Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic [Paperback]

Peter J. Carroll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

A witty and iconoclastic continuation of his commentary on magick and modern occult subculture by one of the founders of Chaos magick. PsyberMagick contains astonishing, controversial and revolutionary ideas on the theory and practice of magic(k), the structure of the universe and the nature of the mind. It holds many surprises as it challenges many of the conventional assumptions and paradigms of magic. The author invites the serious seeker of magical knowledge to undo the basic fallacy of "being" and to learn the techniques of reaching "sideways" into imaginary time to accomplish magic(k). Done in the style of Crowley's Book of Lies, and humorously illustrated, this book is a must for all Chaoist and Western magicians. Revised Edition!

Editorial Reviews

Review

PsyberMagick will stimulate outrage, chaos, confusion, and insight in anyone who studies it closely. -- Alan Wicca

The most original, and probably the most important, writer on Magick since Aleister Crowley. -- Robert Anton Wilson, author of Cosmic Trigger

About the Author

Peter J. Carroll is one of founders of the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT) which he led for a decade. He has spent twenty-five years in research and experiment and is the author of two other books: Liber Null & Psychonaut and Liber Kaos: The Psychonomicon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: New Falcon Publications; 1st Falcon Ed edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561840920
• ISBN-13: 978-1561840922
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,253,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a vital elaboration upon the many "Book4"'s of Chaos Magick., December 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic (Paperback)

I'm not sure why the above review puts an !alert! on New Falcon Press books, I have exactly the opposite reaction. Psybermagick is very readable, and does give what the title offers-ideas, not necessarily techniques. Chaos magick is highly invidualized, I'm not sure how a book could go much beyond the formulas and algorithms offered elsewhere-it would be purely intellectual and hypothetical, and the enthusiast should consider if they wouldnt rather enjoy learning mathematics, perhaps applied to computer graphics.

As I have met a few chaos magickians, I would say that they have trouble holding onto money, and keeping things together, just like most students. Anything which will more quickly bring you through the "overwhelmed Neophyte" stage and back in touch with the "new you" is greatly to be desired.

Especially if Chaos Magick is actually part of your life, this book probably is vital to you, as chaos magickians are spread out all over the world, without the same support groups as, say, Wiccans. This books helps aquiant you with some of the societal results of the Work, and gives you a look at your potential selves.

It's almost a "Magick Without Tears" for Chaos Magick, in terms of the breath of understanding it imparts. To be blunt, I'm not really a practicing Chaos Magickian but I found it fascinating.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty and inspirational, January 25, 2004

By 

Psyche (spiralnature.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic (Paperback)

'In selecting beliefs we might as well try to go for maximum entertainment value and capability enhancement, regardless of the so-called 'facts'; for if a human really wants something, statistics count for nothing.' (pg 11)

And this represents the central theme of 'PsyberMagick', which is essentially a collection of magickal maxims intended to compliment his two previous works 'Liber Null and Psychonaut' and 'Liber Kaos'. As a supplementary text, it further develops the ideas previous presented, and indeed the rituals and commentaries assume that the readers possess both previous works.

In this work Carroll has adopted the multiple selves paradigm (or multiple selfs as he terms it). even offering an apology 'in advance for any irritation and confusion caused by the use of standard Chaotic grammar which avoids all concepts of 'being', and uses 'we' instead of 'I', in recognition of the legionary nature of the personal multimind' (pg 13).

'PsyberMagick' is predominantly compiled of brief notes on various subjects with a page or so of commentary, all in e-prime. Carroll covers subjects such as retroactive magick, magickal attack, politics; as well as introducing a few more magickal equations. Yes, Carroll is still playing around with physics, trying to find a mathematical justification for magick, which I find very unnecessary, distracting and, frankly, impractical.

Carroll does devise an interesting political system called 'Chaocracy', operating on the principle of selecting a legislative body 'purely by random means', stating that 'a chaocracy will free us from the conflict of party political ideology with conscience, and free us from the distasteful business of casting our votes amongst professional liars'. It could work, as he says 'we trust people's lives to randomly selected juries as the only fair method; should we use any less fair method for a nation or a planet?'

Much of the inspiration for this work is obviously drawn from Crowley as it is written in the style of Crowley's 'Book of Lies', and Carroll's newfound adoption of his spelling of 'magick'. Though it is still typically infused with Carroll's personal dogmas, he does demonstrate a unique sense of humour.

Ultimately witty and inspirational, this book will likely find a favoured place on any chaote's bookshelf.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Masterpiece by Pope Pete, April 19, 2000

By 

"killerclown" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psybermagick: Advanced Ideas in Chaos Magic (Paperback)

You must absolutely read this book (but only after reading his first two). Humorously inspired by Crowley's "The Book of Lies" format with single page chapters followed by a commentary after each. Includes a couple more equations of magick (for those who are so inclined), the three dimensions of time, a section on "politicks", spell procedures to attack the semantic virus commonly known as BEING, retroactive enchantment (altering the apparent past), a section entitled Heresy with something to offend almost anyone (unless you are one the few humans who has gotten over the habit of thumb sucking), and tons more. Written in his famous "precise and laconic" style, this book covers EVERYTHING. I find myself going back to it continuously and reading a chapter or two at random while sitting on the throne.