Just reading my way throughColin Wilson's recent book Super Consciousness and very good it is too. I've been reading his books for nearly 40 years now and he's undoubtedly been a huge influence on my thinking.
He writes a great deal about what he calls 'faculty X', 'the Peak Experience' or 'Super Consciousness'. The ability we have to see beyond the ordinary and trivial, those moments when we have flashes of insight that give life a sense of 'meaning'. His premise is that we can generate this insight as an act of will, it involves discipline and a certain amount of dedication, but it is possible. He explores this basic concept in a number of books and novels. In his novel The God Of The Labyrinth , for example, he writes about the idea of using sexuality as a means of raising consciousness. In other novels he uses a science fiction form to process the same idea. I find myself going back to his books repeatedly, I find they recharge my batteries . . .
So here's my basic Colin Wilson reading list:
The Occult
Mysteries
Dreaming To Some Purpose (His autobiography, excellent)
Super Consciousness (This might be a good one to start with, it lays out his essential ideas)
Novels:
The Mind Parasites
The Philosopher's Stone
The Space Vampires
The God Of The Labyrinth
He's also written books on Crowley and Gurdjieff which are worth reading.
A website about him here.
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