(Author’s note: this essay first appeared as part of ”\u00a0Integral Esotericism – Introduction” on\u00a0<\/em>Integral World, November 2006, and is here included with only a very few modifications. Despite being quite old, I am still happy with it as a good introduction to the subject. However, several of the hyperlinks point to or emphasise topics which represent a newer insight on my part – MAK 04 Oct 09<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n
The words “Esoteric” and “Esotericism” are used here in a very specific context, that pertains to the contemporary (19th<\/sup>\u00a0century onwards) “Wisdom Tradition” of the West. It is not to be confused with “esoteric” in the colloquial adjectival sense of something that is very specialised, technical, and difficult to master, such as “esoteric” mathematics, or that pertains to the minutiae of a particular area of common knowledge, such as “esoteric” baseball statistics.<\/p>\n\n
In this definition, “Esoteric” refers to insight or understanding of\u00a0inner\u00a0(Greek:\u00a0eso<\/em>-) or\u00a0spiritual\u00a0or\u00a0metaphysical\u00a0realities, or a specific teaching or spiritual practice or path or “wisdom tradition” that is based on a mystical interpretation of spirituality, rather than a religious or slavish following of the outer words of scriptures, or pertains to transpersonal or transcendent states of existence. In contrast\u00a0exoteric\u00a0knowledge, is knowledge that is well-known or public, and does not require any such transformation of consciousness.<\/p>\n\n
To give an example, Muslim fundamentalism which is based on a literal reading of the Holy Quran is “exoteric”, whereas\u00a0Sufism\u00a0which looks at the inner meaning of the words and takes the scriptural account as metaphor (e.g. Mohammad’s Night Flight to Jerusalem is interpreted as the ascent of consciousness) is “esoteric”. Even progressive Islam which adopts a less restrictive and more academic and open-minded understanding provided by secular modernity is still “exoteric” because it is not based on a mystical and transcendent understanding of the hidden meanings of things.<\/p>\n\n