Altered States is dedicated to history. History is a soothsayer, a shaman, an oracle. It shows us its alter egos, worlds that are part of our own but yet lie behind it. The worlds have always lived in conflict. They are the meta-physical manifestation of doubt. I doubt and therefore I am. But also, one who does not doubt cannot be. The certain ones, the zealots with no doubts, they are are un-making the world, tearing at the facade to show the forces that lie beneath. They are un-making the world to show that its pieces never really fit together in the first place. History is replayed repeatedly. That’s how you can tell the future. First there were steam machines, then motor cars, and now we have the digital hive mind, which can only think in avaricious commerce, outrage, and shapely bosoms. Each has been imposed on us until our societies, leaders, and even our own private thoughts could not perceive life without them. Each has been commandeered by vanity and greed - should we expect that to change? Speaking of change, what did the Buddhist say to the hot-dog vendor? Make me one with everything. After he has paid, he receives his dog and patiently awaits his change. None is forthcoming. What about my change? The hot-dog vendor replies: Ah, but change comes from within. Change comes from within. But from where within can you find it? And if you knew the where, then what about the how? Do you drill your head open while the panopticon watches and hordes noisily beat a path to your door? Un-make yourself as the world is un-made around you? Or do you reach for the can of Ubik, to restore yourself to your own time and place? Altered States is a rebuke to the literal mind. A rebuke to those who loudly accuse others of blasphemy against their chosen sacred cows. Words may lead to violence, but it always starts with violence against words. When words are twisted so that they have too much meaning and none at all at the same time. When words are tortured such that we may not even form the blasphemy in our minds. So what do we do when we find ourselves in this age of techno-fascist, hyper-capitalist, newspeak-demanding inhumanity? We alter it, of course.