I can't suggest any comprehensive overviews on 1950s and early 1960s occultism, but some possible ideas for sources of information might be--
James Webb's The Occult Establishment
Long John Nebel's Way Out World
Skeptical works such as--
Martin Gardner's In the Name of Science (or the later edition: Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science)
Issues of Fate magazine, Tomorrow, spiritualist newspapers, and periodicals of Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship from that time period (few public or university libraries will carry those, but some private collections and speciality libraries [e.g., Association for Research and Enlightenment, American Society for Psychical Research, Center for Inquiry {?}] may have them).
Histories of ufology, especially those that cover George Adamski, the contactees, etc. Back issues of Saucer Smear (in private collections).
Materials on T. Lobsang Rampa, Bridey Murphy, Manly Hall.
I hope that one or two of these might be of help.
Best,
George P. Hansen
Author: The Trickster and the Paranormal
http://www.tricksterbook.com
http://paranormaltrickster.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/ParaTrickster
--- On Fri, 10/2/09, mark harrison <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: mark harrison <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Fifties-Early Sixties Occultism?
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Friday, October 2, 2009, 9:55 AM
> You might also have a look at the Thelemic
> journal Red Flame, particularly the two two volume bios
> published under that imprint--of Jane Wolfe and Grady
> McMurtry--as these provide some context for West Coast
> occult activity in the period of interest. Along the same
> lines--maybe look at Carter,
> John (2000). Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack
> Parsons. Feral House. vii. ISBN
> 0-922915-56-3.
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 6:33 AM,
> Jesper Aagaard Petersen <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> It is not contemporary, but I think Gary Lachmann's
> Turn off your mind (2001) have a good, although very
> personal take on the sixties counter-culture. Perhaps some
> reference there to help you further? In addition, perhaps
> Robert Ellwood's The Fifties' Spiritual
> Marketplace: American Religion in a Decade of Conflict
> (1997) might do the same.
>
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Jesper
>
>
>
>
>
> > Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 15:50:55 -0400
> > From: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Fifties-Early Sixties
> Occultism?
>
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > I'd like to see if I can tap the list's
> collective brain on a minor point. I'm looking for some
> sort of written description of the general tenor of the
> occult scene in Britain (or Europe and America in general)
> in the late fifties or early sixties. I'm sure I can
> turn up plenty on Gardner, Spare, etc. if I went that route,
> but I'd like to broaden the scope from particular
> individuals or organizations. Any ideas of where I might
> start to look?
>
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Dan Harms
> > Instructional Services Librarian and Bibliographer
> > SUNY Cortland Memorial Library
> > P. O. Box 2000
> > Cortland, NY 13045
> > (607) 753-4042
>
>
> See all the ways you can stay connected to
> friends and family
>
>
>
