Session Six: Occultism Now
In this last session, we explore the esotericism from WWII to the present. This session will cover a wide range of topics, from the Nazi Occult Movement and Eastern Mysticism to the psychedelic movement and the appearance of Crop Circles in English fields. We will discuss the role of figures such as Jack Parsons, who combined his scientific work with a deep interest in the occult. Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual master who moved to America in the 1920s, believed in the unity of all religions and taught that the purpose of life was to realize God through love and service to others. We will also examine the”crazy wisdom” teachings of Chogyam Trungpa, a visionary leader who brought the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, and Osho, an Indian spiritual teacher who blended Eastern and Western philosophies.
Additionally, we will explore the impact of the psychedelic renaissance on the modern occult tradition, including the work of Timothy Leary, and his six circuit model of the brain, and Robert Anton Wilson, a writer and philosopher who coined the term “Chapel Perilous,” questioning our assumptions about reality. We will also discuss the ideas of Jose Arguelles and Terence McKenna. McKenna theorized that psychedelics, particularly DMT, could help people connect with a hyperdimensional reality as we approached the “End of Time.” Arguelles, similarly, believed we were on the cusp of an epochal transformation.
Finally, we will touch on the contemporary practices of Joe Dispenza, a chiropractor who explores the connection between the mind and the body, and Bashar, a channeled entity who claims to be from the future. We will consider ideas from some current thinkers such as David Icke, Graham Hancock, David Luke, and Nassim Haramein. We will consider the status of occult and esoteric knowledge today, and where the future may lead us.