Appearing from aboriginal tribes in Australia and Māori tribes in New Zealand to rainforest tribes in South America, bush tribes in Africa and ancient Pagan tribal groups in Europe, some form of shamanic contact with the spirit world seems to be nearly universal in the early development of human communities. Much of the Babylonian and Egyptian pictorial writing characters appear derived from the same sources.

Although indigenous magical traditions persist to this day, very early on some communities transitioned from nomadic to agricultural civilizations, and with this shift, the development of spiritual life mirrored that of civic life. Just as tribal elders were consolidated and transformed in kings and bureaucrats, so too were shamans and adepts changed into priests and a priestly caste.

This shift is by no means in nomenclature alone. While the shaman’s task was to negotiate between the tribe and the spirit world, on behalf of the tribe, as directed by the collective will of the tribe, the priest’s role was to transfer instructions from the deities to the city-state, on behalf of the deities, as directed by the will of those deities. This shift represents the first major usurpation of power by distancing magic from those participating in that magic. It is at this stage of development that highly codified and elaborate rituals, setting the stage for formal religions, began to emerge, such as the funeral rites of the Egyptians and the sacrifice rituals of the Babylonians, Persians, Aztecs and Mayans.

In 2003, Sinafasi Makelo, a representative of Mbuti pygmies, told the UN’s Indigenous People’s Forum that during the Congo Civil War, his people were hunted down and eaten as though they were game animals. Both sides of the war regarded them as “subhuman” and some say their flesh can confer magical powers.

On April, 2008, Kinshasa, the police arrested 14 suspected victims (of penis snatching) and sorcerers accused of using black magic or witchcraft to steal (make disappear) or shrink men’s penises to extort cash for cure, amid a wave of panic. Arrests were made in an effort to avoid bloodshed seen in Ghana a decade ago, when 12 alleged penis snatchers were beaten to death by mobs.

Native American medicine

The Shamanism practiced by the indigenous peoples of the Americas was called “medicine” and was practiced by medicine men. In addition to healing, medicine served many other purposes, for example among the Cheyenne, one of Plains Indians that lived in the Great Plains of North America, medicine such as war paint, war shields, war shirts, and war bonnets, such as the famous war bonnet of Roman Nose, served to protect a warrior from wounding during battle.

Magic in Hinduism

It has been often stated that India is a land of magic, both supernatural and mundane. Hinduism is one of the few religions that has sacred texts like the Vedas that discuss both white and black magic. The Atharva Veda is a veda that deals with mantras that can be used for both good and bad. The word mantrik in India literally means “magician” since the mantrik usually knows mantras, spells, and curses which can be used for or against forms of magic. Tantra is likewise employed for ritual magic by the tantrik. Many ascetics after long periods of penance and meditation are alleged to attain a state where they may utilize supernatural powers. However, many say that they choose not to use them and instead focus on transcending beyond physical power into the realm of spirituality. Many siddhars are said to have performed miracles that would ordinarily be impossible to perform. The Aghoris consume human flesh in pursuit of immortality and the supernatural. They distinguish themselves from other Hindu sects and priests by their alcoholic and cannibalistic rituals.

Western magic

Ancient Egypt

Magic in ancient Egypt was used for protection against angry deities, jealous ghosts, and foreign demons and sorcerers who were thought to cause illness, accidents, poverty and infertility.

Classical antiquity

The prototypical magicians were a class of priests, the Magi of Zoroastrianism, and their reputation together with that of Ancient Egypt shaped the hermeticism of Hellenistic religion. In ancient Greece magic was viewed negatively because it was foreign, but over time the view of magic involved negative connotations (malign magic) and positive ones in the practice of religion, medicine, and divination.

The Greek mystery religions had strongly magical components, and in Egypt, a large number of magical papyri, in Greek, Coptic, and Demotic, have been recovered. These sources contain early instances of much of the magical lore that later became part of Western cultural expectations about the practice of magic, especially ceremonial magic. They contain early instances of:

*the use of “magic words” said to have the power to command spirits;

*the use of wands and other ritual tools;

*the use of a magic circle to defend the magician against the spirits that he is invoking or evoking; and

*the use of mysterious symbols or sigils which are thought to be useful when invoking or evoking spirits.

The use of spirit mediums is also documented in these texts; many of the spells call for a child to be brought to the magic circle to act as a conduit for messages from the spirits. The time of the Emperor Julian of Rome, marked by a reaction against the influence of Christianity, saw a revival of magical practices associated with neo-Platonism under the guise of theurgy.

The practice of magic was banned in the Roman world, and the ”Codex Theodosianus” states: If any wizard therefore or person imbued with magical contamination who is called by custom of the people a magician…should be apprehended in my retinue, or in that of the Caesar, he shall not escape punishment and torture by the protection of his rank.

Middle Ages

Several medieval scholars were considered to be magicians in popular legend, notably Gerbert d’Aurillac and Albertus Magnus: both men were active in the scientific research of their day as well as in ecclesiastical matters, which was enough to attach to them a nimbus of the occult.

Magical practice was actively discouraged by the church, but it remained widespread in folk religion throughout the medieval period. Magical thinking became syncretized with Christian dogma, expressing itself in practices like the judicial duel and the veneration of relics. In many cases, relics became amulets, and various churches strove to purchase scarce or valuable examples, hoping to become places of pilgrimage. This lead to a profitable market in relics. Tales of the miraculous effects of relics of the saints were later compiled into popular collections like the ”Golden Legend” of Jacobus de Voragine, or the ”Dialogus miraculorum” of Caesar of Heisterbach.

From the 13th century, the Jewish Kabbalah exerted influence on Christian occultism, giving rise to the first grimoires and the scholarly occultism that would evolve into Renaissance magic. The demonology and angelology contained in the earliest grimoires assume a life surrounded by Christian implements and sacred rituals. The underlying theology in these works of Christian demonology encourages the magician to fortify himself with fasting, prayers, and sacraments, so that by using the holy names of God in the sacred languages, he could use divine powers to coerce demons into appearing and serving his usually lustful or avaricious magical goals.

13th century astrologers include Johannes de Sacrobosco and Guido Bonatti.

Renaissance

Renaissance humanism saw resurgence in hermeticism and Neo-Platonic varieties of ceremonial magic. The Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, on the other hand, saw the rise of scientism, in such forms as the substitution of chemistry for alchemy, the dethronement of the Ptolemaic theory of the universe assumed by astrology, the development of the germ theory of disease, that restricted the scope of applied magic and threatened the belief systems upon which it relied.

The seven ”artes magicae” or ”artes prohibitae” or arts prohibited by canon law by Johannes Hartlieb in 1456 were: nigromancy ( which included “black magic” and “demonology”), geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy, and scapulimancy and their sevenfold partition emulated the artes liberales and artes mechanicae. Both bourgeoisie and nobility in the 15th and 16th century showed great fascination with these arts, which exerted an exotic charm by their ascription to Arabic, Jewish, Gypsy and Egyptian sources. There was great uncertainty in distinguishing practices of superstition, occultism, and perfectly sound scholarly knowledge or pious ritual. The intellectual and spiritual tensions erupted in the Early Modern witch craze, further reinforced by the turmoil of the Protestant Reformation, especially in Germany, England, and Scotland.

Baroque

Study of the occult arts remained intellectually respectable well into the 17th century, and only gradually divided into the modern categories of natural science, occultism, and superstition. The 17th century saw the gradual rise of the “age of reason”, while belief in witchcraft and sorcery, and consequently the irrational surge of Early Modern witch trials, receded, a process only completed at the end of the Baroque period circa 1730. Christian Thomasius still met opposition as he argued in his 1701 ”Dissertatio de crimine magiae” that it was meaningless to make dealing with the devil a criminal offence, since it was impossible to really commit the crime in the first place. In Britain, the Witchcraft Act of 1735 established that people could not be punished for consorting with spirits, while would-be magicians ”pretending” to be able to invoke spirits could still be fined as con artists.

:”Newton was not the first of the age of reason, he was the last of the magicians.” — John Maynard Keynes

Romanticism

From 1776 to 1781 AD, Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic, sometimes under the guise of scientific exhibitions, throughout Europe and Russia. Baron Carl Reichenbach’s experiments with his Odic force appeared to be an attempt to bridge the gap between magic and science. More recent periods of renewed interest in magic occurred around the end of the nineteenth century, where Symbolism and other offshoots of Romanticism cultivated a renewed interest in exotic spiritualities. European colonialism put Westerners in contact with India and Egypt and re-introduced exotic beliefs. Hindu and Egyptian mythology frequently feature in nineteenth century magical texts. The late 19th century spawned a large number of magical organizations, including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society, and specifically magical variants on Freemasonry. The Golden Dawn represented perhaps the peak of this wave of magic, attracting cultural celebrities like William Butler Yeats, Algernon Blackwood, and Arthur Machen.

20th century

In general, the 20th century has seen a sharp rise in public interest in various forms of magical practice, and the foundation of a number of traditions and organisations, ranging from the distinctly religious to the philosophical.

In England, a further revival of interest in magic was heralded by the repeal of the last Witchcraft Act in 1951. In 1954 Gerald Gardner published a book, ”Witchcraft Today”, in which he claimed to reveal the existence of a witch-cult that dated back to pre-Christian Europe. Although many of Gardner’s claims have since come under intensive criticism from sources both within and without the Neopagan community, his works remain the most important founding stone of Wicca. Gardner combined magic and religion in a way that was later to cause people to question the Enlightenment’s boundaries between the two subjects.

Gardner’s newly created religion, and many others, took off in the atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s, when the counterculture of the hippies also spawned another period of renewed interest in magic, divination, and other occult practices. The various branches of Neopaganism and other Earth religions that have emerged since Gardner’s publication tend to follow a pattern in combining the practice of magic and religion, although this combination is not exclusive to them. Following the trend of magic associated with counterculture, some feminists launched an independent revival of goddess worship. This brought them into contact with the Gardnerian tradition of magical religion (or religious magic), and deeply influenced that tradition in return.

Some people in the West believe in or practice various forms of magic. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley’s Thelema and their subsequent offshoots, influenced by Eliphas Levi, are most commonly associated with the resurgence of magical tradition in the English speaking world of the 20th century. Other, similar resurgences took place at roughly the same time, centered in France and Germany. The western traditions acknowledging the natural elements, the seasons, and the practitioner’s relationship with the Earth, Gaia, or a primary Goddess have derived at least in part from these magical groups, and are mostly considered Neopagan. Long-standing indigenous traditions of magic are regarded as Pagan.

Allegedly for gematric reasons Aleister Crowley preferred the spelling ”magick”, defining it as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will.” By this, he included “mundane” acts of change as well as ritual magic. In ”Magick in Theory and Practice”, Chapter XIV, Crowley says:

:”What is a Magical Operation? It may be defined as any event in nature which is brought to pass by Will. We must not exclude potato-growing or banking from our definition. Let us take a very simple example of a Magical Act: that of a man blowing his nose.”

Western magical traditions include hermetic magic and its many offshoots predominantly inspired by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, as well as Wicca and some other Neopagan religions. Definitions, concepts and uses of magic tend to vary even within magical traditions and indeed often between individuals.

Wicca is one of the more publicly known traditions within Neopaganism, a magical religion inspired by medieval witchcraft, with influences including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Crowley. Ruickbie (2004:193-209) shows that Wiccans and witches define magic in many different ways and use it for a number of different purposes. Despite that diversity of opinion, he concludes that the result upon the practitioner is generally perceived as a positive one.

The belief in Magic is often considered superstitious, although it could be argued that some magical practices rely upon widely accepted psychological principles and are only intended to promote internal personal changes within the practitioner themselves. Visualization techniques, for instance, widely used by magicians, are also used in somewhat different contexts in fields such as clinical psychology and sports training.

Theories of adherents

Adherents to magic believe that it may work by one or more of the following basic principles:

* A mystical force or energy that is natural, but cannot be detected by science at present, and which may not be detectable at all. Common terms referring to such magical energy include mana, numen, chi or kundalini. These are sometimes regarded as fluctuations of an underlying primary substance (”akasha”, ”aether”) that is present in all things and interconnects and binds all. Magical energy is thus also present in all things, though it can be especially concentrated in magical objects. Magical energies are typically seen as being especially responsive to the use of symbols, so that a person, event or object can be affected by manipulating an object that symbolically represents them or it (as in sigil magic, for instance). This corresponds to James Frazer’s theory of sympathetic magic.

* Intervention of spirits, similar to hypothetical natural forces, but with their own consciousness and intelligence. Believers in spirits will often describe a whole cosmos of beings of many different kinds, sometimes organized into a hierarchy.

* Manipulation of the Elements, by using the will of the magician and symbols or objects which are representative of the element(s). Western practitioners typically use the Classical elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.

* Concentration or meditation. A certain amount of focusing or restricting the mind to some imagined object (or will), according to Aleister Crowley, produces mystical attainment or “an occurrence in the brain characterized essentially by the uniting of subject and object.” (Book Four, Part 1: Mysticism) Magic, as defined previously, seeks to aid concentration by constantly recalling the attention to the chosen object (or Will), thereby producing said attainment. For example, if one wishes to concentrate on a god, one might memorize a system of correspondences (perhaps chosen arbitrarily, as this would not affect its usefulness for mystical purposes) and then make every object that one sees “correspond” to said God.

:Aleister Crowley wrote that ””. . . the exaltation of the mind by means of magickal practices leads (as one may say, in spite of itself) to the same results as occur in straightforward Yoga.”” Crowley’s magick thus becomes a form of mental, mystical, or spiritual discipline, designed to train the mind to achieve greater concentration. Crowley also made claims for the paranormal effects of magick, suggesting a connection with the first principle in this list. However, he defined any attempt to use this power for a purpose other than aiding mental or mystical attainment as “black magick”.

* The magical power of the subconscious mind. To believers who think that they need to convince their subconscious mind to make the changes that they desire, all spirits and energies are projections and symbols that make sense to the subconscious. A variant of this belief is that the subconscious is capable of contacting spirits, who in turn can work magic.

*The Oneness of All. Based on the fundamental concepts of monism and Non-duality, this philosophy holds that Magic is little more than the application of one’s own inherent unity with the universe. Hinging upon the personal realization, or “illumination,” that the self is limitless, one may live in unison with nature, seeking and preserving balance in all things. For monism to allow for magic, it cannot be a materialist or physicalist monism. It must be an idealist and/or pantheist version of monism.

Many more theories exist. Practitioners will often mix these concepts, and sometimes even invent some themselves. In the contemporary current of chaos magic in particular, it is not unusual to believe that any concept of magic works.

Key principles of utilizing Magic are often said to be Concentration and Visualization. Many of those who purportedly cast spells attain a mental state called the “Trance State” to enable the spell. The Trance State is often described as an emptying of the mind, akin to meditation.

Magic and monotheism

Officially, Christianity and often Islam characterize magic as forbidden witchcraft, and have often prosecuted alleged practitioners of it with varying degrees of severity. Other religions, such as Judaism and Zoroastrianism have rather more ambiguous positions towards it. Trends in monotheistic thought have dismissed all such manifestations as trickery and illusion, nothing more than dishonest gimmicks.

In Judaism

In Judaism the Torah prohibits Jews from being superstitious or engaging in astrology (Lev. 19, 26), from muttering incantations (Deut. 18, 11), from consulting an ov (mediums), yidoni (seers), or attempting to contact the dead (Deut. 18, 11), from going into a trance to foresee events, etc., and from performing acts of magic (Deut. 18, 10). See 613 Mitzvot. Some scholars have viewed Kabbalistic aspects of Medieval Judaism as embellishing on practices of Greco-Roman magic. Virtually all works pseudepigraphically claim, or are ascribed, ancient authorship. For example, ”Sefer Raziel HaMalach”, an astro-magical text partly based on a magical manual of late antiquity, ”Sefer ha-Razim”, was, according to the kabbalists, transmitted to Adam by the angel Raziel after he was evicted from Eden.

Another famous work, the ”Sefer Yetzirah”, supposedly dates back to the patriarch Abraham. This tendency toward pseudepigraphy has its roots in Apocalyptic literature, which claims that esoteric knowledge such as magic, divination and astrology was transmitted to humans in the mythic past by the two angels, Aza and Azaz’el (in other places, Azaz’el and Uzaz’el) who ‘fell’ from heaven (see Genesis 6:4).

However, genuine Kabbalah is meant to delve into the hidden and mystical aspects of the Torah which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, and should not be confused with superstitious or magical practices, which are antithetical to an traditional Jewish values.

In Christianity

”Magia” was viewed with suspicion by Christianity from the time of the Church fathers.

It was, however, never completely settled whether there may be permissible practices, e.g. involving relics or holy water as opposed to “blasphemous” necromancy (”nigromantia”) involving the invocation of demons (goetia).

The distinction became particularly pointed and controversial during the Early Modern witch-hunts, with some authors such as Johannes Hartlieb denouncing all magical practice as blasphemous, while others portrayed natural magic as not sinful.

The position taken by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, one of the foremost Renaissance magicians, is ambiguous. The character of Faustus, likely based on a historical 16th century magician or charlatan, became the prototypical popular tale of a learned magician who succumbs to a pact with the devil.

The current Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses divination and magic under the heading of the First Commandment.

It is careful to allow for the possibility of divinely inspired prophecy, but it rejects “all forms of divination”:

2116) ”All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.”

The section on “practices of magic or sorcery” is less absolute, specifying “attempts to tame occult powers” in order to “have supernatural power over others”. Such are denounced as “gravely contrary to the virtue of religion”, notably avoiding a statement on whether such attempts can have any actual effect (that is, attempts to employ occult practices are identified as violating the First Commandment because they in themselves betray a lack of faith, and not because they may or may not result in the desired effect).

The Catechism expresses skepticism towards widespread practices of folk Catholicism without outlawing them explicitly:

2117) ”[...] Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.”

Some argue that the recent popularity of the prosperity gospel constitutes a return to magical thinking within Christianity. Note also that Gnostic Christianity has a strong mystical current, but shies away from practical magic and focuses more on theurgy.

In Islam

Any discussion of Muslim magic poses a double set of problems. On the one hand, like its counterpart in predominantly Christian cultures, magic is forbidden by orthodox leaders and legal opinions. However, in Islam, black magic is actively being used rather than preventing the practice of magic, this classification has forced a more complicated nomenclature in Muslim cultures. Nor has the prohibition of “magic” staved its influence on European magical traditions and the early stages of scientific thought. On the other hand, translating various Arabic terms as ‘magic’ causes another set of problems with no clear answers.

As with any question regarding the behavior of Muslims in relation to authorized practices, theological decisions begin by consulting the Qur’an. The second chapter introduces an explanation for the introduction of magic into the world:

:”They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers were, not Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men magic, and such things as came down at Babylon to the angels Harut and Marut. But neither of these taught anyone (such things) without saying: “We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme.” They learned from them the means to sow discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah’s permission. And they learned what harmed them, not what profited them. And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their souls, if they but knew!” (Q 2:102).

Though it presents a generally contemptuous attitude towards magic (Muhammad was accused by his detractors of being a magician), the Qur’an distinguishes between apparent magic (miracles sanctioned by Allah) and real magic. The first is that used by Solomon, who being a prophet of Allah, is assumed to have used miraculous powers with Allah’s blessing. The second form is the magic that was taught by the “evil ones,” or ”al-shayatin”. ”Al-shayatin” has two meanings; the first is similar to the Christian Satan. The second meaning, which is the one used here, refers to a ”djinn” of superior power. The ”al-shayatin” taught knowledge of evil and “pretended to force the laws of nature and the will of Allah . . .” According to this belief, those who follow this path turn themselves from Allah and cannot reach heaven.

The Arabic word translated in this passage as “magic” is ”sihr”. The etymological meaning of ”sihr” suggests that “it is the turning . . . of a thing from its true nature . . . or form . . . to something else which is unreal or a mere appearance . . .” However, the seriousness with which the passage treats it reveals that ”sihr”, in the context of the Qur’an, is no mere illusion. Sowing discord between a married couple and harming others with ”sihr” are very real consequences. If one uses ”sihr” for such malevolent purposes, then its assault on marital harmony and social justice probably influenced the contempt for which it is generally viewed in the Qur’an.

By the first millennium C.E., ”sihr” became a fully developed system in Islamic society. Within this system, all magicians “assert[ed] that magic is worked by the obedience of spirits to the magician.” The efficacy of this system comes from the belief that every Arabic letter, every word, verse, and chapter in the Qur’an, every month, day, time and name were created by Allah ”a priori”, and that each has an angel and a ”djinn” servant. It is through the knowledge of the names of these servants that an actor is able to control the angel and ”djinn” for his or her purposes.

The Sunni and Shia sects of Islam typically forbid all use of magic. The Sufis within these two sects are much more ambiguous about its use as seen in the concept of “Barakah”. If magic is understood in terms of Frazer’s principle of ”contagion”, then ”barakah” is another term that can refer to magic. ”Barakah”, variously defined as “blessing,” or “divine power,” is a quality one possesses rather than a category of activity. According to Muslim conception, the source of ”barakah” is solely from Allah; it is Allah’s direct blessing and intervention conferred upon special, pious Muslims. ”Barakah” has a heavily contagious quality in that one can transfer it by either inheritance or contact. Of all the humans who have ever lived, it is said that the Prophet Muhammad possessed the greatest amount of ”barakah” and that he passed this to his male heirs through his daughter Fatima. ”Barakah” is not just limited to Muhammad’s family line; any person who is considered holy may also possess it and transfer it to virtually anyone else. In Morocco, ”barakah” transfer can be accomplished by sharing a piece of bread from which the possessor has eaten because saliva is the vessel of ”barakah” in the human body. However, the transference of ”barakah” may also occur against the will of its possessor through other forms of physical contact such as hand shaking and kissing. The contagious element of ”barakah” is not limited to humans as it can be found in rocks, trees, water, and even in some animals, such as horses.

Just how the actor maintained obedience depended upon the benevolence or malevolence of his practice. Malevolent magicians operated by enslaving the spirits through offerings and deeds displeasing to Allah. Benevolent magicians, in contrast, obeyed and appeased Allah so that Allah exercised His will upon the spirits. Al-Buni provides the process by which this practice occurs:

First: the practitioner must be of utterly clean soul and garb. Second, when the proper angel is contacted, this angel will first get permission from God to go to the aid of the person who summoned him. Third: the practitioner “must not apply . . .[his power] except to that purpose [i.e. to achieve goals] which would please God.

However, not all Islamic groups accept this explanation of benevolent magic. The Salafis particularly view this as ”shirk”, denying the unity of Allah. Consequently, the Salafis renounce appellations to intermediaries such as saints, angels, and ”djinn”, and renounce magic, fortune-telling, and divination. This particular brand of magic has also been condemned as forbidden by a ”fatwa” issued by Al-Azhar University. Further, Egyptian folklorist Hasan El-Shamy, warns that scholars have often been uncritical in their application of the term ”sihr” to both malevolent and benevolent forms of magic. He argues that in Egypt, ”sihr” only applies to sorcery. A person who practices benevolent magic “is not called ”saahir” or ”sahhaar” (sorcerer, witch), but is normally referred to as ”shaikh” (or ”shaikha” for a female), a title which is normally used to refer to a clergyman or a community notable or elder, and is equal to the English title: ‘Reverend.’”

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Magic (paranormal), under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Parapsychologists study a number of ostensible paranormal phenomena, including but not limited to:

*Telepathy: Transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses.

*Precognition: Perception of information about future places or events before they occur.

*Clairvoyance: Obtaining information about places or events at remote locations, by means unknown to current science.

*Psychokinesis: The ability of the mind to influence matter, time, space, or energy by means unknown to current science.

*Reincarnation: The rebirth of a soul or other non-physical aspect of human consciousness in a new physical body after death.

*Hauntings: Phenomena often attributed to ghosts and encountered in places a deceased individual is thought to have frequented, or in association with the person’s former belongings.

The definitions for the terms above may not reflect their mainstream usage, nor the opinions of all parapsychologists and their critics. For example, some critics feel that parapsychologists are engaged in the study of phenomena that disappear under stringent experimental conditions and are thus normal processes.

According to the Parapsychological Association, parapsychologists do not study all paranormal phenomena, nor are they concerned with astrology, UFOs, Bigfoot, paganism, vampires, alchemy, or witchcraft.

Methodology

Parapsychologists employ a variety of approaches for the study of apparent paranormal phenomena. These methods include qualitative approaches used in traditional psychology, but also quantitative empirical methodologies. Their more controversial studies involve the use of meta-analysis in examining the statistical evidence for psi.

Experimental research=

Ganzfeld

The Ganzfeld (German for “whole field”) is a technique used to test individuals for telepathy. The technique—a form of moderate sensory deprivation—was developed to quickly quiet mental “noise” by providing mild, unpatterned stimuli to the visual and auditory senses. The visual sense is usually isolated by creating a soft red glow which is diffused through half ping-pong balls placed over the recipient’s eyes. The auditory sense is usually blocked by playing white noise, static, or similar sounds to the recipient. The subject is also seated in a reclined, comfortable position to minimize the sense of touch.

In the typical Ganzfeld experiment, a “sender” and a “receiver” are isolated. The receiver is put into the Ganzfeld state or Ganzfeld effect and the sender is shown a video clip or still picture and asked to mentally send that image to the receiver. The receiver, while in the Ganzfeld, is asked to continuously speak aloud all mental processes, including images, thoughts, and feelings. At the end of the sending period, typically about 20 to 40 minutes in length, the receiver is taken out of the Ganzfeld state and shown four images or videos, one of which is the true target and three of which are non-target decoys. The receiver attempts to select the true target, using perceptions experienced during the Ganzfeld state as clues to what the mentally “sent” image might have been.

Some parapsychologists have claimed that the aggregate results of ganzfeld experiments indicate that, on average, the target image is selected by the receiver more often than would be expected by chance alone; these claims have been summarized by parapsychologist Dean Radin in his book ”The Conscious Universe”. However, the claims are disputed since the interpretation of the aggregate data is unclear; additionally, early Ganzfeld experiments were found to be affected by serious methodological errors. Although, the data set post-1985 which is widely regarded as a turning point in the Ganzfeld experiments remains statistically significant and has an inclining effect size regression.

Remote viewing

Remote viewing experiments test the ability to gather information about a remote target consisting of an object, place, or person that is hidden from the physical perception of the viewer and typically separated from the viewer by some distance. In one type of remote viewing experiment, a pool of several hundred photographs are created. One of these is randomly selected by a third party to be the target. It is then set aside in a remote location. The remote viewer attempts to sketch or otherwise describe that remote target photo. This procedure is repeated for a number of different targets. Many ways of analytically evaluating the results of this sort of experiment have been developed. One common method is to take a group of seven target photos and responses, randomly shuffle the targets and responses, and then ask independent judges to rank or match the correct targets with the participant’s actual responses. This method assumes that if there were an anomalous transfer of information, the responses should correspond more closely to the correct targets than to the mismatched targets.

Several hundred such trials have been conducted by investigators over the past 25 years, including those by the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory (PEAR) and by scientists at SRI International and Science Applications International Corporation. Many of these were under contract by the U.S. government as part of the espionage program Stargate Project, which terminated in 1995 having failed, in the government’s eyes, to document any practical intelligence value. PEAR closed its doors at the end of February 2007. Its founder, Robert G. Jahn, said of it that, “For 28 years, we’ve done what we wanted to do, and there’s no reason to stay and generate more of the same data.” However, physicist Robert L. Park said of PEAR, “It’s been an embarrassment to science, and I think an embarrassment for Princeton”.

Psychokinesis on random number generators

The advent of powerful and inexpensive electronic and computer technologies has allowed the development of fully automated experiments studying possible interactions between mind and matter. In the most common experiment of this type, a true random number generator (RNG), based on electronic or radioactive noise, produces a data stream that is recorded and analyzed by computer software. A subject attempts to mentally alter the distribution of the random numbers, usually in an experimental design that is functionally equivalent to getting more “heads” than “tails” while flipping a coin. In the RNG experiment, design flexibility can be combined with rigorous controls, while collecting a large amount of data in very short period of time. This technique has been used both to test individuals for psychokinesis and to test the possible influence on RNGs of large groups of people.

Major meta-analyses of the RNG database have been published every few years since appearing in the journal ”Foundations of Physics” in 1986. PEAR founder Robert G. Jahn and his colleague Brenda Dunne say that the effect size in all cases was found to be very small, but consistent across time and experimental designs, resulting in an overall statistical significance. The most recent meta-analysis on psychokinesis was published in ”Psychological Bulletin”, along with several critical commentaries. It analyzed the results of 380 studies; the authors reported an overall positive effect size that was statistically significant but very small relative to the sample size and could be explained by publication bias.

Direct mental interactions with living systems

Formerly called bio-PK, “direct mental interactions with living systems” (DMILS) studies the effects of one person’s intentions on a distant person’s psychophysiological state. One type of DMILS experiment looks at the commonly reported “feeling of being stared at.” The “starer” and the “staree” are isolated in different locations, and the starer is periodically asked to simply gaze at the staree via closed circuit video links. Meanwhile, the staree’s nervous system activity is automatically and continuously monitored.

Parapsychologists have interpreted the cumulative data on this and similar DMILS experiments to suggest that one person’s attention directed towards a remote, isolated person can significantly activate or calm that person’s nervous system. In a meta-analysis of these experiments published in the ”British Journal of Psychology” in 2004, researchers found that there was a small but significant overall DMILS effect. However, the study also found that when a small number of the highest-quality studies from one laboratory were analyzed, the effect size was not significant. The authors concluded that although the existence of some anomaly related to distant intentions cannot be ruled out, there was also a shortage of independent replications and theoretical concepts.

Near death experiences

A near-death experience (NDE) is an experience reported by a person who nearly died, or who experienced clinical death and then revived. NDEs include one or more of the following experiences: a sense of being dead; an out-of-body experience; a sensation of floating above one’s body and seeing the surrounding area; a sense of overwhelming love and peace; a sensation of moving upwards through a tunnel or narrow passageway; meeting deceased relatives or spiritual figures; encountering a being of light, or a light; experiencing a life review; reaching a border or boundary; and a feeling of being returned to the body, often accompanied by reluctance.

Interest in the NDE was originally spurred by the research of psychiatrists Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, George Ritchie, and Raymond Moody Jr. In 1998, Moody was appointed chair in “consciousness studies” at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The International Association for Near-death Studies (IANDS) was founded in 1978 to meet the needs of early researchers and experiencers within this field of research. Later researchers, such as psychiatrist Bruce Greyson, psychologist Kenneth Ring, and cardiologist Michael Sabom, introduced the study of near-death experiences to the academic setting.

Some researchers, including Dr. Rick Strassman, believe that near death experiences may be related to the chemical DMT’s (Dimethyltryptamine) release from the pineal gland. The chemical is released naturally during sleep , is thought to have an effect on dream content, and is used as a recreational drug. Strassman sees the chemical as a mediator for hyperdimensional experiences, and points out that experiences with the drug are comparable to NDE’s.

Anomalous psychology

A number of surveys have found that many people report having had experiences that could be interpreted as telepathy, precognition, and similar phenomena. Variables that have been associated with reports of psi-phenomena include belief in the reality of psi; the tendency to have hypnotic, dissociative, and other alterations of consciousness; and, less reliably so, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience. Although psi-related experiences can occur in the context of such psychopathologies as psychotic, dissociative, and other disorders, most individuals who endorse a belief in psi generally have normal intellectual functioning and lack serious psychopathology.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Parapsychology, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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1-990 – Psychology

*38-64……….Philosophy. Relation to other topics

*173-175.5……Psychoanalysis

176-176.5……Psychological tests and testing

*180-198.7……Experimental psychology

*203…………Gestalt psychology

*207-209……..Psychotropic drugs and other substances

*231-299……..Sensation. Aesthesiology

*309-499……..Consciousness. Cognition (including learning, attention, comprehension, memory, imagination, genius, intelligence, thought and thinking, psycholinguistics, mental fatigue)

*501-505……..Motivation

*511-593……..Affection. Feeling. Emotion

*608-635……..Will. Volition. Choice. Control

*636-637……..Applied psychology

*638-648……..New Thought. Menticulture, etc.

*660-685……..Comparative psychology. Animal and human psychology

*692-692.5……Psychology of sex. Sexual behavior

*697-697.5……Differential psychology. Individuality. Self

*698-698.9……Personality

*699-711……..Genetic psychology

*712-724.85…..Developmental psychology (including infant psychology, child psychology, adolescence, adulthood)

*795-839……..Temperament. Character

*839.8-885……Physiognomy. Phrenology

*889-905……..Graphology. Study of handwriting

*908-940……..The hand. Palmistry

1001-1389 – Parapsychology

*1001-1045……Psychic research. Psychology of the conscious

*1048-1108……Hallucinations. Sleep. Dreaming. Visions.

*1111-1156……Hypnotism. Suggestion. Mesmerism. Subliminal projection

*1161-1171……Telepathy. Mind reading. Thought transference

*1228-1389……Spiritualism (including mediumship, spirit messages, clairvoyance)

*1404-2055…….Occult sciences

*1444-1486……Ghosts. Apparitions. Hauntings

*1501-1562……Demonology. Satanism. Possession

*1562.5-1584….Witchcraft

*1585-1623……Magic. Hermetics. Necromancy

*1651-1729……Astrology

*1745-1779……Oracles. Sibyls. Divinations

*1783-1815……Seers. Prophets. Prophecies

*1845-1891……Fortune-telling

*2050-2055……Human-alien encounters. Contact between humans and extraterrestrials.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Library of Congress Classification:Class B — Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Antiquity

While there is no evidence to show a direct ancient lineage of the Western mystery tradition, its roots are in occultist movements of Late Antiquity, Roman-Hellenistic religions which in turn claimed to originate in ancient Egypt, Chaldea, Persia or other parts of the ancient world.

The Catholic Encyclopedia sums up its origins thus:

:Its beginnings have long been a matter of controversy and are still largely a subject of research. The more these origins are studied, the farther they seem to recede in the past. (”The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV: Esotericism and Gnosticism”)

To make an accurate assumption of the tradition’s origin and (therefore age) it would be necessary to study the origin of the various systems which have come to make up the tradition. Of these systems the Egyptian and Hellenic Mystery religions, the Hebrew Kabbalah, Gnosticism and Hermeticism are generally considered the oldest, though at no stage prior to the 1880s were these doctrines ever synthesized into one whole.

Due to their relative geographic restrictions they were regarded very much as separate disciplines. It appears that for the most part the specific teachings were preserved via oral tradition (though not in all cases, the Nag Hammadi Library for example) passed from teacher to initiate. However, even in the ancient climates in which they flourished, the Esoteric Philosophies were still highly elusive. Manly P Hall writes:

:In all cities of the ancient world were temples for public worship and offering. In every community also were philosophers and mystics, deeply versed in Nature’s lore. These individuals were usually banded together, forming seclusive philosophic and religious schools. The more important of these groups were known as the Mysteries. Many of the great minds of antiquity were initiated into these secret fraternities by strange and mysterious rites, some of which were extremely cruel. Alexander Wilder defines the Mysteries as “Sacred dramas performed at stated periods. The most celebrated were those of Isis, Sabazius, Cybele, and Eleusis.” After being admitted, the initiates were instructed in the secret wisdom which had been preserved for ages. Plato, an initiate of one of these sacred orders, was severely criticized because in his writings he revealed to the public many of the secret philosophic principles of the Mysteries. Every pagan nation had (and has) not only its state religion, but another into which the philosophic elect alone have gained entrance. (”The Secret Teachings of all ages, p. 21”)

Middle Ages

After the fall of Rome, alchemy and philosophy and other aspects of the tradition were largely preserved in the Arab and Near Eastern world and introduced into Western Europe by Jews and by the cultural contact between Christians and Muslims that occurred due to the Crusades and the Reconquista. The 12th century saw the development of the Kabbalah in medieval Spain. The medieval period also saw the publication of grimoires which offered often elaborate formulas for theurgy and thaumaturgy. Many of the grimoires seem to have kabbalistic influence. Figures in alchemy from this period seem to also have authored or used grimoires.

Early Modern Europe

The Renaissance saw a revival of classical learning, and a revival of ancient and medieval occult practices in particular. Renaissance magic revived the “occultist boom” of Late Antiquity, recovering texts treating Greco-Roman magic and Hermeticism as well as its continuations beyond antiquity in the form of the Kabbalah, alchemy and the medieval grimoires. Renaissance scholarship gave rise to a Christian Kabbalah and later (in the Baroque period) to the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. The witch trials in Early Modern Europe are at least indirectly related to this revival of scholarly interest in the occult.

1720s to 1850s

The Enlightenment saw another occult revival, perhaps spurred by growing rejection of mainstream religion and increased democracy and freedom of conscience. The period saw the rise of occult fraternities, most notably Speculative Freemasonry and a revived Rosicrucian Brotherhood. Academic interest in ancient mystery cults such as those of Mithras and Dionysus began to develop. Emanuel Swedenborg pulled Christianity in a more mystical or occult direction, and Franz Mesmer provided a quasi-scientific method of thaumaturgy. While both these men had profound contributions to the western mystery tradition, it appears neither was versed in it. The Count of St Germain also taught during this period, whose life and legends influenced Theosophy. Martinism also arose as an esoteric doctrine. So as well with various Rosicrucian orders.

1850s to 1930s

The late 19th century saw a radical split in the western mystery tradition. HP Blavatsky was the main instrument of this, by reinventing the tradition in a system called Theosophy. Theosophy largely ignored the medieval traditions, such as alchemy, thaumaturgy and kabbalah, instead focusing on more ancient mystery teachings and incorporating eastern systems of yoga. The extant tradition prospered alongside Theosophy, especially under the influence of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and such teachers as Eliphas Levi, Papus, Macgregor Mathers, and Aleister Crowley. This tradition began to see itself as a complete alternative to Christianity, and, not surprisingly, began to emphasize theurgy. This occult revival lasted through World War II. Aspects of it were further revived in the 1960s. Theosophy is still available through the Theosophical Society, and western theurgy strongly influenced the development of neo-paganism.

World War II

Emergent occultic and esoteric systems found increasing popularity in the early 20th century, especially in Western Europe. Occult lodges and secret societies flowered among European intellectuals of this era who had largely abandoned traditional forms of Christianity. The spreading of secret teachings and magic practices found enthusiastic adherents in the chaos of Germany during the interwar years.

Many influential and wealthy Germans were drawn to secret societies such as the Ordo Templi Orientis and the Thule Society. Leading figures of these groups included Dietrich Eckart, Karl Haushofer, Karl Maria Wiligut and his protege Heinrich Himmler, all of whom figured prominently in the nascent Nazi Party. In Himmler’s case, his personal occult fascination became a national civil religion when he promoted his racial occultism and symbology using the full authority of the Nazi state, even if Hitler was more than a little suspicious of devotion to anything beyond the Nazi Regime. Eventually, Hitler’s paranoia and fear of competing institutions, coupled with Himmler’s opportunism led to the Gestapo suppressing Himmler’s fellow occultists who were not directly sanctioned by the state. During the World War II, occult luminaries in Britain, most notably Aleister Crowley and the Duke of Hamilton functioned as informal intermediaries between the warring governments of Britain and Hitler’s Germany. Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess eventually made his famous escape to Scotland in 1941, hoping to strike a peace bargain with Britain using the help of the Duke of Hamilton, an old occult lodge associate.

Soviet Union

Little information is known about the status of the Western mystery tradition in the officially atheist Soviet Union and its “satellites” during the ruling of the Communist Party. It is believed by some that the Soviets had a scientific interest in subjects traditionally studied by the Western mystery tradition, such as telepathy and astrology.

A number of people associated with mysticism chose to leave the countries where Communism was installed. For example, G.I. Gurdjieff, an influential individual from Armenia, fled to France after the Bolsheviks overtook the ruling of Russia. The Universal White Brotherhood of Bulgaria, founded by Peter Deunov and extended by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, also chose to continue its activities in France and other Western countries after the World War II and the introduction of Communism into Bulgaria. These two examples, although not directly associated with the core of the Western mystery tradition, demonstrate a pattern which supports the claim that the Soviet-controlled states were negative not only to mainstream religion but also to mysticism and occultism.

It is known that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, several mystical societies, such as the Rosicrucians, gained profound revival in Eastern Europe and Russia which resulted in the foundation of many new jurisdictions and lodges.

1990s to present

Today, the Tradition is experiencing a revival in North America and Europe, while many Western mystical organizations have presence throughout the world. The tradition is undergoing an import of Eastern ideas, coming mainly from Taoism, Tantra, Buddhism, Hinduism and Yoga, which began mainly by the Theosophical Society in the 19th century, and now is also continued by many people with syncretic or eclectic backgrounds.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Western esotericism, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Gibson wrote more than a hundred books on magic, psychic phenomena, true crime, mysteries, rope knots, yoga, hypnotism, and games. He served as a ghost writer for books on magic and spiritualism by Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston, Harry Blackstone, and Joseph Dunninger. Gibson also introduced the famous “Chinese linking rings” trick in America, and invented the “Nickels to Dimes” trick that is still sold in magic stores to this day. He “wrote extensively on Houdini and his escape tricks and sleight-of-hand,” and became involved after Houdini’s death with seances. Houdini was known as much for his investigations into — and exposure of — false mediums, and after his death, his wife Bess held seances for ten years in an attempt to contact the deceased magician. She then passed this role on to Gibson, who for many years helped preside over the Houdini Seances at New York’s famous Magic Towne House with such well-known magicians as Milbourne Christopher, Dorothy Dietrich, Bobby Baxter, and Dick Brooks. Before Gibson died, he passed on the responsibility to Dietrich, currently of The Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Under the pen name Andy Adams, Gibson is credited with writing at least five of the twelve novels in the Biff Brewster juvenile adventure and mystery series for adolescent boys: ”Brazilian Gold Mine Mystery”, ”Mystery of the Mexican Treasure”, ”Mystery of the Ambush in India”, ”Egyptian Scarab Mystery”, and ”Mystery of the Alpine Pass”.

With his wife Litzka R. Gibson (née Gonser), he co-wrote ”The Complete Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences” (Doubleday, 1966), a 404-page book which explains how to practice many popular forms of divination and fortune-telling, including astrology, tasseography, graphology, and numerology. Litzka also wrote her own books on topics as diverse as palmistry, dancing, and personal hygiene, sometimes under the pen-name Leona Lehman.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Walter B. Gibson, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Season One

#Other Voices: Examines groundbreaking experiments that show the possibility that plants respond to people’s thoughts.

#Strange Visitors: Was Oracle Chamber, which lies beneath New Hampshire’s Mystery Hill, built by ancient Phoenicians who traveled to the continent thousands of years ago?

#Ancient Aviators: Are there signs of alien visitation here on earth? Might the mysterious markings on the Nazca Plain in Peru be landing instructions for UFOs?

#The Bermuda Triangle: Probes a radio broadcast claim that the graveyard of ships and planes is actually a testing area for spacemen.

#Bigfoot: An evaluation of giant footprints and other evidence that some believe prove that the half-man, half-animal creature really exists.

#Killer Bees: A photographic report from Brazil on the behavior of the bees and genetic experiments underway to stop the savage swarms from reaching the U.S. Original broadcast:

#Earthquakes: An examination of the techniques scientists are developing to study seismic activity and predict quakes.

#The Mummy’s Curse: Probes the claim that a protective curse on king Tutankhamun ‘s tomb accounted for a chain of mysterious deaths.

#Martians: Offers the theory that the Red Planet is dying of climate changes and suggests that Earth may face a similar fate.

#Atlantis: Explores the possibility that 14 huge stone buildings beneath the waters of the Bahamas, and a 2000 year old computer part, are part of the lost empire of Atlantis.

#Psychic Detectives: Meet a unique scientific detective squad that uses E.S.P. as an effective crime-solving tool.

#A Call from Space: Can the space technologies that discovered other galaxies help us communicate with other life?

#Learning ESP: Do the powers of extrasensory perception really exist, and can they be taught?

#Nazi Plunder: Pursues the rumor of Nazi plunder worth billions and a 30-year old track that could lead to it.

#Amelia Earhart: Run down rumors that the famous aviatrix, who disappeared during a 1937 flight over the Pacific Ocean, was on a spy mission.

#Dracula: Investigates the life and recorded history of Count Vlad in Romania, with comparisons to the main character of the famous Bram Stoker novel.

#The Easter Island Massacre: Provides answers to the mysteries of how 70-ton giant stones came to the remote island and who might have destroyed some of them.

#Ghosts: Studies specters and a parapsychologist’s theory that they are troubled earthbound souls in need of help.

#Life after Death: A visit to a soul research institute for firsthand accounts of people who claim they have died and come back to life.

#Loch Ness Monster: A hunt for leviathan who has so far eluded all expeditions to prove that it truly exists.

#UFOs: An evaluation of reports by people who have seen “saucers”, and the growing body of evidence that America is regularly being visited by UFOs.

#Voodoo: Experience an actual voodoo rite, and meet a priest dedicated to disarming its effects.

#Inca Treasures: Camera crews accompany a Peruvian excavation party in quest of a great Inca city believed lost for 300 years.

#The Magic of Stonehenge: Suggests the site could be the source of a mysterious power that might hold all of Britain in a strange magnetic force field.

Season Two

#The Lost Dutchman Mine: An investigation into why hundreds of gold hunters have died searching for a lost treasure ever since a Dutch prospector wandered out of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains in the 1860s. Is there really cursed gold hidden there, as Apache lore suggests?

#The Man Who Would Not Die: The fascinating saga of the Count of Saint-Germain, who dazzled the courts of Europe for over 100 years, leading some to believe he was immortal.

#Firewalkers: How do people walk on red-hot coals without being burned?

#Mayan Mysteries: The Mayans of Mexico carved an advanced civilization out of the jungles, then disappeared. Where did they come from? Where did they go?

#Astrology: Can astronomical movements affect the affairs of man? Leonard Nimoy as he reviews the long history of astrology and looks at its attraction today.

#Michael Rockefeller: Did he drown or was he murdered? An investigation into the disappearance of Nelson Rockefeller’s youngest son who vanished without a trace among some of the most primitive peoples in the world. Film found in a camera suggested they were the victim of headhunters, or was it staged?

#Hurricanes: Take a close-up look at these violent killers that have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Can they be controlled or prevented?

#The Ogopogo Monster: This large beast, similar to Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster, has claimed to been seen by thousands of people in western Canada.

#Pyramid Secrets: Examines the theory that the pyramids of Egypt were built to provide shelter from a holocaust, not as tombs for the pharaohs.

#Dead Sea Scrolls: The story of the 2,000-year-old scrolls, discovered by a shepherd, that revolutionized religious thought.

#Reincarnation: Reviews case histories of people who claim to have lived in previous lifetimes.

#The Shark Worshippers: A trip to remote parts of the Pacific where man-eating sharks are considered gods. Adults pray to them and children swim unafraid among them.

#Anastasia: An examination of evidence that the youngest daughter of Russia’s Czar Nicholas II survived the family executions, and settled in Charlottesville, Virginia.

#Secrets of Life: Explores the possibility that human life can be created in laboratories engaged in DNA research.

#Immortality: Looks at scientific discoveries of new methods of prolonging human life, such as cryonics, which can suspend life for centuries.

#The Swamp Monster: An investigation of reports that a huge man-like beast is living in the swamps of Louisiana’s bayou.

#Hypnosis: A look back at the great scientist Mesmer, whose hypnotic techniques are being used in modern surgery, teaching, and police investigations (see also Learning ESP)

#Troy: The story of Heinrich Schliemann, an eccentric self-made millionaire obsessed with discovering the ruins of Troy at a time when the city was considered a fable that never existed. He discovered not one, but nine ancient cities in Turkey, and recovered a hoard of spectacular relics.

#Witch doctors: Leonard Nimoy hosts this look at ancient folk medicines that are being reinstituted today in modern mental institutions and are yielding positive results.

#Haunted Castles: Probe into one of the world’s most haunted places.

#Butch Cassidy: Examines the possibility that Butch Cassidy was not killed in Bolivia along with the Sundance Kid, but actually lived a full life and died peacefully in 1937.

#Deadly Ants: A look at the billions of fire ants that march across the southern United States and the failure so far of all attempts to stop them.

#The Coming Ice Age: An inquiry into whether the dramatic weather changes in America’s northern states mean that a new ice age is approaching.

#Garden of Eden: Using the Old Testament as a road map, researchers attempt to trace the possible site of the original Garden to India, China, and an island off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

Season Three

#UFO Captives: Meet people who believe they have been held captive aboard alien spacecraft – close encounters of the fourth kind. Original broadcast: 14 September 1978.

#Tornadoes: A terrifying look at one of nature’s deadliest forces. Tornadoes can swallow up buildings and people without a trace – can they be stopped? Original broadcast: 21 September 1978.

#Cloning: An in-depth look at the process which may allow us to “copy” people exactly and produce single-parent human beings. Original broadcast: 28 September 1978.

#Water Seekers: Scientists take another look at the divining rod. Does water emit valuable signals? Original broadcast: 5 October 1978.

#Jack the Ripper: An investigative report on the unsolved mystery of London’s notorious serial killer. The episode reveals the killer’s connection with contemporary media and the possible involvement with the Masons. Various identities are suggested as being that of the killer, including a duke who was second in line to the British throne. Original broadcast: 12 October 1978.

#Cryogenics: Scientists are discovering new methods to prolong human life and, in the case of cryogenics, to suspend the possibility of life for centuries. Original broadcast: 19 October 1978.

#Siberian Fireball: Considers the possibility that the unexplained and catastrophic explosion in Siberia in 1908 was an atomic blast occurring 37 years before the development of the A-bomb. Original broadcast: October 1978.

#The Great Lakes Triangle: Investigates efforts by scientists and psychics to discover the mysterious forces around the Great Lakes that have caused more air and sea disasters than the Bermuda Triangle. Original broadcast: 2 November 1978.

#Monster Hunters: Leonard Nimoy investigates what compels scientists and teachers to pursue a man-like beast in Northern California. Original broadcast: 9 November 1978.

#Bermuda Triangle Pirates: Luxurious yachts are disappearing off the coast of Florida. Are pirates trafficking in drugs to blame? Original broadcast: 7 December 1978.

#Indian Astronomers: Recent excavations in southern Illinois provide tantalizing glimpses at Native-American use of astronomy. Original broadcast: 14 December 1978.

#Sherlock Holmes: A look at surprising new clues that indicate the famed super sleuth actually did exist, after a fashion. Original broadcast: 21 December 1978.

#Lost Vikings: The story of Viking Erik the Red’s descendants, who left Scandinavia and arrived in northern Canada centuries before Columbus. Original broadcast: 28 December 1978.

#Dreams and Nightmares: Our dreams provide clues to the dark world of our unconscious mind, but can we learn to control them? Original broadcast: 4 January 1979.

#Animal ESP: Dramatic scenes attempt to demonstrate that close communication between people and their pets may be due to more than emotional bonds. Original broadcast: 11 January 1979.

#The Money Pit Mystery: A true tale of hidden treasure and mysterious death. Six people have died in the scramble to dig up the Oak Island treasures, supposedly buried by Captain Kidd. Original broadcast: 18 January 1979.

#Psychic Sea Hunt: A team of psychics gives scientists the exact description and location of an unknown shipwreck, and a submarine hunt proves them right. Original broadcast: 25 January 1979.

#Angel of Death: Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal tracks infamous war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele to his hiding place in Paraguay. Original broadcast: 1 February 1979.

#Noah’s Flood: A dramatic inquiry into whether or not scientific proof exists for the legend of the Great Flood. Original broadcast: 8 February 1979.

#The Diamond Curse: Why do mystery and tragedy plague the owners of great gems like the Hope Diamond? Original broadcast: 15 February 1979.

#Ghostly Stakeout: In a haunted house, a psychic team contacts troubled spirits that live on after death. Original broadcast: 22 February 1979.

#Brain Power: A study of the incredible hidden potential of the human mind, including the possibility that average people can become geniuses. Original broadcast: 17 March 1979.

#Sodom and Gomorrah: Studies evidence developed by archaeologists suggesting that the two wicked cities existed on the site of a crater now filled in by the Dead Sea. Original broadcast: 10 May 1979.

#King Tut: Investigates the ancient Egyptian monarch’s final days. Was he a beloved leader who died a natural death or did court intrigues lead to his assassination? Original broadcast: 17 May 1979.

Season Four

#Tidal Waves: See a reenactment of the incredible destruction wrought by the tsunami (giant sea wave) that struck Hawaii in 1960. Original broadcast: 20 September 1979.

#Carlos, The World’s Most Wanted Man: A chilling profile of the playboy-turned-terrorist, called Carlos the Jackal who was called “The World’s Most Wanted Man.” Original broadcast: 27 September 1979.

#The Amityville Horror: A dream house in a lovely suburb becomes a nightmare when the owners discover an evil presence. Original broadcast: 4 October 1979.

#UFO Australia: Actual film footage of unidentified flying objects flying Down Under. Includes interview with New Zealand pilot and author, Bruce Cathie. Original broadcast: 11 October 1979.

#Immortal Sharks: Why has the great white shark not evolved as other animals have? Leonard Nimoy hosts this look at this most ancient and primitive creature. Original broadcast: 18 October 1979.

#The Lost Colony of Roanoke: A look at new evidence which offers an intriguing theory about where the colonists went. Original broadcast: 25 October 1979.

#The Shroud of Turin: An in-depth examination of the famed cloth that many believe holds the image of Jesus Christ. Original broadcast: 8 November 1979.

#Mexican Pyramids: The bloody story of the great pyramids, which were used for daily human sacrifices. Original broadcast: 15 November 1979.

#The Abominable Snowman: Leonard Nimoy examines the experiences of the explorers who say they have actually sighted the legendary creature. Original broadcast: 22 November 1979.

#Pompeii: This great Roman city was a wealthy resort and mecca for fun-lovers before it was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Were early Christians among the Roman revelers? Original broadcast: 29 November 1979.

#D. B. Cooper: The incredible story of the man who hijacked a jetliner, parachuted out with his loot, and was never seen again. Original broadcast: 6 December 1979.

#The Ten Commandments: Leonard Nimoy profiles Moses and tries to pinpoint Mount Sinai’s exact location. Have pilgrims to the Holy Land been praying at the wrong location? Original broadcast: 13 December 1979.

#The Dark Star: Travel to Africa to find out why the Dogon, a primitive tribe knows so much about astronomy, a black hole, and travelers from outer space. Original broadcast: 20 December 1979.

#The San Andreas Fault: Analyzes California’s great earthquake fault line to determine whether the long-predicted catastrophic quake can be predicted. Original broadcast: 27 December 1979.

#The Missing Heirs: There is still a $3.2 million dollar fortune that remains unclaimed after a century. To whom does it belong? Original broadcast: 3 January 1980.

#Van Gogh: A look at the life and death of the great Dutch master – was he really mad? Host Leonard Nimoy, who wrote this installment partially to promote his one-man show ”Vincent,” found evidence that he was not. Original broadcast: 10 January 1980.

#Wild Children: When raised by animals, can children survive in civilization? Leonard Nimoy examines several historical cases. Original broadcast: 17 January 1980.

#The Ghost Ship: In 1872, the captain and crew of the Mary Celeste vanished without a trace. The sails were set to the wind and breakfast was on the table. Who or what possessed the ship? Original broadcast: 24 January 1980.

#Earth Visitors: Were our earliest ancestors travelers from other planets? Original broadcast: 31 January 1980.

#John the Baptist: An investigation to determine whether the great holy man’s remains are in Europe or Egypt Original broadcast: 7 February 1980.

#Air Disaster Predictions: A study of reports that major air crashes have been seen or predicted beforehand in nightmares. Includes the 1979 crash of American Airlines Flight 191. Original broadcast: 14 February 1980.

#The Bimini Wall: The saga of the giant stones found at the bottom of the Caribbean. Leonard Nimoy probes whether they might be part of the ancient, supposedly mythical, empire of Atlantis. Original broadcast: 21 February 1980.

#Glenn Miller: An inquiry into why the mysterious death of the great musician was never investigated, and a possible military coverup. Original broadcast: 7 March 1980.

#Past Lives: Can reincarnation be proved? Leonard Nimoy examines the data, testimony, and theories. Original broadcast: 14 March 1980.

Season Five

#UFO Cover-Ups: Examines charges that the U.S. Air Force is hiding alien corpses and the remains of crashed space craft in Hangar 18 of Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. Original broadcast: 20 September 1980.

#Faith Healing: Is faith healing hoax or holistic medicine? Original broadcast: 27 September 1980.

#Lee Harvey Oswald: The assassination of John F. Kennedy: was there visual proof of two guns in Dallas and possibly two Oswalds? Original broadcast: 4 October 1980.

#Daredevil Death Wish: A look at some of the impossible stunts daredevils attempt, and why they keep trying even after suffering near-fatal injuries. Original broadcast: 11 October 1980.

#Life after Life: The stories of people who claim they have had after-life experiences and say they no longer fear death. Original broadcast: 18 October 1980.

#Moon Madness: Violence and passion are commonplace when the moon is full. Is there any truth to the Werewolf legends? Leonard Nimoy hosts this historical look at lunacy. Original broadcast: 25 October 1980.

#Dangerous Volcanoes: Scientists wonder whether California’s Mount Shasta, Washington’s Mount St. Helens, and other American volcanoes will soon erupt again. Original broadcast: 1 November 1980.

#The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Digs for the facts behind the controversy that still rages today, the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s baby. Was the wrong man executed for the crime? Original broadcast: 8 November 1980.

#Acupuncture: A study of the healing technique which may cure incurable diseases. Leonard Nimoy investigates the power of the ancient Chinese healing art. Original broadcast: 15 November 1980.

#Jimmy Hoffa: Probes the disappearance of the union boss with mob connections. Was he killed, kidnapped, or did he go underground? Original broadcast: 22 November 1980.

#The Fountain of Youth: A look at the various scientific ways people use to stay young for years longer. Original broadcast: 29 November 1980.

#Laugh Therapy: Can laughter combat disease? A Nobel-prize winner says he cured himself after doctors gave up hope. Original broadcast: 6 December 1980.

#Salem Witches: Are the witches of Salem still casting spells in Massachusetts? Original broadcast: 13 December 1980.

#Super Children: Investigates scientific efforts to produce a generation of child prodigies; are they born or made? Original broadcast: 27 December 1980.

#The Great Wall of China: The story of the one of the world’s greatest wonders – who built it and why? Original broadcast: 10 January 1981.

#The Castle of Secrets: The saga of the Coral Castle, said to have been built by Edward Leedskalnin, a frail hermit who allegedly carved and lifted 1,100 tons of solid stone blocks weighing up to 30 tons each using the secrets of Atlantis. Original broadcast: 24 January 1981.

#Great Lovers: A look at some of history’s famous lovers. What drove certain men to pursue sensual pleasure above all else? The program compares the legends of Don Juan and Casanova. Host Leonard Nimoy wrote this installment. Original broadcast: 31 January 1981.

#The Holy Grail: Explores the claims that the chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper may have been found. Original broadcast: 7 February 1981.

#The Death of Marilyn Monroe: Examines evidence that suggests that the Hollywood star may not have committed suicide. Original broadcast: 14 February 1981.

#Chinese Explorers: Did the Chinese discover America 1,000 years before Columbus? Leonard Nimoy explores evidence that a Buddhist monk named Hu-Shen arrived on the American continent in 458 A.D. Original broadcast: 21 February 1981.

#The Hindenburg Mystery: A probe into the theory that the famed Nazi “lighter-than-air” ship, which exploded while landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937, was destroyed by political saboteurs. Original broadcast: 21 February 1981.

#The End of the World: Will an asteroid or comet on a collision course with earth end it all? Original broadcast: 30 April 1981.

#The Lusitania: An in-depth examination into the sinking of the British liner by a German submarine in 1915, killing over 1,000 passengers, including 114 Americans. Was it really all part of a plot to involve the U.S. in World War I? Original broadcast: 16 May 1981.

#Sun Worshippers: Will solar energy free us from dependence on foreign oil? Leonard Nimoy analyzes how solar energy stacks up against fossil fuel and nuclear energy. Original broadcast: 19 May 1981.

Season Six

#Jesse James: Probes one of the most intriguing questions of the Old West—was legendary gunman Jesse James shot in the back or did he escape capture and live to a ripe old age? Original broadcast: 21 September 1981.

#Biofeedback: A revealing study of how computers are now healing the sick and building sports champions. Original broadcast: 28 September 1981.

#Ghosts in Photography: Is it possible to photograph the dead? Original broadcast: 5 October 1981.

#M.I.A.s: An investigation into a highly controversial and emotional question: Are American servicemen still lingering in prison in Vietnam? Original broadcast: 12 October 1981.

#The Elephant Man: From side-show freak to the friend of royalty, review the true, story of the horribly disfigured Joseph Merrick. Original broadcast: 19 October 1981.

#The Lincoln Conspiracy: Cracks “the case of the 19th century” – how the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was meticulously planned and abominably executed. Original broadcast: 26 October 1981.

#Jim Jones: The story that shocked the world—how Jim Jones, the cult Svengali from California, convinced over 900 of his followers to follow him – first to a commune in Guyanna and then into suicide. Original broadcast: 31 October 1981.

#King Solomon’s Mines: A look at one of the most exciting searches of all – the hunt for the riches of the Old Testament. Did King Solomon actually have a mine near Mount Sinai? Original broadcast: 2 November 1981.

#The Tower of London Murders: How the destiny of England was changed by the disappearance of young prince’s from the fabled Tower. Were they murdered on the orders of their uncle Richard III of England? Original broadcast: 9 November 1981.

#The Aztec Conquest: Why did the great Montezuma surrender to Cortes without fighting? What part did Aztec legend about a bearded white god play in the ultimate downfall of the Aztec Empire? Original broadcast: 16 November 1981.

#Houdini’s Secrets: Probes the still-mysterious secrets of the world’s greatest escape artist, including the theory that Houdini came back after death. Original broadcast: 21 November 1981.

#Hiroshima Survivors: A revealing study of the wounds suffered by survivors of the first A-bomb blast, which killed more than 80,000 Japanese civilians on August 6, 1945. Original broadcast: 23 November 1981.

#”Titanic”: Investigates the most perplexing question about the 1912 North Atlantic disaster that cost 1,517 lives: Why did the captain ignore the ice warnings and speed on into oblivion? Original broadcast: 30 November 1981.

#Future Life: What might the world be like for our children? Original broadcast: 6 December 1981.

#Nostradamus: Examines the life of Nostradamus and his predictions. Original broadcast: 13 December 1981.

#Spirit Voices: Do loved ones call back to us from their next lives? Leonard Nimoy examines historical claims of voices from the beyond, as well as scientific research into the possibility of spirit voices. Original broadcast: 20 December 1981.

#The Human Aura: A look at the multi-colored rays we transmit, which seem to change with our moods. Original broadcast: 3 January 1982.

#The Missing Link: Delves into one of the most intriguing questions of all—which side is right, the evolutionists or creationists? Original broadcast: 17 January 1982.

#Time and Space Travel: Is it possible to travel through space faster than the speed of light and avoid aging. Original broadcast: 24 January 1982.

#Eva Braun: Explores the possibility that Adolf Hitler’s wife may not have died with him down in the bunker that day in 1945. Original broadcast: 1 February 1982.

#The Walls of Jericho: The great Biblical saga is examined for evidence that the walls really did tumble down for Joshua. Original broadcast: 8 February 1982.

#Bishop Pike: Was Bishop Pike a minister, martyr, or madman? Original broadcast: 15 February 1982.

#Ultimate Disaster: Delves into the ultimate question—how will life on this planet perish? Original broadcast: 22 February 1982.

#Life Before Birth: Is an unborn baby aware of the world around him? Original broadcast: 1 March 1982.

Mitch Pileggi revival

# Hell, Vampires, Tesla. Original broadcast: 4 October 2002.

# Witchcraft, Maneaters, Ghosts. Original broadcast: 11 October 2002.

# Werewolves, Mummies, Reincarnation. Original broadcast: 18 October 2002.

# Ghost, Stigmata, Zombies. Original broadcast: 25 October 2002.

# Catacomb, Bigfoot, Rennes. Original broadcast: 1 November 2002.

# Haunted, Doomsday, Devil. Original broadcast: 8 November 2002.

# Lovers, Possession, Robot. Original broadcast: 15 November 2002.

# Shroud, Alien, Faith. Original broadcast: 22 November 2002.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article In Search Of… (TV series), under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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InfiniteQuest is comprised of several Channels for the metaphysical topics it covers. Each channel contains print, audio and video content from its array of contributors, as well as links to the channel’s contributors’ bio pages, current contributors’ events and interactive widgets for member use.

Afterlife

The Afterlife channel focuses on mediumship and discussing grief. This channel provides articles and videos discussing grief over the loss of a loved one, how one can interact with a loved one on the other side, as well as mediums relating their processes in contacting the spirit world. Members can also access an array of Featured Afterlife Readings, which have been awarded to members of InfiniteQuest.

Reincarnation Reincarnation is a subchannel within Afterlife. Here, members can find information about Reincarnation and Past Life Regression, as well as watch the process of a Past Life Regression.

Astrology

The Astrology channel focuses on all things related to Astrology. This channel provides articles and videos discussing the zodiac signs, planets, houses, and ones personal horoscope, or chart. Members can create their own astrological chart, and also learn how to read it using the provided references. Members can also access a variety of Featured Astrology Readings, which have been awarded to members of InfiniteQuest.

Love and Relationships Love and Relationships is a subchannel within Astrology. It is dedicated to teaching members how to use Astrology in one’s love life and how astrology can help you relate to others on a more intimate level. Members can find advice “by the sign” in the matters of love, as well as information on their children’s signs.

Alan Oken’s Corner of the Universe Alan Oken’s Corner of the Universe is a subchannel within Astrology. For the more advanced Astrology readers out there, Alan Oken’s Corner of the Universe features articles and videos that go further into depth on Astrology, as well as some picks by Astrology headmaster, Alan Oken.

Energy

The Energy Channel focuses on Energy Healing techniques, Feng Shui, Auras, the Chakras and Meditation. Members can find articles and videos teaching meditation techniques, how to apply Feng Shui to their life, and also watch Energy Healings awarded to members of InfiniteQuest. Included in this channel is also a Chakra Meditation Player, which members can use to create personalized meditations. Dreams Dreams is a subchannel within Energy. This focuses on dream interpretation and what one can learn from their dreams. Members have access to a Dream Dictionary and can watch Dream Interpretation Readings awarded to members of InfiniteQuest.

Numerology

The Numerology Channel focuses on how members can apply Numerology principles to their everyday lives. This includes articles and videos discussing how to use Numerology and how to apply Numerology to current events. Members can also find out their own numbers, and what their numbers mean, using the Numerology Playground located on this channel.

Psychic

The Psychic Channel focuses on the principles of Psychic, Intuition, Divination, Spirit Guides, and Psychic protection and self defense. Articles and videos teach members how to develop their own Psychic abilities and how to protect themselves psychically. Members can also access Featured Psychic Readings, awarded to members of InfiniteQuest.

Tarot

The Tarot Channel focuses on teaching members how to use Tarot in their everyday lives. Articles and videos provide members with “How To’s” on the most used Tarot spreads, the meaning of the cards, as well as ways to utilize Tarot on an everyday basis. Members have access to Featured Tarot readings, awarded to members of InfiniteQuest. Also, members can have personalized Tarot Readings with the use of the Tarot Reading Center.

Health & Belief

The Health & Belief Channel teaches members the benefits of alternative and holistic medicines, and provides information about different belief systems. Articles and videos tackle such topics as ‘Positive Energy’, ‘Overeating’, and Spirituality.

Bodywork Bodywork is a subchannel within Health & Belief. Here, members have access to a collection of exercises using the intenSati method, a marriage of high energy cardio and uplifting affirmations.

InfiniteQuest Live

Replacing LiveQuest, the InfiniteQuest Live Channel is where members can sign up for a chance at a free reading on InfiniteQuest Live, as well as watch the live webcasts and access archives of past highlights. InfiniteQuest Live is an interactive live webcast that connects the members directly to the contributors.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article InfiniteQuest, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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The classical world

Neoplatonism is a branch of classical philosophy that uses the works of Plato as a guide to understanding religion and the world. In the Myth of Er, particularly, Plato rendered an account of the afterlife which involved a journey through seven planetary spheres and then eventual reincarnation. He taught that man was composed of mortal body, immortal reason and an intermediate “spirit”.

Neoplatonists agreed as to the immortality of the rational soul but disagreed as to whether man’s “irrational soul” was immortal and celestial (“starry”, hence astral) or whether it remained on earth and dissolved after death. The late Neoplatonist Proclus, who is credited the first to speak of subtle “planes”, posited two subtle bodies or “carriers” (”okhema”) intermediate between the rational soul and the physical body. These were; 1) the astral vehicle which was the immortal vehicle of the Soul and 2) the spiritual (”pneuma”) vehicle, aligned with the vital breath, which he considered mortal.

The word “astral” means “of the stars”, thus the astral plane, consisting of the celestial spheres, is held to be an astrological phenomenon: “The whole of the astral portion of our earth and of the physical planets, together with the purely astral planets of our System, make up collectively the astral body of the Solar Logos”. There are “seven types of astral matter” by means of which “psychic changes occur periodically”.

The modern era

Such ideas greatly influenced mediaeval religious thought and are visible in the Renaissance medicine of Paracelsus and Servetus. In the romantic era, alongside the discovery of electromagnetism and the nervous system, there came a new interest in the spirit world. Franz Anton Mesmer spoke of the stars, animal magnetism and magnetic fluids. In 1801, the English occultist Francis Barrett wrote of a herb’s “excellent astral and magnetic powers” – for herbalists had categorised herbs according to their supposed correspondence with the seven planetary influences.

In the mid-nineteenth century the French occultist Eliphas Levi wrote much of “the astral light”, a factor he considered of key importance to magic, alongside the power of will and the doctrine of correspondences. He considered the astral light the medium of all light, energy and movement, describing it in terms that recall both Mesmer and the luminiferous ether.

Levi’s idea of the astral was to have much influence in the English-speaking world through the teachings of The Golden Dawn, but it was also taken up by Helena Blavatsky and discussed in the key work of Theosophy, ”The Secret Doctrine”. Levi seems to have been regarded by later Theosophists as the immediate source from which the term was adopted into their sevenfold schema of planes and bodies, though there was slight confusion as to the term’s proper use.

Theosophy

Blavatsky aligned the term “astral body” with the Indian ”linga sharira” which is one of the seven principles of human life according to her, and the astral light with the Akashic Record, a kind of cosmic memory. According to the Theosophical founder William Q. Judge the astral world is also analogous to the world of ghosts. Judge wrote; “There are many names for the Astral Body. Here are a few: Linga Sarira, Sanskrit, meaning design body, and the best one of all; ethereal double; phantom; wraith; apparition; doppelganger; personal man; perispirit; irrational soul; animal soul; Bhuta; elementary; spook; devil; demon. Some of these apply only to the astral body when devoid of the corpus after death.”

However C.W. Leadbeater and Annie Besant (Adyar School of Theosophy), and following them, Alice Bailey, equated it with Blavatsky’s ”Kama” (desire) principle and called it the ”Emotional body” a concept not found in earlier Theosophy. ”Astral body”, ”desire body”, and ”emotional body” became synonymous, and this identification is found in much later Theosophically-inspired thought. The astral body in later Theosophy is “the vehicle of feelings and emotions” through which “it is possible…to experience all varieties of desire”. We have a “life in the astral body, whilst the physical body is wrapped in slumber”. So the astral body “provides a simple explanation of the mechanism of many phenomena revealed by modern psycho-analysis”. To this extent, then, the “astral body” is a reification of the dream-world self.

Post-Theosophists

According to Max Heindel’s Rosicrucian writings the Desire body is made of desire stuff from which human beings form feelings and emotions. It is said to appear to spiritual sight as an ovoid cloud extending from sixteen to twenty inches beyond the physical body. It has a number of whirling vortices (chakras) and from the main vortex, in the region of the liver, there is a constant flow which radiates and returns. The desire body exhibits colors that vary in every person according to his or her temperament and mood.

However, the astral body (or “Soul body”) must be evolved by means of the work of transmutation and will eventually be evolved by humanity as a whole. According to Heindel, the term “astral body” was employed by the mediaeval Alchemists because of the ability it conferred to traverse the “starry” regions. The “Astral body” is regarded as the “Philosopher’s Stone” or “Living Stone” of the alchemist, the “Wedding Garment” of the Gospel of Matthew and the “Soul body” that Paul mentions in the First Epistle to the Corinthians

Many other popular accounts of post-Theosophical ideas appeared in the late 20th century. Barbara Brennan’s ”Hands of Light” distinguishes between the emotional body and the astral body. She sees these as two distinct layers in the seven-layered “Human Energy Field”. The emotional body pertains to the physical universe, the astral body to the astral world. The Mother sometimes refers to the astral body and experiences on the astral plane. The Indian master Osho occasionally makes use of a modified Theosophical terminology.

According to Samael Aun Weor, who popularised Theosophical thought in Latin America, the astral body is the part of human soul related to emotions, represented by the sephirah Hod in the kabbalistic Tree of Life. However the common person only has a kamarupa, body of desire or “lunar astral body,” a body related to animal emotions, passions and desires, while the true human emotional vehicle is the solar astral body, which can be crystallised through Tantric sex. The solar astral body is the first mediator between the Cosmic Christ, Chokmah, and the individual human soul.

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff

Gurdjieff refers to the astral body as the “body Kesdjan” or “vessel of the soul”: it is of the sun and all planets, just as the physical body is of the earth. While it is not developed one is a “human being only in quotation marks”, who cannot be considered in any meaningful sense to have a soul and who will “die like a dog”.

Depth Psychology

Parallels drawn between the idea of the astral and that of the unconscious mind have been noted above, for Sigmund Freud inherited Mesmer’s awareness of the animal self, the value of hypnosis, trance and dream, replacing the physical idea of the life-force with a purely psychological paradigm of libido, id and subconscious mind. Later Wilhelm Reich tried to use vitalist biological theory and experiments to re-establish the materiality of the life-force.

Carl Jung has been aligned with the idea of the astral body by Jungians and Theosophists alike. Jung himself drew on alchemical and classical imagery to explore the dynamics and symbols of memory, dream and religious initiation. He saw the astral journey as a paradigm of “modern man’s search for a soul”, and pictured a collective unconscious memory, driven by archetypal forces and knowable in the symbolic language of dreams and visions.

Moreover, Jung saw this archetypal world as, like the astral plane, an “objective psyche”, extending in the world at large, bridging mind and matter. He worked with physicist Wolfgang Pauli in his attempt to lend rigor to an idea largely absent from European science since the renaissance. Early twentieth-century biologists like Ernst Haeckel viewed embryology as a recapitulation of evolution, which implies a kind of organising memory, and a few modern fringe biologists, such as Rupert Sheldrake, influenced by Jungian ideas and by vitalism, have posited organising fields of life consisting of memories and drives.

==Sources

* Besant, Annie, ”Theosophical Manual No. VII: Man and His Bodies,” London, Theosophical Publishing House, 1914.

* Brennan, Barbara Ann, ”Hands of Light : A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field”, Bantam Books, 1987.

* —– ”Light Emerging: The Journey of Personal Healing”, Bantam Books, 1993.

* C. W. Leadbeater, ”Man, Visible and Invisible,” London, Theosophical Publishing House, 1902.

*Kunz, Dora van Gelder, ”The Personal Aura,” Wheaton, IL, Quest Books/Theosophical Publishing House, 1991.

* [Carl Edwin Lindgren]. 2005. [http://users.panola.com/lindgren/aura.html Debunking Auras and Aura Cameras].

*Martin, Barbara Y., with Dmitri Moraitis, ”Change Your Aura, Change Your Life,” Sunland, CA, Wisdomlight, 2003.

* The Mother (Alfassa, Mirra) ”Collected Works of the Mother.”

* —– ”The Agenda”

* Poortman, J.J. ”Vehicles of Consciousness; The Concept of Hylic Pluralism (Ochema)”, vol I-IV, The Theosophical Society in Netherlands, 1978.

* Powell, Arthur E. ”The Astral Body and other Astral Phenomena”

* Steiner, Rudolf, ”Theosophy: An introduction to the supersensible knowledge of the world and the destination of man”. London: Rudolf Steiner Press. (1904) 1970.

* —– ”Occult Science – An Outline”. Trans. George and Mary Adams. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1909, 1969.

* Heindel, Max, ”The Rosicrucian Mysteries (Chapter IV: [http://www.rosicrucian.com/rms/rmseng02.htm#Chapter_IV The Constitution of Man: Vital Body - Desire Body - Mind])”, 1911, ISBN 0-911274-86-3.

* Walker, Benjamin, ”Beyond the Body: The Human Double,” Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1974, ISBN 0-7100-7808-0; Fitzhenry, Toronto, 1974; Arkana, 1988, ISBN 0-14-019169-0.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Astral body, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Her first book examines happiness among Church of England nuns. When a friend announcing that she was going to becoming a nun (or more correctly a ‘religious’) the author decided to interview ten more young women who were making the same choice to join a range of different Christian communities ranging from enclosed contemplative communities to Franciscan communities. The interviews cover the women’s feelings about the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience as well as describing other details of the daily life of a religious sister.

The book is included in the [http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/ministry/workofmindiv/vrsc/ddo/ Diocesan Directors of Ordinands] recommended reading list for those exploring vocation.

The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment

”The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment” is an exploration of the subject of happiness. In it she tries out many of the ‘New Age’ courses available in the UK that claim to offer routes to inner peace and personal fulfilment. The book explores Insight Seminars, Tai Chi a retreat in a convent, Astrology, Tantric Sexuality, Co-Dependent’s Anonymous, Colonic Irrigation, Rebirthing-breathwork, Past Life Regression with Roger Woolger various forms of massage including Stone Massage and Kahuna Hawaiian massage, Neuro-linguistic Programming, an Anger management workshop, and a workshop on Angels with William Bloom. The book was chosen as Radio 4’s Book of the Week and Isabel performed it herself for the series. The book went on to become a bestseller in the UK and has been translated into 15 languages including Japanese and Russian.

For Tibet, with Love. A Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World

”For Tibet, with Love. A Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World” explores what one person can do to make a difference, in this case to the cultural imperialism of the Chinese Government in Tibet. The book was republished in 2005 reversing the title and subtitle so became ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World’ (which was also the title of the US edition). This second UK edition also had a different ISBN). In 2010 Bloomsbury brought out a new third edition, with a new preface under the original title. In this book Isabel travels to Lhasa explores how individuals and groups can use the media to raise awareness and influence public opinion and finally travels to Dharamsala to interview His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

Men! Where the **** Are They?

Her book ”Men!” is a humorous examination of the widely experienced sociological phenomenon of their being many more single and available women over the age of 40 in our cities than men and answers the question “Where are all the interesting and available men?” The book considers the many factors that have produced this discrepancy including an interview with Simon Baron-Cohen, which details the differences between the male and the female brain. During a tour of Ireland to promote the book, she appeared on the renowned Gerry Ryan Show (the interview lasting a whole hour). Following Ryan’s untimely death, she declared that “making Radio with Gerry was better than having sex with most men”.

The Battersea Park Road to Paradise

Her new book ”The Battersea Park Road to Paradise”, (Five Adventures in Being and Doing) explores Feng Shui, Anthony Robbins, Vipassana, Advaita and Shamanism will be published in the UK and US in 2011.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Isabel Losada, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Gilmartin makes references to pseudoscience such as astrology, reincarnation, past life regression, and Kirlian aura (page 15) to support his conclusions which reviewer Elizabeth Rice Allgeier felt “waters down the potential impact of his writings” in her book review for the ”Journal of Sex Research”. In a separate review of the book, Jonathan M. Cheek suggested that comparable emphasis should have been given to the study of love-shyness in women.

Also, Gilmartin’s research which was conducted in the 1970s and early 1980s does not make allowances for the dramatic shifts in American (and Western) cultural demographics, trends and values experienced in the years and decades since the study was published (e.g. the rise and impact of the second and third waves of modern feminism on gender relations, especially the impact of modern feminism in Western countries since the 1960s and 1970s) though men are still commonly expected to be the initiator when it comes to courtship.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Love-shyness, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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