Occult America: White House Seances, Ouija Circles, Masons, and the Secret Mystic History of Our Nation
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 America presents a dramatic, pioneering study of the esoteric undercurrents of our history and their profound impact across modern life.
A widely known voice of esoteric ideas,Mitch Horowitzis lecturer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society, a writer-in-residence at the New York Public Library, and the PEN Award-winning author of books including Occult America; One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life; and The Miracle Club: How Thoughts Become Reality. Mitch has written on everything from the war on witches to the secret life of Ronald Reagan forThe NewYork Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Salon, Time.com, and Politico. The Washington Post says Mitch “treats esoteric ideas and movements with an even-handed intellectual studiousness that is too often lost in today’s raised-voice discussions.” He narrates popular audio books including Alcoholics Anonymousand The Jefferson Bible, and hosts PRS’s twelve-part video lecture series on The Secret Teachings of All Ages. Mitch has discussed alternative spirituality on CBS Sunday Morning, Dateline NBC, NPR’s All Things Considered, CNN, and throughout the national media. The Chinese government has censored his work.