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Amazing Secrets of the Psychic World
Presents information on the nature, development, and practice of the various psychic powers involved in such phenomena as spirit communication, automatic writing, hypnotism, clairvoyance, telepathy, spiritual healing, astral projection and expanded consciousness
201 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1976
About the author
Raymond Buckland
95 books375 followersRaymond Buckland was a highly influential figure in the development of modern Wicca and the occult in the United States. Born in London, he became interested in the supernatural at an early age and was initiated into the Gardnerian Wiccan tradition in 1963 by Monique Wilson, a high priestess appointed by Gerald Gardner. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1962, Buckland introduced Gardnerian Wicca to the country, founding its first coven in New York in 1964. He later developed his own tradition, Seax-Wica, inspired by Anglo-Saxon paganism, and published The Tree: Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft to make it accessible to all.
In 1968, he established the first Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in the U.S., which helped normalize and educate the public about Wicca. Over the course of his career, Buckland wrote more than sixty books on Wicca, divination, and the occult, including Witchcraft from the Inside and Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, both regarded as essential texts in Neopaganism.
Throughout his life, Buckland remained a prolific teacher, writer, and practitioner. He continued to write and teach until his death in 2017, leaving behind a lasting legacy that shaped the spiritual practices of countless Wiccans and Pagans worldwide.
In 1968, he established the first Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in the U.S., which helped normalize and educate the public about Wicca. Over the course of his career, Buckland wrote more than sixty books on Wicca, divination, and the occult, including Witchcraft from the Inside and Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, both regarded as essential texts in Neopaganism.
Throughout his life, Buckland remained a prolific teacher, writer, and practitioner. He continued to write and teach until his death in 2017, leaving behind a lasting legacy that shaped the spiritual practices of countless Wiccans and Pagans worldwide.
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March 25, 2023
A SURVEY OF A VARIETY OF ‘PSYCHIC’ AREAS
Raymond Buckland wrote in the introductory section of this 1975 book, “Much has been written… about the Psychic World… But, the appetite whetted, where to go from there?... the way ahead invariably seems hazy. How far along the path can you go? To find true TEACHINGS, of both academic interest and practical use, has been difficult---until now. In this book the difficulties of spirit communication are dealt with… This book, in accepting the reality of spirit communication, allows innumerable interesting possibilities to present themselves---as well as many phenomena which call for solution… The material has been tried and tested and has been found to be sound and helpful.”
He states in the first chapter, “ One of the great objections to the reality of spiritualism urged in the past is that, if true, many more persons must communicate than now appear to do so, and that of the thousands who die, more MUST come back than the few who return through mediums! As will be seen, the reason for this consist partly in the fact that good ‘communicators’ are comparatively rate, and that there is necessarily a peculiar psychic condition which enables them to communicate through mediums.” (Pg. 21)
He explains, “If any one experiences any phenomena of [psychic] he can never impart this knowledge to others, except in a very roundabout way. And for these others to understand the phenomena, they themselves must experience them. It is for this reason that it is so difficult for psychics to express and explain to outsiders the character of the sensations and phenomena they are experiencing. Everything being so largely symbolic, and our language being so poor in this direction, it is often very difficult for them to explain precisely what they mean. We do not know as yet exactly what mediumship is…” (Pg. 45)
He observes, “there must e more in the hypnotic command than mere advice or persuasion, because thousands of drunkards have been ADVISED not to drink, but they continue to do so nevertheless! By means of hypnotism we are able to reach a portion of mind so deep that it controls the whole being, and the result is that these deep-rooted habits may be removed and eradicated.” (Pg. 63)
He acknowledges, “How telepathy takes place we cannot at yet say, with certainty. Some are inclined to believe that ‘vibrations’ travel from brain to brain… It is almost certainly true that telepathy takes place not between the conscious minds of two individuals, but by way of the subconscious. If a message is sent from one conscious mind to another, it might travel in rather a roundabout fashion… This fully explains to us why it is that we sometimes receive telepathic messages at the moment we are falling asleep. We might have receive the message an hour or two before this, but its externalization was impossible until the consciousness ceased to be so active with the affairs of the day, and then the subconscious mind had a chance to deliver the message received some time before from some distant mind.” (Pg. 77-78)
He explains, “Spirit-photographs are based on the belief that there is a spiritual body, resembling the physical body in appearance, which is sufficiently solid to be photographed. Usually the presence of a medium or psychic possessing the peculiar power of rendering the spiritual body apparent to the camera is necessary. The medium seems to act as a sort of connecting link of intermediary between the body and the photographic film, though the exact nature of the mediumistic influence is not yet known. Here is a field of study by expert photographers and by scientists, to ascertain its limits and extent.” (Pg. 101)
He notes, “Just as there are all kinds of characters and natures in this life, so there are said to be individuals of all kinds in the next. The unfortunately part of it is that many of those who can most easily come back and communicate are those on the lowest rung of the ladder---those who are the most earthbound and belong to the lowest strata of society. They are nearer the earth than more advanced spirits, more in sympathy with it and its vibrations..” (Pg. 115)
He states, “By ‘astral projection’ is meant the faculty or ability to send out, or cause to travel to a distance, the etheric self or astral double, by an effort of will. This seems to be inherent in some individuals, and occurs with them spontaneously and almost against their will. They go into trance and, at the end of a certain time, find that they have left their bodies and travelled to some distant scene! This, however, is rare. In the majority of cases the power has to be developed by long and assiduous cultivation.” (Pg. 151)
He reports, “there are still objections to the theory of reincarnation… one main objection … [is] that is the same soul is reincarnated a number of times it should REMEMBER its past lives---yet apparently it rarely does so. If we are to profit or benefit by these in any way one would think that this memory would be absolutely essential. The reincarnationist replies…that each life is intended to be an individual, separate existence without a memory-bond, or connection with any previous life. The soul of the individual which reincarnates only reaps the knowledge of each life AFTER DEATH, when this knowledge is added to the total mass of experiences already gained.” (Pg. 170)
This book may appeal to those interested in a wide variety of psychic phenomena.
Raymond Buckland wrote in the introductory section of this 1975 book, “Much has been written… about the Psychic World… But, the appetite whetted, where to go from there?... the way ahead invariably seems hazy. How far along the path can you go? To find true TEACHINGS, of both academic interest and practical use, has been difficult---until now. In this book the difficulties of spirit communication are dealt with… This book, in accepting the reality of spirit communication, allows innumerable interesting possibilities to present themselves---as well as many phenomena which call for solution… The material has been tried and tested and has been found to be sound and helpful.”
He states in the first chapter, “ One of the great objections to the reality of spiritualism urged in the past is that, if true, many more persons must communicate than now appear to do so, and that of the thousands who die, more MUST come back than the few who return through mediums! As will be seen, the reason for this consist partly in the fact that good ‘communicators’ are comparatively rate, and that there is necessarily a peculiar psychic condition which enables them to communicate through mediums.” (Pg. 21)
He explains, “If any one experiences any phenomena of [psychic] he can never impart this knowledge to others, except in a very roundabout way. And for these others to understand the phenomena, they themselves must experience them. It is for this reason that it is so difficult for psychics to express and explain to outsiders the character of the sensations and phenomena they are experiencing. Everything being so largely symbolic, and our language being so poor in this direction, it is often very difficult for them to explain precisely what they mean. We do not know as yet exactly what mediumship is…” (Pg. 45)
He observes, “there must e more in the hypnotic command than mere advice or persuasion, because thousands of drunkards have been ADVISED not to drink, but they continue to do so nevertheless! By means of hypnotism we are able to reach a portion of mind so deep that it controls the whole being, and the result is that these deep-rooted habits may be removed and eradicated.” (Pg. 63)
He acknowledges, “How telepathy takes place we cannot at yet say, with certainty. Some are inclined to believe that ‘vibrations’ travel from brain to brain… It is almost certainly true that telepathy takes place not between the conscious minds of two individuals, but by way of the subconscious. If a message is sent from one conscious mind to another, it might travel in rather a roundabout fashion… This fully explains to us why it is that we sometimes receive telepathic messages at the moment we are falling asleep. We might have receive the message an hour or two before this, but its externalization was impossible until the consciousness ceased to be so active with the affairs of the day, and then the subconscious mind had a chance to deliver the message received some time before from some distant mind.” (Pg. 77-78)
He explains, “Spirit-photographs are based on the belief that there is a spiritual body, resembling the physical body in appearance, which is sufficiently solid to be photographed. Usually the presence of a medium or psychic possessing the peculiar power of rendering the spiritual body apparent to the camera is necessary. The medium seems to act as a sort of connecting link of intermediary between the body and the photographic film, though the exact nature of the mediumistic influence is not yet known. Here is a field of study by expert photographers and by scientists, to ascertain its limits and extent.” (Pg. 101)
He notes, “Just as there are all kinds of characters and natures in this life, so there are said to be individuals of all kinds in the next. The unfortunately part of it is that many of those who can most easily come back and communicate are those on the lowest rung of the ladder---those who are the most earthbound and belong to the lowest strata of society. They are nearer the earth than more advanced spirits, more in sympathy with it and its vibrations..” (Pg. 115)
He states, “By ‘astral projection’ is meant the faculty or ability to send out, or cause to travel to a distance, the etheric self or astral double, by an effort of will. This seems to be inherent in some individuals, and occurs with them spontaneously and almost against their will. They go into trance and, at the end of a certain time, find that they have left their bodies and travelled to some distant scene! This, however, is rare. In the majority of cases the power has to be developed by long and assiduous cultivation.” (Pg. 151)
He reports, “there are still objections to the theory of reincarnation… one main objection … [is] that is the same soul is reincarnated a number of times it should REMEMBER its past lives---yet apparently it rarely does so. If we are to profit or benefit by these in any way one would think that this memory would be absolutely essential. The reincarnationist replies…that each life is intended to be an individual, separate existence without a memory-bond, or connection with any previous life. The soul of the individual which reincarnates only reaps the knowledge of each life AFTER DEATH, when this knowledge is added to the total mass of experiences already gained.” (Pg. 170)
This book may appeal to those interested in a wide variety of psychic phenomena.
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