[ If Julie has learned anything, it's that the rules of religion don't seem to matter all that much -- gods just do whatever they please in the end. Not that she would have called herself a good Christian, but nothing in the Bible ever lined up with what she'd gone through or seen at the end.

Kyle's further explanation makes her nod, like she understands. ] My religion didn't do it, but there were others where people would take stuff to try and like, separate their mind from their body. Said it got 'em closer to their gods, made it easier to hear and understand.

[ But what he describes isn't exactly the same as those ceremonies, at least not how he's telling it. Those were about tripping balls, basically, hallucinations, and he describes something that sounds much more enjoyable. ]

Why? "Deep tranquility" sounds like a good way to feel around other folks.