Hope after Hallucinations: Finding Compassion in a New Normal

Entomologist Steven Peck came down with a bacterial infection that plunged him into a chaotic world of hallucinations, where he thought even his kids were imposters. Now, he has a new definition of what "real" really means. In this episode, Marcus Smith speaks with Steven Peck, an author and BYU biology professor. Peck found his world overturned by a brain infection that caused severe hallucinations. Suddenly, he plunged from the rational world of academia into a terrifying realm of assassin-children, evil doctors, and river-rafting MRI machines. Emerging from that chaos, he decided to explore the wonders of the human mind, uncovering unexpected kindness along the way. Steven Peck, professor of biology at BYU and author of over forty short stories and novels https://stevepeckniche.com/ (0:00) Reptilian Gateway to Wonder (15:50) The Beginnings of Madness (21:02) Assassins, Evil Organizations, and Detainment (30:56) A Changed Steven (36:46) A Break in the Illusion (41:14) Fly Fishing with a New Perspective Originally aired Nov 1, 2023