Occultism: the Endangered and the Lost Treasures of the Ancient Wisdom

Occultism also known as mysticism or transcendentalism is an age-long vocation which probably ushered the beginning of enlightenment and human civilization. Occultism is a field of knowledge that aims to demystify, understand and explain mysteries or things that are inherently esoteric.

Since the Renaissance period, Occultism as a field of study or a system of practice has diminished in relevance among men and today it merely represents an endangered part of the ancient wisdom with some of its treasures lost to modernism and postmodernism. The sentiment and indignation often shared by some of the few surviving occultists and the modern initiates of the system is that enlightenment and civilization which is now generally associated to science is actually a corollary to demystification which is the traditional focus of occultism.

The divide between science and occultism arguably centres on the methodologies of both vocation rather than on their philosophies. Occultism centers on psychical method and science on systematic method. However, both vocations share a common purpose, and that is to advance the frontiers of knowledge and develop the state of humanity.

Unlike science whose evolution has been traced to the Renaissance or the Cartesian era, the dissection of the root and etymology of occultism is invariably accompanied by controversies. Several accounts that have traced the origin of Occultism reference different eras lived by the founding fathers of the different schools of occultism. However, the common belief is that occultism derived its essence from when man became conscious of his environment and identified his place in the cosmos.

But exactly when man became conscious of his environment is another focus of discussion entirely — it is as a matter of fact a question that curiously evades most attempts that have been put forward to answer it.

Many scholars have been disgusted by how berated and relegated to the background occultism has become today despite the beauty and contribution of the system to humanity. Mohammed Abdelbaki, a scholar from north Africa remonstrated:

“it’s unfortunate that occultism has come to be cast in such dark shadows, because it truly is a place of wonder and offers opportunities to enrich and embrace life in many ways.

“The key to understanding the realm of the occult is to approach it without fear, bias or desire to use it for unscrupulous reasons. It is a world of multifaceted possibilities, like a beautiful gemstone that reveals a different view of the world at every angle” he said.