What is esoterism? Discover the definition right now

do you really know what is esoterism? Most people think this pertains to religious or spiritual practices that involve some kind of contact with the supernatural. However, this definition could fall apart, since all religions would be considered esoteric, since they talk to some supreme being, such as God, Allah and Tupa. Therefore, defining exactly what esoterism is is not an easy task.

The Houaiss dictionary, one of the most prestigious in the Portuguese language, defines esoterism as “a doctrinal, pedagogical or sectarian attitude according to which certain knowledge (related to science, philosophy and religion) cannot or should not be popularized, but communicated to a small number of initiates. Want to know more about this definition? So check it out!

Understanding what esotericism really is

In other words, to understand what esotericism is, you need to accept that every practice (religious or not) whose knowledge is kept secret from the general public. It is not a religion, but a philosophical thought.

This philosophy argues that some religious, scientific or spiritual knowledge is too powerful or “noble” to be disseminated to the general public, and it is necessary that its sharing occurs only in selected groups of people.

Esoterism is confused, at various times, with occultism, but most scholars consider occultism to be just a more specific aspect of esoterism. Thus, occultism is an exclusively spiritual offshoot of this wider stream of thought.

Schools of thought that explain what esotericism is

Dictionary definitions, although they help to understand what esoterism is, are far from exhausting all doubts on the subject. There is a wide variety of schools of thought that try to decipher what esotericism is.

The confusion is understandable. Take the case, for example, of the occult. This religious practice arose before the term “esoterism” was even created. So how can occultism have esotericism as one of its pillars? So the answer may surprise you.

It’s just that when we analyze what esoterism is, we can see that this term appeared only around the 17th century, and was used retroactively to philosophical practices and thoughts practiced in past centuries.

Perennial philosophy of what is esotericism

Thus, it is safe to say that many philosophers of antiquity practiced esotericism, but these practices went by other names. An example is the “perennial philosophy”, a line of thought developed in ancient Greece (before Christ).

The perennial philosophy, influenced by the numerous discoveries of the Greek and Roman Empires in antiquity, understood that all the religions of the world were united by a single, metaphysical truth, and this truth is the origin of all existing doctrines of thought.

This line of thinking is now regarded as an esoteric line because its more spiritual discussions were held secretly and away from the public eye.

The doctrine of the excluded

Another school of thought that explains what esoterism is, is the one that considers it a way of encompassing all cultures whose knowledge or practice is rejected by popular religions or the scientific community.

In this way, African or Christian religions cannot be considered as esoteric, since their rites are well known publicly. However, some practices of these religions can be considered esoteric, such as shelling games or even performing exorcisms.

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