Occultism deals with the hidden laws which are supposed to exist in the human being and in the universe. It studies them through their experience, use and mastery. The objective of a committed occult practitioner entails the manifestation of these laws in the perceptible world. An occultist perfects themself by developing hidden powers which are believed to go beyond the classical field of contemporary physics, chemistry or biology. He performs specific practices in order to obtain predefined results at will. These results are deemed to be either unrecognised by science or partially grasped through scientific methods of inquiry.
Considered at worst as a superstition or at best as a parallel science, occultism can be regarded as a complex human science. Through the application of theories and the performance of practices aimed at producing concrete phenomena, occultism endows a comprehension of hidden forces which are largely ignored or unperceived by individuals.
Unfortunately, occultism lacks scientific rigour and has often found itself at the crossroad of prescientific methodologies, empirical blunders, religious obscurantism and beliefs tainted by superstitions. Its anachronistic theories suffer from being incompatible with today’s scientific advancement.
On top of the practices there have been many theories that resonated at a particular time in history. The interplay between occult practices and the religious and philosophical dogmas of the time has given rise to diversified theories, quite often in contradiction one with another. It is sufficient to contemplate the variety of interpretations across traditions on the number and functions of the subtle bodies to grasp the relative character of theoretical models in the field of occultism. This said, this composite corpus of theories has never failed to stimulate the emergence of practices, aimed at reaching either noble or mundane goals, both achievable through the mastery of specific forces.
Therefore, occult theories, being but mere intellectual ideological inclinations, cannot represent the core of occultism. Its core rather lies in its practices, in the production of predefined results and in the realisation of concrete outcomes. That is why at the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (ORS) we believe that the study of occult practices can open avenues for future research.
Brief history of the term “occultism”
The term “occultism” appeared in France in the writings of Eliphas Levi Zahed (born Alphonse Louis Constant, 1810-1875) during the 19th century as a reaction to the rising positivism. However, the designation “Occult Philosophy” refers to theories and practices introduced in the 16th century by the German occultist Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535). Inspired by the Renaissance humanism, which revolved around the rediscovery of classical antiquity, Agrippa elaborated the following idea in his writings: sciences and religions – Christianity included – describe a limited reality; hidden in it, lies an authentic knowledge, prior to every other knowledge and intrinsically secret in its nature: the “Occult Philosophy.”
According to Agrippa, the “Occult Philosophy” would allow the human soul to exert an extraordinary power in the world, attain the highest peaks of spiritual experience and survive death. Inspired by Neoplatonism, Hermetism, Cabalism and the esoteric theology of antiquity, Agrippa wrote about sorcery, magic, astrology, alchemy, extrasensory trances and ecstatic states. By studying these doctrines and their practical applications, Agrippa aimed at penetrating the mystery of the Christ.
During the Enlightenment, the supporters of Agrippa’s “Occult Philosophy” felt the need to include a scientific methodology in their doctrines, to render them acceptable for their time and to distance themselves from superstition. Mesmerism, just to mention an example, is an offspring of a branch of the “Occult Philosophy” mingled with the scientific discoveries on electromagnetism, which eventually led to the emergence of a form of therapeutic hypnosis nowadays accepted by science. This rational approach, which persisted in the 19th century, gave birth to occultism.
From the end of the 19th century onwards, occultism spread worldwide through the activities and writings of the Theosophical Society and those of occultists like George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (1866-1949) and Aleister Crowley (1875-1947).
Note: the ORS does not promote any specific teaching, esoteric order or doctrine. Its focus is solely the production of knowledge on occult practices with a scientific methodological approach.
