--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a thing called Heaven; but all…" description: "\"“There was a thing called Heaven; but all the same they used to drink enormous quantities of alcohol.\" ... \"There was a thing called the soul and a thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aldous-huxley-97_drugs_there-was-a-thing-called-heaven-but-all_369775.jpg" --- # There was a thing called Heaven; but all the same they… ![“There was a thing called Heaven; but all the same they used to drink enormous quantities of alcohol." ... "There was a thing called the soul and a thing called immortality." ... "But they used to take morphia and cocaine." ... "Two thousand pharmacologists and biochemists were subsidized in A.F…” quote by Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aldous-huxley-97_drugs_there-was-a-thing-called-heaven-but-all_369775.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aldous-huxley-97_drugs_there-was-a-thing-called-heaven-but-all_369775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/aldous-huxley-97_drugs_there-was-a-thing-called-heaven-but-all_369775.jpg) > ““There was a thing called Heaven; but all the same they used to drink enormous quantities of alcohol." ... "There was a thing called the soul and a thing called immortality." ... "But they used to take morphia and cocaine." ... "Two thousand pharmacologists and biochemists were subsidized in A.F. 178." ... "Six years later it was being produced commercially. The perfect drug." ... "Euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinant." ... "All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects." ... "Take a holiday from reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or a mythology." ... "Stability was practically assured.”” [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Huxley satirically describes a synthetic drug that promises spiritual bliss without moral cost, critiquing the pursuit of artificial transcendence. **In simple terms:** A fake drug promises bliss without drawbacks. Key Takeaway Beware of shortcuts to meaning. Themes technology spirituality addiction societal critique Mood cynical skeptical reflective Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - personal escapism - pharmaceutical marketing - modern spirituality - drug policy debates Key Concepts philosophy synthetic euphoria religious parody Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to seek transcendence through chemicals? - Can artificial bliss replace authentic experience? A Different Perspective The drug’s promised perfection ignores hidden harms and dependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Stability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stability/) ## Related quotes > [There was a thing called Heaven; but all the same they used to drink enormous quantities of alcohol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/there-was-a-thing-called-heaven-but-all-the-same-they-used-to-drink-2/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“What you need is a gramme of soma.” “All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/what-you-need-is-a-gramme-of-soma-all-the-advantages-of-christianity/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/all-the-advantages-of-christianity-and-alcohol-none-of-their-defects/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“There was a thing called the soul and a thing called immortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/there-was-a-thing-called-the-soul-and-a-thing-called-immortality/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [My idea of heaven used to be relaxing at home with a cheese plate and champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/my-idea-of-heaven-used-to-be-relaxing-at-home-with-a-cheese-plate-and/) [Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/) > [Christianity, alcohol the two great means of corruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/christianity-alcohol-the-two-great-means-of-corruption/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“There is nothing called immortality only thing that remain are deeds, indeed! ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/there-is-nothing-called-immortality-only-thing-that-remain-are-deeds/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [“A hand of smoke took his hand, started him downward, if it was downward, showed him a centre, if it was a centre, put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-cort-zar/a-hand-of-smoke-took-his-hand-started-him-downward-if-it-was-downward/) [Julio Cortázar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-cort-zar/) > [Thought must be divided against itself before it can come to any knowledge of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/thought-must-be-divided-against-itself-before-it-can-come-to-any/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“Rządzenie to sprawa stołka, nie kołka. 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You can't worship a spirit in spirit, unless you do it now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/god-isn-t-the-son-of-memory-he-s-the-son-of-immediate-experience-you/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-man-who-comes-back-through-the-door-in-the-wall-will-never-be/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Aldous Huxley > [“Unorthodoxy threatens more than the life of a mere individual; it strikes at Society itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/unorthodoxy-threatens-more-than-the-life-of-a-mere-individual-it/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [My fate cannot be mastered; it can only be collaborated with and thereby, to some extent, directed. 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Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-b-morse/) > [Raves when it was safe to be free & wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! 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