Cultural Sources of Support for Contemporary Occultism.

This article discusses cultural sources of support for occultism in contemporary society. One of the central problems for a sociology of the occult is to explain how it is that individuals develop both an interest in and a commitment to occult practices and beliefs, and although several useful and informative studies have been undertaken since 1977, it is still largely the case that a vast ignorance exists concerning the factors underlying the appeal of the occult. Folk religion is one concept which has an obvious close connection both with superstition and the occult. Conventionally, this term has been used to contrast to universal or official religion to denote a religion attached to and carried by the group, the folk, or tribe, while universal religions are defined as those aimed at self-conscious individuals. The importance of the mass media and popular culture in general in providing a supportive environment for occultism clearly needs to be noted, for although, at one level, the media can often be identified as acting on behalf of the guardians of official institutionalized knowledge, ridiculing those who believe in aliens or witchcraft, at another level, interest in the occult is taken for granted.