Anyone interested occult studies?

The occult is not for me. First of all, it scares the pants off me and second, I know I would abuse my powers to seduce sexy women and extract copious amounts of cash from financial institutions.

Curse you Paul, May Cthulhu visit you in your dreams tonight!

Scary stuff... the occult brings a lot of negative energy...

Yep, I'm interested in varying levels depending on topic. ESP? I've studied it pretty deeply. Ghosts, I believe in them but not really sure what their aspect of existence is. I'm sure some of them are just released stored energy - if they play the same scene over and over again, it is more of a recording type phenomenon than an actual "spirit". I'm thinking that's why so many ghosts show up in mining areas. Quartz is well known for it's ability to store data - that's why it is used in computers. It also has piezoelectric properties, which means if it has pressure put on it correctly, it can release that recorded data. So much for that kind of apparition.

Remote viewing? I know the military has trained people that can do that. I can't. I don't even much bother with reading about it. Just doesn't interest me.

Vortexes? I know two places where they exist, but don't know what the nature of a vortex actually is - what it does or what happens in one.

Just freaky phenomenon. Sure. Crap happens all the time that we can't explain. Some people believe in poltergeist. Kinetic energy has been proven in some instances. A lot more happens than has an actual explanation for, though, so we rely on sometimes strange explanations in the lack of a better one.

And then there's stuff that is pure crap. The Necromonicon is NOT a supernatural book - it's a scam put together, by I can't remember who, but there's hella people who get suckered by that one. I like the supernatural - but keep it real, man.

When you get to the chapter on walking through walls...give me a call - :rolleyes:
D. Copperfield @1-800-poof

Actually, the occult used to be considered a legitimate practice. Houdini spent many years purposefully exposing scams artists and charlatans...one famous person very into the occult was A.C. Doyle...

I have to go outside now, and stare at my goats...

But, as Sal explained...there are certain inexplicable natural properties and phenomena that do have reason to be studied. One day the lights may be on...and we may actually be home - :rolleyes:

Sal, its not a scam,it was a fictional book created by HP Lovecreaft. He also created Cthulhu who I referenced earlier to Paul. One of Lovecraft's major influences was Edgar Alan Poe.
From Wiki:
The Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire appearing in the stories by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound",[1] written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in Lovecraft's "The Nameless City".[2] Among other things, the work contains an account of the Old Ones, their history, and the means for summoning them.
Other authors such as August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith also cited it in their works; Lovecraft approved, believing such common allusions built up "a background of evil verisimilitude." Many readers have believed it to be a real work, with booksellers and librarians receiving many requests for it; pranksters have listed it in rare book catalogues, and a student smuggled a card for it into the Yale University Library's card catalog.[3]

Kim - btw. Didn't Houdini tell his wife he would communicate with her from beyond via a symbol of a red rose?

Who can forget the children's classic book "The Joy of Voodoo and Waking the Dead"

Sal, I know the name La Voy ( or however its spelled) head of the church of Satan isn't he? And your right,the book does physically exist,actually I think numerous versions,but I could be wrong. I do know several theatrical magicians have hand made versions.

Money Magnet,When you said it happened when Houdini (real name Ehrich Weiss) was young,thats what threw me off. From wiki:
His parents were Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz (1829–1892) and his wife, Cecelia (née Steiner; 1841–1913).
He was born in 1874 which means he was 39? when his mother died.
He died on Halloween in 1926,which means he lived another 13 after his mother died.
So he did spend both a lot of time trying to contact her,and debunking all those that couldn't.
As far as the method he would use to communicate from beyond,this is the most widely believed version(again from wiki):
"Before Houdini died, he and his wife agreed that if Houdini found it possible to communicate after death, he would communicate the message "Rosabelle believe", a secret code which they agreed to use. This was a phrase from a play in which Bess performed, at the time the couple first met." I have not heard the rose version before,but there are many different stories as to what the secret message was.
At one time she claimed spiritualist Arthur Ford had managed to convey the proper message,but later recanted her story.
As mentioned in the Seance links above, every year since he died in 1926,a group of people have held a seance in his honor on Halloween. I have sporadic communication with one of those that did it at The Magic castle for quite a few years. He lives a couple hours away from me in Virginia Beach. Quite an interesting gentleman.
Sorry for the long post,but talking magic and magicians is one of my passions.

Yep, I'm quite a fan of new age and occultism too! I'm not a pagan myself but I like reading about magick, astrology, ESP, and palm reading. Lately I read "Vampyre Codex" book and it's very inspiring to anyone learns this subject. I learned magick from Wiccan sites, but then refrained from actually using it...and leaning to ESP instead. Asking assistance from gods and goddesses is simply against my religion, that's all.

Energy manipulation is an ancient science. Atlantis people had developed and used it, for healing, or scientific purpose. It's unfortunate that lots of nowaday's "scientists" reject it and labeled it as "illogical", or "not backed up by science" -- in the name of materialism. I actually learned to develop my in-built claircognizant by meditating and training myself to reach alpha-tetha stage. It's a tricky exercise amid my busy nagging mind!

If you visit the city I live in now, a lot of desperate people would literally sell their soul to satan and doing some dark magick to get rich quick. Now that's scary.

Kim - Le Vey (La Vay, Le Vay - whatever) was the head of the church of Satan - he was a disciple of Crowley. He's dead now. Wonder where he went? LOL. Anyway - I'm not sure if there is more than one version or not. I saw somewhere that someone had written it just to show how people will believe anything. I don't know if Le Vey ever actually promoted it, but it seems to me I saw that he did. He did write the Satanic Bible though, and it's much less gruesome than people would imagine. Seems the ones who sacrifice animals, etc are some fanatical branch and not the mainstream of that religion. What Le Vey put together is very benign.

And - you know more than I do about Houdini, I just heard something about him wanting to communicate something from the grave. What you just wrote is more than I knew about it. Magic isn't in my repertoire and I don't follow magicians. I've studied Satanism a bit only as part of comparative religions. What I usually dip into is the more para-psychology and unexplained phenomenon end of the realms.

My great grandmother was well-known for holding seances. I personally don't believe in any of it. My wife, on the other hand, only accepts new things in our home because she's creeped out by the notion that people might have died on antiques and suchlike (harbor ghosts?).

Thanks Thom. I knew I was at least close. Can't ever remember where the e's and a's go, LOL.

One of his works is actually called the "Satanic Bible". And Crowley was a major influence, not just a small one. I thought that they actually knew each other - I think I'm right on that one, too. Nietzsche actually surprises me. I'm thinking back to what I read and just don't see Nietzche in it. I only read the one, though. Not really interested enough to go back and read the other two.

Know who else is interesting? Edgar Cayce. He was absolutely bizarre.

With all the fascinating things we know are real, I prefer to spend my time wondering about them.

Although, there's two "amazing" people I do enjoy:

The Amazing Kreskin


The Amazing Randi

Sal,
"Know who else is interesting? Edgar Cayce. He was absolutely bizarre."
Yes,he was.
And even so long after his death He still has a very active organization.
Edgar Cayce' s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) - Edgar Cayce readings: Spiritual Growth, Health, Ancient Mysteries

Kurt,
The Amazing Kreskin was THE mindreader of my growing up yime. I met him sometime in my 20s.
I don;t know if you've heard of this movie, but on a night you don't have anything going on its a fun watch. The main character is rumoured to be based on Kreskin.

As far as Randi goes, The saying is if you can't say anything nice about someone you shouldn't say anything at all. but,you all know me by now to know I can't resist.

His "companion" of 20 years was arrested for identity theft fairly recently.
I personally have no respect for Randi for reasons too numerous to name here,
but it strikes me very odd that he did not know that his companion was not who he said he was. :rolleyes:

Love is the Law, Love Under Will.

If anyone knows what I'm referencing (WITHOUT looking it up), I'll give you a cookie.