Carl Abrahamsson, a prominent figure in the realm of occulture, reflects on his journey through the occult underground in a presentation originally written for the Occulture conference in Berlin, 2025. He shares insights from his life, which has been heavily influenced by various artistic and magical movements, as well as notable figures like Aleister Crowley, Anton LaVey, and Genesis P-Orridge. Abrahamsson discusses his experiences with different magical orders, including the Church of Satan and the OTO, and emphasizes the importance of individual intuition and creativity in the practice of magic and culture.
He introduces his recent works, including “Meetings with Remarkable Magicians” and “Introduction to Occulture,” highlighting the need for practitioners to articulate their experiences and ideas in ways that academics can understand, thus bridging the gap between esoteric knowledge and mainstream culture. He elaborates on the concept of “occulturation,” the process by which hidden knowledge becomes manifest in culture, and advocates for a focus on individual empowerment and the transformative power of creativity.
Abrahamsson also critiques the academic approach to magic, arguing that while it can help validate the field, it often fails to capture the essence of magical practice, which is inherently creative and deeply human. He concludes by asserting the necessity of personal authenticity and the importance of sharing knowledge and inspiration, positing that true magic lies in the continuous unfolding of one’s self and the embrace of individual freedom.
https://thefenriswolf.substack.com
https://anartapart.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl
https://www.carlabrahamsson.com
All content for Rendering Unconscious Podcast: Psychoanalysis & Culture is the property of Dr. Vanessa Sinclair and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Carl Abrahamsson, a prominent figure in the realm of occulture, reflects on his journey through the occult underground in a presentation originally written for the Occulture conference in Berlin, 2025. He shares insights from his life, which has been heavily influenced by various artistic and magical movements, as well as notable figures like Aleister Crowley, Anton LaVey, and Genesis P-Orridge. Abrahamsson discusses his experiences with different magical orders, including the Church of Satan and the OTO, and emphasizes the importance of individual intuition and creativity in the practice of magic and culture.
He introduces his recent works, including “Meetings with Remarkable Magicians” and “Introduction to Occulture,” highlighting the need for practitioners to articulate their experiences and ideas in ways that academics can understand, thus bridging the gap between esoteric knowledge and mainstream culture. He elaborates on the concept of “occulturation,” the process by which hidden knowledge becomes manifest in culture, and advocates for a focus on individual empowerment and the transformative power of creativity.
Abrahamsson also critiques the academic approach to magic, arguing that while it can help validate the field, it often fails to capture the essence of magical practice, which is inherently creative and deeply human. He concludes by asserting the necessity of personal authenticity and the importance of sharing knowledge and inspiration, positing that true magic lies in the continuous unfolding of one’s self and the embrace of individual freedom.
https://thefenriswolf.substack.com
https://anartapart.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl
https://www.carlabrahamsson.com
RU351 JULIE RESHE, TODD MCGOWAN & SIMONE A. MEDINA POLO ON DEATH & LOVE, PSYCHOANALYTIC & PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES
Welcome to Rendering Unconscious – the Gradiva award-winning podcast about psychoanalysis & culture, with me, Dr Vanessa Sinclair. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com
RU351: JULIE RESHE, TODD MCGOWAN & SIMONE A. MEDINA POLO ON DEATH & LOVE: PSYCHOANALYTIC & PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES https://renderingunconscious.substack.com/p/ru351-julie-reshe-todd-mcgowan-and
Rendering Unconscious episode 351.
I sat down with Julie Reshe, Todd McGowan, and Simone A. Medina Polo to talk about their new book Death and Love: Psychoanalytic and Philosophical Perspectives (2025): https://www.routledge.com/Death-and-Love-Psychoanalytic-and-Philosophical-Perspectives/Reshe-McGowan/p/book/9781032663425
This episode centers on a new edited volume exploring the intersections of death and love, edited by Julie Reshe and Todd McGowan, to which Simone A. Medina Polo contributed. The book is dedicated to Mari Ruti, who passed away before completing her contribution. Key chapters include Lacanian perspectives, existentialist and theological analyses, and a tribute to Sabina Spielrein. Contributors explore the death drive and its implications, delving into the philosophical and psychoanalytic nuances of love and death. The conversation also touches on the challenges and significance of Spielrein's work and its impact on contemporary psychoanalysis.
Julie Reshe is a leading researcher in psychoanalysis and professor of philosophy at the Global Centre for Advanced Studies (GCAS) where she directs the Institute of Psychoanalysis. She completed her PhD under the supervision of Alenka Zupančič at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She works at the intersection of philosophy, psychoanalysis and neuroscience, and her research topics include sexuality, emotions and cognition, childhood, and trauma studies. Be sure to check out her book Negative Psychoanalysis for the Living Dead: Philosophical Pessimism and the Death Drive (2023). https://www.juliereshe.com
You can support her work and gain access to the book chapters at her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/juliereshe/posts
Follow Julie at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie.reshe/
Todd McGowan teaches theory and film at the University of Vermont. His books include The Impossible David Lynch (2007), Emancipation after Hegel: Achieving a Contradictory Revolution (2019), Embracing Alienation: Why We Shouldn’t Try to Find Ourselves (2024), and Pure Excess: Capitalism and the Commodity (2025). https://vermont.academia.edu/ToddMcGowan
Simone A. Medina Polo (she/her) is a philosopher and PhD candidate at the Global Centre for Advanced Studies (GCAS) for Philosophy and Psychoanalysis. Follow her at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pseudo_antigone/
Thank you for listening to the Rendering Unconscious Podcast and for reading the Rendering Unconscious anthologies. And thank you so much for supporting this work by being a paid subscriber at the Substack. It makes my work possible. If you are so far a free subscriber, thanks to you too. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to gain access to all the material on the site, including all future and archival podcast episodes. https://renderingunconscious.substack.com
If you would like information about entering into psychoanalytic treatment with me, joining the group I run for those who have relocated to another country, or have other questions, please feel free to contact me via vs [at] drvanessasinclair.net
https://www.drvanessasinclair.net/contact/
Thank you.
Carl Abrahamsson, a prominent figure in the realm of occulture, reflects on his journey through the occult underground in a presentation originally written for the Occulture conference in Berlin, 2025. He shares insights from his life, which has been heavily influenced by various artistic and magical movements, as well as notable figures like Aleister Crowley, Anton LaVey, and Genesis P-Orridge. Abrahamsson discusses his experiences with different magical orders, including the Church of Satan and the OTO, and emphasizes the importance of individual intuition and creativity in the practice of magic and culture.
He introduces his recent works, including “Meetings with Remarkable Magicians” and “Introduction to Occulture,” highlighting the need for practitioners to articulate their experiences and ideas in ways that academics can understand, thus bridging the gap between esoteric knowledge and mainstream culture. He elaborates on the concept of “occulturation,” the process by which hidden knowledge becomes manifest in culture, and advocates for a focus on individual empowerment and the transformative power of creativity.
Abrahamsson also critiques the academic approach to magic, arguing that while it can help validate the field, it often fails to capture the essence of magical practice, which is inherently creative and deeply human. He concludes by asserting the necessity of personal authenticity and the importance of sharing knowledge and inspiration, positing that true magic lies in the continuous unfolding of one’s self and the embrace of individual freedom.
https://thefenriswolf.substack.com
https://anartapart.substack.com
https://www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl
https://www.carlabrahamsson.com
