Tell me its a fever dream

Riva shook her head at that. “The idea of this is to open yourself up to the world. If God wishes to speak to you, you’ll be more receptive. I don’t see how it would be reaching for things that aren’t there.” She disagreed. She hoped she was doing right by him with this. Her, an Atheist, trying to guide him. But in the end, her beliefs didn’t matter. What mattered was that she loved her son, and he was trying to reach for the God he believed in. She could not tell him what God wished, or instruct him spiritually. She could only guide him in the way she knew how. For Riva, that was the knowledge and understanding of herbs, and the way in which this herb had been used for generations.

She watched for a moment as her son settled, pausing in pulling things out of her bag. His eyes were on her, staring deeply into her own. She didn;t know what he was reaching for with that look, but she would give him anything she needed. So she looked on, reassuringly, with a smile on her lips, until his eyes closed. “I’m going to set candles on four points around you, and then light the herb that will put you into a trance. Breathe normally, and if you find the smoke is too much, tell me immediately.” she ordered him, as she began to do exactly as she said.