Cosmic Trigger I : Final Secret of the Illuminati Reviews

• Interesting, and pretty wacked out!

  
  By A38XHXKPDKHP8N on 2004-04-19
  
  This book is a rambling account by R.A.W. that winds together accounts of the author's life in the 70's and his association with other 60s-70s drug and occult counter-culture figures (especially Timothy Leary) - to put forth a strange theory about aliens seeding life here on Earth and guiding our evolution (in consciousness) so that ultimately we can join them as immortal space beings.

  In the process of spinning this "theory" Wilson touches on everything from the Illuminati, mythology, religion, psychology, physics, the occult, etc.

  This is my first exposure to Wilson and in this book he comes across as highly intelligent and well read, but also very ego-centric and paranoid.

  Also, - he makes the excellent point about how our sensory perception is intricately associated with our specific chemical biology - thus hallucinagenic drugs (chemicals) alter our perceptive ability and open us up to perceiving reality in a whole new way. And it's hard not to agree with that up to a point because we, as physical beings, are awash in a cosmic sea of signals, and are only consciously aware of a tiny, tiny percent of all of that information that is around us. However, Wilson, at least in this book, never seems to question the validity of the extra information that is processed when you wack your brain out on drugs and every conceivable occult activity. Nor does he seem to question very seriously the bizarre conclusions he reaches based on this information received. And while acknowledging Leary's ideas regarding the dose, set and setting as having a strong effect on one's experience with psychedelics Wilson didn't seem to catch on that this whole UFO-alien scheme could simply have been the result of a bunch of overworked imaginations and wacked out perceptive abilities operating in a very free-thinking, government hating, ego-centric, paranoid "set and setting".

  This myopic approach also is evident to the reader in that Wilson seems to raise every coincidence in his life to the spiritually significant level of "syncronicity". For example, several times during the book he mentions that it is a meaningful coincidence of great import that his daughter's first menstrual cycle came on the same day that Timothy Leary was arrested in Afghanistan?! But he never mentions WHY this coincidence is meaningful. Similarly, he is convinced that "23" is an important number in his life so any day, date, book, time, place, story, picture, conversation, etc. that includes the number 23 in any way, shape or form is taken to have some special "meaning". And because 2 + 3 = 5, the number 5 is treated likewise - as are the numbers 33,333, 666 and others. A plethera of symbols are also given meaningful status (birds of prey, etc.) So it's not hard to see why Wilson can find sychronicities wherever he looks.

  It's also interesting to note that the book is packed with wild assertions about where science would be at the turn of the century (year 2000) such as people living hundreds of years, commuicating routinely via telepathy, and regular space travel via spaceships to other planets. These things, obviously having not occurred could be forgiven as overly optimistic imagining, but to the extent that they are all part and parcel of his alien theory they cast doubt on the validity of much of what he says.

  Wilson struck me as an intelligent, well-read, thinker with interesting perspectives on the meaning of life. His emotional state throughout the book seemed to oscillate between loving optimism and paranoia. And while I found his ideas a good springboard to thought, it was hard ultimately to take his conclusiond very seriously. And it was clear that, while writing this book, he was so wrapped up in his own conspiracy theories and wacky ideas that he couldn't properly step outside of that box in order to objectively evaluate them, which was strange given his obvious intelligence.

  Overall it's worth reading to get a strange perspective on things and I'll probably read some related material (Timothy Leary)
  
  
  

• MEANT to be "a well-intentioned mess"

  
  By AR9RJMR9C9H40 on 2000-09-26
  First, let me say that this book is thoroughly engaging, thought-provoking, multi-layered, and completely worthy of all the praise that it's been given. Why am I giving "Cosmic Trigger" only 4 stars? Because not everybody will be ready for it. And even those who are will need to read it more than once for the full effect. Like James Joyce, who RAW seems extremely fond of quoting and whose "Ulysses" I suspect he seeks to emulate, Wilson has written a book that you just can't take in all at once.

  One of the deeper "surface" lessons, the one Wilson shouts the loudest and at the same time refuses to do any more than tease you with, is that you have to decide for yourself what to believe -- but that deciding to believe anything limits what you will be able to observe in the world around you. This is heavy stuff, and ground-breaking to the average reader. As such, I've walked away from reading sessions alternately convinced that:

  * Wilson is completely serious about all and sundry, straining to persuade you to approach the world with a more open mind; and

  * Wilson is shoveling good-sounding but meaningless drivel on his readers for the sole purpose of a good belly laugh.

  But even in this he's got a multi-layered agenda. Interpreting the book in line with one of the theories above -- as an earlier reviewer has done, with the former -- goes completely against the point of the book. WILSON IS NOT TRYING TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE. He presents no evidence nor standards of evidence (which the earlier reviewer did correctly note), EXACTLY BECAUSE his entire "surface" thesis is that one must constantly question THEIR OWN beliefs, within their own frameworks and based on their own observations (which the earlier reviewer seems to have missed).

  Wilson's like that. Labyrinthine but consistent. Except he isn't, really. He ... Oh, just read the book.

  In conclusion, this is a work that has earned a place on my bookshelf ... although I might have to wait a while to re-read it. "Cosmic Trigger" is a great foil to dogma of all stripes, but going through it too many times in succession makes it a piece of dogma itself, and the message gets lost.
  
  

• WARNING: MAY CAUSE THOUGHT.

  
  By on 1999-01-21
  ...depending on who you are. If you are intelligent, curious, and possessed of a sense of humor, this book will do you great good: it's a very gently humorous and extremely HUMANE examination of All The Weird Things we've been living with these past few hundred years (or more), as filtered through one Robert Anton Wilson.

  However... if you respond to the book by slamming it closed and calling R.A.Wilson a liar/fraud/false prophet/agent of Satan/etc., etc., then you have completely missed the point. Wilson is not trying to convert anyone to his specific point of view, but is trying to awaken people to the possibility that their own point of view may simply be very, very small and incomplete. It's big universe out there, and to hide from it in a "dogmatic reality-tunnel" (his words) is, quite simply, counterproductive and stupid. It does not make SENSE to ignore the possibilities, or to smother them with regurgitations of unexamined prejudices.

  Wilson is doing something very daring here: he is trying to write a book which is NOT meant to be read by the "converted", but by everyone, really. G'wan, you Bible-pounders -- give it a shot. You could be right and you could be wrong. It's a big universe.
  
  

• A well-intentioned mess

  
  By A2GSVGL9J1PETE on 2000-05-16
  I don't doubt for a minute that Robert Anton Wilson has good intentions. His book "Cosmic Trigger" is paved with them from front to back; his writing style is readable, funny, engaging, and full of charm and wit. What I do doubt is Wilson's self-proclaimed skepticism, because "Cosmic Trigger" is one of the most abhorrently credulous books I've ever read. I liked it the first time, but each time around I've liked it less and less.

  The book is basically a kind of autobiography of Wilson's journey through "Chapel Perilous", as he calls it -- or the outer fringes of psychedelic thinking. Some of this material is intriguing and genuinely worth reading about, like Leary's LSD experiments with hardened criminals. But the vast majority of it is intellectual and philosophical Fluffernutter.

  Wilson's all-purpose Excuse for wallowing in his "reality is plural and mutable" outlook is that since it's a big universe, anything is possible, so we might as well keep an open mind. Fine. But he doesn't say what the standards of evidence for his observations are, so any hopes of this being anything more than a free-for-all are tossed clean out the window. For someone who claims to have a great deal of respect for science, Wilson doesn't seem particularly interested in practicing it -- he'd rather smoke a blunt, write about how it felt and call that "research". And the worst part is that there are apparently no end of other people who would agree with him.

  Incidentally, the follow-ups to the book are dreary and confused, with an inordinate amount of time and ammunition wasted beating the long-dead horse of how Sagan didn't fight fair with Velikovsky when he dismissed most of his claims out of hand. There, Wilson really lays himself bare: a garrulous old man who's more interested in being an iconoclast for iconoclasty's sake than in actually hitting the mark. "Cosmic Trigger" is merely a better-disguised version of the same stance. But the sort of people who are inclined to read this book are probably not interested in science as it's actually practiced anyway, so...
  
  

• A Challenging Must Read Masterpiece!

  
  By A1AY0TJQRCAHEQ on 2000-01-15
  Cosmic Trigger is as hard to categorize as it is enjoyable to read.Wilson ties together strands as diverse as qauntum theory,psychology,occultism and good old down to earth skepticism into a fascinating tapestry.Readers may be offended, shocked, or incredulous,but they will also be entertained and ,more likely than not,stimulated from this experience.The main strentgh of Wilsons writing is his ability to offer the reader tools to evaluate any information,and a healthy but not dogmatic skepticism.Mix in a self deprecating sense of humour and you'll have an idea of what Cosmic Trigger 1 has to offer. I believe the great strenth of Wilson is his ability to appeal to a wide range of readers without dumbing down the dialogue.This is a book that I cannot recommend highly enough.
  
  
• The Ultimate Pseudoscience
  By on 2004-06-11
  Having read this and another book (Quantum Psychology) by this author, I can vouch for a complete lack of logic or reason within the pages of this book. Moreover, of all the authors I have ever read, this one seems the biggest kook of all. If your into unfounded, if not outright ludicrous, scientific conclusions reached through mystic-minded, drug-induced idiocy (as in the idea the human race was seeded by aliens or dancing little green men) in a form lacking utterly in any manner of logical order, then this is the literature for you. Frankly, this guy's so far out in left field he can't see home plate. There's a word for people who create their own reality in this manner: nuts. Save your money. Better yet, spend it on Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World" for some really intelligent reading. Personally, I'm actually ashamed to admit I read Wilson's books. I only did so at the bequest of a friend whose grounding in reality I am now surely questioning.
  
  
• From Playboy to Pancakes
  By A20B9BS3Q7W6R3 on 2002-12-06
  Robert Anton Wilson's book "Cosmic Trigger: The Final Secrets of the Illuminati" is one of the most diverse books that I have read. Basically, Wilson is highly convinced that there is a controlled destiny for everyone's lives. He takes a very basic look on the topics of metaprogramming, chapel perilous, religion, and various secret societies. I especially love the statement "maybe the secret of the Illuminati is that you don't you're in until it is too late." I do think his argument could have been more effective without the constant referencing to LSD as a "breakthrough" in open mindedness, but perhaps this is because I have been programmed by society to not accept such explanations.

  Wilson basis most of his arguments on personal experiences for both himself and others. I do not think these serve as valid premises as he openly admits that he was on drugs at the time. It makes his argument of seeing aliens, hidden patterns, etc. very weak. Where as the ideas of Sirus, Discordian Society and the metaphysical might seem sketchy, Wilson has certainly done his homework is referencing several well-established personalities in the scientific community. He challenges the reader to think outside the box using arguments that provide very compelling evidence. I do think the author discredits himself by creating the illusion of having multiple personalites, but perhaps it was the only way he felt he could express himself.

  Written as clearly as one can when discussing such technical subjects as mind control and alien conspiracy, I highly recommend the reading of this book. The idea that God is something we reference only to explain things we don't understand or that are beyond our control will delight some readers, though it did not exactly thrill me. The idea that the concept of God could stem from contact with alien life seems impossible, but could always have happened. Several well-documented cases of premonition like the Mothman Prophecies, and encounters like the Simonton Pancakes add to Wilson's evidence.

  The concept of chapel perilous: a mental place in which you learn so much that all your thoughts and belief structures are challeged, is highly scary, but then again, anytime a belief proves to be false devastation follows. I do not however, believe that drug use would bring one to that point.

  Probably the biggest fallacy found in the book is Wilson's claim that he does not believe in anything. Is that even possible? I think you have to have some beliefs, such as you believe that breathing will bring you air, etc. I think an argument that he intended to reference as making him seem open minded did nothing more than bewilder his audience.

  The book was a really good read, even though it did demand some serious time to let the information settle. I would suggest that one heed Wilson's original advice: If things start making sense, put the book down. It is not worth loosing your sanity over. If you are, however, interested in why a man would quit his job as the Editor of Playboy to pursue a career of divulging conspiracies, then this is the book for you. See you on Sirius!
  
  

• a REAL trip
  By AH6IWKWQ29AI9 on 2003-01-22
  This was my first introduction to the writings of Robert Anton Wilson, at a time in my life when the limited, inconsistant, and ludicrous models of reality offered by the world seemed too limiting to bear. What Wilson offers here appears (in my reality tunnel) to be a look into the largely misunderstood philosophy of agnosticism, as well as his own experiences with love, sex, drugs, yoga, magik, life, death, and governmental corruption.

  Does this review capture Wilson, or Cosmic Trigger I in its entirety? Of course not, and Wilson is fully aware that his writings and non-beliefs defy any catagorization (his books are very hard to find in retail stores). All I can offer is my uninformed opinion that there is no wiser, more humorous, and generally more interesting than Robert Anton Wilson.
  
  

• If you ever wanted to see the fnords...
  By A3T9KEN2DYSMOX on 2000-05-08
  I think this was one of the first R.A. Wilson books I read. I had heard of his work through some of my more "unusual" friends, and thought that this would be just another one of those boring new-age guru self-help trips.

  I started to read it at a park next to the book store. Two chapters later it was getting cold, so I began to walk home, still reading the book as I went. I spent the rest of the day reading the rest of it, and then I started to read it again.

  If you think you are a well-informed citizen, read this book. You will begin to doubt "reality" like you never have before.

  Life is what you imagine it to be. That's right! It's all imaginary.
  
  

• Two Warnings
  By A2CQCPD1H71F7P on 2005-06-21
  Two warnings I want to share with the reader
  
  1. I bought this used for $10.99 including shipping. The cover price was $2.25. Grungy paper backs dont go up in value like that.
  Be aware of this before you buy it used.
  
  2. After reading the first hundred or so pages I decided that not only was $10.99 to much but I wouldnt have paid the $2.25 either.
  
  This book is pure silliness. I thought I was getting some heavy philosophy like In Seach of Schrodingers Cat or Pierces The Crack In the Cosmic Egg.
  
  WRONG!
  
  Just a lot of silliness.
  
  So I threw it across the room to the trash. Then I figured at least some good could come out of it if I used it for toilet paper.Then I decided, I'll just sell it again on amazon to some other sucker.Of course, when I do it will be for lower than the cover price. Some of us have a sense of ethics.
  
  In all this not much was said about the book was it? Theres a reason. Its simply not worth the cost or time unless you're stoned and cant find any good music or munchies. Other than that its pure silliness with nothing at all to say.
  
  
  
• The Beginning of A Saga
  By A3PWPNZVMNX3PA on 1999-11-28
  Personal as this may be, R. A. Wilson's account of the spiritual, supernatural, occult, magic, whatever term you want to give it, is an exciting journey through time and space as we venture through wormholes, blackholes and kaleidascopes as well. 23's and Sirius is the focus, while contact with aliens and revelations of Horus with a touch of ESP are all inclusive in a synchronistic style. Classic Wilsonian literature!
  
  
• Cosmic Trigger Blew My Mind 23 Times
  By on 1998-11-05
  This is a fantastic diatribe into the unknown! I first read this book almost 20 years ago and have gone through it 23 times since. Wilson was an editor at Playboy years back and has lived in Dublin. He is extremely intelligent and witty, but he can scare the bejesus out of you!

  Just keep an eye out for how many times you run across the number 23 (it is the most frequent number that comes up in lotteries, for one thing). It will astound you. He is correct about "the web" and how we are never more removed than by a factor of five from all the people in the world. Yeah, it's freaky, but it stimulates the old brain cells. Order it today from Amazon because it is a good value and you will never regret it. Just don't get too freaked out like me and wind up taking Paxil to calm you down!
  
  

• BRILLIANT & PROVOCATIVE
  By A1RJD10TTI568L on 2000-08-22
  So many threads come together in this well-written book that it's all a bit overwhelming at first. His style is witty, honest, compelling and addictive and subjects range from mysteries & magick to self-improvement and life extension. I enjoyed the many similarities in style & subject matter with some of my other favourite authors like Stuart Wilde, U. S. Andersen and Colin Wilson. It has also a kindled an interest in many other authors mentioned in the text, especially Timothy Leary who I thought was just a 60s cult figure but whose later work I will definitely investigate now. Cosmic Trigger I is definitely amongst my Top 10 books of all time. People who enjoyed this book will love Affirmations by Stuart Wilde, The Greatest Power In The Universe by U. S. Andersen and From Atlantis To The Sphinx by Colin Wilson.
  
  
• Expand your Mind
  By A35444SKENYGGU on 2002-04-23
  Robert Anton Wilson is one of the most forward thinkers of his time. Wilson's first book in this series leads you down his path of exploring the changes he underwent by using mind expanding drugs and experimenting with magick rituals. Wilson's storyline of his mind expansion intersects along the way with his real life and allows the reader an insight into what types of things were influencing his decisions as he probed deeper into this fantastical realm. The timeline shifts around but the reader is never dissatisfied. The second part of the book deals with the scientific basis behind his studies and those of other free thinkers such as Timothy Leary.

  I first became interested in Wilson after reading the Illuminati trilogy. This book will only add to anyone's appreciation for that book and its author. This book provides some background into the events which are covered by the trilogy. In general, the Cosmic Trigger series begins with a bang. 4 stars losing one for the sometimes cryptic nature of the writing, but then again, that is RAW.
  
  

• Tri-Lateralist Nonsense
  By AMMQK6XW9WB0H on 2002-06-03
  A whopping truckload of manure for the amusement of the simpleminded.
  
  
• Incidents Not To Be Taken As The Absolute Reality.
  By A10T1K7BK9GU33 on 2004-12-09
  Cosmic Triger is a book, where one witnesses, what happens, when one engages, in using techniques-yoga, ceremonal magic, shamanic, and drug induced states, of consciousnes-to induce self imposed ontological rearrangement. The author shows us his belief structures temporarly arranged, in a way, that does not match consenses reality. The book demonstrates the fragility, of ones belief structures.
  
  The author throughout, the book, states, that these various phenomena may not have happend as appeared, to him. His only claim is that the phenomena appeared, this way, to him. I have read interviews, from him, soon after this book was written, where he didn't appear to take most of the events, in this book, as seriously, as some of the reviewers, on Amazon seem to have them. And I know he takes the events, even less seriously now, taking the belief, that it was all signales, from his right frontal lobe.
  
  Some reviewrs cliam it wasn't scientific enough. Where does the book claim, to be a science book? It's a fascinating autobiography. How does one take, one's own individual conscousness, to the lab, for objective physical results?
  
  I know that this book inspired alot, of people, to pursue, thier own form, of deliberate brian changes. Two weeks, after reading this book, trying out his philosophy, for myself, I was able, to induce, what appeared, to my senses, as an oobe. I don't care, if it really didn't happen, as it appeared, to me, I just know that it was fun, and exciting. And I think that's the biggest point, of the book, is that we are able, to flip the switch, on our own consciousness, and go from the ordinary, to the extraordinary, which seems, to me, alot more, of a rewarding experience, then sitting, on the couch, watching the television, for hours on end.
  
  
• Wow! Some People Really Don't Get It...
  By A25XNXMRROIXAT on 2007-02-04
  I was amazed at several of the reviews here which give this book a low rating. They say it was "unreadable", "silly" "garbage" and other such put-downs, just because they were unable to comprehend it. This book has so many levels to it that many people WON'T get it (unfortunately) but just because quantum equations look like a bunch of scribbles to me, I don't go around referring to quantum physics as "silly" "garbage".
  
  This is one of the best books on ontology and the nature of reality for the layman which has ever been written (or at least in the top ten). Please keep in mind, all who would criticise, that just because you yourself were not properly equipped to understand and enjoy this volume, that does not make it drivel. R.A.W., one of the best, at his best.
  
  Rest in peace Mr. Wilson....
  
  
  
• Dogma plagues everyone -- Step outside your reality tunnel.
  By AOKKSJOHLZSTJ on 2005-09-27
  What fundamentalist moron would think Cosmic Trigger "is" for toilet paper? Or better yet "is" a LIE? Aristotelian logic doesn't apply here. Wilson transcends absolute true/false categories. People who neglect the great work presented here, were most likely enveloped by their anal territorial circuit. Why else would one use intelligent literature to wipe their ass with? I take it they're probably just too caught up in their own BS (belief system) and ignore their HEAD just like a good 'herd animal'!
  
  Become acquainted with guerilla ontology,
  Read this book for youself.
  
  
• Good book, but incomplete in telling what its sources were.
  By A1M5HGRWHPBTGH on 2005-12-29
  Cosmic Trigger I is a fine book and well worth the money. The same can't be said of the other two books, which are only marginally interesting. However, there's one aspect of Cosmic Trigger which hasn't been adequately covered in most of the commentary, that is to say where some of the key ideas which make it most interesting come from.
  
  Specifically, ideas around Sirius, the Illuminati, Masonry, etc... Wilson ties it into Crowley but people who know the subject will tell you that this stuff isn't usually part of either the Golden Dawn or Ordo Templi Orientalis tradition, except for one very unique variant which was presented in a book which came out about the same time as Cosmic Trigger.
  
  The book? "The Magical Revival", by Kenneth Grant. The variant on the tradition? The Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientalis in England.
  
  Grant covers much of the same material as Wilson does in Cosmic Trigger in the first few chapters of "Magical Revial", in greater depth, and definitely in greater complexity. But you won't hear that from Wilson because he's a member of the much less interesting but much bigger (in America) O.T.O. , which was refounded independently of Grant.
  
  They don't recognize him or any of his writings as authentic and he returns the favor, which is all well and good except that it makes it hard for people in the United States to find out about Grant's system and his ideas.
  
  Anyways, intenecine rivalry is why this very important source that Wilson uses for "Cosmic Trigger", is not mentioned and will not be mentioned by anyone associated with "New Falcon Publications", which has intimate ties with the American O.T.O.
  
  Free your mind and make your own decisions about this by tracking down a version of "Magical Revival" yourself.
  
  
• This book changed my life!
  By on 1997-02-16
  An ex-girlfriend once told me, "Don't ever let a book change your life." Soon thereafter I bought Cosmic Trigger and failed to heed her advice... thank goddess! It's an excellent mind-opener
  
  
• Depraved truth manipulation has never sunk so low.
  By on 1997-06-20
  If anyone wants to read an ingenious work of prose, try Cosmic Trigger. After your head is left spinning, perhaps for up to two years, honestly contemplate the nature of the apple into which you bit. The reader shall be left with a new appreciation for the power of disinformation. Like Hitler said, "If you're going to tell a LIE, tell a big one." Yes, the world is about to end, but it won't end like this. Try the Bible
  
  
• The ultimate way to change your life... Forever!
  By on 1996-05-15
  "Cosmic Trigger" takes you where no man has been before. Wilson carries the unsuspecting reader through a maze of theories and experiences which will leave you wondering for a long, long time. His engenious style can scare the living daylights out of you at one time, and leave you hollering from laughter shortly after. A definate must-read for everyone interested in changing their life, and, believe me, Cosmic Trigger will!
  
  
• Third-eye opening, divulge and divine
  By A1S7BFT0HDF3HA on 2003-05-14
  Consider this text as the beginning, not the end, of the reading list for mind-expansion and deprogramming, and, as such, it belongs on the reading list of every college freshman, every CEO (whether already corrupted or not), everyone doing domestic surveillance of his or her fellow citizens, each and every minister (especially the Primitive Baptists, and yes, I know that is a tautology and those who practice mind and money control in megachuches), and everyone else except those who are not living Westerners on this plane of existence.

  Others have written remarks about what this book is about and what it means/meant to them. But to see down the longest, straightest vector and to see even the sounds of wind chimes will take longer.

  Study the koans and practice breathing. Trust no one unless he or she merits this trust.

  And, yes, the whole business with the number 23 is very seriously as real as the weather.

  And one more "and": Tyrone Breadloaf (further down the reviewer list) may be correct in his assessment when the stars and planets align in certain patterns.
  
  

• Weird
  By A25FDX17O3QKLT on 2005-04-17
  One of the "head" books of its day. An interesting an approachable introduction to Robert Anton Wilson his associates and his heroes. Remarkably it offers a touching view of the man as well. A good introduction to Wilson's philosophy and the philosophy of his cronies . In it Wilson takes his place with other the mystical impresarios of modern times: Crowley, Gurdjieff and Leary.
  Crowley Gurdjieff and Leary are featured prominently in this book as well as such topics as conspiracy theories, aliens, yoga, the use of drugs to gain enlightenment (although I would not call this a "druggie" book) and numerology (especially the significance of the number 23). However this is not a scholarly book and probably was not mean to be. It seems to be written as an introduction for some while for others it seems to be a preaching to the choir yet since the at least 25 years of the book I can't help but think it is also more than that. Through a good half of the book Wilson keeps up the spooky pace. However the presentations of various archana pop in an out of the book in a less than a cohesive format and some parts of the books seem to unravel. Wilson's writing style is pretty simplistic and sometimes down right sloppy yet behind all of the flaws one comes away with the feeling that Wilson is an important and original thinker (one cannot help but think too from reading this book that the author is his own biggest fan). Also I cannot help but thin that the mix of fiction, mysticism and soul searching biography is all intentional as a device to shock the reader into another way of looking at things. For if this was the authors intention it succeeds.
  In away the book is a somewhat different approach to his "Illuminati" trilogy also I think he is more successful in drawing us into "Chapel Perilous" through his fiction than through this book.
  The great surprise to the book is it's climax, the Cosmic Trigger itself, which is the death of his daughter and his reaction to it. Because despite all of the spooky topics it delves into the most important one is the love of a father for a child and forgiveness. Despite Wilson's review and embrace of what some might call the occult the most important and poignant part of this book is more in tune to the basic tenets of Christianity.
  I am not quite sure if Wilson is aware of it or sees a contradiction or perhaps he maybe telling us that there is a unifying principle to all of it.
  The book is pretty quirky. Wilson portrays himself as a skeptic but his writing betrays him as being far from a skeptic. Sometimes he takes himself with great serious while other times he is down right self deprecating. Through all of its mad mess the book comes across as being quite charming in the end and in its own way enlightening.
  When it first came out it was an important book of its day as it helped to introduce many to the works of such people as Crowley and Gurdjieff, names that are now again part of the mainstream.
  Perhaps I should put this down on my list of "guilty pleasures" but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
  
  
• Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
  By A3132H4FYL6O3I on 1999-04-21
  R. A. Wilson is a Thelemite manipulated towards being humorous. He has the power to imprint a belief of a lie, with the excellent purpose of making people will to learn. After years of reading this book once, presently I am amazed to discover the profound depth of his lies still whirling in the structure of my Sub-Consciousness. Do not be surprised if after reading this book the Universe seemingly changes, to be absorbed in the mass of Crowley books he Truly-Willed you to read. A nice Display of the Genius commonly left dormant in the average Human Mind. Silver Star means Sirius in the Third Order of the A.'.A.'. : in that Order one becomes united unto Sirius by a tranmitted electrical Ray of spiraling Prana.
  
  
• not bad at all.
  By on 2002-12-07
  has alot about timothy leary.good book on the the mind ,thinking,perceptions and how the goverment might be blocking and delving into these things.the author writes about some of his own experiences and his families.i got some good info about how people's minds might interpet(their visual and memories)strange encounters,like ufos,virgin mary contacts,and other paranormal beings.his view on this is that when we come in contact with these things that we are so underdeveloped mentally that or mind feeds this stuff to us in a way that we can at least try to grasp.and it depends on our culture,media,spiritual beliefs.the book has this stuff...meditation,mind expanding drugs,shamanism,how we percieve the world,the goverments action surrounding these things,the 60's bringing these things to peoples thoughts,some big names like leary,alister crowley,and how this all ties into the illuminati and what the ancient secret schools and religions have always worked with and kept hidden.
  
  
• ACTUALLY I WOULD NOT RATE IT
  By AR2ES1PEYV8E8 on 2003-04-15
  First of all don't believe any of the reviews; form your own perception first before being molded by an opinion. Life is full of diversity and so is everybody else, well maybe not! It is a paradox to rate this book however because giving it a five star general or the sun is a vague notion of misunderstanding. Maybe that is why military heroes will be on our currency soon!
  
  
• Classic look at self-overcoming, magick, weirdness, etc.
  By A1E37DNGUC3GCI on 2006-02-28
  Too rich to adequately describe here. Definitely worth re-reading, several times. Basically a biographical account of RAW's experiences with the worlds of magick, altered states of consciousness, Timothy Leary, space migration, heightened awareness through experimentation, and life transformation. All that and it was a joy to read as well. The most poignant part of the book is when we learn of RAW's loss of his 15-year old daughter to a murderer and how he dealt with the pain and grief (it was not, incidentally, by calling the murderer names and demanding his execution).
  
  Oh yeah...the final secret of the Illuminati has something to do with becoming more open and loving. Maybe that is how we take over the world...
  
  
• Reality Tunnel destruction lies within
  By A3L94XQC3029E6 on 2007-01-04
  Anytime you feel yourself becoming too attached to any particular idea or reality map, just read this book and you'll become the skeptic again. RAW's experiences' are familiar to those who are on a "path" to higher consciousness, but his scientific skepticism puts him in a teacher class all its own. A must read for those who don't want too much dogma in their lives.
  
  
• Final Secrets
  By A1BJR9LPWLBFQ2 on 2007-04-04
  "Cosmic Trigger" is worth reading both for its historical value and its relevance today. Many of the important figures of the 60's and 70's, like Tim Leary, J Edgar Hoover and Robert A Wilson, are dead and gone, but the problems they represented are still with us. Permit me to quote one paragraph:
  
  "Paul Watzlavik, among others, has performed classic experiments in which totally sane people will begin to behave with all the irrationality of hospitalized paranoids or schizophrenics - just because they have been lied to in a calculated and systematic way. This sort of 'disinformation' matrix is so typical of many aspects of our society (e.g. advertizing and organized religion, as well as government) that some psychiatrists, such as R.D. Laing, claim it is the principal cause of psychotic breakdowns. When the politics of lying becomes normal, paranoia and alienation become the 'normality' of the day. The government, as the principal liar of the 1960's, was, of course, more deluded than anyone else, since its reality-map had become a classic disinformation system. The establishment began looking around for the villains to blame for the escalating social disintegration. Tim Leary got elected, by unanimous acclaim, Villain #1."
  
  Nominations are now open for Villain #1 of this decade. Osama seems to be leading.
  
  

• Cosmic Trigger II: Down to Earth
• Prometheus Rising
• Cosmic Trigger III: My Life After Death
• The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, Leviathan
• Quantum Psychology: How Brain Software Programs You and Your World