The Unfashionable Flavour of the Occult
Nowadays Occultism ( the study of the supernatural) is a subject that is rarely seriously
discussed. The horror genre has moved on - in the sense that much of the horror story telling today is
set in everyday life - and the tales tend to express the fear of the unknown in ways
that many of us can relate to.
The word Occult is described in the dictionary as ‘secret,
mysterious and supernatural’. A meaning
that signifies to many the ‘practise of the Black Arts’. That, in itself, is a
term that has fallen out of fashion nowadays.
Many believe in the power of good and evil and the eternal
struggle between these two extremes of our human condition but the Devil
himself and the pseudo-science of demonology have long since fallen by the
wayside for most people. We no longer live in the superstitious dark ages of
magic, mayhem and witchcraft.
However that does not mean that many of the paranormal
aspects of the occult have disappeared. Indeed, they are alive and well in many
good stories today. For example
vampires, monsters and other worldly beings are in full flavour at the minute.
For me the use of ordinary people - rather than devilish,
vampiric, evil monster/villains - gives
a much greater feel of horror. After all it could be me or you trapped in a
modern horror story… (A La Mr King).
But the Occult is still very useful in a modern horror story,
as there are lots of subtopics within it. The influences of things like
astrology, ESP, numerology,
clairvoyance, telepathy, telemetry, premonitions, doppelgangers and hypnotism –
to name but a few – are still with us and can be used to good effect in a good
thriller/supernatural story. Everyone knows what these things mean even if they
don’t believe in them. But…. Haha, you
say… You just never know…
“There are more
things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Do you enjoy a story with some supernatural-type elements in it?Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
