I think what is helpful to understand is I am not speaking about "esoteric knowledge" or practices in the sense of "secret" for only the initiates. I am speaking of esoteric in the sense of inner meditative practices changing ones perspectives and consciousness itself. It is the inward journey, not "secret" knowledge that only the high priests share with the elite few.
This is from an article I just came across that describes what I am talking about more accurately:
Esoteric and Exoteric
Central to the distinction between Esoteric and Exoteric is that of
states of consciousness. An Exoteric philosophy or religion as one which is based on the normal waking state of consciousness, or a modified state of consciousness which is still pretty close to the normal waking state. Any aspiration beyond the ordinary state of existence is discouraged. For example, according to the religious person, "God created/loves you just as you are", so who are you to question what
God has ordained for you by striving for some higher state of consciousness? While according to the sceptical
Materialist, there is no higher state beyond the rational mind anyway (all non-rational states of consciousness being delusionary).
The problem with the view, which is common, that "esoteric" knowledge means some secret knowledge, as though once you've been initiated it can be taught to you and you then hold that esoteric knowledge. What that is in reality is just a form of secret information, and doesn't mean it is an inner knowledge at all! Esoteric knowledge is an inner realization, not a super-secret hidden book only the elite get to look at.
Inner to the group, is not inner to the self. Even a high priest in a temple can be completely lacking of inner awareness, while holding in possession the "secret" teachings of the group.
What makes a teaching "secret" is simply because the unillumined mind cannot see what is plainly obvious. An esoteric practice is to help one's mind open to these "hidden truths", that are in fact hidden in plain sight! The problem is and the reason why these "realizations", which is what they are, are kept from being taught to the "uninitiated", is because frankly their minds will take what is said and interpret it to support the sort of garbage you see in American Christianity, for starts.
It's like if a child gets the diary of an adult. Their little minds will try to translate what is being said in their terms as a child! They simply do not have the developmental context in order to apprehend the "hidden" meaning of what is right before them. Their minds cannot received it. But here's the key, it is not a matter of education. I'll repeat, it's not a matter of schooling. It's a matter of actual, real,
transformation of consciousness itself. That cannot be taught out of books. This is why the esoteric knowledge is not for the academically, or liturgically "advanced". It's for the consciously prepared. It's for those who conscious is awakening and are ready to build upon
that foundation, and it is held by from those who are
developmentally not ready, because it will be dangerous in the sense they will create nonsense ideas and religions out of them.
So, simply saying something is secret knowledge, does not translate into meaning those who have gone through years of advanced teachings. It must entail actual transformation of consciousness itself. And I seriously doubt many of these so-called "esoteric" clubs actually do anything in regards to that. They may simply call it that, because it sounds special, but in reality, its just a child dressed up in oversized adult clothes.
