Deeper into the Occult

Book excerpt: In an age when voodoo dancers have appeared in London, when Robert Williams, chief psychologist at Kansas State Industrial Reformatory admits to being a practising warlock; when moon-astronaut Edgar Mitchell conducts extra-sensory experiments in space; when the course of a £1,000,000 road is altered to save a 'fairy tree'; when a ghost is officially registered on a census form; when Americans can 'dial-a-horoscope' for a twenty-four hour prophesy; and when the complete skeleton of a cyclops is unearthed by archaeologists - is it surprising that there is a growing interest in the occult, for research in many fields simply proves that things are not what they seem? The sequel to his successful Into the Occult (1973), Underwood delves deeper into this terrain, attempting to find an explanation for a variety of phenomena that have baffled scientists and contradicted the basic tenets of their calling. Using many case histories, he discusses haunted music, vampires, superstitions, and dowsing and divining. Do Egyptian or family curses have any effect? Is there any evidence to support the theory of reincarnation? Does psychic surgery work? What part have clairvoyants played in the solution of famous criminal cases? Could there really be fairies at the bottom of your garden? Through the investigation of these and other fascinating questions, and the inclusion of extensive lists for further reading, Underwood leads the enquirer to an awareness of the possibilities of the occult so that he may pursue an open-minded approach for him or herself, and, like the author, come to the realisation that things are indeed not always what they seem...