On a more positive note, this reminds me of an excellent article by Gerard Jones, a comic book author on why it’s good for kids to be exposed to violent superhero stories. The whole thing’s worth reading, but here’s a taste:

The character who caught me, and freed me, was the Hulk: overgendered and undersocialized, half-naked and half-witted, raging against a frightened world that misunderstood and persecuted him. Suddenly I had a fantasy self to carry my stifled rage and buried desire for power. I had a fantasy self who was a self: unafraid of his desires and the world’s disapproval, unhesitating and effective in action. “Puny boy follow Hulk!” roared my fantasy self, and I followed.

[...] even the trashiest pop-culture story can have its own developmental function. Pretending to have superhuman powers helps children conquer the feelings of powerlessness that inevitably come with being so young and small.

I think in a large degree, maybe a lot of people really are drawn to the occult for exactly this same reason. They need a story-system to immerse themselves in which authorizes them to quest after being something more than they are. But to do it outside the mainstream story of their life. Perhaps this helps explain the role-playing game/occult connection discussed earlier.

Perhaps the occultists have a one-up in this area though. They recognize that, shit, there’s things we want. We’re not gonna sit around and petition some abstract deity for it, let’s try to actively make it happen.

Yes. (Although it’s important to balance humility and hubris here). There’s another very critical issue to consider here, whether you’re a Christian or an “Occultist”. It’s very important to understand what you really truly want. Because the subconscious has a way of trying to get what it wants, even while you’re preaching, singing the Gospels and speaking in tongues, or doing flaky NewAge peaceandlove crystal shit. If you can’t get down that deep, then you’re always going to be a dog wagged by its own tail.

I’ve run into a few people who are looking to get superhero-type abilities by messing around with the occult, so maybe that’s what they’re talking about as well. However, a few of these people actually wanted to use these abilities to help others. I think the article really misunderstands the motivation (surprise, surprise *sarcasm*).

Interesting issue. This gets into the whole left hand vs. right hand dichotomy, which I actually find much more interesting and productive than obsessing about “good” vs. “evil”. Once again, I recommend Ursula LeGuin’s Lathe of Heaven for a very accessible sci-fi parable about the danger of trying to acquire power, even for “good”, without proper knowledge.

I agree with John. For me, “the Occult” (or whatever) is about knowledge. Its application involves knowing how to maintain balance. I’d be dishonest if I said there was absolutely no interest in power, but let’s face it: manifesting anything in the world requires a certain amount of power. Simply staying alive requires the power to subdue other biological organisms and appropriate them for food. What is difficult is to know when to exercise power and when not to. This is the true art of living in harmony with the Cosmos.

An unhealthy interest in power is a symptom of internal imbalance, and it leads to greater imbalances and distortions until it manifests in behavior that either leads to self destruction or profound psychic scarring evidenced by conversion to Christianity. Thus, the Christian converts who offer testimony to the evils of “the Occult” are not a representative sample of all seekers of Gnosis. In fact, there is a strong bias for the unhealthiest subpopulation of such seekers.

I’m not sitting here thinking: “If I can just figure out this one thing, then I’ll have power over such and such, or I’ll have such and such result.” I think there are definitely short-term goals like that, on particular topics. But in general, it’s more like a compulsion. It’s like a fixation on solving puzzles and uncovering stuff. I don’t feel like “more powerful” because of the stuff I know. But I do find satisfaction in the quest.

I’m not totally articulating my point here I guess. But that’s why I figured I would open up the topic for conversation…

holding focus groups trying to figure out why their product isn’t selling

Yes. They’re still trying to sell absolute certainty, while keeping it proprietary

…often people who participate in the occult are seeking great power, which they believe they can find by seeking out hidden and supernatural things.

I think that the Power that they really mean, but don’t say, is the Power of knowledge. Forget about summoning shit — one of the main goals of an institution like Christianity is to obscure knowledge, while a main goal of Occultism or conspiracy or whatever “fringe” study is to gain Power through knowledge.

Conspiracy theorists like Mike Ruppert try to shift the balance of civil power. While you and I try to use our knowledge to project power inward, spiritually. And we’ve talked about how independence like that tears right through christian power systems.

Trying to prevent “knowledge power” — ala the tree of knowledge, ala FOX News — would make all these workshops that you talk about a little more realistic in terms of real world application. These are just a bunch of goofy, bald, limp-dicked douchebags holding focus groups trying to figure out why their product isn’t selling. Their boss, the demiurge, is gonna fire them if they can’t adapt.