The Spirit, LSD and Cormac McCarthy

An excerpt from a rare interview with Cormac McCarthy follows. Garry Wallace along with Betty Carey, Frank Morton (another gambler) met with McCarthy over a
three day period in March 1989 in El Paso.

"...Frank related a number of personal religious experiences that he had had over the years, pointing out the flaws in other people's lack of faith. I [Garry Wallace] challenged him, saying that one day science would understand these unexplained phenomena for what they really were.

McCarthy commented that some cultures used drugs to enhance the spiritual experience, and that he had tried LSD before the drug was made illegal. He said that it had helped to open his eyes to these kinds of experiences. Betty recounted having seen the image of Christ on a bus while in Costa Rica. This had been at a time following the casino scam when Betty had
been on the run. She said that her experience was a real as our sitting together in the motel room. It had not been a dream or hallucination.

Always the skeptic, I said, 'But how does that prove Christianity? Why not Buddha or Allah? You saw Jesus because you were raised in Jesus-land.' I looked to Frank and McCarthy. Their expressions were sympathetic.

McCarthy was slumped into one of the chairs with his left leg slung over the arm rest. He appeared a very patient listner. He said that he felt sorry for me because I was unable to grasp this concept of spiritual experience. He said that people all over the world, in every religion, were familiar with this experience. He asked if I'd ever read William
James's THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. I had not. His attitude seemed to indicate that in this book were the answers to many of the questions posed during our evening discussion. I was nonplussed"
(p. 138). Wallace, Garry. (1992). Meeting McCarthy. The Southern Quarterly, 30(4), 134-139.
Painting, The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Carravagio. 1601.