Occult Science in India and Among the Ancients

Description

Occult Science in India and Among the Ancients by Louis Jacolliot was first published in 1875. The book was written at a time when reliable information about Hinduism was just beginning to reach the West. Jacolliot was exploring the origins of Western esoteric traditions in the East. The highlight of this book is his travelogue detailing encounters in India with a fakir who vividly demonstrates his siddhis (yogic powers). Additionally, there is an extensive discussion on Kabbalah and its connection to Eastern mystical beliefs. As a diffusionist, Jacolliot believed that many Western esoteric traditions, particularly Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian, originated in India. The author was a French lawyer who served as a judge in India and Tahiti before becoming a prolific writer. Though he had some knowledge of Sanskrit and did some casual translations of the Laws of Manu, Jacolliot was not an academic. He extensively quotes a text called the 'Agrouchada-Parikchai,' which seems to be a mix of the Upanishads, Hindu law books, and elements of Freemasonry. He also believed in a lost Pacific continent and was cited by Helena Blavatsky in 'Isis Unveiled' in support of Lemuria.

This book has 67,577 words, 153 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1875. This translation by William L. Felt was first published in 1919.

Production notes: This ebook of Occult Science in India and Among the Ancients was published by Global Grey in 2018, and updated on the 17th June 2024. The artwork used for the cover is 'A Storm is Coming' by an unknown artist.