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Mysteries

Mysteries

by Colin Wilson 1978 244 pages
4.10
492 ratings
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Key Takeaways

1. We contain a "ladder of selves" or hierarchy of consciousness beyond the everyday ego.

As long as I identified with this ‘me’, I was in danger.

Beyond the single "I". Personal experiences like panic attacks revealed that the mind is not a unified entity but contains multiple "I"s or selves. These selves exist not just horizontally (different moods/roles) but vertically, forming a hierarchy or ladder.

Higher vs. lower selves. States of fatigue, boredom, or depression correspond to identifying with lower, less capable selves. Moments of purpose, intensity, or crisis can evoke higher, more efficient selves, bringing increased energy and clarity. This shift is like a "schoolmistress effect" restoring order to chaos.

Accessing vital reserves. Modern life often constricts access to our vital energy supply, leaving us feeling limited. The "ladder of selves" concept suggests that higher selves have access to greater reserves. Learning to consciously evoke these higher states is key to overcoming limitations and accessing latent potential.

2. Paranormal abilities like dowsing and second sight are latent human faculties ("Faculty X").

There exists in certain persons, at certain moments, a faculty for acquiring knowledge which has no relation to our normal faculties of this kind.

Hidden perception. Dowsing, the ability to find water or other substances using a rod or pendulum, is a prime example of a latent human faculty. T.C. Lethbridge's experiments showed the pendulum could respond not only to physical substances but also to abstract ideas and emotions, suggesting it taps into a form of hidden perception or "Faculty X."

Beyond the five senses. Faculty X encompasses abilities like telepathy, clairvoyance, and second sight, which seem to bypass normal sensory channels. These powers are often more pronounced in animals and primitive humans, suggesting they are ancient faculties suppressed by modern civilization's reliance on intellect.

Accessing information. Whether through dowsing, intuition, or sudden flashes of insight, Faculty X allows access to information not available to the conscious mind. This suggests a part of the mind operates beyond the limitations of space and time, capable of perceiving hidden realities.

3. Ghosts and ghouls may be "tape recordings" or energy imprints on the environment, often linked to water or earth forces.

The emotions of the man who committed suicide in the Great Wood were imprinted on a ‘dryad field’, and played back two days later when Tom and his mother passed near the spot.

Environmental imprints. Lethbridge's experiences with "ghouls" (unpleasant feelings in certain places) and apparitions led him to theorize that strong emotions or events can be recorded on the environment, particularly on "fields" associated with natural elements like water or woods. These recordings can then be "played back" to sensitive individuals.

Fields of force. Dowsing suggests that water and other substances possess detectable energy fields. Lethbridge proposed that these fields, or others associated with places ("naiad fields," "dryad fields"), act like magnetic tape, capturing emotional or sensory data.

Beyond simple recordings. While many hauntings might be explained as passive replays, some phenomena, like poltergeists or actively malevolent presences, suggest a more dynamic interaction. These might involve the earth forces themselves, perhaps triggered by human negativity, or even intelligent entities drawing energy from the environment.

4. Ancient sites (megaliths, leys) were built on lines of earth force and used to interact with these energies.

The stone rings on our hills and the wild dances of the witches were all designed for this great purpose.

Earth's energy grid. Alfred Watkins discovered "leys," straight lines connecting ancient sites across the landscape, initially thought to be old trade routes. Guy Underwood's dowsing revealed these lines were often paths of detectable earth forces ("geodetic lines" or "aquastats"), sometimes meandering or forming spirals.

Sacred sites and power points. Megalithic structures like Stonehenge and stone circles were often built on nodal points where these earth forces intersected. These sites were likely chosen for their inherent power, which ancient peoples, sensitive to these energies, recognized.

Harnessing the force. Ancient rituals, like dances within stone circles, may have been intended to generate or accumulate this earth force. Megaliths could have served as "acupuncture needles" for the earth, canalizing or releasing energy, potentially used for healing, fertility, or even influencing matter.

5. Time and reality are more complex than everyday perception suggests; precognition hints at a "timeless zone."

In all probability, he was making a simple error; dead creatures probably respond to the ‘life’ rate because they are still swarming with living organisms.

Glimpses of the future. Precognitive dreams, like those of John Godley predicting race winners or Johanna Bravand foreseeing her sister's death, challenge the linear view of time. These suggest that the future, in some sense, already exists or is accessible to certain levels of consciousness.

Beyond linear time. J.W. Dunne's theory of "serial time" proposed that different "selves" exist in different dimensions of time, allowing a higher self to perceive the future of a lower self. Lethbridge's pendulum experiments hinted at a "second whorl of the spiral," a timeless realm accessible beyond the rate for death.

Timelessness of thought. Robert Monroe's out-of-the-body experiences described Locale II as a non-material, timeless environment where thought is action. This realm, potentially visited during sleep or trance, suggests that a part of our being exists outside the constraints of physical time.

6. Multiple personality and other dissociative states reveal the fragmented nature of the human psyche.

It would imply that all of us are made up of a series of ‘selves’, each complete and independent.

Beyond a single ego. Cases like Doris Fischer, Christine Beauchamp, and Sybil Dorsett, where individuals manifest distinct, often contradictory personalities, challenge the notion of a unified self. These "alter egos" can have different memories, skills, and even physical characteristics.

Dissociation and trauma. While often triggered by severe trauma or restrictive environments, dissociation suggests that the psyche is inherently capable of fragmentation. It's as if different aspects or stages of personality can split off and develop independently.

Hierarchy of selves in action. These cases provide a dramatic illustration of the "ladder of selves." The everyday personality may be a limited fragment, while other selves, sometimes more capable or aware, exist in a state of "eclipse," potentially accessible through hypnosis or crisis.

7. Magic is the art of using concentrated will and imagination to cause change, often by accessing deeper levels of the mind.

Magic is simply the use of powers of the mind that are not yet understood by science.

Will and imagination. The magical tradition defines magic as causing change in conformity with the will, emphasizing the crucial role of focused imagination. This is not mere fantasy but a deliberate act of directing mental energy, like an "eyebeam" grasping reality.

Beyond the conscious will. True magic requires accessing the "true will," a force deeper than the everyday ego's desires. This power is often latent, suppressed by automaticity and anxiety, but can be released through intense concentration, emotional shock, or specific disciplines.

Action at a distance. The core principle of magic is the belief that focused will and imagination can directly influence the external world or other minds. Experiments in telepathic suggestion and psychokinesis, though often slight, hint at the reality of this "action at a distance."

8. Alchemy is a system for "raising vibrations," involving both physical processes and the alchemist's inner state.

Alchemy is “the raising of vibrations”.

Beyond chemistry. Alchemy, historically seen as the art of transmuting base metals into gold, is interpreted as a symbolic system for spiritual transformation (Jung) or a method for extracting the vital essence of substances (Albertus, Barbault). However, evidence suggests it also involved actual physical processes.

Interaction of mind and matter. The "great secret" hinted at by alchemists like Mary Anne South and Thomas Vaughan is that the alchemist's inner state or concentrated will is essential to the physical process in the laboratory. This suggests a direct interaction between consciousness and matter.

Raising vibrations. The alchemical goal is to raise the vibratory rate of matter, transforming it into a higher, more perfect state (like gold). This parallels the spiritual goal of raising one's own consciousness to higher levels, suggesting physical and spiritual alchemy are two aspects of the same universal process.

9. Psychic phenomena and "spirits" may be manifestations of the unconscious mind or interactions with other realms/entities.

Each of us has a spirit while living. Do not meddle with the spirits of the dead.

Beyond psychological explanation. While many cases of "possession" or poltergeist activity can be explained by psychological factors like hysteria or fragmented personalities, some phenomena suggest the involvement of external, non-human intelligences or entities.

Earth forces and phenomena. Ley lines and certain geographical locations seem associated with increased psychic activity, including ghosts, ghouls, and ambiguous apparitions. This suggests an interaction between human consciousness and telluric currents or earth energies.

Ambiguity of the paranormal. The nature of these entities remains ambiguous. They could be projections of the collective unconscious (tulpas), disembodied human spirits, or non-human intelligences. Their often mischievous or nonsensical behavior suggests they may be fragmented or low-level entities, perhaps feeding on human psychic energy.

10. Human evolution is driven by inner conflict and the struggle to achieve higher states of consciousness, overcoming the "robot" of automaticity.

Man is a god who has forgotten his own identity.

The "robot" within. Much of human behavior is automatic, controlled by the "robot" of habit and instinct. This allows efficiency but leads to a state of semi-sleep, dulling perception and limiting access to vital energy reserves.

Conflict and growth. Evolution is not just physical survival but a psychological struggle, particularly between the instinctive "old brain" and the rational "new brain." This conflict, though painful, provides the possibility for growth and the development of higher consciousness.

Beyond automaticity. Achieving higher states requires overcoming the robot's inertia and reclaiming inner freedom through conscious effort. This involves focusing attention, cultivating imagination, and striving for wider values, leading to increased vitality and a more profound sense of reality.

11. Mystical experiences are glimpses of a wider reality and a deeper sense of meaning, often achieved through focused attention or crisis.

The knowledge did not come from without, unmistakably it came from within.

Beyond the senses. Mystical states, whether induced by drugs, meditation, or sudden crisis, provide a sense of intense illumination and a conviction of encountering a deeper, more real level of existence. This suggests our normal perception is limited, filtering out much of reality.

Accessing hidden knowledge. These experiences often bring a sense of possessing profound knowledge or seeing the interconnectedness of all things. This supports the idea that a part of our being knows more than the everyday self, perhaps accessing a universal consciousness or memory.

Consciousness as a mechanism. The ability to induce these states through focused attention or specific techniques (like "gliding" or active imagination) suggests that consciousness itself is a mechanism capable of expanding its reach and intensity, revealing layers of reality normally hidden.

12. UFOs and other ambiguous phenomena might be part of a "control system" influencing human consciousness or interactions with other dimensions.

I think we are close, very close, to understanding what UFOs are, and what they do.

Ambiguous manifestations. UFOs and related phenomena (men in black, cattle mutilations) are characterized by their baffling, often contradictory nature, defying simple explanation as either physical craft or psychological projection.

Psychic component. Many UFO sightings are associated with psychic phenomena, disorientation zones, or ley lines, suggesting a connection to earth forces or human consciousness rather than purely extraterrestrial visitation.

Catalyst for change. The persistent, yet elusive, nature of UFO phenomena might serve as a "control system" or reinforcement mechanism. By periodically challenging our conventional understanding of reality, these events may be subtly influencing human consciousness and pushing mankind towards a new level of awareness or evolution.

Last updated:

Review Summary

4.10 out of 5
Average of 492 ratings from Goodreads and Amazon.

Mysteries by Colin Wilson receives mostly positive reviews, with an average rating of 4.10 out of 5. Readers appreciate Wilson's fascinating exploration of paranormal phenomena and expanded consciousness. Some criticize the repetition of material and Wilson's credulity towards certain claims. The book is praised for its erudition, readability, and thought-provoking content. While some find it dated or overly naive in parts, many consider it a comprehensive and compelling work on mysterious realms and human potential.

Your rating:
4.45
6 ratings

About the Author

Colin Henry Wilson was a British author born in Leicester. He left school at 16 and worked various jobs while reading extensively. His breakthrough came with "The Outsider" in 1956, exploring social alienation in literature. Wilson's later works focused on positive aspects of human psychology, including peak experiences and expanded consciousness. He admired humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow and wrote about G.I. Gurdjieff's philosophy. Wilson argued against existentialist pessimism, believing that peak experiences of joy and meaningfulness are more real than everyday consciousness. He proposed that these heightened states can be cultivated through concentration, attention, and certain types of work.

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