Quote, “Have you ever considered the possibility that God might be a crazy woman? Or that John Dillinger died for you? Do you think there might be a secret technique by which the Enlightened can literally get Something for Nothing? Could the Martians have the true religion while Earthians are lost in superstitious darkness? Can a cup of coffee be a sacrament, and if not, why not? Does the mathematics of six-dimensional space-time and philosophy of Multi-Ego Pantheistic Solipsism explain the universe?” Intro to the 1986 piece Religion For the Hell of It by the revered Robert Anton Wilson.
I believe coffee can be a sacrament. Its effects are subtle, and those who mechanically gulp down three cups every morning tend to be indifferent to them. But if treated respectfully, it has great power to catalyze thought. Unlike many more powerful substances which flood the neurons and work essentially by overwhelming rational thought, caffeine helps the prepared mind. So I guess I’m a Javacrucian and just didn’t realize it.
This article made me think of:
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Wilson’s “Illuminatus!” trilogy is one of the craziest pieces of fiction I’ve ever read. Apparently he’s now broke and very ill, and there’s some kind of online appeal to raise money for his treatment. I’ll see if I can find the link…
Wait - found it. He’s doing ok now: http://www.rawilson.com/main.shtml