The Secret History of the World Quotes

“The danger of delusion was made worse, by the love of delusion. What's best for me and what is worst for me, the thing I most ought to do and the thing I most ought not to do, look very much alike. In my heart of hearts I may know which is which - but then a spirit of perversity makes me want to choose wrongly. Great psychic perturbation always surrounds great beauty”
― Mark Booth, The Secret History of the World: Sweeping, speculative tour of occult traditions claiming a hidden narrative beneath recorded history.

“You cannot transform the world by wishful thinking -- you must do something about it.”
― Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World

“For science the great miracle to be explained is the physical universe. For esoteric philosophy the greater miracle is human consciousness.”
― Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World

“The reader should beware of taking the same step. It is important you be on your guard against any impression that perhaps – to be fair – this version of history hangs together in some way, or that it feels true in some unspecific poetic or, worse, spiritual way. Important because a momentary lapse of concentration in this regard and you might – without at first noticing it and with a light heart and a spring in your step – begin to walk down the road that leads straight to the lunatic asylum.”
― Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World

“1775 members of the Colonial Congress were staying as guests in a house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their aim was to design the American flag. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were present and so was an old professor, who seemed to be staying there by coincidence. Somewhat to the surprise of the others, Washington and Franklin deferred to the professor. They seemed to recognize him as their superior, immediately and unreservedly, and all of his suggestions for the design of the flag were promptly adopted. Then he vanished and was never seen or heard of again. Was this stranger one of the Hidden Masters who direct the history of the world?”
― Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World

“Whole dimensions lie glistening on the dark side of even the most dull and commonplace thought.”
― Mark Booth, The Secret History of the World

“The danger of delusion was made worse, by the love of delusion. What is best for me and what is worst for me, the thing I most ought to do and the thing I most ought not to do, look very much alike. In my heart of hearts I may know which is which - but then a spirit of perversity makes me want to choose wrongly. Great psychic perturbation always surrounds great beauty.”
― Mark Booth, The Secret History of the World

“La actual escasez de experiencias dificulta que se crea en espíritus incorpóreos. De hecho, la Iglesia predica que creer es admirable precisamente porque es algo difícil. Según parece, cuanto más desproporcionada sea la creencia respecto a lo evidente, mejor. Esto hubiera parecido absurdo en el mundo antiguo.”
― Jonathan Black, La historia secreta del mundo

“Vemos el mismo proceso en el caso de artistas que se convierten en vehículos de la expresión de un dios o de un espíritu durante un determinado período de sus vidas. En ese momento, parecen «encontrar su voz» y crean una obra maestra tras otra con mano firme, transformando a veces la conciencia de toda una generación, modificando incluso totalmente el rumbo de una cultura dentro de la historia. Pero cuando el espíritu se marcha, el artista nunca vuelve a crear con el mismo grado de genialidad.”
― Jonathan Black, La historia secreta del mundo

“Si en la actualidad creemos con toda naturalidad que la gente piensa, los antiguos consideraban que eran los pensamientos los que habitaban dentro de la gente.”
― Jonathan Black, La historia secreta del mundo

“… O mother wilderness”
― Mark Booth, The Secret History of the World: As Laid Down by the Secret Societies

“cardinal”
― Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World: As Laid Down by the Secret Societies

“Noah’s ark. Legend has it that the only animal that missed the ark was the unicorn, which therefore became extinct. This is an obvious depiction of the diminishing of the powers of the Third Eye. As the waters of the deluge closed over Atlantis, the era of Imagination ended. The subconscious was formed.”
― Mark Booth, The Secret History of the World

“Umberto Eco has called his poem ‘the apotheosis of the virtual world’.”
― Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World