Journeys into the bright world

Marcia. Yes I am dizzy. I'm very dizzy. The wings on this picture that I'm looking at are in perfect synchrony with the sound that I'm hearing. Each feather is resonating to the sound of the motor. It's always like a very smooth motor. It's like a beautifully made automobile reving up. Dadadadadada. What I'm getting now is the perfect synchrony between the motor and what I'm seeing. Those feathers on the wings…Egypt…and I'm also feeling a great deal…feeling how much I love Egypt. I thought this was going to be silly, just to sit and look at the picture of Egypt-two birdlike beings looking at each other. But all at once it seems wonderful-transcendental. It's you and it's me, it's Howard and it's Marcia. I know that when this is typed out on a piece of paper its going to be just black and white. But in my world, my bright world where I am right this moment, it's gold…pure shining gold.

Howard. Do you hear any birds?

Marcia. Oh yes, the birds are all around me. I have birds everywhere. The whole issue of birds is one we'll have to explore.

Howard. It's obviously affecting the auditory center of your brain.

Marcia. Yes. That's interesting. Right now I'm hearing a sound much louder than the sound of my voice but the sound that I'm hearing is a great deal louder. What I'm enjoying is the emotional component. I didn't want to take this trip because I thought that just twenty-five milligrams would leave me knocking at the door and feeling rejected. Going only just so far and once again standing on the threshold, never allowed into the inner sanctum. But now I feel differently.

Howard. You think it's worth while to take a mini-dose?

Marcia. Yes, I think we should do this again…I can see it through your eyes. It's really important to me that you should look at that picture.

Howard. (Solicitously.) OK, but I don't want you to get dizzy. Why don't you lie down?

Marcia. (Remaining in meditation posture.) This is what I've longed to do-to be half here and half there.

Howard. Is that where you're at?

Marcia. Yes, the place of the roots. A place where I can speak coherently.

Howard. It's all being taped.

Marcia. It's being taped, yes. You see I'm in tune with you telepathically because I knew you were going to say that. Right now in this halfway world…,.

Howard. I don't know where I'm at.

Marcia. You're feeling it though? You're under?

Howard. Yeah. I feel an altered state of consciousness. I haven't heard the crickets.

Marcia. The crickets are all around me. I keep thinking…can't you hear those crickets.

Howard. I just saw a bird fly over. That was really nice.

Marcia. I know your mind…I hope we can do this again. It's going to take a long time to sew these seams of consciousness together. To sew…I'm having a lot of trouble with language.

Howard. Yeah. I think maybe you should lie down, Marcia.

Marcia. No, I want to meditate. I never dreamed twenty-five milligrams could take me so far. This twenty-five state is golden. This is a very good place. I'd like to remain in this state for a while. Then you could perhaps sew together the seams between the bright world and the charcoal gray world.

Howard. No, I don't like that term. We must think of another. You must trust my judgment. My judgment is good, Marcia. Like when you said esoteric anesthetic. (Actually the term had been "esthetic anesthetic")

Marcia. Yes, I like that term.

Howard. That's beautiful. Esoteric anesthetic…I'm really high right now. Wow, this is nice. Let's think of another word for gray world. This is a beautiful world we live in.

Marcia. I'm coming down very fast.

Howard. Maybe you should take another twenty-five. You've become very tolerant.

Marcia. That's interesting. This intermediary state I think is going to be the key to our whole operation.

Howard. But what have we really accomplished up to now? Obviously I can't question it. These thoughts and memories and experiences will go on.

Marcia. You must be a little higher than I am. So your wave is after mine. But now look at the Egypt picture. Tell me, what is Egypt to you?

Howard. I don't know. I just feel we were there.

Marcia. It has something to do with the astrological sign Gemini. Now look at that picture. Do you notice the Geminian duality? Two coming together. It's our archetype.

Howard. Two coming together and forming one.

Marcia. Yes. In times to come you and I should meditate on our archetype-Gemini. The two together.

Howard. Together forever. The first time, do you remember that? Together forever.

Marcia. But part of the togetherness is being different…like the other turn of the spiral. That's why I like it so much when we take these trips with one just a little bit ahead of the other. It makes us opposite turns of the spiral because how I'm coming out and you're still in deeper than I am now. It's such a Geminian thing we're doing. Look at the picture. Isn't that a perfect picture for us?

Howard. It's golden.