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it was Joseph’s voice, and Leon explained how the machine works, adding that no one could force Joseph to believe it if he chose not to. When Joseph was asked if he’d like to say something into the microphone and have it played back, he picked up the mike and made a speech about Aristotle going too far in claiming to be God, saying he himself had done better than Aristotle. When the speech was played back and he was asked who it was, he replied that it was Joseph Cassel, that there wasn’t any little man in the machine, that it was his own voice. Asked why he had changed his mind, Joseph said: “You told me that it was my voice so I gave recognition to my voice.”

On Christmas. “Santa Claus represents God on assistance,” said Clyde.

“Santa Claus is a negative-idealed god, the pagan god of material worship,” Leon stated. “Christmas means the rebirth, regeneration. Some people have Christmas every day. The Christmas tree stands up and either the wife trims it or they trim it together with righteous-idealed sexual intercourse. Or the husband prays to God through his Christmas tree and trims his bodily Christmas tree. Christ-mast; the mast of Christ, the upstanding penis—that’s what it means to me.”

“Santa Claus is a good symbolization for Christmas,” said Joseph. “Department stores, shopping, the coming of the New Year. Christmas means better business in the stores.”

Leon asked Joseph what would be the “most helpful gift—ideological, physical, or spiritual?”

“Physical,” Joseph said.

“Is that your—?”

“That’s my answer—physical. I want a bottle of Lydia Pinkhams.”

[1] Luke 3:22. “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.’ ” Leon apparently took from the Bible much of the material for his delusional system. There are numerous Biblical references, for example, to the “vine” and to the “rock,” as well as others on which he could have based such conceptions as “light brother” and the “center eye of light” which he used later in the process of changing his system.

[2] In this instance Leon not only has interpreted the Scriptures for his own uses, but has distorted them to suit his needs. Cf. Luke 6:43–44: “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit …” Also Matthew 7:17–18, 12:33.

CHAPTER V

DAYS AND NIGHTS AT YPSILANTI

6:30 A.M. The three Christs stand separated from one another in the long breakfast line; as the line enters the dining room, there is a disturbance. Leon has accused one of the other patients of touching him indecently.

Coming to the table reserved for Clyde, Joseph, and himself, he says: “Ah, good morning, ye instrumental gods,” and sits down with a self-satisfied smile. “These men are victims of electronic imposition,” he continues.

Clyde leaps up, yelling: “I made the place!”

They exchange insults. “Shut up, you bitch,” Clyde shouts, and Leon answers: “I’m not a bitch, sir. I’m a lamb of God.”

10:45 a.m. Clyde sits in a rocking chair, smoking and rhythmically tapping his feet, although there is no music to be heard. Leon and Joseph stand close together, leafing through magazines, paying no attention to one another.

1:46 p.m. Joseph, standing up, banging his fist on the table, talks to Leon about “good old England.” Leon, who is sitting down, stands up, and Joseph sits down. “My salute to you, sir,” says Leon. Joseph gets to his feet again and they salute each other. Then they shake hands, after which Leon shakes hands with Clyde, who is sitting close by, telling him he’s an instrumental God, hollowed-out four or six times. “Hallowed,” Clyde insists, “not hollowed.”

2:15 p.m. Clyde shows Leon a picture in a magazine, of a ship with bathing beauties on deck, describing the girls as “my girls—I made them.”

2:50 p.m. Queen Elizabeth is on TV. Joseph says he’s not interested in watching the Queen because she is taking his place, although he saved her years ago by preventing two men