Modern occultism—and early modern esotericism—are often understood as having some secret knowledge, and the desire to join or become party to that secret has fed their appeal. Occultists—and those who profited from discussing or arguing with them—disseminated theories in an effort to attract popular interest to their practices while giving a performance of secretness that promised something hidden to all but a select few. Historically, print has been the medium for this performance: the Rosicrucian Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz or Helena Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine, for example. In twenty-first century America and Europe, the podcast, following the example of earlier radio programs like Art Bell’s Coast to Coast AM, has become a significant medium for sparking and maintaining popular interest in occult practices and phenomena. Occultism figures centrally in some of the more listened-to podcasts on the digital airwaves, most notably The Last Podcast on the Left, Lore, and Astonishing Legends. These podcasts create an effective case study for occultism’s performance of secretness with their emphasis on deconstructing and disseminating occult and paranormal phenomena as real contemporary or historical events. The performers, framed as non-fiction storytellers, must create a performance of giving all the pertinent information about an occult practice or paranormal phenomenon while at the same time maintaining the impression of a secret power that lends the practice its popular draw. How does the podcast’s cultural context foster a productive outlet for occult subject matter, and how do podcasts perform the occult in a way that draws and maintains listeners?
About the presenterRobert C Thompson
Robert C. Thompson is a professor of theatre and the director of arts at Chesapeake College on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. His scholarship focuses on American occultism and paranormal tourism. He has published articles in Religion and Theology, The Journal of American Culture, Ecumenica, The Journal of American Theatre and Drama, and the edited volume Showing Up, Showing Off. He hosts the paranormal history podcast Occult Confessions.