“An exciting and insightful overview of Jim Morrison that captures his ventures into the mystic and magical in a way that today’s generation can hold on to as their own.” - James Riordan, coauthor of The New York Times bestseller Break on Through

“Paul Wyld’s new book, Jim Morrison, Secret Teacher of the Occult, is a fascinating read that delves deep into the stormy rocker’s more mystical motivations. Wyld’s vividly interpersonal research reveals a side of Morrison that few have considered, one with tremendous relevance to our tumultuous times. This book is not only for fans of The Doors but for anyone intrigued by the spiritual aspects of rock music—a primal force that has impacted global culture in both overt and esoteric ways. Wyld’s compelling work sheds light on Morrison’s hidden influence as occult preceptor which echoes to this day.” - Casey Rae, author of William S. Burroughs and the Cult of Rock ’n’ Roll

“Anyone who has listened to The Doors with any attention knows that they were something more than a rock band. Their music hit some deep, primal spot in the archetypal layers of consciousness and sent their listeners off on journeys of mystery and discovery. From reading Paul Wyld’s account of the mystical, magical, and esoteric influences on Jim Morrison and his music, one gets the impression that the infinite was never far from his sight. It’s no surprise that he wanted to ‘break on through to the other side’—and that the ‘other side,’ whatever it might be and whatever might inhabit it, wanted him to do just that.” - Gary Lachman, author of The Secret Teachers of The Western World and Maurice Nicoll: Forgotten Teach

“As a teenager, Jim Morrison’s poetic irrationality and The Doors’ psychedelic explorations ignited a deep catharsis within me. Jim’s words and musical genius activated something primal—lighting my fire and transporting me to another world. Now, reading Paul Wyld’s deeply revealing account of Morrison as a secret teacher, I understand the profound effect The Doors had on my budding spirituality. Wyld has given readers a specialized chronicle of Morrison’s spiritual development, rich with modern and historical voices about art, the occult, mysticism, and consciousness. On a journey of vast imagination and creative insight, Wyld reveals a picture of Morrison that transcends the popular vision of him as a sex object, beyond the drunken and lewd performer. We see Morrison as the mystic he was, attempting to shake his audience out of complacency into a state of profound aliveness. Wyld evinces the complexities of Morrison’s vital existence as a poet, shaman, mystic, and sage, and at the same, a Dionysian maelstrom struggling against tides of cultural conformity. Jim Morrison, Secret Teacher of the Occult is more than a biography of an idiosyncratic artist; it is a guidebook for those experiencing the unavoidable crises that accompany spiritual awakening.” - Marlene Seven Bremner, artist and author of Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy and The Hermeti



“Morrison was more than just a rock star. He was a man searching for the deeper meanings of life, using his music, performances, and poetry