Showing posts with label theosophical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theosophical. Show all posts

Tuesday, 8 March 2016

Theosophical philosophical concepts

 

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Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Dora Van Gelder


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Dora van Gelder Kunz (April 28, 1904 – August 25, 1999) was an American writer, psychic, alternative healer,[1] occultist and leader in the Theosophical Society in America.[2] Kunz has published around the world in Dutch, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.


Biography[edit]

Dora van Gelder was born at a Dutch camp called Tjeweng[3] located about five kilometers south of Djombang city situated in the Dutch East Indies, which at that time was a Dutch colony and today is known as Java.[4] There she was raised at her father’s estate, a sugar cane plantation. Since she was a child, she claimed, she interacted with ethereal beings without knowing that clairvoyant ability was unusual. At eleven years old she moved to Mosman, a suburb of Sydney (Australia),[5] to study with someone knowledgeable about her abilities, the then-Anglican clergyman and psychic C. W. Leadbeater, who instructed her in the refining of her psychic skills.[2][6]
The Manor, a training center rented by Theosophical Society in Mosman, Sydney where Dora Kunz stayed for a while.[7]
Through Leadbeater she met Fritz Kunz, who used to accompany Leadbeater on his travels. In 1927, at the age of twenty-two, Gelder and Kunz married and moved to the United States where her American husband became the principal of a scholastic foundation and she became president of a corporation related to pedagogic supplies.[2] Soon after coming to the USA, the couple founded the first theosophical camp at Orcas Island in the state of Washington.[6]
Dora van Gelder draws attention in her works for the existence of powerful beings called Devas which transmit and direct energy to the nature.[8] “Fairy and Griffon” by Gustave Moreau, 19th century.
For many years, Dora dealt with new methods in healing, particularly therapeutic touch,[9] which she co-developed in 1972 with Dr. Dolores Krieger,[10] a nursing professor at New York University,[11] which is said to promote healing, relaxation and lessen pain.[2][12] Therapeutic touch, stated Kunz, has its origin from ancient Yogic texts written in Sanskrit, which describe it as a pranic healing method.[1] As a result of that enterprise the technique is taught in approximately eighty colleges and universities in the U.S., and in more than seventy countries.[1]
Kunz philanthropically directed her clairvoyance towards helping physicians in complicated medical cases,[13] in particular aiding in diagnoses through her supposed capability of seeing the effects of diseases in the aura of the patients. More specifically she reported the existence of centers of energy in human body, also known as chakras, changing their colors according to diseases that affect matching endocrine glands.[14] She is said to have been able to predict some illness as many as eighteen months before symptoms manifest themselves.[6]
In 1975 Kunz became president of the Theosophical Society in America. In 1977 she published a book about her fairy experiences in her youth, “The Real World of Fairies”, in which she stated that throughout her life she always kept in communication with nature spirits.[8][2] According to her, in 1979 she saw fairies in Central Park in New York City, but due to the increasing pollution it was getting more difficult.[15] Kunz claims that devas are intimately connected with a vital energy, transmitting force to preserve and heal the Earth. She said as more people get involved with environmental causes, the better are the chances of communication between humans and devas.[8] In 1987 after completing twelve years as president of the Theosophical Society in America, she retired and devoted herself to lecturing and writing.[2][6]
In the 1920s walking on the shores of Mosman Dora Kunz says she met a friendly nature spirit worried about evil entities who had invaded the local area, and she managed to expel them. “Mosman's Bay” by Arthur Streeton, 1914.[5]

Works[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Christmas of the Angels, 1962.
  • The Real World of Fairies, 1977.
  • Fields and their clinical implications; co-author Erik Peper, 1985.
  • Spiritual aspects of the healing arts, 1985.
  • Devic Counsciouness, 1989.
  • The Chakras and the Human Energy Fields; co-author Shafica Karagulla, 1989.
  • The Personal Aura, 1991.
  • Spiritual Healing, 1995.
  • Aura en persoonlijkheid: aura's zien en begrijpen (Aura and personality: see auras and understand); co-author George Hulskramer, 1998.

Interviews and lectures[edit]

  • Reminiscences of Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater; with Fritz Kunz, 1967.
  • Healing and the Dynamic Structure of Man, 1974.
  • Masters and the Future of the Theosophical Society, 1978.
  • The Alchemical Power of Consciousness Healing; with Janet Macrae, 1979.
  • The Path and the Spiritual Life; with Renee Weber, 1980.
  • Application of Theosophy; with William J. Ross, 1981.
  • Use of Healing Energy in Therapeutic Touch, 1981.
  • Karma and Human Relations, 1981.
  • Masters of the Wisdom, 1982.
  • Inner Structure of Man & Its Effects On Life, 1983.
  • Interview with Father Bede Griffiths, 1983.
  • Depression From the Energetic Perspective; with Erik Peper, 1984.
  • Masters and the Future, 1984.
  • Man's Experience at Different Levels of Consciousness, 1985.
  • Theosophical Perspectives on Dealing with Pain; with Erik Peper, 1985.
  • The Objectives of the Theosophical Society; with Radha Burnier, 1986.
  • The Role of Karma in Life, 1986.
  • Letting Go: Perspectives on Death and Dying; with Erik Peper, 1987.
  • Chakras and the Human Energy Fields, 1989.
  • Deeper View of Healing and Its Many Aspects; with Dolores Krieger, 1989.
  • Conscious Use of the Healing Mind; with Dolores Krieger, 1990.
  • Healing and Changes in the Invisible Emotional Patterns, 1991.
  • Conversation with Dora Kunz, 1992.
  • Personal Aura and its Relation to Daily Life, 1992.
  • Karma: White Lotus Day Commemoration, 1994.
  • Spiritual Aspects of Healing and Therapeutic Touch, 1994.
  • Meditation as a Part of Life, 1996.[6]

See also[edit]



References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Russell Targ, Jane Katra, Miracles of Mind:Exploring Nonlocal Consciousness and Spiritual Healing, 1999. pp. 166, 239, 240. ISBN 978-1-57731-097-6.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Ed. by J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology – Volume II, 2001. Gale Group, Inc. 5th Edition. p.1625. ISBN 0-8103-9489-8.
  3. Jump up ^ J. van Dulm, W.J. Krijgsveld, H.J. Legemaate, H.A.M. Liesker, G. Weijers; Illustrated atlas of Japanese camps in the Netherlands East Indies, - East Indies Camp Archives. Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD). Retrieved 01/2011.
  4. Jump up ^ Pedro Oliveira, Dora van Gelder Kunz’s Testimony, CWL World. Retrieved 01/2011.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Peter Read, Haunted Earth, 2003. p. 30. ISBN 0-86840-726-7.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Theosophical Publishing House, Dora van Gelder Kunz, Theosophical Society in America. 2010.
  7. Jump up ^ Gregory John Tillett, Charles Webster Leadbeater 1854-1934: A Biographical Study, 1986. University of Sydney, Department of Religious Studies. Chapter 22, pp. 846-847.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c Nathaniel Altman, The deva handbook: how to work with nature's subtle energies, 1995. pp. 18,19, 124. ISBN 0-89281-552-3.
  9. Jump up ^ Tova Navarra and Adam M.D. Perlman, The encyclopedia of complementary and alternative medicine, 2004, p. 73. ISBN 0-8160-4997-1.
  10. Jump up ^ Rosemary Guiley, Encyclopedia of mystical & paranormal experience, 1993, p. 69. ISBN 1-85627-322-9.
  11. Jump up ^ Robert T. Carroll, Therapeutic Touch - the Skeptic's Dictionary. Copyright 1994-2009.
  12. Jump up ^ Leonard C. Bruno, Therapeutic touch - Encyclopedia of Medicine. Article, 2001. Gale Research. Retrieved 01/2011.
  13. Jump up ^ Von Braschler, Natural Pet Healing: Our Psychic, Spiritual Connection, 2003. pp. 2,3. ISBN 1-931942-07-2.
  14. Jump up ^ Cyndi Dale, The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy, 2009, p. 249. ISBN 1-59179-671-7.
  15. Jump up ^ Gordon Stein, The encyclopedia of the paranormal, 1996, p. 266. ISBN 1-57392-021-5.

External links[edit]



Friday, 14 September 2012

Esotericism?



Blogger Reference Link http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Arcane" and "Esoteric" redirect here. For other uses, see Arcane (disambiguation) and Esoteric (disambiguation).
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs,[1] that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest.[2] The term derives from the Greek σωτερικός (esôterikos), a compound ofσω (esô): "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward", mystic. Its antonym is "exoteric".
The term can also refer to the academic study of esoteric religious movements and philosophies, or more generally of alternative or marginalized religious movements or philosophies whose proponents distinguish their beliefs, practices, and experiences from mainstream institutionalized traditions.[3]
Examples of esoteric religious movements and philosophies include Alchemy, Astrology, Anthroposophy, early Christian mysticism,[4]Magic, Mesmerism, Rosicrucianism, Swedenborgianism, Spiritualism, the Alawites,[5] the Christian Theosophy of Jacob Böhme and his followers, and the Theosophical currents associated with Helena Blavatsky and her followers. There are competing views regarding the common traits uniting these currents, not all of which involve "inwardness", mystery, occultism or secrecy as a crucial trait.
Contents
  [hide
·         1 Etymology
·         2 Definition
·         3 History
·         4 Methodology
·         5 See also
·         6 References
·         7 Further reading
·         8 External links
[edit]Etymology
Plato, in his dialogue Alcibíades (circa 390 BC), uses the expression ta esô meaning "the inner things", and in his dialogue Theaetetus(circa 360 BC) he uses ta exô meaning "the outside things". Aristotle applied this distinction to his own writings. The probable first appearance of the Greek adjective esôterikos is in Lucian of Samosata's "The Auction of Lives", § 26, written around AD 166.[6]
The term esoteric first appeared in English in the 1701 History of Philosophy by Thomas Stanley, in his description of the mystery-school of Pythagoras; the Pythagoreans were divided into "exoteric" (under training), and "esoteric" (admitted into the "inner" circle). The corresponding noun "esotericism" was coined in French by Jacques Matter in 1828 and popularized by Eliphas Levi in the 1850s.[7][1]. It entered the English language in the 1880s via the works of theosophist Alfred Sinnett.
[edit]Definition
Among the competing understandings of what unites the various currents designated by "Esotericism" in the scholarly sense, perhaps the most influential has been proposed by Antoine Faivre. His definition is based on the presence in the esoteric currents of four essential characteristics: a theory of correspondences between all parts of the invisible and the visible cosmos, the conviction that nature is a living entity owing to a divine presence or life-force, the need for mediating elements (such as symbols, rituals, angels, visions) in order to access spiritual knowledge, and, fourthly, an experience of personal and spiritual transmutation when arriving at this knowledge. To this are added two non-intrinsic characteristics. Esotericists frequently suggest that there is a concordance between different religious traditions: best example is the belief in prisca theologia (ancient theology) or in philosophia perennis (perennial philosophy). Finally, esotericism sometimes suggests the idea of a secret transmission of spiritual teachings, through initiation from master to disciple.[8] It should, however, be emphasized that Faivre's definition is one of several divergent understandings of the most appropriate use of the term.
The “perennialist” or “traditionalist” school is represented by authors like the French René Guénon (1886–1951), the Indian Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877–1947), the Swiss Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998), the Italian Julius Evola (1898–1974), the Iranian Seyyed Hossein Nasr (born in 1933), both scholars and esotericists. They postulate that there exists a Primordial Tradition of non-human origin.
“We say that it [the origin of the traditions] is polar, and the pole is nomore Western than it is Eastern. It is only in a later epoch that the seat of the primordial tradition, transferred to other regions, was able to become either Western or Eastern. We consider the origin of the traditions to be Nordic, and even more to be polar, since this is expressly affirmed in the Veda as well as in other sacred books.” [9] [2]
In perennialist usage, esotericism is a metaphysical concept referring to a supposed “transcendent unity” of all great religious traditions. Esotericism is the metaphysical point of unity where exoteric religions are believed to converge.[10] [3]
“Our starting point is the acknowledgment of the fact that there are diverse religions which exclude each other. This could mean that one religion is right and that all the others are false; it could mean also that all are false. In reality, it means that all are right, not in their dogmatic exclusivism, but in their unanimous inner signification, which coincides with pure metaphysics, or in other terms, with the philosophia perennis.” (F. Schuon, 1995).
After all, the esoteric tradition may be recovered if the seeker undergoes initiation.
“Initiation is essentially the transmission of a spiritual influence, a transmission that can only take place through a regular, traditional organization, so that one cannot speak of initiation outside of an affiliation with an organization of this kind. We have explained that 'regularity' must be understood to exclude all pseudo-initiatic organizations, which, regardless of pretention and outward appearance, in no way possess any spiritual influence and thus are incapable of transmitting anything.” [11]
[edit]History
Since esotericism is not a single tradition but a vast array of often unrelated figures and movements, there is no single historical thread underlying them all.[12] The developments that one might wish to emphasize in drawing up a history of esotericism furthermore depends on whether esotericism in the dictionary (non-scholarly) or the scholarly sense is intended.
Several historically attested religions emphasize secret or hidden knowledge, and are thus esoteric in the dictionary sense, without necessarily being esoteric movements in the scholarly sense of the word. Thus, the Roman Empire had several mystery religions which emphasized initiation. Some saw Christianity, with its ritual of baptism, as a mystery religion. None of these are "esoteric" in the scholarly sense. The terms "Gnosticism" and "Gnosis" refer to a family of religious movements which claimed to possess secret knowledge (gnosis). Another important movement from the ancient world was Hermeticism or Hermetism. Both of these are often seen as precursors to esoteric movements in the scholarly sense of the word.
Non-Western traditions can also display the characteristics of esoteric movements. The Ismaili Muslims also stress a distinction between the inner and the outer. It is believed that spiritual salvation is attained by receiving the 'Nur' (light) through the "esoteric", that is, spiritual search for enlightenment. Ismaili Islam also has some of the characteristics associated with esotericism as defined by Faivre, e.g. the belief in an intermediate spiritual sphere mediating between humans and the divine. Esoteric movements in Buddhism, which fall under the general category of Vajrayana Buddhism, employ esoteric training into Buddha's teachings, through use of symbols,mantra and hand-gestures, or mudra. Initiation rituals are typically given to students as they progress along these paths, and care is taken not to discuss specific rituals to those lacking the right empowerment.
In order to distinguish esoteric currents based primarily on sources from late Antiquity and the European Middle Ages, from e.g. Islamic or Jewish currents with similar features, the more precise term "Western esotericism" is often employed.
Western esoteric movements in the scholarly sense thus have roots in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. A major phase in the development of Western esotericism begins in the Renaissance, partly as the result of various attempts to revive such earlier movements. During the Italian Renaissance, for example, translators such as Ficino and Pico della Mirandola turned their attention to the classical literature of Neoplatonism, and what was thought to be the pre-Mosaic tradition of Hermeticism. Other pursuits of Antiquity that entered into the mix of esoteric speculation were astrology and alchemy. Beside such revived currents from late Antiquity, a second major source of esoteric speculation is the Kabbalah, which was lifted out of its Jewish context and adapted to a Christian framework by people such as Johannes Reuchlin. Outside the Italian Renaissance, yet another major current of esotericism was initiated byParacelsus, who combined alchemical and astrological themes (among others) into a complex body of doctrines.
In the early 17th century, esotericism is represented by currents such as Christian theosophy and Rosicrucianism. A century later, esoteric ideas entered various strands of Freemasonry. Later in the 18th century, as well as in the early 19th century, the diffuse movement known as Mesmerism became a major expression of esotericism. In the 19th century, esotericism is also represented by certain aspects of the philosophy, literature and science associated with Romanticism, by spiritualism, and by a notable French wave ofoccultism.
The major exponent of esotericism in the latter part of the 19th century is the Theosophy of H. P. Blavatsky, not to be confused with the Christian Theosophy mentioned above. In the 20th century, Theosophy was further developed by Annie Besant and Charles Webster Leadbeater, while people like Alice Bailey, Rudolf Steiner and many others, became the source for a whole range of post-theosophical movements such as The Summit Lighthouse. The post-theosophical Anthroposophical movement is a synthesis of occultist, Christian and Neoplatonic ideas with Western esoteric concepts as formulated in the wake of Theosophy. Anthroposophy, which was founded byRudolf Steiner in the early part of the 20th century, includes esoteric versions of education, agriculture, and medicine.[13]
Yet another notable esoteric strain stems from the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff and P. D. Ouspensky.
Theosophy is also considered a major influence on the many less institutionally organized varieties of esotericism in metaphysicalmilieus, "Ascended Master Activities", and within the New Age.
Finally, it can be noted that Carl Gustav Jung can be seen as an exponent of esotericism: his writings concern esoteric subject matter such as alchemy, and rephrased the concept of correspondences in a modern, psychologizing terminology in his theory ofsynchronicity.
[edit]Methodology
Wouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of “History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents” at the University of Amsterdam (1999). The Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) is the world's first academic institution to have created a complete program for research and teaching in the field of Western Esotericism.[4] He is also president of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism. Essential to Hanegraaff’s methodology is what he calls an “empirical” approach, with an informed, open, and, so much as possible, neutral mind. He makes a sharp division between a “religionist” perspective and an “empiricist” one.
“Empirical research must be based on methodological agnosticism with regard to religious and philosophical ‘first principles’, and must fully recognize the historicity of religious phenomena. This empirical perspective is applied to the newly emerging academic field of esotericism.” [14]
Secondly, Hanegraaff follows a distinction between an “emic” and an “etic” approach to religious studies. [5] The emic approach is that of the alchemist or theosopher as an alchemist or theosopher. The etic approach is that of the scholar as an historian, a researcher, with a critical look. An empirical study of esotericism needs “emic material and etic interpretation”.
“The principal theoretical tool to safeguard scientific legitimity in this situation is the distinction between emic and etic. Emic denotes the believer’s point of view. On the part of the researcher, the reconstruction of this emic perspective requires an attitude of empathy which excludes personal biases as far as possible. Scholarly discourse about religion, on the other hand, is not emic but etic. Scholars may introduce their own terminology and make theoretical distinctions which are different from those of the believers themselves.” [15]
Pierre A. Riffard (Ph.D., University of the French West Indies) studies the method used by esotericists themselves (alchemists, magicians, Rosicrucians, Anthroposophists...).[16] He examines some of their procedures. 1) Mythological origins. The esotericists trace the origins of their doctrine or practice to an extremely distant past. They situate the life of Hermes in times immemorial. 2) Cosmic cycles. For Gaston Georgel, “history is governed by cycles of 540, 1080 and 2160 years”. 3) The chains of initiation. Some Rosicrucians include Francis Bacon among their masters and trace their origins back to the time of Thutmosis III. 4) The secret books. Esotericists prefer to base their beliefs on secret writings, unknown to the majority of people and inaccessible to the uninitiated: for instance, among the Theosophists, The Book of Dzyan. 5) Spiritual interpretations. The esotericists are able to endow the most profane texts with an occult meaning. The alchemists discover within the Greek and Roman myths the Great Work of alchemy. 6) Magical uses. A book can be used as a talisman, a divinatory machine... The Sortes Sanctorum (Lots of the saints) were, in early Christianity, a divination which consists in taking passages of the Bible at chance, and drawing conclusions from them concerning future. [6]
Arthur Versluis (Professor, Ph.D., Michigan State University) proposes the term “sympathetic empiricism” as the approach that he finds most amenable in the study of Western Esotericism. 
“While I am convinced of the critical importance of historiography in the study of esotericism (and for this reason all of my academic books are firmly grounded in historical method) I do not believe that historiography is adequate in itself to convey the complex, multivalent nature of esoteric thought, traditions, or most of all, experience.  Esotericism, given all its varied forms and its inherently multidimensional nature, cannot be conveyed without going beyond purely historical information: at minimum, the study of esotericism, and in particular mysticism, requires some degree of imaginative participation in what one is studying.”[17] [7]
[edit]See also
§  Behmenism
§  Huna
§  Karma
§  Martinism
§  Merkabah
Portal icon
§  Mysticism
§  Occult
§  Plane (esotericism) (Planes of existence)
§  Qigong
§  Telepathy
[edit]References
1.     ^ Chambers 20thC dictionary, 1972
2.     ^ "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: esoteric". Webster.com. 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
4.     ^ Stroumsa, G. (2005). Hidden wisdom: esoteric traditions and the roots of Christian mysticism. Leiden: Brill.
5.     ^ Historical dictionary of Syria by David Dean Commins, Scarecrow Press, 2004, page 29
6.     ^ Lucian of Samosata, The Auction of Lives (also called The Auction of the Philosophical Schools), § 26. Pierre A. Riffard, L’ésotérisme. Qu’est-ce que l’ésotérisme?, Paris: Robert Laffont, coll. “Bouquins”, 1990, 65. "O que é o Esoterismo". Paginasesotericas.tripod.com. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
7.     ^ Jacques Matter, Histoire critique du gnosticisme, Paris: Levrault, 1928, 83 (Jean-Pierre Laurant, L’ésotérisme chrétien en France au XIX° siècle, Lausanne: L’Âge d’homme, 1992, 13-48 ; L’ésotérisme, Paris: Cerf, 1993, 40-41.)
8.     ^ Antoine FaivreAccess to Western Esotericism, Albany: State University of New York Press (“SUNY Series in Western Esoteric Traditions”), 1994, 10-15. Wouter J. Hanegraaff (ed.), Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, Leiden / Boston: Brill, 2005, I, 340.
9.     ^ René Guénon, Traditional forms and cosmic cycles (1925-1949, first published in 1970), New York: Sophia perennis, 2003, 16.
10.   ^ Frithjof Schuon, The Transcendent Unity of Religions (1948), London: Faber anf Faber, 1953.
11.   ^ René Guénon, Perspectives on initiation (1946), New York: Sophia perennis, 2001, 48.
12.   ^ Jean-Paul Corsetti, Histoire de l’ésotérisme et des sciences occultes, Paris: Larousse, coll. “Références”, 1992, 17-319. Kocku von Struckrad, Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge (2004), London / Oakville: Equinox Publishing, 2005, 12-145. Arthur Versluis, Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esotericism, Plymouth: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007, 11-264.
13.   ^ Robert McDermott, The Essential SteinerISBN 0-06-065345-0, pp. 3-11
14.   ^ Wouter J. Hanegraaff, “Empirical Method in the Study of Esotericism”, in Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Florida State University, 7:2 (1995), 99-129.
15.   ^ Wouter J. Hanegraaff, New Age Religion and Western Culture. Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought, Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998, 6.
16.   ^ Pierre A. Riffard, “The Esoteric Method”, in Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion, Leuven: Peeters, coll. “Gnostica”, 1998, 63-74.
17.   ^ Arthur Versluis, “Methods in the Study of Esotericism, Part II: Mysticism and the Study of Esotericism”, in Esoterica, Michigan State University, V, 2003, 27-40.
[edit]Further reading
§  Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism, Leiden: Brill, since 2001. [8]
§  Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism, Leiden: Brill, since 2006. [9]
§  Esoterica, East Lansing, Michigan State University (MSU). An online resource since 1999 [10]. I (1999) [11]; VIII (2006) [12]; IX (2007) [13]
§  Antoine Faivre, Access to Western Esotericism (1986), Albany: State University of New York Press (“SUNY Séries in Western Esoteric Traditions”), 1994, X-369 p. [14]
§  Antoine Faivre, Theosophy, Imagination, Tradition: Studies in Western Esotericism (1996), Albany: SUNY Press (“SUNY Séries in Western Esoteric Traditions”), 2000, XXXV-269 p. [15]
§  René Guénon, Perspectives on initiation (1946), New York: Sophia perennis, 2004, 320 p. [16]
§  Wouter J. Hanegraaff, “The Study of Western Esotericism: New Approaches to Christian and Secular Culture”, in Peter Antes, Armin W. Geertz and Randi R. Warne, New Approaches to the Study of Religion, vol. I: Regional, Critical, and Historical Approaches, Berlin / New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2004, 497 p. [17]
§  Wouter J. Hanegraaff (ed.), in collaboration with Antoine Faivre, Roelof van den Broek, Jean-Pierre Brach, Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, Leiden / Bristol: Brill, 2005, 2 vols., 1228 p. ISBN 90-04-14187-1.
§  Édouard Schuré, The Great Initiates: A Study of the Secret History of Religions (1889), Blauvelt (N.Y.): Garber Books, 1992, 480 p.[18] “Rama, Krishna, Hermes, Moses, Orpheus, Pythagoras, Plato, and Jesus.”
§  Kocku von Stuckrad, Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge (2004), London / Oakville: Equinox Publishing, 2005, XVII-167 p. [19]
§  Arthur Versluis, Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esotericism, Plymouth: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007, 208 pages.[20]
§  Benjamin Walker, Encyclopedia of Esoteric Man: The Hidden Side of the Human Entity, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1977, 353 p. ISBN 0-7100-8479-X. New title: Body Magic, London: Granada Publishing, “Paladin Books”, 1979, 478 p. ISBN 0-586-08323-5. Arranged alphabetically.
§  Benjamin Walker, Man and the Beasts Within: The Encyclopedia of the Occult, the Esoteric, and the Supernatural, New York: Stein and Day, 1978, 343 p. ISBN 0-8128-1900-4
[edit]External links
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§  University of Amsterdam Center for Study of Western Esotericism Research & BA/MA programs in Western esotericism.
§  ESSWE European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, with many links to associated organizations, libraries, scholars etc.
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Reviving the Ancient Polymath Spirit to Meet Modern Challenges We can embrace interdisciplinary learning for innovative problem-solving. Posted January 16, 2025 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

  by   Nigel R. Bairstow Ph.D. Disconnection Dynamics Psychology Today Key points Ancient Arab polymaths excelled by integrating diverse kno...