Alien Visions in Kathmandu : Grant Morrison on Drugs, Magic and South Asian Spirituality
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The Chaos Magician and celebrated comic book author Grant Morrison’s reported visionary experience of a chrome liquid shaped alien species in Kathmandu. The report of his vision carries many resemblances to reports of psychedelic experiences within the context of diverse religious and counter cultural movements. Moreover, it became foundational for the creation of one of his widely renown comic book series The Invisibles, in which themes like the relativity of time and the combination of magic and psychedelics function as cornerstones. The circumstances of his vision involved Morrison’s desire to have a mystical experience by reproducing the journey of the Buddha through India, Nepal and Tibet. Secondly, the use of hashish on a rooftop prior to when the mystical experience happened has to be mentioned, which reportedly was not sufficient to induce such an effect. Thirdly, Morrison maintained interest in the counter cultural occult Chaos Magic milieu, and was influenced by the writings of Aleister Crowley. On the basis of Grant Morrison’s descriptions of his mystical visions and reports of academic literature, I will explore the degree by which this vision could be influenced by the consumption of hashish, by environmental factors combined with proficiency in mind altering meditative techniques, or all of the three factors. The objective will be to provide insight into a mystical experience by a pursuer of eclectic and syncretic counter cultural expressions of contemporary magical practice which resulted in influential pop cultural publications. |
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