What is a good starting point for learning about the occult?

Your starting point kinda depends on what you find yourself interested in. Are you spiritual or secular?

>Where should I begin?
By deleting this thread and trying again without the stupid frog picture.

>>18732057
I don't currently believe in any specific paranormal or occult phenomena, but I'm pretty sure somethings out there

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First thing you must do is believe in yourself and embrace your faith in whatever it may be, even if your faith be only in yourself, at least know that much

>>18732057
And stop pandering to shut-eye heathens

>>18732070
Ignore this useless drivel

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>>18732062
So what makes you sure that something's out there?

Start your research with that

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>>18732046
Divination has plenty of active practitioners. Always plenty of threads up too.
I'm sure they'd love to teach you.
>>18731993

watch Chaos, The Occult, and the Shamanic Sigil.

It' on YouTube

>>18732046
My advice is to just ignore people like this >>18732070 .

There are always going to be people who will try to push you into a cult or pseuddo religious spiritualism, which is an option, but make sure it's an option you actually want and have thought about carefully before you jump on the bandwagon.

Contrary to what some may tell you, you don't need to believe in any god to get involved with the paranormal, just go slow, be careful, and if you're going to do the usual beginner "lel I should summon a demon now!" use some damn wards. There's a reason so many people involved with this shit end up mentally ill or dead.

>>18732127
If I was going to start, not based on anyone elses teachings, can you find enlightenment through actions like meditation or lucid dreaming? Or is that just a meme?

>>18732081
Is this sincere, or mocking the overabundance of divination threads?

>>18732162
>can you find enlightenment through actions like meditation or lucid dreaming
Okay, if you're looking for enlightenment and all that, you're talking to the wrong guy. My work is largely academic and research based, I'm not in on all that spiritualism crap. The way I practice magic is more comparable to engineering or mathematics than any pseudo religious practice.

As far as lucid dreaming goes, it can be fun, but i get sleep paralysis from it, so it's not for me. Sorry if that's not helpful.

>>18732079
Quite honestly I don't know how I would begin based on that.

I've never taken any hallucinations or had vivid dreams that would give me something concrete to research.

The most religious experience I've had was when I was running down deer and they led me to a strange clearing innawoods. I felt some strong kind of presence and felt as though there as something speaking to me through the wind and rain. I still visit this place regularly, but thats not much to go on.

>>18732191
Good, thats more how I think too. Can you recommend any books to start out with?

>>18732203
Why are you so focused on this dreaming/visions/religion angle?

Not saying it's wrong, just wondering why you're taking that approach.

>>18732214
>Why are you so focused on this >dreaming/visions/religion angle?

What's the alternative? I'm happy to explore whatever.

>>18732212
Honestly? If you're taking a structural approach to this stuff, a STEM degree will be more useful than pretty much anything else. Physics, mathematics, chemistry, all will help, even knew a guy who got into it through his electrical engineering job.

If you're talking about a book to help get you into the "magic" side of things, I'd say there isn't much point *yet*. If you were born with the ability to manipulate magic, it would have mannifested already (assuming you're out of your teens, anyway), but fear not, even duds like us (yes, I have zero magical sensitivity but I work with magic almost every day) can get involved, we just have to take a more structural approach, which in the past has meant using rituals and magical aids, but in the modern day can be approaching the craft as a science. In order to best do that, you should get some academic experience, and a pertinent degree.

>>18732238
No kidding, I'm starting on my EE degree in the fall. Just study the nature of reality then?

>>18732358
Yeah, sounds good.

This thread might be of interest to you. It kind of got derailed by a modern practitioner who explained some shit to another new guy, so you might find it useful. >>18721336

>>18732358
Hermeticism my friend.

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>>18732169
Yes.

>>18732046
Reddit tier basics, it's actually pretty nice if you're completely new to the practice.
http://bluefluke.deviantart.com/art/The-Psychonaut-Field-Manual-FOURTH-PDF-EDITION-530005584
These are some basic books on the subject.
https://mega.nz/#F!BcViwbhY!pYG-mI2Le-Xd8sFPH9Iilw

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aw geez you banal goons tricked me into pandering to you again! curses!

>>18732614
Looks like superstitious nonsense.

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>>18732127
>There's a reason so many people involved with this shit end up mentally ill or dead.
I am that reason, heathen

>>18732697
>I am that reason, heathen
You are a flippant approach to dangerous situations and a lack of warding and protection?

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>>18732717
Wow

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Start with Socrates, Plato, and Pythagoras. If you grasp their teachings and learn their jargon, reading everything else becomes way easier and so does spotting bullshit.

What kind of magic will allow me to apply 1-100000 Newtons of force on a surface between 1mm^2 to 1 m^2, at a distance of 1-20 meters from myself, without using heavy machinery?

Meme magic and chaos magic and tarots all are about humans and their social behavior, and behavior is useless compared to physical effect

Please don't suggest any fucking weaksause, thanks