The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick

Kyle Arnold

Inner Lives

Makes the novel argument that Philip K. Dick's religious epiphany was a genuine spiritual experience, not the result of mental illness
Explains Dick's paranoia as result of amphetamine addiction
Sheds new light on Dick's personal relationships, including his grief for his twin sister who died in childhood

The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick

Kyle Arnold

Description

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.

The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick

Kyle Arnold

Inner Lives

The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick

Kyle Arnold

Inner Lives

Author Information

Kyle Arnold is a psychologist at Coney Island Hospital and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick

Kyle Arnold

Inner Lives

Reviews and Awards

"Arnold, a clinical psychologist, provides a phenomenological approach to the life of Philip K. Dick, closely reading the last eighteen years of his life." --American Literature

"If you want to understand Philip K. Dick, read Kyle Arnold's book." --Tessa B. Dick, wife of Philip K. Dick

"Kyle Arnold's The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick is a thorough, unflinching look at one of the greatest literary minds of the 20th century. Arnold's training as a psychologist gives him a keen insight into the always-contentious question of Dick's mental health. But he does not attempt to diagnose Dick - rather, he explores the connection between his life and his work in an honest and thorough manner. What emerges is a work of unique importance to anyone interested in Philip K. Dick, his life, and his writings." --Gabriel McKee, author of Pink Beams of Light from the God in the Gutter: The Science-Fictional Religion of Philp K. Dick

"The shelf of science fiction novels and short story collections by Philip K. Dick is very wide. The shelf of books about Philip K. Dick is rapidly becoming even wider. The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick, is among the best of these psychobiographies." --Alan Elms, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of California, Davis

"This is a well-researched and persuasively written study of a controversial subject amongst 'Dickheads,' avid followers of Philip K. Dick. Dr. Arnold, a hospital affiliated practicing clinical psychologist, navigates the conflicting facts and opinions known about Dick's life and work to give us a powerful interpretation well worth reading, and sure to generate further dialog and debate." --Frank Bertrand, interviewer of Philip K. Dick and Contributing Editor to PKD Otaku

"Arnold details the ways in which awareness of Dick's childhood traumas and mystical visions broaden appreciation of his work, its adaptations, and influence. Recommended for sf fans as well as literary and academic audiences." --Library Journal

"A useful addition to the library of works on Dick." - Pippa Goldschmidt, Times Literary Supplement

The Divine Madness of Philip K. Dick

Kyle Arnold

Inner Lives

From Our Blog

Philip K. Dick's spiritual epiphany

In February of 1974, Philip K. Dick's life changed. While he was recovering from dental surgery, he claims, he had a spiritual epiphany. It started with a delivery from the local pharmacy. Three days after Dick's surgery, an order of medications arrived in the hands of a stunning delivery woman.

Posted on July 7, 2016

Read the blog post