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The Occult in Victorian Britain

Module description

Why were the Victorians so fascinated by the occult and what we now call the ‘paranormal’?  This module examines the origins, development and cultural meanings of this fascination, with special reference to animal magnetism/Mesmerism, apparitions, Modern Spiritualism, psychical research, ritual magic.  We situate these preoccupations in the wider context of heated debates over religious and scientific authority, industrialization, urbanization and secularization.  The module also reflects on the continuation of occult beliefs, practices and debates to the present day.

The module assumes no prior knowledge of the Victorian period and its interdisciplinary approach will appeal to Single and Combined Honours students.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module explores one of the most intriguing features of the post-Enlightenment period: the persistence of belief in such ‘occult’ phenomena as ghosts, spirits of the dead, and thought-reading.  By the close study of primary and secondary source materials, it critically engages with the argument that nineteenth century, and in particular Victorian, passion for the occult was a ‘flight’ from the reasoning approach to the world established during the European Enlightenment of the eighteenth century.  It explores the claim that the Victorian interest in occult was a response to problems of religious and moral authority, the implications of new scientific and philosophical interpretations of the cosmos, the effects of new technologies and urban environments, and the growth of the mass media and popular politics.

The module also considers the ways in which histories of the occult have changed since the Victorian period, and what insights these have yielded.  Students will acquire a detailed understanding of specific aspects of the occult and the broader religious, political, scientific, and economic issues in Victorian Britain.  Students will enhance their skills in close and critical reading of primary and secondary sources and this will provide excellent preparation for the level 3 dissertation.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the main themes in the history of occult beliefs and practices in Britain and other countries from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century, together with a deeper knowledge of themes to be selected by students for essay and seminar work.
• 2. Demonstrate in written and oral contributions the ability to link changes in occult beliefs and practices to broader historical developments.
• 3. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the historiography of the occult.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Analyse and reflect critically and contextually upon historical texts relating to a specific historical period or theme.
• 5. Collate data from a range of sources, both primary and secondary
• 6. With limited guidance, understand and deploy historical terminology in a comprehensible manner
• 7. With limited guidance, handle different approaches to history in areas of controversy.
• 8. Work with primary sources under direction from the module tutor.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Show evidence of ability to read and use texts and source materials critically and empathetically
• 10. Present material for group discussion and have respect for others’ reasoned views
• 11. With limited guidance, gather and deploy material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Histories of the occult
• contexts of Victorian Britain
• the occult during the Enlightenment
• mesmerism and medicine
• Victorian ‘crisis of faith’?
• Modern Spiritualism
• contesting scientific, medical, clerical and moral authority
• ghost stories and psychology
• spiritualism, psychical research and Modern Theosophy at war
• occultisms during the First World War
• disenchantment or re-enchantment of the world

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Bown, N., Burdett, C., and Thurschwell, P. (eds.) (2004), The Victorian Supernatural.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Brown, C. (2001).  The Death of Christian Britain: Understanding Secularisation 1800-2000.  London: Routledge
• Burrow, J. (2000), The Crisis of Reason.  European Thought, 1848-1914.  New Haven: Yale University Press
• Davies, O. (2007), Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts.  Palgrave: Macmillan
• Finucane, R. C. (1972), Appearances of the Dead: A Cultural History of Ghosts.  London: Junction Books
• Gauld, A. (1968).  The Founders of Psychical Research.  London: Routledge
• Goodrick-Clarke, N. (2009), The Western Esoteric Traditions: A Historical Introduction.  New York: Oxford University Press
• Hanegraaff, W. (2013), Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed.  London: Bloomsbury Academic
• Harvey, C. and Matthew, H. C. G. (2000), Nineteenth Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction.  Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Houghton, W. (1957).  The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-70.  New Haven.  Yale University Press
• Melechi. A. (2008), Servants of the Supernatural: The Night Side of the Victorian Mind.  London: William Heinemann
• Owen, A. (2004).  The Place of Enchantment: British Occultism and the Culture of the Modern.  Chicago: Chicago University Press
• Pearsall, R. (2004). The Table-Rappers: The Victorians and the Occult.  Stroud: Alan Sutton
• Sconce, J. (2000).  Haunted Media: Electronic Presence from Telegraphy to Television. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press
• Turner, F. (1993).  Contesting Cultural Authority: Essays on Victorian Intellectual Life.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11587 
• http://www.victorianweb.org/index.html
• http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/index1.htm

Key words search

Victorian; Britain; history; occult; religion; science; beliefs; culture