EPISODE 6: THE ECCENTRIC ## PART ONE: THE AFFLICTIONS ### CHAPTER 1: THE VISIONS Nikola Tesla saw things that weren't there. From childhood, he experienced flashes of light that had no external source—brilliant explosions of color and form that interrupted his vision and sometimes made it impossible to see the real world. These visions could be triggered by words, by sounds, by intense concentration. Later, he would describe how mental images appeared to him with the same clarity as physical objects. When he conceived an invention, he could see it fully formed, rotate it in his mind, examine it from every angle. This wasn't metaphor; Tesla claimed to experience these visualizations as vividly as he experienced the world around him. Most inventors built prototypes to test their ideas. Tesla ran his machines mentally, identifying flaws and making improvements before he ever touched physical materials. The process saved time and money, but it also set him apart from everyone else. His mind worked differently. The question that haunted him—and that historians still debate—is whether these abilities were gifts or symptoms. --- ### CHAPTER 2: THE COMPULSIONS Tesla was ruled by rituals and compulsions. He counted his steps as he walked. He calculated the cubic content of his meals before eating. He required his napkins to be folded precisely. He refused...