Antero Alli is an author, astrologer, filmmaker, and creator of theatre. His book The Eight-Circuit Brain is an interpretation and refinement of concepts laid down by Timothy Leary (in his book Info-Psychology) and Robert Anton Wilson (Cosmic Trigger and Prometheus Rising), on the concept of how the human mind is structured. This involves eight levels (or “circuits”), from basic animal survival to man’s highest transcendental evolution. Let’s take Robert Anton Wilson’s quote on the subject here:

To understand neurological space, Dr. Leary assumes that the nervous system consists of eight potential circuits, or “gears,” or mini-brains. Four of these brains are in the usually active left lobe and are concerned with our terrestrial survival; four are extraterrestrial, reside in the “silent” or inactive right lobe, and are for use in our future evolution. This explains why the right lobe is usually inactive at this stage of our development, and why it becomes active when the person ingests psychedelics.

I read Wilson’s book Prometheus Rising a few years ago, and it remains one of the most fascinating and incisive commentaries on human consciousness ever. For the record, let’s compare (without going into detail) the Leary /Wilson model:

1. The Bio-Survival Circuit/Invertebrate Reality


2. The Emotional Circuit/Mammal Reality


3. The Symbolic Circuit/Paleolithic Reality


4. The Socio-Sexual Domestic Circuit/Civilized Reality


5. The Neurosomatic Circuit/Hedonic Reality


6. The Neuroelectric Circuit/Psionic Reality


7. The Neuroenergetic Circuit/Immortal Reality


8. The Neuroatomic Circuit/Cosmic Reality
   

What Alli is doing with his book here is to not only further focus these ideas, but to offer a program of various exercises, both mental and physical, to assist the reader in achieving a higher evolution of mind integration. The book is structured as a (suggested) eight-week course. One major idea that Alli advances here is that, contrary to Leary and Wilson’s focus on the development of the final/highest four circuits, each of the eight circuits are just as important as the others for ultimate integration. One must be grounded all the way to fully realize the highest levels. He states:

I have found the 8-CB (circuit bias) model especially useful in its capacity for tracking and pinpointing where experience and intelligence may be lacking or absent. Used in this way, the grid can expose the limits of our existing knowledge and our ignorance—prerequisites for any serious inquiry into the nature of intelligence…. If we lack direct experience of the states of consciousness the eight circuits represent, nothing can be truly integrated. My ongoing experimentations with metaprogramming have been mostly applied in the non-drug context of paratheatre, a unique ritual technology for Self-initiation.

One of these many exercises is an intense deep C-6 meditation on earth and chakra energies. I love how he ends this exercise: ‘’When you feel done with the meditation and while still seated, bend over between your legs and let your arms and legs hang while growling like an animal. I’m serious. The growling restores the body’s natural aggression and breaks the physically passive trance state. Bending over helps drain the excess cosmic energy. BREAK TRANCE.”

One of my favorite exercises that he runs through is creating your own tarot deck using cut-and-paste collages, mixed with your own illustrations. Another intriguing one is doing a “Talkfast” (“fast” as in “fasting”): “Don’t talk for a day. Pick any day this week that you can hold yourself to not verbalizing. If and when you interact with others socially or at work, bring a pad and pen to explain yourself. The intent of this Talkfast is to expose 1) the nature of your internal dialogue and 2) the effect of silence on C-3.”

In his C-8 chapter, he states, ‘’Acceleration of perception results in perceiving more reality and becoming more sensitized to the subtle energies within and around us. These upper circuit openings require lower circuit support.” (One of his main points) He then offers up some interesting exercises on how to project one’s consciousness into various parts of a room. He also describes a unique energy-increasing ritual where one, in waking state, repeats movements made in one’s dreams.

The book contains fascinating sections on soul retrieval, guilt, conditioning, sex, and a slew of other topics pertinent to Alli’s years-in-design mental development course. One very illuminating section toward the end of the book is where Alli prints questions posed to him by students of his past online courses. Both questions and answers are pertinent and insightful to the material, and the students’ questions definitely help “humanize” the book.

Actually, the part of the book I enjoyed the most was the last chapter, the autobiographical “How I Got This Way”! Finnish-born and (mostly) California-raised, Alli, in a frequently humorous and self-deprecating style, takes you through the story of his life, from birth to working with his current paratheatre group. Re-visiting Finland at age 29 finds him getting drafted into the Finnish miltary! Some great stories here.

The Eight-Circuit Brain is ultimately a book one reads for the express purpose of self-realization and self-development. It is not necessarily read for light enjoyment. Although one can definitely just read the book for its many intriguing observations and ideas on the development and refinement of mind and soul. If willing to put in the time and effort, it seems likely that one may find the exercises within able to produce some very tangible results.

Excerpt of The Eight-Circuit Brain on Reality Sandwich:
http://www.realitysandwich.com/Eight_Circuit_Brain