Robert Anton Wilson is the narrator of the book, and the main character. The book is an autobiographical description of Wilson's explorations in the world of the Illuminati, drugs, magic and study of extraterrestrial beings. Wilson is an interesting mix of rationalism, mysticism, caution, and recklessness. His obsession with mind-altering drugs may be shocking, but he is quick to excuse this habit as a form of scientific research. Wilson admits that he is not a unified personality. He is a self-described agnostic in his religious beliefs, but then has reports of personally talking to supernatural entities. Like his close friend Timothy Leary, Wilson links drug use with space travel, and the quest for immortality. Wilson's search for new experiences leads him to quit a high paying job as a Playboy Magazine editor and instead write books. It takes many years for him to publish Illuminatus, his big opus written with a collaborator. In the meantime, Wilson is on welfare. Perhaps as a consequence of living in a bad neighborhood, his daughter Luna is murdered. This is Wilson's biggest source of grief. In a sense, Wilson wonders if one of the supernatural forces he has contacted has arranged the murder of Luna by a Sioux Indian violence-prone man. Wilson believes that anyone who researches the Illuminati will be eventually persecuted.
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