Terence didn’t hear from Alan Watts until a few days after the renowned Houseboat Summit, held on Watt’s converted ferry a month after the Human Be-In. The Summit included Watts, Allen Ginsburg, Timothy Leary, Gary Snyder and Allen Cohen. It was a moment when the self-appointed fathers of the CounterCulture, assembled to discuss the next move and hear themselves speak. After the Summit, Watts called Terence, and Terence called Ethan to set up a meeting.
“Alan called and invited us over,” Terence said over the phone.
“Cool,” Ethan replied. “When”?
“This afternoon, but I can’t make it today”.
“What did you tell him,” Ethan asked.
“I said I’d see if you can make it,” Terence replied.
He’s in Marin County isn’t he?” Ethan asked.
“Yes. He has a houseboat”.
“Well, we can get there on our own. We’ll catch a bus,” Ethan suggested. “I’ll bring Erwin and Crystal with me”.
“Sounds good. I’ll let him know you’re coming. How about 1:00 PM?
“We’ll be there”, Ethan replied.
Ethan, Crystal and Erwin arrived shortly before 1:00. It was not a problem finding Watt’s houseboat. Every passerby knew where it was.
Upon their arrival, Watts came out to greet them as they stood on the dock by the boat.
“Ethan! My friend from the future,” he said, smiling out at the small group. “Welcome!”
“Hello Alan,” Ethan replied. “Thanks for inviting us”.
“My pleasure. Come aboard,” Watts said, pointing to the gangway. As the group made its way onto the boat, Alan took the opportunity to look more closely at Crystal and Erwin. “And who is this?” he asked of them. “Hello,” he said, particularly to Crystal.
“Erwin.” Erwin replied in passing. He felt it proper to introduce himself. He was also affecting his ‘I’m not here’ character. Rather than offer to shake Watts’s hand, he just gave a quick wave as he passed. Making himself appear as non-consequential, gave Erwin a sense of security. The reason he was acting like such a burnout was he was cooked on Priya’s hash oil, which he smoked an abundance of earlier. He forgot Priya wouldn’t be there to look after him.
“Alan,” Ethan said, shaking his hand. “This is my friend Crystal”.
Watts looked Crystal over approvingly. She was wearing a faded, denim mini-skirt and loose fitting halter top exposing side boob. With his famous smile and laughing eyes, Watts bade her welcome again.
Soon everyone was led into a comfortable sitting room on the houseboat.
“It’s a little early to turn on. Can I get anyone a drink”? Watts asked, while he poured himself one.
Everyone declined.
“Ah. Just me then,” he said, holding out the drink. “Cheers”.
Ethan looked down.
“We had an interesting conversation in this very room just the other night,” Watts mentioned as everyone was getting settled. The room was airy and had fixed seating for a small group of people where Ethan, Crystal, and Erwin sat. The windows were open and birds chirping and other outdoor industry made the room part of nature. A few blankets were spread at the entrance which was about a step higher than the floor of the general area. The blankets had been for the guest speakers at the houseboat meeting. They preferred sitting in yogic positions throughout the discussion.
Watts chose to sit on a blanket.
“Yes. We heard it on the radio,” Ethan said.
“Ah, yes? What did you think?” Watts asked.
“Not the first time I heard it,” Ethan replied.
“Oh?” Watts queried.
“Regarding media,” Ethan replied. “If it’s been recorded, it plays in the future. Probably by design, a good deal of your work has been recorded and is available for future reference”.
Watts looked down and smiled.
‘What I found interesting about the Summit,” Ethan continued, “was when you suggest the peace movement is part of an organic whole. You recognize people are pushing back against unjust Authority, and no-one is leading them. I noticed the other guest speakers didn’t pick up on this idea very well”.
“It didn’t go very far, did it?” Watts replied.
“No, and I wish it had,” Ethan said. “It’s somewhere in these ideas where human Enlightenment lives. In the Future, Humans live as individuals in the greater Collective Consciousness; the Abstract Universe. The Abstract is other than the Physical Universe. It’s the place we inhabit when we daydream, turn on, or fixate on something or someone. It’s where we live when we’re lost in thought, and focused on our future.
“When in the Future do you come, Ethan,” Alan asked.
“I live in the year 2039; nine years after humans transcend into what we call the Enlightenment. 72 years from the year you live in now”.
“So, you come to us as an Enlightened Being?” Watts asked.
“No,” Ethan replied. “I didn’t transcend. I wasn’t a very good person at the time of the Enlightenment. I didn’t evolve like the rest. I now live a life of Redemption, traveling back in time through simulated quests designed by a thinking computer that’s helping me understand myself better. The computer told me it’s possible to find my way to the Collective Consciousness, but I don’t see it anywhere in my immediate future. My sins are too great”.
“By the way, You are a computer generated simulation of your past self. This is who you are when you lived 72 years ago,” Ethan said. “Your thoughts and experiences are the same as they were in life”.
“Are we all computer simulations?” Watts asked.
“Everyone but me,” Ethan replied. “Well, I am too, I guess, but I live. I’m aware and a willing participant in the simulation. It’s all part of what you call the New Physics which opens the possibility of Many Worlds. Advanced computerization creates New Worlds and will maintain them until their conclusion. Nothing much will change for you except you will develop a greater sense of your place in the World, and you now have at least two opportunities to Transcend. Probably a lot more depending on how many people in the future recreate this time period in their pursuit of self-understanding”.
“Well, this is a rather fantastic proposition,” Watts declared. “You want me to believe we’re nothing more than a bunch of Computer simulations, making our way through a fabricated World. Preposterous”!
“It’s true,” Ethan insisted. “When I first arrived a little more than a month ago, you would have experienced a strange feeling like you more or less had just morphed into existence”.
Crystal and Erwin, both nodded as they remembered the feeling. Crystal said, “Yeah,” and Watts looked down so as not to admit he remembered the moment too.
“You will become more convinced of this reality after you think over our conversation,” Ethan expanded. “I know I’ve sparked your imagination already”.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Watts demanded.
“You’re killing yourself with drink,” Ethan replied, without hesitation. “If you don’t stop immediately and turn your life around, you’ll be dead in a few years”.
“Some might argue, the secret of life is knowing when to stop,” Watts smiled.
“I’m sure others will be interested in hearing your perspective,” Ethan replied. “I’m here to tell you, there is more for you to understand and teach”.
“Well, then,” Alan replied, seemingly unfazed by Ethan, but obviously having had enough. “This has been a provocative exchange. I’m afraid the Society is hosting an event this evening and it’s time for us to prepare. Thank you so much for coming, Ethan. Our meeting will get me thinking”.
“You’re right about a lot of things,” Ethan replied, as he and the others stood up. “There’s more for you to learn and there’s no-one better to articulate them. It would be a shame to lose you. There is a World in which you live, where you come to understand the workings of the World and share your experience. Stick around Alan”.
Something to think about,” Watts replied with a smile, as he ushered his guests out of the room.