September 18, 2025 • 22 mins
Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation by Mitch Horowitz
From its earliest days, America served as an arena for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that eventually swept the globe. Esoteric philosophies and personas—from Freemasonry to Spiritualism, from Madame H. P. Blavatsky to Edgar Cayce—dramatically altered the nation’s culture, politics, and religion. Yet the mystical roots of our identity are often ignored or overlooked. Opening a new window on the past, Occult Americapresents a dramatic, pioneering study of the esoteric undercurrents of our history and their profound impact across modern life.
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Thank you for Listening
From its earliest days, America served as an arena for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that eventually swept the globe. Esoteric philosophies and personas—from Freemasonry to Spiritualism, from Madame H. P. Blavatsky to Edgar Cayce—dramatically altered the nation’s culture, politics, and religion. Yet the mystical roots of our identity are often ignored or overlooked. Opening a new window on the past, Occult Americapresents a dramatic, pioneering study of the esoteric undercurrents of our history and their profound impact across modern life.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/quantum-akashic-network--6730906/support.
Thank you for Listening
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We often think we have a pretty good handle on
America's story, right, the founding ideals, the drive for self improvement.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, the standard narrative.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
But today we're going to dig into a really compelling
idea that maybe some of the deepest forces shaping the
nation and even our own search for purpose have been
flowing just beneath the surface.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Uh huh, in the realm of the mystical, the occult.
It's a history that often gets overlooked totally.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
We tend to focus on the concrete stuff, the politics,
the economics.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
But beliefs in an unseen world and hidden forces. These
weren't just fringe ideas. The argument is, they profoundly shaped
ideals like equality, personal growth, even influenced major leaders exactly.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So today we're taking a deep dive into Mitch Horowitz's
book A Cult America, The Secret History of How Mysticism
shaped our Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Great book, really eye opening.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Our mission is to kind of unpack these powerful, often
hidden currents. We want to pull out the key insights,
maybe some surprising facts, and just shed light on this
lesser known side of America's spiritual identity.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, get ready for a bit of an intellectual adventure.
It might just reshape how you see American history and
maybe even give you some new perspectives on your own journey,
you know, helping you get really well informed on this stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Okay, so let's start at the beginning or near it.
We're talking seventeenth eighteenth century Europe. The spiritual climate there was,
let's just say, not very friendly to anything outside the
mainstream church.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
No, definitely not things like astrology, divination. They weren't just
frowned upon. The church actively labeled pantheists astrologers as well
practitioners of Satanism and black magic.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Wow, strong words leading to persecution, that.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Really widespread persecution, and that created this this real need
for a safe.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Place, and America became that place.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It really did take Johannes Kelpius. He and his followers
fled Germany the Rhine Valley in sixteen ninety three landed
in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Seeking spiritual freedom.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Exactly. They set up the tow Babernacle in the forest.
Later the Ephrata Commune. America literally became a safe harbor
for mystable thinkers and mystery religions.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And what's fascinating is how right from the start, this
occult thread seems woven together with early American liberalism. They
were closely joined.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
As Horowitz puts it, Yeah, look at Jemima Wilkinson, the
Public Universal Friend seventeen seventy six, She's only twenty four,
becomes the first American born woman recognized as a public preacher.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And her claim was pretty out there, wasn't it. Yeah,
died and came back as a divine medium.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
That was the claim, a medium of the divine spirit.
But her message was simple ethics, repentance, and get this,
a judge actually invited the Friend to preach before the
court and praised her good counsel.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
That's incredible acceptance for the time.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It really speaks to that unique mix of piety and
maybe openness. Then you have Annlee and the Shakers, right.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
They came over from England around seventeen seventy four.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Known for prophecies, seeing the dead, spirit trances. They faced
jail accusations of which but they grew massively, especially after
things like the Dark Day in seventeen eighty, which Mother
Ann apparently foretold would bring spirits to every city and hamlet.
It really boosted their spiritual credibility.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Okay, let's shift slightly to mesmerism. Ben Franklin famously dismissed
mesmer in Paris, right part of that committee in seventeen
eighty four. He did.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
But back in America it found well, surprisingly fertile ground.
Lecturers like Charles Poyan spread it in the eighteen thirties.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And here's where it gets really interesting, the social justice connection.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Right, this is a key point. Poian noticed that both
whites and enslaved Africans were equally susceptible to these mesmeric trances,
So it transcended race in a way exactly. And for
Poian this sparked a deep belief in the commonality among
the races and made him strongly anti slavery. It shows
how these unseen practices could challenge the whole social structure.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Beyond that, it was used for healing too in those
public displays.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, healing and commanding subjects to speak in unknown foreign tongues,
big public draws.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So moving into the nineteenth century, we get this area
in central New York, the Psychic Highway.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Burned Over district. Yeah, a real hotbed of spiritual activity,
intense religious revivals, people having visions, speaking in tongues, and there.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Was this folklore too, about an ancient people, maybe a
lost tribe of Israel.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
That was part of the background. Hum definitely. And in
this atmosphere you get groups like the Millerites in the
eighteen forties, William Miller predicting the end times.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Is there a myth They all just gave away everything?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
That's the popular story, but Horowitz argues it was more nuanced.
They had this distinct habit of thought, deep belief in
the afterlife, but still practical, keep hands to work even
as heart soared to God.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
That blend again the mystical in the practical.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It's a recurring theme. Look at Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism,
grew up right near there.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Known as a clairvoyant guide using a seerstone.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, using a seer stone to find hidden treasure, which
was actually kind of common. Then. He also had other
esoteric interests, a Jupiter amulet from Agrippa, fascination with.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Freemasonry, and the Golden plates.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Divine visitations supposedly led him to them on Hillcomorra, a
place already linked to those lost tribe legends. He translates
the Book of Mormon in eighteen thirty. It's this alternate history,
weaving local myths into a new, powerful spiritual story.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
You mentioned Freemasonry that pops up a lot even in
national symbols.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Absolutely, Masonry use symbols like rising suns, pentagrams often tied
to personal development, esoteric wisdom, and the Great Seal.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The eye in pyramid on the dollar.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Bill designed by Franklin A Mason, Jefferson and Adams. That
motto God smiles on our new order of the ages.
It reflects Masonic ideas, Renaissance occult views of Egypt as
this source of ancient wisdom. It's right there in plain sight.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
So these currents are getting stronger than we have. Andrew
Jackson Davis, the Poughkeepsie seer.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Right, a cobbler's apprentice, starts having these incredible cosmic visions
through mesmeric.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Trans and he dictates a huge book.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
The Principles of Nature eighteen forty seven, eight hundred pages,
creation myths, other planets. Afterlife, stuff became an instant sensation, and.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
He learned to do it without mesmerism.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Eventually, Yeah, he developed the ability to enter this superior
condition on his own, became an independent profit. That marks
a shift, you know, from passive channeling towards more individual
spiritual authority. Very American in a way.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Okay, now let's hit the big one. Spiritualism starts with
the Fox Sisters in eighteen forty eight, that rap filled
night in Rochester.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
That's the spark.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It just exploded across America and then went global. Became
the first spiritual movement that America exported abroad.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And it wasn't just about talking to the dead, was it.
It had a social conscience.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Very much so. Spiritualist newspapers were ardently progressive, big supporters
of suffragism and abolitionism.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
And the numbers were huge, astonishing.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
By the eighteen fifties, maybe one point five million Americans
identified as spiritualists. That's nearly one in ten free adults.
It shows how mainstream it became, really.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Even reached the White House.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Mary Todd Lincoln, her interest was lifelong, though apparently a
public embarrassment. She sought out mediums secretly.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Abraham Lincoln himself hosted this ants April.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Eighteen sixty three. Yeah, the book suggests it might have
been a shrewd political end projecting calm during the war.
A medium named Nettie Colbert Maynard even claimed her reading
influenced the emancipation proclamation.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Wow, that's a huge claim.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
It is shows how intertwined these things could potentially be.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
And the most famous artifact of this era the Ouiji board.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Right, basically a homemade device from nineteenth century spiritualists made
talking to spirits seem almost normal, like dinnertime conversation Atton
did in.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Eighteen ninety, and its popularity just soared, especially during wartime.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Absolutely, that example of one NYC store selling fifty thousand
Wigi boards in five months during World War Two is incredible.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Was it just a game or more?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Well, some like Louisa Rhyan worried it was a gateway
for the gremlins of the unconscious. But it also inspired
serious creative work, the seth material, Patience Worth's writings, novels, poems, plays.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Quite arranged, and this American invention spread all.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Over, inspired Alan Cardek's spiritism in France, which is huge
in Latin America today, and even Katieism in Vietnam. Use
Luigi board.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Okay, let's pivot to new thought. This really sets the
stage for modern self help, doesn't.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It Absolutely starts with Phineas P. Quimby back in the
eighteen thirties a clockmaker.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Right, he noticed his TB got better with carriage rides,
linking positive thoughts and health exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
That was the seed. From there New Thought developed its
core beliefs. Cosmic laws are Christian laws, thoughts some in
their action, and this power affects all experience.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
The mind body connection, the idea that consciousness influences reality
pretty revolutionary.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Totally, and it moved from these newche metaphysical churches right
into the mainstream, became a kind of anti religion, open
to everything. Its ideas got so common that by the
mid twentieth century people forgot where they came from. The
source itself became obscured.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So figures like Dale, Carnegie, Napoleon.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Hill they achieved worldwide fame basically repackaging New Thought principles
for success, how to win friends, think and grow rich.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
And Norman Vincent Peel his Power.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Of Positive Thinking in fifty two gave it that manline.
Christian emphasis made it super accessible, stripped away the explicit
magic laws or secrets.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
But what about the core idea, the law of attraction.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Originally Andrew Jackson Davis used it differently for afterlife stuff.
New Thought repurposed it. What you dwell on, good or
bad manifests in your earthly life, which leads.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
To tricky ethical ground, doesn't it. If thoughts create reality, what.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
About suffering exactly?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It could lead to this naively cruel calculus struggling to
explain tragedy. Often it resonated most with the middle class,
where basic security was more of a relative given.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Still, the desire for practical spirituality was huge, especially during
the Depression. Enter Frank B.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Robinson uh Psycheana, the Idaho druggist who started a male
order religious faith in nineteen twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Eight with those incredibly bold ads I talked with God,
Yes I did, actually and literally unbelievable marketing.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
He apparently got maybe two million followers, could have been
the eighth largest religion on the planet, offered money back.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Guarantees, catering to that hunger for practical and therapeutic religious thought.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
And his methods really influenced mainstream churches, pushed the American
pulpit towards addressing workaday concerns integrating self help. You still
see that legacy in megachurches today.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Now let's turn to a really powerful aspect, occultism and liberation,
especially in the African American experience. Frederick Douglas's story is striking.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
It really is. His early memoirs talk about Sandy Jenkins,
this genuine African figure with so called magical powers, who.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Gave him a magic root for protection against the brutal
slave master Covey.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
It's the story. Initially Douglas felt Covey's behavior changed, but
then he decided to fight back physically. He said, I
now forgot my roots and remembered my pledge to stand
up in my own defense. That was his inner revolution.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
But he still respected Sandy's power.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Yeah, even later, while downplaying the route itself, he respected
Sandy as a man of magic. His authority came from
this occult tradition that no slaveholder could enter. It shows
the psychological power, the resilience it offered.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
And this ties into Whodo as well.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Right. Hohodo used everyday botanical and household items help people
reconnect with rituals, maintain identity.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And Moses was a key figure, reared as.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
The great medicine man and conjurer. His spells against Pharaoh
were seen as proving the true purpose of Africa's traditional
esoteric craft's liberation through spiritual power.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Then Ari Gomagh takes it further in nineteen forty five,
calling Moses the great voodoo Man of the.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Bible bold stuff, arguing that Western faiths actually grew from
the cradle of Africa, a powerful cultural argument recentering Africa
in magic and religion.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Then there's Professor Blackhrman Benjamin Rucker.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
What a character. This gangly, tuxedoed magician blended stage magic, hoodoo,
astrology in his nineteen twenty five book.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
And he framed magic as resistance.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Explicitly a way of resisting oppression. His escape acts symbolized
how enslaved people could use secret knowledge to free themselves.
He saw himself as a modern day conjured emancipator like Moses.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Believed he could lift the depression.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Mentally, Yeah, declared it chiefly mental in Detroit, believed he
was chosen by God. A fascinating blend of showmanship and
deep belief.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Shifting to politics again, Marcus Garvey, the Black Nationalist leader.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
His movement in nineteen sixteen, envisioning a Pan African superpower,
was almost like a religion. He was seen as a
black Moses.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
And he connected it to new thought very much.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
So inspired by Booker T. Washington, Garvey applied the dynamics
of new thought to the Black condition. Thinking of oneself
as a perfect being, urged a scientific understanding of God self,
empowerment for political ends.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
And noble dru Ali. The Moorish Science.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Temple founded in nineteen thirteen, a really interesting inner city
mystery religion makes new thought, Masonry, theosophy occultism.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Had a secret Koran presented himself as an emancipator Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The Circle seven. Koran put this mystico Eastern tinge on
Anglican texts. He was seen as a figure like Jesus,
able to escape in a few seconds, and this movement
influenced key figures in the Nation of Islam like Wallace d.
Fard and Elijah Mohammad. Shows the deep roots.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Okay, let's broaden out again to these secret teachings and
the influx of Eastern wisdom. Theosophy is huge.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Here, absolutely pivotal. Founded eighteen seventy five Manhattan, Henry Steel
Alcott and Helena Bolovatsky.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Bolovatsky claimed guidance from Mahatmas Great White Brothers right.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Her mission, she said, was to reveal a hidden doctrine
that united all the world's ancient religions, aiming for religious universality.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
And they actively defended Eastern faiths against colonialism.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
A key part of their mission. And all Kott's impact
in the East was incredible. He became maybe the single
most significant Western figure in the modern religious history of
the East. Really, how so, campaigned for literacy, boosted Hinduism
and Buddhism, designed the International Buddhist Flag, helped schools in
Sri Lanka. Just enormous influence.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And this built on earlier groundwork by transcendentalists Emerson Alcott.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, they'd already introduced magical philosophies like Hermes Trismagistus into
American thought. Kind of primed the pump for broader.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Acceptance, which brings us to Manly p Hall The Secret
Teachings of All Ages.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
An absolute classic of the genre, published nineteen twenty eight.
Hall was only twenty seven, largely self taught.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
And the book is this huge encyclopedia encyclopedic outline.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, covers Masonic, Hermetic, Kabbalistic, Rosicrucian philosophy, just an astonishing
breadth of subjects, ancient math, alchemy, Taro, even Shakespeare's Hidden.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Meanings give Me a huge underground hit, one of.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
The most popular underground works in American history. He founded
the Philosophical Research Society in la promoted ethics the Golden.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Rule, and the mystery is how he did it with
little formal education.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
That's the puzzle. Some suggested knowledge from other lifetimes, but
recent scholarship actually supports some of his historical takes. Remarkable guy.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Then there's Baird Tea Spalding Life and Teaching of the
Masters of the Far.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
East, circulated privately in the nineteen twenties, introduced this modern
mythos that Christ had spent his lost years studying in
the Far East.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Spaulding himself was a mining prospector.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, but he had this sprightly writing style and could
convey the drama and portent of a new Gospel.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
And his message was universal, very much.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
So, a sensitive theology of universal hope for self realization.
Emphasized the path is right within Christ is enlightenment. All
religions part of one revolutionary world Gospel.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
No religious bigotry there.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Complete absence horro it says, a key part of that
American liberal outlook sadly, despite massive sales he died almost broke,
apparently fleeced by his publisher.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Okay, back to politics and the occult. This is where
it gets really tangled sometimes. Henry A. Wallace, FDR's VP.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Right an intellectually driven Secretary of Agriculture, but also a
real seeker. He connected his metaphysical interests to his public work.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Explored everything from theosophy to Native American shamanism.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Your need through it all had this brief though intense
involvement with Nicholas Rorick, the Russian mystic and theosophist.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Wallace admired Rorick's peace Treaty for cultural sites.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
The Banner of Peace. Yeah, Wallace signed it in nineteen
thirty five.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
But then there were those letters, the dear Guru.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Letters, Oh yes, signed Galahad, very dramatic, full of insider jargon,
apparently prompted FDR to ask, by God, what's the matter
with Wallace. Gives you a glimpse of how close these
ideas were to power, and.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Wallace took credit for getting the Great Seal and Pyramid
onto the currency.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
He did proudly took credit linked the motto nobasorti siciclorum
New Order of the Ages to a kind of spiritual
New Deal, but.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
These interests, combined with his liberal views, hurt him politically.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Ultimately, Yes led to his decline, replaced by Truman in
forty four. Rays's questions about how much unconventional belief is
tolerated in high office.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Now a much darker turn.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
William Dudley Telly Yeah, started as a successful writer journalist,
then became one of the nation's most notorious hate leaders.
Founded America's prototype neo Nazi order.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
But he first gained fame with an article about a
near death experience seven Minutes in Eternity.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
That's the Chilling Part nineteen twenty nine in the American
magazine Huge Circulation, detailed an NDE with heavenly mentors became
the nation's most influential tale of NDEs, introduced it to
the masses. Shows how receptive people were to these stories,
But his.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Path twisted horribly. Claimed to his mentors told him to
Steady Hitler.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Claimed Claire Audient instructions. Yeah, by nineteen thirty three founded
the Silver Shirts, this neo Nazi group, and it have
jailed for libel.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
It's really important to be clear here, though Pelly embraced
weird mystico racial stuff, maybe influenced by Blovotsky's Aryan.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Ideas, but Hitler himself was not an occultist. Horowitz is
very clear Hitler contentiously dismissed that stuff. He was about
brutal power organization.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And the Nazis actually persecuted.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
These groups, savagely oppressed theosophists, Mason's astrologers. So vital not
to conflate Pelly's twisted fringe beliefs with the actual Nazi
regime's ideology.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Very different things, okay.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Moving towards more recent times, Aquarius rising the dawn of
the New age Edgar case is a big.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Figure the Sleeping Prophet.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
His trance readings started, including life readings about past lives.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Connecting current problems to past life trauma exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
President Eurosi is linked to violence or tragedy in a
previous incarnation. Apparently brought a lot a lot of relief to.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
People and reincarnation itself. That idea became huge.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
It was an ancient Hindu concept most Americans knew little
about before WWII, but then it became a craze in
the fifties thanks to the search for Bridie Murphy. People
even had past life costume Suarez.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
And Wicka emerges around then, too.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Modern witchcraft. Gerald Gardner's Witchcraft Today in nineteen fifty four
introduces Wicca later Wika. This nature based, sexually free, and
female affirming religion really clicked with the times.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
The counterculture plus major Eastern roads Zen Buddhism.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Brought over by D. T. Suzuki huge influence in the
fifties and sixties became a real American religion. Influenced the
Woodstock generation gave us the word mindfulness.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Carlos Castaneda and.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Don Juan Teachings of Don Juan nineteen sixty eight sparked
a massive interest in Native American shamanism. Even if the
book's factual basis was questioned, they were seen as powerful
allegories for the spiritual path.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
And ancient texts gained new life.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
EICHINGG. Tautitching, Rumy's poetry all found huge new audiences a
real hunger for diverse spiritual wisdom.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
So by the mid seventies, the term new Age kind.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Of sticks yeah, describing this vast metaphysical culture, always ever expanding,
ever accommodating whatever met individual needs for self discovery or
personal fulfillment. Real mix of things totally, everything from quick
trends like primal screen therapy to lasting practices like yoga
trans personal psychology, which started bridging that gap between psychology
and spirituality.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
So, wrapping this all up, what's the takeaway for us now?
Horrwitz highlights five core beliefs that really came out of
a cult America and are pretty common today even if
we don't label them a cult.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Right, let's list them. One belief in oneness inter connectedness.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Two belief in a mind body connection in health.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Three belief that human consciousness is evolving.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Four belief that our thoughts somehow affect reality.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
And five belief that you can get spiritual understanding without
belonging to one's religion.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
These ideas are everywhere.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Now pretty much, and maybe the most surprising place they
popped up the US Army.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Seriously.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Yeah, there was a study looking into training recruits in
meditation esp self hypnosis. Some suggest it might have even
influenced the slogan be all you can be.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Wow. Okay, so we've covered a lot of ground here,
journeyed through this hidden spiritual side of America.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yeah, seeing how this nation often seen as so practical
and traditional was also this laboratory for mystical exploration.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
From those early persecuted mystics finding refuge two figures, linking
spirituality with social justice, self help, even our national symbols.
These unseen currents were flowing right through the heart of
American identity.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
And the point for you listening is that this quest
for personal growth, health, justice, meaning, it's always been part
of the American story, just maybe through channels history books
don't always highlight. It's not just history. It's kind of
the DNA of modern self empowerment.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
So maybe a final thought to leave you with in
our world still searching for meaning for empowerment, these old
yet new ideas from a culd America feel incredibly relevant.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Makes you wonder, doesn't it. Are these influences still secret
or have they become so woven into how we see
the world now that we just don't recognize their mystical
roots anymore, And that ongoing human search for fulfillment
We often think we have a pretty good handle on
America's story, right, the founding ideals, the drive for self improvement.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, the standard narrative.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
But today we're going to dig into a really compelling
idea that maybe some of the deepest forces shaping the
nation and even our own search for purpose have been
flowing just beneath the surface.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Uh huh, in the realm of the mystical, the occult.
It's a history that often gets overlooked totally.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
We tend to focus on the concrete stuff, the politics,
the economics.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
But beliefs in an unseen world and hidden forces. These
weren't just fringe ideas. The argument is, they profoundly shaped
ideals like equality, personal growth, even influenced major leaders exactly.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So today we're taking a deep dive into Mitch Horowitz's
book A Cult America, The Secret History of How Mysticism
shaped our Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Great book, really eye opening.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Our mission is to kind of unpack these powerful, often
hidden currents. We want to pull out the key insights,
maybe some surprising facts, and just shed light on this
lesser known side of America's spiritual identity.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, get ready for a bit of an intellectual adventure.
It might just reshape how you see American history and
maybe even give you some new perspectives on your own journey,
you know, helping you get really well informed on this stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Okay, so let's start at the beginning or near it.
We're talking seventeenth eighteenth century Europe. The spiritual climate there was,
let's just say, not very friendly to anything outside the
mainstream church.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
No, definitely not things like astrology, divination. They weren't just
frowned upon. The church actively labeled pantheists astrologers as well
practitioners of Satanism and black magic.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Wow, strong words leading to persecution, that.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Really widespread persecution, and that created this this real need
for a safe.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Place, and America became that place.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It really did take Johannes Kelpius. He and his followers
fled Germany the Rhine Valley in sixteen ninety three landed
in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Seeking spiritual freedom.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Exactly. They set up the tow Babernacle in the forest.
Later the Ephrata Commune. America literally became a safe harbor
for mystable thinkers and mystery religions.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And what's fascinating is how right from the start, this
occult thread seems woven together with early American liberalism. They
were closely joined.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
As Horowitz puts it, Yeah, look at Jemima Wilkinson, the
Public Universal Friend seventeen seventy six, She's only twenty four,
becomes the first American born woman recognized as a public preacher.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And her claim was pretty out there, wasn't it. Yeah,
died and came back as a divine medium.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
That was the claim, a medium of the divine spirit.
But her message was simple ethics, repentance, and get this,
a judge actually invited the Friend to preach before the
court and praised her good counsel.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
That's incredible acceptance for the time.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It really speaks to that unique mix of piety and
maybe openness. Then you have Annlee and the Shakers, right.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
They came over from England around seventeen seventy four.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Known for prophecies, seeing the dead, spirit trances. They faced
jail accusations of which but they grew massively, especially after
things like the Dark Day in seventeen eighty, which Mother
Ann apparently foretold would bring spirits to every city and hamlet.
It really boosted their spiritual credibility.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Okay, let's shift slightly to mesmerism. Ben Franklin famously dismissed
mesmer in Paris, right part of that committee in seventeen
eighty four. He did.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
But back in America it found well, surprisingly fertile ground.
Lecturers like Charles Poyan spread it in the eighteen thirties.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And here's where it gets really interesting, the social justice connection.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Right, this is a key point. Poian noticed that both
whites and enslaved Africans were equally susceptible to these mesmeric trances,
So it transcended race in a way exactly. And for
Poian this sparked a deep belief in the commonality among
the races and made him strongly anti slavery. It shows
how these unseen practices could challenge the whole social structure.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Beyond that, it was used for healing too in those
public displays.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, healing and commanding subjects to speak in unknown foreign tongues,
big public draws.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So moving into the nineteenth century, we get this area
in central New York, the Psychic Highway.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Burned Over district. Yeah, a real hotbed of spiritual activity,
intense religious revivals, people having visions, speaking in tongues, and there.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Was this folklore too, about an ancient people, maybe a
lost tribe of Israel.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
That was part of the background. Hum definitely. And in
this atmosphere you get groups like the Millerites in the
eighteen forties, William Miller predicting the end times.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Is there a myth They all just gave away everything?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
That's the popular story, but Horowitz argues it was more nuanced.
They had this distinct habit of thought, deep belief in
the afterlife, but still practical, keep hands to work even
as heart soared to God.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
That blend again the mystical in the practical.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It's a recurring theme. Look at Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism,
grew up right near there.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Known as a clairvoyant guide using a seerstone.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, using a seer stone to find hidden treasure, which
was actually kind of common. Then. He also had other
esoteric interests, a Jupiter amulet from Agrippa, fascination with.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Freemasonry, and the Golden plates.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Divine visitations supposedly led him to them on Hillcomorra, a
place already linked to those lost tribe legends. He translates
the Book of Mormon in eighteen thirty. It's this alternate history,
weaving local myths into a new, powerful spiritual story.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
You mentioned Freemasonry that pops up a lot even in
national symbols.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Absolutely, Masonry use symbols like rising suns, pentagrams often tied
to personal development, esoteric wisdom, and the Great Seal.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The eye in pyramid on the dollar.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Bill designed by Franklin A Mason, Jefferson and Adams. That
motto God smiles on our new order of the ages.
It reflects Masonic ideas, Renaissance occult views of Egypt as
this source of ancient wisdom. It's right there in plain sight.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
So these currents are getting stronger than we have. Andrew
Jackson Davis, the Poughkeepsie seer.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Right, a cobbler's apprentice, starts having these incredible cosmic visions
through mesmeric.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Trans and he dictates a huge book.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
The Principles of Nature eighteen forty seven, eight hundred pages,
creation myths, other planets. Afterlife, stuff became an instant sensation, and.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
He learned to do it without mesmerism.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Eventually, Yeah, he developed the ability to enter this superior
condition on his own, became an independent profit. That marks
a shift, you know, from passive channeling towards more individual
spiritual authority. Very American in a way.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Okay, now let's hit the big one. Spiritualism starts with
the Fox Sisters in eighteen forty eight, that rap filled
night in Rochester.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
That's the spark.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It just exploded across America and then went global. Became
the first spiritual movement that America exported abroad.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And it wasn't just about talking to the dead, was it.
It had a social conscience.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Very much so. Spiritualist newspapers were ardently progressive, big supporters
of suffragism and abolitionism.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
And the numbers were huge, astonishing.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
By the eighteen fifties, maybe one point five million Americans
identified as spiritualists. That's nearly one in ten free adults.
It shows how mainstream it became, really.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Even reached the White House.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Mary Todd Lincoln, her interest was lifelong, though apparently a
public embarrassment. She sought out mediums secretly.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Abraham Lincoln himself hosted this ants April.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Eighteen sixty three. Yeah, the book suggests it might have
been a shrewd political end projecting calm during the war.
A medium named Nettie Colbert Maynard even claimed her reading
influenced the emancipation proclamation.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Wow, that's a huge claim.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
It is shows how intertwined these things could potentially be.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
And the most famous artifact of this era the Ouiji board.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Right, basically a homemade device from nineteenth century spiritualists made
talking to spirits seem almost normal, like dinnertime conversation Atton
did in.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Eighteen ninety, and its popularity just soared, especially during wartime.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Absolutely, that example of one NYC store selling fifty thousand
Wigi boards in five months during World War Two is incredible.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Was it just a game or more?
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Well, some like Louisa Rhyan worried it was a gateway
for the gremlins of the unconscious. But it also inspired
serious creative work, the seth material, Patience Worth's writings, novels, poems, plays.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Quite arranged, and this American invention spread all.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Over, inspired Alan Cardek's spiritism in France, which is huge
in Latin America today, and even Katieism in Vietnam. Use
Luigi board.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Okay, let's pivot to new thought. This really sets the
stage for modern self help, doesn't.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It Absolutely starts with Phineas P. Quimby back in the
eighteen thirties a clockmaker.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Right, he noticed his TB got better with carriage rides,
linking positive thoughts and health exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
That was the seed. From there New Thought developed its
core beliefs. Cosmic laws are Christian laws, thoughts some in
their action, and this power affects all experience.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
The mind body connection, the idea that consciousness influences reality
pretty revolutionary.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Totally, and it moved from these newche metaphysical churches right
into the mainstream, became a kind of anti religion, open
to everything. Its ideas got so common that by the
mid twentieth century people forgot where they came from. The
source itself became obscured.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So figures like Dale, Carnegie, Napoleon.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Hill they achieved worldwide fame basically repackaging New Thought principles
for success, how to win friends, think and grow rich.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
And Norman Vincent Peel his Power.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Of Positive Thinking in fifty two gave it that manline.
Christian emphasis made it super accessible, stripped away the explicit
magic laws or secrets.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
But what about the core idea, the law of attraction.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Originally Andrew Jackson Davis used it differently for afterlife stuff.
New Thought repurposed it. What you dwell on, good or
bad manifests in your earthly life, which leads.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
To tricky ethical ground, doesn't it. If thoughts create reality, what.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
About suffering exactly?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It could lead to this naively cruel calculus struggling to
explain tragedy. Often it resonated most with the middle class,
where basic security was more of a relative given.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Still, the desire for practical spirituality was huge, especially during
the Depression. Enter Frank B.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Robinson uh Psycheana, the Idaho druggist who started a male
order religious faith in nineteen twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Eight with those incredibly bold ads I talked with God,
Yes I did, actually and literally unbelievable marketing.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
He apparently got maybe two million followers, could have been
the eighth largest religion on the planet, offered money back.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Guarantees, catering to that hunger for practical and therapeutic religious thought.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
And his methods really influenced mainstream churches, pushed the American
pulpit towards addressing workaday concerns integrating self help. You still
see that legacy in megachurches today.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Now let's turn to a really powerful aspect, occultism and liberation,
especially in the African American experience. Frederick Douglas's story is striking.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
It really is. His early memoirs talk about Sandy Jenkins,
this genuine African figure with so called magical powers, who.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Gave him a magic root for protection against the brutal
slave master Covey.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
It's the story. Initially Douglas felt Covey's behavior changed, but
then he decided to fight back physically. He said, I
now forgot my roots and remembered my pledge to stand
up in my own defense. That was his inner revolution.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
But he still respected Sandy's power.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Yeah, even later, while downplaying the route itself, he respected
Sandy as a man of magic. His authority came from
this occult tradition that no slaveholder could enter. It shows
the psychological power, the resilience it offered.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
And this ties into Whodo as well.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Right. Hohodo used everyday botanical and household items help people
reconnect with rituals, maintain identity.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And Moses was a key figure, reared as.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
The great medicine man and conjurer. His spells against Pharaoh
were seen as proving the true purpose of Africa's traditional
esoteric craft's liberation through spiritual power.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Then Ari Gomagh takes it further in nineteen forty five,
calling Moses the great voodoo Man of the.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Bible bold stuff, arguing that Western faiths actually grew from
the cradle of Africa, a powerful cultural argument recentering Africa
in magic and religion.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Then there's Professor Blackhrman Benjamin Rucker.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
What a character. This gangly, tuxedoed magician blended stage magic, hoodoo,
astrology in his nineteen twenty five book.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
And he framed magic as resistance.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Explicitly a way of resisting oppression. His escape acts symbolized
how enslaved people could use secret knowledge to free themselves.
He saw himself as a modern day conjured emancipator like Moses.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Believed he could lift the depression.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Mentally, Yeah, declared it chiefly mental in Detroit, believed he
was chosen by God. A fascinating blend of showmanship and
deep belief.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Shifting to politics again, Marcus Garvey, the Black Nationalist leader.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
His movement in nineteen sixteen, envisioning a Pan African superpower,
was almost like a religion. He was seen as a
black Moses.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
And he connected it to new thought very much.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
So inspired by Booker T. Washington, Garvey applied the dynamics
of new thought to the Black condition. Thinking of oneself
as a perfect being, urged a scientific understanding of God self,
empowerment for political ends.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
And noble dru Ali. The Moorish Science.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Temple founded in nineteen thirteen, a really interesting inner city
mystery religion makes new thought, Masonry, theosophy occultism.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Had a secret Koran presented himself as an emancipator Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The Circle seven. Koran put this mystico Eastern tinge on
Anglican texts. He was seen as a figure like Jesus,
able to escape in a few seconds, and this movement
influenced key figures in the Nation of Islam like Wallace d.
Fard and Elijah Mohammad. Shows the deep roots.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Okay, let's broaden out again to these secret teachings and
the influx of Eastern wisdom. Theosophy is huge.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Here, absolutely pivotal. Founded eighteen seventy five Manhattan, Henry Steel
Alcott and Helena Bolovatsky.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Bolovatsky claimed guidance from Mahatmas Great White Brothers right.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Her mission, she said, was to reveal a hidden doctrine
that united all the world's ancient religions, aiming for religious universality.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
And they actively defended Eastern faiths against colonialism.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
A key part of their mission. And all Kott's impact
in the East was incredible. He became maybe the single
most significant Western figure in the modern religious history of
the East. Really, how so, campaigned for literacy, boosted Hinduism
and Buddhism, designed the International Buddhist Flag, helped schools in
Sri Lanka. Just enormous influence.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And this built on earlier groundwork by transcendentalists Emerson Alcott.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, they'd already introduced magical philosophies like Hermes Trismagistus into
American thought. Kind of primed the pump for broader.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Acceptance, which brings us to Manly p Hall The Secret
Teachings of All Ages.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
An absolute classic of the genre, published nineteen twenty eight.
Hall was only twenty seven, largely self taught.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
And the book is this huge encyclopedia encyclopedic outline.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, covers Masonic, Hermetic, Kabbalistic, Rosicrucian philosophy, just an astonishing
breadth of subjects, ancient math, alchemy, Taro, even Shakespeare's Hidden.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Meanings give Me a huge underground hit, one of.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
The most popular underground works in American history. He founded
the Philosophical Research Society in la promoted ethics the Golden.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Rule, and the mystery is how he did it with
little formal education.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
That's the puzzle. Some suggested knowledge from other lifetimes, but
recent scholarship actually supports some of his historical takes. Remarkable guy.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Then there's Baird Tea Spalding Life and Teaching of the
Masters of the Far.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
East, circulated privately in the nineteen twenties, introduced this modern
mythos that Christ had spent his lost years studying in
the Far East.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Spaulding himself was a mining prospector.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, but he had this sprightly writing style and could
convey the drama and portent of a new Gospel.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
And his message was universal, very much.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
So, a sensitive theology of universal hope for self realization.
Emphasized the path is right within Christ is enlightenment. All
religions part of one revolutionary world Gospel.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
No religious bigotry there.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Complete absence horro it says, a key part of that
American liberal outlook sadly, despite massive sales he died almost broke,
apparently fleeced by his publisher.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Okay, back to politics and the occult. This is where
it gets really tangled sometimes. Henry A. Wallace, FDR's VP.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Right an intellectually driven Secretary of Agriculture, but also a
real seeker. He connected his metaphysical interests to his public work.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Explored everything from theosophy to Native American shamanism.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Your need through it all had this brief though intense
involvement with Nicholas Rorick, the Russian mystic and theosophist.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Wallace admired Rorick's peace Treaty for cultural sites.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
The Banner of Peace. Yeah, Wallace signed it in nineteen
thirty five.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
But then there were those letters, the dear Guru.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Letters, Oh yes, signed Galahad, very dramatic, full of insider jargon,
apparently prompted FDR to ask, by God, what's the matter
with Wallace. Gives you a glimpse of how close these
ideas were to power, and.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Wallace took credit for getting the Great Seal and Pyramid
onto the currency.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
He did proudly took credit linked the motto nobasorti siciclorum
New Order of the Ages to a kind of spiritual
New Deal, but.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
These interests, combined with his liberal views, hurt him politically.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Ultimately, Yes led to his decline, replaced by Truman in
forty four. Rays's questions about how much unconventional belief is
tolerated in high office.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Now a much darker turn.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
William Dudley Telly Yeah, started as a successful writer journalist,
then became one of the nation's most notorious hate leaders.
Founded America's prototype neo Nazi order.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
But he first gained fame with an article about a
near death experience seven Minutes in Eternity.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
That's the Chilling Part nineteen twenty nine in the American
magazine Huge Circulation, detailed an NDE with heavenly mentors became
the nation's most influential tale of NDEs, introduced it to
the masses. Shows how receptive people were to these stories,
But his.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Path twisted horribly. Claimed to his mentors told him to
Steady Hitler.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Claimed Claire Audient instructions. Yeah, by nineteen thirty three founded
the Silver Shirts, this neo Nazi group, and it have
jailed for libel.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
It's really important to be clear here, though Pelly embraced
weird mystico racial stuff, maybe influenced by Blovotsky's Aryan.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Ideas, but Hitler himself was not an occultist. Horowitz is
very clear Hitler contentiously dismissed that stuff. He was about
brutal power organization.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And the Nazis actually persecuted.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
These groups, savagely oppressed theosophists, Mason's astrologers. So vital not
to conflate Pelly's twisted fringe beliefs with the actual Nazi
regime's ideology.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Very different things, okay.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
Moving towards more recent times, Aquarius rising the dawn of
the New age Edgar case is a big.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Figure the Sleeping Prophet.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
His trance readings started, including life readings about past lives.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Connecting current problems to past life trauma exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
President Eurosi is linked to violence or tragedy in a
previous incarnation. Apparently brought a lot a lot of relief to.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
People and reincarnation itself. That idea became huge.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
It was an ancient Hindu concept most Americans knew little
about before WWII, but then it became a craze in
the fifties thanks to the search for Bridie Murphy. People
even had past life costume Suarez.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
And Wicka emerges around then, too.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Modern witchcraft. Gerald Gardner's Witchcraft Today in nineteen fifty four
introduces Wicca later Wika. This nature based, sexually free, and
female affirming religion really clicked with the times.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
The counterculture plus major Eastern roads Zen Buddhism.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Brought over by D. T. Suzuki huge influence in the
fifties and sixties became a real American religion. Influenced the
Woodstock generation gave us the word mindfulness.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Carlos Castaneda and.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Don Juan Teachings of Don Juan nineteen sixty eight sparked
a massive interest in Native American shamanism. Even if the
book's factual basis was questioned, they were seen as powerful
allegories for the spiritual path.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
And ancient texts gained new life.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
EICHINGG. Tautitching, Rumy's poetry all found huge new audiences a
real hunger for diverse spiritual wisdom.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
So by the mid seventies, the term new Age kind.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Of sticks yeah, describing this vast metaphysical culture, always ever expanding,
ever accommodating whatever met individual needs for self discovery or
personal fulfillment. Real mix of things totally, everything from quick
trends like primal screen therapy to lasting practices like yoga
trans personal psychology, which started bridging that gap between psychology
and spirituality.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
So, wrapping this all up, what's the takeaway for us now?
Horrwitz highlights five core beliefs that really came out of
a cult America and are pretty common today even if
we don't label them a cult.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Right, let's list them. One belief in oneness inter connectedness.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Two belief in a mind body connection in health.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Three belief that human consciousness is evolving.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Four belief that our thoughts somehow affect reality.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
And five belief that you can get spiritual understanding without
belonging to one's religion.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
These ideas are everywhere.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Now pretty much, and maybe the most surprising place they
popped up the US Army.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Seriously.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Yeah, there was a study looking into training recruits in
meditation esp self hypnosis. Some suggest it might have even
influenced the slogan be all you can be.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Wow. Okay, so we've covered a lot of ground here,
journeyed through this hidden spiritual side of America.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yeah, seeing how this nation often seen as so practical
and traditional was also this laboratory for mystical exploration.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
From those early persecuted mystics finding refuge two figures, linking
spirituality with social justice, self help, even our national symbols.
These unseen currents were flowing right through the heart of
American identity.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
And the point for you listening is that this quest
for personal growth, health, justice, meaning, it's always been part
of the American story, just maybe through channels history books
don't always highlight. It's not just history. It's kind of
the DNA of modern self empowerment.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
So maybe a final thought to leave you with in
our world still searching for meaning for empowerment, these old
yet new ideas from a culd America feel incredibly relevant.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Makes you wonder, doesn't it. Are these influences still secret
or have they become so woven into how we see
the world now that we just don't recognize their mystical
roots anymore, And that ongoing human search for fulfillment
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.