The Secret Science: For the Physical and Spiritual Transformation of Man (Hermetic Philosophy, Book 1)

I found this book in the most serendipitous way.For a long time I had been searching for answers about life. One day, many years ago, I was in a department store buying clothes. Suddenly, I cam across a large number of books piled up on a counter, which were being sold at a discount. I have always been a book lover, so I decided to go through the pile of books, searching for the diamond in the rough. Indeed I found it. This book, and part two (The Stellar Man), landed on my hands. I read these two books very avidly many many times. Every time I read them, a new message gets to me, a new string gets plucked.For me, this book has passed the test of time. Now I have multiple copies. I have given copies to family and friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you, John Baines for making such a profound change in my life. I recommend it to anybody who is looking inside in search for answers. Be prepared for a life-changing experience!

Always use your discretions when reading material like this. If you want to understand hermetic philosophy and belief structures, this helps in addition to the kybalion and will catch you up on common occult principles that wouldn't be available elsewhere. There are implications of homophobia with words such as "sexual inversion" and deviations. This book was out in 1980 when this was controversial and not understood. What people like Baines don't understand is that someone's sexual orientation is beyond just sexual desires and lust and it has nothing to do with morality. But regardless, there's a lot of important things mentioned like high morals when it comes to mastering yourself and being balanced. The goal is to overcome the animal mind so you can have a stronger connection with the Source and possibly with your partner no matter who you are.

With the information in this book, the gnostic, I learned in my past. The book makes great sense of our world. Just in the preface explains it all. The human race has two different origins, one animal-terrestrail which is those that where created on Earth, and the human- extraterrestrial, which was created threw or by dark matter, from the star system Sirius. Excellent book.

Since I have studied about the subjects covered in the book, I found that the first few chapters were a recap of what I already knew. This should not discourage one from buying this book. As I progressed in the rest of the book, it got deeper into the various subjects. And I learned much more, and found that the contents support and complements material I read in other books. So, I highly recommend this book for seekers of truth.

One of the more important books I have read. This is a springboard for further research and and a how-to guide of attaining the truth behind all “truths”.

Very opinionated writer and occult practitioner. Has a tendency of speaking in absolutes, and this should be a red flag for anyone seeking self-awareness or enlightenment. He has the tendency to resonate with a certain type, and this type is typically a staunch believer. I do not think he delivers any answers here, but he does have the nuance of at least asking the right questions...sometimes.

Just finished my second read-through. This book is one of those profound works which, the more you read it, the more wisdom you will derive from it. It is also an excellent gateway into other works regarding human consciousness and self-improvement.

This book is defensively an eye opener and will get anyone thinking! 100% recommended to those who want to know more than what we already know.

This book is absolutely superb. If you’re looking for a book to help you do some work on the self, look no further.

This is a really good read and guide for people to improve their day to day life.Ive read it twice now and im looking forward to my third readIf you like books like The Secret you will love this

A very esoteric and exciting read

Been looking for this book for a while. It arrived in Great Condition!