The rise of social media has been interesting to watch from an esoteric perspective. It has opened avenues of communication and collaboration that didn’t previously exist; platforms for people to share ideas and creations; and has enabled every kind of sub-group to carve out their own niche and find other like-minded seekers.
But it’s also highlighting new ways people are exploiting the negative side of group dynamics. Going so far, at times, as to harness extremism that can be violent or dangerous to individuals involved. There’s a growing conversation about these issues, so this post looks at some of the warning signs to watch out for with esoteric and occult-focused groups.
These warning signs are, of course, the same for more specialised groups as they are for larger, mainstream religions (or political groups); but it’s worth looking at some examples within a specifically esoteric or occult context. Furthermore, what new issues are starting to arise as we continue integrating our lives more and more into the online space and its open, yet often anonymised communities?
This is a lengthy post about an important topic, so please forgive the long read. For anybody worried whether they might be involved in a dangerous group, it’s a topic worth going into in some detail.
Having said that, this is only a starting point and shouldn’t be considered a comprehensive look at these issues by any means – but I hope it might spark a discussion and framework for all of us to consider the communities we are involved with, whether online or in our lives more generally.
… Continue Reading