The word occult brings to mind all sorts of weird and bizarre phenomena and theories, from Ouija boards to faith healing, to alien abductions and worldwide conspiracy theories.

For many it is difficult to consider occultism as anything but fringe beliefs, strange practices and superstition. This is really quite a shame. The word occult simply means unknown.

In medical terms occult bleeding is not some fringe phenomenon or ectoplasmic manifestation, but simply blood coming from a source which is not, as yet, known.

Thus, occultism is the study of information from sources that are outside conventional wisdom; it is knowledge which is, as yet, unverifiable by science.

Some would suggest the occult is simply science before its time. Chemistry was occult alchemy until this century, as medicine was occult healing before the advent of modern methods of healing.

In this erudite volume David Conway places occultism within the context of our modern scientific and philosophical ways of thinking.

Rather than perceiving science and occultism as being in conflict, he takes science as his starting point and shows how much modern scientific research has uncanny similarities to many of the concepts found in occultism.

Rather than dividing knowledge into science, philosophy and the esoteric, he sees them all as part of a living network of wisdom that spans from the most rudimentary understanding of the material world to explorations of other realities.

Rather than being opposed to each other, they are all simply different levels of perception, using varying forms of evidence and diverse means of research.

Conway moves from recent discoveries in science to such issues as the possible existence of God, the nature of knowledge, wisdom and tradition, how life began, and so on. Rather than jettisoning his scientific methodology when exploring the spiritual, he takes with him a critical and analytic approach and therefore brings occultism out of the shadows and into our own potential experience.

He uses a wide lens and offers perspectives from many different traditions, discussing them with an open and objective mind.

For example, in the section on the possible existence of God, he explores Western philosophy, Neo-Platonism, Aristotle and Plato, Hindu and Buddhist thought, and science as well.

His encyclopedic knowledge of both science and occultism is truly impressive. He offers erudite summaries of theories in both fields in a way that can, with a little effort, be understood.

The section on the origins of mankind is one of the best summaries I have read of the Theosophical theory of man’s development, covering both the teachings of Madame Blavatsky and Rudolf Steiner.

It not only gives an overview of the complex theories of root races, rounds and evolutionary cycles, but cross references them to stages within the more traditional scientific model of evolution. Certainly this section of the book will take a few readings, but it is well worth the time and effort.

Esoteric and occult literature is notorious for its obscurity and verbosity, but Conway reduces the noise and gives superb summaries of the most complex esoteric theories in a few pages.

If you are looking for an intelligent and incisive outline of the esoteric worldview with up to date discussions of the discoveries of modern science and comparisons of the two, this is the book to read.

When you add to this Conway’s penetrative examination of the nature of modern life, this truly is an outstanding volume.

– Reviewed by Robert Burns in New Dawn No. 86