The One Great Truth
Diethyl Ether
Citation: Oliver Wendell Holmes. "The One Great Truth: An Experience with Diethyl Ether (exp12811)". Erowid.org. Feb 23, 2002. erowid.org/exp/12811
DOSE: |
inhaled | Ether | (gas) |
'I once inhaled a pretty full dose of ether, with the determination to put on record, at the earliest moment of regaining consciousness, the thought I should find uppermost in my mind. The mighty music of the triumphal march into nothingness reverberated through my brain, and filled me with a sense of infinite possibilities, which made me an archangel for a moment. The veil of eternity was lifted. The one great truth which underlies all human experience and is the key to all the mysteries that philosophy has sought in vain to solve, flashed upon me in a sudden revelation. Henceforth all was clear: a few words had lifted my intelligence to the level of the knowledge of a cherubim. As my natural condition returned, I remembered my resolution; and, staggering to my desk, I wrote, in ill-shaped, straggling characters, the all-embracing truth still glimmering in my consciousness. The words were these (children may smile; the wise ponder): 'A strong smell of turpentine prevails throughout'
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mechanism in Thought and Morals, Phi Beta Kappa address, Harvard University, June 29, 1870 (Boston: J.R. Osgood and Company, 1871).
as cited in
Licit & Illicit Drugs: The Consumers Union Report on Narcotics, Stimulants, Depressants, Inhalants, Hallucinogens & Marijuana - including Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol.
Exp Year: 1870 | ExpID: 12811 |
Gender: Male | |
Age at time of experience: Not Given | |
Published: Feb 23, 2002 | Views: 70,686 |
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Ether (131) : Alone (16), Mystical Experiences (9) |
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