Explores the tradition of Hermetic spirituality that flourished in Roman Egypt during the first centuries CE. It was grounded in experiential techniques that had a powerful effect on the consciousness of practitioners. Their goal was to 'heal the soul' of mental delusion and lead it to gnosis, ultimate salvational knowledge.

Wouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of six monographs, including New Age Religion and Western Culture (1996) and Esotericism and the Academy (2012), and editor of eight collective works, including the Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism (2005).

Prologue; 1. Hermetic Spirituality; 2. Heart of Darkness; 3. The Presence of Gods; 4. Children of Hermes; 5. Through a Glass Darkly; 6. Healing the Soul; 7. The Path of Reverence; 8. Becoming Alive; 9. The Source; 10. The Conquest of Time; Epilogue.