The study of the Dutch religious scholar, cultural historian, founder of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, specialist in the history of esotericism and hermetic philosophy Wouter Jacobus Hanegraff (born 1961) was conceived by the author as a convenient and accessible introduction to the study of Western esotericism. W. Hanegraaf focuses on the importance of the influence of the "rejected knowledge" of Western esotericism on Christian culture. The book gives a capacious overview of the key ideas and historical trends of Western esotericism, and also examines their perception by modern science, which makes it possible to recommend the book as a reference guide for studying the promising field of humanitarian research. The book includes a historical and bibliographic appendix, which presents the main scientific works in the field of Western esotericism in Russian. The publication is addressed to culturologists, religious scholars, philosophers, as well as everyone interested in esotericism.