On pretty lights

I like to consider myself a pretty adventurous person. I’ve climbed to the peak of a Swiss Alp. I’ve bathed in the Mediterranean Sea under the light of a full moon. I’ve eaten tripe without first asking what it was ... it's stomach. I’ve put belly in my belly. What I’m saying is, I’m not one to turn away from trying something new. So I’ve always kinda wanted to do a whole lot of drugs. Like, way too many drugs. Not the kind of drugs that you got lectured about in elementary school, either. I’m talking full-on, mind-expanding, I-am-having-a-conversation-with-a-floating-humpback-whale-grade stuff.

I’d never do it, of course. I’m not that stupid. I’ve got a promising future, good grades and a loving family. I’m not gonna throw all that away for the opportunity to feel funny for a few hours. But I’ve always wondered what it would be like.

Fortunately, I think I’ve found a pretty effective substitute. Here’s the recipe:

1. Stay up for, like, three days straight studying for midterms. You want no more than three hours of sleep for a 72 hour period, maximum.

2. Ingest a healthy dose of coffee and Chipotle -- I mix my coffee into a burrito bowl at a ratio of two parts coffee per each part burrito. You should really adjust the dosage based on your body weight and level of experience eating imitation Mexican cuisine.

3. Purchase a ticket to the "Laser Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon” show at the Museum of Science, Boston.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, the concept is fairly simple. You sit in a reclined chair and stare up at a huge mirrored dome listening to the entirety of Pink Floyd’s 1973 album “Dark Side of the Moon” over the sound system -- and yes, that’s the same one that syncs up with "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), but that’s a story for another time. While the album is playing, lasers are used to project several surreal and abstract images onto the domed roof in sync with the music. I had the pleasure of viewing the original version of the show (though instead of using the traditional black background, this version projected the lasers against images of space and the planets).

I’m rather stunned that the Boston Police Department didn’t have a cop car posted outside the exit door to that theater, because honestly, I feel like I should be arrested for use of illegal psychedelics. For those who haven’t heard the album, it has a very otherworldly sound.  At times the music can be slow and mechanical, only to suddenly shift into fast, electronic beats. Coupled with the images being projected above you, the show has a profound effect on your mind.

I can recall one particular moment very vividly. It was a red and blue spiral, stretching as far as I could see. It never ended, just reached out infinitely. In some crazy way it made me see shapes even in the places I knew no lasers were being projected. It was like I was looking at nothing, and I could see it.

Then I fell into a deep hole, and there was a smiley face falling with me, and then he got angry and started laughing at me and my face started to hurt.

I swear to God I was sober for this entire experience.

I want everyone to see this show. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what art is all about. It’s about sitting people down and making them feel something. It’s about showing them things that they could never see without it. It’s about giving them all the pieces they need to create a wonderful experience and letting them put everything together on their own.