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Colin Wilson

    June 26, 1931 – December 5, 2013

    Colin Wilson was a British author who gained renown for his early work examining the role of the social 'outsider' in the works of key literary and cultural figures. In his subsequent writings, Wilson explored the positive aspects of human psychology, such as peak experiences and the limitations of consciousness. He strongly critiqued the existentialist focus on defeat or nausea as an incomplete view of reality. Wilson posited that our greatest moments of joy and meaningfulness are as real as feelings of angst, and that fully living requires transcending ordinary, 'blinkered' consciousness.

    Colin Wilson
    Hunting Serial Killers
    Beyond the Outsider
    True Crime
    A Criminal History of Mankind
    Beyond the Occult
    Dark Dimensions
    • UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA / THE PARANORMAL. Wilson re-examines the whole spectrum of the mystical and paranormal, producing a general occult theory that is as convincing and powerful as the evidence for the existence of atomic particles. A huge amount of new material has come to light in the past two decades, revealing new perspectives on many aspects of this crucially important subject. Linking fascinating glimpses into the realm of the paranormal with scientific thinking on the nature of 'physical' reality, he begins his study with the powers of the human mind: ESP, clairvoyance, psychometry, precognition, psychokinesis and dowsing.He then moves on to consider the more mysterious topics - poltergeists, spirit possession and reincarnation - that have convinced him of the reality of disembodied spirits. In "Beyond the Occult" Colin Wilson puts forward a powerful case that our so-called 'normal' experience may in fact be subnormal.

      Beyond the Occult
    • This massive work introduces a new approach to the history and psychology of human crime and violence. Its sweep is as broad as it is detailed. From the time of the ancient Assyrians, with their bloodthirsty sadism, to our own day when the sex killer and mass murderer become symbols of the neurosis and intensity of modern life, this book is truly thought-provoking.

      A Criminal History of Mankind
    • A description and analyses of some of history's most infamous crimes and their perpetrators; the Moors murderers, the Lindbergh baby case, the death houses of 10 Rillington Place and 25 Cromwell Street, and many more horrors from the dark side of the human soul.

      True Crime
    • In the 6th & last book of the Outsider series, Colin Wilson attacks the doom prophets of existentialism with a different, more accurate philosophy. He notes that the existentialism of the early 20th century is due mainly to poor thinking habits & erroneous self-pity. He describes his idea of peak experiences―times when one feels more vitally alive & interested in the world―& the role of sex & danger as stimuli of some such experiences. An appendix recounts his experience of taking mescalin to investigate modes of consciousness & perception.

      Beyond the Outsider
    • "In this truly bizarre collection, Damon Wilson investigates the full stories behind some of the most incredible phenomena that have baffled scientists and facinated the rest of the world for millenia."--Back cover.

      The World's Greatest Unsolved Mysteries
    • Here, for the first time in paperback, is Colin Wilson's second book, successor to his acclaimed The Outsider. In it he answers the charge that the Outsider is just an intellectual fad, showing instead that he is a powerful symbol of rebellion against materialist society and a product of the lack of spiritual tension, or vision, in all declining civilisations. In a series of studies ranging from Bernard Shaw to Wittgenstein he probes deeper into the psychology of the Outsider while at the same time establishing the historical and cultural background. In these examples we see the development of Colin Wilson's central concern; how can man extend his consciousness? - a concern which he has developed constantly over the ensuing twenty-five years and more. In a new introduction the author, while looking back at his younger self with some wry criticism mingled with approval, affirms his belief in the Outsider as a contemporary symbol. The only difference now, he feels, is that the Outsider has never had it so good.

      Religion and the rebel
    • The Occult

      • 600 pages
      • 21 hours of reading
      4.1(44)Add rating

      Topics include Aleister Crowley, G.I. Gurdjieff, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Kabbalah, primitive magic, Franz Anton Mesmer, Gregor Rasputin, Daniel Dunglas Home, Paracelsus, P.D. Ouspensky, Wm Blake, Giovanni Jacopo Casanova, Cornelius Agrippa etc. Acknowledgments Preface Introduction Part 1: A Survey of the Subject Magic-The Science of the Future The Dark Side of the Moon The Poet as Occultist Part 2: A History of Magic The Evolution of Man The Magic of Primitive Man Adepts & Initiates The World of the Kabbalists Adepts & Imposters The 19th Century--Magic & Romanticism The Beast Himself Two Russian Mages Part 3: Man's Latent Powers Witchcraft & Lycanthropy The Realm of Spirits Glimpses Bibliography Index

      The Occult