[Die occulte Wissenschaft][1]
Translation from German into English by Robert Hutwohl
There is a great deal of talk today about the “occultists,” and by this is usually understood a class of persons who deal with hypnotism, animism, “suggestion,” somnambulism, etc., and from the observation of such external processes or phenomena arising therefrom trying to draw conclusions as to their unknown causes. Since this kind of science is still in its baby clothes, because it lacks the ability to see and recognize the causes of such phenomena directly, the most varied opinions and sometimes very wrong views prevail in it too; because reality can only be recognized without a doubt by those who are able to see to the bottom of everything. The word “occult” merely means “hidden,” and occult knowledge therefore refers to the divine life concealed within us and its relation to the universe, and the science which derives from that which does not belong to mortal man but to the God-men. It is so sublime that the material human being cannot experience them and can only understand them superficially and theoretically. For this reason, their teachings only rarely find their way into the circles of those scholars who only deal with the external appearances and external relationships of things, which is why St. Paul rightly says of this science: “We are not talking about the wisdom of authorities of this world, but from the hidden wisdom of God (Greek text not available).” The space allotted to this article only allows a superficial and therefore imperfect exposition of this system. According to this, a constant evolution and involution takes place in the universe. That is, an oscillation of the central force to the periphery (matter) and an opposite (returning) movement to the center (spirit) takes place. In this way the “soul” experiences, and through numerous successive incarnations, finally attains the purpose of its existence, which is the self-knowledge of good and evil and the consciousness of life in the Eternal.
Further, occult science distinguishes four regions or planes in the universe (not counting the highest states of parinirvana and nirvana), viz., the spirit world, the ideal world of thought, the astral plane or middle region, and finally our physical, visible world. Each of these realms (which are not spatial but states of consciousness) and its subdivisions has its own states and inhabitants. Each of these requires an appropriate organization for consciousness and perception. The soul, on its descent into material existence, takes on a different body on each of these planes, suitable to the conditions prevailing there, and on its ascent again to its true home, discards these bodies one by one. This is done as follows:
Man’s true divine, immortal Ego, which is an indweller of the divine-world and each man’s personal God, does not itself descend, but is like a divine sun emitting a ray of light as part of its own being, and that ray of light which eventually returning to it, forms the human individuality. During this descent, the latter assumes different bodies, and these become the more dense the deeper it sinks. In the world of thoughts (Devachan), it instinctively cloaks itself in the substance of which thoughts are made; on entering the astral region it envelops itself in a second, still denser veil, the astral matter, and finally, on birth on the physical plane, it attains a still grosser, material body in which it finds it difficult to express itself in its true nature recognized as a divine Being.
Through death on earth it sheds the physical body, through death on the astral plane the astral body, and through death in the heavenly world the thought body, and thus returns to its true Selfhood, bringing with it everything which it had attained on earth and what is appropriate to its true nature.
Many bring nothing, others little. If the soul has not attained any higher consciousness or knowledge during its existence, it returns just as ignorant as it came. The task of the occultist is to allow the ray of light to penetrate him from above, and thereby, while still living in his physical body, to attain that spiritual consciousness which will elevate him to his god (his true Self) and make him one true Son of God, a self-conscious inhabitant of the heavenly realms—not in his imagination but in reality.
Thus the occultist ascends through the three worlds to God without discarding his physical body. As his astral body develops, he acquires astral consciousness and the ability to make astral perceptions, even to move freely in the astral body while his physical body is asleep, and to bring the memories of this with him when he wakes up. If the organization of his “heavenly” body is perfected and the corresponding self-awareness awakens in him, he can also cast off his astral body at will and be a true inhabitant of the world of ideas. Since all external natural phenomena are the revelations of spiritual laws in the universe, which he knows, he also has a deeper insight into the causes of them than material science, which only has material means at its disposal. Anyone who has studied this subject in detail knows that there are people who have acquired these abilities.
The ultimate goal of all existence is perfection; therefore, for man everything is good which elevates him, and everything bad which brings him down. What elevates him is love of the higher, what hinders him is self-delusion and egoism with his entourage. Therefore the school of the true occultist does not consist in hypnotizing and the like, but in learning to act on principles. While the everyday man knows only the outer world of phenomena that surrounds him, the inwardly awakened and enlightened man lives within himself; he feels the presence within himself of that power which is the source of his life and knowledge, and in the end he recognizes this source as his own Ego. The more he becomes conscious of the existence of his true Ego, the more the forces which belong to this higher Ego awaken in him. This “I” is his guardian spirit and guide, and as he draws near to this sun of grace, in its light the divine mysteries become clear to him.
In this way man, he creates the conditions under which he can become enlightened; but he cannot create the light itself. The existence and strength of this spiritual light depends on the properties of the source of light, and these are the result of the spiritual powers which his immortal Self has accumulated in previous existences. That is “choice,” but not everyone is ready for it in their present existence. All of our incarnations on this earth and on other planets are only preparatory courses for attaining that occult knowledge that makes man the lord of heaven and the worlds.
How much wiser our physicians would become if they penetrated the patient’s body with the eye of the spirit and saw not only the external effects but the inner cause of the disease and, e.g., understood that, and why the plague and other epidemic diseases have their cause in moral influences! How much further would science advance if natural scientists would develop the ability to recognize the reason from which all external natural phenomena arise and to make use of the forces inherent in the cosmic ether, which is still almost unknown today!
Politically and socially, too, it would be valuable if the doctrine of karma were explained to the crowd and logically demonstrated that man, as it were, generates himself, because he is the product of his past actions, and also in his present existence forms for himself the character and creates the role in which he will appear in his next appearance on the stage of life. Isn’t it easy for everyone to see that crime would decrease if, instead of pointing people to religious fanaticism and superstition, one explained to them scientifically what the consequences of it are? Who would be foolish enough to commit suicide if he knew the evils which result, and how foolish would the death penalty appear in the light of higher science, and some other ancient institutions, the modern remnants of human folly! How would each one strive to master his passions if he knew the beings which spring from them.
Our planet is still not at the level of evolution it deserves. The highest powers of mankind still slumber within and are known only to a few; our existence is still like a dream life and puppet show. Even our scholars take appearances for the truth and do not know reality. Gradually, however, humanity rises to a higher level, and with it the horizon of its knowledge also expands, its view penetrates beyond the realm of gross matter into the regions of its higher nature. The goal towards which all mankind is striving and towards which all creatures are striving is perfection, and the true “Occultists” are those great souls and enlightened spirits who have come closer to this goal and know the path which they themselves have traversed.
Notes:
[1] Occult Science [Die occulte Wissenschaft. Dr. Franz Hartmann. Theosophischer Wegweiser 4, no. 2 (November 1901), 49-55] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos, by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}