Author's note: This interview was originally published in REVelation magazine (#13, Autumn, 1995): 36-40. The many lists of occult and New Age philosophers betrays its authors' self-conscious youth: beginners often first learn discourse by referencing. I subsequently joined the Temple of Set in June 1996 after further correspondence with Dr. Michael A. Aquino and other Setians. This was also Robert Anton Wilson's first interview by email. At least, I think it was RAW who replied, but I'm still not sure . . .

The paleolithism of the future (which for us, as mutants, already exists) will be achieved on a grand scale only through a massive technology of the Imagination, and a scientific paradigm which reaches beyond Quantum Mechanics into the realm of Chaos Theory & the hallucinations of Speculative Fiction.
~~ Hakim Bey, Temporary Autonomous Zones.

Some may get through the gate in time.
~~ William Burroughs, Cities of the Red Night.

Robert Anton Wilson has always been an enigma. Surfacing in a Faustian Age, his writings, lectures and multimedia projects have become frontline weapons in the war against the forces of unconsciousness. A trickster-like figure, the self styled 'RAW' has unleashed the forces of Rebellion and Curiosity, Knowledge and Power, to many over the past 25 years. As the current social structures that have dominated Western Civilization over the past 2000 years disintegrate and Chaos ensues, RAW is amongst a loose cabal of anarchists, scientists and philosophers, all firing the opening shots in a war that will hope to awaken the latent creative forces in humankind.

His work is a sobering antidote to much of the deliberately irrationalist "New Age" theologies or the restrictive dogmas of modern science. Written during one of the 20th Century's major culture shifts, his many books are weapons used by the few self-conscious people against the smothering herd-like masses. RAW makes us aware of the current low intensity culture warfare in which the sacred is manufactured and commodified, controlled by intellectual castes, and challenges us to liberate ourselves from this neo-feudalism. Whilst many other authors make millions out of flashy psycho-mystical doubletalk about consciousness, 'change', and pop psychology, RAW shows us the true methods of self discovery. The landmark Prometheus Unbound (1983) and the later Quantum Psychology (1992) are two key treatises on self liberation from mental addiction to "ideals", alienation, cultured infantilism, anger fuelled by anti-parental vengeance and other opressions. These modern grimoires are loaded with techniques to move from being what cyberneticist Norbert Weiner called "a controllable thermostat," to becoming more human.

Our interview was to be conducted by email, as RAW was working frantically to finish several projects. It was his first experience of an interview by email, and he was genuinely excited to get his grips on the super-information highway; previously being exposed to International Relay Chat (IRC) in 1993. His new book Cosmic Trigger III: My Life After Death was at the printers, and it seemed that RAW was using his 'trickster' act to parody the constant queries on various news-groups about his earthly existence. Eagerly awaited by longtime fans, the new book promises to recapture the early Wilson magic that made the original Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati (1977) so special.

"My Life After Death represents a synechdoche, if you'll pardon a classical reference. The book deals with masks, deceptions, art and conspiracy - but, I think, from a new angle I haven't used before. My death in cyberspace is just the prolog and archetype of many other interfaces of art, illusion and conspiracy I discuss. For instance, Elmyr de Houry, the greatest art forger of our century - did he forge as many masterpieces as he claimed, or did he exaggerate his own criminality? Who can we trust to judge this, when he fooled the experts for three decades at least? The Priory of Sion - a serious conspiracy, a joke, a joke that turned into a conspiracy, or what? The canon of art - another joke or another conspiracy? UMMO, the alleged extraterrestrial correspondence school that has impressed a lot of intelligent people not normally fooled by UFO hoaxes - if UMMO is not extraterrestrial, what band of human conspirators are behind it, and is it is a joke, a conspiracy or something else? All these questions, and many others, relate to the basic topic of the reality of masks and the masks of reality. My death is much less mysterious than many of these other enigmas. . .By the way, some people still insist I am dead, really. Anything I publish is regarded by them as the work of a Virtual Robert Anton Wilson created by the C.I.A. Will you believe me if I deny that?"

It was ironic that the interview was by email, an appropriate place to discuss masks of reality, conspiracy and deception. RAW kept his address secret, posting using a pseudonym. His manipulation of reality extended to the interview process itself. As RAW has been known to comment, "Reality is what you can get away with."

An early influence on RAW was the work of Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983), the inventor of the geodesic dome and a leading researcher into synergetic geometry. In the 1960s "Bucky" challenged the then emerging "pop ecology" movement's assertion that humanity faced imminent destruction because population growth would outstrip our natural resources. He believed that we use less than 0.05% of the energy available on our planet. For example, since our architectural plans are based around Pythagorean "golden means" and other classical forms, this leads to generic buildings that inefficiently use space and aren't integrated into the surrounding environment. Fuller's experience with naval design, which packs the most objects into the smallest, lightest space, lead him to conclude that our land buildings overuse potentially recyclable materials. RAW saw this self imposed limitation was due to conditioned responses and thinking, and that by changing perspective as Fuller had done, new solutions, such as Mike Reynold's "Earthships," to previously "unsolvable" problems could occur.

"As Bucky Fuller liked to say, there is no energy shortage on this planet but there is a terrible intelligence shortage," RAW told me.

RAW's early activities included membership in the legendary "John Dillinger Died For You Society", part of the Discordian movement inspired by Greg Hill's Principia Discordia tract (1968). This was a direct influence on the Illuminatus! trilogy (1975). What began as a satire on weird religions has mutated over the last 25 years into an unusual form of individual liberation by worshipping Eris, Goddess of Chaos. It now has a sizeable net presence and several news-groups, and has spawned a mini publishing industry. RAW recently criticised several games companies who have marketed products exploiting Illuminatus! and the Discordians, and are able to escape paying royalties through legal loop-holes. Further commercialisation beckons . . .

After working as an engineering aide and sales manager, RAW became an Associate Editor of Playboy between 1966-71. During these formative years he encountered revolutionary artists/movements such as James Joyce, Surrealism, Borges, and 'Pataphysics' which inspired him. He read the spy novels of Eric Ambler, John Le Carre and Len Deighton ("where you can't believe anything the characters say") and skeptical philosophers such as John Hume and Friedrich Nietszche ("who believed reality cannot be known but only guessed").