The Intoxicate
by
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The blow was never slow in coming out. It was the ceremony of the evening. In fact it was the whole evening. I thought life could revolve around the spliffy wiff, so did This Charming Man, otherwise known as TCH. TCH was a drooler for the THC. However, dope brought on his more childish tendencies, which he was quite proud of. But they were the worst childish traits ;- wanting to be the centre of attention, having tantrums when this was not happening, and believing he was the only person to exist. He was firmly convinced, for far too long, that he was the only entity on this charming planet. In fact he was God. TCH liked to persuade others he was a solipsist. I think he just liked the word personally, it was a while before any of our crowd could understand it. But he did not get this phrase from Kirkegaard, Schopenhauer, Satre, or any of the great philosophers. No, he filched it from the “ HItchikers Guide to the Galaxy”, which for ages I thought was some kind of dippy hippy book, and I was right. TCH adopted a stance from a character in this book, a man who lived alone in a hut who denied the existence of anything outside, and since he was the only thing that existed within his hut, he was the only thing that existed, so he was God. I often wondered where this bloke was supposed to have grown up. But never mind, TCH never did, for he adopted the position wholly. All of us who went round God’s flat were merely constructs of his imagination. I thought God could have done better than a smeggy, council flat in Brixton, but there you go. It was a new situation for me, and an annoying one. I had never been a figment of a thick bastard’s imagination before. And for all his openness and charm, he was thick. Besides, it was repulsive as well, someone who became little better than a wanker as time went by, should try and impose this viewpoint on me. If I threw a plea open to the big, wide world I could get some sympathy for this case, I know it. For everyone hears themselves talked about in words that dismiss them, usually in a single sentence.
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About the Book
The 'Intoxicate' is a survey of all the major drug types that are used to alter consciousness. It goes through each category of drug and talks about its psychological, behavioural and social effects.
It is presented in the form of narrative highlighted by personal experience, and the anecdotes of others. ( Although the narrator is aware of academic knowledge in this area.) The narrator's intention is to locate these drugs within the context of life lived from the 1970's to the 1990's, rather than as a separate area of study. As well as considering the effects, personal and social, of recognised categories of drugs, such as hallucinogens, amphetamines and cannabis, it also includes sections on everyday drugs such as nicotine, caffeine and tobacco.
Although this work is presented as a narrative, it is based on enough knowledge to make it authentic ( I believe). I would hope it adds something to the debate on drugs in modern life, and I would like to think it is also enjoyable in itself as a narrative.
About the Author
The author is an ex punk, mod, skinhead, rockabilly, psychobilly, goth, casual, new romantic and old git. He was into any tribal fashion that took his fancy, but not in any fickle mode. For he thought it offered some kind of alternative to what seemed to be dead end, grey society. And the people he met seemed to confirm this - a collection of bohemians, scumbags, activists, students, hooligans, addicts and weirdos. These were people with bad habits perhaps, but there was actually a lot of good in there also. So, while the author is pleased to renounce his former evil ways, as any would-be born again type does, now he is safely ensconced in his carpet slippers, he can call the past a foreign country, yet wallow in the nostalgia as well. It was these kind of people that gave the author his interest in politics, literature, society in their various, devious ways. He is forever grateful to such people, even if he never wants to see them again ( and the feeling is mutual ). He continues to make a living.