Marilyn Ferguson

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Marilyn Ferguson (April 5, 1938 – October 19, 2008) was an American author, editor and public speaker who helped popularize New Age ideas. She is best known for The Aquarian Conspiracy (1980), a best-selling book about a growing, global movement of people seeking social change. Ferguson also edited Brain/Mind Bulletin, a science newsletter, from 1975 to 1996 and wrote The Brain Revolution (1973). Her work linked brain research, learning, creativity and wellness with personal and social transformation.

She was born Marilyn Louise Grasso in Grand Junction, Colorado. She earned an associate degree at Mesa College and studied at the University of Colorado. She had two marriages and three children: Eric, Kristin and Lynn. She moved to California in 1968 with her second husband, Mike Ferguson, and began her writing career. She published her first book on home economics with Mike and later focused on human potential and brain studies.

The Aquarian Conspiracy helped launch her as a popular speaker around the world. It received praise from writers such as Arthur Koestler and Carl Rogers, and it introduced many readers to the idea of a cooperative, peaceful revolution. It was translated into about 16 languages. The book also drew criticism from some religious groups who felt it downplayed traditional beliefs. In 1985 she spoke at a United Nations Spirit of Peace conference with Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.

Ferguson continued to publish Brain/Mind Bulletin until 1996 and later wrote Aquarius Now (2005). She died in 2008 in California. Her work is remembered as an upbeat contribution to the New Age movement and the broader conversation about personal growth and social change.