What does occult mean. Esotericism and occultism: concepts and differences. Occultism - what is it

The unknown has attracted man since time immemorial. No matter how frightening any phenomenon was, the person still sought to get to know him better and tried to somehow explain it.

unknown and attractive

The occult sciences are an attempt to give an explanation for everything unknown, supernatural, while not paying attention to the laws of physics or chemistry. Simply put, occultism is concerned with explaining extraordinary phenomena through other equally incomprehensible ones. For example, if an adherent of this “science” were asked why people sometimes see, he would answer that they have the gift of clairvoyance, to which the physicist would most likely shrug and talk about incredible coincidences. The occult sciences are very diverse, and some of them originated even when the future Homo sapiens could not even speak articulately. Of course, then everything was for everyone, and only magic could give a more or less intelligible answer to most questions. But what is happening today? Are the occult sciences practiced to this day, or has this unusual field of activity safely sunk into oblivion?

Rapid pursuit of the past

No, this activity has not yet sunk into oblivion. This may seem surprising, because science has made such progress today that only a poorly educated or simply very naive person who still stands in a child's cradle can believe in the effectiveness of magical rituals, curses or the same prophetic dreams. The occult sciences for such an individual are a kind of door to the desired one about which he learned all from the same books on occultism. On the one hand, a modern person can believe in the veracity of magic for some time - for example, when watching a thematic movie or reading similar literature. However, scientific and technological progress has gone too far, closing all paths for the occult. But, be that as it may, solemn rituals are carried out even now. Even if we take it less globally, then human superstitions are still cultivated in society, and people are still waiting for a mystical sign from above, which should tell them what to do in this or that situation.

Complex approach to simple things

Occult sciences are very different, depending on the direction of activity and the range of questions to which she is trying to find adequate, from her point of view, answers. For example, a very famous offshoot of the occult is alchemy. The main goal of alchemists, as the classics testify, is to find a recipe for creating the philosopher's stone. However, this combination is impossible, and educated people know about it. Some continue to amuse themselves with hope, living in a fairy tale. Since occultism studies forces and phenomena unknown to orthodox science, sometimes it places itself much higher than this very science. There are quite a few adherents who believe that atheists and people who trust only dry scientific facts, - limited and incapable of thinking broadly. However, let's think about it... What is worse: to think that lightning is the roar of the devil, or to know that this phenomenon is just a powerful spark of electrical discharge? The answer, it would seem, suggests itself, but supporters and lovers of the occult will never agree with this thesis.

Secret knowledge on Wikipedia

Today it is very easy to find out what the occult sciences are - an incredible number of books have been written about this, and thematic programs are still broadcast on television. If a person with a scientific approach such shows cause only a skeptical smile, then superstitious people - trembling in the knees and sweat on their foreheads. Amazingly, the more these people believe in the veracity of the existence of supernatural forces, the greater their chance of actually becoming their witness. However, this does not mean that what they see will be exactly what they think. An inflamed consciousness can see what is not there, and no one has yet canceled hallucinations based on panic fear. This is how all these "eyewitnesses" appear: at first they sincerely believe in something, and then just as sincerely invent something superfluous. Occultism broadcasts that "secret knowledge" is available only to people with special abilities, therefore all their initiates are the chosen ones, and the rest of the honest people are heretics and skeptics.

When the owl arrives...

Such "teachings" of the occult as astrology, spiritualism and Kabbalah are widespread. We read about astrological "research" in local weeklies. Sagittarians are interested in what such a good thing will happen to them on Wednesday, and Taurus - about what magical woman again written in the horoscope. Here the placebo principle comes into play: a person sets himself up in advance that he will have some kind of “pleasant meeting”, so he will even fit a meeting with a pretty courier of the opposite sex under this category. Fortune-telling on cards, palms or even daisies is also very common. On the one hand, it is not so bad, because sometimes it gives us additional hope. It is necessary to ring the alarm bells when a person claims for several years in a row that there is an academy of magic and occult sciences, from where they are about to send him a letter with an owl. If extra hope is a good thing anyway, then waiting for a letter from the school of wizardry already smells a little crazy.

A whirlpool of despair, or how to make money quickly

This sphere of human activity has already been studied up and down, but some interesting questions are still in the air. Various programs are trying to answer them, with which the Ren-TV channel shines especially often. One of these projects, broadcast on this channel, was called: “Unsolved secrets. Why did the Bolsheviks study the occult sciences? The question itself already sounds ridiculous, not to mention what is being discussed in the program itself. Today science is so well developed that so-called occultism is often used to fool naive people who still believe in magic. Unfortunate victims take out handfuls of jewelry to gypsies, give the keys to their own apartments, and fortune tellers are paid big money to help them make a fateful decision. Of course, everyone has the right to believe in what he pleases. But does this mean that you need to let everything go with the flow, wait for a sign from above or a prophetic dream? Of course, you can wait. It won't have a negative impact as long as you do something else...

occultism) The term "Oh." (lat. occulere - hide, conceal) is used in relation to doctrines and rituals, to-rye, it is believed, allow you to acquire higher mental. or spiritual abilities, but to-rye are not recognized by any modern. science or official religion. Mysticism, spiritualism, dowsing, numerology, Rosicrucianism, yoga, natural magic, Freemasonry, witchcraft, astrology and alchemy among many others. other occult sciences have had and to some extent continue to influence the app. civilization. The fundamental dogma of O. is the recognition of the existence of secret and incomprehensible ("hidden") forces of nature, which can be understood and used only by those who have passed the acc. teaching the necessary secret knowledge, which, as is usually stated, stem from ancient sources of wisdom. It is assumed that these forces can be involved in order to control the surrounding sphere and predict the future. Although modern science and rejects such magical ideas, all natural sciences leave their ist. Rooted in O. O. had a certain intellectual respectability until at least the end of the 17th century, and astrology, along with astronomy, continued to be taught in high fur boots until 1800. Although most occult sciences formulate empirical statements regarding reality, to-rye are not recognized by modern science or official religion, the boundaries between science, O. and religion are not always clear. Parapsychol. occupies a border position between science and O. Although many others. its scientific critics directly attribute it to the field of occult knowledge, researchers who have devoted themselves to parapsychol. tend to use it in their research. strict scientific methodology and shun any connection with O. Nevertheless, their main. ideas about hypothetical natural forces, to-rye presumably serve as the causes of mental. telepathy, extrasensory foresight, etc., are among the ideas that have always been fundamental in most occult systems. In order to separate varieties of O., seeking to obtain scientific evidence for their ideas, from those of its directions, to-rye do not, M. Truzzi proposed a five-digit classification. He uses the term "protoscientific O." (proto-scientific occultism) in respect of those cases where scientific certainty is recognized as desirable and attempts are made to achieve it, but where, due to the insufficiency of the available facts, these claims are not accepted by the scientific community. Quasi-scientific occultism embraces those areas that claim to look like scientific knowledge, although little effort is actually made for this, as in the case of astrology. Truzzi uses the term "pragmatic O." (pragmatic occultism) for those areas of O., which are based in their ideas on foundations similar to science, but at the same time do not claim the status of scientific knowledge. Shared mystical occultism refers to mystical beliefs supported by reports from others who have had similar personal experiences, eg. during transcendental meditation. Finally, personal mystical O. (private mystical occultism) is associated with an exclusively personal confirmation of a mystical idea, when an individual explicitly receives a certain kind of revelation from divine or extraterrestrial beings. Zusne and Jones proposed to supplement the set of Truzzi categories with the category of philosophical occultism. They describe it as similar to the pragmatic O. Truzzi, except that the individual, instead of showing interest in pract. results in the real world, focuses - with the help of esoteric philosophy - on personal results, which are stages of spiritual progress along the path to perfection. Despite all the importance, a cut of modern. science gives rational thinking, research. show that people show the same propensity for magical thinking as their primitive ancestors. Although O. reflects an attempt to understand the structure of the surrounding world through magical thinking, it is based on powerful psychol. needs and processes that operate by and large outside of consciousness and can often serve the need to increase personal power and seek comfort in the face of existential anxiety. It seems unlikely that humans will ever be freed from such needs or from a penchant for magical thinking. See also Parapsychology, Religion and psychology J. Elcock

Occultism

lat. occultus - hidden, secret) - supernatural, paranormal, not subject to and not subject to scientific analysis. D. Fraser points out that historically science emerged from the bosom of the occult. Nevertheless, it is by no means paradoxical that modern occultism carries with it an extremely anti-scientific way of thinking and acting. Some authors express surprise that as science, education and technological progress develop, occultism not only does not lose its positions, but something quite the opposite happens, as if people were fed up with the fruits of reason, science, were disappointed in it or decided that it was not can answer the questions that concern them, which they consider vital for themselves. So, in 2009, the media literally choked with mystical delight about the mysterious and unmistakable predictions of the outcomes of football matches, which, allegedly, were made by the octopus Paul. The octopus, which fell on the battlefield with the unknown, was eventually immortalized with an impressive monument, although it would be better to put it in human innocence or place such a monument in a museum of human stupidity. In recent decades, the soothsayer Vanga has been mentioned in the mass media of the Russian Federation much more often than about outstanding thinkers combined. An important factor in the emergence of occult ideas is considered to be low educational status: the more deplorable the state of the education system becomes, the more actively occultism spreads. According to polls, about 50% of the population of the Russian Federation now believe in the existence of occult phenomena. Truzzi distinguishes between the following varieties of occultism: 1. proto-scientific occultism, in which the scientific reliability of knowledge is recognized as desirable and attempts are made to achieve this; 2. quasi-scientific occultism, which claims to look like scientific knowledge only externally (for example, astrology); 3. pragmatic occultism - those areas of occultism that are based in their ideas on grounds similar to science, but do not claim the status of scientific knowledge; 4. collective mystical occultism refers to mystical beliefs that are based on the testimonies of others who have had similar experiences and 5. personal mystical occultism, associated with exclusively personal confirmation of mystical beliefs (obtained, for example, through revelations). There is also talk of philosophical occultism (Zusie, Jones), which focuses on personal results on the path to perfection. J. Ellock (2005) considers it unlikely that people will ever be able to get rid of the penchant for magical thinking and the need for miracles and mystical secrets, although man exists in such a mysterious world that there is no need to invent anything mysterious, you just need to perhaps try to better understand what is happening or occurring literally at every turn.

Let's start small real history. A child comes home - and there the whole floor is sprinkled with rice. "Mom, what happened?" “This, son, I drive bad energy out of the house,” my mother explained one of the practices of some oriental mysticism, according to which the floor is sprinkled with spoken grain. Who would have thought that in the 21st century, along with the development of electronics, the latest types of technology and promising branches of science, the old, superstitious fascination with occult knowledge will remain. It is known that modern singers and actors are fond of Kabbalah, for example, Madonna, who personally founded the Center for the Study of Kabbalah in London, and following her example, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, Paris Hilton, Courtney Love, Philip Kirkorov, Lolita Milyavskaya and many others. Dr. Norwegian Princess Martha Luisa in 2010 openly declared her commitment to esoteric teachings and spiritualism. Businessmen carefully listen to astrological forecasts, while politicians and athletes, on the eve of serious enterprises, rush to psychics, clairvoyants and sorcerers for support.

Occultism (from lat. occultus - secret, hidden) - these are mysterious teachings and cults that express the desire to penetrate into the spiritual world, to know otherworldly forces and master them. This one seems as mysterious as the creaking of an old door in an abandoned barn, when the children are both afraid and curious to look inside. In occultism, it is believed that in man, nature and space there are mysterious, supernatural forces that can be opened and discovered. Occultism calls to master these forces and thus achieve a more perfect life on earth. But doesn't religion call people to the same thing? In religion (by which we mean, first of all, Christianity as the true religion), knowledge of the spiritual world follows inseparably from communion with God. In occultism, on the other hand, a person tries to break through to spiritual forces bypassing God.

“When I began to engage in occultism,” one former sorcerer who achieved extrasensory abilities told the author of these lines, “I was amazed at the effect and the possibilities that magic revealed to me. People who came to me for advice and asking for help were clearly convinced of the invisible force that acted on them through my practice. The spiritual world itself in occultism is seen as a tool for personal selfish well-being - selfishness is the main driving force of the occultist. Therefore, the life motto of a successful occultist is “I am not like others; What is inaccessible to others is possible for me. Occultism is most clearly expressed in magic. Magic is an attempt to master the supernatural and natural forces with the help of spells, rituals and special mystical actions.

Since when did the occult appear?

An ancient monument, an Akkadian seal, dating back two millennia BC has been preserved. This is a cylinder, in the middle of which a tree with seven branches and two fruits is depicted. Two people with outstretched arms are sitting on the sides of the tree, judging by the headdresses, a man and a woman. Behind the woman is a rising serpent. This is an ancient image of the sin of our forefathers. The temptation of the occult is directly related to the first fall of man. The devil seduced the forefathers by the fact that, having tasted the forbidden fruit, they will receive secret knowledge, with the help of which they will become powerful, like gods: “On the day you eat them (forbidden fruits), your eyes will open, and you will be like gods, those who know good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

What was so special that the tempter could offer the first people? After all, man was already initially called to be like God, and God already gave the primitive people power over the earthly world: “And God blessed them, and God said to them: ... fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that creeps on the ground” (Genesis 1:28). However, to maintain this power and royal dignity was possible only on the path of unity with God, respectively, it required effort, work on oneself. Satan suggested, as it seems, more simple and easy way: he suggested that the fruits themselves have magical powers that make a person equal to God. “And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes and desirable, because it gives knowledge” (Genesis 3:6). At the suggestion of the serpent, Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, wanting precisely to receive special knowledge, as if hidden in the fruit itself. The mistake of the first people was that they looked at the tree of paradise as a kind of mysterious talisman, by forcibly mastering which you can instantly become independent rulers of the whole world.

Thus, the fall of primitive people became the starting point of occult practice, the basis of magic and the search for secret knowledge. If before sin a person was in the closest inner communion with God, and his well-being depended on this, then in the fall, God ceased to be a hidden blessing for a person, sanctifying his life from within. Now the forbidden fruit, this external but tempting object for a person, began to be perceived as a “golden key”, with the help of which it was thought to independently achieve happiness and be a self-sufficient master of one’s being. If the power of the primordial man over the world could be exercised only with his personal harmony with God, now man tried to achieve perfection "from the back door." Since then, there have been people who want to master secret powers, abilities, come up with such magical rituals or verbal formulas in order to influence the world - to become “like gods” without God. People acquire secret knowledge, are proud of it, and then, like our forefathers, they lose absolutely everything.

In the magician's office you will find a special bewitching atmosphere - a mysterious twilight, candles in a candlestick, a crystal ball, and a special relaxing tea will be served to the visitor. With this emancipation, the first distrust of the magician is dulled in a person. Then the magician, by some action, sets the visitor up for concentration, attention and interaction. The magician gives a visual feel of his power and abilities. The patient already feels completely dependent on the "miracle" and quickly agrees with every recommendation convincingly delivered by the "specialist". This is how the magician gradually fascinates the visitor, as the serpent fascinated the primordial Eve.

What exactly relates to occultism is beautifully stated in the current Order of renunciation of occultism. After a detailed confession of the repentant in occult practice, before the permissive prayer, the priest asks the penitent questions, to which he answers with established phrases. In this Chin we read:

“Question: Do you admit that classes various types occultism, such as extrasensory perception, bioenergetics, non-contact massage, hypnosis, folk healing, alternative medicine, coding, removal of damage and the evil eye, witchcraft, sorcery and divination, divination, contact with spirits that cause poltergeist, spiritualism, astrology, contact with the “higher mind ”, with UFOs, connection to“ cosmic energies ”, parapsychology, telepathy,“ depth psychology ”, yoga and other Eastern cults, meditation, as well as other types of occultism lead to in-depth communication with fallen spirits?

Answer: I acknowledge and repent of these activities.

Thus, all psychics, traditional healers, psychotherapists using the hypnotic method of suggestion, bioenergy therapists who influence people with their “biofield”, sorcerers, sorcerers, healers, ufologists, astrologers, fortunetellers and all the like are occultists.

Psychics themselves claim that they treat people with special forces inherent in them, which they call biocurrents, bioenergetics, accumulated cosmic energy, etc. Many of them believe that they have the power that God Himself has endowed them with. In essence, occultism is a connection forbidden by God with the invisible world of evil spirits, as it is said in Chin, occult studies "lead to in-depth communication with fallen spirits."

So is occultism a true knowledge of the spiritual world?

If we are attracted to an art gallery, then we can go through the entrance open to all, of course, fulfilling the appropriate conditions with the prescribed costs, and then we will see genuine masterpieces. And it is possible at night, to sneak secretly through the window of a distant corridor and follow where it will lead. Never has an illegal method led to a genuine contemplation of art. Because full-fledged knowledge requires an appropriate elevated mood in the soul, and not the mundane curiosity of a thief, who, perhaps, will see exhibits of true art from a distance, but will not understand its depth, or may be limited to contemplating a stupa, a broom and a cheap horseshoe over the door utility room. Occultism has never raised people to true spiritual heights, but limited their stay to the sphere of the world, albeit intangible, but far from holiness, the inhabitants of which are as fallen as man himself.

Occultism is generally alien to Divine Revelation. If the Bible is used there, then only as one of the mysterious books, according to which they even guess, but which is not considered as the categorical Word of God. The well-known theorist and practitioner of occultism Rudolf Steiner wrote: “When an occultist speaks, he does not give dogmas, he gives his living experiences, he tells what he himself saw on the astral and spiritual planes or what the teachers, known to him as such, revealed to him” (Cit. Quoted from: Pavel Khondzinsky, Priest Against Steiner: On Waldorf Pedagogy, Moscow, 2001, p. 17). For example, the authoritative sorcerer Aleister Crowley wrote his "Book of the Law" in a state of trance under the dictation of an invisible spirit. And the famous psychic Allan Chumak, in his book “For Those Who Believe in Miracles,” says that he was taught special abilities by voices that spoke in his head, “working as announcers in shifts.” He outlined the open and was guided by this in his medical practice. Moreover, according to Chumak, the voices only taught him to use his own abilities to heal people and allegedly not harm them, and also talked about the world order.

By and large, occultism is a distorted spirituality, in which, instead of communion with God and strengthening by His grace, a person seeks self-affirmation with the help of "hidden" forces. Therefore, occultism always appears where true spiritual life is impoverished or simply absent. In the early 1990s, materialism in our country was replaced by occultism, which, like a stream from a broken sewer, began to flood the expanses of our native Russia with its fetid contents. A surge of occultism has always been observed during periods of crisis, social upheaval, when people wanted to enlist some kind of invisible help, find out the future, avert misfortune from themselves in a simple magical way, and lovers of easy money used this. And although the acute phase of the passion for "secret knowledge" has passed, however, the passion for the occult has remained in its chronic form. It manifests itself at the household level, Everyday life people as conspiracies and talismans, superstitious signs and astrological forecasts, as well as all sorts of methods for expanding consciousness and revealing hidden abilities in oneself.

Occultism has its own technology: do this and that and you will certainly learn what you are looking for. Unfortunately, this is often transferred to religion, when church rites and prayers are considered as protective rituals, which in themselves give a person all sorts of benefits. Already the first child of Adam and Eve, Cain perceived religion in the sense of magical protection from earthly troubles. Having lost the blessing of God, he said: Now ... whoever meets me will kill me (Gen. 4: 14). That is, if I had not fallen under Your wrath, I would not have lost special protection, and my earthly life would be out of danger. He perceived religion itself only as a means to earthly well-being, as a kind of magic key that unlocks the lock of earthly happiness.

People with a magical consciousness at the expense of religion think to achieve earthly comfort, while they absolutely do not need God Himself. Christ said to such people: You are looking for me...because you ate bread and were satisfied (John 6:26). A person with a magical consciousness wants to receive such a golden key, such a magic wand, with the help of which it would be possible to achieve all sorts of benefits. For example, a modern adept of Kabbalah (and magicism in general) can be recognized by a red woolen thread on his wrist - it is believed that a person who loves you must tie the thread into seven knots and utter a special conspiracy, according to which the person becomes supposedly protected from someone else's envy, evil eye and other negative impacts. It all comes down to a certain ritual or verbal formula, like some technical tools with which you could switch your life from illness to health, from suffering to well-being.

Christian spiritual life is built according to completely different principles. In a person, first of all, his immortal soul is valuable, and therefore in life, spiritual well-being is paramount, and not carnal, the treasure of heaven is significant, and not earthly. Man is created in the image of God, and therefore he can be truly happy only with God. Living conversion to God with repentant renunciation of sin is the core of spiritual life. The fulfillment of God's commandments with sincere, warm prayer, confession and participation in divine services gives the soul that freedom and joy that nothing in this world can give. And if occultism flatteringly beckons to power, and then enslaves the soul to ruthless demons, then Christianity, through the fulfillment of the will of God, makes a person really strong, because when God is with a person, he does not lack anything - the inner treasure makes up for the outer poverty. Of course, here one does not take one's breath away from the mystical flight, when the soul, carried away by the occult, thinks that it is soaring upwards, but in fact it is only falling into the abyss. Genuine spiritual life is created peacefully, naturally, simply - gradually transforming the soul and inspiring it to a pure, clear and meaningful life. This is the path of ascent, on which the heavenly harmony and unity with the Lord, once lost through the flattering temptation of the occult, returns.

It would seem that hypnosis is a common method of treatment used by many psychotherapists, for example, in the case of coding for alcoholism. In fact, this is a completely occult method, the scientific nature of which is doubtful. A hypnotized person becomes a kind of living robot, limply following all the orders of the "master". Hypnosis is the immersion of the patient into a world of illusions, and therefore this world is inherently false. A person perceives the environment and himself not in their reality, but as the hypnotist inspires him. If he accepts hypnosis, he becomes generally susceptible to any influence. Demonstrating paralysis of the will in a hypnosis session, a person perceives suggestions and dark forces more easily. Even secular scientists will agree that one of the strongest aspects of the human psyche is the ability to analyze one's state, the ability to evaluate one's own behavior. This look at myself from the outside: how I think, how I make decisions, what happens to me in general - helps to be creative in my life, to move forward, and not to remain in place, like a frozen statue with a shovel in hand. Thanks to the activity of our inner eye, which vigilantly observes everything that happens in our soul, we can remain ourselves, and not be pitiful puppets, who are constantly being imposed and instilled with something. A sober assessment of information coming from outside and everything that happens inside us is the basis of true health and vital activity. Therefore, voluntary submission of oneself to the influence of a hypnotist, and indeed to occult influence, brings into the soul, against the background of the first improvements, a monstrous failure and discomfort.

common name for many teachings. In particular, for those of them that determine the presence of certain forces of nature and testify to the presence in the world of certain other forces, direct communication with which is impossible for everyone ...

And perhaps it is only for those who belongs to the number of those who are initiated or close to the world of the Divine.

The very same communication with higher powers occurs in the form of various sacraments, magical ecstasy, through rituals and mystical attributes. Among the sciences, or, so to speak, conditionally existing sciences, united under a common definition occult, the following forms of esotericism can be distinguished:

Alchemy: a conditionally existing science, or rather, a field of philosophy, the formation of which took place in the geometric tradition; studied the process of turning metal into gold and the secret of eternal life;
Astrology: the science is very real, which allows you to analyze the impact celestial bodies to events taking place on Earth; it also contains magical, mystical, philosophical and other similar aspects;
Kabbalah: the religious Jewish current that still exists;
Theosophy: the actual theoretical part of occultism, tightly intertwined with the study of the knowledge of God of the divine principle using mysticism;
Theurgy: practice in magic, which allowed interacting with higher powers, receiving certain benefits from them; known since the era of Neoplatonism in pagan cultures. - etc.

As you can see, a fairly broad concept of occultism must be analyzed only through familiarization with its main components, sciences, practices, teachings and religious movements. All this in combination, with a proper understanding of the basic principles, will make it possible to more clearly determine the origins and history of the development of this topic as a whole.

What is the occult

To understand what occultism is, it is necessary to turn to the moment of its appearance and the process of development.

The history of the occult dates back to the first mention of the term "secret philosophy", derived by the natural philosopher, astrologer and lawyer Argippa Nettesheim back in the 16th century AD. Somewhat later (almost three centuries), this already known concept was used by the French occultist, tarologist Elfias Levi.

The affected areas of distribution of this complex of practices often go against the dogma of the religions of different peoples. In many of them, it is generally accepted that the occult is a sin, since its methods promote the use of higher powers (both dark and light) for their not always charitable purposes.

Synonyms

The synonyms of the word occultism, which, in part, also reveal its essence, bringing researchers closer to its clearer understanding and study, include such well-known terms as:

Sorcery (communication with deities and spirits in pagan cultures);
Witchcraft (using the forces of nature or dark forces to achieve desired goals, interpretations may differ in different cultures);
Black Book (communication with the world of the dead, similar in essence to necromancy);
Divination (attempts through magical rituals to find out the future of a person).

There are more than 30 similar words that reflect the essence of the occult. All of them are based on the use of secret knowledge or rituals, as well as mystical and magical practices.

Theoretical basis

When studying occultism, a person, first of all, must know and understand the generally accepted methods, through the use of which, in this area of esoteric knowledge, knowledge of the world is carried out. So, among those methods that are indisputably confirmed by science, we can distinguish:

Sensory perception (for example, the sensation of objects, etc.);
Experience (in the process of life, a person encounters different situations and finds ways out of them, the totality of events occurring with a person is an experience);
Speculation (thinking, using which a person can build various kinds of assumptions).

However, it must be borne in mind that with all this, in occultism there is also a fourth method of knowledge: supersensible. And it is precisely this that cannot be verified by known and generally accepted scientific methods, while it involves communication with the world of the Deities, the world of the dead or other superpowers and transcendental worlds through revelations or rituals. It is these methods that constitute the foundations of occultism.

ideals

Like any science, occultism has its own ideals. And, first of all, these are his well-known occultists: of course, a number of outstanding personalities who in one way or another influenced the development of this set of sciences and practices, bringing them to a new level.

Among these figures, some well-known names can be distinguished:

John Dee - a scientist who proposed a countdown from the initial meridian and wrote a geographical textbook, was known as a follower of the occult sciences;

Saint Germain - a man of mystery, boasted that he had invented the elixir of immortality, which he applied on himself, which allowed him to live for more than one hundred years (but these are just his statements, which, however, many believed);

V Lately in Russia there is an unusually great craving for the occult in all its manifestations, including occult methods of treatment. Like mushrooms after rain, we have various occult teachings, schools, trends, including satanic ones. So what is the occult?

Officially registered in Moscow is the satanic "church", the Masonic lodge. Advertisements of sorcerers and magicians are published in newspapers and magazines, inviting people to visit them in order to remove the "evil eye", "damage", "healing" from all ailments, love spells, etc. Occult newspapers and magazines are published (“UFO”, “Secret Power”, “Oracle”, “Anomaly” and many others), a huge number of books on magic, witchcraft, extrasensory perception, ufology are printed; The Association "Ecology of the Unidentified" was founded. International Institute space anthropoecology. International Institute of Human Reserve Capabilities. Center for Non-Traditional Research "Alpha", International "Society of Ancient Astronauts", International Association of Psychoeniosuggestology multiple centers of Dianetics. Academy of Parapsychology, Academy of Energy and Information Sciences, UFO centers, etc.

All these centers, societies, associations, academies, magazines, newspapers are engaged in "research", "practice" and dissemination of occult knowledge among the people. But what is the occult?

Great Soviet Encyclopedia(1974, vol. 18, p. 348) defines the word "occult" this way.

Occultism(from the Latin word occultus - secret, intimate) - the general name of the teachings that recognize the existence of hidden forces in man and the cosmos, inaccessible to ordinary human experience, but accessible to "initiates" who have gone through a special initiation (initiation) and special mental training. At the same time, the purpose of the initiation ritual ... is seen in reaching the highest level of consciousness, which opens access to the so-called "secret knowledge".

It is these so-called "secret knowledge" that underlie witchcraft, magic, from which extrasensory perception, bioenergetics, ufology, etc. have entered the arena of the day. V last years occult sciences - extrasensory perception, bioenergetics, ufology, the doctrine of karma, hypnosis, parapsychology, etc. have become especially widespread, especially among the scientific intelligentsia. The work of the Roerichs and Blavatsky on the development of the teachings on Agni Yoga played a significant role in this.

Occult teachings come to us both from the west and from the east. This is largely due to the development of ideological and spiritual pluralism, or permissiveness, against the backdrop of the so-called democratization of society. Before our eyes, a terrible spiritual aggression is being committed against Russia and, first of all, against Orthodoxy in Russia, for only Russia remains the pillar and bulwark of true Christianity in the world. But that is precisely why great efforts are being expended to undermine Orthodoxy and the Church both from the outside and from the inside. Probably few people know that only in the past, 1994, the CIA spent 150 million dollars for spiritual aggression against Russia and a stream of various anti-Orthodox preachers poured into our country, who began to create various sects, schools, including occult ones - extrasensory perception, magic, ufology, astrology, etc.

On the other side, the collapse of our health care, considered at one time the best in the world, the impossibility of obtaining a highly qualified medical care, which has become a subject of trade, and very expensive, the high cost of medicines, the disappearance of many necessary medicines from the pharmacy network, the appearance of a large number of psychics, sorcerers, shamans, healers, offering relatively inexpensive help at almost every step, the religious illiteracy of the population led to a sharp surge in the occult healing and craving for it by many unbelieving or unbelieving people.

Meanwhile, the attitude of our Church to the occult methods of healing is sharply negative. According to the rules St. Basil the Great people who practice magic are subject to the same ecclesiastical punishment as murderers.

According to Rules of the VI Ecumenical Council, people who resort to the help of wizards are subject to a six-year penance, as well as cloud chasers, charmers, and talisman makers. Those who are rooted in this matter and do not turn away at all are cast out of the Church.

Rigidly tuned to sorcerers, fortune-tellers, soothsayers, that is, to representatives of the occult sciences, Old Testament. Deuteronomy (chapter 18, vv. 9-13) says: “When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, then do not learn to do the abominations that these nations have done. You should not have a soothsayer, a fortuneteller, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, a charmer, summoning spirits, a magician and questioning the dead, leading his son or daughter through fire. For everyone who does this is abominable before the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God casts them out from before you. Be blameless before the Lord your God."

In the book Leviticus says: “Do not go to the callers of the dead, and do not go to wizards, and do not bring yourself to defilement from them. I am the Lord your God" (19, 31). “And if any soul has turned to those who call up the dead and to magicians, in order to follow them fornication, then I will set my face on that soul and cut it off from its people. Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am the Lord your God,holy" (20, 6-7).

In the book Exodus says: “And when they say to you: turn to the callers of the dead and to sorcerers, to whisperers and ventriloquists, then answer: should not the people turn to their God? Do the dead ask about the living? Turn to law and revelation. If they do not speak like this word, then there is no light in them. And further: "Do not leave the fortune tellers alive"(22,18).

The book of Leviticus is especially harsh and blunt about people involved in the occult: “Whether a man or a woman, if they call the dead or magic, let them be put to death; shall stone them with stones, their blood is upon them." (20, 27).

Thus, in the Old Testament, the attitude towards people engaged in magic, divination, sorcery, astrologers (astrologers), etc., i.e., occult pursuits, is quite clear and harsh - up to putting them to death. About those who turn to them for help with divination, etc., it is said: “I will set my face against that soul and cut him off from among his people”(Lev., 20, 6).

From our subsequent narrative, it will be clear that those who turn to sorcerers, magicians, shamans, psychics for help really begin to suffer spiritually and bodily, up to death. Many people who are interested in UFOs and "aliens" also end their lives tragically. This is how words come true bible "... I will set my face on that soul and cut it off from the people."

Why are occult healing methods scary?

Hypnosis, extrasensory perception, witchcraft, coding use methods violent influence on the human psyche, suppressing his will and developing the behavior of people according to someone else's will - the will of a hypnotist, psychic, sorcerer, etc. Without acting on the subconscious of a person, they put their program of behavior and thinking into the subconscious. This program, passing into consciousness, determines the behavior, actions and even the way of thinking of a person. It seems to him that he acts according to his own will, according to his desire. In fact, he fulfills the will of a stranger, a strange spirit. Such a violent influence limits the personality of a person, paralyzes his will, changes behavior and even thinking. A person becomes, as it were, a biorobot, the Image of God is killed in him.

Every person carries the image of God in himself, no matter how bad and fallen he may be. The image of God in man consists in the fact that man has the properties inherent in God: reason, free will, immortal soul. Taking away the will of a person and imposing their own on him, changing the way of thinking and behavior of a person, occultists mock the Image of God, belittle it, subordinate the soul of a person to themselves.

According to the teaching of the holy fathers of the Church, a person can act according to his own will, according to the will of God and according to the will of demons, which is imposed on him in this case through an intermediary - a sorcerer, psychic, hypnotist.

Extrasensory perception, bioenergetics, witchcraft, magic go by experience, contrary to the prohibition of the Church and Holy Scripture, invading the spiritual world and achieving certain healing results. But the psychic and the sorcerer invade the spiritual world with their sinful, unpurified soul, and, naturally, in the spiritual world they can only communicate with the world of negative forces (demonic).

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" - said in gospel. Occultists, on the other hand, invade the spiritual world without having cleansed their souls by repentance and generally in a sinful way, contrary to the prohibition of the Church.

Orthodoxy does not aim at acquiring any supernatural abilities, but aims at cleansing the soul from sins through repentance, prayer, fasting, abstinence, doing good deeds, love for God and people.

At the heart of the Christian life are love and faith, good deeds, asceticism (fasting, abstinence). The Christian path goes through moral perfection: "Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect" and not through exercises that develop supernatural abilities without purification of the soul (repentance), love, doing good deeds. Such a path is dangerous, fatal.

Perfect love leads to humility and humility is anti-pride. In pride, a person recognizes himself as perfect, great, the best among people, powerful. And occultism just develops in people the desire for power over people, that is, it develops pride, which is the beginning and end of all sin. It was through pride that Dennitsa the devil fell, and it was through pride that the first people on Earth, Adam and Eve, sinned. The serpent, in the form of which the devil was hiding, inspired Adam and Eve: “God knows that on the day you eat them (fruits from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods…”(Genesis, 3, 5). This is the essence of sin: disobedience and pride - "you will be like gods."

So it turns out that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Intrusion into the spiritual world without moral purification and repentance through physical and spiritual exercises leads to the development of pride, and often such pride leads to serious mental illness of this person and suppresses the Image of God in him.

The Christian path is aimed at the development of the Image of God and His exaltation. This is the way deliverance from the bondage of sin. "Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free"- said in the Gospel. But what is Truth? The Lord Jesus Christ said: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." This means that only in the knowledge of God do we acquire the true path, we know the Truth and acquire Life. It does not exist outside of God. Occultism brings us to the path without God, the path is not true and not vital.

"Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." Free from what? Can a person be free in this world lying in sin and evil? In this world, a person is subject to the influence of various laws on him: natural, biological, physiological, legal, social, economic, moral, spiritual. And he must not violate any of these laws, otherwise he will have to be strictly responsible for violations. From what will the knowledge of the Truth make a person free? From doing sin! So, having known the Truth (God), he becomes free from doing sin. Ap. John the Evangelist said: "Whoever abides in (God) shall not sin"(1 John, 3, 6): This is the true freedom of man!

By freeing himself from sin, man conquers his nature, that is, the laws of biology. We know that many and many Christian saints were not married, that is, they lived in complete abstinence, hardly slept, prayed a lot, ate very little (for example, one prosphora a day or one cracker). And so, in asceticism, in faith and in love for God and people, “overcoming the nature of orders”, many of them received the grace of God and could heal, work miracles.

Occultists, on the other hand, go in a completely different way.- through special training without cleansing the soul and body from sins, they develop the supernatural abilities that each person has or receive them from the devil.

Without special spiritual tension and moral improvement, a person directly receives the fruits of his work - “healing”, predicting events (clairvoyance), influencing events, “correcting a person’s fate”, etc.

In Christianity, the purpose of life is not the development or acquisition of supernatural abilities, but acquisition, i.e. acquisition. Holy Spirit, according to the word of the reverend Seraphim of Sarov. Christianity is the path to the creation of a “new creature in Christ” (Ap. Paul). This does not happen in the occult. Therefore, occultists do not act by the Grace of God, but act through the world of negative spiritual forces - the world of demons. And this leads to serious, sometimes tragic consequences.