Papers Session: The Speculative Religion of Philip K. Dick's "Exegesis"
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
Philip K. Dick’s February 1974 “pink beam” experience was triggered by a vision of a pink beam of light containing information from on high, triggered by his seeing an icthys necklace. This marked a decisive shift in his sense of self and reality. Following this event, Dick claimed access to hidden knowledge, described the world as a “Black Iron Prison,” and began composing the sprawling theological journal known as the Exegesis. Drawing on cognitive neuroscience accounts of decentering, I argue that these experiences can be understood as a redistribution of epistemic authority beyond the stable narrative self, producing both ontological destabilization and sustained attempts at reintegration.