The Playboy Editor Who Shifted Reality
Notes on abandoning dogma from a 1960s psychonaut
Is “reality” what we can see in front of us? What we can touch, taste, or smell? Is it individual, or collective? Universal, or culturally specific? Is there just one reality, or many? If any of these questions resonate with you, you’re not alone. Philosophers, theologians, and intoxicated college students have pondered the nature of reality since time immemorial, but in daily life, most of us don’t stop to really consider how we define the nature of the real.
Once we do, it becomes clear that there is a deep, coiling rabbit hole to fall down, often with more questions than answers. Generally, we don’t need to question the nature of reality, because there are more pressing things to take care of like cooking dinner or paying rent. But if you are the type of person who asks these questions once in a while, and you’re looking for a guide on the journey, you could do a lot worse than to become familiar with the fascinating, witty, and often challenging writing of one Robert Anton Wilson: writer, Playboy editor, and psychonaut.
Here’s a quick primer: Robert Anton Wilson — often abbreviated to RAW by fans of his work — was born in Brooklyn in 1932. After working as a freelance journalist and ad copywriter in his twenties, he became an associate editor…
