Dave Wilson

I met Bruce in the summer of 1970 when I moved into the branch of Abilitism that he had established in Oakland California. He had purchased a three story run down Victorian which he had the intention of restoring. There he was running a full on branch of Abilitism including courses, EI, clearing and whatever growth technique he was into at the moment. Being around Bruce was a little like meeting Hagrid in the Harry Potter stories he was wise and scruffy at the same time, forging forward on every front of life with great enthusiasm almost with reckless abandon.

I remember him talking me into taking a grape fast with him the day that arrived to live at his branch of Abilitism for the summer. Bruce was already on the second week of a three week fast and suggested that as a beginner finishing the last seven days with him was a perfect start. After a couple of days I couldn’t even walk around without feeling faint but without any hesitation he was also repairing the roof by climbing these hand made scaffolds three stories in the air and dragging me up there with him.

I was impressed with his diverse range of interests and skills he demonstrated, in one corner of the house he was working on inventing a new type of electric motor for patent. There was a printing press in another corner and he was quite adept at writing and editing. He was giving enlightenment intensives and clearing session, and had his own unique and sometimes puzzling philosophy which seemed to have the flavour of someone from a far off corner of the universe.

In a lot of ways he reminds me of Charles Burner in that he was indomitable, bright, very pragmatic had no tendency to defer to sanctioned convention. He enjoyed the power of influencing others to move beyond there limits and yet he welded that influence with genital controlled most of the time. Like with YM I never felt that close to him emotionally but there was a unspoken camaraderie as trailblazers on the cutting edge of the growth journey.

I stayed in touch with him into the mid 70’s doing rebirthing and EI’s. He didn’t seem to be all that interested in the shift to the yogic traditions that YM took about that time and so after the mid 70’s I only saw him on the annual intensives once in a while. Seemed to me that he gradually became more and more of a recluse as he continued to plunged as deeply as he could into knowledge of ultimate reality. The last time I saw him in the late 90’s I felt a little afraid for him he seemed to be very alone as if he were riding out a great storm on the merciless oceans of the illusion of life. Like the old man of the sea his strength was always up to the job. Till we meet again.