Vincent Kundukulam
Until a few decades ago, the scholars were thinking that the world would be devoid of superstitions once the literacy rate goes up and people become scientific and secular in their outlooks. But interestingly, wed see that a sizable group of middle-class people who are brought up in the modern educational systems are deeply involved in occult practices. Why does it happen so? It seems that they satisfy certain human needs that are not met by the mainstream societies and religions. The following are the basic reasons for which people are interested in them.
The idea that the world is bad: Occult theory is generated by intelligent people including thinkers, scientists and mystics. They hold the view that the world we live in is bad, and a good one is hidden elsewhere. Therefore, there is a reason to hope for a better world. Their propaganda fits well to the psychology of those people who like to make up something that is inconsistent with the laws of nature even while they know that it is not true. Such people, to have credibility, would claim that it was passed on to them by a higher authority such as God, devil, angel or spirit of the deceased. At a certain point, others start believing it. The principle is if you present your idea logically your followers will keep believing it for centuries.
Individual ambitions: The agents of occultism give the impression that society does not offer appropriate means to develop one’s talents. People of such a view is easily manipulated by the occult organizations. If the desire for growth is not met in the mainstream society, it is usual that people seek other ways, just like the water of a blocked river seeks an alternative path to the sea. This is what we see in the younger generation going after the occult practices.
To see the individual as a whole: According to the modern medical science, the cause of illness is micro-organisms. Since then, the pharmaceutical industry divides the world of healing into scientific and alternative branches. The scientific branch focuses on the physical aspects that are relevant with regard to the illness and ignores other aspects of human life. The supporters of occultism claim that their engagement is with the alternative healing which looks into the non-empirical aspects disregarded by medicine. Some people opt for occultism under the pretext of having a holistic approach, even while they know that its methods are less effective.
Social reason: Man is basically a social animal. But today’s town-life does not give enough space for social relations. In such situations the traditional religions can create opportunities for people to come together and share their joys and sorrows. Unfortunately, the working hours of people don’t match up with the service hours of the structured religions. Hence, some depend, at their convenience, on the occult practices to meet their spiritual needs. The groups practicing occultism ensures psychological satisfaction to their clients. The lonely people enjoy a better social bond in such groups than in the traditional religions.
Religious reason: The occult groups provide meaning of life to people by bringing them in contact with the ‘sacred’, which is a dire need of the postmodern age. They promote the view that there exists only one God and that everyone and everything in the material world is part of that Divine. The true human self is synonymous with God. Evil in man is only an imperfection. The root of the human dilemma is ignorance and not sin. An enlightened person will rise above moral distinctions. The purpose of life is to achieve divine realization within. The enlightenment or salvation comes by experience and not by rational knowledge. Individuals do not need redemption as the Judo-Christian tradition teaches. By practicing occultism, people seek to satisfy their individualistic religious aspirations. Occultism functions as a counter religion in quest of the immanent transcendence which responds aptly to the spiritual thirst of people of our time.
Psychological reason: Human beings have a tendency to fear something which seems to surpass them. That is the reason why primitive men started to worship sun, thunder, snake etc. Even though the science has grown, people continue to believe in the undeveloped religious forms because of this hidden fear. The fear of supernatural may be a fear of the deceased or of the spirits. Any disaster that happens in the family is attributed to the spirits by those who believe in occultism.
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