My lungs protest, but I fight back. Ten seconds. Count it down.

I can feel the vibrations set in. Not yet.

The borders of things find sudden focus. Hold it.

Here comes the rush… and…

exhale

My eyes close just as the universe tips on its axis and comes crashing down. The dim room is replaced by intensely bright colors, patterns, infinitely recursive forms of mathematical life, bounding and rebounding through the eternal void. All is one, crying out in a chorus of unified voices, transcending speech into pure harmonic thought, words felt not heard, for centuries…

A star forms, then a planet, blue and white and green and unfolding into thousands of countries and cities and houses and people, one in particular, lying on his bed, eyes closed, coming swiftly closer as the world is constructed around him.

Universal consciousness reaches into his forehead, takes its place behind his eyes.

The building blocks of the individual fall into place, piece by piece, until…

I open my eyes.