• Cosmic Trigger I

  • Final Secret of the Illuminati
  • By: Robert Anton Wilson
  • Narrated by: Oliver Senton
  • Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (462 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Cosmic Trigger I  By  cover art

Cosmic Trigger I

By: Robert Anton Wilson
Narrated by: Oliver Senton
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The great modern classic of a brilliant rebel's personal exploration into the nature of consciousness.

"Cosmic Trigger deals with a process of deliberately induced brain change. This process is called 'initiation' or 'vision quest' in many traditional societies and can loosely be considered some dangerous variety of self-psychotherapy in modern terminology. I do not recommend it for everybody...briefly, the main thing I learned in my experiments is that 'reality' is always plural and mutable." (Robert Anton Wilson, from the preface)

Narration by Oliver Senton, "Robert Anton Wilson" in Daisy Eris Campbell's stage production of Cosmic Trigger.

Based on The Robert Anton Wilson Trust Authorized Hilaritas Press Edition.

Published by Hilaritas Press.

©1977, 2016 Hilaritas Press, LLC. (P)2017 Hilaritas Press, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Wilson managed to reverse every mental polarity in me, as if I had been pulled through infinity. I was astonished and delighted." (Philip K. Dick)
"Erudite, witty, and genuinely scary." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Robert Anton Wilson is one of the leading thinkers of the modern age." (Barbara Marx Hubbard, Committee for the Future)

What listeners say about Cosmic Trigger I

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    385
  • 4 Stars
    49
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    308
  • 4 Stars
    51
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    323
  • 4 Stars
    47
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great content, bad narrator

I tried to keep an open mind about the narrator, I really did. All I wanted to do was focus on the substance of the book. Unfortunately, I couldn't. If I said the narrator didn't ruin this book for me I'd be lying.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

L(i*i)fe rarely gets better

The narrator’s accent takes a few minutes to get used to. Other than that RAW is Bob at his best. A reminder of the power of a network of love, this page turner zooms along. Sirius-ly great!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Its the best

If you are at all interested in subjects like psychology, conspiracy theory, the occult, hypnotism, yoga, science, religion Etc, then this is the book for you. Excellently written by Robert Anton Wilson the book will leave you fully engaged for the entire time that you are listening to it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

SO much fun to listen to!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Cosmic Trigger I to be better than the print version?

I'm a huge RAW fan, and love this book SO much that it would be tough for me to NOT like the audio book. I reread it every few years, and listening to it is a whole new experience!

What did you like best about this story?

It takes you right into "Chapel Perilous" and transforms your world view starting from page 1.

Have you listened to any of Oliver Senton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He does a delightfully bad NY/Philly/Boston/Grouch Marx accent, with British pronunciations. It's a little distracting, but he has so much enthusiasm for the material it is only a minor setback. In the end, probably more fun than a straight read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes! but it's worth savoring and relistening to...

Any additional comments?

loved it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I’m glad I listened to the book

The negative comments about the person reading this book almost stopped me from downloading it. I think the the person reading this book was a perfect fit and of course RAW never lets you down. I will most likely listen to it a second time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Many insightful details explaing the science and philosophy behind the Illuminatus Trilogy. You need to read the Trilogy first to truly appreciate this back story to its fullest.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A nexus of weird

I suspect RAWs writing will infuriate some readers as he hops between being a skeptic, a heirophant, a seeker and a finder, a trickster and a supplicant for enlightenment. A mad collection of counter-culture icons appear and disappear, beliefs are sampled from an AYCE buffet. Is it nourishment? Dunno, but RAW was certainly full of it whatever it was.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

RAW is simply Illuminating!

Robert Anton Wilson was and is a highly significant contributer and communicator of a wide array of occult wisdom. This book is a brilliant jumping on point for those just beginning their journey and those seeking perspective on their journey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Meaningful and fun.

Siriusly, some readers may find important ideas here, and RAW, what a guy, wish I could have known him.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

absolutely mind-blowing

Really enjoyed the book. really enjoyed the narrator. great read overall. would recommend to anyone on the path

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!