Life in a Psychedelic Church

Memories and Musings

By: Jack Call

Narrated by: Gary J. Chambers

Jack Call gives a detailed account of what his life was like during the years from 1972 through 1978, as a follower of Art Kleps, the Chief Boo Hoo of the Neo-American Church, whose members subscribe to the belief that psychedelics such as LSD are sacraments, in that they encourage the realization that life is a dream.

This true story has many surprising twists and turns, but ends, predictably in hindsight, in disillusionment. It has now been 42 years since Call left the church, questioning Kleps's professed philosophy of solipsistic nihilism but still thinking that he agreed with Kleps's rejection of supernaturalism.

Those years of living and thinking have made a difference, though, and he now reflects on the thinking of some of the other important philosophers on the topic of psychedelics and religion and explains his view that psychedelic experience is more consistent with the deep truths of Christianity than with any atheistic philosophy or East Asian religious tradition. He thus gives a forward looking meaning to the phrase, “life in a psychedelic church".

©2020 Jack Call (P)2020 Jack Call