Question about occultism.

[Frank Goad]

Question about occultism.Can it be considered a religion?

 

[Arnaud1221]

secret religion.

 

[ChristineM]

According to Britannica, occultism can be religion.

Occultism | Definition, History, Practices, & Facts

 

[Quintessence]

Generally no, but sometimes yes. Depends on what is meant by the terms.

In my experience usually when folks reference "occultism" they aren't talking about the all-encompassing way of life that would most certainly be religion - not that many folks are particularly familiar with the esoteric traditions that arose around the 19th century in Europe and include stuff like ceremonial magick and the like. I'm only familiar with it because of its historical influence on contemporary Paganism including some pet peeves of mine I'm not gonna get into... haha. Instead when folks reference "occultism" they're oft vaguely referencing "the occult" which in of itself does not constitute a religion - just a loose amalgam of ideas and practices that are more or less denigrated by prevailing social and cultural/religious norms in the West.

 

[jhonsteve111]

secret religion.

I don't know but I also think that It is a secret religion

 

[wellwisher]

Question about occultism.Can it be considered a religion?

Back in my earlier exploration of religion and spirituality, I explored alternate religions beyond my upbringing as a Catholic; Eastern and Indigenous Religions, in my teens; hippie years. Later, in my 20's, after science graduate school, I researched and practiced Occult and Mysticism. I even bought a crystal ball and would do some free fortune telling for various girls I knew. Girls seemed more receptive to psychic things, which made me popular. Occult is the practice and belief in supernatural powers, such as enhanced seeing via a crystal ball.

Mysticism is more about:

belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through meditation, contemplation and self-surrender.

Mysticism is more about right brain, while intellect is more left brain, with right brain more 3-D and left brain 2-D. Mysticism is often esoteric since 3-D thoughts are not exactly based on cause and effect, which is 2-D; (x, y). Psychic is about the z-axis beyond cause and effect; (x, y, z).

Both were about belief in higher powers, and were systems to help one connect to these higher powers. Religions believe in higher or spiritual powers and entities, but occult and mysticism goes one step further, trying to connect. The Church often discouraged this since the spiritual world were said to have good and evil spirits, with evil spirits thought to be easier to conjure. I learned by reading a wide range of books on the subject and also did some pagan rituals. The crystal ball was a crystal matrix for me to stare into until my active imagination would spontaneously happen.

I remember having a dream, at that time, that I met a Psychic, that I heard about, but had never met. The next night, I was at a night club with my girlfriend, and she introduced me to a well know young Psychic, who just so happened to be in town and came to that nightclub, at the same time. His name, I believe was Bobby Drennon. He thanked me for the dream and he was very pleasant. He seemed very calm and spiritual. He gave off a good vibe.

Occult often had rituals to conjure the spirit world, for supernatural assistance. While Mysticism was more about various forms of meditation and yoga to align your body and mind to tap into higher your own higher human potential. These two approaches are similar but sometimes merge where both inner and outer rituals were done. This could confuse what is inside with outside and vice versa.

What changed my direction, was connected to learning about and practicing Kundalini Yoga, which is a breathing and visualizing yoga exercise connected to what was believed to be the seven psychic centers, along the spine and into the brain. To make a long story short, I had practiced for several weeks and to my surprise all my seven centers began to vibrate and expand and then start to overlap. I could sense my body inflating, and I realized I had unknowingly triggered the launch sequence for astral projection; mind leaving the body.

This experience scared me, since I was not prepared. That was not my goal. I was not sure that if I left my body, how I could come back, since I read I would only be connected by a thread. In my case, doing both Occult and Mysticism, my experience was the blend of spiritual projection; outside, and meditation; inside, that confused me. If I had picked one of the other, it may have been clear.

Regardless, I stopped all the Occult and Mysticism practice and decided to take a science approach to understand all my experiences, that I had gained over the past year. I went to my bookstore and one particular book caught my eye; The Undiscovered Self by Carl Jung. This was a meaningful coincidence; synchronicity. This book of the undiscovered self struck a cord in me, and I became fully interested in Jungian Psychology. In 20/20 hindsight Jungian Psychology deals with the brain's unconscious operating system and is full of spiritual symbolism that express the apps of the firmware. Occult and Mysticism appear to trigger the same areas of the brain, but have a more mystical explanation. There is a reality connection, but not what people think it is.

I read the collective works of Jung, and this gave me the correct science approach for these brain operating system experiences. They were emanating from inside my brain and projected outward. It was all real, but not connected to external spiritual reality, but was like a movie from inside my own mind, that could superimpose onto reality and even lead the ego. The idea of higher human potential still applied, and was still my lure, forward. The new goal was to explore the collective unconscious. My mind was naturally set up for that day.