Introduction To The Occult

Book excerpt: Magic, the occult, the mystical—is there anything behind those words apart from horror-movie clichés? People the world over have always known and interacted with these hid¬den forces. But today there are very few ways to sort out truth from nonsense. In this book, Richard Smoley, an expert on the occult, delves into mind power, magic, suggestion, and the realms of the unseen. He speaks simply and clearly, in common-sense terms, about these mysterious forces, how they can work for you, and what you need to avoid. This trip through unseen worlds could be the most exciting adventure of your life as you learn about: Life after Death Evil Witchcraft and Satanism Atlantis and Lost Civilizations The Last Judgment The Kingdom of God Healing Reincarnation The Brotherhood Psychedelics and Spirituality Richard Smoley is editor of Quest: Journal of the Theosophi¬cal Society and former editor of Gnosis: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. He has published eleven books, including For¬bidden Faith: The Secret History of Gnosticism; Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Traditions; and Supernatural: Writings on an Unknown History. He has spent more than forty-five years studying the world’s mystical traditions.