Stephen's mind felt unproductive, caught in a cycle of thought that yielded no creative insights. Despite his efforts, he struggled against a profound darkness of ideas, without any flashes of inspiration to guide him. A quote about thought describes it as a brief illumination in a sea of darkness, but for Stephen, this was far from his experience; he found himself engulfed in an ongoing emptiness.

Even though he was using coca-leaves to stave off hunger and fatigue while experiencing a mild euphoria, he sensed that the mental stimulation was lacking. While he was physically unburdened and had no cravings, his mind remained devoid of vibrancy, devoid of the sharp clarity he sought. It was as if the substances he consumed offered no nourishment to his intellect, leaving him feeling as if he might as well have been consuming something insubstantial.