Quantum Psychology: How Brain Software Programs You and Your World (Revised)

by Robert Anton Wilson

Book Overview

Quantum Psychology offers a coherent and humorous description of how our thoughts, values and behaviors have been colored by our use of language and our prevailing view of the universe. While Quantum... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1561840718
• ISBN13: 9781561840717
• Release Date: June 1990
• Publisher: New Falcon Publications
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Niels Bohr Meets the Buddha

This book revisits the notion that while your brain doesn't actually create the universe, it does create the model of the universe that you are aware of and experience. Many well thought-out concepts; ideal for those who need a different perpective to get them out of a psychological rut. The chapter on the E Prime language was a good laugh. It is the exact opposite of what they taught us in journalism class. Wilson, as always, inspires. My totally unbiased opinion: he is a national treasure.

One of the best books to straighten out your curves, and curve your straightness

wow, this is one hell of a book. If you are familiar with Robert Anton Wilson, and have not read this book yet, you will love it. Robots, I mean humans, are programmed by our language that we use, our beliefs, and models of the universe, thus limiting us in understanding life and each other. We often tend to categorize or file everything, everyone, and every situation into certain prejudices. Aristotelian logic puts everything into yes/no, this or that, good/evil, one or the other. Wilson talks about 'maybe logic', as well as general semantics (Alfred Korzybski), dismantles hard 'science', and links quantum theory with our neurological brain patterns. This book, along with the exercises may help you break free of most conditioning, and expand to your mind to infinite possibilities of interactive perception.

Do us All a Favor and Read This Book

Three important words: "read this book." Three much more important words: "Do the exercises." Some readers may have already encountered the main principles of this work, either in other books by RAW or by studying general-semantics; I still think it a valuable epitome of some very useful ideas. If nothing else, I think it would reduce the number of Internet arguments that start with "As you could plainly see if you had simply READ what I WROTE ..." which would certainly rank as an improvement in MY world.I approach anything with "Quantum" in the title with a skeptical eye, as I feel the current fashion for explaining everything from ghosts to the impossibility of artificial intelligence by reference to quantum uncertainty, quantum coupling, etc., could use either a strong dose of real physics or just a good long rest. On the other hand, many people still live in the clockwork universe of Newton or even the commonsense world of Aristotle, years after the work of Einstein, Schroedinger, Heisenberg, Goedel, "etc.," revealed the cracks in the foundations of classical and naive physics and mathematics, so anything that raises awareness of these changes in the intellectual climate will have some good effects down the line.I once referred to general-semantics as "21st Century Zen Epistemology," which might fit _Quantum Psychology_ as well. RAW has laid out a series of observations and a program of exercises that can, quite simply, make your mind work better, unless you are among the one in a scadzillion who has already completed the work.Please don't fool yourself on this point! Read the book anyway.Do the work. Do us all a favor, first of all yourself.

one of his very best

I have serious disagreements with R. A. Wilson's whole approach, but I must give the devil his due. This is such a clear and concise presentation of his philosophical system and such an effortless display of understanding of all the most fundamental philosophical issues in the whole history of Western thought (the introduction should be required reading for every freshman humanities student) that only a writer of his education and skill level could possibly have pulled it off. In terms of subject matter it's the same as all his other books (minus his worst excesses), so don't go looking for anything groundbreaking, but if you're new to Wilson or haven't figured him out yet, by all means get this one.

And the definition of "is" is?

Maybe this is what Clinton was referring to in his infamous linguistic/legal moment before the Star Inquisition. All joking aside, this book is a MUST read for anyone wanting to start getting rid of the semantic spooks in their psyche. This undefinable book of wisdom that weaves a coherent thesis out of such diverse topics as semantics, psychology, physics, model agnosticism and subtle humor makes clear better than anything out there just how much our perceptions and behavior are controlled/influenced by embedded language biases. Just learning to write in e-prime (english without the word "is") makes the book a worthwhile experience. Quantum Psychology opened me to a whole new way of thinking and perceiving, and that is something I can say but very few other books. I truly had no idea the robotizing effect language has on our behavior and perceptions--its not a discovery you can be "told"--you must experience it through the exercises in this book. You owe it to yourself to check this one out.