And, even though the book is quite clearly about the beliefs of a madman, PKD does put several truths in there, mostly about religion. To say any more would be to rob the novel of one of its chief delights, Fat's Tractate . If what PKD was aiming for was to distill his experience with that pink beam of light, his theophany, his conversation with God, into book form, he may have come as close as humanly possible. The mad outpouring of ideas, the hallucinatory tide of experiences at the core of the novel can be quite dreamlike in places, especially when the reader willingly submerges themselves, suspending disbelief. Still, shining throughout it all is the unmistakable humantity of Dick and his characters, especially his dual selves.
Religion is a glorious affliction of the heart.
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