Drugs in Pynchon's fiction

[Paul Mackin]

On Sat, 23 Oct 1999, christopher davey wrote:

> I think there's at least one drug that Pynchon has provided unequivocal
 endorsement of. That's MDMA: I posted the quote and asked if anyone knew
 anything about it some time last year.
> 
> The quote was:
> 
> "The circuits of the brain which mediate alarm, fear, fright, fight, lust,
 and territorial paranoia are temporarily disconnected. You see everything
 with total clarity, undistorted by animalistic urges.  You have reached a
 state which the ancients have called nirvana, all seeing bliss."
> -- Thomas Pynchon on MDMA


I presume P goes on to say this all is a good thing. Some days I'll admit
I'd accept a few hours of Nirvana. But animal urges are what make us human
(whatever one takes THAT to mean) and keep us alive, at least for a time.
The problem with Nirvana, one would need an armed guard around the clock
to hold off preditors.  I prefer to have them (the urges) knawing away at
me most of the time. Keep my Edge that way. Think I'll stick with Scotch.

			P.