In this groundbreaking episode, hear about how Melville was likely what psychiatrists call "bipolar," and learn about how that allowed him to write some of the most mystical scenes in the history of literature. We'll talk about non-ordinary states of consciousness, near-death experiences, and the relationship between trauma and revelation. Hear quotes from Melville's novels "Pierre" and "Mardi," and receive upon your eardrums some of the sweetest passages from Moby-Dick that you'll ever hear read aloud on YouTube. Turn the news off. Forget what you think you know. Focus on the vastness of the whale's forehead.

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