A interpretação sociológica do esoterismo contemporâneo

Abstract

Social scientists have explained the increasing popularity of esoteric practices in the last decades as a reaction to the preponderance of instrumental rationality in modern industrialized societies. Many scientists consider this development as a return to magic and irrational ways of thinking and acting, which are not able to produce predictable results. In this article we will present anthropological investigations of traditional magic rituals, and psychological and social-scientific interpretations of esoteric practices which suggest a different view: traditional magic and esoteric methods are based, on the one hand, on symbolic actions which direct the human mind towards certain direction and thus, under certain circumstances, are able to produce the desired effect. On the other hand, esoteric techniques make use of exstasis and body-control techniques by means of which particular psychic energies can be provoked. In the concluding section we will discuss the use of esoteric methods by the New Age movement. We will argue that both principles of esotericism, symbols and symbolic actions, and techniques of ecstasy and control of bodyfunctions, can have positive effects on the human mind and body, if the respective techniques are applied in a proper way.