Product Description

Imagine trying to make sense of Timothy Leary's eight neurological circuits, G.I. Gurdjieff's self-observations exercises, Alfred Korzybski's general semantics, Aleister Crowley's magical theorems, and the several disciplines of Yoga; not to mention Christian Science, relativity, quantum mechanics and many other approaches to understanding the world around us. That is exactly what Wilson does in "Prometheus Rising". In short, it is a book about how the human mind works and what you can do to make the most of yours. Readers have been known to get angry, cry, laugh, and even change their entire lives. It has practical techniques to break free of your "reality tunnels".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16043 in Books
• Published on: 1988-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

A fascinating read that challenges the way you think
I wouldn't call Prometheus Rising "life changing", as many others have (mainly the people who recommended it to me) - I think that the book should be read with a certain level of scepticism and an eye for pseudo-science. However, Prometheus Rising does present a lot of interesting theories about human thought and behaviour, and encourages the reader to engage with the text, instead of just taking everything it says at face value. In a way, the fact that I felt the need to challenge what Robert Anton Wilson writes, and mentally argue against certain sections, is a sign that the book has succeeded.

But what is the book actually about? It's a selection of cherry-picked theories across psychology, economics, politics, evolutionary biology, language, and many other fields, presented in a clear and humorous style. Sometimes it slips into a flavour of B.S., but whenever it does you get the feeling it might be intentional and parodying.

In terms of expanding the scope of one's thoughts and breaking out of conventional ways of looking at things, Prometheus Rising is a must read book. As I've tried to explain, the point of the book is not so much the precise content (though several of the theories seem entirely plausible and almost all have agreeable components), it's the style: the, at times confrontational, and at other times informal, way that new, revolutionary, and sometimes crackpot ideas are thrust at the reader, who is simply told "deal with it". The constant references to Finnegan's Wake only add to the intrigue.

Well worth reading.

Stunning insights into consciousness
This book completely changed my perception of how we function. Wilson not only explains the cognitive ideas of such disparate thinkers as Leary, Korzybski, Crowley and Sagan in a manner most laymen readily understand, he also convincingly points out just what these guys have in common, and where they differ. This book clarifies so many issues on consciousness I have always wondered about and few issues I haven't even thought of wondering about. Read this book now!

Complete Consciousness Workout in a Book!
Prometheus Rising has a terrible new-age cover. Don't let that put you off. Inside lies a truly remarkable book that will turn your thinking about the world on its head, or at least illustrate how everyone else in the world sees it differently.

Full of humour, fascinating thought experiments and plenty of exercises (like believing that your mail is being intercepted and looking for the evidence), Prometheus Rising joyfully dissects how we see the universe using examples, analogies and metaphors that will have you laugh out loud. Wilson, a genius of the first order, introduces us to a new way of thinking about money (bio survival tickets) self (reality tunnels) and a zillion other things.

This is not a self help book, but you could conceivably help yourself by buying it. Insights and Profound Understanding guaranteed.