The Mask and Face of Contemporary Spiritualism

Translator’s Introduction

This introduction establishes Julius Evola’s 1932 work Maschera e volto dello spiritualismo contemporaneo as an underestimated but crucial text that critiques modern spiritualist movements while pointing toward authentic spiritual paths.

• Historical Context and Neglect: Evola wrote this critique of contemporary spiritualism at age 34, before his famous Revolt Against the Modern World, yet it has been relegated to his “secondary works” and was among the last to be translated into English

  • The book was republished twice by Evola himself (1949, 1971) with significant additions, indicating its importance to him
  • New material included chapters on Nietzsche/Dostoevsky and Satanism, strategically placed within the existing structure rather than appended

• The Problem of Spiritual Evasion: Modern spiritualism arose from legitimate dissatisfaction with materialism and failing traditional religion, but largely represents “evasion” rather than genuine transcendence

  • Western man has lost connection to regular initiatic traditions, leaving spiritual seekers vulnerable to false teachings and dangerous influences
  • The book serves as preparation for those who would approach Revolt Against the Modern World, clearing away spiritual debris

• Evola’s Unique Qualifications: Unlike other traditionalist critics, Evola combined deep knowledge of authentic tradition with direct familiarity with contemporary spiritual movements

  • His close attention to all levels of modern culture was “something sui generis for a man of his rank and orientation”
  • This dual expertise enabled him to perform the necessary “unmasking” of false spiritualism

• The Ascending Structure: The book follows a hierarchical progression from lowest (spiritism) to highest (high magic) forms of contemporary spiritualism

  • Early chapters expose dangerous pseudo-spiritual practices that open practitioners to “nether” influences
  • Later chapters examine figures like Crowley, Gurdjieff, and traditional magicians who, despite limitations, point toward authentic spiritual work
  • The progression mirrors the path a genuine seeker must traverse to reach true initiation

• Relevance to Contemporary Times: Though the specific figures have changed, the underlying spiritual crisis and its manifestations remain essentially the same

  • Modern “New Age” movements, psychedelic spirituality, and neo-shamanic practices follow identical patterns to those Evola analyzed
  • The fundamental need remains for discrimination between authentic spiritual influences and dangerous counterfeits

I. The Supernatural in the Modern World

Evola argues that the modern world is not lacking in supernatural phenomena, but is instead flooded with false and dangerous forms of spirituality that masquerade as authentic transcendence.

• The Paradox of Modern Spiritualism: Contemporary Western civilization exhibits an “unleashed spirituality” rather than materialism, but this represents contamination rather than genuine transcendence

  • Henri Massis observed that “spiritual forces are invading everywhere” but “the true supernatural is not recognized in consequence”
  • Modern man seeks mystery everywhere “except into the divine order, where it truly resides”

• Root Causes of Neo-Spiritual Proliferation: The movement arose from legitimate reactions against materialism and the failure of traditional Christianity to provide living spiritual experience

  • Positivistic materialism created a spiritual vacuum by denying supersensible realities
  • Christianity reduced itself to “confessional devotionalism and petite-bourgeoisie moralism,” failing to offer genuine transcendence
  • The absence of traditional initiatic orders left seekers without proper guidance or protection

• The Fundamental Error of Identification: Most contemporary spiritualists confuse any departure from ordinary consciousness with spiritual elevation, failing to distinguish between ascending and descending transcendence

  • The personality finds solid ground in clear, logical consciousness and objective perception of physical reality
  • “Mystical” and “ecstatic” states often represent regression below the human level rather than advancement above it
  • True spirituality must be measured by “clear, active, and distinct consciousness,” not by phenomena or subjective experiences

• The Nature of True vs. False Transcendence: Authentic spiritual development requires maintaining and strengthening personality while transcending its limitations, not dissolving it

  • The goal should be “superconsciousness” that integrates rather than abolishes the principles of personality
  • Regressive spirituality leads to contact with “infranatural” forces that exist below the human level
  • Proper spiritual work involves “active regression” - conscious penetration and mastery of deeper levels of being

• The Hierarchy of Natural Orders: Reality contains multiple levels, with the human personality positioned between lower natural forces and genuine supernatural states

  • “Nature” includes not only physical reality but also psychic and subtle domains normally hidden from consciousness
  • The unconscious contains stratified levels corresponding to different orders of forces and influences
  • Only by conscious mastery of these levels can one reach truly supernatural states rather than simply contacting other natural domains

• Criteria for Spiritual Evaluation: Genuine spiritual work can be distinguished from false spiritualism by specific characteristics

  • It strengthens rather than dissolves conscious selfhood
  • It produces greater clarity and control rather than vague mystical experiences
  • It follows traditional methods under qualified guidance rather than improvised techniques
  • It recognizes the reality and danger of “nether” influences rather than assuming all non-material experiences are beneficial

II. Spiritualism and “Psychic Research”

Both spiritism and scientific psychic research, despite their apparent opposition, share fundamental flaws that make them spiritually dangerous by opening practitioners to subpersonal forces while providing no means of discrimination or control.

• Spiritism’s Limited Contribution: While spiritism deserves credit for drawing attention to paranormal phenomena denied by materialism, its theoretical framework and practices are fundamentally misguided

  • The movement originated in Protestant Anglo-Saxon countries with significant female leadership (Fox sisters, Helena Blavatsky, Annie Besant)
  • Its sole value lies in demonstrating the reality of extranormal phenomena, but its interpretations of these phenomena are largely incorrect

• The Fundamental Flaw of Mediumship: Mediumistic practices represent a methodical disintegration of personality unity rather than spiritual development

  • Mediums become passive instruments for manifestation of “forces and influences of an extremely diverse, but always subpersonal, nature”
  • The medium cannot control these forces since consciousness either captures only effects or slides into unconscious trance states
  • This creates “centers of psychic infection” that can affect entire communities through subtle influence

• The Illusion of Scientific Validation: Psychic research attempts to apply materialistic scientific methods to spiritual phenomena, creating a fundamental category error

  • The experimental approach treats spiritual realities as mere “natural laws not yet well known”
  • Scientific controls and measurements cannot penetrate to the true nature of supersensible phenomena
  • Researchers focus on external validation rather than the spiritual states and qualifications necessary for genuine understanding

• The True Nature of Discarnate Survival: Most “spirits” contacted through mediumship are not surviving personalities but psychic residues and fragments

  • True personal survival after death is rare and depends on spiritual development achieved during life
  • Most humans die completely as personalities, leaving only “spirits” (vital energies and memory complexes) that eventually dissolve
  • These residues can be animated by non-human forces, creating deceptive appearances of surviving personalities

• The Doctrine of Conditioned Immortality: Traditional teachings recognize that survival depends on spiritual preparation, not automatic personal continuation

  • “Some die with or after the death of the body, and some survive, passing into different states”
  • Only those who achieve spiritual separation from bodily consciousness during life can maintain continuity after death
  • The Tibetan Bardo Tödol provides systematic knowledge of post-mortem states and the actions required for favorable destinies

• The Danger of Unconscious Evocation: Both spiritism and psychic research open doors to influences without providing means of discrimination or protection

  • Phenomena emerge from “unconscious” states where individual and non-individual forces intermingle freely
  • Traditional cultures recognized these dangers and developed specific rites to control relationships with discarnate forces
  • Modern practitioners lack both the knowledge and the spiritual authority necessary to safely navigate these domains

• The Regressive Character of Psychic Phenomena: Even legitimate extrasensory phenomena typically occur through reduced consciousness rather than enhanced awareness

  • ESP and other “psi” phenomena are tied to “phylogenetically regressive” states resembling primitive mentality
  • Contact with supersensible domains through subconscious means represents descent rather than ascent
  • Authentic spiritual development would involve conscious, controlled access to higher knowledge rather than passive reception of information

III. Critique of Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis represents a potentially useful but ultimately dangerous approach to exploring the unconscious that, lacking proper spiritual foundations, tends to contaminate rather than purify consciousness and reduce rather than elevate human nature.

• The Promise and Perversion of Depth Psychology: While psychoanalysis correctly recognized the need to explore subconscious levels of the psyche, it developed from pathological cases and applied diseased interpretations to normal human experience

  • Freudian concepts originated from study of neuroses and hysteria but were “abusively generalized” to explain all human behavior
  • The method exhibits the same “obsessive” character as the complexes it claims to analyze
  • Psychoanalysts demonstrate a “mania of supposing and discovering, everywhere one looks, a turbid and dark background”

• The Materialistic Inversion of Values: Psychoanalysis systematically inverts the proper relationship between conscious ego and unconscious forces

  • The id (unconscious) is treated as the “subject” and “agens” while the ego becomes merely what is “acted upon”
  • This represents “an inversion of the values which characterizes it: the id, the unconscious, is the subject… the ego becomes the object”
  • Rather than strengthening conscious authority, the method encourages identification with subpersonal impulses

• The Reductive Sexual Mythology: Freud’s pansexual interpretation reflects a monomaniacal obsession rather than scientific objectivity

  • The libido theory reduces all higher human activities to sublimated or repressed sexual drives
  • This focus on the “lowest and darkest aspects” of sexuality ignores its potential for transcendence
  • Traditional teachings recognized sex as potentially sacred and transformative, not merely as blind instinctual force

• The Elimination of Ethical Reality: Psychoanalytic theory denies the existence of genuine moral conflicts by reducing all inner struggle to neurotic symptomatology

  • “Every conflict of the soul loses any ethical character and reveals itself as the effect of a hysteroid fact”
  • Conscience becomes merely “introjection” of social taboos rather than connection to transcendent values
  • This removes the foundation for genuine spiritual development, which requires moral discrimination

• The Dangerous Therapeutic Method: Psychoanalytic practice employs techniques similar to mediumship that can provoke spiritual disintegration

  • The “transfert” phenomenon creates pathological dependencies between analyst and patient
  • Techniques of “regression” and removal of psychological defenses can expose patients to destructive influences
  • The method provides no means of spiritual protection or reconstruction after breaking down existing personality structures

• The Correct Approach to the Unconscious: Legitimate depth psychology would require proper spiritual preparation and different fundamental assumptions

  • True integration requires first establishing “a spiritual unity, a true personality” rather than the artificial ego created by social conditioning
  • Exploration of the unconscious should follow the path of “ascesis” rather than passive regression
  • The goal should be conscious mastery and integration of deeper forces, not mere cathartic expression

• The Hidden Metaphysical Truth: Properly understood, the unconscious contains levels corresponding to cosmic and transcendent realities

  • Deep analysis reveals not only personal and collective psychological material but connections to universal forces
  • Traditional teachings provided systematic knowledge of these levels and methods for their conscious exploration
  • The analyst’s role should be that of a spiritual guide rather than a mere interpreter of symptoms, but this requires initiate knowledge

• The Collective Influence: Psychoanalysis as a cultural phenomenon serves to demoralize and contaminate society rather than heal it

  • The high percentage of Jewish psychoanalysts reflects what Evola sees as a systematic attempt to undermine spiritual values
  • The doctrine spreads a “Schadenfreude, a malign pleasure in demoralizing and contaminating” both others and oneself
  • Its popularity represents a “sign of the times” indicating whether Western man will achieve reintegration or succumb to spiritual regression

IV. Critique of Theosophism

Modern theosophism represents a dangerous counterfeit of authentic traditional wisdom that mixes genuine esoteric elements with Western prejudices, creating a spiritually harmful syncretism that prevents rather than facilitates real spiritual development.

• The Distinction from Traditional Theosophy: Contemporary theosophism founded by Helena Blavatsky differs fundamentally from the authentic theosophy of traditional spirituality

  • True theosophy seeks direct experience and knowledge of the divine beyond mere belief, as recognized in ancient Greek patristics
  • Modern theosophism is better termed a “strange mixture of Oriental wisdom motifs on the one hand, and Western prejudices on the other”
  • The appropriation of the term “theosophy” represents a false claim to represent traditional wisdom

• The Questionable Origins: Claims of transmission from hidden “Mahâtmâs” reveal a mediumistic rather than initiatic character

  • Blavatsky’s automatic writing and involuntary paranormal phenomena from childhood suggest passive receptivity rather than active spiritual mastery
  • The “Great Custodians of Humanity” may have been influences other than those claimed, given the mixed character of the resulting doctrine
  • The foundational texts show evidence of unconscious plagiarism and influence by “errant mental complexes”

• The Corruption of Traditional Doctrines: Key concepts like karma and reincarnation are systematically distorted to fit modern prejudices

  • The traditional concept of karma as impersonal causality is corrupted into evolutionary determinism with mandatory “progress”
  • Authentic reincarnation doctrine, which applied only to exceptional cases, becomes a mechanical process affecting all souls
  • The teaching eliminates the crucial distinction between conditioned existence and true liberation, reducing everything to horizontal evolution

• The Anti-Supernatural Character: Despite claims to restore ancient wisdom, theosophism eliminates genuine transcendence

  • The “evolutionistic” conception places supreme realization within temporal development rather than vertical transcendence
  • Traditional teachings maintained sharp distinction between the cyclical world of manifestation and true liberation
  • Theosophism’s “One Life” represents pantheistic dissolution rather than metaphysical integration

• The Democratic and Humanitarian Infection: The movement incorporates egalitarian ideologies that contradict traditional spiritual hierarchies

  • The goal of “Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour” reflects modern leveling rather than traditional wisdom
  • This replaces “that virile law of hierarchy, of difference and of caste which the great traditions have always known”
  • Such attitudes represent factors in “the crisis of contemporary civilization” rather than its solution

• The Substitution of Belief for Knowledge: Rather than leading beyond faith to direct experience, theosophism typically replaces one belief system with another

  • Most adherents “blindly accept the ‘revelations’” rather than developing discriminative spiritual faculties
  • The syncretic complexity often satisfies intellectual curiosity without producing genuine transformation
  • Even leaders often remain in “attitudes of the type of mediumship and visionarism” rather than achieving clear spiritual authority

• The Question of Hidden Purposes: The systematic distortion of traditional teachings raises questions about the true spiritual influences behind the movement

  • The movement may serve to “neutralize a danger, to preemptively close certain doors” rather than facilitate genuine spiritual contact with Eastern wisdom
  • By creating false impressions of Oriental spirituality, it may prejudice potential seekers against authentic traditional teachings
  • The “invisible origin” of theosophism deserves serious consideration given the gravity of its influence on Western spiritual development

V. Critique of Anthroposophy

Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy represents a more systematic but equally flawed attempt to create a spiritual science, characterized by fantastical cosmological speculations, Christian sectarianism, and an inability to distinguish between genuine clairvoyance and visionary projection.

• Steiner’s Mixed Character: Unlike mediumistic personalities, Steiner demonstrated systematic intellectual capacity, yet his teachings reveal fundamental misunderstandings and dangerous visionary elements

  • His comprehensive approach to multiple disciplines showed “method to his madness” rather than simple delusion
  • However, his work exemplifies what happens when one “adventures alone in the world of the supersensible without connection to a regular initiatic tradition”
  • The combination of genuine spiritual aspiration with uncontrolled visionary experiences produces systematic error

• The Theosophical Foundation: Anthroposophy inherited and intensified the fundamental errors of theosophism

  • The same evolutionary determinism, reincarnation mythology, and cosmic speculations appear in more elaborate form
  • Steiner’s “clairvoyance” often simply confirmed and extended Blavatsky’s visions rather than providing independent verification
  • The system represents an even more rigid “evolutionistic” framework that eliminates genuine supernatural possibilities

• The Christian Sectarian Element: Steiner’s incorporation of Christianity creates additional distortions absent from pure theosophism

  • Christ becomes the unique “Solar Logos” whose incarnation supposedly divided spiritual history and made modern self-initiation possible
  • This contradicts traditional teachings that recognize multiple divine manifestations and timeless initiatic possibilities
  • The result is a “systematic disavowal of spiritual founts” in pre-Christian and non-Christian traditions

• The False Spiritual Science: Despite claims to create objective supersensible knowledge, Steiner’s method remains fundamentally naturalistic

  • His approach treats spiritual realities as phenomena to be observed rather than meanings to be understood through identification
  • The emphasis on developing “new organs” and “new senses” misses the point that true spiritual perception involves transformation of consciousness itself
  • “Clairvoyant” investigations lack any means of verification or discrimination between authentic vision and hallucination

• The Doctrine of Subtle Bodies: While the teaching of multiple human vehicles has traditional precedents, anthroposophy materializes and systematizes these concepts incorrectly

  • The “bodies” are treated as objective entities existing “outside” the physical form rather than as modalities of being
  • Valid insights about the need to extend consciousness into vital and emotional processes become mixed with fantastical speculations
  • The traditional understanding of these teachings as stages of interior development is lost in pseudo-scientific systematization

• The Illusion of Individual Initiation: Steiner’s promise of self-directed spiritual development without traditional guidance represents a dangerous oversimplification

  • Claims that post-Christian humanity can achieve initiation through individual effort alone ignore the necessity of authentic transmission
  • The “exercises” and methods provided lack the spiritual authority and protection necessary for safe inner development
  • This approach often leads to the very dangers that traditional initiatic supervision was designed to prevent

• The Collectivist Orientation: Despite emphasis on individual development, anthroposophy ultimately serves collective rather than transcendent ends

  • The “black path” is defined as withdrawal from service to humanity’s evolution rather than pursuit of personal liberation
  • This reflects fundamental incomprehension of the traditional teaching that authentic spiritual realization naturally benefits others
  • The evolutionary obsession eliminates the possibility of vertical transcendence beyond all temporal becoming

• The Practical Consequences: Anthroposophical practices can lead to the same spiritual dangers as other forms of contemporary spiritualism

  • Disciples often become fanatical believers rather than developing independent spiritual discernment
  • The elaborate systematic apparatus provides no protection against hallucination and suggestion
  • The combination of intellectual complexity with visionary claims attracts educated people who might otherwise avoid crude spiritualism

VI. Neomysticism. Krishnamurti.

Modern mysticism, including Krishnamurti’s teaching, represents a dangerous form of spiritual evasion that promotes personality dissolution rather than genuine transcendence, while the broader phenomenon of secular mysticism enables mass manipulation and collective possession.

• The Nature of Mystical Experience: True mysticism must be distinguished from authentic spiritual realization by its passive, subjective, and “ecstatic” character

  • Mystical experience is “characterized by its pronounced subjective, irrational, and ’ecstatic’ element” that values feeling over understanding
  • It represents “losing of oneself within the experience” rather than “lucid mastery of experience toward clear superrational perception”
  • The mystic “chances upon whatever he chances upon” without the power to “firmly place his object before himself”

• The Mechanism of Ecstatic Identification: Mystical rapture occurs when the personality’s natural development is interrupted by identification with an external object

  • Any object can produce mystical identification - not just religious figures but ideologies, political parties, even sports
  • This creates “a kind of rupture” where the person’s energy is diverted from self-development to external focus
  • The result is both “liberation and destruction at the same time” - temporary exaltation accompanied by spiritual dissolution

• The Phenomenon of Transfert: Modern psychological and spiritual practices often exploit mystical identification mechanisms

  • Psychoanalytic “transfert” creates dependencies where the analyst substitutes for the patient’s own spiritual center
  • This can produce “ambivalence” - love mixed with hatred as the unconscious recognizes the violation of integrity
  • Demagogic techniques employ similar mechanisms to create mass movements through collective ecstatic identification

• Krishnamurti’s Contradictory Position: Despite rejecting external authority, Krishnamurti continued to function as a spiritual teacher and attracted devoted followers

  • His dissolution of the Order of the Eastern Star was accompanied by continued teaching activities and foundation establishment
  • The role of “spiritual catalyst” still creates the same master-disciple dynamic he claimed to oppose
  • His ideas became particularly attractive to student protest movements, suggesting their ultimately destructive character

• The False Liberation Teaching: Krishnamurti’s doctrine confuses spiritual transcendence with identification with undifferentiated “Life”

  • His equation of the “Self” with flowing, changeable Life contradicts traditional teachings about permanent spiritual principles
  • The promise of “incorruptibility” and “eternity” cannot be reconciled with emphasis on constant change and becoming
  • This represents “a translation of the Hindu teaching ātmā = brahman into the terms of Western irrationality of becoming”

• The Elimination of Spiritual Discrimination: Krishnamurti’s total rejection of authority, tradition, and method eliminates necessary safeguards

  • His democratic approach of “inciting everyone to the great revolt” ignores the need for qualification and preparation
  • The teaching provides no concrete methods while demanding the elimination of all existing spiritual supports
  • This can only lead to chaos for those who lack the exceptional spiritual development needed to benefit from such radical freedom

• The Modern Beat and Hippy Phenomenon: Contemporary youth movements demonstrate the dangers of ecstatic spirituality without traditional guidance

  • Drug use, obsessive rhythms, and sexual liberation create states of collective possession similar to savage ceremonies
  • These practices open participants to “extraindividual ’nether’ forces” rather than higher spiritual influences
  • Criminal and destructive behaviors in these milieus suggest the incorporation of dangerous spiritual forces

• The Traditional Alternative: Authentic spiritual development requires discrimination between legitimate authority and oppressive control

  • Traditional teachings recognized the need for guidance while distinguishing between external dependence and interior development
  • The proper approach involves gradual purification and strengthening of the spiritual center rather than its elimination
  • Methods like those found in Taoism and Zen have specific contexts and protections absent from modern adaptations

VII. Parenthetical on Esoteric Catholicism and on “Integral Traditionalism”

While Catholicism contains elements of authentic tradition that could theoretically support esoteric development, its current limitations and sectarian character make it largely inadequate for genuine spiritual realization, though the perspective of “integral traditionalism” offers some possibilities for transcending these restrictions.

• The Failure of Modern Christianity: Contemporary Catholicism has largely abandoned its potential for providing authentic spiritual experience

  • It has reduced itself to “theological-ritualistic system” and “devotional and moralizing practice” rather than offering genuine transcendence
  • Post-Vatican II “modernization” has emphasized social concerns over spiritual development
  • The “pastoral cure of the soul” has replaced contemplative and transformative practices

• The Historical Context of Christian Doctrine: Early Christianity’s character as a “religion of the kali-yuga” explains both its limitations and its former effectiveness

  • It was designed for a “type of human much different” from those addressed by higher traditions
  • The doctrine of original sin and eternal salvation created “extreme tension” that could produce spiritual transformation in suitable natures
  • These methods worked within specific historical conditions that no longer obtain

• The Problem of Christian Exclusivity: The claim that Jesus Christ represents a unique and unrepeatable divine intervention creates insuperable barriers to traditional integration

  • The “vicarious expiation” theory presents “intrinsic absurdity” by suggesting God is bound by quasi-physical laws of compensation
  • Christian exclusivism contradicts the metaphysical principle of universal tradition
  • The emphasis on historical uniqueness prevents recognition of eternal spiritual truths

• The Potential for Esoteric Christianity: Despite limitations, Catholic doctrine contains symbolic material susceptible to higher interpretation

  • Many Gospel narratives can be read as initiatic allegories describing phases of spiritual development
  • Sacramental theology implies magical principles of objective spiritual force acting through proper ritual forms
  • The concept of “ex opere operato” suggests traditional understanding of ritual efficacy independent of operator’s personal merit

• The Loss of Spiritual Authority: Modern Catholicism lacks the spiritual qualification necessary to vitalize its traditional forms

  • The pontifical function has lost its original character as “maker of bridges” between human and divine realms
  • Without authentic spiritual authority, rites become “mere ceremony or symbol” rather than operative techniques
  • The hope for an “angelic Pope” who might restore living spiritual power remains unfulfilled

• The Method of Integral Traditionalism: René Guénon’s approach offers a framework for recovering universal spiritual principles behind particular religious forms

  • The premise is a “unitary primordial metaphysical tradition” underlying all authentic historical traditions
  • This allows recognition of constant elements across different traditional expressions without syncretistic confusion
  • Catholic doctrines could theoretically be understood in their universal rather than sectarian sense

• The Practical Difficulties: Several factors make successful traditional integration of Catholicism extremely difficult

  • The method requires taking traditional principles rather than Catholic limitations as the starting point
  • Most Catholics lack both the traditional knowledge and the detachment from sectarian assumptions necessary for this work
  • The current direction of Church development moves further away from rather than toward traditional spirituality

• The Ultimate Assessment: While esoteric possibilities exist in theory, the practical obstacles may be insuperable

  • A truly universal Catholicism “raised in level” to embrace all traditional wisdom remains largely a “dream”
  • For most seekers, attempting to work within Catholic limitations may hinder rather than help spiritual development
  • The question of whether Catholicism can provide what many seek in other spiritual traditions receives an essentially negative answer

VIII. Primitivism — The Possessed — The “Overman”

The naturalistic revolution in Western thought, while appearing to oppose spiritualism, actually leads to similar spiritual dangers through the path of the “overman,” demonstrating that both evasive mysticism and titanesque self-assertion can result in possession by dark forces.

• The Progressive Degradation of Human Self-Conception: Western man has systematically reduced his understanding of human nature from divine image to biological specimen

  • First accepted separation from the divine as “mere creature” distant from creator
  • Then embraced purely terrestrial existence through Renaissance humanism
  • Finally accepted Darwinian reduction to “exemplar of a given biological species” with no essential difference from animals

• The False Return to Nature: The Enlightenment myth of “natural right” served subversive rather than restorative purposes

  • The concept of “noble savage” and natural equality derived from matriarchal rather than traditional civilizations
  • Bachofen demonstrated that “naturalistic equality” belonged to inferior humanity rather than representing universal truth
  • Modern “return to nature” involves artificial rationalistic constructions rather than authentic cosmic connection

• The Primitivistic Error: Contemporary scholars mistake decadent remnants for original humanity

  • So-called “primitive” peoples represent “twilight vestiges of cycles of humanity which is so ancient” rather than human origins
  • They are “the last degenerescent offshoots” showing “extreme senility” rather than primordial youth
  • This error underlies false interpretations in psychoanalysis, sociology, and religious studies

• Nietzsche as Symbolic Figure: Friedrich Nietzsche embodies the essential stages and ultimate fate of modern Western spiritual development

  • His progression from aesthetic escape to “will to power” represents the path of modern man seeking freedom from traditional supports
  • The systematic destruction of all “idols” leads to complete nihilism, forcing reliance on pure individual will
  • His attempt to create values through autonomous will represents the extreme limit of godless transcendence

• The Biological False Turn: Nietzsche’s recourse to evolutionistic biologism reveals the inadequacy of purely human spiritual resources

  • “Keeping faith with the Earth” led him to seek grounding in naturalistic rather than metaphysical principles
  • The “magnificent beasts of prey” metaphor contradicts his actual teaching of rigorous self-overcoming and ascetic discipline
  • This represents submission to modern myths rather than authentic spiritual foundation

• The Overman as Limit-Case: The Nietzschean overman represents the maximum development possible through individual human effort alone

  • The path involves “continual, inexorable overcoming of the self” and “ascesis for ascesis’s sake”
  • Without transcendent reference point, this accumulation of will can lead to spiritual “short circuit”
  • The overman walks “the razor’s edge” between genuine transcendence and possession by dark forces

• Dostoevsky’s Contribution: The Russian author explored the logical consequences of the man-god idea through his character Kirillov

  • The recognition that “man cannot exist without God” combined with conviction that “God does not exist” leads to the conclusion that “man must discover that he himself is God”
  • Kirillov’s metaphysical suicide represents the ultimate expression of autonomous will - saying “no” to all existence
  • This demonstrates the final self-overcoming possible to purely human consciousness

• The Transformation into the Possessed: The highest development of human will can invert into its opposite when it operates without transcendent guidance

  • Those following the path of “ascesis for ascesis’ sake” become “damned Saints” - potentially great spirits who fail to achieve genuine transcendence
  • The accumulated spiritual energy, lacking proper outlet, can become available to “obscure forces”
  • Examples include figures like Weininger, Michelstaedter, and others who reached similar spiritual crises

• The Traditional Solution: Only connection with authentic transcendence can prevent the overman from becoming one of the possessed

  • The path requires recognizing that “the supernatural order is the single order in which the true ideal of the overman can be realized”
  • Instead of Kirillov’s suicide, the solution is “initiatory death” - conscious transcendence of human limitations through traditional methods
  • This transforms the “extreme limit of the ‘human’ species” into “a different species, a ’no longer man’”

• The Contemporary Impossibility: Current conditions make the realization of authentic transcendence extremely difficult

  • Those who have followed the path of intellectual criticism and ego-development often lack the subtle faculties needed for supersensible contact
  • “Individual initiation” without traditional support rarely succeeds beyond a certain point
  • Most spiritual centers have “withdrawn,” leaving Western man to face these challenges without guidance

IX. Satanism

Contemporary Satanism represents both a degenerate form of spiritual rebellion and a potential gateway to dangerous spiritual forces, though most modern expressions lack the authentic power to evoke genuine demonic influences.

• The Genealogy and Definition of Satan: The concept of Satan developed within dualistic religious frameworks but points toward deeper metaphysical realities

  • In “moralized” religions, Satan condenses everything rejected by the conception of God as purely good and creative
  • More complete metaphysical systems recognize both poles as aspects of supreme divinity, as in Hindu Trimurti with Shiva as destroyer
  • True Satanism involves “pleasure in perversion as such” and “impulse to contaminate, with blasphemy and sacrilegious outrage” rather than mere destructiveness

• Historical and Sectarian Examples: Various groups have practiced forms of devil worship or recognition of Satan’s worldly authority

  • The Yezidi sect viewed Satan as governing this world while God remained in absolute transcendence, requiring practical accommodation with “the competent authority”
  • Cases like Marshal Gilles de Rais demonstrate sudden demonic invasion of previously normal personalities
  • The phenomenon suggests “abrupt demonic invasion” followed by later abandonment by possessing forces

• The Sexual Component: Christianity’s condemnation of sexuality automatically associated it with diabolic forces

  • Christian “sexophobia” placed sexual expression in opposition to the sacred, making orgastic release a natural component of anti-Christian rebellion
  • Traditional black masses employed nude women as altars and incorporated sexual elements as blasphemous inversion of Christian purity
  • In the current climate of sexual liberation, this association loses much of its transgressive power

• Modern American Satanism: Anton LaVey’s “Church of Satan” represents a commercialized and essentially materialistic form lacking authentic spiritual content

  • Founded in 1966 with official recognition and bourgeois family photographs, it lacks the dangerous spiritual character of historical Satanism
  • The doctrine reduces to “religion of the flesh and of Life” opposing Christian moralism rather than genuine supernatural rebellion
  • LaVey’s “Satanic Bible” promotes Darwinian-Nietzschean materialism rather than authentic contact with diabolic forces

• The Question of Operative Reality: Most contemporary Satanic practices lack the traditional knowledge necessary to evoke genuine spiritual forces

  • Modern practitioners typically improvise rituals without authentic transmission or understanding of spiritual laws
  • Cases like the Manson murders suggest possible authentic possession through involuntary conjuration rather than conscious magical practice
  • The spurious character of most modern Satanism does not eliminate the possibility of accidentally contacting dangerous influences

• Aleister Crowley’s Position: The self-proclaimed “Great Beast 666” represents a more serious but still problematic approach to left-hand path spirituality

  • Crowley’s Satanic persona served primarily as anti-Christian polemic rather than genuine devil worship
  • His connection to serious initiatic organizations like the Golden Dawn provided some protection and spiritual authority
  • The emphasis on discovering and following one’s “true will” points toward legitimate spiritual principles despite theatrical Satanic trappings

• The Doctrine of Thelema: Crowley’s teaching contains both authentic spiritual elements and dangerous practices

  • “Do what thou wilt” refers to discovering authentic spiritual will rather than mere personal desire
  • The principle that “every man and every woman is a star” recognizes individual divine essence beyond conventional ego
  • Sexual and drug practices aimed at achieving contact with supersensible forces through extreme states rather than mere indulgence

• The Risks and Qualifications: Crowley’s methods required exceptional personal spiritual capacity and protective traditional connections

  • He spoke of transforming “poison” into “nourishment” but warned of “doses too high to be transformed into food”
  • Disciples who lacked sufficient spiritual strength often suffered breakdown, illness, or death
  • Success required both natural spiritual gifts and connection to authentic initiatic currents

• The Traditional Context: Legitimate left-hand path practices exist within traditional frameworks with proper safeguards and understanding

  • The Tantric vāmācāra or “Left-Hand Path” employs similar principles but within established traditional structures
  • Such practices require “exceptional qualification,” “non-equivocal interior orientation,” and protective spiritual chrism
  • Without proper traditional context, attempts to use lower forces for transcendent purposes typically result in spiritual contamination rather than liberation

X. Initiatic Currents and “High Magic”

While authentic magical and initiatic currents persist in the modern world, they are often corrupted by “occultistic” pretensions, and even legitimate practitioners face enormous difficulties due to the absence of traditional spiritual infrastructure and the predominant materialistic climate.

• The Two Aspects of Magic: Magic can be understood either as experimental operative science or as a special spiritual attitude within initiatic development

  • Operative magic involves “consciously activating and directing certain subtle energies” in domains behind physical and psychic forms
  • “High magic” represents “a form of supernormal integration of the personality in which the virile and active element comes to the foreground”
  • Both aspects require authentic traditional transmission rather than improvised revival of ancient techniques

• Gurdjieff’s Teaching of Non-Being: The Greek-Armenian teacher recognized that ordinary human personality lacks substantial existence and must be created through conscious work

  • Man is essentially “a machine,” composed of automatisms and external influences, living in a state of “waking sleep”
  • True development requires recognizing this non-existence and developing “essence” distinct from socially conditioned “personality”
  • The goal is creating an authentic spiritual body through “alchemical work of fusion, unification, and crystallization”

• The Doctrine of Conditioned Immortality: Multiple modern teachers affirm that survival after death depends on spiritual work during life rather than automatic continuation

  • Gurdjieff taught that authentic spiritual bodies must be created through conscious effort: “exceedingly few are the immortal Selves”
  • This corresponds to traditional teachings that distinguish between automatic dissolution and conscious spiritual development
  • The work requires “extraordinary efforts” under guidance of qualified teachers using authentic methods

• The Magical Analysis of Human Nature: Advanced practitioners recognize that ordinary personality consists of aggregate elements lacking true unity

  • Kremmerz distinguished between the “historical individual” (social personality) and authentic spiritual essence
  • Most humans already exist as “dead in their essence” - composite beings lacking genuine spiritual center
  • Magical development involves progressive liberation from collective elements to establish independent spiritual principle

• The Process of Active Regression: Authentic inner work requires conscious penetration of subconscious levels to reach transcendent foundation

  • This involves “elimination of successive psychic strata” through deliberate “denudation” from collective influences
  • The process passes through dissolution of historical ego to reach “preconceptional and pre-uterine life”
  • Success produces “awakening” where consciousness establishes itself in transcendent spiritual center

• The Dangers of Ceremonial Magic: Ritualistic approaches risk creating spiritual dependencies rather than authentic integration

  • Ceremonial practices establish relationships with forces that appear distinct from the practitioner’s own nature
  • This creates “pacts” with entities that may limit rather than enhance spiritual freedom
  • The approach can produce powerful effects but maintains dualistic separation preventing ultimate realization

• The Integration of Forces: The highest magical realization involves conscious unification of all psychic and spiritual energies

  • Instead of evoking external entities, the adept integrates corresponding forces as aspects of renewed consciousness
  • This produces capacity for conscious manifestation of spiritual principles in physical reality
  • Such realization transcends both human limitations and dependence on external spiritual authorities

• The Contemporary Impossibility: Modern conditions create almost insurmountable obstacles to authentic magical realization

  • The mentality, education, and social circumstances of modern man oppose traditional spiritual development
  • The absence of authentic spiritual centers leaves seekers without proper guidance and protection
  • Modern aspirations to “power” remain naturalistic and profane rather than genuinely supernatural

• The Warning Against False Magic: Contemporary interest in magical practices often reflects “Luciferian” rather than authentic spiritual impulses

  • True magic requires transcendence of human nature, while modern “power” seeks to enhance ordinary human capacities
  • Attempts to use magical techniques without spiritual transformation typically produce contamination rather than elevation
  • The proliferation of commercialized “occult” practices represents degradation rather than recovery of traditional wisdom

• The Aristocratic Nature of Spiritual Realization: Authentic magical and initiatic development remains accessible only to exceptional individuals under specific conditions

  • The path requires qualities and circumstances that cannot be mass-produced or democratically distributed
  • Traditional teachings about dangers and prohibitions reflect genuine spiritual laws rather than arbitrary restrictions
  • Ultimate realization demands “transfiguring conversion,” “detachment,” and “absolute overcoming” beyond ordinary human capacity

Conclusion

After examining the various forms of contemporary spiritualism, Evola acknowledges that his analysis may seem discouraging to those seeking spiritual comfort, but emphasizes that genuine awakening requires first recognizing our current state of spiritual sleep and the inadequacy of consoling illusions.

• The Necessity of Harsh Critique: Modern spiritualism’s comforting beliefs about automatic evolution and guaranteed salvation perpetuate spiritual complacency rather than promoting genuine development

  • Ideas like personal immortality, universal spiritual progress, and benevolent cosmic guidance create “impossible fantasy castle” of delusions
  • The contemporary world exists in “utter and nigh impenetrable complacency” about its supposed spiritual advancement
  • Breaking free requires “ruthless and thoroughgoing assault on all the elements” of modern spiritual self-satisfaction

• The Work of Inner War: Authentic spiritual development demands a militant attitude toward both external illusions and internal weaknesses

  • “We must declare war on all of this, within and without” rather than seeking comfortable accommodation with spiritual mediocrity
  • This war requires “certain orientations within the soul” and “crude clarity about what it is one is seeking”
  • The struggle itself presupposes spiritual awareness that transcends ordinary religious or philosophical positions

• The Dual Movement of Realization: Genuine spiritual work involves simultaneous ascension and conscious descent into the depths of being

  • The book presents “a movement upward, from the low to the high in spiritual teachings” while also representing “movement downward, ever deeper into the soul”
  • This “active regression” requires “elimination of successive psychic strata” to reach authentic spiritual foundation
  • Both directions are necessary for complete spiritual integration rather than one-sided development

• The Limitation of External Guidance: No teacher or book can substitute for the individual’s own spiritual work and direct realization

  • Evola cannot “do for his reader” the essential work of inner transformation
  • External teachings serve only as “orientation” toward possibilities that must be realized through personal effort
  • The most authentic guidance points toward the necessity of transcending all external supports and authorities

• The Contemporary Path of Initiation: For most Westerners, the only remaining path to authentic spiritual realization lies through conscious confrontation with modernity rather than escape from it

  • Traditional initiatic orders having “withdrawn,” direct transmission is rarely available
  • The “Via Evolae” involves making oneself a warrior in “direct, fearless, honest, aware, and non-evasive struggle against our time and our world”
  • This path offers the possibility of transcendence through complete engagement with rather than evasion from contemporary spiritual challenges

• The Ultimate Aristocratic Principle: Authentic spiritual realization remains accessible only to those capable of absolute spiritual commitment

  • Traditional teachings about the difficulty and rarity of spiritual achievement reflect genuine metaphysical laws
  • The path requires “transfiguring conversion,” “detachment,” and “absolute overcoming” beyond ordinary human capacity
  • This represents “an aristocratic right” that “the mob cannot ever usurp, not today, nor in any other epoch of the world”

• The Promise of Transcendent Reality: Despite the critique of false spiritualism, Evola affirms the existence of authentic supernatural possibilities

  • “There exists a supernatural reality, there exists a ‘kingdom of the heavens’” available to qualified seekers
  • The traditional possibility of transmuting “fallen human personality into that of a semigod” remains valid
  • However, the path requires using “violence” against conventional limitations to achieve “Olympic immortality”

• The Final Warning and Encouragement: The book serves both as warning against spiritual dangers and as preparation for authentic realization

  • False spiritual teachings should serve as “lines of the mountain range, as liminal points of reference” rather than objects of pursuit
  • Traditional warnings about spiritual dangers reflect genuine metaphysical realities rather than arbitrary restrictions
  • Those capable of approaching authentic spiritual truth with proper preparation may find genuine guidance toward transcendence