cannabisnews.com: Robert Anton Wilson Dies at 74 





Robert Anton Wilson Dies at 74 
Posted by CN Staff on January 14, 2007 at 14:50:15 PT
Local News
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Capitola -- Robert Anton Wilson, a 1960s counterculture icon and co-author of the cult classic "The Illuminatus! Trilogy," a science-fiction series about a secret global society, has died. He was 74. Wilson died peacefully of natural causes at his home Thursday in Capitola, his daughter Christina Pearson said Saturday. Post-polio syndrome had severely weakened Wilson's legs, leading to a fall seven months ago that left him bedridden until his death, Pearson said.
Wilson was a celebrated author of 35 novels, screenplays and philosophical tomes, all of which question the basic premises of reality. They covered subjects such as extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, metaphysics, paranormal experiences, conspiracy theory, sex, drugs and what he called quantum psychology.A protégé of Timothy Leary and a leading connoisseur of conspiracy theories, Wilson RAW to his fans was a genuine American freethinker. If the counterculture issued membership cards, Wilson would have carried one.He wrote the "Illuminatus" trilogy with his friend Robert Shea in the late 1960s, when they were both editors at Playboy.The books "The Eye in the Pyramid," "The Golden Apple" and "Leviathan" were all published in 1975. They never hit the best-seller lists, but have never gone out of print. Shea died in 1994."There are lots of drug references in the book," said Mark Frauenfelder, a co-editor of http://www.boingboing.net a pop culture Web site that started as a print magazine in the 1980s and for which Mr. Wilson wrote many articles. "In part because it dealt with conspiracies in a science-fiction way, the trilogy achieved a cult following among science fiction readers, hippies, the psychedelic crowd," Frauenfelder said. Inspired by a thick file of letters that the authors received from conspiracy buffs, the trilogy traces the conflict between the Illuminati and the Discordians. The Illuminati are elite authoritarians who pull the puppet strings of the world's political establishment while seeking to become super-beings by sucking the souls from the masses. The Discordians resist through convoluted tactics that include a network of double agents. After completing the trilogy, Mr. Wilson began writing nonfiction books. Perhaps his most famous is "Cosmic Trigger" Pocket Books, 1977, a bizarre autobiography in which, among many other tales, he describes episodes when he believed he had communicated with extraterrestrials while admitting that he was experimenting with peyote and mescaline. Mr. Wilson contended that people should never rule out any possibility, including that lasagna might fly. On Jan. 6, in his last post on his personal blog, he wrote: "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" Born in Brooklyn 1932, Wilson attended Brooklyn Polytechnical College and New York University. He worked as an engineering aide, a salesman and a copywriter, and was an associate editor at Playboy from 1965 to 1971. Sentinel staff writer Roger Sideman contributed to this report.Robert Anton WilsonBORN: Jan. 18, 1932, in Brooklyn, N.Y.DIED: Jan. 11, 2007, in Capitola.HOME: Capitola.OCCUPATION: Novelist and New Age philosopher.EDUCATION: Brooklyn Polytechnical College and New York University, studied engineering and mathematics; Ph.D. in psychology from (now closed) Paidea University. SURVIVORS: Daughters Christina Pearson of Santa Cruz and Alexandra Gardner of Eugene, Ore.; and son Graham of Watsonville. His wife of 39 years, Arlen Riley, died in 1999. SERVICES: Yet to be scheduled.Complete Title: Robert Anton Wilson, Author of 'The Illuminatus! Trilogy,' Dies at 74 Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)Published: January 14, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Santa Cruz SentinelContact: editorial santa-cruz.comWebsite: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/Pictures of Robert Anton Wilsonhttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/rw.jpghttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/wilson.jpgCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on January 21, 2007 at 16:44:40 PT
RAW
He was a remarkable man. He will be missed.
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Comment #6 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on January 15, 2007 at 03:30:46 PT
Man aims to become licensed hemp farmer - AP
http://tinyurl.com/yflsh2fnord
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on January 14, 2007 at 20:36:59 PT
Interesting.
Here is a Drug Enforcement Adminstration supervisor getting higher than a kite pelaling gears, risking His health for coin... Cannabis users get less high and do not risk health like that, yet the fellow will bust those who use cannabis and get less high and risk their health less. Cycling can easlily put a person in a state of high. Pedaling a bike / gears is healthy, but...Just a thought, as I read this...---US man records 'record' stationary rideAn Illinois man may have ridden his way into the Guinness Book of World Records, but he didn't ride anywhere. Instead, 49 year old George Hood spent 85 hours on a stationary bike at a Burr Ridge, Illinois sports club in an attempt to have his name written into the book. The record still needs to be certified by the Guinness book officials, but his mark surpasses the previous record of 82 hours. Hood was allowed a five minute break every for every hour of riding, and took a few naps during his record ride, but was still dangerously fatigued at the end of his ride, and was taken to hospital as a precaution after he climbed off the bike. During his ride, Hood, a Drug Enforcement Adminstration supervisor, averaged 20.5 km/h and covered more than 1,600 kilometers, according to his AP reports. His motivation to attempt the record? He used the feat to raise $25,000 for an organisation that helps the families of fallen police officers. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/jan07/jan15news
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 14, 2007 at 20:19:34 PT
Sinsemilla Jones 
You're welcome. I was so touched by these pictures during the medical marijuana giveaway after WAMM was raiding in September of 2002.http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/rw.jpghttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/wilson.jpg
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Comment #3 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on January 14, 2007 at 20:13:37 PT
RAW RIP
Thanks for letting us know FoM.The Spirit has gained a great one.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 14, 2007 at 16:17:11 PT
Robert Anton Wilson's Blog
Robert Anton Wilson's last entry.Saturday, January 6, 2007Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night Various medical authorities swarm in and out of here predicting I have between two days and two months to live. I think they are guessing. I remain cheerful and unimpressed. I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying.Please pardon my levity, I don't see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd. (typed from his bedside at his fnord by the sea)http://robertantonwilson.blogspot.com/
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Comment #1 posted by museman on January 14, 2007 at 15:01:15 PT
He will be missed
This author should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand some of the less spoken of aspects of the "60's revolutionary spirit."The whole idea of 'conspiracy theory' was invented by this man.His insight and imagination added much color to our lives.So Long Robert, salutations.
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