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The eight-circuit model of consciousness is a holistic proposal originally described by Timothy Leary, later expanded on by Robert Anton Wilson and Antero Alli, that suggests "eight periods and twenty-four stages of neurological evolution". The eight circuits, or eight systems or "brains", as referred by other authors, operate within the human nervous system. Each corresponds to its own imprint and subjective experience of reality. Leary and Alli include three stages for each circuit that details developmental points for each level of consciousness.

Overview

The first four circuits concern themselves with life on Earth, and the survival of the human species. The last four circuits are post-terrestrial, and concern themselves with the evolution of the human species as represented by so-called altered states of consciousness, enlightenment, mystical experiences, psychedelic states of mind, and psychic abilities. The proposal suggests that these altered states of consciousness are recently realized, but not widely utilized. Leary described the first four as "larval circuits", necessary for surviving and functioning in a terrestrial human society, and proposed that the post terrestrial circuits will be useful for future humans who, through a predetermined script, continue to act on their urge to migrate to outer space and live extra-terrestrially. Leary, Wilson, and Alli have written about the idea in-depth, and have explored and attempted to define how each circuit operates, both in the lives of individual people and in societies and civilizations.

The term "circuit" is equated to a metaphor of the brain being computer hardware, and the wiring of the brain as circuitry. The comparison of the brain to computer hardware and wiring has been replaced with models describing the different functions of brain networks and how they interact with each other.

Leary used the eight circuits along with recapitulation theory to explain the evolution of the human species, the personal development of an individual, and the biological evolution of all life.

The Eight Circuits

Each circuit listed has each name from Leary's book Exo-Psychology after the preface, and Wilson's book Quantum Psychology pgs.196-201. Note: In other books from Leary, Wilson, and Alli, the eight circuits have different names due to different interpretations and findings of each author. Please reference bibliography section for other works on labeling of each circuit.

Eight circuit nomenclature

Terrestrial

The first Circuit is called the Vegetative-Invertebrate or Oral Bio-Survival Circuit. The second circuit is called the Emotional-Locomotion or Anal-Territorial Circuit. The third circuit is called the Laryngeal-Manual Symbolic or Semantic Time-Binding Circuit. Circuit and Wilson the Semantic Time-Binding Circuit The fourth is called the Socio-Sexual Domestication Circuit or the Socio-Sexual Circuit.

Post-Terrestrial

The fifth is called the Neurosomatic Circuit. The sixth circuit is called Neuro-Electric Circuit or the Metaprogramming Circuit. The seventh is called the Neurogenetic Circuit or the Morphogenetic Circuit. The eighth is called the Neuro-Atomic Metaphysiology or the Non-Local Quantum Circuit.

Leary's contribution

Leary stated that the theories presented in Info-Psychology "are scientific in that they are based on empirical findings from physics, physiology, pharmacology, genetics, astronomy, behavioral psychology, information science, and most importantly, neurology."

Leary called his book "science faction" or "psi-phy" and noted he had written it "in various prisons to which the author had been sentenced for dangerous ideology and violations of Newtonian and religious laws".

Although Leary propounded the basic premise of eight "brains" or brain circuits, he was inspired by sources such as the Hindu chakra system.

Leary claimed that among other things this model explained the social conflict in the 1960s, where the mainstream was said to be those with four circuits active and characterized by Leary as tribal moralists and clashed with the counter-culturists, who were then said to be those with the fifth circuit active and characterized as individualists and hedonists.

Leary's first book on the subject, Neurologic, included only seven circuits when it was published in 1973. Exo-Psychology, published in 1977, expanded the number of circuits to eight and clarified the subject. In it, he puts forward the theory that the later four circuits are "post terrestrial;" intended to develop as we migrate off this planet and colonize others. Once we begin space migration, according to Leary, we will have more ready access to these higher circuits. Exo-Psychology was re-published as revised by Timothy Leary with additional material in 1989 under the title Info-Psychology (New Falcon Publishing).

Other authors on the eight circuits

Leary's ideas heavily influenced the work of Robert Anton Wilson. Wilson's 1983 workbook Prometheus Rising is an in-depth work documenting Leary's eight-circuit model of consciousness. Wilson's unproduced 1993 screenplay, Reality Is What You Can Get Away With, published as a book, uses and explains the model. Wilson, like Leary, wrote about the distinction between terrestrial and post-terrestrial life.

The 1987 Angel Tech by Antero Alli, is structured around the Eight-circuit model of consciousness, while his 2014 book The Eight-Circuit Brain expands on this material. Alli defines the word angel as "a being of light" and tech from the word "techne" meaning "art". The title is defined as "the art of being light". It includes suggested activities such as meditations and construction of Tarot card collages associated with each circuit and imprint.

The model is fairly prominent in chaos magic. It has been discussed in Chaotopia! by Dave Lee, a leading member of the chaos magic order the Illuminates of Thanateros, an order to which Leary and Wilson were granted membership.

Rolf Von Eckartsberg also appears to have been influenced by the model.

See also

• Eight Consciousnesses
• Erik Erikson's "Eight stages of man" (1950)
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• Metasystem transition
• Perceptual control theory
• Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer
• Psychedelic experience
• Reality tunnel

References

1. Leary, T. (1987). Info-Psychology. New Falcon Press, Los Angeles. Page xii
2. Leary, Wilson, Alli, et al. (1977-95)
3. Leary, T. (1987). Info-Psychology. New Falcon Press, Los Angeles. Seventh Printing, (2011). Page 16.
4. Alli, A. (2009). The Eight-Circuit Brain. Vertical Pool publishing, Berkeley, CA. Page 42.
5. Leary, T. (1979) Game of Life. New Falcon Publications. Phoenix, AZ. 2nd Ed. (1993). Pg. 48.
6. "Info-Psychology," Chapter 12, Timothy Leary, 1994, New Falcon Publications, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
7. Wilson, R.A.(1983). Prometheus Rising. New Falcon Publications, Reno, NV. Twenty-first Printing, (2009). Pgs. 33-41.
8. Leary, T. (1979) Game of Life. New Falcon Publications. Phoenix, AZ. 2nd Ed. (1993). Pg. 4.
9. Karrer TM, Kim JZ, Stiso J, Kahn AE, Pasqualetti F, Habel U, Bassett DS. A practical guide to methodological considerations in the controllability of structural brain networks. J Neural Eng. 2020 Apr 9;17(2):026031. doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab6e8b. PMID 31968320; PMCID: PMC7734595.
10. Leary, T. (1979) Game of Life. New Falcon Publications. Phoenix, AZ. 2nd Ed. (1993). Pg. 86.
11. Leary, T. (1987). Info-Psychology. New Falcon Press, Los Angeles. Seventh Printing, (2011). Pg. 5.
12. Leary, T. (1977). Exo-Psychology. Starseed/Peace Press, Los Angeles. Pg. 14 not numbered
13. Leary, Timothy (September 6, 1977). "Exo-psychology : a manual on the use of the human nervous system according to the instructions of the manufacturers". Los Angeles : Starseed/Peace Press – via Internet Archive.
14. Wilson, R.A. (1990). Quantum Psychology. New Falcon Press, Tempe, AZ. Page 196-201
15. Prometheus Rising, pg. 47
16. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
17. Prometheus Rising, pg. 96
18. Prometheus Rising, pg. 47-48
19. ^ Exo-Psychology, table of contents
20. ^ Quantum Psychology, pgs. 196-201
21. Quantum Psychology, pgs. 196-201
22. Info-Psychology, pg 8., seventh printing, 2011 or Info-Psychology, pg. 7, third printing, 1992
23. Info-Psychology, p7.
24. Leary, Timothy (1977). Exo-Psychology. Los Angeles: Starseed/Peace Press Inc. p. 103. ISBN 0-915238-16-0.
25. Alli, Antero. (1985) Angel Tech: A Modern Shaman's Guide to Reality Selection New Falcon Publications, Tempe.
26. Von Eckartsberg, R. (1981a). "Maps of the mind". In Valle, R. & von Eckarsberg, R. The metaphors of consciousness. New York: Plenum Press.
27. "Rolf Von Eckartsberg". www.earthportals.com.

Bibliography

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Alli, Antero. Angel Tech: A Modern Shaman's Guide to Reality Selection, The Original Falcon Press; (1985) (Reprint - 2008). ISBN 978-1-935150-95-4.
• Alli, Antero. The Eight-Circuit Brain: Navigational Strategies for the Energetic Body, Vertical Pool Publishing; (2009). ISBN 978-0-9657341-3-4.
• Leary, Timothy. The Game of Life, (1979) (Second Edition, 1993), with contributions by Robert Anton Wilson. ISBN 9781561840502
• Leary, Timothy. The Politics of Ecstasy, (1970) ISBN 1-57951-031-0
• Leary, Timothy. Neurologic, 1973, with Joanna Leary.
• Leary, Timothy. Exo-Psychology, 1977.
• Leary, Timothy. Info-Psychology, New Falcon Publications, (1987) (Seventh Print, 2011), ISBN 1-56184-105-6.
• Leary, Timothy. What Does WoMan Want?, (1976), 88 books.
• "Leary's 8 Calibre Brain", Psychic magazine, (April, 1976).
• Lee, Dave. Chaotopia!, Mandrake of Oxford. ISBN 1-869928-88-1.
• Valle, R. & von Eckarsberg, R. The metaphors of consciousness. New York: Plenum Press.
• Wilson, Robert Anton. Prometheus Rising, (1983), New Falcon Publications (Reprint - 1992). ISBN 1-56184-056-4.
• Wilson, Robert Anton. Quantum Psychology, (1990). ISBN 9781561840717.
• Wilson, Robert Anton. Reality Is What You Can Get Away With, (1992) (new introduction added, 1996).

External links

• Leary's Eight Circuit Model of Consciousness
• The 8-Circuit Model of Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson
• The Eight Winner and Loser Scripts
• Totem Pill - Animated Interpretation of the 8 Circuit Model by Marc Ngui

• Parapsychology
• Timothy Leary
• Robert Anton Wilson
• Psychedelia
• Consciousness
• Chaos magic
• Holism