{"product_id":"occult-science-in-india-and-among-the-ancients-paperback","title":"Occult Science in India — A 19th-Century Eyewitness Account (Paperback)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tod-product\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Though deeply sceptical with regard to spirits, I often wondered, whenever I saw an experiment of this kind, whether or not some natural force had not been brought into play, with which we were totally unacquainted.\" That is the voice of this book: a European observer in mid-nineteenth-century India, reporting the seemingly wondrous feats of Indian mystics in a straightforward, unsensational, frankly sceptical fashion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpirit forces that make leaves dance in still air. Buoyant wooden sticks that sink in water. Fakirs who levitate and induce plants to grow overnight. First published in English in 1884, the book also includes a translation of esoteric works of Indian magic that have been likened to the Jewish Kabbalah — which is why modern spiritualists and paranormal researchers still reference it today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eAt a Glance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWritten by Louis Jacolliot (1837–1890), translated by William E. Felt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA firsthand European account from mid-nineteenth-century India\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWritten from the perspective of a religious sceptic, not a believer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes a translation of esoteric works of Indian magic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThose works have been likened to the Jewish Kabbalah\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e280 pages, paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eHow to Use It\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA reference book earns its place by being opened, not by being finished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart with the chapter that answers the question you already have. Reference works reward curiosity over order.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep it near your altar, desk or reading chair — somewhere you will actually reach for it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMark the pages you return to. The passages you revisit are the ones your practice is built on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead one entry before a ritual or a study session to set the frame for what follows.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eBook Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width:100%; border-collapse:collapse;\"\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"text-align:left; padding:8px; border-bottom:2px solid #2c3a37;\"\u003eDetail\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"text-align:left; padding:8px; border-bottom:2px solid #2c3a37;\"\u003eSpecification\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003eFormat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003ePaperback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003ePages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003e280\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003eDimensions\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003e0.63 x 8 x 5 in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003ePublished\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003eDecember 16, 2005\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003eFirst published in English\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003e1884\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:8px; border-bottom:1px solid #d8d2c6;\"\u003eLouis Jacolliot\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#000D0B,#40514E); color:#f4f1ea; padding:24px; border-radius:12px; margin:28px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color:#c9a96e; margin-top:0;\"\u003e✨ Temple Tip\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color:#f4f1ea; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eRead this one next to a modern account of the same phenomena. The gap between a sceptical 1884 eyewitness and a contemporary believer is where the most interesting questions live.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the author a believer?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. Jacolliot writes as a religious sceptic and states the facts without further comment, wondering whether some unfamiliar natural force is at play.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho was Louis Jacolliot?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eA French writer and jurist (1837–1890) who served in French India as a government official and wrote extensively on Indian culture, including Voyage au pays des fakirs charmeurs (1881).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat else does it include?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eA translation of esoteric works of Indian magic that have been likened to the Jewish Kabbalah.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho wrote it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eLouis Jacolliot (1837–1890), French writer and jurist who served in French India as a government official, translated by William E. Felt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow quickly does it ship?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eShips within 3 business days, packed to protect the corners and the spine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn eyewitness who refused to be impressed — and reported it anyway.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e#TempleOfDesire\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is the author a believer?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No. Jacolliot writes as a religious sceptic and states the facts without further comment, wondering whether some unfamiliar natural force is at play.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Who was Louis Jacolliot?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"A French writer and jurist (1837\u0026ndash;1890) who served in French India as a government official and wrote extensively on Indian culture, including Voyage au pays des fakirs charmeurs (1881).\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What else does it include?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"A translation of esoteric works of Indian magic that have been likened to the Jewish Kabbalah.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Who wrote it?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Louis Jacolliot (1837\u0026ndash;1890), French writer and jurist who served in French India as a government official, translated by William E. Felt.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How quickly does it ship?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Ships within 3 business days, packed to protect the corners and the spine.\"}}]}\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54413441302865,"sku":"9781596054004","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1063\/0194\/8241\/files\/vIVBrr6Nj59781596054004.webp?v=1785078683","url":"https:\/\/www.templeofdesire.com\/products\/occult-science-in-india-and-among-the-ancients-paperback","provider":"Temple of Desire","version":"1.0","type":"link"}