For the purpose of this blog post, the term Gaia is used to refer to a YouTube channel (here) that is run by a larger organization (here), not the goddess that is the planet we depend on for our survival.
If you frequently search for occult videos, you have likely seen ads for content from a YouTube channel (with a larger organization behind it) called Gaia. You may have also seen their content pop up on your social media account. In addition to their free content on YouTube, they sell access to "premium" content on their website. According to an article by Duane Paul Murphy entitled The Gaia Deception: Digital New Age Nonsense (which will be discussed later), Gaia was founded in 1988 and was digitized in 2015. Their videos cater to people seeking occult wisdom, but contain absolutely outrageous content, for example claiming that the Western esoteric tradition, along with all the mystical traditions of the world, had their roots in Atlantis.
As a practicing occultist, I find Gaia's videos insulting. Don’t get me wrong, I have some beliefs (or at least speculations) that aren’t fully supported by science. For example, I think it is possible that much of what I would call magick or psychic phenomena are related to the concept of quantum entanglement. Science does not prove this, but this perspective is compatible with science (at least to the extent that I understand the science). If I find compelling evidence that this is not how magick and psychic abilities work, I will reformulate my theories. The videos by Gaia directly contradict well established scientific and historical facts, and seem to be based on little more than wild speculation (yes, I know that at times what was once taken for granted by scientists is proven wrong). I urge those starting down an occult path who come across Gaia's content to look elsewhere for guidance on their spiritual journeys. If you don’t know where to start, a study of Tarot (I highly recommend the Thoth deck) and the writings of Franz Bardon and Aleister Crowley is a reasonable place to start. Educating yourself about science and history will also be beneficial for the budding occultist. The videos Gaia puts out on YouTube make occultists look like quacks, and this is insulting.
Murphy's article (the one cited above) seems to have been written by a pretty hardcore rationalist skeptic, who likely would view my occult beliefs and practices as quackery, but at least I try not to buy into ideas that contradict well established scientific facts. The remainder of this post will attempt to respond both to the nonsense Gaia puts out and the hardcore skeptic perspective presented in Murphy's article.
Part of my magickal practice involves communicating with spirits who at times, in a ritual context, take possession of my best friend's body and give me advice and information unknown to my friend. After the possessions end, my friend has no memory of the experience, and feels like he is waking up from a nap, and I have to fill him in on what was said to me by the spirit that had possessed him. The spirits have told me not to take a video of the possessions because it would be psychologically damaging for my friend to see himself being controlled by another entity. My friend does not have dissociative personality disorder, so these possessions are not a sign of mental illness. The spirits that communicate through him are known spirits with names, all except for one (a servitor I created) can be found in medieval and renaissance grimoires. For more information about working with this type of entity, see my three part series on the topic Part 1 Part 2 Part 3.
For me, there is plenty of proof that there are powers that we don't understand. Having direct experience with these spirits will cause skepticism to go out the window. I do not like the word "supernatural". In my view, consciousness exists and is part of nature. The spirits I interact with seem to have an objective existence, and I would say they are also part of nature; but a part of nature that science hasn't yet caught up to.
So ultimately, I disagree both with the nonsense Gaia puts out and with hardcore skeptics who see the universe and nature as a dead, mechanical thing. Occult practices can help you connect with aspects of reality and of yourself in a way many people will never experience during their lifetimes. Today, it is easier than ever to find high quality occult resources, both online and in books. However, there are also peddlers of disinformation that present themselves as spiritual teachers. When evaluating content related to occultism, ask yourself if the source you are looking at make claims that directly contradict established scientific or historical records (yeah, I know scientific understanding is always changing, and historical methods provide an imperfect picture of the past). And if I make claims on this blog that seem to contradict established fact, please challenge my claim in the comment section.
I recently saw a video from Gaia which, among other things, claimed that there was evidence that the Earth had previously orbited a red giant before it orbited the sun, and that the “higher electric frequency” of the sun short circuited the red giant, and the red giant was broken up into comets. This sort of content does spark the imagination, and by mixing in elements of astrology into the video gives the illusion that the video offers some sort of deep spiritual truth. Such content will only lead the true occult seeker astray.
Some readers may see my mention of astrology and come to the conclusion that I too am pedaling pseudoscience. Let me just state for the record that I have no idea if the positions of the heavenly bodies in the sky at the time of a person’s birth has any real predictive power as to how their life will turn out. I also have no idea whether the planets and the stars influence life on earth in the manner many astrologers posit. What I will say is that astrology is a powerful symbolic language that can be used to describe psychological archetypes. Astrology is also very useful for useful in the context of Tarot (see my blog series on the Thoth Tarot deck and Lon Milo DuQuette’s book on the topic for more information on the relationship between astrology and Tarot Part 1 Part 2 Part 3). On another level, the study of astrology reminds us of our connection to the larger macrocosm, the outer world, the universe.
Ultimately, you need to decide for yourself what you will listen to and believe. I believe serious occult studies and practices have a massive potential to transform a person’s reality. But if you don’t use some discretion in your search for information to aid in your spiritual development, you risk being led down rabbit holes such as the content on Gaia’s YouTube channel. And if you are a skeptic who believes that all occult beliefs and practices are quackery, please don’t use content such as the nonsense put out by Gaia as part of your argument against occultism, as this content does not reflect the beliefs of practicing occultists.
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