Esotericism
Esotericism is the study of secret knowledge and systems of thought which are usually intended to be philosophical or ethical and mystic. It is generally distinct from organized religion, which teaches more openly without necessarily divulging details gratuitously.Many groups or schools of thought embrace an esoteric tradition or philosophy:
- Freemasons
- Gnosticism
- Kabbalists
- Esoteric Buddhists (Vajrayana)
- Rosicrucians
- Magic
- Occultism
- G. I. Gurdjieff
- Alchemy