Black Iron Prison
A friend recommended Philip K. Dick’s Valis to me, and I’ve been reading it sporadically the last couple of weeks. Today, I came across this:
Prior to that, during the interval in which he had experienced the two-world superimposition, he had seen not only California, USA, of the year 1974 but also ancient Rome, he had discerned within the superimposition a Gestalt shared by both space-time continua, their common element: a Black Iron Prison. This is what the dream referred to as “the Empire.” He knew it because, upon seeing the Black Iron Prison, he had recognised it. Everyone dwelt in it without realizing it. The Black Iron Prison was their world.
Who had built the prison—and why—he could not say. But he could discern one good thing: the prison lay under attack. An organization of Christians, not regular Christians such as those who attended church every Sunday and prayed, but secret early Christians wearing light gray-colored robes, had started an assault on the prison, and with success. The secret, early Christians were filled with joy.
I can imagine reading that while seriously drunk and under the influence of who-knows-what-else, and writing The Matrix the next day. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s how it happened.
Field Reports:
Commenting is closed for this article.

Subscribe to the Daydream Lab [RSS]