest of the world? Surely not!Leigh Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15080517449825380527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-49180755811438184732009-05-08T23:46:00.000-07:002009-05-08T23:46:00.000-07:00I'm a long-time fan of PKD. You may enjoy this poe...I'm a long-time fan of PKD. You may enjoy this poem: <A HREF="http://thefarqueue.blogspot.com/2007/05/bring-me-head-of-philip-k-dick.html" REL="nofollow">Bring me the head of PKD</A> which was inspired by the theft of the simulacrum head of the great man.Garthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15637097897454660933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-80051824459379671182009-05-08T22:39:00.000-07:002009-05-08T22:39:00.000-07:00Ricardo I am delighted you could stop by and comme...Ricardo I am delighted you could stop by and comment-i was just about to go off to bed and was happy I saw this as I may not be online much this weekend-from what I understand PKD was very generous-within his limited means of being generous-the links Michael and Anadae gave are great also-if you would like to check those out-I know whatcha mean what is it about <br />"suffering" and creating beautiful work??!! best to you as always and thanks so much for stopping by!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-80298991460187557612009-05-08T22:20:00.000-07:002009-05-08T22:20:00.000-07:00Devin I had no idea PKD was that generous. It is ...Devin I had no idea PKD was that generous. It is a tragedy that he died before his time and Blade Runner is really an amazing flick and I did enjoy the film adaptation of A Scanner Darkly. <br /><br /><br />Many of the greats suffered from some mental issues but in a strange way it made the writing better in many cases.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01393234934008656683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-38539562414974262812009-05-08T19:29:00.000-07:002009-05-08T19:29:00.000-07:00Hiya Mike and Julie-thanks so much for your commen...Hiya Mike and Julie-thanks so much for your comment! PKD did indeed never seem to get over the emotional or mental attachment to the twin sister he never knew-I would also like to take this time to apologize for the slowness of this series-although I know there are no blog rules about how fast one should go haha!! I have a million thoughts swimming in my brain with this and it might be into next week before the next post is here-god and the fates willing-as I have a busy weekend coming up and still having probs thinking "straight" :-) all the best to both of you!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-27769258180949249572009-05-08T09:30:00.000-07:002009-05-08T09:30:00.000-07:00Thank you for writing about PK Dick. His story is ...Thank you for writing about PK Dick. His story is so interesting to read about. I have heard of twins feeling each others pain, he seemed to go through it all his life.Julie Fergusonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10460274888229792456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-40037859479279225072009-05-07T23:54:00.000-07:002009-05-07T23:54:00.000-07:00Nina thanks so very much for your wonderful and to...Nina thanks so very much for your wonderful and touching comments about PKD and the other subjects you touched on. He struggled with financial issues his whole life-and as I tried to bring out in the article (not sure I did a good job with this part) it kills me that he didn't live to see Blade Runner released (and of course the others) and become such a success-the thoughts PKD had during his life are a lot of the very same thoughts that consume me-are we real? what is reality? is there another reality-behind the door in a manner of speaking? Luckily PKD left behind an enormous volume of work we can appreciate and for this we are very fortunate-I would also suggest visiting the links given by Anadae and Michael-I would also like to apologize for how slow the series is progressing-I have been having issues with exhaustion and the like and my brain just feels like cotton candy-hopefully I can move forward with it in a few days-the information going up at my other blog was written down over a week ago-that is the only reason I have new articles over there-best to you as always Nina!! and thanks again to everyone for your wonderful comments and links!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-25653893811410479202009-05-07T22:54:00.000-07:002009-05-07T22:54:00.000-07:00what a sad and fascinating life he lead. it tugs ...what a sad and fascinating life he lead. it tugs at my heart to read about this man's life. the struggles with self, others, the insanity around him. the struggle to stay afloat financially. the struggle to make sense out of the nonsensical, find ones space. escaping into stories to create a world that suits his standards. <br /><br />i can identify with him. <br /><br />i agree with autumn about those who are considered to be mentally ill--being so sensitive as to being aware of other dimensions (i typed "away" instead of "aware" at first..hmm...maybe it really is that part of us that KNOWS we ARE away from our true natural [vibratory] state that causes these supposed "illnesses.) i also believe, due to the heightened sensitivity, the mind struggles to grasp reality and the insanity of it all, which is something i know i can lose myself in if i am not careful. i cannot tell you how many times i have had to throw up my hands and say "i just can't wrap my mind around it" and focus on something else. <br /><br />i loved minority report. it is really unfortunate he was not able to live to see his success, although likely it probably wouldn't have meant nearly as much as seeing a world created to his standards. <br /><br />thank you for this really interesting piece, devin. i've heard of rigorous intuition--i'll have to check it out. it (title) seems to come to me in some way now and then. looks like it's time to check into it.Ninahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03156718509284222442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-35806125719179624242009-05-07T20:55:00.000-07:002009-05-07T20:55:00.000-07:00Michael thanks so much for stopping by MFM - I rea...Michael thanks so much for stopping by MFM - I really appreciate your thoughts and would love to read your experience!! thanks for the link and am glad youe enjoyed this article-all the best!!<br /><br />nolocontendre-I am so glad you could stop by and give your thoughts on PKD and Blade Runner-very much appreciated!! best to you as always and I very much enjoyed your analysis of the movie and the replicants-all the best!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-31057864045369683082009-05-06T23:53:00.000-07:002009-05-06T23:53:00.000-07:00"Blade Runner" is also one of my faves - certainly..."Blade Runner" is also one of my faves - certainly a timeless, moody classic, now fleshed out a little more after reading that Dick lost his twin sister, possibly the progenitor of his replicant invention.nolocontenderehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15052215711210450342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-89022072228830987522009-05-06T21:17:00.000-07:002009-05-06T21:17:00.000-07:00Hi Devin. This was a wonderful read, and I know th...Hi Devin. This was a wonderful read, and I know that PKD and VALIS have had a powerful effect on me and my compatriots, with "The Empire Never Ended" used again and again. I propose PKD had glimpsed a view beyond the global illusion (samsara) - through the scanner darkly. <br /><br />VALIS seems to be drawn to people who question the reality of their experience, and like Dick, I say the world does not meet expectations, and if so... why not? I posted about a personal PKD like experience <A HREF="http://gosporn.blogspot.com/2008/01/series-of-fortunate-events.html" REL="nofollow">here</A> that you might like.<br /><br />Cheers, MichaelMichaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00531037998720855468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-69364104193651336502009-05-06T19:36:00.000-07:002009-05-06T19:36:00.000-07:00foam-or anyone else -I forgot to mention the title...foam-or anyone else -I forgot to mention the title of a great biography of PKD that I read it is called "I Am Alive and you are dead"-A journey into the mind of Philip K Dick by Emmanuel Carrere-for some reason I kept on thinking the great Harlan Ellison wrote it and your comment just made me remember to look it up-so thanks for that and it is a great book for anyone wanting to read in great depth about his life-thanks again to everyone stopping by!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-44192915131724523742009-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:002009-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:00foam delighted that you could stop by!! I should j...foam delighted that you could stop by!! I should just take the damn comment moderation thing off-haven't had any trouble and have only deleted 3 comments-one by accident-I hope people do enjoy this series-I am not sure how fast it will be here-a little bit ago I thought I lost about 4 pages of notes-but found them luckily-otherwise I'd be really behind on it-that is cool your son read the Zinn book-it didn't occur to me until recently how much I like that book-it is easy to read understand and everything-and it paints a much truer portrait of American power than a lot of books I have read! Thanks again for stopping by and commenting-hope you enjoy your Mac:-)all the best to you!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-18973007467065862272009-05-06T17:54:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:54:00.000-07:00well ..
i left a comment a while ago and it didn'...well .. <br />i left a comment a while ago and it didn't post!<br />what really happened is that i probably didn't hit the publish comment button ..<br />anyway, pkd is a fascinating character. i don't know a whole lot about him. i've always thought that the little research of done on gnosticism was pretty fascinating. looking forward to reading more.<br /><br />oh, btw .. my high school son did read the howard zinn book ..darkfoamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14394546886035933252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-38080766512396623692009-05-06T16:10:00.000-07:002009-05-06T16:10:00.000-07:00actually my son did read howard zinn's book in his...actually my son did read howard zinn's book in his civics class ..<br />he loved that class.<br />but anyway .. <br />what a fascinating person pkd must have been. i'm looking forward to reading more in this series ..<br />i think it's always fascinating when people believe they hear the voice of god .darkfoamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14394546886035933252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-32538089349989352342009-05-04T14:56:00.000-07:002009-05-04T14:56:00.000-07:00Autumnforest-I know exactly what you mean about co...Autumnforest-I know exactly what you mean about complaining! PKD struggled all throughout his life and still managed to PRODUCE! I had my first panic attack at 15 years of age -it was sophomore year of high school-speech class-haha-I guess this one gets a lot of folks -but it really got me -as always I appreciate your great insights and enjoy your comments so much-all the best!!<br /><br />Hi Aggie-nice as always to see your comments here!! I think with PKD there were many elements in the background of the family that led him to blame his parents-I wish I had a book Harlan Ellison?? I think did or somebody who did a wonderful bio of his life that explained a lot-agree about your thoughts on premie births-especially back then-all the best to you!!<br /><br />wise woman thanks as always for stopping by!! I so very much appreciate your thoughts and comments! I would be remiss on taking the compliments however-I see myself more as a "transmittal device" hows that for a sci fi name??:-) who just points out the fantastic and mind blowing work other people do-like Jeff Wells, PKD-W Blake-on and on-thanks so very much for stopping by and so glad you enjoyed it -all the best!!<br /><br />Sub Specie-I very much appreciate your input here and always happy to see a comment from you-I agree about PKDs brilliance and wonderful subject matter-he gave us all so much to think about-I hope as I go along in this series I am talented enough to do it justice-not sure I will be-I am tying several lines of thought from several different people and philosophical works to tie this all in and at some point if I get people confused I hope someone will point it out-I hope to have the next post here within a week-but not promising anything-all the best!!<br /><br /><br />benjiboppper-as always I am delighted to see your comment here!! I so agree about PKD being an interesting and wonderful character-his life and travails-I find as interesting as his books and thoughts on arcane matters!!now as for Jesus forgiving the pols-I wonder if its him they look to or-CTHULU:-) there hopefully will be much more about this as the series progresses God and the fates willing-all the best!!<br /><br />Anadae -I am delighted to see your comment here-and thanks so very much for the Tractates Sciptura Link-haha I am going to need that and was wondering the best place to go on the web to find it-I think like you in that sense haha-I'd love to see someone put that on the ole silver screen :-)-Very intersting WV -maybe that means we are on track! if I do not have any more episodes of puter cyclothmia today as you delightfully put it-I hope to be about and researching and looking at updated blogs and the like-best to you as always!!Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467101354793913827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-47650595999951648982009-05-04T09:01:00.000-07:002009-05-04T09:01:00.000-07:00Thank you, Devin, for this insightful biographical...Thank you, Devin, for this insightful biographical piece here on Philip K Dick, a man who was clearly more than just a sci-fi novelist extraordinaire. Many new (new to me anyway) attributes to his personality can be gleaned from this article. You even prompted me to track down his <A HREF="http://deoxy.org/pkd_tcs.htm" REL="nofollow">Tractates Cryptica Scriptura</A>, the Exegesis from his "VALIS". When will anyone ever tackle THAT & bring IT to the Silver Screen?<br /><br />Again, great article, Devin. Thanks. Have a wonderfully accelerated week, one plagued with no more 'puter cyclothymia! LOL! My wv is unfoo. Well that's me all over, unfooing what the Foo Fighters of WW II were (maybe) chasing down. LOL!<br /><br />All of the very best,<br />Anadæ Effro (•:-)}Anadæ Quenyan Effrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16099936811529384432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-24284506397505990982009-05-04T05:54:00.000-07:002009-05-04T05:54:00.000-07:00very interesting post. PKD was a fascinating chara...very interesting post. PKD was a fascinating character.<br /><br />as for fear of what comes next, certainly the american bigshots these days seem all too comfortable with the idea that jesus will forgive them.Chris Benjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00402945887045545024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-14042385883854964032009-05-04T03:03:00.000-07:002009-05-04T03:03:00.000-07:00Nice work Devin. Dick's work has always held a fas...Nice work Devin. Dick's work has always held a fascination for me, though mostly only in second-hand form, I've only read one book of his. I think I shall have to get on to more of his work in the future. The strength and sheer brilliance of his mind sure shone through in all the sci-fi fanzine write-ups I read back in the day.<br /><br />I look forward to the rest of the series.Justin R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17259500177754248182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-80548607934297838052009-05-04T00:26:00.000-07:002009-05-04T00:26:00.000-07:00That was an awesome read Devin!
I've seen PK D...That was an awesome read Devin!<br />I've seen PK Dick mentioned many times but have never read him. The quote about his sister/Sophia was superb & seemed to embrace the whole lopsidedness of this world.<br />Many thanks indeed,<br /><br />Your poem & image below are wonderful.<br />ATB as alwaysAlex Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10626969675592777365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-85944219831191444032009-05-04T00:13:00.000-07:002009-05-04T00:13:00.000-07:00Slightly off subject, but I am wondering why he "b...Slightly off subject, but I am wondering why he "blamed his parents" for the untimely death of his twin? Premature birth is hard to predict in this day and age. Let alone their time???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-328993352663790127.post-22904222027221586632009-05-03T21:23:00.000-07:002009-05-03T21:23:00.000-07:00Jeez, sometimes you feel petty when you complain a...Jeez, sometimes you feel petty when you complain about your life when it could have been like PKD. I've often wondered whether people who are considered mentally ill are simply acutely aware of alternate places/times and such. I recall when I had my first panic attack when I was about 27. I didn't know what it was but at the time I felt as though for a few minutes I had glimpsed what reality is and that normally I was diverted from experiencing the bleakness of it all by distractions and business. It was as if a veil was lifted and I could see death.Sharon Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13609356325356264202noreply@blogger.com