The essential Colin Wilson

1. The Outsider's Core Problem: Dissatisfaction with Mundane Reality.

He sees too deep and too much', and what he sees is essentially chaos.

A sense of strangeness. The Outsider feels fundamentally alienated from ordinary life, perceiving a deeper, often chaotic, reality that others ignore. This isn't necessarily tied to artistic genius or neurosis, but a distressing sense that conventional acceptance of the world is a delusion. Figures like Barbusse's unnamed hero or H.G. Wells in his final pessimistic phase exemplify this non-acceptance.

Truth at all costs. Driven by a need to confront this perceived truth, the Outsider rejects the comfortable illusions of society. This pursuit of raw reality, however, often leads to feelings of futility and despair, as seen in the works of existentialists like Sartre and Camus, who explored the meaninglessness of existence. The core conflict is between moments of intense affirmation and the dragging weight of everyday triviality.

A symptom of sickness. Colin Wilson posits that the Outsider is a symptom of a spiritually sick civilization, where a lack of tension and purpose makes individuals feel lonely and unfulfilled. Those healthy enough to resist this sickness become Outsiders, rebelling against the mediocrity and superficiality of their environment. This struggle is central to understanding the modern human condition.

2. Peak Experiences: Glimpses of Heightened Reality and Untapped Potential.

These moments were of pure, positive happiness, when all doubts, all fears, all inhibitions, all tensions, all weaknesses, were left behind.

Moments of intense happiness. Healthy individuals frequently experience "peak experiences," sudden, overwhelming moments of joy, awe, or rapture. These are natural occurrences, not necessarily religious, where self-consciousness dissolves, and one feels a profound connection or oneness with the world. Examples include:

• A mother's sudden feeling of good fortune watching her family at breakfast.
• A musician's moment of perfect performance.
• A hostess's exhilaration after a successful dinner party.

Seeing ultimate truth. During these peaks, there's often a powerful feeling of having grasped the essence of things, as if veils have been lifted. This contrasts sharply with normal consciousness, which feels hurried and inadequate. Peak experiences suggest that our usual perception is limited and that a richer, more meaningful reality is accessible.

More common than assumed. Maslow believed these experiences are widespread but often suppressed or ignored, particularly by those who fear the illogical or emotional. They represent a "bubbling-over of sheer delight" and a sudden awareness of something previously taken for granted, hinting at a higher potential for human consciousness.

3. The "Robot" Mind: How Routine Steals Vitality and Meaning.

The robot is necessary. Without him, the wear and tear of everyday life would exhaust us within minutes. But he also acts as a filter that cuts out the freshness, the newness, of everyday life.

Automatism's double edge. To cope with the complexity of life, the mind develops an "automatic pilot" or "robot" that handles routine tasks efficiently. While essential for survival and preventing exhaustion, this mechanism also filters out the novelty and freshness of experience, leading to boredom and indifference. This is why childhood, before the robot fully takes over, feels so vibrant.

Loss of vitality. When the robot dominates, particularly in monotonous jobs or repetitive activities, it can lead to a "deadening of the nerves and sensibilities." This stagnation of life-force results in feelings of futility and self-contempt, as experienced by Wilson in his early office jobs. It's a state where the will becomes passive, and life loses its zest.

A necessary problem. Developing the robot solves the problem of wear and tear but creates the problem of meaning loss. Psychological health requires a constant influx of "newness" or "delight." The challenge is to modify the robot so it handles menial tasks while still allowing for heightened awareness and appreciation of reality.

4. Faculty X: Our Latent Power to Grasp Deeper Reality.

Faculty X is simply that latent power that human beings possess to reach beyond the present.

Beyond the immediate. Faculty X is a "latent sense" or "desire distinct from sense" that allows us to grasp the reality of things not immediately present, such as past events or distant places. It's the feeling of intense reality that strikes Proust when tasting a madeleine, transporting him back to childhood with vividness that ordinary memory lacks. This power distinguishes humans from animals.

A sense of reality. When Faculty X is active, the oppressive reality of the here-and-now feels illusory, and distant realities become as tangible as one's own body. This shift in perspective, moving beyond "visual perspective," is central to poetic and mystical experiences, revealing a wider range of "fact" and the actuality of the world outside our immediate senses.

Focusing consciousness. This power isn't a sixth sense but a potentiality of consciousness, activated by focusing attention intensely, like clenching a fist. It's the inner strength that responds to stimuli, causing the mind to grasp reality with greater intensity. While often triggered accidentally (like by a smell or tune), understanding its mechanism suggests it could be developed and controlled, holding the key to future human evolution.

5. The Ladder of Selves: Ascending to Higher States of Being.

Consciousness passes from one to the other of our 'I's' like the ball in a Rugby game. Under these conditions, no continuity is possible, and we are at the mercy of every negative emotion.

Multiple "I"s. We contain numerous "I"s or selves, operating on different levels, like rungs on a ladder. Everyday consciousness often shifts between these fragmented selves, leading to inconsistency and vulnerability to negative emotions. Gurdjieff's work aimed to fuse these "I"s for greater continuity and control.

Ascending the ladder. Purposive activity, intense concentration, or moments of crisis can evoke a "higher I," leading to increased vitality, control, and a sense of inner strength. This is the "schoolmistress effect," where a more capable self takes charge, dispelling chaos. Examples include:

• A musician achieving effortless perfection.
• J.G. Bennett's experience of immense power during Gurdjieff's exercises.
• An academic overcoming depression through physical discipline.

Beyond the everyday. Moving up the ladder brings a sense of concentration and control, while descending (through fatigue or depression) leads to diffusion and feeling at the mercy of the world. The higher rungs are shorter, implying a more concentrated state. This model suggests that our perceived limitations are self-imposed and that greater access to vital reserves is possible by identifying with higher selves.

6. The Violent Man: Insecurity Fueling Destructive Control.

He is a man driven by a manic need for self-esteem—to feel he is a ‘somebody’.

The need for primacy. The "Right Man" or "violent man" is characterized by an intense, often fragile, need for self-esteem and control. This craving for "primacy" makes him unable to admit being wrong and prone to explosive rage when challenged, as seen in historical figures like Himmler and Stalin or in domestic violence cases. This behavior stems from a deep-seated sense of inferiority and a need to ignore reality that conflicts with his idealized self-image.

Decision to be out of control. Paradoxically, the Right Man makes a conscious or unconscious "decision to be out of control" in certain areas, often with those closest to him. This creates a permanent weak point where tension escalates into destructive outbursts, like Aksakov's grandfather or Peter Sellers. This is not a lack of self-restraint but a misapplication of it, choosing to explode rather than canalize energy constructively.

Magical thinking. This behavior is fueled by "magical thinking," where emotions or desires override reason, convincing the person they are justified in their actions. The rage itself can "transform" the victim into a perceived enemy deserving punishment. This mechanism, rooted in the human need for self-assertion and exacerbated by societal pressures on dominance, is a key to understanding cruelty and criminality.

7. Mind Vampires: A Speculative Cause for Human Pessimism.

They were down there, at a level of my being where my consciousness never penetrates.

Energy parasites. Colin Wilson speculates about the existence of "mind vampires," parasitic entities living in the subconscious that feed on human energy. This idea arose from personal experiences of inexplicable fatigue, depression, and a feeling of something alien resisting self-observation, particularly under stress or altered states like mescalin.

Hindrance to evolution. These vampires, if they exist, thrive by keeping their presence unknown and preventing humans from exploring their inner worlds. They may deliberately direct human attention outwards, contributing to war and societal conflict to generate energy from evolutionary struggle. They choose intelligent individuals as instruments to spread pessimism and life devaluation, as seen in the shift in art and literature after the late 18th century.

A paradoxical challenge. While destructive, the vampires could inadvertently serve as a catalyst for human evolution. By making humans aware of an external threat, they might overcome indifference and laziness, forcing mankind to rally its inner forces and discover its true potential. Defeating them would lead to a surge of energy, optimism, and the exploration of inner powers.

8. Conscious Effort: The Key to Accessing Vital Reserves.

It is our misfortune that we are not equally familiar with the reverse process: that a deliberate increase in willed concentration can also start the 'fusion' process working.

Beyond passive response. While stimuli (like holidays, sex, or art) can trigger surges of vitality and meaning, relying solely on them leads to dependence and eventual depletion. The key to sustained access to vital reserves lies in deliberate, willed concentration. This is like an athlete gathering energy for a leap or a sapper defusing a bomb, actively focusing mental energy.

Strengthening the will. The will is like a muscle that needs exercise. Allowing it to remain passive leads to mental shortsightedness and a loss of the feeling of reality and meaning. Crises or difficulties can force concentration, but deliberate practice, like focusing intently on an object or pushing through fatigue, can also strengthen this "focusing-muscle" and induce peak experiences.

Overcoming apathy. Boredom cripples the will, while meaning stimulates it. The peak experience is a surge of meaning, but it can also be the result of increased will. This creates a chain reaction: increased effort leads to a greater sense of meaning, which further stimulates the will. This suggests that apathy is not an inescapable condition but a consequence of allowing the will to collapse, and it can be reversed through conscious effort and a change in attitude.

9. Active Imagination: Cooperating with the Unconscious.

The poet makes himself a visionary through a long, immense and reasoned derangement of all the senses.

Making oneself a visionary. Active imagination, as explored by Jung and others, is a technique for deliberately accessing and cooperating with the unconscious mind to induce visionary states. Unlike romantic attempts at "derangement," it's not ego-driven fantasy but a process of allowing the "hidden ally" or "other self" to express itself, often through images, voices, or spontaneous actions.

Accessing inner worlds. This technique involves a state of relaxed vigilance, contemplating an image or feeling, and observing its spontaneous unfolding without conscious control. It requires recognizing the unconscious as an objective reality, not just personal fantasy. Examples include:

• Jung's "waking dreams" after his break with Freud.
• Brad Absetz's spontaneous drawings and sculptures.
• A patient's conversations with the "Great Mother" archetype.

Harmony and synchronicity. Successful active imagination leads to a new balance between the conscious ego (the conductor) and the unconscious (the orchestra). This inner harmony can manifest externally as synchronistic events, suggesting a deeper connection between the mind and nature. While the ego must remain the dominant partner, the technique is about becoming aware of the unconscious orchestra and learning to conduct it effectively.

10. The Two Brains: Understanding Our Inner Duality.

The left side of the mind doesn't know what the right side is doing.

A divided self. Brain physiology reveals that our two cerebral hemispheres function almost like separate personalities. The left brain is primarily analytical, verbal, and concerned with practical problems and conscious ego ("Ollie"). The right brain is intuitive, deals with patterns and meanings, is largely silent, and may be a gateway to the unconscious ("Stan"). Experiments with split-brain patients highlight this duality.

Laurel and Hardy dynamic. The relationship between the conscious ego (left) and the intuitive self (right) can be seen as a dynamic of feedback. If the left is gloomy, the right becomes depressed, draining energy. If the left is cheerful, the right becomes ecstatic, boosting vitality. Neurosis can be understood as a breakdown in this cooperation, often due to the left ego's over-reaction or lack of authority.

Need for cooperation. Neither hemisphere is inherently superior; both are essential. The problem isn't the dominance of one but the failure of cooperation. The left ego needs to gain sufficient authority to direct the right's energy effectively, like a conductor leading an orchestra. This conscious control, rather than relying on external stimuli or surrendering to instinct, is key to achieving inner harmony and accessing greater potential.

11. Human Evolution: Towards a Future of Inner Power.

Man is an animal who is trying to evolve into a god.

Beyond animal instinct. Human evolution, accelerating rapidly from early ancestors, is marked by the development of intelligence and the ability to "steer" through challenges. This journey has involved suppressing some animal instincts (like homing) while developing others (like focusing attention). The creation of civilization, particularly cities, introduced new stresses like overcrowding, which, while leading to crime and violence, also spurred the development of self-control.

Thriving on stress. Unlike animals who succumb to stress, humans have learned to convert it into creativity and productive satisfaction by developing the "stabilizing force" (Force C) against the "destabilizing force" (Force T). This ability to master difficult techniques and seek out hardship for pleasure is unique to our species and is a key to higher levels of health and achievement.

The next step. Having largely conquered the external environment, the next phase of human evolution lies in exploring and mastering the inner world. Understanding the mind's structure (like the two hemispheres and the ladder of selves) and developing techniques like active imagination are crucial for this. Accessing vital reserves and achieving higher states of consciousness, once considered magical, represents the potential for mankind to evolve beyond its current limitations and become "inhabitants of the world of mind."

Last updated: May 16, 2025