“Cosmic Trigger deals with a process of deliberately induced brain change. 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… briefly, the main thing I learned during my experiments is that ‘reality’ is always plural and mutable.” – Robert Anton Wilson
In 1976 Ken Campbell staged Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea’s trilogy of novels called Illuminatus, an attempt to “do for the state what Voltaire did for the church”; in which they attempted to portray a world in which every known conspiracy theory was true.
Wilson then wrote the non-fiction book Cosmic Trigger in an attempt to explain what had happened to him as a direct result of writing Illuminatus, as well as his other brain-change experimentation.
This book has been changing the lives of those lucky enough to stumble upon it since it was first published in 1977. Daisy Campbell decided to adapt it, both in homage to the mind-expanding philosophy of Wilson, and to her father and his epic production of Illuminatus.
“In researching occult conspiracies, one eventually faces a crossroad of mythic proportions – known as Chapel Perilous in the trade” – Robert Anton Wilson
Turn on, tune in, find the others.
“The Play has the inherent magical qualities of a collective ritual… a full-throttle magical adventure”
Boing Boing
Edited by Simon Reeves and Steve “fly agaric 23” Pratt
Cover art by amoeba
Co-producers: Mark Sampson (Iron Man Records) & Steve “fly agaric 23” Pratt
Executive Producers: Richard Rasa & Christina Pearson Hilaritas Press
Hilaritas Press grew out of a desire to keep the books of Robert Anton Wilson in print and to fulfill Bob’s wish to provide for his children, something that during his life was difficult when authors typically receive less than ten percent of the money generated by their work. Bob’s daughter Christina and his friend Rasa, directing enterprises of the Robert Anton Wilson Trust, created Hilaritas Press as a way to fulfill Bob’s wishes and insure that his legacy remains.
“Birmingham, the city in England, has always held a half-formed shape in my memory: my sister went to university there thirty years ago, and since then I’ve only passed through briefly, just changing trains or spending a night or two in standardised hotels. Where better to dive deep into the stream of R.A.Wilson’s thoughts and words; to attempt to capture his elusive, charming, ever-morphing wit.
Steve Fly and Mark at Iron Man Records installed me safely inside the rock bunker which is Framework Studios, with fruit and water, and shortly we were off, engineer Simon and me, with just a mike and constellations of ideas. I’ve been carrying some of those words in my head for a while (I play RAW in Daisy Campbell’s theatre adaptation of the books), but tackling the whole thing was a whole new challenge.
How do you recite a graph? How do you describe an illustration? Above all, how do you capture for so many paragraphs that deep, rolling, barely modulating tone that Wilson had, which carried his bright intelligence so clearly to so many?
After a while, a long while, talking as somebody else for so long, it’s impossible to tell how ‘accurate’ you are (whatever that may mean); it becomes more like a meditation than a performance – you disappear down the channel between your brain and the studio’s digital memory and hope for the best when you see the light at the other end.
My thanks to the gentlemen for looking after me (and to Steve’s mum and dad for giving me a bed); my respect and gratitude to the man who provided the RAW material. Whatever you think as you listen: believe nothing.”
– Oliver Senton, April 23, 2017
Edited by Simon Reeves
Cover art by amoeba
Co-producers: Mark Sampson (Iron Man Records) & Steve “fly agaric 23” Pratt
Executive Producers: Richard Rasa & Christina Pearson Hilaritas Press
The roots of RAW’s Model Agnosticism come alive in Volume Two!
The first book in the Cosmic Trigger trilogy reveals the enlightening secret of the Illuminati while presenting the daunting metaphor of Chapel Perilous where the unprepared can get lost in a spirited journey.
Volume Two of the series presents the metaphor of the Bridge and the lessons of Bob’s early life that brought him to the wisdom of the Model Agnostic’s perspective. In Bob’s typical wide-ranging narratives, we learn, among other mind-blowing anecdotes, about the similarities between the Pope of Rome and the Wizard of Oz. Don’t miss this explosion of thought, when for the second time, Bob pulls the Cosmic Trigger.
The ROBERT ANTON WILSON TRUST Authorized HILARITAS PRESS EDITION.
Edited by Simon Reeves
Cover art by amoeba
Co-producers: Mark Sampson (Iron Man Records) & Steve “fly agaric 23” Pratt
Executive Producers: Richard Rasa & Christina Pearson Hilaritas Press
The first volume of the Cosmic Trigger series describes in vivid elucidation the perils of a spiritual journey. Volume two of the series presents the author’s “bridge” – how did Bob grow into his expanded perspective of Multiverse.
In this third and final volume, Bob digs even deeper and uncovers the masks of reality and the reality of masks. Warning: this book may reveal more about what is “real” in reality than you might find comfortable!
The ROBERT ANTON WILSON TRUST Authorized HILARITAS PRESS EDITION
“We’ve needed this for a long time “ – Henry Miller, author of Tropic of Cancer
The most important philosopher of this century … scholarly, witty, hip and hopeful. – Timothy Leary, Ph.D.
“Hilarious and multidimensional.” L.A. Times
“A dazzling barker hawking tickets to the most thrilling tilt-a-whirls and daring loop-o-planes on the midway of higher consciousness.” – Tom Robbins, author of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Jitterbug Perfume and other great books
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