Tuesday 19 August 2014

Robert Anton Wilson

Robert Anton Wilson (born Robert Edward Wilson, January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007), the American author of 33 influential books, became, at various times, a novelist, philosopher, psychologist, essayist, editor, playwright, futurist, polymath, civil libertarian[1] and self-described agnostic mystic. Recognized as an Episkopos, Pope, and a Saint of Discordianism, Wilson helped publicize the group through his writings, interviews, and strolls.


Wilson described his work as an “attempt to break down conditioned associations, to look at the world in a new way, with many models recognized as models or maps, and no one model elevated to the truth.” [2] His goal being “to try to get people into a state of generalized agnosticism, not agnosticism about God alone but agnosticism about everything.”[3]







The Illuminatus! Trilogy







The Eye in the Pyramid, first volume of the first edition of Illuminatus!, 1975






Among Wilson’s 35 books,[10] and many other works, perhaps his best-known volumes remain the cult classic series[11] The Illuminatus! Trilogy (1975), co-authored with Robert Shea. Advertised as “a fairy tale for paranoids,” the three books–The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, and Leviathan, soon offered as a single volume—philosophically and humorously examined, among many other themes, occult and magical symbolism and history, the counterculture of the 1960s, secret societies, data concerning author H.P. Lovecraft and author and occultist Aleister Crowley, and American paranoia about conspiracies.


Wilson and Shea derived much of the odder material from letters sent to Playboy magazine while they worked as the editors of the Playboy Forum.[12] The books mixed true information with imaginative fiction to engage the reader in what Wilson called “guerilla ontology” which he apparently referred to as “Operation Mindfuck” in Illuminatus! The trilogy also outlined a set of libertarian and anarchist axioms known as Celine’s Laws (named after Hagbard Celine, a character in Illuminatus!), concepts Wilson revisited several times in other writings.


Among the many subplots of Illuminatus! one addresses biological warfare and the overriding of the United States Bill of Rights, another gives a detailed account of the John F. Kennedy assassination, in which no fewer than five snipers, all working for different causes, prepared to shoot Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, and the book’s climax occurs at a rock concert where the audience collectively face the danger of becoming a mass human sacrifice.


Illuminatus popularized Discordianism and the use of the term “fnord“. It incorporates experimental prose styles influenced by writers such as William S. Burroughs, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound.[13] Although Shea and Wilson never partnered on such a scale again, Wilson continued to expand upon the themes of the Illuminatus! books throughout his writing career. Most of his later fiction contains cross-over characters from “The Sex Magicians” (Wilson’s first novel, written before the release of Illuminatus!, which includes many of his same characters) and The Illuminatus! Trilogy.


Illuminatus! won the Prometheus Hall of Fame award for science fiction in 1986, has many international editions, and found adaptation for the stage when Ken Campbell produced it as a ten-hour epic drama. It also appeared as a Steve Jackson role-playing card game called Illuminati and a trading-card game called Illuminati: New World Order. Eye N Apple Productions and Rip Off Press produced a comic book version of the trilogy.


The Cosmic Trigger series and other books


In the nonfiction and partly autobiographical Cosmic Trigger I: The Final Secret of the Illuminati (1977) and its two sequels, as well as in many other works, Wilson examined Freemasons, Discordianism, Sufism, the Illuminati, Futurology, Zen Buddhism, Dennis and Terence McKenna, Jack Parsons, the occult practices of Aleister Crowley and G.I. Gurdjieff, Yoga, and many other esoteric or counterculture philosophies, personalities, and occurrences.



Wilson advocated Timothy Leary‘s eight circuit model of consciousness and neurosomatic/linguistic engineering, which he wrote about in many books including Prometheus Rising (1983, revised 1997) and again in 1990 with Quantum Psychology (which contain practical techniques intended to help one break free of one’s “reality tunnels“). With Leary, he helped promote the futurist ideas of space migration, intelligence increase, and life extension, which they combined to form the word symbol SMI²LE.


Wilson’s 1986 book, The New Inquisition , argues that whatever reality consists of it actually would seem much weirder than we commonly imagine. It cites, among other sources, Bell’s theorem and Alain Aspect‘s experimental proof of Bell’s to suggest that mainstream science has a strong materialist bias, and that in fact modern physics may have already disproved materialist metaphysics.


Wilson also supported the work and utopian theories of Buckminster Fuller and examined the theories of Charles Fort. He and Loren Coleman became friends,[15] as he did with media theorist Marshall McLuhan and Neuro Linguistic Programming co-founder Richard Bandler, with whom he taught workshops. He also admired James Joyce, and wrote extensive commentaries on the author and on two of Joyce’s novels, Finnegans Wake and Ulysses , in his 1988 book Coincidance.[16]


Although Wilson often lampooned and criticized some New Age beliefs, bookstores specializing in New Age material often sell his books. Wilson, a well-known author in occult and Neo-Pagan circles, used Aleister Crowley as a main character in his 1981 novel Masks of the Illuminati , included some elements of H. P. Lovecraft‘s work in his novels, and at times claimed to have perceived encounters with magical “entities” (when asked whether these entities seemed “real”, he answered they seemed “real enough,” although “not as real as the IRS” but “easier to get rid of”, and later decided that his experiences may have emerged from “just my right brain hemisphere talking to my left”).[17] He warned against beginners using occult practice, since to rush into such practices and the resulting “energies” they unleash could lead people to “go totally nuts.” [18]


Wilson also criticized scientific types with overly rigid belief systems, equating them with religious fundamentalists in their fanaticism. In a 1988 interview, when asked about his newly-published book The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science , Wilson commented: “I coined the term irrational rationalism because those people claim to be rationalists, but they’re governed by such a heavy body of taboos. They’re so fearful, and so hostile, and so narrow, and frightened, and uptight and dogmatic… I wrote this book because I got tired satirizing fundamentalist Christianity… I decided to satirize fundamentalist materialism for a change, because the two are equally comical… The materialist fundamentalists are funnier than the Christian fundamentalists, because they think they’re rational! …They’re never skeptical about anything except the things they have a prejudice against. None of them ever says anything skeptical about the AMA, or about anything in establishment science or any entrenched dogma. They’re only skeptical about new ideas that frighten them. They’re actually dogmatically committed to what they were taught when they were in college…”[19]


Probability reliance


In a 2003 interview with High Times magazine, Wilson described himself as a “Model Agnostic” which he said “consists of never regarding any model or map of the universe with total 100% belief or total 100% denial. Following Korzybski, I put things in probabilities, not absolutes… My only originality lies in applying this zetetic attitude outside the hardest of the hard sciences, physics, to softer sciences and then to non-sciences like politics, ideology, jury verdicts and, of course, conspiracy theory.”[20]


Wilson claimed in Cosmic Trigger: Volume 1 “not to believe anything”, since “belief is the death of intelligence.”[21] He described this approach as “Maybe Logic.”


Wilson wrote about this and other topics in articles for the cyberpunk magazine Mondo 2000.[22]


Economic thought


Robert Anton Wilson favored a form of Basic Income Guarantee; synthesizing several ideas under the acronym RICH. His ideas are set forth in the essay “The RICH Economy” found in The Illuminati Papers.[23]


Other activities


Robert Anton Wilson and his wife Arlen Riley Wilson founded the Institute for the Study of the Human Future in 1975.


In 1976 Robert Anton Wilson founded the Starflight Network[citation needed ], a society to propagate the philosophy of Dr. Timothy Leary. The group met at Wilson’s home in Berkeley, California[citation needed ]. Discussions at the group centered on how to practically implement the futurist ideas of space migration, intelligence increase, and life extension (SMI²LE)–the three central concepts of Leary’s philosophy[citation needed ]. Activities of the group included setting up and manning tables to sell Leary’s and Wilson’s books at Star Trek conventions[citation needed ] and distributing a chart called The Periodic Table of Evolution (by Leary) and a diagram by Wilson called “The Octave of Energy”, both summaries of the eight circuit model of consciousness[citation needed ].[24]


From 1982 until his death, Wilson had a business relationship with the Association for Consciousness Exploration, which hosted his first on-stage dialogue with his long-time friend Timothy Leary.[25] entitled The Inner Frontier.[26] [27] [28] Wilson dedicated his book The New Inquisition to A.C.E.’s co-directors, Jeff Rosenbaum and Joseph Rothenberg.







Wilson speaking at the Phenomicon





Wilson also joined the Church of the SubGenius, who referred to him as Pope Bob.[29] He contributed to their literature, including the book Three-Fisted Tales of “Bob”, and shared a stage with their founder, Rev. Ivan Stang, on several occasions. Wilson also founded the Guns and Dope Party and its corresponding Burning Man theme camp[citation needed ].


As a member of the Board of Advisors of the Fully Informed Jury Association, Wilson worked to inform the public about jury nullification, the right of jurors to nullify a law they deem unjust.[30] He supported and wrote about E-Prime, a form of English lacking all “be” verbs (words such as “is”, “are”, “was”, “were” etc.), and preferred the term “maybe logic”.[31]


Wilson coined a new word, sombunall (some but not all),[32] which caught on quite well to sumbunevry1. In response, he coined another word, mosbunall (as in “mosbunall humans wouldn’t know an awesome new word if it bit them in the ass.”).[citation needed ] This word caught on even less.


A decades-long researcher into drugs and a strong opponent of what he called “the war on some drugs”, Wilson participated as a Special Guest in the week-long 1999 Annual Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam,[33] and used and often promoted the use of medical marijuana.[34]


Wilson co-founded and became the primary instructor of the Maybe Logic Academy, named for his agnostic approach to all knowledge. Fellow instructors include Patricia Monaghan, Rev. Ivan Stang, Philip H. Farber, Antero Alli, Peter J. Carroll, Starhawk, R. U. Sirius, Douglas Rushkoff, Erik Davis, Lon Milo Duquette, and David Jay Brown.


Death


On June 22, 2006, Huffington Post blogger Paul Krassner reported that Robert Anton Wilson was under hospice care at home with friends and family.[35] On October 2, 2006 Douglas Rushkoff reported that Wilson was in severe financial trouble.[36] Slashdot, Boing Boing, and the Church of the SubGenius also picked up on the story, linking to Rushkoff’s appeal.[37] [38] As his webpage reported on October 10, these efforts succeeded beyond expectation and raised a sum which would have supported him for at least six months. Obviously touched by the great outpouring of support, on October 5, 2006, Wilson left the following comment on his personal website, expressing his gratitude:



Dear Friends, my God, what can I say. I am dumbfounded, flabbergasted, and totally stunned by the charity and compassion that has poured in here the last three days.

To steal from Jack Benny, “I do not deserve this, but I also have severe leg problems and I don’t deserve them either.”

Because he was a kind man as well as a funny one, Benny was beloved. I find it hard to believe that I am equally beloved and especially that I deserve such love. Whoever you are, wherever you are, know that my love is with you. You have all reminded me that despite George W. Bush and all his cohorts, there is still a lot of beautiful kindness in the world. Blessings, Robert Anton Wilson[39]



On January 6, Wilson wrote on his blog that according to several medical authorities, he would likely only have between two days and two months left to live.[40] He closed this message with “I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying. Please pardon my levity, I don’t see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd.” He died peacefully five days later, on January 11 at 4:50 a.m. Pacific time.[41] After his cremation on January 18, and his family-held memorial service on February 18, 2007, his family scattered most of his ashes at the same spot as his wife’s – off the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California. [42] [43]


A tribute show to Wilson, organized by Coldcut and Mixmaster Morris and performed in London as a part of the “Ether 07 Festival” held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on March 18, 2007, also included Ken Campbell, Bill Drummond and Alan Moore.[44]


Works by Robert Anton Wilson


Bibliography


Fiction



  • The Sex Magicians (1973)






Autobiographical and philosophical trilogy



  • Cosmic Trigger

    • The Final Secret of the Illuminati (1977)

    • Down To Earth (1992)

    • My Life After Death (1995)




Plays and screenplays



Non-fiction



  • Playboy’s Book of Forbidden Words (1972)

  • Sex and Drugs: A Journey Beyond Limits (1973)

  • The Book of the Breast (1974)

  • Neuropolitics (1978) (with Timothy Leary and George Koopman)

  • The Game of Life (1979) (with Timothy Leary)

  • The Illuminati Papers (1980) collection of essays and new material

  • Prometheus Rising (1983)

  • Right Where You Are Sitting Now (1983) collection of essays and new material

  • The New Inquisition (1986)

  • Natural Law, or Don’t Put a Rubber on Your Willy (1987)

  • Coincidance (1988) essays and new material. {ISBN 1-56184-004-1}

  • Neuropolitique (1988) (with Timothy Leary & George Koopman) revision of Neuropolitics

  • Sex, Drugs and Magick: A Journey Beyond Limits (1988) revision, with new introduction, of Sex and Drugs: A Journey Beyond Limits

  • Ishtar Rising (1989) revision of The Book of the Breast

  • Quantum Psychology (1990)

  • Everything Is Under Control (1998) (with Miriam Joan Hill)

  • TSOG: The Thing That Ate the Constitution (2002)

  • email to the universe and other alterations of consciousness (2005) essays, new material, and haiku


Editor



Discography



  • A Meeting with Robert Anton Wilson (ACE) cassette

  • Religion for the Hell of It (ACE) cassette

  • H.O.M.E.s on LaGrange (ACE) cassette

  • The New Inquisition (ACE) cassette

  • The H.E.A.D. Revolution (ACE) cassette and CD

  • Prometheus Rising (ACE) cassette

  • The Inner Frontier (with Timothy Leary) (ACE) cassette

  • The Magickal Movement: Present & Future (with Margot Adler, Isaac Bonewits & Selena Fox) (ACE) Panel Discussion – cassette

  • Magick Changing the World, the World Changing Magick (ACE) Panel Discussion – cassette

  • The Self in Transformation (ACE) Panel Discussion – cassette

  • The Once & Future Legend (with Ivan Stang, Robert Shea and others) (ACE) Panel Discussion – cassette

  • What IS the Conspiracy, Anyway? (ACE) Panel Discussion – cassette

  • The Chocolate-Biscuit Conspiracy album with [5] The Golden Horde (band) (1984)

  • Twelve Eggs in a Basket CD

  • Robert Anton Wilson On Finnegans Wake and Joseph Campbell (interview by Faustin Bray and Brian Wallace) (1988) 2 CD Set Sound Photosynthesis ASIN: B000BJSF66

  • Acceleration of Knowledge (1991) cassette

  • Secrets of Power comedy cassette

  • Robert Anton Wilson Explains Everything: or Old Bob Exposes His Ignorance (July 30, 2005) Sounds True ISBN 1-59179-375-0, ISBN 978-1-59179-375-5


Filmography


Actor



  • Túneis da Realidade, Os (a.k.a. Who Is the Master Who Makes the Grass Green?) (1996) Edgar Pêra (Portugal)

  • Manual de Evasão (September 16, 1994) Edgar Pêra (Portugal)


Writer



  • Wilhelm Reich in Hell (2005) (Video) Deepleaf Productions


Appearing as himself



  • Children of the Revolution: Tune Back In (2005) Revolutionary Child Productions

  • The Gospel According to Philip K. Dick (2001) TKO Productions

  • 23 (1998) (23 – Nichts ist so wie es scheint) Claussen & Wöbke Filmproduktion GmbH (Germany)

  • Arise! The SubGenius Video (1992) (V) (a.k.a. Arise! SubGenius Recruitment Film #16) The SubGenius Foundation (USA)

  • Borders (1989) Co-Directions Inc. (TV documentary)

  • Fear In The Night: Demons, Incest and UFOs (1993) Video – Trajectories

  • Twelve Eggs in a Box: Myth, Ritual and the Jury System (1994) Video – Trajectories

  • Everything Is Under Control: Robert Anton Wilson in Interview (1998) Video – Trajectories


Documentary



  • Maybe Logic: The Lives and Ideas of Robert Anton Wilson, a documentary featuring selections from over 25 years of Wilson footage, released on DVD in North America on May 30, 2006.[45]


Inspired works



  • The Australian Psytrance artist Hedonix released an album entitled “Order out of Chaos” in 2009 which is dedicated to Robert Anton Wilson.


Source



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