Metaphysics refers to the knowledge about mysterious forces and the study of "secret knowledge" or "hidden knowledge". "Mysticism" is a term that has not been clearly defined at present. This word can hardly be found in China's dictionary, but it is interpreted as "the study of supernatural subjects" in the traditional American dictionary. It is generally believed that occultism should include supernatural phenomena such as Yi-ology, metaphysics, Qigong, spiritualism, witchcraft and yoga. This is literally the easiest word to understand.

It is generally believed that western mysticism has three sources: ancient Egypt, Hebrew, Greece and Rome, and each tradition has different characteristics.

1, ancient Egypt: Ancient Egyptian civilization is the oldest source of western mysticism. During the conquest of the Roman Empire in the later period, it gradually lost its independence and entered the Greek and Roman culture, so many theories were lost, and most of the information came from the records of Greek travelers. Until modern times, among the modern western mysticism in ancient Egypt, the most representative ones are "Eye of Horus", tarot cards, alchemy, etc. These are commonly used in ritual magic.

2. Hebrew: Hebrew civilization was originally a branch of the Middle East. Because of war and travel, it absorbed some cultures of Chaldeans, Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians and Phoenicians, and their Judaism established the original monotheism, from which Kabalah, one of the most influential sects in mysticism, developed.

3. Greece and Rome: Greek civilization created the core idea of mysticism, from which mysterious philosophy, astrology and spiritual figures were born.