From the date of first printing to the present, I have received more mail about Cosmic Trigger than about anything else I ever wrote, and most of the mail has been unusually intelligent and open-minded. For some reason, many readers of this book think they can write me intimately and without fear, about subject officially Taboo in our society....The new edition presents an opportunity to answer the most frequent questions and to correct the most persistent misunderstandings. It should be obvious to all intelligent readers (but curiously is not obvious to many) that my viewpoint in this book of one of agnosticism. The word "agnostic" appears explicitly in the Prologue and the agnostic attitude is restated again and again in the text, but many people still think I "believe" some of the metaphors and models employed here. I therefore want to make it even clearer than ever before that I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING .... Cosmic Trigger deals with a process of deliberately induced brain change through which I put myself in the years 1962-76. This process is called "initiation" or "vision quest" in many traditional societies and can loosely be considered some dangerous variety of self-psychotherapy in modern terminology. I do not recommend it for everybody, and I think I obtained more good results than bad ones chiefly because I had been through two varieties of ordinary psychotherapy before I started my own adventures and because I had a good background in scientific philosophy and was not inclined to "believe" any astounding Revelations too literally. Briefly, the main thing I learned in my experiments is that "reality" is always plural and mutable. --- excerpts from Preface to the New Edition
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"I don't see how to take death seriously. I look forward without dogmatic optimism, but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying."
Author of some 35 books including Cosmic Trigger, Prometheus Rising, Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, and co-author of the Illuminatus! Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson was a futurist, author, lecturer, stand-up comic, guerrilla ontologist, psychedelic magician, outer head of the Illuminati, quantum psychologist, Taoist sage, Discordian Pope, Struthian politician . . . maybe. He said Model Agnosticiam consists of never regarding any model or map of the universe with total 100% belief or total 100% denial. Bob's Maybe Logic inspired the creation of the Maybe Logic Academy. Timothy Leary, who contributed a Foreword to this book in 1977, was a world-renowned psychologist, a defrocked Harvard professor, a relentless champion of brain change, a reputed drug guru, a stand-up philosopher, and a prisoner of the Nixon administration. He was called "the most dangerous man in America" by President Richard Nixon.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. John Thompson (illustrator). Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # T08B-04026
Seller: Open Books, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. John Thompson (illustrator). Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books. Seller Inventory # mon0000801784
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. John Thompson (illustrator). Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0941404463I5N00
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. John Thompson (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0941404463I4N00
Seller: FOLCHATT, Chattanooga, TN, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. John Thompson (illustrator). lightly worn cover. Seller Inventory # 2505190015
Seller: mountain, GEORGETOWN, CO, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Good. John Thompson (illustrator). softcover book light wear to cover and book edges, has some light reader wear. Seller Inventory # mon0000008994
Seller: GridFreed, North Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Good. John Thompson (illustrator). Good with wear and markings. Looks like an interesting title! Seller Inventory # 200-07742
Seller: Fahrenheit's Books, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Softcover. Condition: Good+. John Thompson (illustrator). Eighth printing, trade paperback, has a lean to the binding, bumps with some creasing to the spine ends and corners, sunning to the spine with reading creases starting to the spine and front hinge, rubbing with light edge wear to the covers, an area of effaced pencil marks to the upper fore corner of the first page, and long dog ear creases to the upper fore corner of a number of pages. Overall, this is a solid, tight, Good+ copy. Seller Inventory # 211529
Seller: Tangled Web Mysteries and Oddities, Kennebuunkport, ME, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: As New. John Thompson (illustrator). Appears to be a book that was shelved and/or handled but never read. No markings, tears, or other defects. Providing superior service since 2001. Dropshippers heartily welcomed. Seller Inventory # 108125
Seller: The Book Spot, Sioux Falls, MN, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: New. John Thompson (illustrator). Seller Inventory # Abebooks247824