In 2018 came the release of the book, ‘Behind the Wall of Illusion. The Religious, Occult and Esoteric Worlds of The Beatles.’ A couple of years or so later, in December 2020, I recorded a chat over the phone with Sean MacLeod, its author, so that I could discuss with him, and share with you, just a few slices of what’s included in this rather expansive work of his that – as the title of it might suggest to you - explores the life and times of The Beatles from the context of their connections and involvement, in one way shape or form, to the occult and also the conspiratorial, whether alleged or not. He treads along some well-worn paths in this respect, exploring long and winding roads (ahem!) that have been walked along before by other authors and researchers, and at times giving us his own takes on these as well as presenting us with perspectives of his own that, I dare to state here, have never been considered or published before by others, and some of these perspectives sometimes come with a philosophical and spiritual element attached. That Sean should explore the life and times of the occult and esoteric Beatles through a philosophical lens won’t come as a surprise when or if you know that he has a deep interest in philosophy, especially in this regard in the work of the Austrian-born scholar of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner, who informs much of MacLeod’s views in his book as well as in the conversation that I recorded with him back in 2020. Currently (as this article you’re reading is being composed), he’s a teacher of film, music and media-studies at the Limerick College of Further Education in Ireland and he’s also a long-established recording artist in his own right (or, ‘In His Own Write,’ or as John Lennon might say!).
During my conversation with Sean, as well as him talking about Steiner in particular and the way in which he perhaps influences aspects of that occult world of the Beatles, we discuss, from a sociological perspective, the 1960s, the era in which John, Paul, George and Ringo reigned, a decade when so-called ‘sexual permissiveness’ came to the fore, when there was a Pop culture explosion of bands and also film-star icons such as Michael Caine and Sean Connery too, the first 007 of the silver-screen. From the Sixties came ideas and initial pioneering steps, the results of which we live in today, and some that came from the so-called ‘counter-culture’ of the time, and Sean and I discuss the possibility, or not, of this having been a pre-planned agenda, a social-engineering exercise in order to change society to the will of a hidden, nefarious agenda, one that the Beatles would perhaps have been a willing party to. In this regard, we also talk about the Beatles’ endorsement and promotion of Indian so-called ‘Eastern mysticism,’ which they helped to popularise in Europe, Britain and the US through their association with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his retreat in Rishikesh, India where John, Paul, Ringo, and especially of course, George, practised Transcendental Meditation. This route both spiritually and geographically that the Beatles undertook, ties in to the ideas of the (some would say) notorious Helena Blavatsky and (some would say) equally notorious Theosophical Society and movement, and its links to the (again, some would say, notorious) United Nations. One of Sean’s unique perspectives on the esoteric Beatles is directly linked to their ‘mop top’ hair which, in their earlier live-touring days, they would shake to the sheer excitement and ecstasy of their female fans.
Sean, in his book, analyses the personality of The Beatles both as a whole and, also, in their parts. Back in the Sixties, the mainstream media categorised the band-members as; ‘the cute one’ (Paul), ‘the quiet one’ (George), ‘the smart one’ (John) and the ‘funny, approachable one’ (Ringo). MacLeod transcends this newspaper headline-friendly categorisation taking us instead to an esoteric level, such as, with regards to George Harrison, his spiritual pursuits, and as expressed in his songs in tracks including ‘Within You Without You’ (from the ‘Sgt Pepper’ album) and ‘The Inner Light’ (initially released as a B-side of a Beatles single). Sean and I also mention the front-cover photos of the Beatles’ 1973-released compilations ‘1962-1966’ and ‘1967-1970,’ otherwise known as ‘the red and blue albums.’ It’s been suggested that, in these photographs, when compared to each other, we can see clues pertaining to Paul McCartney’s “death” in 1966. Personally, at the time of publishing this article, I’m of the view that, having viewed footage of him pre-’66 and observing behavioural ‘tics’ and mannerisms there that are absolutely identical to the years after he’s said to have been killed, I’m left with the strong impression that he didn’t shift off this mortal coil back there in the Sixties. However, there is something to be said, in my opinion, for potential doubles and doppelgangers having been deployed.
Also mentioned very briefly in passing during our conversation, the social-engineering Tavistock Institute, eugenics, and the CIA and its MK ULTRA mind-control program.
‘Behind the Wall of Illusion. The Religious, Occult and Esoteric Worlds of The Beatles’ is available at numerous online outlets (including ‘Amazon’), and especially here also: https://www.clairviewbooks.com/viewbook.php?isbn_in=9781912992461&fbclid=IwAR009VSYGzh5s_LHpGmUDJ2eb6o6AwHAlSBAi8DhyDKKn_CPuTcO4LNdrFk
Read this INFO section at its fullest here:
https://theoccultbeatles.wordpress.com/2023/08/13/reissued-a-book-on-the-occult-esoteric-beatles/
