Robert Anton Wilson’s famous “Quarters Exercise” from Prometheus Rising:
To explore the Thinker and the Prover, try the following:
1. Visualize a quarter vividly, and imagine vividly that you are going to find the quarter on the street. Then, look for the quarter every time you take a walk, meanwhile continuing to visualize it. See how long it takes you to find the quarter.
2. Explain the above experiment by the hypothesis of “selective attention” —that is, believe there are lots of lost quarters everywhere and you were bound to find one by continually looking. Go looking for a second quarter.
3. Explain the experiment by the alternative “mystical” hypothesis that “mind controls everything.” Believe that you made the quarter manifest in this universe. Go looking for a second quarter.
If the reader is a scientist, be not alarmed. This refers not to you but only to those benighted fools in the opposite camp who refuse to recognize that your theory is the only reasonable one. Of course.
4. Compare the time it takes to find the second quarter using the first hypothesis (attention) with the time it takes using the second hypothesis (mind-over-matter).
5. With your own ingenuity, invent similar experiments and each time compare the two theories—”selective attention” (coincidence) vs. “mind controls everything” (psychokinesis).
6. Avoid coming to any strong conclusions prematurely. At the end of a month, re-read this chapter, think it over again, and still postpone coming to any dogmatic conclusion. Believe it possible that you do not know everything yet, and that you might have something still to learn.
Here’s my results from 2004, with a response from RAW:
A) Experience:
I never found the quarter in my vividly premeditated scenario, heads up on asphalt, though after eight days of sensitizing I did eventually find a tails up quarter in a patch of grass at a local playground. (Gut instinct leans towards selective attention on that 1st’n.) Using the “selective attention” filter thereafter I only found quarters within their normal parameters, in between seats of cars, in my wallet, pants pockets, within my art supplies, etc. I consistently deemed each and every of these quarter finds as non-applicable as they were too far removed from my premeditated scenario. Though perhaps implicit within the “selective-attention / just-a-coincidence” mindset is the “that doesn’t count!” philosophy.
Two days after adapting the idealistic mind over matter quarter hunter attitude an odd thing started happening. Quarters started appearing on my computer terminal at work. Initially filed under “that doesn’t count.” So as my addiction demands of me, I done spent them quarters on Mountain Dew Soda Pop. Next day: more quarters! (still not counting) and as a true caffeine addict my mind is always on where my next 4 bits are coming from and so of course I spend the quarters again. This goes on for days! Eventually I figured out my friends were gifting me quarters as per my well known usage of Mountain Dew Soda Pop to push through the fatigue of working all day after doing art stuff all night. So eventually I started paying back into the quarter pile and now, even a month later, everyday about two dollars worth of quarters flow mysteriously through my local spacetime. The consistency of the phenomena eventually pushed passed my strict quarter finding rules and I decided that this process was a very legitimate fulfillment of the exercise. And interestingly enough it occurred to me that this was quarter finding that was much more telekinesis than selective attention. The quarters are made manifest by a non-verbal communication between me and my friends. Well initially non-verbal that is, the “quarter pile” now exists as an acknowledged function of our environment.
B) Tentative Conclusion:
Apparent telekinesis produced quarters much faster and in greater quantities than supposed selective attention. In fact: hypothetically all quarters found may have originated telekinetically, whereas not all quarters found could have been attentively selected.
C) Initial Aphorism:
One may rule out selective attention to a greater degree than one may disregard Telekinesis
CHAPTER ONE {EX: 5-6} Misc Parts Commune
A) Experience:
I devised my own Selective Attention vs. Mind-Controls-Everything experiments revolving around my job in the Parts Department of a Jeep Garage. My job consists essentially of finding part numbers in our computer mainframe of whatever particular doohickey has been requested. “I need a Neutral Safety Switch for a 99 TJ,” and so I navigate the catalog as such until I find the corresponding code that I then plug into our database which gives me the space-time location of that particular whatcha-ma-call-it. The hook being: I don’t know a goddamn thing about cars! (why someone who doesn’t know about cars works at a garage is a tale for another day!) So when people call, or come in, or when the techs come to the counter; 8 times out of 10 I’m encountering a completely alien language.
Thus my experiment:
I know the parts exist within the catalog; I just have to find them.
Which orientation finds parts quicker?
Selective-Attention:
The parts exist within the System. I just have to find them.
Mind-Controls-Everything:
The system exists within me; I can make the parts come to me.
The Selective-Attention Filter works well within a non-pressure situation. If I’m not busy and actually have the time to leisurely peruse the parameters of the sub-divisions, I generally find what I’m looking for with reasonable swiftness. In fact, the parts are there, I just have to find them. Though in a situation where the heat is on, phones ringing, three techs ragging at the counter, two customers up front: The accuracy and promptness of my work suffers greatly within the attentively selected environment. (I suppose because an element of “inadequacy” enters my situation. The parts are there I just can’t find them: at which point I might suppose myself “stupid” which only further inhibits my situation.)
The Mind-Controls-Everything Filter works just as well as Selective-Attention within non pressure situations. Clear my Mind and yes indeed I just seem to “know” (guess!) where to look. And actually in high pressure situations, I find myself not giving a fuck about whatever I should suppose as urgent circumstances. And yes indeed the Parts seem to just “appear luckily,” of course not always, but even in those situations, the whole episode feels novel and entertaining, allowing me to keep my cool and handle my Biz.
B) Tentative Conclusion:
When using only the Selective Attention filter I cut myself off from a well spring of calming and assuring themes of mind; giving me less stability within turbulent circumstances.
When using the Mind-Controls-Everything filter I find I still use the Selective Attention filter as well, its automatic, and its pragmatic value suggests no need to exert effort to disable it, and additionally reconnecting with the well spring of creative-playful-tranquility yields experiential positivity: Win, Lose, or Draw.
“Joe Cool knows where that clockspring is, give em a sec, dude!”
C) Initial Aphorism:
Selective Attention operates exclusively; Playful Telekinesis operates inclusively
RAW RESPONDS:
Bobby —
Congratulations on yr work in general
and especially on the quarters!
As E J Gold of the Fake Sufi School said
“The quarter exercize alone paid
for the book!”
& now you know where all them thar 23s
come from……