Existentialism, Aliens, and Phenomenology: Philosophical Elements in C. Wilson’s ‘‘The Mind Parasites’’

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of Colin Wilson’s novel “The Mind Parasites” through the lens of existentialist philosophy and the concept of the New Existentialism. The key philosophical aspects of the novel are examined, such as: the metaphorical representation of the mind parasites as limiters of human potential and the role of the phenomenological method in overcoming evolutionary constraints reinforced by the modern cultural code and values, all within the context of the central existentialism’s task – the question of the meaning of human existence. The piece emerges as a novelization of Wilson’s philosophical ideas, with particular attention paid to such aspects of the New Existentialism as evolutionary theory, Maslow’s peak psychology, and the phenomenological method. The novel is considered not only as a polemical statement but also as a remarkable example of the interweaving of two genres – philosophical and literary writing.