The acclaimed author of The Occult presents a groundbreaking theory of unexplained phenomena from ghosts and magic to the power of the unconscious. A renowned expert on the subject of occultism, Colin Wilson’s sequel to his masterwork, The Occult, is “a major work” in its own right. In The Mysteries, Wilson continues his the investigation into magic, the paranormal, and the supernatural through extensive research as well as his own extraordinary first-hand experiences. The result is “an extraordinary tour de force” of scholarship (New Science). Through a personal mystical experience, Wilson discovered that human beings consist of a ladder—or hierarchy—of selves, whose upper members may be called upon at will for personal transformation and deep knowledge. This experience inspired him to apply this insight to all paranormal phenomena, from precognition to Uri Geller's spoon bending. Wilson presents detailed studies of hauntings, possession and demonic hypnosis, as well as magic, the Kabbalah, and astrology. At the heart of his work is a fascinating discussion of the Great Secret of the alchemists, which he sees as the key to the mystery of the ladder of selves.

"Unabridged and unaltered republication of the 1st ed. of the work originally published under title The psychology of the occult.

The point of departure for this book is a phenomenon which is often referred to as the "return of the religious," a recent but apparently ubiquitous phenomenon which does not fit the modernist axiom of secularization, neither in the "developed" nor the "developing" worlds. In Africa, the last two decades have witnessed a remarkable and steady increase in the spread and reinforcement of occult and paranormal phenomena. The reports on these developments are not restricted to specific countries or areas; they cover the whole continent and surface in the most diverse images, media, stories, and rumors. The credence accorded to them has become an important factor that shapes social relationships in everyday life, economic and political actions, medical decisions, and religious adherence. (Series: African Studies / Afrikanische Studien - Vol. 47)

This follow-up to the international bestseller, The Occult, is essential reading for anyone interested in the mystical and the paranormal—from ESP and clairvoyance to poltergeists and spirit possession Colin Wilson has explored the paranormal universe ever since he researched his first highly successful work, The Occult—hailed as “the most interesting, informative and thought-provoking book on the subject” The Sunday Telegraph). Now, he offers an even wider examination of the mystical and paranormal. The result is a thoroughly convincing general theory of the occult. Wilson powerfully posits that our so-called “normal” experience may in fact be subnormal, and that evolution has brought us near the edge of a quantum leap into a hugely expanded human consciousness. Combining fascinating glimpses into the paranormal world with the latest scientific thinking on the nature of “physical reality,” he reveals the usually unseen powers of the human mind and discusses why he has become convinced that disembodied spirits do exist.

“A convincing account of science’s flirtation with the marginal and the marvelous” from the author of Conjuring Science (Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences). Séances were wildly popular in France between 1850 and 1930, when members of the general public and scholars alike turned to the wondrous as a means of understanding and explaining the world. Sofie Lachapelle explores how five distinct groups attempted to use and legitimize séances: spiritists, who tried to create a new “science” concerned with the spiritual realm and the afterlife; occultists, who hoped to connect ancient revelations with contemporary science; physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists, who developed a pathology of supernatural experiences; psychical researchers, who drew on the unexplained experiences of the public to create a new field of research; and metapsychists, who attempted to develop a new science of yet-to-be understood natural forces. An enlightening and entertaining narrative that includes colorful people like “Allan Kardec”—a pseudonymous former mathematics teacher from Lyon who wrote successful works on the science of the séance and what happened after death—Investigating the Supernatural reveals the rich and vibrant diversity of unorthodox beliefs and practices that existed at the borders of the French scientific culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. “What is science? . . . In her engaging book, Sophie Lachapelle probes for an answer by looking at the liminal realm between science and superstition and the attempt to render the supernatural explicable in naturalistic terms.” —Isis “A welcome addition to the growing literature on spiritism, occultism and physical research in modern France.” —French History