| Occult | | | | Kabbalah Centre has been criticized by Jewish |
| The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus | | | | scholars. |
| (secret, hidden, secret), referring to the "hidden | | | | The word "hidden" somewhat common, is that almost |
| knowledge". In the medical sense it is used to describe | | | | everything that does not claim any of the major |
| the structure or process that is hidden, for example, | | | | religions can be considered the occult. Even religious |
| "hidden bleeding" can be detected indirectly by the | | | | scholars difficulties in defining occultism. The broad |
| presence of an otherwise unexplained anemia. | | | | definition suggested Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke: |
| The word has many uses in the English language, | | | | "Occultism has its basis in religious thinking, rooted in |
| popularly meaning "knowledge of the paranormal", as | | | | ancient times, and which can be described as the |
| opposed to "knowledge dimension", commonly | | | | Western esoteric tradition. Its main ingredients have |
| referred to as science. The term is sometimes | | | | been identified as Gnosticism, Hermetic treatises on |
| popularly understood to mean "knowledge meant only | | | | alchemy and magic, Neo-Platonism and the Kabbalah, |
| for certain people" or "knowledge, which should be | | | | all originating in the eastern Mediterranean in the first |
| hidden", but for most practicing occultists it is simply the | | | | centuries of our era. " |
| study of deep spiritual reality beyond pure reason and | | | | From 15 to 17 century, such ideas, which alternately |
| the physical sciences. Terms and secret esoteric can | | | | known as Western esotericism was a short revival. |
| be very close in meaning, and the three terms are | | | | Alchemy used to be common among the most |
| often used interchangeably. | | | | important 17th century scientists such as Isaac Newton |
| The term occult is also used as a label given to a | | | | and Gottfried Leibniz. Isaac Newton was accused of |
| number of magical organizations or orders, doctrine | | | | introducing occult agencies into natural science when |
| and practice taught them, and a large amount of | | | | he suggested gravity as a force capable of operating |
| current and historical literature and spiritual philosophy | | | | at high distances.This revival of alchemy and other |
| on this topic. | | | | occult studies was stopped triumph of empirical |
| Occultism | | | | science and the Age of Enlightenment. "In the |
| Occultism is the study of occult or hidden knowledge. | | | | eighteenth century these unorthodox religious and |
| For the occultist this study, "True," the deeper truth that | | | | philosophical issues have been clearly defined as" the |
| exists beneath the surface: "truth is always hidden in | | | | occult, as they lay on the outer edge of the received |
| the mind. It may include such subjects as magic (or | | | | forms of knowledge and speech, and only survived a |
| writing, and is defined as magic), alchemy, ESP, | | | | few antiquarians and mystics. But around 1770, once |
| astrology, spiritism, lithomancy and numerology. There is | | | | again the desire for secrecy interest in the Middle |
| often a strong religious element to these investigations | | | | Ages and a romantic nature to encourage the revival |
| and convictions, and many occultists profess | | | | of occultism in Europe, the reaction to the rationalist |
| adherence to religions such as Gnosticism, | | | | Enlightenment. " |
| Hermeticism, Luciferianism, Thelema, and Neopaganism. | | | | Based on his research on the modern German occult |
| Although Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and | | | | revival 1890-1910, Goodrick-Clarke puts forward the |
| Islam, as a rule not be considered occult, some of | | | | thesis of the driving force behind occultism. Behind its |
| them modern interpretations may be, as the | | | | many varied forms apparently lies a single function, a |
| interpretation of Hinduism in theosophy and the occult | | | | strong desire to reconcile the results of modern |
| different interpretations of the Jewish Kabbalah. | | | | science with the religious view that could restore man |
| Orthodox members of such religions are likely to | | | | to the position of the central and dignity in the universe. |
| consider such false interpretations, such as the | | | | |