Western Esotericism, Theosophy and the Modern Complex Western Esotericism, Theosophy and the Modern Complex

Western esotericism is a field of study that has developed considerably over the last twenty years. One of the most interesting aspects of the research that has been done in this field is the attention that scholars have given to the relationship between esotericism on the one hand and what I would call the 'modern complex' on the other. By modern complex I refer to a number of concepts that relate to the problem of 'the modern', such as 'modernity', 'modernism', 'postmodernism', and 'postmodernity'. Judging from what has been published in recent (and in some cases less recent) years, esotericism seems to be a relevant factor for all of them. But these are notoriously ambiguous, sometimes even contradictory, concepts, which relate to complex historical processes or phenomena that are difficult to define. My lecture will therefore first of all try to disentangle some of the conceptual problems that are involved in this relational web. In what sense can esotericism be considered as 'modern', 'modernist' or 'postmodern'?

Once this basic, preliminary problem has been addressed and, hopefully, clarified, we can consider the case of Theosophy as a particularly interesting case. Theosophy has become in recent years a fashionable subject for cultural and art historians, because it has become increasingly evident how influential the Theosophical movement was on a number of artistic and literary movements, particularly at the turn of the 20th century. It seems clear that, in some significant cases, Theosophy helped artists and writers to break away from the formal constrictions of canonic traditions, and propose new languages of artistic expression.

What was so special about Theosophy? Why did it have such a stimulating effect on its followers and sympathizers? Was it something about its religious message? Or maybe its politics? Or perhaps even the way in which the message was politically embodied in a particular social organization? There is probably no simple answer to these questions, but we can of course try to reflect on the possible factors that may have played a significant role. It is in any case important to consider the fact that

"Theosophy was in itself the heir of other heterodox movements, such as spiritualism, which had already showed the signs of a similar influence on culture and society before Theosophy emerged."

It seems to me that one of the elements that should be carefully considered when trying to understand the 'modern' aspect of Theosophy (and more generally of modern Western esotericism) is the way in which spiritual techniques help in breaking away from existing canons and norms. Mediumship and meditation surely played a significant role in this respect, and facilitated the emergence of forms of consciousness that contradicted any rational or purely formal interpretation of artistic creation. Moreover, the immense cosmological and historical vistas presented by Theosophical authors had the power, for many of their followers, to relativize traditional notions of science and religion, which helped them to break free from the formal constrictions of the past.

The flirtation of artistic and literary milieus with occultist ideas and practices is of course only one side of the 'modern complex' of esotericism. Another important side is politics. For quite some time, especially since the end of the Second World War, esoteric ideas have been seen as intrinsically reactionary, i.e. 'anti-modern'. Considering the aspects outlined above, this seems like a paradox, and calls for some conceptual and historical clarification. Is there a particular political 'colour' of esotericism? What about Adorno's theory of occultism as an ideology that facilitates the emergence of an 'authoritarian personality'? What about elitism? There again, while there are no easy answers to these questions, it is certainly possible to situate some preconceived ideas about esotericism within the particular cultural climate in which they emerged. This also raises the question of the presence of esotericism in contemporary society and culture.

"Seeing esotericism as either intrinsically 'progressive' and 'modern' or 'reactionary' and 'authoritarian' can make a significant difference when we try to assess and understand its continued presence and influence today."

Dutch historian Wouter Hanegraaff has interpreted Western esotericism as a form of 'rejected culture'. British sociologist Christopher Partridge, on the other hand, has argued that the culture of the occult, or 'occulture' as he calls it, has now become utterly ordinary and widespread. This points to a cultural transformation that has not been properly understood so far, in which ideas and practices that have been considered as unwelcome and illegitimate for a long time in Western culture, are now gradually becoming mainstream. One can wonder if this is going to erode the revolutionary charge of esotericism in the end. An interesting way to reflect on this possible development is to look at the presence of occult and esoteric themes in contemporary art, which has become relatively fashionable in the last ten years. How much counterculture can there be today in the artistic use of the occult?

Marco Pasi is Associate Professor of the History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam. His research interests include the relationship between modern esotericism, art and politics and the history of the idea of magic. He is a board member of the European Society fort he Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE).