To study esoteric and occult topics academically, start with foundational texts, familiarise yourself with the academic literature, develop critical thinking, approach the material with an open mind, seek out diverse viewpoints, utilise academic databases, and engage with the academic community. Use academic search engines, library databases, and citation indexes to find credible sources on Esotericism. Reading academic sources actively, identify the arguments, evaluate the author’s credibility, and take breaks to process the information. By doing this you can develop a deeper understanding of the topic but you’re also going to develop skills that will be very useful in your life generally.

Summary

Are you interested in Esotericism, Witchcraft, Paganism and occult topics? So you want to learn how to have more of an academic approach to tackle those subjects? Stay tuned for my five tips to study Esotericism academically.

Hello everyone, I’m Dr Angela Puca and welcome to my Symposium. I’m a PhD and a Religious Studies scholar and this is your online resource for the academic study of Magick, Paganism, Shamanism, Esotericism and all things occult.

First of all, I have to premise – lest my colleagues might object to the content of this video – that to really study Esotericism academically, you’d need to be an academic. Go through the proper training, get a Bachelor’s, then a Master’s degree and then a PhD. Academics also produce knowledge and research findings, not in isolation but within a network of scholarship founded on the peer-review process.

So, this video is not about how to become an academic in the study of Esotericism – although let me know if that’s a topic of interest, and I can make a separate video on that – but on how to approach more academically esoteric and occult-related topics.

Esotericism is a fascinating and complex field that covers a wide range of topics, including Paganism, shamanism, spiritual practices, mystical traditions, and occult beliefs. If you’re interested in studying Esotericism from an academic point of view, you may be wondering how to find credible and reliable sources and how to read and understand academic texts effectively, and we’re going to cover that in a moment.

As a practitioner, the primary goal of engaging with an esoteric text is typically to deepen one’s understanding and practice of a particular esoteric tradition or path. Practitioners often approach texts with a sense of reverence, seeking to learn from them and apply the knowledge gained to their own spiritual practices. They may also be more willing to accept the text’s claims and teachings at face value without necessarily subjecting them to rigorous analysis or critique. A practitioner’s perspective favours more what resonates, is meaningful and effective in relation to personal opinions, experiences, worldviews and belief systems. That is totally fine, we all have our beliefs and opinions, but when you approach a topic or a text from an academic view those would be better set aside, as they would constitute a bias and preclude an analytical, critical and rigorous understanding of the topic based on facts and scientific methodology.

Indeed, engaging with an esoteric text as an academic is driven by a desire to understand the text’s historical, cultural, and intellectual context. The goal is not necessarily to accept the claims and teachings of the text but rather to analyse and critique them from a scholarly perspective. Academics usually approach texts with a healthy scepticism and a willingness to subject them to critical analysis, questioning their sources, methods, and arguments. They may also seek to understand how the text has been received and interpreted throughout history and how it has influenced the development of esoteric traditions and ideas.

So, here are my tips for doing just that! Engage with esoteric topics and text with an academic lens.

1. Start with foundational texts: Before diving into more esoteric and obscure topics, it’s important to have a solid understanding of the foundational texts and ideas that underpin the field. This includes works by influential thinkers and those will depend on your area of interest and time period. For instance, Carl Jung, Aleister Crowley, and Helena Petrovna Blavatsky would be seminal thinkers to study if you’re interested in 20th-century Western Esotericism.
   
   Reading these foundational texts can help you gain a deeper and sort of a background-wide understanding of the historical and philosophical context of the field, as well as the key ideas and concepts that underpin it. They can also provide a starting point for further exploration into more specific areas of study.
   
   When reading these texts, it’s important to approach them critically and to keep in mind that they are often highly subjective and can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Take notes as you read, and be willing to challenge and question the ideas presented in the texts. This can help you develop a deeper understanding of the material and prepare you for a more advanced study of esoteric and occult topics.
   
2. Familiarize yourself with the academic literature: Read academic articles, books, and papers on esoteric and occult topics to gain a deeper understanding of the field. Look for publications from reputable academic presses and scholarly journals.
   
   One of the best ways to find academic sources on Esotericism is to use academic search engines, such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, and Scopus. These search engines allow you to search for academic articles, books, and other resources that have been published in academic journals and other scholarly outlets.
   
   Academic literature can provide valuable insights into the historical, philosophical, and cultural context of esoteric and occult topics. It can also offer a critical analysis of the ideas and concepts presented in foundational texts and other esoteric works. By reading and analyzing academic literature, you can gain a much deeper understanding of the field and the debates and controversies that exist within it.
   
   It’s important to note that academic literature can be dense and challenging to read. Take your time to read carefully, making notes and summarising key points as you go. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek clarification if there are concepts or ideas that you don’t understand. In fact, that could be one great reason to join my Inner Symposium because we discuss those all the time.
   
3. Develop your critical thinking skills: Analyzing and evaluating esoteric and occult texts requires a high degree of critical thinking. Develop your critical thinking skills by practising close reading, analyzing arguments, and identifying logical fallacies.
   
   Developing critical thinking skills is an essential aspect of studying esoteric and occult topics academically. And a great skill to have generally in life. Critical thinking involves analysing and evaluating information and ideas in a systematic and objective way, in order to form a reasoned judgment or conclusion.
   
   One way to develop your critical thinking skills is to read actively. This means reading with a purpose, asking questions, and actively seeking to understand the material. As you read, ask yourself questions like: What is the author’s argument? What evidence do they provide to support their claims? What are the sources they’re using, and how reliable are they? What are the implications of their ideas? Asking yourself these questions and not taking information at face value can help you to develop your analytical skills and gain a deeper understanding of the material.
   
   Another important aspect of critical thinking is evaluating the quality of sources. This means assessing whether a source is reliable, credible, and objective. When evaluating sources, consider factors such as the author’s credentials, the publication date, and whether the source is peer-reviewed.
   
   Critical thinking also involves being open-minded and willing to consider alternative viewpoints. This means being willing to challenge your own assumptions and beliefs and to consider different perspectives on a topic. Engaging in respectful and constructive debate with others can be a great way to develop your critical thinking skills and gain a deeper understanding of esoteric and occult topics.
   
4. Approach the material with an open mind and seek out diverse viewpoints: Esoteric and occult topics often challenge our preconceived notions about the world. Approach the material with an open mind and be willing to consider new ideas and perspectives. The practitioner’s viewpoint is often rooted in what is considered to the “the truth” or “one’s truth”, and that often leads to relating with different points of view in an adversarial way or with the aim of convincing the other person.
   
   The academic viewpoint is instead based on gathering the most accurate knowledge based on the evidence, and debates pertain more to what methodology is better suited to get the most accurate knowledge one can get at any specific moment in time rather than who’s right and who’s wrong or who knows the truth and needs to convince others of that.
   
   With that fundamental difference in objectives in mind, academia also often hosts significant debates and disagreements within the field. So, it’s important to seek out diverse viewpoints and consider multiple perspectives to gain a well-rounded understanding of the topic and also of the methodologies used to vet it.
   
5. Engage with the academic community: You can attend academic conferences and events OOOOR watch educational content online made by academics to engage with scholars and researchers in the field. So being on Angela’s Symposium already kind of covers that.
   
   This can help you stay up to date with the latest research, discourses, and ideas in the field. It can also help you familiarise yourself with the terminology, methodology and critical thinking that are an integral part of an academic’s job. Having an engagement with academics can definitely aid in following all the other tips and will give you a taste of what it means to think like a scholar. Also, it makes for much of academic fun when academics and practitioners interact and exchange knowledge and ideas… doesn’t it?

To sum it up, to study esoteric and occult topics academically, start with foundational texts, familiarise yourself with the academic literature, develop your critical thinking skills, approach the material with an open mind, seek out diverse viewpoints, utilise academic databases, and engage with the academic community.

Studying Esotericism academically requires a critical and analytical approach. By using academic search engines, library databases, and citation indexes, you can find credible and reliable sources on Esotericism. When reading academic sources, it’s important to read actively, identify the main arguments, evaluate the author’s credibility, and take breaks to give yourself time to process the information. By following these tips and strategies, you can not only develop a deeper understanding of esoteric topics and occult texts but you’re also going to develop skills that will be, I would argue, very useful in your life more generally.

Also, before we wrap up this video, I want to clarify that I am by no means implying that an academic perspective is superior to a practitioner’s perspective. I think that they are just different and I explained what is the aim of one and what is the aim of the other, and I personally would argue that even a practitioner, who’s not an academic or does not intend on becoming an academic, they might still benefit from learning these skills. And I would probably make a separate video on just that.

Now, as you know, I am an academic and you’re already following tip five without even realizing it. And this project of delivering to you academic, peer-reviewed knowledge on topics in Esotericism can only happen thanks to your support, guys. So if you have the means and can help this project stay alive, please consider supporting my work with a one-off PayPal donation, by joining Memberships or my Inner Symposium on Patreon – that will also help you develop your academic skills because we have monthly lectures, you can have one-to-one conversations with me, there’s a monthly gathering with all Patrons at all levels and you will also find lots of other packs depending on your chosen tier. Oh, and there’s a Book Club for all Patrons. So it is a great community, I’m really proud of my Patrons and I’m looking forward to you joining it.

And otherwise, you can help this community grow by SMASHING the like button, if you like this video that is and I’m hoping you did. Subscribe to the channel, and activate the Notification Bell so that you will never miss a new upload from me. Share this video and all of the other videos around – I mean like literally pester your friends and family and then you can blame it on me, so it’s a win-win situation. Leave me a comment and let me know which tip you find the most difficult to follow and if there is anything unclear about the five tips so that I can clarify that in the comments section. And, as always, stay tuned because – you can guess it – there is a lot of Academic Fun coming.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Esotericism and the Academy https://amzn.to/3FiEUY2

The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism https://amzn.to/3mMeffZ

Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed https://amzn.to/3yslLiN

First uploaded 13 Mar 2023