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Experience of the Inner Worlds

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Gareth Knight provides a welcome change from the "me too" New Age books that populate the shelves of most popular book stores. In Experience of the Inner Worlds, he provides a thorough explanation of Western mysticism and magic, including interesting historical, mythical and religious background for the concepts presented.

The book approaches the occult from a Christian perspective, although many will argue that such a thing is not possible. As one progresses through the book, however, it becomes clear that this provides a solid, and therefore critical, foundation for all of the ideas presented. All but the most ardent anti-Christians will appreciate this book, though, since Knight draws on a wide variety of belief systems to make his points.

Like many New Age books, Experience of the Inner Worlds includes exercises for the student to perform. These are not empty rituals which are only provided to make the reader feel that he got his money's worth. They are practical exercises which are presented in such a way that the student can build on what he has already learned. Much work is left to the student, and it is nearly impossible to perform the exercises without learning something beyond what is contained in the book.

For the serious, open-minded student of the occult who wants to cut through the fluff, this book is required reading

I was surprised to discover a good portion of this book being an esoteric/religious history lesson. This is not to put this information in an unfavourable light, no far from it. The main thrust of this history lesson is towards an esoteric Christianity; inclusive of this is the church dealing with mysticism, the occult and especially magic. Gareth Knight gives us an interesting argument towards not rejecting these (as the church has done), by mentioning that if we pursue these with a pure heart, we shall be all the less likely to fall into the trappings of those who had negative motives in the past. It should be noted that having said this Gareth Knight does also give us the usual warnings associated with this type of work.

I could but not notice that Gareth Knight is critical of us in the west for leaning towards the esoteric teachings of the East. He states that we in the West should embrace our own Western Esoteric heritage; of this I would have to disagree, even as a student of Western Esotericism, as the teachings of the east have much to offer. I was quite surprised to discover that Gareth Knight is somewhat critical of the Theosophical Society, reason being its leanings away from Christ and towards Eastern Esotericism. Can we then draw the same conclusions as to H.P Blavatsky? Surprising too was Gareth Knights criticism of C W Leadbeater "... `The masters and the path'...the author's embellishments often make it painful reading. The exaggerated devotion to..." pg 128. Surprising to me, due to thinking all these supposed great esoteric authors are peas in a pod and very supportive of each other.

There are numerous topics and equally numerous other esoteric and religious authors mentioned and discussed in this book, from St John of the Cross, C.S Lewis and Dante etc. I would recommend using the `Search inside this book' feature that Amazon provides to view this books contents and read some of this book. There is some very good information regarding the chakras on pages 58-63. Very good in that Gareth Knight describes the chakras inclusive of position, colour and musical notes etc. Each chapter of this book concludes with a practical lesson, mostly visualisations. A highlight of this book for me was information given in chapter 5 regarding secret hermetic and alchemic symbols. This is information that I have not found in any other book to date.

This book concludes with some practices of magic inclusive of Path Working (visualisations and imagination), the Tarot and the Qabalah. So you may be wondering about the cover of the book? Pg 241 `Contact with Inner `Cosmic Doctrine' Group' "An inner group working on Cosmic Doctrine can be contacted by ascending blue light shaft (13 Path) carrying cup, first projecting starting point from heart centre. One will come to Tarot Trump II (high Priestess). Place cup before this figure and proceed behind throne and through veil between Pillars, into small room with rectangular conference table. There you will meet others there."

Pages 223-236 gives us discourses with two entities named X and Y through these magical rites. These entities make specific mention of the `Christ Force'. Mention is also here made of `The Cosmic Doctrine' By Dion Fortune. You will have to read this discourse to make up your own mind. I do find that the flavour of these discourses have a similar ring as contained in Robert Monroe's book `The ultimate Journey'; here Robert Monroe ventures to `Electronic World's' via astral travel. I personal loved Robert Monroe's first 2 books and found `The ultimate Journey' to be on another level (pretty trippy actually - still one should not pass judgement here, as there are other esoteric sources that also make mention of electronic kingdoms or worlds). I did notice that Gareth knight includes Robert Monroe's `Journeys out of the body' in his Bibliography, as a matter of interest. It would seem that you would have to read `The Cosmic Doctrine' or do the `Online Course in Mystic Christianity' that another reviewer has mentioned, to make greater heads or tails of these magical exercises and of this book. I do have the `Cosmic Doctrine' by Dion Fortune and also `The Circuit of Force' & `Principles of Hermetic Wisdom' By Dion Fortune and Gareth Knight. I purchased these books to read at a future date, but now will intend to read these with the added incentive of trying to understand this present work; I may then potential return to add further comments to this review.

This book should appeal to any student of the Western Mystery Tradition, Esoteric Christianity, Mysticism, Qabalah or the history of esotericism and occultism. It grew out of Mr. Knight's relationship with a psychic and mystic Anglican priest, Anthony Duncan, who, inspired by Knight, wrote "The Christ, Psychotherapy and Magic: A Christian Appreciation of Occultism." The sequence of meditation symbols outlined cursorily in Duncan's essentially channeled "The Lord of the Dance" provides the basis for the ten chapters and exercises in "Experience of the Inner Worlds." American publisher Samuel Weiser's ambivalence about the book's overtly Christian orientation is implicit in its omission of the original British subtitle, "A Course in Christian Qabalistic Magic." Knight eschews Eastern concepts that have dominated occultism since at least the late 19th century in favor of insights from Judeo-Christian and (to a lesser but still significant extent) Sufi mysticism. Throughout the work he conveys a respect for, commitment to, and genuine understanding of the Christian tradition that one rarely encounters in much more readily available occult literature, although his attitude is by no means hidebound. He calls the Christian Church the most complete expression of truth but not its sole repository. A major theme is that many "heretical" or controversial ideas and practices that have recurrently surfaced throughout church history and especially among mystics--the Divine Feminine, the Divine Spark within human beings, and the relationship between occult phenomena and Pentecostal "gifts of the Spirit"-represent truths that have been inadequately integrated. (Writing as an Episcopal priest in 1947, Alan Watts made a similar point in his "Behold the Spirit" when he said "The growth of sects and cults is nearly always a sign that the Church is falling short of catholicity. Christian Science, for example, is the result of the Church's neglect of spiritual healing.") Considering its comparative brevity (about 250 pages) and high readability, the book's scope is vast, treating as it does the Cube of Space, the Hebrew alphabet, the Crusades, the Grail mythos, Jungian psychology, inner planes communication, meditation and ritual. It is one of the required texts for the "Online Course in Magical Christianity" [...] which was founded by Nicholas Whitehead who studied under Knight and whose "Patterns in Magical Christianity" also incorporates and elaborates the symbols from "Lord of the Dance." Although "Experience of the Inner Worlds" stands on its own, its impact is more profound when one studies it through the "Online Course" which provides lessons, supplemental readings and supervision at no cost besides a commitment of time and study.

Readers are, I'm sure, familiar with the level of hands-on experience Gareth brings to the table.
This book provides fresh insights that make it an excellent companion to his "Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism"
a long time staple on any serious esotericists bookshelf. The exercises in each chapter have to be experienced.
Explanations or comments don't do justice to them. Do yourself a favor and read this...and do the exercises.

This is yet another excellent work by Gareth Knight concerning the Western Esoteric Tradition. Like the other works of this Mentor, this one is written wisely -- giving idealistic and practical guidance concerning the Western Esoteric Tradition -- including experience of the inner worlds. Related history and experience are remarked-upon to aid in this as well.

The diagrams and illustrations are spot-on, as well as good dialogs, to enhance learning and following this well-and-good "Hale Guide to Holy Grail and Rose Cross" [my words]. The abstract analysis and concrete points of concern are very fine-tuned to provide great support to the practical applied exercises rounding-out every well-developed chapterial Theme of "Experience of the Inner Worlds".

VIA CLEAR SHARP DETAIL Gareth knight shows just why it can be wise to follow such an inner path via a most firm Western Rational Faith -- via esoteric philosophy and practice uplifted by Faith -- such as that of the Peoples of the Book -- Jewish, Christian and Islamic Traditions -- including via aid of their inner aspects such as Qabalah, Grail and Sufi ones +++

This book is required reading for ANYONE looking to bridge the gap between traditional Christianity and the esoteric world of metaphysics. Gareth Knight is one of the true descendants in a line of metaphysicians bringing forth teachings from a highly spiritual source. This book takes on the guise of a mystical journey that not only educates the reader as to the history of metaphysics but also through it's exercises leads to an intimate relationship with the Christ. You WILL be transformed through this "Experience of the Inner Worlds".

This seminal work has become a classic textbook in many spiritual and esoteric circles. But don't just take our word for it... have a look at some of the comments by readers of earlier editions:

"This book is required reading for ANYONE looking to bridge the gap between traditional Christianity and the esoteric world of metaphysics. Gareth Knight is one of the true descendants in a line of metaphysicians bringing forth teachings from a highly spiritual source." (Isis Music, USA)

"If you have any fondness for both the esoteric and Grail Myth, you'll really like the approach of this book. Each chapter is well written yet concise and concludes with easy but practical exercises which build upon each other effectively." (Boudicca, Germany)

"Readers are, I'm sure, familiar with the level of hands-on experience Gareth brings to the table. This book provides fresh insights that make it an excellent companion to his Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism, a long time staple on any serious esotericists bookshelf." (Bokhara, USA)

"More than a systematic study it is a series of pictures, of hints for future pursuits that - just to give an idea of the turns this book takes - include the grail, the Sefer Yetzirah, Dante, Simone Weil, alchemy, sufi mysticism, the cloud of unknowing, renaissance magic." (QWFF, Italy)

"The abstract analysis and concrete points of concern are very fine-tuned to provide great support to the practical applied exercises rounding-out every well-developed chapterial Theme of Experience of the Inner Worlds." (Kevin Kiersky, USA)

"Considering its comparative brevity (about 250 pages) and high readability, the book's scope is vast, treating as it does the Cube of Space, the Hebrew alphabet, the Crusades, the Grail mythos, Jungian psychology, inner planes communication, meditation and ritual." (Michael K. Kivinen, USA)

"Each chapter of this book concludes with a practical lesson, mostly visualisations. A highlight of this book for me was information given in chapter 5 regarding secret hermetic and alchemic symbols. This is information that I have not found in any other book to date." (Dragan, Australia)

There is, at the center of this book, an idea that is somewhat unpopular in our times: that the pagan beliefs and the eastern systems of thought that usually draw the interest of the metaphysically oriented, can at most be classified as natural religion, that is as the human attempt, restricted by the limit of our reason, of knowing God. Why, even in the historical periods of uttermost tolerance, reciprocal influence between religions, and intermixing of concepts and gods, did the jews painfully isolate themselves? Because, says the author, jews knew that unlike any other people on earth, they had been entrusted with preserving revealed religion, the approach of God to man, his direct communication of truth. He suggests two reasons as to why we have come to consider this message naive and meaningless, and to be attracted by more exotic views of reality: first, we usually learn christianity at a tender age under the teaching of someone who, more often than not, has at best good will to offer, while we become exposed to other systems when we are adults, and under the guidance of professors and gurus. Second, complete truth is often less intuitive and difficult to imagine than a system of approximate speculation, because the latter comes from the natural effort of our reason while the former doesn't make any effort to be grasped by it (think of how much classical physics intuitively seems to make more sense than modern physics). Still it must not be thought that Gareth Knight irreverently disposes of anything which doesn't come from the bible; in fact he considers many 'pagan' ideas as some of the highest achievements of human minds, but at the same time he believes that even the highest of them will always fall short of revealed truth (not in the sense of being incorrect, but of being incomplete).

Thus, the book is a wide ranging, free flowing exploration of diverse themes in the study of magic and mysticism, centered around the three religions stemming from Old Testament and especially Christianity, which is seen as the essential light to guide the wanderers in these lands so that they may avoid the traps and the dangers that abound. More than a systematic study it is a series of pictures, of hints for future pursuits that - just to give an idea of the turns this book takes - include the grail, the Sefer Yetzirah, Dante, Simone Weil, alchemy, sufi mysticism, the cloud of unknowing, renaissance magic. Each chapter concludes with an imaginative exercise whose goal is to fix in the consciousness a particular symbol which possesses a certain archetypal power.

It may come as very refreshing to readers of "A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism" that Gareth Knight seems to have matured very much in the time between the two books in terms of critical thinking and open mindedness. In fact in "Experience of the Inner Worlds" he takes a much more balanced, well grounded approach which is more critical (although still not enough for my tastes) of the "english school"'s obsessions for disincarnate teachers, invisible masters, the self-righteousness and the superiority feeling in following a spiritual path, and even (hallelujah) toward the importance given to philosophical speculations about reality (either channeled or not), whose merit - he intriguingly suggests - is to be found more in being a mental callisthenics by virtue of the complex concepts they require you to conjure and regardless of whether those concepts are true or not.

This book is a great beginning point for the studies of the occult. It comes from a Christian standpoint and discusses some very pertinent issues. I would recommend this to anyone looking to extend their knowledge of the Bible from a historical standpoint.