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It's not the worldview or the underlying philosophy that's important, but the techniques themselves. And when it comes to the techniques, the western esoteric

It's not the worldview or the underlying philosophy that's important, but the techniques themselves. And when it comes to the techniques, the western esoteric tradition is without equal. Moreover, in many cases, the techniques have been obscured behind layers and layers of metaphysics (occult knowledge) and a superficial examination of the material will quickly lead one to reject it. Which is why traditionally, such knowledge was passed down in chains of transmission through teacher-student relationships. These days, most of that knowledge is no longer occult ("hidden") but it's been obscured by vast amounts of garbage, a lot of it falling under the so called new age/wicca/esoteric psychology categories.

pmoriarty 10y ago
"It's not the worldview or the underlying philosophy that's important, but the techniques themselves." From a certain perspective, that could be true. But it very much depends on your perspective. For instance, what is actually going on when you, say, sign that contract with the handsome cloven-hoofed gentleman at the crossroads, could very much matter. It could matter much more than the symptom relief or other worldly benefits you might experience from the "technique". Similarly, whether it's a loa mounting you or just an expression of your subconscious could also very well matter. Whether the knowledge which is not occult or esoteric reveals anything of value that once was also really depends on who you ask. Some might say the really secret knowledge has never been revealed to profane outsiders, and is kept secret for the elect, and what has been published is false, no matter what some others might claim. Many also believe that the true knowledge is only passed on directly from teacher to student, sometimes non-verbally or even supernaturally, and can not be expressed in words. But who knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff here? Certainly not me.
- armitron 10y ago
  One reason I used the term "western esoteric tradition" is to exclude things like the loa or the cloven-hoofed gentleman at the crossroads .. By this term, I am referring to a consistent stream of philosophy and induced brain-change practices, that provided the underlying foundation for Christianity and Judaism (the bible and the Zohar were written by qabalists). Some scholars place its beginnings in ancient Greece and Egypt. Of course, if one goes looking for these practices in modern Christian texts, one will come away empty as they've been diluted to uselessness or removed altogether. But if one looks at early Gnostic texts or immerses him/herself in the Western esoteric tradition then said practices will be laid out in a clear manner. They spell out a consistent system that is well-defined and amazingly sophisticated. It is humbling to think that "primitive savages" possessed a better understanding of the human mind hundreds of years ago, than most scientists do today.

pmoriarty 10y ago

"It's not the worldview or the underlying philosophy that's important, but the techniques themselves." From a certain perspective, that could be true. But it very much depends on your perspective. For instance, what is actually going on when you, say, sign that contract with the handsome cloven-hoofed gentleman at the crossroads, could very much matter. It could matter much more than the symptom relief or other worldly benefits you might experience from the "technique". Similarly, whether it's a loa mounting you or just an expression of your subconscious could also very well matter. Whether the knowledge which is not occult or esoteric reveals anything of value that once was also really depends on who you ask. Some might say the really secret knowledge has never been revealed to profane outsiders, and is kept secret for the elect, and what has been published is false, no matter what some others might claim. Many also believe that the true knowledge is only passed on directly from teacher to student, sometimes non-verbally or even supernaturally, and can not be expressed in words. But who knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff here? Certainly not me.

armitron 10y ago
One reason I used the term "western esoteric tradition" is to exclude things like the loa or the cloven-hoofed gentleman at the crossroads .. By this term, I am referring to a consistent stream of philosophy and induced brain-change practices, that provided the underlying foundation for Christianity and Judaism (the bible and the Zohar were written by qabalists). Some scholars place its beginnings in ancient Greece and Egypt. Of course, if one goes looking for these practices in modern Christian texts, one will come away empty as they've been diluted to uselessness or removed altogether. But if one looks at early Gnostic texts or immerses him/herself in the Western esoteric tradition then said practices will be laid out in a clear manner. They spell out a consistent system that is well-defined and amazingly sophisticated. It is humbling to think that "primitive savages" possessed a better understanding of the human mind hundreds of years ago, than most scientists do today.