Publisher's Synopsis
India has traditionally occupied an important place in the imaginary of Western Esotericism. India and the Occult examines the reception of Indian spirituality, in particular Yoga and Tantra, among western occultists. Whilst most scholarship has focused on the activities of the Theosophical Society, India and the Occult surveys the writings and activities of Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Kenneth Grant, and the British sadhu known as Mahendranath Dadaji. India and the Occult analyses how these practitioners incorporation of Indian yogic and tantric traditions into Western occultism rests on the family resemblance between the two regional forms of esotericism. The book argues that the more radical approach to Eastern teachings taken by these occultists is essential for understanding the contemporary explosion of interest in Yoga and related disciplines.
