Research Catalog

Title

The divine madness of Philip K. Dick / Kyle Arnold.

Author

Arnold, Kyle

Publication

• New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2016.
• ©2016

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

ix, 234 pages; 19 cm

Summary

Widely recognized as one of the most imaginative writers of the 20th century, Philip K. Dick helped to shape science fiction into the popular genre it is today. His stories, renowned for their sophisticated philosophical themes and startling portrayals of simulated realities, inspired numerous television and film adaptations, including the 1982 cult classic Blade Runner. Dick's personal life took on an otherwordly quality when, in 1974, he famously had a series of bizarre visions. According to Dick, a pink light beamed psychic information into his brain, awakening memories of a past life as an ancient Christian revolutionary and granting him contact with time-traveling extraterrestrials. He witnessed scenes from ancient Rome superimposed over his California neighborhood, and warned local police he was a dangerous machine programmed to self-destruct. After the visions faded, Philip K. Dick spent the rest of his life trying to fathom the meaning of what he called his "divine madness." Was it schizophrenia? Or a genuine religious experience? In The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick, clinical psychologist Kyle Arnold probes the fascinating mystery of Dick's heart and mind, and shows readers how early traumas opened Dick to profound spiritual experiences while also predisposing him toward drug dependency and violence. Disputing the myth that Dick had schizophrenia, Arnold contends that Dick's well-known paranoia was caused by his addiction to speed. Despite Dick's paranoia, his divine madness was not a sign of mental illness, but a powerful spiritual experience conveyed in the images of science fiction.--Amazon.com.

Series Statement

Inner Lives

Uniform Title

Inner lives.

Subjects

• Psychology and literature
• Science fiction, American > History and criticism
• Dick, Philip K > Psychology
• Dick, Philip K > Family

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-222) and index.

Call Number

JFD 16-3942

ISBN

• 9780199743254
• 0199743258

LCCN

2015033239

OCLC

919252821

Author

Arnold, Kyle, author.

Title

The divine madness of Philip K. Dick / Kyle Arnold.

Publisher

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2016.

Copyright Date

©2016

Edition

First Edition.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Inner Lives

Inner lives.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-222) and index.

Research Call Number

JFD 16-3942