The Occult: A History

The Occult is in three parts. In the first, Wilson argues the connection between creativity and psychic sensitivity, the tapping of the subconscious mind for the forces that are normally inaccessible to consciousness. The second part is a history of mages and adepts--among them Nostradamus, Dr. John Dee, Cagliostro, Anton Mesmer, Aleister Crowley, Gurdjieff--set in their historical background. The third part concerns witchcraft, werewolves and vampirism, the history of spiritualism, the problem of ghosts and poltergeists. The last chapter, "Glimpses," takes up the metaphysical questions that arise out of occultism, as well as the problem of time, and gives concluding statements on the nature of man's latent powers.--From publisher description.