Editor Welcome

December 22, 2004

Welcome to the first issue of Maybe Logic Academy’s quarterly journal of twenty-first century metaphysical illuminism. The Academy had only kicked off its’ inaugural courses on July 23, 2004, and by mid-October the first discussions of “wouldn’t be nice if we started our own student-produced journal?” had begun in earnest. The creation of the Maybe Quarterly was as if one-hundred or so people had all at once gotten the same idea. I had never before witnessed anything like it, quite frankly. It all came together in an understanding that not only included editorial content, but also who would assume the various duties to get the first issue published in time for the December 22, 2004 Winter Solstice, which was only a short eight weeks away . . . 

Maybe Logic Academy itself grew out of interviews that documentary filmmaker Lance Bauscher conducted with metaphysical author and ontological prankster Robert Anton Wilson, which resulted in the dynamite DVD entitled Maybe Logic: The Lives and Ideas of Robert Anton Wilson. The concept of Maybe Logic grew out of these interviews, and as such, Maybe Logic is a successful departure from the dualism that has a stranglehold on today’s world. All throughout the world of today, we are surrounded by statements such as: “You are either with us, or you are against us.” Here in this following statement, is another way of expressing this same sentiment: “You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Other ways in which this dualism appears in our world is in the ‘right vs. left’ political paradigm, where all people must either be completely liberal or totally conservative.

Yet, no one I know personally fits into this categorization schema.

At the beginning of this twenty-first century, we can look at political dualism as it metaphorically relates to computers --- an on-off, yes-no, black-white binary system. This is done to limit the thought process of the entire population, while not telling them anything at all of the possibilities beyond this binary consideration. The result of dualism is that it turns an open-ended solution into a rather limited either-or choice. This is control in the deepest level possible, and as this expresses itself in the limited thought-processes of children hopelessly trapped in Skinner Box public-school classrooms, in a scenario that almost always leads to horrendous results. A largely ignorant populace is easier to control, and this is why students are graded not on their knowledge, but on their compliance with the behavioral system integrated into the curriculum.

As it states on the Academy’s main page, Maybe Logic is an “approach which emphasizes the fallibility and relativity of perception and tends to approach information and observations with questions, probabilities, and multiple perspectives, rather than absolute truths.” In other words, there is now a third choice to the ‘yes-no’ binary worldview, which is the introduction of ‘maybe.’ And thusly, ‘yes-no’ becomes ‘yes-no-maybe.’ This is a far more realistic worldview, as there are very few solutions that are simple black-white choices. Those who seek to impose this type of limited view of the world and its’ own problems, are seeking to limit our choices, and by extension, they seek to limit our very own thought-processes. 

The Maybe Quarterly idea grew very quickly out of discussions held on the various Academy message boards, as well as in the Private Messages passed between members. Quickly responding, the Academy Admin added a dedicated thread to the main Academy forum. From that point in mid-October 2004, the ideas came from every direction, every one as just as excellent as the next. The sum total of everything that you will experience in this and succeeding issues of the Maybe Quarterly is soaked with the energy and inspiration that the student body coagulated and coalesced --- into a magickal potpourri of twenty-first century illuminism.

The student body has come to a general consensus that the Aleister Crowley publication entitled ‘The Equinox’ would be a fitting role model for our own Maybe Quarterly. However, while Crowley published his journal twice a year to coincide with the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the Maybe Quarterly’s annual publishing cycle will coincide with the two equinoxes and two solstices throughout the year.

What can the reader expect from the Maybe Quarterly?

The contributors of this new publication come from all walks of life, and each and every one of them has something unique to share with the reader. Quite obviously, the Academy and its’ courses will have a huge influence on everything published in the Maybe Quarterly. Robert Anton Wilson is also a huge influence to everyone here, as are many other countercultural figures well known to intelligentsia the world over. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Maybe Quarterly will be in the reader’s own examination of how the same information has been interpreted differently by the various students. A most-interesting aspect of this will be in how the various Maybe Quarterly contributors implement this newfound metaphysical data into their own lives, using this time-honored system to help them solve real-world problems.

Whenever I think about the many ways in which the Academy has become a part of my life --- I keep seeing the words Intelligent Internet flash through my mind. It is now mid-November as I write this introduction --- and in the three and a half months the Academy has been up and running --- there has not been a single argument. The civility took everyone by surprise, and in the many conversations that I have had with the other students here, this had turned out to be quite a welcome surprise. There have been no disagreements, no hurt-feelings, no flame-wars --- no arguments of any kind.

It has been the overall intelligence of the students of the Academy that has prevented any of these negativities from ever taking hold. This same intelligence helps everyone here to avail themselves for a project such as this. The experience of seeing something like this come together so quickly is exciting, and I am especially appreciative of this opportunity, in that I am proud to say that this is a project with which I am associated.

If we have done our job, the contents of the Maybe Quarterly should make the reader think, laugh, and consider something new. Maybe it will be a new solution or a new perspective. Or perhaps, it will be a connection with others of like-mind. Whatever the connection, this is a unique opportunity at a most crucial time in the history of the world as we know it. So, on behalf of the entire staff of the Maybe Quarterly, and the staff and students of Maybe Logic Academy, I would like to welcome you to the first issue of our publication.

Enjoy! Kent Daniel Bentkowski Editor – Maybe Quarterly Issue 1 Illustration © 2002 Ralph Sirianni