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Temple of Set Reading List
"Temple of Set Reading List:
Category 19 - The Metamind" (1/24/88CE)
Reprinted from: _The Crystal Tablet of Set_
© Temple of Set 1989 CE
Weirdbase file version by TS permission
by Michael A. Aquino, Ipsissimus VI* Temple of Set
Electronic mail: MCI-Mail 278-4041
The AEon of Set heralds the expansion and extension of Elect minds into yet
a third stage of intellectual evolution - a point of perspective as far
removed from that of mankind as mankind's is from Pithecanthropus. [No doubt
the prospect will seem as incredible to humans as a forecast of their Coming
Into Being would have seemed to Pithecanthropus.] Many phenomena casually
called "ESP" are in fact the first symptoms of what may be termed the
Metamind. Setians should gain an understanding of the human mind's
characteristics, physiology, and potential - then apply Metamental
experiments to appropriate situations. "The most exhilarating thing in the
world, I think, is the ability of the Setamorphic Metamind to correlate all
its contents."
19A. _The Philosopher's Stone_ by Colin Wilson. NY: Warner Paperback Library
#0-446-59213-7, 1974. (TS-1) MA: "A novel concerning the Metamind - with a
Lovecraftian accent. A more intellectual treatment of the theme than
Wilson's better-known #7E [although #7E has a more colorful plot]. An
expansion on much of the historical and bibliographical data in #19A may be
found in Wilson's earlier book _The Outsider_ (Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company, 1956). Subsequently Wilson wrote #4A and became thoroughly confused
when he tried to explain the Metamind as a natural phenomenon."
19B. _The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution_ by Peter D. Ouspensky. NY:
Alfred A. Knopf, 1969. (CS-1) (TS-1) AL: "Should be read especially by those
members whose magical ability is hampered by flaws in their balance factor."
MA: "A series of lectures which explain the Gurdjieff approach to the
concept better than G. himself was able to do. If you're unfamiliar with G.,
see _Gurdjieff_ by Louis Pauwels (NY: Weiser, 1972). See also the section on
G. in #4A."
19C. _The Fourth Way_ by Peter D. Ouspensky. NY: Random House (Vintage),
1957. (TS-4) MA: "An advanced commentary in the form of questions and
answers concerning the material covered by #19B. The greatest value in both
this book and #19B lies in the subsequent practice and use of the techniques
by the magician."
19D. _Tao of Jeet Kune Do_ by Bruce Lee. Burbank: Ohara Publications, 1975.
(TS-4) Lee: "To realize freedom, the mind has to learn to look at life,
which is a vast movement without the bondage of time, for freedom lies
beyond the field of consciousness. Watch, but don't stop and interpret, 'I
am free' - then you're living in a memory of something that has gone. To
understand and live now, everything of yesterday must die."
19E. _The Brain Revolution_ by Marilyn Ferguson. NY: Bantam Books #553-
08412-225, 1975. (TS-3) MA: "An easy-to-read summary of the physiology of
the brain to the extent that it is mapped. Well-researched and documented.
This book is an excellent jumping-off point for further investigations. An
especially interesting section describes the weaknesses and vulnerabilities
of the brain to physical and psychological stimuli or deprivation. In other
words, the mind is affected by the body more than most persons realize. This
is important to the magician in control both of self and of others."
19F. _Physical Control of the Mind: Towards a Psychocivilized Society_ by
Jose' M.R. Delgado, M.D. NY: Harper and Row (Harper Colophon Books), 1969.
(TS-4) MA: "Delgado, Professor of Physiology at Yale University, is one of
the most distinguished authorities in the field of Electrical/chemical
Stimulation of the Brain (ESB). This book is necessarily dated, but it is so
well-written that it deserves to be perused as a preface to more recent
works on the subject. In various sections of the text, Delgado discusses ESB
techniques and experiments, clinical & psychological applications of ESB,
the definition of the mind and 'soul' as distinct from the brain, and the
many ethical issues involved in such a line of research. For a discussion of
the Central Intelligence Agency's ESB experiments, see _Operation Mind
Control_ by W.H. Bowart (NY: Dell #0-44016755-8, 1978). See also _The Search
for the 'Manchurian Candidate'_ by John Marks (NY: Times Books, 1979). See
also #19X."
19G. _The Psychology of Anomalous Experience_ by Graham Reed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. (TS-4) MA: "Reed is Professor of Psychology
at Canada's York University. This book addresses unusual, irregular, and
puzzling experiences - deja' vu, illusions, delusions, hallucinations, etc.
- in terms of the mind's normal psychological processes of gathering,
monitoring, processing, and storing information. Drawing from the _Existenz_
of Jaspers (#16B) and others who have stressed the distinction between the
form and content of psychological experience, Reed approaches the border
between psychology and philosophy. An extremely useful reference text for
the magician who is attempting to identify valid mental vs. Metamental
impressions."
19H. _The Roots of Coincidence_ by Arthur Koestler. NY: Vintage Books #V-
934, 1972. (TS-3) MA: "The debate over the sense/nonsense of parapsychology
rages on. To date _Psi_ has not yet been proven to standards of scientific
law, but then neither have a great many other interesting and useful
phenomena. In their anxiety to gain academic respectability,
parapsychologists have been easy victims for the Uri Gellers and other
opportunists and fringe-occultists. This book by Koestler cuts through all
the confusion and discusses the concepts of telepathy, psychokinesis,
precognition, ESP, and clairvoyance in a rational and logical context.
Subsections relate the concepts to Einsteinian theories of physics and
fields, and to the controversial theories of Lamarck and Kammerer. Selected
theories in this book were later tested by Koestler, and the results were
compiled as The Challenge of Chance by Alister & Robert Hardie and Koestler
(NY: Vintage Books #V-393, 1975). The physical, physiological,
philosophical, and metaphysical conclusions drawn by Koestler from his
cumulative research are set forth in his _Janus: A Summing Up_ (NY: Random
House, 1978), recommended as a complement to the aforementioned earlier
works."
19I. _Design for Destiny_ by Edward W. Russell. NY: Ballantine Books #23405,
1971. (TS-3) -and-
19J. _The Fields of Life: Our Links with the Universe_ by Dr. Harold Saxon
Burr. NY: Ballantine Books #23559, 1972. (TS-4) MA: "During a period of more
than forty years, Burr and his colleagues at the Yale University School of
Medicine conducted research that indicated the existence of electrodynamic
fields surrounding an permeating living entities. Even more interesting was
the evidence that these fields can be 'mapped', and that changes in the
fields can be used for diagnostic purposes. [See also #17F.] #19J is Burr's
own account of his research; it is both more technical and more scholarly
than #19I (which is a deliberately sensationalized speculation on the
possible implications of the L-field theory). Accordingly #19J may be
considered a work of scientific calibre, while #19I is more along the lines
of 'food for thought'. For example, #19I hypothesizes the existence of
similar fields for thought ('T-fields'), which might be a way out of the
difficulty of justifying ESP in terms of energy required for electronic
transmission. Normal electrical thought impulses are too weak to pass
through the skull, much less the air beyond."
19K. _The Game of Wizards: Psyche, Science, and Symbol in the Occult_ by
Charles Ponce. Baltimore: Penguin Books #3864, 1975. (TS-3) MA: "Ponce is a
member of the C.G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology [see also
#14C]. In this book he attempts to formulate the connection between the
human psyche and the 'occult', and on the whole he is successful. The reader
will note the influence of #19I/J in his methodology. Ponce's only problem
is that he is a neo-Cabalist; hence he hangs himself by one foot from the
Tree of Life. His book is interesting and provocative nevertheless."
19L. _Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes_ by Jacques Ellul. NY:
Vintage Books #V-874, 1973. (TS-3) MA: "Between objective truth and the
subjective individual lies interpretation, and the deliberate manipulation
of this interpretation is called 'propaganda'. This book defines the
concept, illustrates its social applications & effects, and evaluates its
psychological consequences in a careful, scholarly manner. [For a specific
discussion of the use of propaganda in religion, see William Sargent's
_Battle for the Mind: A Physiology of Conversion and Brainwashing_ (NY:
Harper & Row Perennial Library #P-231, 1957).]"
19M(1). _The Crack in the Cosmic Egg_ by Joseph Chilton Pearce. NY:
Washington Square Press #41648-0, 1971.
19M(2). _Exploring the Crack in the Cosmic Egg_ by Joseph Chilton Pearce.
NY: Washington Square Press #83118-6, 1974.
(TS-3) MA: "A philosophical exploration into the human body's ability, both
conscious and unconscious, to alter objective reality, with both
physiological and philosophical [don Juan, Christ, etc.] case studies.
Necessarily Pearce investigates the conceptual processes involved in
'thinking' and finds that the entire body - not just the 'roof brain' - is
involved in the process. Many actual principles applicable to ritual magic,
ESP, and PK phenomena may be uncovered, if only to the extent of a crack, in
these intriguing works. [Compare also with #19I/J.]"
19N. _The Deep Self_ by John C. Lilly, M.D. NY: Warner Books #33-023, 1977.
(TS-5) MA: "Lilly has achieved prominence [or notoriety] as the principal
proponent of, and experimentor with the sensory deprivation tank during the
last two decades. This book summarizes and analyzes the findings of his
earlier books and reports, and offers practical guidance concerning the
construction and use of isolation tanks. Lilly, who along with his work was
portrayed in the 1981 film _Altered States_, comments: 'In the province of
the mind, what one believes to be true either is true or becomes true within
certain limits. These limits are to be found experientally and
experimentally. When the limits are determined, it is found that they are
further beliefs to be transcended. In the province of the mind, there are no
limits. The body imposes definite limits.'"
19O. _A New Model of the Universe_ by Peter D. Ouspensky. NY: Alfred A.
Knopf, 1931 [reprinted Random House (Vintage Books), 1971]. (TS-3) MA: "A
series of essays addressing various problems of esoterica according to what
Ouspensky calls the 'psychological method'. He surveys many Eastern and
Western cultural traditions, together with modern scientific principles, in
an attempt to find common threads. The title of the book is somewhat
misleading, because the book does not comprise an integrated argument
towards a particular conclusion. [The title is actually that of one of the
included essays.] I would recommend #19B and #19C first, after which one
will be sufficiently familiar with Ouspensky's idiom to derive the greatest
benefit from his essays."
19P. _Behavior Control_ by Perry London. NY: Harper & Row, 1969. (CS-3) AL:
"A Satanic glimpse into the very near future. As this book was too hot for
most markets, it might be difficult to obtain."
19Q. _The Myth of Mental Illness_ by Thomas S. Szasz. NY: Dell Publishing
Co., 1961. (CS-3) AL: "A scathing indictment against the Judaeo/Christian
glorification of weakness and inadequacy which has fostered the psychic
vampire. A fine book by a courageous writer."
19R. _The Manufacture of Madness_ by Thomas S. Szasz. NY: Dell Publishing
Co., 1970. (TS-3) MA: "An incisive comparison of the philosophy and methods
of the medieval Inquisition with those of the modern mental health
profession, specifically with reference to involuntary mental
hospitalization. Szasz is an M.D. who is motivated by outrage at what he
perceives as unethical practices within his profession. In this volume he
explains how an initial, tacit decision is made to consider a deviant - as
an 'Other' (i.e. something less than a 'normal' human being), whereupon any
social, religious, or humanistic rights that 'normal' humans have may be
denied him with impunity. Once accorded 'Other' status, the unfortunate
victim becomes the helpless plaything of the society and its officials. In
this sense a medieval person accused of witchcraft, a concentration-camp
inmate, and a member of contemporary society declared legally insane are all
'Others'. For a series of historical readings illustrating the progress of
this phenomenon, see Szasz' _The Age of Madness_ (NY: Doubleday Anchor
Books, 1973)."
19S. _The Secret of the Golden Flower_ by Richard Wilhelm (Trans.). London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1931. (TS-3) MA: "A classic of Chinese Taoism
describing the process of the attainment of transcendental existence by the
means of creating a mandala from the personal subconscious. An oriental
approach to the premises of #19M, as well as being one of the key influences
in the magical philosophy of W.B. Yeats [see #10H]."
19T. _Wilhelm Reich: Life Force Explorer_ by James Wyckoff. Greenwich,
Conn.: Fawcett Publications #449-00586-095, 1973. (TS-3) MA: "A thoughtful,
carefully researched, and succinct biography of Reich, including synopses of
his various theories. An excellent 'first book' to read to become acquainted
with this 20th-century 'Dr. Frankenstein'. For a more detailed account of
his controversial theory of life energy, see Ola Raknes, Ph.D., _Wilhelm
Reich and Orgonomy_ (Baltimore, Maryland: Penguin Books #A1472, 1971). See
also #14A, as well as my _Cloven Hoof_ article 'The Frankenstein Legacy'
[reprinted as Appendix 75 in #6N]."
19U. _An End to Ordinary History_ by Michael Murphy. Los Angeles: J.P.
Tarcher [distributed by Houghton Mifflin], 1982. (TS-4) MA: "Like many other
works on this list, this book is an iceberg-tip. The entire field of
parapsychological research in the Soviet Union and other communist countries
has long lain under a blanket of semi-suppression - not because such
research is discredited, but rather because it is considered a potentially
vital state secret. Since the publication of Ostrander & Schroeder's
_Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain_ in 1970, there hasn't been
much written outside of obscure technical material [which is fine for the
Temple's archives but inconvenient for individual Setians' libraries]. #19U
is a novel, but derives much of its 'fiction' from Murphy's extensive
experience in this field in collaboration with the 'Transformation Project',
a San Francisco-centered data base of human consciousness evolution. See
also _Jacob Atabet_ by the same author. Murphy is co-founder of California's
famous Esalen Institute at Big Sur."
19V. _The Soulsucker_ by Ted Sabine. NY: Pinnacle Books, 1975. (TS-3)
Robertt Neilly IV*: "The main character in this novel has a functioning
Metamind. Its understanding of the human mind enables it to convey mental
suggestions to humans, including bodily sensations, moods, and time & sense
perception."
19W. _Mind Wars_ by Ron McRae. NY: St. Martin's Press, 1984. (TS-3) MA: "An
update to _Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain_ with a military
flavor, written not by scientists but by one of Jack Anderson's
sensationalistic journalists. Nevertheless this is a rather impressively
researched and written book, packed with data found nowhere else outside of
classified government research reports. McRae analyzes the 'remote viewing'
experiments conducted amongst much fanfare & big bucks by the Stanford
Research Institute [see #2O] and concludes [as I do] that their results are
unconvincing. Excellent chapter entitled 'The Need to Believe' on wishful
thinking concerning Psi phenomena. The debunking of phony psychics like Uri
Geller is treated. The chapter on the 'First Earth Battalion' is zany; its
deletion would have improved the book. There is an excellent 12-page
bibliography, listing both classified and unclassified sources."
19X. _Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion_ by Martin A Lee
and Bruce Shlain. NY: Grove Press, 1985. (TS-3) MA: "This is an
oversize/345-page paperback which takes the reader on a behind-the-scenes
tour of the psychedelic/hippie/new left culture of the United States ~
interrelated with the covert drug exploration, money laundering, and
clandestine dealing programs of the private and public sectors. It is a tour
to leave even the most cynical & suspicious Satanist thoroughly stunned at
the calculating 'machinery' operating behind the apparently-innocent
peace/love movement of the '60s/'70s. This story does not devalue the
genuine idealisms of some of the more visionary and idealistic people
described in #4K, but it does show that every silver cloud has its dark
lining - to rearrange the aphorism a bit! In this case the lining was/is a
very dark one indeed."
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