[Occultism, parapsychology and the esoteric from the perspective of psychopathology].

Occultism, parapsychology, and esoterics are compared with religion, spirituality, and mysticism, emphasizing cultural relativity. Occultism involves manipulating phenomena inaccessible to normal perception through magic. Parapsychology in its popular sense addresses occult phenomena, while scientific parapsychology investigates them empirically. Esoterics comprises beliefs about occult processes and destiny after death within a hermetic tradition. Transpersonal psychology frames these as spiritual. Paranormal experiences can affect personality, interpersonal relations, and mental health, potentially causing crises or psychoses, including mediumistic psychoses where splitting of non-ego parts manifests schizophrenic symptoms. Dangers include ego inflation from attributing superhuman power. Schizotypia may predispose to parapsychological perception. Adepts may exhibit a false self as described by Winnicott.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The concepts and main themes of occultism, parapsychology and esoterics are set in comparison to religion, spirituality, mysticism. The cultural relativity of these concepts is emphasised. Occultism means dealing with phenomena, processes, and/or powers which are not accessible to "normal perception". The manipulation of such powers is effected via (white, black, grey) magic. Parapsychology, in its popular sense, deals with occult phenomena, whereas scientific parapsychology investigates them empirically. Esoterics is a complex of beliefs within a hermetic tradition about occult processes and about desting after death. Transpersonal psychology deals with these issues while calling them "spiritual". Effects of paranormal experiences and actions on the side of the actor as well as the adept are discussed: personality types, interpersonal effects, crises and psychoses (mediumistic psychoses). The concept of dissociation of subpersonalities (subselves) appears to be a viable perspective to explain these phenomena. In mediumistic psychoses, the splitting of non-ego parts of the psyche leads to a manifestation of schizophrenic symptoms. Dangers for mental health are an ego inflation by self-attribution of "superhuman" power. A personality disposition for parapsychological perception and/or action may be seen in schizotypia and similar near-psychotic "personalities up the border". Adepts of occultism may present with a "false self" in the sense of Winnicott.