‘Turn off your mind: the mystic sixties and the dark side of the age of aquarius’

By Gary Valentine Lachman (Sidgwick & Jackson 2001) isbn 02830636611, pbk
430pp. 12.99UKP

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of the above book and asked the author
whether he thought the occult had only exercised a baleful influence on sixties
popular culture? He replied that no, he didn’t think that but if he had tried to tell both
sides of the story the book would never had been published. A sad truth and a
reflection of the narrowness of corporate publishers rather than the author. Or as they
say, ‘if you sup with the devil you need a long spoon’ more of this below.

I may not agree with every single detail of this brilliant book, but it is, in my opinion,
essential reading. As a one stop reference work on virtually everything that magicians
were up to in the sixties, ‘Turn off your mind’, is difficult to top. Germain Greer
called the 1950s the ‘decade of foreplay’, by which I presume she meant preparation
for the 1960s explosion. The occult world had been in a state of hibernation, and
argues Gary Lachman, it was the 1960 surprise mega-bestseller, ‘Morning of the
Magicians’ by Pauwels and Bergier, that first relit the fuse of occultism and the
sixties. Like Gary I was just too young to really participate, I had to make do with the
books that drifted into my domain. I can’t remember quite when I read Pauwels and
Bergier’s flawed masterpiece, but it was destined to be for me one of those ‘crap
books that change your life.’ As I remember it spoke of the twentieth century as being
locked in a struggle between dark and light occult forces. It told of secret societies
and ancient knowledge. I can’t quite remember at which chapter I stopped reading
but the argument was so mind-blowing I felt the need to go find out for myself. Yes I
became an occultist, but not the crypto-fascist kind that so often dominated the sixties,
at least I hope not. I also made my own study of ancient history, a quest that took me
to university and life long learning.

A few years later and a Swiss hotel manager was waiting sentence for embezzlement
when a book he’d written in his spare time sold the first of 42 million copies! Erich
von Daniken had arrived. I remember reading the serialisation in the Daily Mirror
newspaper and like many of my generation it was the first time someone had
something interesting to say about pyramids and the wonders of the _pre-Christian_
realm. It may have been crap but it was a revelation.

It is with this kind of thing that Gary Lackman begins his magical mystery tour of
thee occult philosophy of the sixties (no apologies here to Frances Yates: The Occult
Philosophy of the Elizabethan Age). All extra terrestrial life is here from H P
Lovecraft, Conan the Barbarian, Maharishi Yogi, Timothy Leary, the two Kenneths
(Anger and Grant), Aleister Crowley, Tolkein, Castaneda, Alan Watts, Idries Shah,
Charly Manson. Down the pub I asked can anyone think of a so-called sixties guru
who doesn’t have feet of concrete? Silence for a moment then ‘Alan Watts’ (author of
Zen classic ‘The Spirit of Zen’). He who, according to Lachman ‘masturbated daily,
drew pornographic pictures, read pornography and had a taste for “various tortures”
which he inflicted on himself in order to achieve orgasm’ (p115). He succumbed to
‘alcoholism and killed himself in 1973’ - could happen to any of us after all. Never at
any time in this study does Lachman deny the real magic all these people could work.
Maybe that why it is so important to know the dark side of the guru. That’s why I like
Crowley, what you see is what you get, prepare for your disappointment now. The
dangers of letting the guard down are nowhere better illustrated that in the tales of
Idries Shah recounted in ‘Turn off your mind.’ Shah whose Octagon press published
(and perhaps ghost wrote many of witch patriarch Gerald Gardner’s early works).
Meeting J G Bennett of ‘The Fourth Way’, a disciple of Gurdjjieff and the founder of
a successful alternative community known as Coombe Springs. Bennett became
convinced that Shah was the guardian of ‘the secret’ and at the master’s request signed
over the deeds to the estate as a gesture of good faith. Shah promptly evicted the
entire community and sold the property for 100K, enough cash to prop up his
publishing empire. Food for thought there - who is the biggest idiot/bastard (delete as
appropriate)?

I could go on - very stimulating and important book here. To my mind, the real dark
side of the sixties was the cult of personality and the obsession of good interesting
occultists (and not so good) with celebrities. Whether from the music or film world,
these people offer rich pickings and an easy path to popularisation of important ideas.
But maybe, as Gary implies, the road these people have taken to success makes them
inherently empty, craving for novelty; dilettante - good cash cows but not the most
serious students. Modern occultists and pagans would do well to heed the warning -
not to be dazzled by these fake Lucifers. In the sixties is was Mick Jagger who had
some style, now we have some bimbo from Hercules or Zeena signing initiation
certificates for quite a well known magical grouping - stop - read this book!

Personally I see the sixties as part of the process of sharpening Occam’s razor - trying
out new philosophies and lifestyles. Its seems mad when you look at it but it is part of
the collective move away from the really ‘evil’ forces of global governments, whose
slaughter policy makes Charlie Manson look quite tame. We are growing and
learning from our mistakes, but to make sure we are not just destined to repeat them, I
suggest one needs to know what they were, to debate them - and move beyond.

Mogg Morgan
4th June 2001