Product Description

Apophenion attacks most of the great questions of being, free will, consciousness, meaning, the nature of mind, and humanity's place in the cosmos, from a magical perspective. Some of the conclusions seem to challenge many of the deeply held assumptions that our culture has taught us, so brace yourself for the paradigm crash and look for the jewels revealed in the wreckage. This book contains something to offend everyone; enough science to upset the magicians, enough magic to upset the scientists, and enough blasphemy to upset most trancendentalists.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #157080 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 168 pages

Customer Reviews

fresh paradigms from the old master of chaos
Framed as the outpouring of insight generated by the novel Goddess 'Apophenia', Pete Carroll's new work is a real gem. Coming from a science background, this is his attempt to create a falisfiable model of why the universe looks the way it does, and just why magick can operate successfully.

In the inimitable Carrollian style we have come to know and love, our author sets out to demolish the edifices of being, consciousness, causality, the big-bang and more. In toppling these ontological Titans Pete discovers a universe of panpsychism and intense meaning. If nothing else this agrees with my own views and is therefore a Good Thing. Pursuing this process through the scientific style of exploration means that quantum physics, special relativity et al show up pretty frequently in the text. If you buy this book expecting lists of planetary correspondence and ritual-by-numbers instructions you're going to be disappointed. However this doesn't mean that this is all physics and no esoterica. Rather the point is that the reading of the universe that the author presents is suffused with magick. (Nevertheless there are some reassuring illustrations of occult entities and one explicit ritual - a rather lovely evocation of the Goddess Apophenia herself).

My reaction in reading this book was one of excitement. The suggestions that Pete advances tickle the mind delightfully. Certainly this isn't Liber Null. It's not a manual of techniques but instead concentrates on theory, yet that doesn't make for a dull read. The theorisation presented here can light the touch paper of a hundred disciplines: cosmology and magick for sure but also Fortean studies, ethnography and especially neuro-biology.

Algebra explodes across the appendices of the book scattering the non-mathematicians towards the Epilogue where things are nicely rounded off in laypersons terms. The truth may well be that we live in vorticitating hypersphere with three dimensional time that, as the author beautifully asserts, "...invites us to become apprentice gods." The very fact that I can now say 'vorticitating hypersphere' and know what that means is a testament to the authors explicatory powers.

The final and perhaps most wonderful thing about The Apophenian is how it demonstrates the development and maturation of Pete Carroll's earlier writing. If nothing else this stands as a testament to the work of an individual (or perhaps conspiracy of selves!) who's magick really does seem to work.

Eight chaospheres out of a possible eight!

Brilliant of course, but not as good as Liber Null
Carroll is of course a genuis and so there was never any doubt i would buy nd read and love this book. but for whatever reason i was hoping to find some practical concepts that i could use to add power to my work. Carrolls world view as expounded in this book is not one that is unfamiliar to chaotes and his readership in general and whilst of course there was a lot of new information in the book, nothing that really shattered my paradigms, being an avid reader of Carrol and others as i have been for years now.

To the average person, walking talking robotic types then yes this book will shatter their tiny minds but its almost as tho carroll is writing for them and not his loyal followers and disciples ;)

having said that, i read the book about 3 months ago and am only commenting on what i vagely remember which was that the book was very good, (but then, it would be wouldnt it, if the great caroll had written it...) but i wasnt as wowed as i was after his previous works.

And on that note, I must say, Liber Null/Psychonaut is blooody amazing and easily the best occult book on the shelves, comparable in practical application terms only to chaos and sorcery by Nick Hall, these two men are gods walking amongst us.

The book didnt have the impact that i wanted, but that is really a reflection on me and my wants and needs rather than on Carroll. The book is a masterpiece and every sentence an smart bomb to blow the grey matter of the unenlightened apart. Carroll is without doubt The Greatest whose only fault is that he does not write enough.... and if you are reading this Carroll....WRITE MORE!!!