Agnostic mystic, Discordian saint, electrical engineer, journalist and apostle of doubt; Wilson dedicated his novels, essays, and interviews to undermining mindless belief and conditioned world view in order to expand more openness to new understanding, creativity, and innovation. An early advocate of marijuana and psychedelics, he became friends and collaborator with Tim Leary, Alan Watts, Ram Das, and Allen Ginsberg. Developing a technique he called “guerrilla ontology,” he wrote 35 books most with the intention of creating cognitive dissonance to challenge belief systems and create openness to direct experience. His book The Illuminatus Trilogy remains a cult classic and well worth reading.
Lineages
Apostles of Doubt
“‘Mind’ is a tool invented by the universe to see itself; but it can never see all of itself, for much the same reason that you can’t see your own back… ”
Chapters:
14. Finding and Following the Formless Form
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“Every war results from the struggle for markets and spheres of influence, and every war is sold to the public by professional liars and totally sincere religious maniacs, as a Holy Crusade to save God and Goodness from Satan and Evil.”
from Cosmic Trigger II
Chapters:
31. Victory Funeral
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“If one can only see things according to one's own belief system, one is destined to become virtually deaf, dumb, and blind.”
Chapters:
38. Fruit Over Flowers
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“Every kind of ignorance in the world all results from not realizing that our perceptions are gambles. We believe what we see and then we believe our interpretation of it, we don't even know we are making an interpretation most of the time. We think this is reality.”
from Real Reality
Chapters:
49. No Set Mind
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“If one can only see things according to one's own belief system, one is destined to become virtually deaf, dumb, and blind. ”
Chapters:
67. Three Treasures
38. Fruit Over Flowers
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“‘Mind’ is a tool invented by the universe to see itself; but it can never see all of itself, for much the same reason that you can’t see your own back… ”
Chapters:
14. Finding and Following the Formless Form
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“I don't believe anything, but I have many suspicions.”
Chapters:
65. Simplicity: the Hidden Power of Goodness
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“Lao Tzu and Tim Leary—the funniest of American philosophers—fit together so well I almost believe in reincarnation.”
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