The Hidden Gods: An Encounter with the Occult Sects of Asia

Throughout the cities of the western world there operates today a banned cult, worshipping the murderous ghost of a long-dead priest. Across the Indian subcontinent there lurks an underground network of criminal sects, practicing human sacrifices of the most extreme and abhorrent nature. On the jungle coasts of the Arabian Sea, the last remnants of a race of warriors preserve the world's most ancient martial art; while in the mountains of the Himalaya orders of esoteric monks revere the legacy of a cannibal princess.

All of these stories are connected; all of these stories are true. This book is an account of the secretive occult sects of Asia, a poorly understood collection of religious movements whose influence on the course of history has been far greater than their low profile might suggest. It combines history, anthropology and travel writing, visiting the sects in their temples and refuges to examine in detail the reality of their practices. Systems of meditation, exotic art, systems of religious violence and rituals of possession are all explored. The content will undercut many assumptions on the nature of religion, and peer into some dark, seldom-explored corners of the human consciousness. Set against some of the most stunning backdrops the world has to offer, from remote valleys high in the mountains to immense temple-cities throbbing with life and colour, this book will paint for you a vivid, stunning picture of a hidden reality few are permitted to glimpse. It will let you see the world through other eyes.