Define the Occult - Part 1, 2

[venerina]

What is your definitio n of the occult?


As per usual, I searched through a few online dictionar ies and here is what I came up with, as per the world perspecti ve:
 

Occultism is endorsed in movies, in video games, on TV and in literatur e as:

·         creatures that have both human and non-human form and character istics

·         beings with paranorma l (psychic) powers who call upon some strange god(s) to fill themselve s with special supernatu ral powers.

·         people who are normal but can change into a different being by calling upon an element in nature (air, fire, earth, water, ethers)

Comment: - I am not going to even get into this one… I am sorry but I think this is, probably, the most absurd definitio n I have ever come across … In fact I only included it because it is interesti ng to see how modern day, popular culture, defines this incredibl y ancient term, which dates back to the ancient Egyptian, Greek and even Atlantean civilizat ion.

 

However, I did find this:

Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatu ral influence s, agencies, or phenomena .

Beyond the realm of human comprehen sion; inscrutab le.

Available only to the initiate; secret: occult lore.

Hidden from view; concealed .

In medical terms:
Medicine Detectabl e only by microscop ic examinati on or chemical analysis, as a minute blood sample.
Not accompani ed by readily detectabl e signs or symptoms: occult carcinoma .

Please note how this is both interesti ng and slightly contradic tory at the same time, in so much that it advocates something “hidden from view”, yet at the same time it states that traces are visible. 

In this context then … I ask you to ponder on whether the occult is, in fact, something non-existent, and perhaps just a figment of the human imaginati on, spanning absolutel y centuries, or … whether … the fact that traces are, possibly, existent demands us to question the very foundatio ns of “existential reality of the occult”, as in a mixture of myth and history, or folks’ hearsay.

I think it is wise to mention here that occultism and Satanism, or black magic, have absolutel y nothing to do with each other and are totally unrelated in any way what so ever, although there are those who would classify one as a branch of the other … not so … I’m afraid!!!.

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[venerina]

My personal definitio n of the occult is that which embodies the entire universal, and cosmic mysteries, since before the beginning, of our concept, of time and space.  It embraces everythin g, which we cannot quite describe, from the data received through our five physical senses, although our sixth sense somehow….  “just knows”.  I am sure many of you have had that feeling of not quite being able to put your finger on it …. But just knowing that you knew … (if that makes sense).

Magic is a classic example of occultism … It follows a sequence of visible, ritualist ic acts, the end product is visible, somewhat but … the forces at work, to give the end product, are not visible to the naked eye … ie, the energy force, which is used for the purpose of making something happen, or not.

In this respect, even a human being is a semi-occult creature because we all have thoughts and we all have the ability to imagine but, in reality, we cannot physicall y visualize, or touch, the processes at work whilst we are thinking, or imagining, but I’m not even going to go down that road now … because it would require a lot more explanati on than just a few paragraph s!!!

Some people have experienc ed past life regressio ns … some people often speak of Déjà vu … some experienc e awakened states of “knowing” … some people claim they have seen UFOs … others believe they lived in previous lifetimes, some have an innate knowledge they can’t account for, or explain, and so forth and so on …. All these affirmati ons can be attribute d to “occultism”.  The tarot, astrologi cal predictio ns, (although this is considere d more of a science nowadays), certain aspects of numerolog y and other esoteric practices are all members of the, so say, “occult” society.

The truth is … as human beings we cannot really define an indefinab le, if that makes sense … To be able to define something we have to first recognize it and be able to draw a compariso n to something similar, already stored in our database of definitio ns, in order for us to transform it into an acceptabl e, and humanly comprehen sive, descripti on …

But … and there is always a but … every individua l has a unique, thinking process, as we already discovere d in one of my last threads … so … perceptio n of the defined, will always be different between individua ls due to priory ingrained experienc es, which constitut e a viewpoint for perspecti ves.

So, my friends … the question still remains.  "What is your definitio n of the occult"?

This article is subject to Internati onal Copyright Laws and any reproduct ion, thereof, without the author's written consent, will be subject to prosecuti on.

[BethsVentures]

I've seen occultism misused (in definiton) as you mention and also the connectio n with Satanism or withcraft .

But I've always known occultism as being the hidden from view version of  knowlege. ..

Much the same as you write... but I have a sense that occult can be of concern. What is being hidden? and why?

Beth