The 23 Enigma
Reputedly originating with William Burroughs and popularised by Robert Anton Wilson in his Illuminatus! and Cosmic Trigger books, the 23 enigma continues to fascinate and puzzle.
Wilson describes the 23 enigma as an example of meeting TheGreatMagicianWhoMakesTheGrassGreen. Wilson admits that in Cosmic Trigger he creates a neurological grid that makes readers more aware of 23 than other numbers. This is to meet the Great Magician. However Wilson also suggests there is more to 23 than wishful thinking.
Though certain numbers have long been linked to unusual coincidences (13 and 17 also being favorites), the 23 Enigma could be just an example of Apophenia. There is also the fact that 23, being a fairly low number, occurs often in the media, current events, and daily life. Skeptics point out that it appears probably no more often in conjunction with catastrophe or coincidence than 22 or 24, while believers often enjoy hunting for ways in which 23 is "revealed." In interviews, Wilson has acknowledged the possibly self-fulfilling nature of the 23 enigma, implying that the real value of it and the Law of Fives is in how it exposes ways that the mind affects our view of reality in fundamental ways that can be directly experienced.
Also see
Hexagram 23
PO / Splitting Apart