Colin Stanley – författare

When the existential philosopher Colin Wilson died in December 2013, it was suggested by one perceptive obituary writer that, despite the seemingly diverse subject matter of his books, his true legacy lay in the field of Consciousness Studies. This is particularly apparent when studying his many essays and books on psychology and taking into consideration his close association with the celebrated American psychologist Abraham Maslow whose concept of 'Peak Experiences'(PEs) became, for Wilson, an important link to experiencing enhanced consciousness. Maslow, however, felt that PEs could not be induced at will; Wilson thought otherwise and through his work sought to encourage his readers and students to live more vital and appreciative lives thereby paving the way toward an evolutionary leap for mankind in consciousness-indeed, a change in consciousness that would potentially change everything.In this study, Colin Stanley, Wilson's bibliographer and author of Colin Wilson's 'Outsider Cycle': A Guide for Students and Colin Wilson's 'Occult Trilogy': A Guide for Students, provides an illuminating essay on each of Wilson's nine major books on psychology.

The late Colin Wilson wrote a staggering 180 introductions, forewords, prefaces and afterwords to other authors’ books. Soon after his now classic study The Occult appeared in 1971, he was constantly sought out by writers and publishers to endorse their work. He rarely refused. And, as this volume reveals, these were not hurriedly written paragraphs, relying largely on his name as an endorsement, but often significant and substantial essays. Introducing the Occult brings together 17 of his best published introductions chosen by his bibliographer Colin Stanley. Within these covers you can read Colin Wilson on magic, witchcraft, exorcism, ghosts, poltergeists, the Loch Ness Monster, the afterlife, dowsing and much more.

When the existential philosopher Colin Wilson died in December 2013, it was suggested by one perceptive obituary writer that, despite the seemingly diverse subject matter of his books, his true legacy lay in the field of Consciousness Studies. This is particularly apparent when studying his many essays and books on psychology and taking into consideration his close association with the celebrated American psychologist Abraham Maslow whose concept of 'Peak Experiences'(PEs) became, for Wilson, an important link to experiencing enhanced consciousness. Maslow, however, felt that PEs could not be induced at will; Wilson thought otherwise and through his work sought to encourage his readers and students to live more vital and appreciative lives thereby paving the way toward an evolutionary leap for mankind in consciousness-indeed, a change in consciousness that would potentially change everything.In this study, Colin Stanley, Wilson's bibliographer and author of Colin Wilson's 'Outsider Cycle': A Guide for Students and Colin Wilson's 'Occult Trilogy': A Guide for Students, provides an illuminating essay on each of Wilson's nine major books on psychology. Also included is Wilson's 'Notes on Psychology' to the psychiatrist George Pransky and 'Remembering the Outsider', Stanley's Colin Wilson obituary.

In May 1956, aged just 24, Colin Wilson achieved success and overnight fame with his philosophical study of alienation and transcendence in modern literature and thought, The Outsider. Fifty-four years on, and never out of print in English, the book is still widely read and discussed, having been translated into over thirty languages. In a remarkably prolific career, Wilson, a true polymath, has since written over 170 titles: novels, plays and non-fiction on a variety of subjects. This volume brings together twenty essays by scholars of Colin Wilson's work worldwide and is published in his honour to mark the author's 80th birthday. Each contributor has provided an essay on their favourite Wilson book (or the one they consider to be the most significant). The result is a varied and stimulating assessment of Wilson's writings on philosophy, psychology, literature, criminology and the occult with critical appraisals of four of his most thought-provoking novels. Altogether a fitting tribute to a writer and thinker who, as one contributor, George C. Poulos, predicts: Looking back..., will be acknowledged as the philosopher to have most influenced events in the 21st century.A"

The 'Occult Trilogy' is the collective label applied to Colin Wilson's three major works on the occult: The Occult (1971); Mysteries: an Investigation into the Occult, the Paranormal and the Supernatural (1978) and Beyond the Occult (1988). They amounted to a monumental 1600 pages and have spawned many other lesser works.