For many people the mere mention of the word supernatural or more specifically Occultism conjures images of mysterious acts, forbidden knowledge, the dark arts of conjurations, initiatory rites and other aspects of esoterica. Whilst it is true that some of these arts can be described as being part of the occult, it is perhaps worth pointing out that occultism really is the study of the science behind that which is hidden.
This is not intended as a compendium of applications, it is more of an examination of the principles of the occult. If we strip away the misinformation, religious objections, the fear, the theatrics and the charlatanry what we should be left with should be the pure essence of the science and practice of the occult.
Quite clearly many people have had experiences which have set them thinking and asking questions. They have glimpsed something outside the four walls of their everyday lives, and are no longer contented with the statement that nothing exists except that which we habitually see, many now question the dogma and rigidity of religion and therefore seek answers in the more fluid esoteric sciences.
However, the inconsistencies in the presentation of occultic principles makes their validation extremely difficult. Natural science places its evidence before the five physical senses we all possess, occult science conversely appeals to the judgment of senses that are rarely to be found developed in humans. Very much like classical music, occultism reserves itself for the few whose training and natural gifts enable them to appreciate it.p
As a mystic one is ever mindful that we do not simply present wild statements of psychic experiences of which no shadow of independent evidence can be offered. We must realise that if we are dealing 'with genuine phenomena’ they will bear investigation.
There is common ground though between those who accept and practice the principles of occultism and those who do not. It lies in the fact that we all accept that there are states of consciousness which transcend the normal, and that when these states prevail, we can discern forms of existence with which normally we have no contact, and we take this as being the fundamental experience from which occult science is derived.
But of course occultism has its techniques and methods, and unless we are prepared to observe and calibrate them we will not obtain accurate results. Out of experience of the rare states of consciousness which occultism studies we now see a changed attitude towards revealed religion, the seeker has penetrated to the planes where the revelations emanate from, and for him they have an entirely different significance and validity.
He is no longer dependent upon faith because he has had personal experience, and out of that experience he then formulates a belief in which he himself then aspires to share in the work usually assigned to saints and angels as the ministers and messengers of the Divine.
The speculation of occultism sheds light on every aspect of life, from reincarnation which is the oscillation of the soul between the seen and the unseen to the Divine aspects. Esoteric practice places a higher premium on experience as opposed to blind belief, blind belief requires no validation.
However, the history and study of occultism itself is not encouraging, it is a science that has garnered an insane amount of charlatans. In theory occultism allows us to explore the universe and our place within it but a lack of validation ensures that it is difficult to ascertain whether the picture before us is in fact the universe or merely a mirage, what we are left with is "methodology"
Therefore, the only way open is to walk the path.
Personally I took up the experiment at my very first introduction to the formal world of the esoteric sciences, at first glance I discovered that the world of esoterica was a mirage, it was in fact all a stage.
I used my knowledge to enable me to go behind the scenes and penetrate into the minds and motives of those who ran the show I had 'been invited to see’, I went deeper behind the scenes of the 'theatre’ and discovered the dirty staircase by which those who ran the show entered the theatre, and I descended it and discovered utter squalidness, but there at the bottom amidst all that squalor and raising my eyes for respite from the sordidness, I saw above me the very stars in their remote and shining reality that had initially been portrayed to me as a mirage.