4 ms·

Jean-Paul Sartre Had a Bad Mescaline Trip (2018)

67 points by lermontov 8y ago

narrator 8y ago
Phillip K. Dick also had some bad drug trips and they led to a very long, successful, and prolific career as an author of somewhat psychologically disturbed sci-fi. I love watching the movie version of his book "A Scanner Darkly" because it does a good job of describing the way in which people suffering from the early stages of amphetamine psychosis act and think. The book is even more vivid.
- pmoriarty 8y ago
  Some of Dick's most effective "bad trip" novels and stories are: Faith of Our Fathers[1] Lies, Inc[2] (which takes a while to get rolling, but if you bear with it your patience will be rewarded). Ubik[3] The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch[4] If you enjoy these sorts of stories, give them a try. You won't be disappointed. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_of_Our_Fathers_%28short_story%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_of_Our_Fathers_%28short_... [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_Inc. [3] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik [4] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_stigmata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_stigmata
  - boobsbr 8y ago
    The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldricht is absolutely terrifying. I had nightmares about it. Palmer Eldricht is definitely the scariest villain of all time for me.
  - hellisothers 8y ago
    Thank you for sharing these, I’ve only read one so far but it was wonderfully terrifying.
- saalweachter 8y ago
  While Dick definitely was prolific, and had a thirty-year career, he died at 53.
  - newnewpdro 8y ago
    Are you implying his drug use had something to do with dying of a stroke at 53?
    - draugadrotten 8y ago
      It is plausible. Dick was known to consume large amounts of amphetamines, and amphetamine use significantly increases the risk of stroke. "He clearly descended into abuse after his fourth wife left him in the early 1970s. Afterward, according to Kyle Arnold’s biography, he was taking speed by the handful. “He stuffed his refrigerator with thousand-pill jars of amphetamines” and “told his mother he consumed a thousand-pill jar per week.”" https://www.thefix.com/philip-k-dick-s-high-life https://www.thefix.com/philip-k-dick-s-high-life "Conclusion Increases in stimulant drug abuse may increase the rate of hospital admissions for strokes and stroke-related mortality." https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/210017 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/...
      - anoncoward111 8y ago
        More than plausible, I'd say that's probable. It reminds me of how the cause of death for Adrian Lamo is officially "undetermined", but the medical examiner notes serum potassium and creatinine levels that are so high (in my informed opinion) that they probably can only be described as "kidney failure" or "lethal injection".
      - newnewpdro 8y ago
        Plenty of people die of strokes in their 50s without involving drug use. It's not like he was a model of good health in general. Judging from his complaint of failing eyesight the day prior to his death [1], it sounds like a common embolism. Considering Atherosclerosis is the number one cause of death in the developed world [2], it's not like we need to search for a likely cause. I'd argue that it's likely he was going to die around this age wether he used drugs or not, but the drug use gave him a more pleasurable experience throughout his years. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick#Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick#Death [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atherosclerosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atherosclerosis
- V-2 8y ago
  He also suffered from mental issues and delusions. He experienced visions that weren't drug-induced. I wouldn't also describe his career as "very long and successful". I think that's quite an oversimplification, as it was far from idyllic. It included a few years without publishing a thing, and a suicide attempt. Plus he struggled with financial troubles pretty much all the way through.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
devereaux 8y ago
It reminds me of the story of the pencil: too cool to do drugs cool to do drugs to do drugs do drugs drugs (https://boingboing.net/2014/02/25/the-story-behind-the-too-coo.html https://boingboing.net/2014/02/25/the-story-behind-the-too-c...) This famous writer may have been negatively affected by drugs, but then they show the cover of his book with crabs. Maybe not the best message to sent around.
Juliate 8y ago
I would definitely enjoy a Very Bad Trip spinoff with Jean-Paul and Simone as main characters.
- namdnay 8y ago
  FYI it's called "The Hangover" in English. Yet another film title that was translated from english to english for foreign markets
  - V-2 8y ago
    It was creatively translated as "Kac Vegas" by the Polish distributor. ("Kac", originating from German "Katzenjammer" and pronounced roughly like "cuts", therefore kind of rhyming with "las" in "Las Vegas", stands for "hangover" in Polish).
    - namdnay 8y ago
      Not bad! A lot better than Very Bad Trip
nanna 8y ago
I have it from a very well regarded French philosopher who knew Sartre personally that he took mescaline a lot, hence his prolific productivity, and that he would specifically inject into the thigh. There's some philosophy gossip for ya hn :)

67 points by lermontov 8y ago

Phillip K. Dick also had some bad drug trips and they led to a very long, successful, and prolific career as an author of somewhat psychologically disturbed sci-fi. I love watching the movie version of his book "A Scanner Darkly" because it does a good job of describing the way in which people suffering from the early stages of amphetamine psychosis act and think. The book is even more vivid.

pmoriarty 8y ago
Some of Dick's most effective "bad trip" novels and stories are: Faith of Our Fathers[1] Lies, Inc[2] (which takes a while to get rolling, but if you bear with it your patience will be rewarded). Ubik[3] The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch[4] If you enjoy these sorts of stories, give them a try. You won't be disappointed. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_of_Our_Fathers_%28short_story%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_of_Our_Fathers_%28short_... [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_Inc. [3] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik [4] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_stigmata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_stigmata
- boobsbr 8y ago
  The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldricht is absolutely terrifying. I had nightmares about it. Palmer Eldricht is definitely the scariest villain of all time for me.
- hellisothers 8y ago
  Thank you for sharing these, I’ve only read one so far but it was wonderfully terrifying.
saalweachter 8y ago
While Dick definitely was prolific, and had a thirty-year career, he died at 53.
- newnewpdro 8y ago
  Are you implying his drug use had something to do with dying of a stroke at 53?
  - draugadrotten 8y ago
    It is plausible. Dick was known to consume large amounts of amphetamines, and amphetamine use significantly increases the risk of stroke. "He clearly descended into abuse after his fourth wife left him in the early 1970s. Afterward, according to Kyle Arnold’s biography, he was taking speed by the handful. “He stuffed his refrigerator with thousand-pill jars of amphetamines” and “told his mother he consumed a thousand-pill jar per week.”" https://www.thefix.com/philip-k-dick-s-high-life https://www.thefix.com/philip-k-dick-s-high-life "Conclusion Increases in stimulant drug abuse may increase the rate of hospital admissions for strokes and stroke-related mortality." https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/210017 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/...
    - anoncoward111 8y ago
      More than plausible, I'd say that's probable. It reminds me of how the cause of death for Adrian Lamo is officially "undetermined", but the medical examiner notes serum potassium and creatinine levels that are so high (in my informed opinion) that they probably can only be described as "kidney failure" or "lethal injection".
    - newnewpdro 8y ago
      Plenty of people die of strokes in their 50s without involving drug use. It's not like he was a model of good health in general. Judging from his complaint of failing eyesight the day prior to his death [1], it sounds like a common embolism. Considering Atherosclerosis is the number one cause of death in the developed world [2], it's not like we need to search for a likely cause. I'd argue that it's likely he was going to die around this age wether he used drugs or not, but the drug use gave him a more pleasurable experience throughout his years. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick#Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick#Death [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atherosclerosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atherosclerosis
V-2 8y ago
He also suffered from mental issues and delusions. He experienced visions that weren't drug-induced. I wouldn't also describe his career as "very long and successful". I think that's quite an oversimplification, as it was far from idyllic. It included a few years without publishing a thing, and a suicide attempt. Plus he struggled with financial troubles pretty much all the way through.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

devereaux 8y ago

It reminds me of the story of the pencil: too cool to do drugs cool to do drugs to do drugs do drugs drugs (https://boingboing.net/2014/02/25/the-story-behind-the-too-coo.html https://boingboing.net/2014/02/25/the-story-behind-the-too-c...) This famous writer may have been negatively affected by drugs, but then they show the cover of his book with crabs. Maybe not the best message to sent around.

Juliate 8y ago

I would definitely enjoy a Very Bad Trip spinoff with Jean-Paul and Simone as main characters.

namdnay 8y ago
FYI it's called "The Hangover" in English. Yet another film title that was translated from english to english for foreign markets
- V-2 8y ago
  It was creatively translated as "Kac Vegas" by the Polish distributor. ("Kac", originating from German "Katzenjammer" and pronounced roughly like "cuts", therefore kind of rhyming with "las" in "Las Vegas", stands for "hangover" in Polish).
  - namdnay 8y ago
    Not bad! A lot better than Very Bad Trip

nanna 8y ago

I have it from a very well regarded French philosopher who knew Sartre personally that he took mescaline a lot, hence his prolific productivity, and that he would specifically inject into the thigh. There's some philosophy gossip for ya hn :)