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Apophenion: A Chaos Magic Paradigm
“My final Magnum Opus if its ideas remain unfalsified within my lifetime, otherwise its back to the drawing board.
Yet I’ve tried to keep it as short and simple as possible, it consists of eight fairly brief and terse chapters and five appendices. It attacks most of the great questions of being, free will, consciousness, meaning, the nature of mind, and humanity’s place in the cosmos, from a magical perspective.
Some of the conclusions seem to challenge many of the deeply held assumptions that our culture has taught us, so brace yourself for the paradigm crash and look for the jewels revealed in the wreckage. This book contains something to offend everyone; enough science to upset the magicians, enough magic to upset the scientists, and enough blasphemy to upset most trancendentalists.”
Yet I’ve tried to keep it as short and simple as possible, it consists of eight fairly brief and terse chapters and five appendices. It attacks most of the great questions of being, free will, consciousness, meaning, the nature of mind, and humanity’s place in the cosmos, from a magical perspective.
Some of the conclusions seem to challenge many of the deeply held assumptions that our culture has taught us, so brace yourself for the paradigm crash and look for the jewels revealed in the wreckage. This book contains something to offend everyone; enough science to upset the magicians, enough magic to upset the scientists, and enough blasphemy to upset most trancendentalists.”
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2008
40 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Carroll
26 books330 followersHe maintains a personal website at www.specularium.org
and acts as Chancellor to Arcanorium College:- www.arcanoriumcollege.com
Peter Carroll began his career in Magic at London University where the Chemistry proved so tedious that he settled on a pass degree in that and an unauthorized first in Magic, with Liber Null & Psychonaut emerging as his postgraduate thesis over the next several years whilst teaching high school science.
He then set off around the world wandering in the Himalayas, building boats in India and Australia and seeking out unusual people.
Then after a stay in Yorkshire, he headed back to the Himalayas for a while again before returning to settle in the west of England to found a family and a magical order. Appalled by the compromises made by so many magi to make a living out of their writing or teaching, Carroll decided to make his fortune with a natural products business so that he could write and teach only what had value and interest for him.
Past Grandmaster of the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros
Chancellor of Arcanorium College
Acting Marshall, Knights of Chaos
A Bard of Dobunni Grove
*Whilst Carroll derides the very low predictive power of natal astrology he nevertheless looks forward to his Uranus return.
and acts as Chancellor to Arcanorium College:- www.arcanoriumcollege.com
Peter Carroll began his career in Magic at London University where the Chemistry proved so tedious that he settled on a pass degree in that and an unauthorized first in Magic, with Liber Null & Psychonaut emerging as his postgraduate thesis over the next several years whilst teaching high school science.
He then set off around the world wandering in the Himalayas, building boats in India and Australia and seeking out unusual people.
Then after a stay in Yorkshire, he headed back to the Himalayas for a while again before returning to settle in the west of England to found a family and a magical order. Appalled by the compromises made by so many magi to make a living out of their writing or teaching, Carroll decided to make his fortune with a natural products business so that he could write and teach only what had value and interest for him.
Past Grandmaster of the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros
Chancellor of Arcanorium College
Acting Marshall, Knights of Chaos
A Bard of Dobunni Grove
*Whilst Carroll derides the very low predictive power of natal astrology he nevertheless looks forward to his Uranus return.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 7, 2013
Of the two books by Peter J Carroll that I own, this is by far and away the best. A slim volume - including the appendices and index it only runs to 160 pages - but a high-level book, lean and seething with ideas.
The aim of the book is twofold: to arrive at an understanding of the true nature of magic & the universe, and to give some preliminary advice on how to use this reconfigured model of reality to 'do' magic.
Carroll, a leading light in the world of Chaos Magic, is an eclectic and high-minded thinker. From the outset, his stresses that this is a book which "contains just enough physics to annoy magicians and just enough magic to outrage physicists."
In fact, Carroll goes in for 'physics' far more heavily than 'magic' in this book. Those seeking a potted history of occultism and a whizz-bang collection of anecdotes about ectoplasm in the seance room rill not find what they seek in The Apophenion.
Instead, Carroll attempts to demolish a number of assumptions people make about the nature of reality - the existence of the 'self', the Big Bang, the idea of the universe expanding forever outwards and so on - in order to arrive at a model of the universe in which magic 'works'.
Unless you have a grounding in this sort of thing already, this book will necessarily seem somewhat abstract, because of a great deal of it hinges on a preliminary understanding of the role of mind in the shaping of the universe.
Indeed, Carroll is quite the polymath, but also quite a clinical and 'scientific' writer, and those who've never immersed themselves in occultism may feel somewhat swept along by the current. This isn't me being pretentious, by the way, it's just stating the fact that you should familiarise yourself with, say, David Conway's Magic: an Occult Primer before tackling this.
That said, if you know of the book's existence, you're bound to have some kind of prior knowledge. So, is it convincing? Yes, very much so. Again, if you've taken the time to read up on consciousness/Gurdjieff or whatever beforehand, and you're already aware of the lack of evidence for the 'self' (to pick on the bit of the book with which I feel most at home), then Carroll will appear enormously persuasive.
And, while I'm not in any way a physicist, Carroll's ideas of a 'vorticitating hyperspherical universe' seem just as persuasive as any other model of reality proposed by cranks or those in the mainstream.
His discussions of time, subjectivity and 'retroactive enchantment',(altering the past in subtle ways through subjective visualisations etc.) were also most intriguing and have left me with much to ponder.
Am I any more convinced of the reality of magic after reading this? Yes, very much so. Indeed, anyone who is prepared to entertain the idea of 'bringing about change in accordance with the will' would be well advised to seek it out.
It is not perfect; as I've said, Carroll's style is very clinical and he presupposes a lot of knowledge on the part of the reader. Actually, to put it in slightly fluffier terms myself, I think he anticipates a lot of comfort with 'big' words and 'big' ideas. However, I'm not an expert and was able to follow the book fully. (Well, apart from Appendix 3, which contains so many equations it might as well have been written in Greek.)
There are also occasional typographical and grammatical errors (missing apostrophes and so on)- but they're inevitable and I'm being something of a pedant in pointing them out.
Overall, this is a refreshing, non-sensational, scientific look at magic written from a very modern point of view and a book I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in magic, physics and speculative philosophy. Top work, Pete!
The aim of the book is twofold: to arrive at an understanding of the true nature of magic & the universe, and to give some preliminary advice on how to use this reconfigured model of reality to 'do' magic.
Carroll, a leading light in the world of Chaos Magic, is an eclectic and high-minded thinker. From the outset, his stresses that this is a book which "contains just enough physics to annoy magicians and just enough magic to outrage physicists."
In fact, Carroll goes in for 'physics' far more heavily than 'magic' in this book. Those seeking a potted history of occultism and a whizz-bang collection of anecdotes about ectoplasm in the seance room rill not find what they seek in The Apophenion.
Instead, Carroll attempts to demolish a number of assumptions people make about the nature of reality - the existence of the 'self', the Big Bang, the idea of the universe expanding forever outwards and so on - in order to arrive at a model of the universe in which magic 'works'.
Unless you have a grounding in this sort of thing already, this book will necessarily seem somewhat abstract, because of a great deal of it hinges on a preliminary understanding of the role of mind in the shaping of the universe.
Indeed, Carroll is quite the polymath, but also quite a clinical and 'scientific' writer, and those who've never immersed themselves in occultism may feel somewhat swept along by the current. This isn't me being pretentious, by the way, it's just stating the fact that you should familiarise yourself with, say, David Conway's Magic: an Occult Primer before tackling this.
That said, if you know of the book's existence, you're bound to have some kind of prior knowledge. So, is it convincing? Yes, very much so. Again, if you've taken the time to read up on consciousness/Gurdjieff or whatever beforehand, and you're already aware of the lack of evidence for the 'self' (to pick on the bit of the book with which I feel most at home), then Carroll will appear enormously persuasive.
And, while I'm not in any way a physicist, Carroll's ideas of a 'vorticitating hyperspherical universe' seem just as persuasive as any other model of reality proposed by cranks or those in the mainstream.
His discussions of time, subjectivity and 'retroactive enchantment',(altering the past in subtle ways through subjective visualisations etc.) were also most intriguing and have left me with much to ponder.
Am I any more convinced of the reality of magic after reading this? Yes, very much so. Indeed, anyone who is prepared to entertain the idea of 'bringing about change in accordance with the will' would be well advised to seek it out.
It is not perfect; as I've said, Carroll's style is very clinical and he presupposes a lot of knowledge on the part of the reader. Actually, to put it in slightly fluffier terms myself, I think he anticipates a lot of comfort with 'big' words and 'big' ideas. However, I'm not an expert and was able to follow the book fully. (Well, apart from Appendix 3, which contains so many equations it might as well have been written in Greek.)
There are also occasional typographical and grammatical errors (missing apostrophes and so on)- but they're inevitable and I'm being something of a pedant in pointing them out.
Overall, this is a refreshing, non-sensational, scientific look at magic written from a very modern point of view and a book I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in magic, physics and speculative philosophy. Top work, Pete!
August 8, 2012
Apophenia is the seeing of connection between event that others fail to see. In this small but intense book Peter J.Carrol one of Chaos Magick's supreme mages gives forth to the reader a philosophy that is much different then that offered by any other other magical system. It is totally non theistic in it's own way, challenges assumptions and throws in a whole bunch of science. Chaos philosophy views magic as a technique and regards religion as important only so far as it helps the practitioner reach their goal.
Pan psychism is the author's philosophy. It is a philosophy which tackle first the concept of identity. Things like stones, physical matter and ourselves are not this mass of inert matter. Rather we are doing constantly. In a state of action. The atoms and molecule that comprise the stone or human are in constant motion. So are we. To stop doing means to stop being. There is no state of being on a state of doing. Everything also has a mind and consciousness of sorts. Whether it be tea cups, rocks trees or human beings. The mind or consciousness is tied solely to the body and cannot exist independently of the body. Free will or the illusion of the ability to choose is nothing more than a combination of predetermined factors and randomness. Identity is another factor that needs to be examined. Exactly who are we? Our some total of personality is comprised of influences derived from other personalities that we see in the news, media, parents and friends. All are equally real in our subconscious mind. In effect there is not one self but many selves housed within the physical carcass of our body. To get through life the different selves have to compromise with each other.
Chaos magick has a very do it yourself philosophy and that include making a do it your self religion. This making of a new religion is called neo pantheism. Neo-Pantheism has eight component parts of it's philospophy. 1) Nothing is true and everything is permitted. 2) Belief and intent create reality. 3)Alchemy 4)Female perspective 5) Psy or sky faeries 6) synchronicity and meaning . 7) personal mythos and narratives and 8) Cosmic holism and transcendence.
The author believes deeply in deeply in Quantum theory. In Quantum theory an object can be in more than one place at the same time. Things are made up of particles and waves and while it is not possible to catch a wave it is possible to catch a particle. Time is three dimensional which means that it does not go just forward and backward but that it can move sideways as well. This ultimately that means that while there is one present there can be a numerous possibilities of the past and numerous various of the future. One can change the future by changing the past but only so long as it does not alter the present. Get your mind around that if you can. The author posits that the universe is four dimensional which is why it is able to hold itself together.
The author give the reader his theory on the universe which is based upon physicist theories. The universe is in the shape of a hypersphere which at it's furthest point is antipodal. All points of the universe touch the antipodal point at one time. This movement could be compared to the kneading of dough. The universe is 11 billion years in diameter.
The author does believe that there is life on other planets and that there are superior life forms. The thing is would they care one wit about life on Earth? The author tends to think not. We are too insignificant. If we made progress and evolved instead if destroying ourselves the author thinks that maybe they would be interested.
The Goddess Apophenia was born May 26,2005. She was birthed along with her twin. To find out about her twin you will just have to read the book. The book comes complete with a ritual devoted to Apophenia and the required tools. Enjoy your journey into the profound yet practical world of Chaos Magic.
Pan psychism is the author's philosophy. It is a philosophy which tackle first the concept of identity. Things like stones, physical matter and ourselves are not this mass of inert matter. Rather we are doing constantly. In a state of action. The atoms and molecule that comprise the stone or human are in constant motion. So are we. To stop doing means to stop being. There is no state of being on a state of doing. Everything also has a mind and consciousness of sorts. Whether it be tea cups, rocks trees or human beings. The mind or consciousness is tied solely to the body and cannot exist independently of the body. Free will or the illusion of the ability to choose is nothing more than a combination of predetermined factors and randomness. Identity is another factor that needs to be examined. Exactly who are we? Our some total of personality is comprised of influences derived from other personalities that we see in the news, media, parents and friends. All are equally real in our subconscious mind. In effect there is not one self but many selves housed within the physical carcass of our body. To get through life the different selves have to compromise with each other.
Chaos magick has a very do it yourself philosophy and that include making a do it your self religion. This making of a new religion is called neo pantheism. Neo-Pantheism has eight component parts of it's philospophy. 1) Nothing is true and everything is permitted. 2) Belief and intent create reality. 3)Alchemy 4)Female perspective 5) Psy or sky faeries 6) synchronicity and meaning . 7) personal mythos and narratives and 8) Cosmic holism and transcendence.
The author believes deeply in deeply in Quantum theory. In Quantum theory an object can be in more than one place at the same time. Things are made up of particles and waves and while it is not possible to catch a wave it is possible to catch a particle. Time is three dimensional which means that it does not go just forward and backward but that it can move sideways as well. This ultimately that means that while there is one present there can be a numerous possibilities of the past and numerous various of the future. One can change the future by changing the past but only so long as it does not alter the present. Get your mind around that if you can. The author posits that the universe is four dimensional which is why it is able to hold itself together.
The author give the reader his theory on the universe which is based upon physicist theories. The universe is in the shape of a hypersphere which at it's furthest point is antipodal. All points of the universe touch the antipodal point at one time. This movement could be compared to the kneading of dough. The universe is 11 billion years in diameter.
The author does believe that there is life on other planets and that there are superior life forms. The thing is would they care one wit about life on Earth? The author tends to think not. We are too insignificant. If we made progress and evolved instead if destroying ourselves the author thinks that maybe they would be interested.
The Goddess Apophenia was born May 26,2005. She was birthed along with her twin. To find out about her twin you will just have to read the book. The book comes complete with a ritual devoted to Apophenia and the required tools. Enjoy your journey into the profound yet practical world of Chaos Magic.
February 27, 2017
4.5 stars
This is honestly a great book. It has a good approach to the subject and personally I loved that fact that there was a scientific approach to it, ranging from popular science to actual equations for those who want to go a bit deeper.
Also, even if you are a beginner or someone with an experienced background in both science and/or occult, this book offers some great food for thought.
I give it 4,5 start, simply because of the chapter about "Invoking Apophenia", because it kinda killed the serious mood of the book and it tipped off the balance a bit to the wiccan side for a moment.
This is honestly a great book. It has a good approach to the subject and personally I loved that fact that there was a scientific approach to it, ranging from popular science to actual equations for those who want to go a bit deeper.
Also, even if you are a beginner or someone with an experienced background in both science and/or occult, this book offers some great food for thought.
I give it 4,5 start, simply because of the chapter about "Invoking Apophenia", because it kinda killed the serious mood of the book and it tipped off the balance a bit to the wiccan side for a moment.
June 4, 2009
Finished this one in three days, just couldn't put it down for too long. The concepts are brought to the reader very easily, it's only near the end that things get complicated for me with the equations. Throughout the book I found synchronicity with my own thoughts and the chapter I had not started yet. Easy to read 3/4 of the way, up until the point that it isn't.
January 30, 2013
From 'Vorticitating Hyperspheres' to the lifeforce of rocks, this book's a brain-opener. Don't ask me what it all means though.
April 9, 2018
Brilliant, but as far as I can tell it seemed short of actionable steps. Perhaps once I've read other works I can come back to this with fresh eyes
July 30, 2016
This is something else....not only is Pope Pete one of the foremost proponents of Chaos Magic, he is a theoretical physicist of the highest order...maybe one of the most important thinkers in recent history...I really hope that future man will recognize Carroll for the mental giant that he is, and you should by reading this book.
Just leave your mental baggage at the door and read it with an open mind. No, you don't have to start casting spells, either.... ;-)
Just leave your mental baggage at the door and read it with an open mind. No, you don't have to start casting spells, either.... ;-)
June 12, 2025
So this is a pretty philosophical take on the nature of minds and magic. The author coins his philosophy as 'quantum panpsychism'. Which is not too different from regular panpsychism. Despite his claims I didn't find it too heavy on science. As he mostly just references some quantum physics principles here and there.
He makes quite a few definite conclusions about the nature of reality and consciousness. Some are great, others good, but a few actually seem a bit ridiculous to me. And they kind of soured me on the rest of it.
One thing that i didn't understand is that he seems convinced its possible to quit having the experience of being conscious. At one point he mentions the effects anasthesia has on people as an example of this... But its a pretty big question what's actually going on while someones under. It could be it just inhibits memory formation and people are actually conscious but don't remember. He doesnt seem to know this or consider it at all.
The same thing happens when we sleep, you may feel like you didn't exist for awhile, but more lilely you just don't remember whatever dreams or impressions you had during the night since memories dont easily form in the sleeping state.
I had plenty more little gripes, but they're not worth going into. Overall, this book wasn't what I was expecting, and I think the authors vaguely know-it-all tone kind of turned me off.
He makes quite a few definite conclusions about the nature of reality and consciousness. Some are great, others good, but a few actually seem a bit ridiculous to me. And they kind of soured me on the rest of it.
One thing that i didn't understand is that he seems convinced its possible to quit having the experience of being conscious. At one point he mentions the effects anasthesia has on people as an example of this... But its a pretty big question what's actually going on while someones under. It could be it just inhibits memory formation and people are actually conscious but don't remember. He doesnt seem to know this or consider it at all.
The same thing happens when we sleep, you may feel like you didn't exist for awhile, but more lilely you just don't remember whatever dreams or impressions you had during the night since memories dont easily form in the sleeping state.
I had plenty more little gripes, but they're not worth going into. Overall, this book wasn't what I was expecting, and I think the authors vaguely know-it-all tone kind of turned me off.
July 11, 2019
Peter J. Carroll is one of a small handful of people whom I can confidently say 'gets it' - they are enlightened or have certainly glimpsed what lies beyond all dimensions, turned-around, and seen our reality - all of it - and figured it out. The hardest thing about 'coming back' is that you're inevitably forced back into this narrow fleshy shell and have the perspective that goes with it. So you're stuck using your words to try to explain and explore the inexpressible. Carroll has, fortunately, a brilliant mind, and is a clear thinker. This comes across most excellently in this tiny volume. It is an invitation to the Mad Hatter's tea party, an invitation to throw caution to the wind, let your mind toy with some of the most fundamental assumptions you had had up until this point. You'll realize quickly just how flimsy your assumptions are, how naïve, and how innocently human they were. You'll laugh at yourself and forgive yourself. And then you'll settle down to some serious exploring. That's the real hard work - the effort to stretch and expand your repertoire of concepts. Master this flexibility and you'll be able to comprehend (in the literal sense) everything your mind encounters.
April 11, 2018
An excellent book. Thought provoking and shocking. But I would not feel comfortable repeating anything in it to someone without doing an awful lot of additional background reading on quantum physics, religion, magic, mathematics, psychology, and a host of related topics. With that said, I recommend it. Read this book and dare to imagine wildly out of your comfortable bubble. Even if only to shake up whatever belief, philosophy, or perspective, has lodged inside your mind as 'true' and 'correct'.
September 12, 2022
Un libro con interesantes hipótesis sobre la naturaleza de la realidad, la magia, la consciencia y el universo, y cómo estas hipótesis se entrelazan. Puedes o no estar de acuerdo con las ideas presentadas por el autor, quien no tiene ningún problema en combinar mecánica cuántica con panpsiquismo, cábala y magia del caos, pero muchas de estas ideas dan mucho qué pensar. La traducción creo que es buena, pero hay algunos errores de edición que espero que en ediciones posteriores arreglen, un error común que he notado en la editorial
November 28, 2018
This book is a very interesting book where Peter J. Carroll theorizes about the universe. I felt it was worth reading and the idea that most stood out to me is hypersphere universe and alternative to Big Bang theory, which has the obvious flaw of not knowing what happened before the Big Bang. (He talks about red/blue shift for example, one of the proofs for expansion of the universe.) I find this kind of stuff fascinating.
January 16, 2021
Psychology seems to be grasping at straws lately, but with Carroll's alternative take it all makes sense, somehow.
I only half understood the physics part on Chaos cosmology, but I love the author's dedication, and am sure it would check out if I checked the math. If I knew that kind of math, that is.
Apophenion is a true grimoire of the new aeon. I wholeheartedly welcome Apophenia to my personal pantheon.
I only half understood the physics part on Chaos cosmology, but I love the author's dedication, and am sure it would check out if I checked the math. If I knew that kind of math, that is.
Apophenion is a true grimoire of the new aeon. I wholeheartedly welcome Apophenia to my personal pantheon.
June 6, 2019
A fine read for the discerning magician, and high-entertainment at worst...
this book engages and confronts the psyché, thoroughly.
Short but stimulating to the upper echelons of mind, engrossing, invigorating...
Much recommended to those who need a kick up the belief-systems.
this book engages and confronts the psyché, thoroughly.
Short but stimulating to the upper echelons of mind, engrossing, invigorating...
Much recommended to those who need a kick up the belief-systems.
June 7, 2023
I wish he’d stayed away from the attempt at physics and stuck with chaos magick. Simple example - he posits 3 dimensions of time and then only ever talks about 2 of them. But three are required to fit everything into his theory, so three we get.
May 28, 2018
The perfect introduction to occult thought for sceptical, scientifically literate readers
July 12, 2022
he's kind of annoying
December 14, 2025
really interestingly written book, highly novel. I don't think chaos magick needs to be limited by materialism as carol does though
July 26, 2013
Fascinating, gripping, an exciting read but I have my doubts that humans are apprentice gods, the anthropomorphism creeps in - maybe we're peripheral to the whole universe rather than central to it?
November 24, 2012
Pretty revelatory. Like a humdinger.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews