The subject of occultism in Africa Research Paper

The subject of occultism in Africa - Research Paper Example Why do we continue to mistrust them, despite the studies that have been done on occultism as a discipline? This paper intends to elucidate on occultism and explain magic as part of occultism. Now, occult is a word that many people use on a regular basis, but little do they understand it. â€Å"Occult is supernatural, mystical; the magical beliefs, practices or phenomenon. It is beyond the range of ordinary, knowledge or experience; it is mysterious.† (Oxford Dictionary, 2009). The literal translation of the word occult is ‘hidden’. The former definition had been incorporated into the Oxford Dictionary as the literal definition not too long ago. That is because occult or occultism is no longer simply something that is hidden. It is so much more than that. It has almost become a culture. And ergo, the definition had to be revised with the dawn of it as a discipline/discourse/culture. The British occultist, Dion Fortune has explained this phenomenon in her book. â€Å"Occult science is the branch of knowledge which is hidden from many and reserved for few† (Fortune, 2001). The author explains that there are times when certain people are able to transcend the states of consciousness that are considered normal. In this state, these people are able to experience â€Å"those forms of existence with whom normally no contact can be made† (Fortune, 2001). We understand from this that occultism is not merely knowledge of the unknown, or of the hidden. It is the opening to the world of supernatural/paranormal, to the world of mystery for us. And this can only be done when a person defies the norms; when one goes beyond the reality that we have come to understand as our only true reality. Only then, are they able to enter a world that had been anonymous to them before. Now, many believe this is through magic; that when people learn to control this mystical power, they are able to control the Nature around them, to manipulate the