Reading, listening and watching recommendations

Fuck. I’ve not posted here since October 2009.

So what have I been doing during the last 18 months or so? All kinds of stuff – like moving house and starting a new business, which I may elaborate on another time.

The last 3 years have been a period of expansion in my views of  society, politics, science and myself. I avoided institutional education as a younger man, and over the last couple of years I’ve made up for that in reading and listening to things that interest me. So I thought I’d list some of the things that have grabbed me during that time; the things that have left a lasting impression.

I intend this post to be a work in progress. I’ll add other influences as the muse takes me/if I get time.

Illuminatus! Trilogy (Audiobook)

I must have listened to this at least a dozen times. Although it’s a satire with tons of hidden jokes most won’t get the first time ’round, the ideas on liberty (or to speak more bluntly, anarchism) articulated – for the first time – my own muddled ideas. It also lead me further down the rabbit hole of majick or – as I prefer to view it – practical psychology.

Because the plot shifts around time tracks, sub-plots and perspectives, I’d recommend the audiobook version to begin with. It makes it easier to digest – and Ken Campbell’s reading of Part 1 is stunning.

Maybe Logic

Continuing the theme, Maybe Logic is a film about one of the co-authors of the Illuminatus! Trilogy, Robert Anton Wilson. His ideas – especially “non-simultaneously apprehended interacting processing” – took months to digest, but Christ, when they sink in, your view on your reality is skewed a good few degrees.

Here’s a link to the video.

(If it’s no longer up, Google “maybe logic” and you should find it.)

The C-Realm Podcast

This has been a big, persistent, yet gentle influence since I first got an iphone. This, and the Psychedelic Salon, were podcasts recommended to me by a twitter user whose name escapes me.

If you listen to the C-Realm, you’ll know the C stands for consciousness. Consciousness is certainly one of the topics discussed, but others include peak oil, collapse, economics, UFO’s, psychedelics, crop circles – and other fascinating subjects. Some would say fringe subjects. And usually, fringe subjects tend to bring out some quite ignorant, fanatical eejits who argue moronically from either end of the spectrum of views. Not so on the C-Realm. KMO, the man behind the podcast, brings balance and intelligence to some  pretty “out there” subjects – and occasionally some “out there” guests.

I can’t recommend the C-Realm enough. To me, it’s a weekly dose of sanity, contemplation and education in my sometimes buzzing, frenetic world.

Here’s a link.

The Psychedelic Salon

Another podcast, but a little different to the C-Realm. Introduced by Lorenzo, The Psychedelic Salon has introduced me to Tim Leary, Alan Watts, and Terrence McKenna – all of whom have influenced my thinking greatly. The podcast consists of archived interviews from the pioneers of psychedelic research, philosophy and psychology. Again, highly recommended if you want to work out what’s going on – inside and out.

Here’s the link.