The Gospel According to Ray (part 4)

Readings from “Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors” by Ray Manzarek

THE WORD:

from Chapter 18 “The Aftermath”, pg. 332

“Hallucinogens are still criminal. The ‘food of the gods’ is illegal. The keys to the doors of perception are against the law…Using LSD therapy with convicts, drug addicts, and alcoholics is illegal. The great therapeutic tool of LSD that was proven so effective in case after case of psychological maladjustment has been taken away from the doctors of the mind by the fundamentalist, conservative guardians of our public morality. And that’s the way it is to this very day. No medical research. And certainly no looking behind the veil. No breaking on through to the other side.“

MEDITATION:

This passage really hits home for me.

My poor, lost cousin Rudy had a difficult, difficult life. His mother used to dress him up in a tutu and ballet slippers when my uncle wasn’t around and say how much she wished she’d had a “sweet little girl” instead of an “ugly, dog-face boy”. Rudy would try his hardest to be just what his mommy wanted, sashaying daintily around the house, but it was never enough. And in case he didn’t already hate himself enough, he was savagely beaten by a nanny any time he talked during General Hospital or grew weary while rubbing her fat feet (which he was forced to do for hours on end). Rudy developed crippling social anxiety and would wet his bed well into his teens. His only escape was drugs and alcohol. It began with beer which he’d quaff lustily during lunch hour at high school. Then it was marijuana, which seemed to offer some temporary relief from the terror that consumed his every waking moment. Finally, a co-worker turned him on to heroin and it was like he’d found his soul mate. And then his soul mate led him to the state penitentiary.

The moment he stepped out of the pen, he was back on the horse. If anything, his addiction raged harder than before. Until one fateful day, when a gifted and caring therapist found Rudy on the street and took pity on him.

“Rudy, many would frown on what I’m about to do. In fact, it’s illegal in this so-called free country. The man doesn’t want you to get better Rudy…but I do.”

Taking him to a secluded place, carefully checking to see that nobody was following them, the therapist pulled a tiny piece of blotter paper out of an envelope in his jacket.

“Stick out your tongue Rudy” the therapist ordered. Rudy did as he was told and the therapist placed the magic blotter on his tongue. Within minutes he was witness to the most glorious visions. The ugly, gray pallor that had hung over the world was lifted and replaced by strands of golden light. Rudy felt as if the gods were offering him some priceless piece of wisdom, and that all he had to do was reach out and take it.

“What is this magic thing you’ve given me, sir, and what is it trying to tell me?” Rudy asked

“It’s LSD Rudy” said the therapist, “and the LSD is telling you that you won’t find the answer to your problems through drugs”.

“That’s the answer I’ve been looking for !!!” said Rudy, “My problems are solved !!!”.

From that day on, Rudy was cured of his addiction. In fact, not only was he cured of his addiction, the social anxiety, bed-wetting, gender identity issues and athlete’s foot that had afflicted him since childhood were also gone. And he owed it all to LSD. And to one caring therapist who had the balls to do what was right, no matter what the small minded law makers of this once proud nation had to say about it.

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• How The World Chages For The Worst
• book review
• Still basking in the afterglow