Christopher A. Plaisance

“Where the psychological reduction of religious or esoteric doctrines shifts direction and becomes the reductive psychologization of the same doctrines is in the reinterpretation of psychological reductive theories of esoteric discourse by esotericists. The paramount example of this reinterpretative process is Crowley’s essay ‘The Initiated Interpretation of Ceremonial Magic’ (1903), wherein he poses the question as to ‘the cause of my illusion of seeing a spirit in the triangle of Art,’ and answers himself: ‘That cause lies in your brain.’ In this way, we see Crowley begin with a psychologically reduced interpretation of the magical practice of evocation, and then reinterpret this as something to be applied to magical practice—acting as a practicing magician rather than as a psychologist. For, although the magical practice is reduced to psychological terms, Crowley still advocates for the performance of the ritual itself, rather than utilizing the psychological reduction as a means to advocate for conventional psychotherapy in ritual’s stead.”
― Christopher A. Plaisance, Correspondences: Journal for the Study of Esotericism

“The essential point of the preparative nature of psychotherapy in relation to magical practice is again reinforced two years later, in The Eye in the Triangle, where Regardie clearly notes that 'there must be no confusion between the two,' emphasizing that while therapy makes an excellent precursor to esoteric practice, the two are not identical.”
― Christopher A. Plaisance, Correspondences: Journal for the Study of Esotericism