The Occult (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "There is a passage in the Introduction to P. D. Ouspensky's New Model of the Universe that never fails to move and excite me: It..." (more)
Key Phrases: jungle sensitiveness, lunar knowledge, travelling clairvoyance, Wilson Knight, White Goddess, Madame Blavatsky (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Colin Wilson’s classic work is an essential guide to the mind-expanding experiences and discoveries of the occult in the 20th century. He produces a wonderfully skillful synthesis of the available material—one that sees the occult in the light of reason and reason in the light of the mystical and paranormal. The result is a wide-ranging survey of the subject that provides a comprehensive history of magic, an insightful exploration of our latent powers, and a journey of enlightenment.
 
“I am very impressed by this book, not only by its erudition but…above all for the good-natured, unaffected charm of the author whose reasoning is never too far-fetched, who is never carried away by preposterous theories.”—Sunday Times

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (October 4, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034015263X
• ISBN-13: 978-0340152638
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,856,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite Good and Very Readable, September 17, 2007

By	Danno (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Occult (Paperback)

Colin Wilson brings an excellent conversational tone to "The Occult." Despite the fact that Wilson seems to have included virtually every pre-1970 seer, philosopher, adept, alchemist, prophet, soothsayer, necromancer and sorcerer, the book never seems poorly organized or disjointed. This is a testament to Wilson's writing style. Although by its very nature superficial, "The Occult" comes across as a conversation about the subject with a well-versed, highly-educated and rather witty enthusiast. As such, you will likely have as much fun reading it as I have. This is probably the most readable book on the topic, and a fine place to start if you're new to this.

Despite its' breadth, however, "The Occult" has one fatal flaw, and that is Wilson's inability to truly weigh competing points of view. For example, while Wilson provides rather lively portraits of Caligostro, Nostradamus, Mesmer, Pythagoras and the like, he uncritically reprints sensationalistic stories about them. Any historian of Greek philosophy can tell you that the stories Wilson shares regarding Pythagoras are most likely fiction, and any Freemason can correct Wilson's misconceptions about the Masons in his section on Caligostro. (Freemasonry is NOT a religion, despite Wilson's claims).

Still, this book deserves much praise. The Tarot is here, but so is the I Ching. Crowley is here, but so is Zen. The Kabbalah is here, but so are the Masons. And so on. While casting his net wide may open him up to charges of being a dillentant, it also saves this from being yet another collection of ghost stories and pseudo-myth. Don't buy this book because Halloween is coming. Buy it if you have ever cared about mystery, religion, philosophy, or spiritualism. You probably won't like everything about "The Occult" but I think you will be glad that you have read it and will probably want to read it again.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing, February 17, 2000

By	James Aquilone (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This book totally changed my outlook on life. Colin Wilson's penetrating look into the occult -- its history, causes and effects -- left me with a different worldview and a better understanding of the world beyond.

"The Occult" demystifies the world of magic, supernaturalism, and religion. And gives you a clearer, practical view of this strange and interesting world that exists all around us but is seldom seen.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Book that set me on The Path, July 28, 2000

By	Graham Douglas Lincoln "The Truth is Absolute... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

Before I became interested in Freemasonry & before studying Mystery School works, when I was a teenager....just-after being booted out of home for having an earring and hair below collar-length....a friend talked with me about my natural psychic abilities and loaned me "The Occult," by Colin Wilson. This book left a great impression on me and I have always remembered and appreciated this work. Also, this book introduced me to Numerology & opened my thinking in other areas. The various characters involved in The Occult are discussed, throughout the book and...if I remember correctly...I believe there are pictures of famous occultists in Black and White. I have never owned a copy of this book, but the copy I borrowed changed hands so many times that I can assure it's value as a good read.... I think Wilson did a great job with what he knew at the time.