Robert Anton Wilson On The Acceleration To 2012

[wanderer33]

Fast and furious discourse of everything worth knowing...

_http://supersanity.tumblr.com/post/136113059/robert-anton-wilson-on-the-acceleration-to-2012

 

[shijing]

wanderer33, would you mind giving a brief synopsis so that other people have an overview of what its about? Then they can decide if they want to take a look or not, and comment if they'd like.

 

[wanderer33]

OK, it is a very quick (breathless), insightful history of world philosophy and thought leading to 2012 or thereabouts.

 

[The rabbit]

Yes , but it promotes LSD as a major factor in expansion of consciousness

 

[Nienna]

Yes , but it promotes LSD as a major factor in expansion of consciousness

Well that is a rather interesting and relevant fact that you are pointing out there AWTF.

Would you like to expound on that, wanderer33?

 

[wanderer33]

OK, it is a very quick (breathless), insightful history of world philosophy and thought leading to 2012 or thereabouts.
Which unfortunately, in a mis-guided way, suggests the use of substances which are unnecessary and fundamentally dangerous.

 

[Turgon]

I've read some of RAW's first book in the Cosmic Trigger series. Pretty interesting guy, has some definite good ideas. Although it's mixed in with the LSD (He was heavily influenced by Timothy Leary), and he seemed a bit too focused on aliens from Sirius supposedly communicating with him, synchronicities (which has the potential of being STS meddling) and Aleister Crowley.

I got the impression that he may have been lead down rabbit hole's that went nowhere, case in point with his obsession with one of Crowley's books apparently containing some hidden secrets in it that he spent a lot of time trying to decipher. He makes mentions of Castaneda, Sufi's, Gurdjieff etc, which makes it seem like he was always close to gleaming real truth, but no cigar. He saw connections between Gurdjieff's train of thought and Crowley's (not sure if there is as I know very little about Crowley other than his reputation and that he ended up in a mental institute near the end of his life).

But it seems that if Wilson had access to a really good network ... hint hint ... to bounce ideas back and forth with he could have really done something substantial, as he seems like an intelligent guy, osit.

 

[anart]

He saw connections between Gurdjieff's train of thought and Crowley's (not sure if there is as I know very little about Crowley other than his reputation and that he ended up in a mental institute near the end of his life).

No, Crowley and Gurdjieff were on two opposite ends of the pole, as it were. This thread might help clarify some things for you.

I do find it rather interesting that after quite some time of no mention of Crowley on this forum, all of a sudden his name is popping up everywhere. Rather like a bad penny or bed bugs left by an unwanted guest.

But it seems that if Wilson had access to a really good network ... hint hint ... to bounce ideas back and forth with he could have really done something substantial, as he seems like an intelligent guy, osit.

I think this might be giving Wilson a bit too much credit - just because one is 'an intelligent guy' doesn't mean he's at all capable of seeing or really understanding anything. fwiw.

 

[Turgon]

He saw connections between Gurdjieff's train of thought and Crowley's (not sure if there is as I know very little about Crowley other than his reputation and that he ended up in a mental institute near the end of his life).

No, Crowley and Gurdjieff were on two opposite ends of the pole, as it were. This thread might help clarify some things for you.

I do find it rather interesting that after quite some time of no mention of Crowley on this forum, all of a sudden his name is popping up everywhere. Rather like a bad penny or bed bugs left by an unwanted guest.

Ahh thanks for the thread! Definitely two-ends! I also went back into his book to read the chapter how he came up with the connection between the two, maybe not as intelligent as I thought he was as the connection he made seems to be based on knowledge of Gurdjieff being initiated into a mystic society (probably Sufi's) that started around the time of Babylon and Crowley's 'traditions' which were claimed to be from Ancient Egypt.

In any event, there is no connection between the Ra Material and Crowley and his "Egyptian Magick," which is all a fraud anyway, other than the use of the Egyptian monicker.

just because one is 'an intelligent guy' doesn't mean he's at all capable of seeing or really understanding anything. fwiw.

Yeah that's true, maybe it was wishful thinking on my part. I saw all these key words like Sufi, Gurdjieff, Castaneda, and thought he might be on-to something. But someone can just as easily read about it, retain the information but not truly understand anything of what is actually meant.

 

[shijing]

But it seems that if Wilson had access to a really good network ... hint hint ... to bounce ideas back and forth with he could have really done something substantial, as he seems like an intelligent guy, osit.

I think this might be giving Wilson a bit too much credit - just because one is 'an intelligent guy' doesn't mean he's at all capable of seeing or really understanding anything. fwiw.

One part of this video that struck me (the main theme, really) is that "there is no objective reality apart from the observer" and the ensuing suggestion that once you attain a certain amount of enlightenment, you are able to "choose your own reality tunnel". In my understanding, it is a rather solipsistic notion that is directly at odds with the goal of shedding one's preconceptions and prejudices so as to align oneself with the objective way in which the universe sees itself, something which is completely independent of our own subjective point of view. It may sound good on the surface, but in the end it is one more path towards entropy, whether achieved through LSD, pranayama, or any other means.

 

[meta-agnostic]

Could someone point to a good source on the dangers of LSD? My limited experience leads me to agree but I'd like to know the details. Thanks.

 

[mkrnhr]

Dangers of LSD:
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide#Dangers

 

[meta-agnostic]

Thanks, but I was wondering if there was something more metaphysical. Maybe even something the C's referred to. I get the feeling it opens doors, and there may be nasty things behind some of those doors.

 

[durabone]

RAW has the distinction of being very early on the scene, as does Stan Deyo. I think Deyo was 78 and Illuminatus came out in 75? This was back at a time when folks were quietly starting to whisper about weird symbols on the back of the one dollar bill. Now I am wondering, could Deyo's "The Cosmic Conspiracy" be damage control, etc for RAW's trilogy? I was so young that I did not consider the possibility that this very disturbing set of books might be dis-info. It would be interesting to go back and compare (doubt I'll have time).

 

[meta-agnostic]

I believe RAW stated many times that "Illuminatus!" was written from the perspective of just assuming every conspiracy theory they came across to be true, and maybe adding to some of them. Although likely to be rife with disinfo, wouldn't they also probably manage to get at least a few hits?