The Dark History of the Occult: Magic, Madness and Murder

From tribal magic and shamanism, through the work of WB Yeats and Aleister Crowley, to black magic rituals and New Age nihilists, The Dark History of the Occult asks whether "satanic forces" are simply the emergence of the dark side of human nature, or whether we really have something to fear—namely, evil?

Black magic murders, Satanic sex cults and demonic possession are the diabolical practices that grab tabloid headlines and reinforce the myth that evil and an unhealthy obsession with the occult are to blame for our increasingly violent society. But is the truth even more dark and disturbing? What evidence is there that evil entities can possess human beings and force them to commit horrific murders?

In this fully illustrated hardcover volume, occult expert Paul Roland traces the history of the Black Arts back to uncover profane rituals, infernal ceremonies and demonic invocations. He explores the origins of our beliefs in devils and demons, and how the early Church created the cult of witchcraft to justify the persecution of followers of 'the old religion.'