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   About Occultopedia:

The whole of beliefs, knowledge and practices known as "the occult" could be with every reason regarded as the beginnings of the modern day sciences. Alchemy was the direct ancestor of chemistry, astrology the forerunner of astronomy, magnetism the predecessor of hypnotism. Medicine evolved from magic, zoology from crude medieval bestiaries and mineralogy from primitive crystal mysticism. We can also trace many of the early processes of philosophy, psychology and theology to these same unorthodox roots.
 

Science has barely scratched the surface of human knowledge. It is slow and ponderous, being by nature cautious and skeptical. Just a few generations ago it was fashionable to mock and scoff at the occult sciences. Today, men of science have placed them under a microscope as subjects fit for the most scrutinizing and careful examination. The results of their investigations over the past years, if hasn't broken the barrier between men and the supernatural, as a minimum served to open our minds in regards to the unexplained and mysterious.
 

Ghostly visions are proven to happen, whatever their nature may be, hallucinatory or otherwise; the manufacturing of gold from base metals has been achieved, if only in small quantities; mind powers have been researched and investigated by different countries and government agencies; the existence of extraterrestrial life is believed by over half of the world's population; hypnotism is being utilized in ordinary medical practice. And these are just some examples of the modern acceptance of ancient occult wisdom and techniques once considered hogwash and non-sense.

The unusual seems to take place regularly, and the impossible is just slightly rarer. Undoubtedly, many of the paranormal phenomena reported are imaginary, mistakes, fake, or fraudulent. Some, when closely examined, turned out to have a perfectly rational explanation. Yet the sheer number of mystifying cases has led some investigators to question the effectiveness of the scientific method, for it seems that science has never been, and may never be, able to account for everything that happens in our planet and the universe.

Let us beware, therefore, of taking a narrowed view of bizarre and strange phenomena, and of ancient secret knowledge. Many such things may be difficult to explain or believe, but just because researchers cannot yet account or explain many of these incidents, occurrences, and beliefs, we should not immediately dismiss them and stubbornly declare that it just cannot happen.
 

Occultopedia does not promote or discredit beliefs and opinions about any of the topics encompassing the occult sciences and the paranormal, but only informs as for the meaning of the words and terms, providing clear definitions and understanding. I can only hope it will enlighten and perhaps even entertain some of the cyber pilgrims wandering in here . . .
 

I will not pretend that this online encyclopedia covers all of the thousands ― maybe hundreds of thousands  ―  of words, topics and fields that could be included in an occult and paranormal encyclopedia.

   About the author:
 

Marcus V. Gay has worked as a technical writer, metrologist, quality assurance consultant, web designer and internet developer. He attended the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Macomb Community College, Michigan, studying engineering, metrology, calibration, quality assurance, liberal arts, Greek and Latin. He acquired a strong interest in the paranormal and unexplained while growing up in the mean streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Superstition, Shamanism, Macumba and Santeria were, and still are, an intrinsic part of everyday life. As a young man he spent a couple of years in the Amazon basin, connecting with the intriguing local fauna, flora and natives. He has also traveled to many exotic lands and places, always making time to do research into the mysterious, uncanny and unexplained.

Marcus has amassed a considerable archive of material during many years of personal research. A minuscule part of these records are presented here at Occultopedia.

 

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Occultopedia is an A to Z encyclopedia of metaphysical, curious and supernatural people, things, practices and events; an online treasury of unusual, occult and secret knowledge and information. Access it alphabetically....

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