Secrets of the Occult

by Richard B. Spence

From spirituality to politics and science, the occult has had an astonishing influence on the human experience across the centuries. It may surprise you to learn that everyday activities like attending church services or reading your daily horoscope all fit the broad definition of the occult. As you will see in the 24 illuminating episodes of Secrets of the Occult, the mystic and obscure are threaded through our ordinary lives in more ways than you may realize.

This revealing course is taught by Richard B. Spence, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Idaho, and covers a wide array of subjects and experiences that fall under the umbrella of the occult and stretch from the ancient world to the 21st century. According to Professor Spence, “Occultism posits that we inhabit a limited spectrum of reality within a much larger one. We’re arguably surrounded by a larger world that we normally can’t see, or touch, or knowingly interact with. This larger world is hidden or ‘occulted’ from us. However, the beliefs and practices broadly referred to as occultism aim to reveal, access—or even control—elements of this hidden world.” Throughout these episodes, you will uncover these hidden elements and consider what these revelations have to say about our perception of the world.

Whether you accept occult perspectives as possible truth or reject them as desperate fantasy, the occult still has something to say about our relationship to the world, and even to reality itself. Science has solved many of the great mysteries of the universe, and yet, there are still so many questions left unanswered. Could some of these answers be found in the realm of arcane knowledge and mystic beliefs? What can the occult teach us about the universe and our place in it? With this journey through the occult across the ages, you will get the chance to pull back the curtain shrouding these mysteries and decide for yourself.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Audiobook, Occult, Magic, Horror

Audible Audio

First published November 4, 2022

About the author

Dr. Richard “Rick” Spence received his PhD in History from the University of California Santa Barbara in 1981. He has taught at the University of Idaho since 1986 where currently he is a tenured full Professor of History. He specializes in Russian, intelligence and military history, and his course offerings include Modern Espionage, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, History of Secret Societies and the Occult in History.

Dr. Spence’s published works include Boris Savinkov: Renegade on the Left (East European Monographs/Columbia Univ. Press, 1991), Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly (Feral House, 2002) and Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult (Feral House, 2008). He is also the author of numerous articles in Revolutionary Russia, Intelligence and National Security, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, The Historian, New Dawn and other publications. He has served as a commentator/consultant for the History Channel and the International Spy Museum and was a key consultant-interviewee for the Russian Cultural Foundation’s 2007 documentary film, “Leon Trotsky: The Secret of World Revolution,” and its subsequent “Trap for the Tsar.”

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard B. Spence calls himself an agnostic when it comes to the occult.
Is real? Is it fake? Is it a little of both?
If I had to take a stance, I'd say that any mystical experience is just something science can't explain...yet.



This delves into the mysteries of magic, and the history of societies that belief in the paranormal has spawned. Aleister Crowley and his role in the occult features heavily in a lot of the lectures, and it made me want to find out more about his seemingly very interesting life. There are a lot of fun stories in here and you really do leave the room with a lot more information on occult practices.



I do think the idea of mind over matter has some kind of basis in some kind of truth. Kind of like visualizing success in something really does up your chances to succeed. My observation in life is that people with a can-do attitude get things done on a level that far surpasses the Debbie Downers, even if both start out on an even playing field.
I'm not sure it's magic so much as that your mental state affects not just yourself but those around you.
I'm sure you've heard doctors say that patients who have the fighter mentality and are determined to get better are far, far more likely to do just that than the patients who don't. To me, there really is something to the mental aspect of what you can physically accomplish.



The idea that what you put out "energy wise" is what you get back from the world also seems to be true.
From interactions in stores to driving on the interstate, you get what you give. I've noticed that I rarely have problems with strangers, and really don't find driving in heavy traffic all that stressful. But I know people who seem to have issues everywhere they go, with almost everyone they meet, in all conceivable situations. What are the odds that they always manage to run into a whole different group of people than I do?
The only difference I can see is that I approach everyone assuming we will soon be fast friends and they side-eye everyone assuming they are out to get them.
In that sense, if you're actively looking for the bad, it will find you. Are they putting out "bad energy" or just seeing the worst in people? Is there even a difference?
Is that a mystic thing or just an outlook on life?
And that seemed to be his overall lesson about the occult practices. It doesn't matter why something works, it's enough that it works.



Another thing I thought was cool was that he approached entanglement theory as a possible way to reason the occult might have some basis in science. I could picture that being a way that psychics or mediums used someone's favorite sweater or doll as a way to find a missing person.
Though to be honest, I don't know enough to even make an uneducated guess on the validity of any of that.
But it sounds fun, doesn't it?



What I would be willing to say is that I know for a fact that there are a lot of things we don't know for a fact.
Someday we may be able to unpack all the secrets of the mystical and magical, but I doubt it.
And honestly, who would even want to live in a world with no mystery?

Recommended.

[Vix (Goddess of Gore) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief history of the occult and our fascination with it. Although each topic is brief and perhaps very simplified, it does give rabbit holes which one could burrow down on your own time. There were a lot of conspiracy theories (which I personally love) and I felt like I wanted more information on all of the chapters but that would be a very vast audiobook. The author did say that this has only dealt with the western worlds dabblers of the occult, so I would very much welcome a book about the rest of the worlds view.

[Christine]

If you were looking for a book that completely debunks the occult, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a book that explains the occult in full and gives you a how to manual, this also is not the book for you. should you want an objective view of the occult that explains the history surrounding it as well as some potential reasons and possibilities for its existence without debunking or believing in it fully then this is a good book. I enjoyed hearing about the history behind several different practices, as well as where they may have originated from. This is very comprehensive and enjoyable. The author manages to balance, the very fine line of belief and disbelief, without leaning in any direction too far. If you were interested in the cold, but not sure you believe or just believe that this is aI enjoyed hearing about the history behind several different practices, as well as where they may have originated from. This is very comprehensive and enjoyable. The author manages to balance, the very fine line of belief and disbelief, without leaning in any direction to far. If you were interested in the occult, but not sure you believe or diss believe that this is a good book. If you are a history buff and would like to understand a bit more about occult practices and their origins and this is also a good book for you.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content in itself is sometimes moderately interesting. Its delivery is annoying though, with a smug tone and a little too much wilful vilifying of the Catholic Church for my tastes. And for God’s sake, let’s not talk about Aleister Crowley again for at least the rest of this year. Is that too much to ask?

[Jessica Weida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of all things occult provided in an open-minded and non judgmental perspective

[Linus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty entertaining overview of the subject, if somewhat Western-centric, covering everything from the Eleusian mystery cults to John Dee and Crowley, and pretty much everything in between.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and educational survey of various faces of the occult from witches and monsters to alchemy and UFOs. Good lecturer.

[Becky Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suggested drinking game when listening to this audiobook - take a sip of your drink any time Aleister Crowley is mentioned in a chapter that's not specifically about Aleister Crowley. (Don't do shots. You'll die.)

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent information but I was left too hungry for details at the end. I hope they use their clearly fantastic knowledge to focus on a single topic and time in the near future.

[Bennett Graff · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

I'm not an expert on the topic (obviously or I wouldn't have listened to it), but it's a painfully obvious case of to a hammer everything being a nail.

Spence is very quick to draw parallels across episodes and cultures and do some hand waving of oOoOoOOh "what if [insert deity here] is the same as [insert spiritualist phenomenon from another culture]" I'd appreciate a little more Occam's razor; just because lots of cultures have dragons doesn't mean we jump to the conclusions there were dragons everywhere (not an example from the course). I'd say that other series on religious/spiritual topics manage this just fine but this one doesn't.

I'm skeptical about how much due diligence Spence did prior. In the segment on religion and occultism's interrelationships, in referring to Joseph Smith's experience with angels Spence refers to the "white salamander" version of his angelic visitation; this was based on an infamous forged document by Mark Hofmann in the 1980s, you don't have to be a specialized expert to know the story (ending in Hofmann killing people in a set of bombings). I don't take issue with his appraisal of the relationship to occultism (as he defines it) and religion, however this oversight certainly weakens his academic credibility and points to how quick he is to jump from point to point without a strong foundation.

[SplatterGunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t really what I’d anticipated or what I’d hoped for while listening to this audio course. (That seems pretty on par for me when it comes to The Great Courses, though.) I was envisioning an explanation of how the Occult more directly effected and applied to everyday society, as well as the basic origins and history - but, no, this course is instant that it is teaching you the “Secrets” of the Occult. (Yes, with a capital S.) It goes over occult history an how semi-secret and secret societies were built, how European powers used and were documented to be involved in the Occult, and the use of mediumship in the Enlightenment.

I was very much hoping that they would cover some more recent examples of Occult theory such as the Bohemian Grove, or even the Satanic Temple (as absolutely unrelated to the Occult as TST is, but they save The Church a fair shake, so why not.) I was even hoping for a chapter or section dedicated to modern music and the Occult, but sadly none of those were covered.

This course wasn’t a complete loss and it was informative, but there felt like many missed opportunities and if it’s updated/expanded upon in the future - a few more lessons added wouldn’t hurt.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This lecture series was a lot of fun, but I’m a little skeptical of its academic merit. Some things felt a little too hand wavey. Certain phrases indicated a little bit lower academic standard and disregard for facts. “Can there really be so much smoke without a little fire?” “Coincidence? Maybe, but it would certainly explain x y and z.” That’s not to say it isn’t really fun to speculate about such things, but in a college level lecture series I would like a clearer delineation between speculation and evidence based assertions.

I’ll say this much, fantasy book fans will love it. I can’t tell you how many times I was excited to hear about the historical basis of subjects found in the Dresden files just to name one example.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine commute fodder, but mostly a grab bag of material covered in better ways in Spence’s other lecture series. I��d have preferred more focused biographical stories — like his Crowley lecture, which he’s given in a few of these and bases on his Crowley as British intelligence operative book — and far fewer lectures in which he’s racing through a topic, trying to cram in as much stuff as possible. A simple reframing would be “Great Figures of the Occult,” which would better suit his radio voice and storytelling style.

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the longer books however it was very historical informative and the book was presented in an entertaining manner.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I became some interesting information I wasn’t aware of - that is definitely one of the things that makes a book reach a 5 star review from me.

This book is about the historical aspect of the occult, please keep that in mind if you decide to read the book.

[Maymoona · Rating 4 out of 5]

meh :/

nothing too exciting or "secrets" here.. a huge missed opportunity to go a bit deeper on the occult books, and practices which the lesser known .. was gonna really add a kick to the read.
but hey, the effort is appreciated

[Daniel White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly interesting tidbits, but there’s a complete lack of internal cohesion. The author presents the same ideas/concepts/people in multiple sections buts presents it as if it is brand new each time. Annoying when trying to actually paint a complete picture.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty average. The material was highly repetitive, and there were gaps I found surprising... e.g., I would have thought Edgar Cayce deserves more than a passing reference in the penultimate episode. So, not really that educational... wouldn't recommend it to others.

[Xavier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spence demuestra que ha pasado bastante tiempo estudiando el tema y opta por darnos una serie de lecturas enfocadas a la extensión más que a la profundidad del tema, digamos que es una degustación del ocultismo más que una comida completa.

[Min · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a long series, I would say it's acceptable. There are too many times when it seems the lecturer wants to sensationalize the topic, and that detracts from any sense of history for me as the subject matter is far too mired in fear, and misinformation to enable an academic grasp.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this 24-part lecture series about the Occult. It was really interesting to see the background and also some of the aspects of religions (like Judaism and Islam) that have Occult beliefs. Just an overview, but it was very interesting and had an engaging host.

[Matthew Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off really strong with fairly academic and objective presentation of the history and variety of the occult but by the middle it became much more speculative and sensationalist almost shifting from educational to conspiratorial.

[Leucosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this. By far the best lecture series I’ve listened to from The Great Courses. I normally listen to them on at least 2x speed because the lecturers are so slow, but I savored absolutely every second of this.

[Vicki Miko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard B. Spence's, Secrets of the Occult, The Great Courses, combo was illuminating and entertaining. Great history and sources. My book is all dog-eared and marker highlighted.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro

[Jonas Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

These nerdy little informative options on Audible are always intriguing. Lots of history and info I wish I could retain, but a good starting place.

[Caro BT · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many Wikipedia pages opened!!

[Adri G.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far fetched at times, but more interesting than I thought it would be.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How much fire is hidden behind all this smoke?"

[Tim Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lot's of fun

[Joshua Mays · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was great. Very easy to follow.