The Reception and Development of the Concept of 'the Occult' in 1970s Japan: On the 'Mikkyō Boom' and its Influence
The Reception and Development of the Concept of 'the Occult' in 1970s Japan: On the 'Mikkyō Boom' and its Influence Han Sang-yun (Translated by Ronnie Dickson) The term ‘Occult’ comes from the Latin word meaning ‘Hidden Wisdom ’. However, it is defined by researchers of today as ‘A self evident truth of a substance or power that exists behind our physical reality grasped by intuitive analogical reasoning’ (1). The specific content within the framework of the ‘occult’ differs according to the speaker but historically ‘magic ’, ‘telepathy ’, ‘precognition ’, and ‘fortune telling’ are representative amongst others. In Japan, the 1970s were considered to be the era of ‘The Occult Boom’ (2) and the term ‘Occult’ came to be used as part of the Japanese vocabulary in that context. The driving force behind this process was the monumental work ‘The Occult’ (1971) by British author Colin Wilson (1931-2013). Since the book’s Japanese translation in 1973, the title ...