Analysis: Normalization of Paranormal Beliefs and Occult Practices

This essay explores the increasing normalization of occult practices and paranormal beliefs in contemporary society, arguing that neither religion nor science can fully control the truth. It discusses how the Church's declining dominance and the rise of scientific rationalism have created space for alternative belief systems. The essay highlights the role of psychology in legitimizing paranormal practices and the influence of media, including films and books, in popularizing occult-scientific beliefs. It also addresses contrasting views, including concerns about spiritualistic practices and the potential for negative experiences. Ultimately, the essay concludes that occult practices have gained substantial acceptance, evolving into personal belief systems and a counter-religion that seeks transcendence outside traditional Judeo-Christian frameworks.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
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Introduction
Occultism comprised of diverse theories and practices have incorporated a belief and use
of supernatural forces or beings. These notions and practices fundamentally identified as magical
or divinatory have its incidence in all human societies across recorded history. According to
Bartolini et al. (2017) such occurrences tend to have significant variations both in their
characteristics and attitude of societies towards them. In Western society, the term occultism has
been attained intellectually and morally pejorative overtones which do not acquire in other
societies where the practices and beliefs do not counter to the prevailing worldview. Geoghegan
(2015) has stated that occult practices position themselves on the alleged ability of the
practitioner in order to manipulate natural laws for clients’ benefits. Thus, such gains tend to be
considered as evil only when they involve infringement of laws. The paper will argue on the
increase of occult practices and the way paranormal and occultism have normalized in
contemporary society.
Discussion
Philosophical theory of the modern occult practices has depended on the belief that
neither religion nor science can control the truth. In the contemporary world, the Church has
been serving a determining supremacy of what to believe in matters of ‘religion’. According to
Benjamin Jr and Baker (2014), with the Enlightenment, the rising modern science has supported
factors which could be considered to be ‘knowledge’. However, Comaroff and Comaroff (2018)
have claimed that knowledge through such belief systems as spiritualism or astrology practices
have been regarded to be external to the realms of religion and science and thus received
rejections. Comprehensive studies of Singer and Benassi (1981) have claimed that in modern

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Western society the Church has lost its dominance and authority. Furthermore, besides
secularization scientific rationalism has developed into increasingly dominant in intellectual
notion. Moreover, the relativism of the modern occult practices has relied on the belief that
neither religion nor science can declare superiority to truth. Such claims have obtained
intimidating responses from both religious and scientific establishments significantly as it
demoralized the hegemonic arguments of religion as well as science. Thus, relativism has
facilitated for the concern of both religion and science as cultural and historical constructs.
Paranormal beliefs and occultism have been explained through the support of newly
emerged disciplines. Jenkins (2018) has argued that the belief in occultism, the paranormal and
heterodox religious in addition to ‘New Age’ contexts have been comprehended as ‘para-
religious’ or ‘pseudo-scientific occurrence. Paranormal beliefs and occultism have been
explained in significance of certain new disciplines, chiefly related to psychology and further in
an attempt to legitimate these paranormal practices for a secular world. Ezenweke (2016) at this
juncture, has opined that psychic construct of the self has been associated with the standard of
the spiritual Sun, in essence sacralising the psyche and consequently psychologising the holy.
Furthermore, the essential exploration of the Grand Unified Theory (GUT) can be established as
a contemporary version of eighteenth-century. Such terminology have implied to instinctive as
well as rigorous approach further shedding light on the reality fundamental to the phenomenal
realism and truth. Benjamin Jr and Baker (2014) have emphasized on the ardent exploration of
the fundamental reality which tends to encompass the recognized scientific knowledge by
preserving philosophical elegance, religious insights in addition to internal consistency and
uniformity. The broadened view on magical beliefs in contemporary industrial cultures have
contended that magical beliefs or occultism have been signified as bunch of curious phenomena

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that persist today as a redundant addition to critical range of rational beliefs. Inclusive studies of
Massicotte (2014) stated that these newly emerged deliberations and beliefs have led religion,
paranormal along with occultism to significantly rise and further become normalized in
contemporary society. The institutions and growth of traditional religion and science have no
longer been considered as the universal authorities and negotiators of truths. As a consequence,
these practices as well as beliefs related to spiritual forces and ideas which had been rejected by
both domains of knowledge in recent times have acquired a certain level of prevalence in
contemporary society. According to Singer and Benassi (1981), the highly logical consideration
in support of seekers has relied on the sense of truthfulness and totality, which has emerged from
the belief that science and the spiritual have not been opponent to each other but have been
reintegrated in a holistic worldview. Thus, once-rejected knowledge in contemporary times have
been positioned in relation to science as well as religion, and recently has been situated securely
within the boundaries of factors which have been considered to be acceptable, typical and
mainstream.
The rise of occultism has been extensively supported by media, fictional films and
television series. Such a significant shift in the view of Comaroff and Comaroff (2018) has been
popularized through mass media and also through documentaries, social media and television
programmes in addition to fictional films and television series. Wide ranges of cultural products
have been reflecting such an esoteric assimilation of spirituality and scientific understanding.
The cultural products primarily have incorporated diverse books and articles such as Fritj of
Capra’s The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and
Eastern Mysticism (1975) along with Gary Zukav’s The Dancing Wu-Li Masters (1979)
(Geoghegan, 2015). However, on the other side, Utinans et al. (2015) have observed that in

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more recent years, the achievement of the film What the Bleep (2004) in addition to the extended
adaptation What the Bleep: Down the Rabbit Hole. These cultural products have adopted a
synthesis of quantum physics and spiritual practices. Moreover, observations and research of
Ezenweke (2016) has claimed that the popular response of these books and films is testimony to
the power of this occult-scientific beliefs and practices. Jenkins (2018) has identified that the
book ‘Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred’ published in contemporary
times is a study that is highly arguable to argue, could not have been published by a Religious
Studies academic at any time before 2000. The author of the book, Kripal has shed light on four
key figures that have been noteworthy in the history of the paranormal. However, the ideas
reflected on the book would definitely be mislaid in a study of religion that covered the similar
historical period. Benjamin Jr and Baker (2014) have argued that the book has explored some of
the most imperative fact regarding occultism and paranormal milieu. Such a milieu has been
created to a certain degree by documenting and reading by obtaining experiences in addition to
the supernatural which has been raised and experienced by members. These experiences have
been identified as a discursive construct, the result of immersion in writing and reading regarding
the ‘impossible’ collectively.
On contrary, Keane (2016) has argued that occultism representing occultism primarily
comprises of certain forms of events of physical, biological, and psychological principles and
conventions. Whilst the interest in spiritualistic practices have been continuing to intensify mass
populace which have been willing to reveal their negative experiences a revolving round
spiritualism and the lies they have been told while initiating occult practices. Szuppe (2018) has
claimed that several individuals exhibiting Christian beliefs and faith have developed a sense of
gracelessness while articulating about supernatural and paranormal practices. However when

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individuals get involved and deliver people from these practices that tends to fill the gap in
paranormal investigation that might otherwise be filled by those in the occultism. As a result,
while Christians refuse to act in that manner, practices will emerge and will negatively intensify
the problem. Furthermore, Ezenweke (2016) has lead into the discourse under the pretence of
denouncing Satanism and then indicate that most vampires who run around biting people and
drinking blood are the products of Satanism. Moreover these events typically reflects the real
presence of occult practices thus resulting to an unpleasant and obnoxious end in which the
individual has been guided down a path of spiritual devastation.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Asprem (2015) drawing relevance to the normalization of
occultism in contemporary society has claimed that insistence related to occultism has primarily
relied on the notion that experience has been seen as the path to knowledge and enlightenment
also had its equivalent in the larger society. A leading epistemology shift especially in the realm
of religion has its occurrence. These factors have led cognitive processes to be dethroned by
raising experiences and events as highly crucial. Moreover, Benjamin Jr and Baker (2014) have
noted that as several religious therapies kinked to the human potential along with New Age
movements have been intimately resembled their secular counterparts, advances in the
psychology have relied on occult-metaphysical theories. Additionally, the prominence that
certain groups reflecting Eastern-occult worldview positioned on health and totality has been a
prevalent development.
Conclusion
Hence to conclude, manifestations of religion, the paranormal in addition to occultism
have pervaded nearly all aspects of modern media as well as popular culture. Thus acquisition of

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substantial acceptance by surpassing the original use for entertainment occult practices has
assembled into personal belief systems. Furthermore, occultism, with its enduring history of
unorthodox beliefs and practices has surpassed all declaration of the existence of powers
originating from beyond. Consequently occult practices in contemporary society have been
recognized as a counter religion in search of facets of transcendence that have been positioned
outside the Judeo-Christian tradition. Thus, occult and metaphysical movements have gathered
profound spiritual thirst and developed as a significant part of contemporary society.

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