Erik Davis's SUPERSTAR: THE PSYCHEDELIC JESUS OF THE COUNTERCULTURE

Erik Davis explores psychedelic Christianity, from visions of Jesus in the counterculture to the Jesus Movement and the art of Rick Griffin. The Philosophical Research Society is proud to welcome acclaimed author and scholar Erik Davis (High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies; TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information) for a lecture exploring Jesus Christ as imagined within the psychedelic counterculture. From acid visions, underground comics, and esoteric “freak” circles to the emergence of the Jesus Movement, Davis will trace the surprising intersections of psychedelic experience, Christianity, music, and art, including the work of legendary psychedelic Christian illustrator Rick Griffin. Behind today’s growing conversation about psychedelic Christianity lies a largely overlooked figure: Jesus Christ as imagined within the psychedelic counterculture. From recurring appearances in acid visions and underground comics to reinterpretations within esoteric “freak" circles, Jesus was deeply entangled in the era’s spiritual experimentation. For some young people immersed in drug culture, however, Christ became more than a symbol of countercultural spirituality—he opened a path toward the emerging Jesus Movement, a form of Christianity that rejected much (though by no means all) of the psychedelic ethos of intense spiritual experience. Among them was Rick Griffin, one of the most influential illustrators of California psychedelia, whose conversion to Christianity produced a remarkable body of visual work that continues to shape the intersection of faith, art, and underground culture. Join us for a fascinating exploration of this strange and often overlooked chapter of American spiritual and countercultural history, and the surprising ways mystical psychedelic experience helped shape new expressions of Christian faith. Tickets: $12 (In-Person Only Event) Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions. ERIK DAVIS is an author, journalist, and scholar based in San Francisco. His books include Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium (MIT Press, 2024), High Weirdness (2019), Nomad Codes (2010), and the cult classic TechGnosis (1998, 2015). His essays on music, technoculture, drugs, and spirituality have appeared widely and been translated into a dozen languages. Davis holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University and has been featured by CNN, NPR, the BBC, and The New York Times. He also produced the Expanding Mind podcast for a decade and now writes Burning Shore on Substack. ADVISORY DISCLAIMER With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. 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