The Myth of National Socialist “Nazi” Occultism. A Thread: Analyzing the claims of the Occult Reich, “Nazi occultism,” where they originate, who made them, and for what purposes. The “Occult Reich” is the popular myth that the “Nazi” regime, particularly Adolf Hitler and his
This idea of the Occult Reich has been perpetuated through various books, films, and media, blending historical events with sensationalized or fabricated details. While the National Socialists did have an interest in esoteric symbolism and mythology—such as the swastika and the
Hermann Rauschning: Hitler Speaks (1939). Hermann Rauschning’s Hitler Speaks (published in 1939 in German as Gespräche mit Hitler and in 1940 in English) is one of the earliest sources to fuel the Occult Reich narrative. Rauschning, a former official who broke with the Party
Lewis Spence: Occult Causes of the Present War (1940). He Speculated that Nazi ideology stemmed from pagan and mystical sources, including Theosophy, though without specific proof tying Hitler to Blavatsky. These works aimed to demonize the National Socialists by associating
The Morning of the Magicians: Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier (1960). This influential book popularized the idea of a mystical National Socialist agenda, blending fact, conspiracy, and fantasy. It introduced concepts like the Vril Society—a fictional group from an 1871 novel
The Spear of Destiny: Trevor Ravenscroft and Fictional Elaboration (1972). Trevor Ravenscroft’s The Spear of Destiny took the Occult Reich myth to new heights by blending historical speculation with outright fiction. The book centers on the Holy Lance (or Spear of Longinus),
The Occult Reich: J.H. Brennan (1974). Brennan’s book further embroidered the myth, alleging that Hitler’s mentor, Dietrich Eckart, initiated him into a “secret doctrine” involving astral communication with dark powers. Brennan cites no verifiable sources for these claims, and
The Myth of Adolf Hitler’s Obsession with Helena Blavatsky and Her Book The Secret Doctrine. A foundational text of Theosophy, published in 1888, stems from a combination of postwar sensationalism, misinterpretations of Nazi ideological influences, and the imaginative
David Icke: The Biggest Secret (Chapter: “The Black Sun”). In The Biggest Secret, Icke presents a sprawling conspiracy theory centered on a secret reptilian elite manipulating human history. The chapter “The Black Sun” ties Nazi occultism into this framework, portraying the
Alex Jones and InfoWars pushing the occult narrative. Alex Jones, through his radio shows, documentaries, and website InfoWars, takes a more bombastic approach, framing Nazi occultism and Satanism as part of a modern “globalist” conspiracy. While less focused on a single text
David Icke and Alex Jones share several strategies that perpetuate these false myths. Recycling old myths: Both build on 1960s–70s occult historiography, which Goodrick-Clarke critiques as “sensational and under-researched.” They ignore scholarly rebuttals, like The Occult
Adolf Hitler’s views on occultism, paganism, Heinrich Himmler, and esoteric pursuits. Sources drawn from Mein Kampf, Goebbels Diaries, and memoirs of associates like Speer, Schroeder, and Junge, which show a pragmatic leader skeptical of mysticism. He dismissed occultism and
The Conclusion of Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke in His Book The Occult Roots of Nazism (1985). As a historian with a focus on Western esotericism, Goodrick-Clarke approaches the subject with academic rigor, relying on primary sources and critical analysis to debunk exaggerated claims
