Introduction

Today we have a hugely motivating interview with Erwin Pitsch. Few contemporary practitioners bridge as many worlds as him. Born in Vienna and shaped by years of illness, hospital stays, and a hard-won return to health and vigor through martial arts and icy river training, his path into the magical world began young. While other teenagers were busy with ordinary concerns, he was frequenting a small Austrian bookshop, standing for hours in front of the esoteric section, devouring all that was available.

In this interview he gives us frank and direct advice for those wishing to pursue these traditions.

If you would like to learn more about Erwin you can find his website here but probably the best place to learn more would be via his new book which can be found here.

If you enjoyed this interview, then please let us know in the comments or share it with those you know would find the contents interesting.

Interview

Early Life and Inspirations

PAA: Can you tell us about your background and how you first embarked on your journey into the worlds of music and mysticism? In other words, what sparked your interest in esoteric spirituality, and how did those early experiences set you on the path you’re on today? We’d love to hear about the formative moments or influences in your history that led you to pursue both classical music and arcane studies. 

I was born and grew up in Vienna and later, Salzburg, Lofer. My father was an army officer who later became a general, my mother a bank manager. But my life shifted very early. After receiving one of those “safe and effective” medical treatments when only three years old, I got violently sick the same day. My immune system basically crashed. I ended up with eight lung infections in a row and spent more time in hospitals than at home for years.

Getting healthy again took almost a decade. And not through medicine, but through martial arts, hiking, swimming in freezing rivers, pushing my body until it finally remembered its strength.

But parallel to all that, something else woke up in me. I think I was maybe ten or eleven when a kid at school mentioned PSI powers and occultism. It hit me instantly. After school I jumped on my bike and rode straight to this little bookshop that had a weirdly big esoteric section. I could not afford anything, so I just stood there for hours reading the backs of the books, absorbing everything.

Eventually I scraped together enough money to buy a few: Psi Power, The Power of Hypnosis by Kurt Tepperwein, Kahuna Magic. And then I found Franz Bardon’s Initiation Into Hermetics. 

So while other kids were doing normal teenage things, I was practicing Franz Bardon while reading Steiner, diving into Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, and even ended up meeting Heinrich Harrer when the Dalai Lama came to Vienna. I was playing classical piano, learning hypnosis, practicing Hermetics, creating elementars.

And at some point, the practice got strong enough that it bled into the physical world.

For example, at a sailing camp, an older kid bullied me. I didn’t touch him. Instead, that night, the elementar I have created—a huge black puma with green eyes, the same one I had painted on my windsurf board, showed up in his dreams. The whole tent freaked out because they all saw a “giant black dog” inside with them. They ran out screaming.

Another time my mother yelled at me, and I got really angry. The elementar reacted before I could pull it back. She collapsed on the spot, unconscious. That was a wake-up call for me. Like, “Okay, this isn’t a game anymore.”

I even built a magical wand following Cavendish’s book Black Magic. By combining the force of the wand with using the elementar, other people could actually see it. 

At the same time, I learned to control my body temperature and raise it to 39.6°C or drop it under 35°C in minutes. I used to walk around in swim shorts in the middle of winter and swim in icy rivers in Lofer, Salzburg. Extreme Kneipp Kur stuff.

So that is pretty much how it all began. A mix of illness, curiosity, obsession, and a very intense hands-on education in Hermetics and hidden sciences.

PAA: Did you have any notable teachers or mentors assisting you when starting out in your spiritual or esoteric studies? For example, were there individuals (either in person or authors you read) who guided or inspired you in those early years? How did their guidance shape your development or practice? Please share any mentorship experiences that were pivotal for you. 

One of my greatest teachers was my grandmother. She had no idea what Occultism even was, but she was naturally psychic and genuinely gifted. She’d casually say things like, “Someone just drowned over there,” pointing 300 meters away; and it turned out to be true. She would remote-view incidents without even realising that is what she was doing, or predict events that later unfolded exactly as she described. Growing up around that person was a huge influence.

I also had this older guy in Lofer, Salzburg, who taught me the basics of authentic Austrian Celtic Druidry. Not the fake, modern “Neo Druid” stuff, but the real stream. We played chess every day after school, and during those games he would teach me the old ways, the worldview, the elemental understanding.

Back then I spent a lot of time alone in the mountains, on the tops, on the alms, wandering around for hours. I was very psychic, very connected to the land, the elements, the spirits there. That was my classroom long before I ever joined any formal group.

Later, when I returned to Vienna, I started attending various Rosicrucian and anthroposophical groups weekly. Max Heindel circles, AAORRAC, Lectorium Rosicrucianum, and later AMORC. I had several excellent martial arts teachers as well.

But most of what I figured out, I figured out myself. I just had hundreds of books. Franz Bardon, Steiner, Rosicrucian literature, yoga books, Zen guides, the whole Fraternitas Saturni material from Schikovski Verlag—Spiessberger, Cavendish, Eugen Grosche, Freiherr von Sebottendorf, Dieter Rüggeberg, and many others. I absorbed everything.

PAA: You’ve had a long career in classical music as a performer, producer, and publisher. Do you see a connection between music and mysticism? Has working intimately with classical music influenced your spiritual journey (or vice versa)? Many people feel music has a transcendent, almost magical quality – do you find that your experience in the arts has complemented your esoteric pursuits in any way?

Absolutely. As a music publisher you really have to be switched on. Nothing is harder to sell than vibrating air. You need people skills, talent, sales instinct, and the ability to bring very different personalities together. You basically have to be both, a solicitor and an artist, at the same time.

And what many people don’t realise is that a lot of classical musicians are practitioners themselves. Buddhists, Yoga Vedanta students, Rosicrucians, meditators. Quite a few were involved in Western esotericism too. One of the last genuine AMORC adepts in Vienna, Prof. Roland Böckle, was part of that world. I still remember chamber ensembles; members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,  playing in the Viennese lodge. AMORC in Vienna back then was nothing like the cheesy, superficial version people sometimes imagine today. Many members were simultaneously involved in a dozen other organisations. For us, AMORC was more like a blue lodge, a foundational base. In fact, the Austrian version of AMORC Was the remains of the old AAORRAC. In the 1950’s, it was supposed to run under the name AAORRAC, but AMORC jurisdiction.

TMO, the Martinist Order, was so secret that even some long-term Rosicrucians had no idea it existed right under their noses.

And for me it all made sense, because sound itself is the closest thing to the astral. The ability to deeply listen is very similar to the ability to perceive psychically. Western esoteric arts and the Western musical tradition have always been connected.

Just look at Mozart. Not only a Freemason, but also a Rosicrucian. The Magic Flute is basically an esoteric initiation ritual set to music. He encoded the entire tradition into an opera.

Western Esoteric Traditions and Influences 

PAA: Franz Bardon is a revered figure in Western occultism, known for his rigorous system of Hermetic training. Was Bardon’s work – for instance, his book Initiation into Hermetics – influential in your own journey? How do you view Bardon’s approach to magic and self-transformation, and have you incorporated any of his methods or philosophy into your practice? I know I have seen some of your posts that give me the idea that Bardon was a solid beginning, but you soon went out on your own seeking more. 

Franz Bardon was everything to me in my early days. Honestly, school was pure horror. I hated every single second of it. While everyone else was living the life of a normal kid, I was living in a completely different world. And Bardon’s training worked. It kept me sane, focused, and moving forward.

Back then there was no internet, no guidance, no YouTube, no mentors explaining anything. And most esoteric shops were just selling superficial angel-tarot nonsense, rock-crystal workshops, or were tied to some questionable sects. So, I had to find my own way.

But I dug deep. And I actually managed to master essential skills early on. A mixture of books from Karl Spiessberger, Eugen Grosche, the Dalai Lama, Rudolf Steiner, Max Heindel, and many others supported my learning while I worked through Bardon’s system. It all blended in a very unique way.

I also met several individuals; names I won’t mention here. Those who practiced Bardon’s work seriously and learned from those who learned directly from the master. Real practitioners. People you don’t find on the internet.

These days I’m in contact with Walther Ogris, and I also know and own the works of Emil Stejnar. Their perspectives continue to enrich the understanding I built in those early years.

PAA: You hold the title of Baron and are a Chevalier (Knight) in the modern Knights Templar (Ordre du Temple de Jérusalem). How did you become involved with the Knights Templar, and what does being part of this chivalric order mean to you personally? Do you feel that the medieval Templar ideals or myths have relevance to your own spiritual philosophy and service in today’s world?

I only use this title sparely in private meetings and as a pen name. In public I do not use that title at all. It appears to be a symbol for my spiritual work. Referring to the spiritual new Jerusalem, and relating to the mysterious figure of Melusine which appeared to me in so many dreams and guiding my way.

It wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal anything connected to the Royal House of Lusignan or the Royal House of Savoy in a public forum, so I have to apologise for that. The same goes for the Ordre du Temple, Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite, and the York Rite. These are not things you openly discuss on the internet.

Members are a very exclusive and influential circle, and privacy is absolutely essential, and for many reasons. It is a global network, and its members are involved in international diplomatic missions, military service, and various sensitive areas. For example, our Knight Commander here in Brisbane just received the highest civil order of the Commonwealth of Kentucky—the rank of Colonel.

What I can say is this: the original Templar Order never actually died. The Larmenius Charter, whether every part of it is original or not, still preserves the authentic Grand Masters through hundreds of years, right up to 2025. And today, more than ever, those values matter.

In general, the ideals of knighthood are urgently needed in a weak society without any direction, goals or integrity. We have countless individuals behaving like animals. It becomes even increasingly questionable whether all people should benefit from the very generous human rights when they would not even remotely behave like humans. 

More than ever, it needs strong men and women standing by what is true and right. And pointing out what is false and perverted; without falling for false political correctness. Being a knight means standing for what is right and true, no matter what may be the cost.

PAA: Martinism is another tradition you’ve been associated with – often spoken of as a “path of the heart” in Western mysticism. What initially drew you to Martinism, and what do you mean by “unlocking the secrets” of Martinism? Are there particular teachings or practices in the Martinist tradition that you found especially profound or transformative in your experience?

The current Martinist Order (not the countless fake or self-invented groups out there) is extremely secretive, so I can’t say much publicly, and I apologise for that. What I can share is just a small personal note.

Originally, I was invited into the Martinist Order in Vienna, the TMO. And that only became possible after I had already been in the highest degrees and a member for well over a decade. The admission process was nothing like what people imagine today. I still remember the master wearing a red mask, the room completely dark, and all the members hidden behind a curtain, silently listening to my interview before deciding if I would be accepted.

It was similar with the Militia Crucifera Evangelica and the Chevaliers de la Rose-Croix. These initiations were very private, very traditional, and taken seriously by everyone involved.

PAA: For those unfamiliar, who was Louis Claude de Saint-Martin and why is he so important to the Martinist tradition? Saint-Martin, an 18th-century French mystic, was known as “le philosophe inconnu” – the Unknown Philosopher. How would you describe Saint-Martin’s philosophy and legacy to our readers, and have his ideas influenced your own perspective on spirituality? 

It would take too long to explain, and part of these explanations can only be given in a temple in person, to worthy initiates, I apologise. Certain things need to be kept secret for certain reasons.

Martinism is the path of re-integration. 

PAA: J.B. Kerning is a somewhat lesser-known figure in 19th-century esoteric Freemasonry. Kerning (Johann Baptist Krebs) developed a mystical approach within Masonry, including practices with sound and breathing, and emphasized that the Divine is present throughout the human body. Are you familiar with Kerning’s work (such as The Letters on the Royal Art or Roads to Immortality)? If so, what value do you think his body-centered, vocal approach to mysticism holds for modern practitioners? 

I practice Kerning every day now. But the way I work with it today is completely different from how I started. In Kerning’s system, the letters themselves become the teachers. Compared to Bardon, Kerning pushes you to figure everything out on your own. Over time, the letters literally start instructing you, and you end up writing your own Quabbalah rather than relying on Franz Bardon’s structure. It is also a path of inner alchemy, not Hermetic Magic.

I’m almost finished with Bardon’s system, but these days I work almost exclusively with Kerning, unless I’m receiving specific formulas from certain entities, or when I’m working Hermetically with the Quabbalah rather than with the inner alchemy aspects.

One thing people really need to understand is this: modern Freemasonry is just a shadow of what it once was. True Freemasonry is timeless. It is the path of inner alchemy and authentic transformation. But 99.99% of masons have no idea. They’ll even claim publicly “there is no secret,” or that the only secret is the bond between brothers.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

There is a secret. And one that waits quietly, ready to be discovered by those willing to pursue it at any cost.

First and foremost, we must ask a simple but essential question: What is the actual goal?
Too many seekers wander from book to book, collecting theories like talismans, yet doing very little of the real inner work that transforms consciousness. Western esoteric folklore has its beauty, but it also has a way of keeping people circling the surface, mistaking symbolic language for practice.

To go deeper, it is worth becoming intimately familiar with the Buddha’s teaching on dependent origination; not as an intellectual model, but as a living process unfolding moment by moment within your own body-mind. In the same spirit, study The Manual of Theosis and understand what the early Christian mystics meant by Theosis and the |Signless Condition. These are not abstract theological ideas; they point to the same silent doorway discovered in every genuine tradition.

Train yourself in the four jhānas and the four arūpa states. Learn to stabilize the mind until it becomes utterly still. From that stillness, allow the signless state to appear on its own. Unforced, unconstructed. With time, even cessation becomes a natural unfolding rather than an achievement.

Little can be gained if we remain stuck in conceptual fascination. True progress comes from direct practice, from placing your awareness into the living laboratory of your own nervous system, breath, and consciousness.

For this reason, I recommend Insight Meditation, not as a weekend exercise, but as a multi-year commitment. It refines perception, dismantles illusions, and reveals the nature of experience with uncompromising clarity.

This is the path: precise understanding, disciplined practice, and the courage to let go of everything that is not real.

PAA: Alois Mailänder (sometimes spelled Mainländer) is another intriguing figure from 19th-century occult circles. He was a student or successor of Kerning who led a small circle of mystics in Germany. It’s noted that Kerning and Mailänder together laid the foundation for body-centred yoga practices within Western esotericism. Have you explored the Kerning-Mailänder teachings, and what are your thoughts on this blending of Christian mysticism with physical exercises? Do you see them as early pioneers integrating Eastern yogic concepts into Western practice?

No, I’m still waiting for Samuel Robin’s book, but honestly, I found my own way. It is not about complex exercises, but profound understanding of the simplest exercise. 

What really clarified things for me was looking at Christian Orthodox Theosis and noticing that it recognises the same “Signless State” that Theravada Buddhism talks about, and it describes it in almost exactly the same terms.

By working with the signless state through Theosis, it became obvious to me that, in essence, there is no difference between Buddhist Nibbana and Theosis. The signless state is simply the doorway to the deathless.

Yes, the traditions couldn’t be more different on the outside. But when you  practice, the core experience is almost identical, and the goal is the same. This idea that only the Buddha ever reached cessation is simply not true. Daoists practicing “sitting in oblivion” reach the same state. Early Christians, especially the desert fathers, knew it very well.

At the end of the day, Nibbana doesn’t care about traditions. It doesn’t care which lineage you come through. It has always been accessible. There is nothing to learn and nothing to achieve. In fact, the more you try to ‘do,’ the more the false identity keeps itself alive. Letting go is the actual path.

And this is exactly the danger of modern occultism—the influencers, the Instagram magicians, the endless stream of books and rituals. None of that liberates you. They don’t want to free you; they want you as a follower, a customer, someone who keeps the system running. They keep you blind with constant “new” material, new orders, new promises.

To really lift the veil and step out of the matrix, you must drop all of that. Completely.

Eastern Practices and Meditation

PAA: Switching to the Eastern side of things: you are also a Yoga Āchārya (master-level teacher) with decades of meditation and yoga practice. How did your journey in yoga and meditation begin, and how has it evolved over the years? For instance, did you start with any particular style or lineage of yoga, and what does achieving the level of Āchārya mean for you in terms of responsibility or depth of practice?

I spent almost a year living in India and several years in Southern Africa, drawn by a lifelong fascination with Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Raja Yoga. During my time in Africa, I encountered several Kriya Yoga masters from different lineages, each offering a unique expression of the same ancient current. Eventually, I committed myself fully to the authentic Indian holistic yoga taught in the Satyananda and Sivananda traditions.

Becoming a Yoga Acharya and teaching for years deepened my understanding far beyond what a thousand books could ever convey. Direct experience reshapes you in ways that theory simply cannot.

Over time, I entered and stabilized all the Yogic Samadhis, which opened a profound insight into Vedanta, Vedic meditation, and the entire Kundalini system: the nāḍīs, the chakra symbols, and the inner “petals,” each representing specific nāḍī pathways. Kundalini Yoga, in its true form, is not the Westernized performance version—it is the precise science of the energetic meridians within the subtle body, their functions, and their role in inner development, healing, and ascension.

This path taught me that real transformation begins the moment knowledge stops being an idea and becomes a lived reality within the body, breath, and consciousness.

PAA: Serious meditation practitioners often talk about reaching profound states of consciousness, such as the Jhānas in Buddhism. Have you personally explored these deep meditative absorptions (or similar states of samādhi)? If so, what has that experience been like for you? More broadly, what insights have practices like meditation and breathwork given you about the mind and reality, especially in comparison to Western magical practices that you’ve studied?

I have experienced profound Kundalini awakenings on multiple occasions, entered the full range of Indian Samadhis, and walked through the hard jhānas, the soft jhānas, and the arūpa states. But it would be neither appropriate nor useful to catalogue personal attainments. What matters far more is offering a clear warning to those walking the Western spiritual path.

Far too many seekers become trapped in an endless cycle of magical operations, occult theatrics, and esoteric consumerism. It has become a business like any other. An Indian swami once told me, “We sell God to Westerners the way they sell Coke to us.” It was meant as a joke, but it carries a bitter truth.

Do not become a passive consumer in the esoteric marketplace, another duck being fed by charlatans, influencers, and spiritual entertainers who learned how to hack the YouTube and Facebook algorithms. Become your own master.

Cultivate an individual, unshakable connection with the Divine. Understand that the “matrix” you fear is not primarily external; it is generated within. Your trauma, your failures, your repeated patterns of suffering are not caused by some shadow government or extraterrestrial interference. They are rooted in your own nervous system, your own unexamined conditioning, and the collective delusion humanity carries about who and what we truly are.

Freedom does not arise from accumulating techniques. It does not come from endlessly studying other people’s opinions. Liberation emerges from Right View, Right Effort, and Right Focus—the living heart of the path.

And those qualities are not learned in ten-minute videos or thick occult manuals; they are forged in the intensity of 3–30-day meditation retreats, in silence, discipline, and direct observation of the mind.

This is where the real work happens. Everything else is commentary.

PAA:  What does your current meditation practice look like on a day-to-day basis? Do you follow a specific routine or technique (for example, breath-focused meditation, mantra, mindfulness, etc.) that helps you stay centered? Given your busy roles in business and teaching, how do you maintain consistency in practice? Any tips on balancing rigorous spiritual discipline with everyday life would be very interesting to hear.

I have built my path on direct experience: Sitting in Oblivion, the Brahmavihāras, deep Jhāna practice, and abiding in Stillness, Signlessness, and the threshold of Nibbāna, or what Christian mystics call Theosis. These aren’t concepts to me. Furthermore, working with the letters. They are daily realities.

I practice every single day, often for many hours. At the end of December, I will enter another ten-day retreat, meditating up to ten hours a day. This level of commitment is not extreme; it is simply what the path demands. Nothing of substance can be achieved with minimal effort or casual curiosity.

And yet, the greatest paradox is this: Nothing “you” can do will ever lead to liberation. The only real work is the gradual and uncompromising dissolution of the false self, the conditioned structure that believes it is the doer, the controller, the seeker.

Most people avoid this truth because it does not sell. It does not flatter the ego. It does not fit into a five-minute YouTube reel. And this brings me to a necessary, if uncomfortable, observation:

Many Western spiritual influencers are simply wrong, not because they are malicious, but because they speak from theory instead of experience. Western esotericism, as it is commonly sold, has become a carnival of shortcuts, theatrics, and monetized mysticism. A wild business powered by armchair philosophers and social-media alchemists.

Look at their lives, not their words. Look at what they do, not what they say.Very often they are ungrounded, physically unwell, mentally scattered, spiritually inflated, or stuck in uninspired 9-to-5 routines. They talk about power yet live without vitality. They preach mastery while avoiding the discipline that mastery requires.

There is an old saying:
“Those who know magic, do it.
Those who don’t, teach it.”

And that is precisely what we witness across the Western esoteric landscape, a parade of commentary from people who have never touched the depths they describe.

Real practice strips away illusions one by one. Real practice breaks you open. Real practice demands everything.

It requires:

• Discipline
• Silence
• Daily meditation
• Retreats
• Ethical clarity
• Precision
• Relentless honesty
• And the willingness to dismantle the self you mistakenly believe you are

When you commit to this, something extraordinary begins to happen: the mind becomes still, the heart becomes vast, and the inner architecture of suffering collapses. You begin to understand, not intellectually but viscerally, what the Buddha meant by “the signless”, and what the early Christian mystics meant by “union.” Theosis.

This is the path. Not entertainment, not consumption, not ego-inflation.
But transformation.

PAA: In Tibetan Buddhism there is the famous concept of the “Rainbow Body” attainment. The Tibetan term for this phenomenon is Jalü, literally meaning “rainbow body” – where an advanced meditator’s physical body is said to dissolve into light at death. What are your thoughts on such extraordinary claims of spiritual attainment? Do you view the Rainbow Body (or similar legends of high attainment) as a literal goal, a metaphor for enlightenment, or perhaps a bit of both? And do these kinds of ideals inspire you in your own practice, or do you prefer to keep your focus on more immediate objectives?

The Rainbow Body is not a metaphor. It is a reality. One of the highest expressions of human spiritual evolution. And the path toward it is not found in vague mysticism or online theatrics, but in the disciplined, direct study and practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa. When approached with depth, precision, and perseverance, these teachings unveil the profound mechanics of dissolution, luminosity, and the transformation of the subtle body.

In a similar way, the Kerning exercises of esoteric Christianity, along with advanced Daoist internal alchemy, point to the same destination. The traditions differ in language, ritual, and symbolism, but the underlying architecture is identical: refining the inner winds, purifying the channels, dissolving the delusion of self, and awakening the innate, radiant nature of consciousness.

This is why my own journey has crossed so many lineages. I have immersed myself in Mahāmudrā, Dzogchen, Chan Buddhism, and Theravāda Buddhism, alongside Tantric Yoga, Kerning, Bardon, and numerous other systems of inner transformation. Not out of curiosity, but out of the recognition that truth appears in many dialects, yet points to the same silence.

Each tradition, when practiced correctly, becomes a different doorway into the same luminous ground:

• Mahāmudrā reveals the mind’s natural clarity.
• Dzogchen reveals the primordial purity of awareness.
• Chan cuts directly through conceptual illusion.
• Theravāda dismantles the structures of suffering with razor-sharp precision.
• Tantric Yoga transforms the subtle body into a vehicle of liberation.
• Kerning and Bardon show the alchemical anatomy behind spiritual ascent.
• Daoist practices refine the body’s internal winds and immortal essence.

Together, they form a map of the human potential that is far deeper than the modern world is prepared to acknowledge.

But none of this becomes real through reading or intellectual fascination. It becomes real through applied practice, years of training, retreats, daily discipline, and a relentless willingness to dissolve everything false within oneself.

The Rainbow Body is not achieved by belief; it is achieved by mastery.

And every authentic tradition, when practiced with sincerity, ultimately leads toward that same radiant dissolution.

Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Insights 

PAA: One of your notable recent works is “The Abundance Key,” which you’ve described as blending ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience. In fact, the tagline suggests that “wealth is not outside of you – it’s in your nervous system.” For those who haven’t encountered it, can you give an overview of what The Abundance Key is and what inspired you to develop it? How does it combine esoteric principles with contemporary knowledge of the brain and body to help people achieve abundance? 

The Abundance Key emerged from a very simple observation:
People chase wealth, success, and fulfilment as if these things exist “out there,” yet the real gatekeeper of abundance sits entirely within the nervous system. After decades of yoga, meditation, trauma research, and working with thousands of people, it became unmistakably clear to me: your capacity to receive, create, and hold abundance is biologically regulated long before it becomes a “mindset.”

The modern world teaches people to chase techniques, affirmations, algorithms, and external strategies. But ancient systems, whether Buddhist, Yogic, Daoist, or Hermetic, were always pointing toward the same truth: your inner state determines your outer reality. What I did with The Abundance Key was bring these worlds together in a way that is both practical and scientifically grounded.

The inspiration was quite personal. I witnessed, repeatedly, how individuals sabotage opportunities not because they are weak or unmotivated, but because their nervous system cannot tolerate expansion. Trauma, unresolved stress, or chronic hypervigilance create an internal “capacity limit” that prevents abundance from entering. You simply cannot build a prosperous life on a dysregulated foundation.

In the book, I weave together:

• Vedantic principles of identity and non-self
• Yogic science of the nadis, prana, and Kundalini
• Buddhist insights into perception, craving, and cessation
• Polyvagal theory and the biology of safety
• Trauma research and somatic therapies
• Neuroscience of habit formation, focus, and reward circuitry
• Hermetic and alchemical principles of inner transformation

The result is a framework where spiritual depth meets biological reality.

I explain how abundance is not created through force or positive thinking, but it arises when the nervous system becomes spacious, regulated, and receptive. When the inner contraction dissolves, creativity flows. When fear softens, opportunity appears. When identity loosens, energy moves freely.

The esoteric traditions understood this long before neuroscience had words for it. They taught that the “false self” must be removed, the inner channels purified, and the mind trained into stillness. Today, we would describe the same process as reducing trauma load, down-regulating the sympathetic system, increasing vagal tone, and expanding cognitive flexibility.

The Abundance Key is simply the bridge between these worlds.

It is the recognition that wealth, success, and inner peace are not things you achieve—they are things that emerge naturally when your nervous system is aligned with its own original, unconditioned state.

That is the essence of the book, and the reason I wrote it.

PAA: The idea that our nervous system holds the key to wealth and abundance is fascinating. Could you elaborate on how practices that regulate the nervous system – perhaps breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga – can influence one’s ability to experience prosperity? In The Abundance Key, what are some of the ancient principles or techniques you draw on, and how do they connect to things like stress, safety, or trauma from a neuroscience perspective? Essentially, how do mind-body practices translate into what you call “Nervous System Wealth” in practical terms? 

The idea that the nervous system holds the key to abundance is far less mystical than people assume. Every form of prosperity, whether financial, emotional, or spiritual, requires a body that feels safe enough to expand. When the nervous system is dysregulated, the mind contracts, perception becomes narrow, and the person unconsciously avoids opportunities that would otherwise benefit them. This is why so many people self-sabotage: not because they are weak or lazy, but because their biology is locked in survival mode, and survival mode cannot create abundance.

Ancient traditions understood this long before neuroscience existed. Yogic breathing practices regulate the autonomic nervous system and shift the body out of fight-or-flight. Nadi Shuddhi clears the internal channels so energy and emotion can move freely. Vipassanā trains the mind to observe instead of react, dissolving the habitual patterns that keep people stuck. The Brahmavihāras open the emotional circuitry, replacing fear and contraction with compassion, joy, and equanimity. Jhāna meditation brings the mind into deep parasympathetic stillness, a state where healing, clarity, and insight arise naturally. And tantric methods such as Maha Mudra, Kundalini Yoga, and Daoist internal alchemy work directly with the subtle winds and meridians, restoring balance to the body’s energetic architecture.

Modern science describes these same transformations in different language. Trauma patterns shape the autonomic nervous system, limiting a person’s capacity for risk, creativity, and connection. Increasing vagal tone enhances resilience and emotional flexibility. Expanding interoceptive awareness strengthens decision-making and intuition. When stress decreases, the prefrontal cortex becomes more active, allowing for better choices and clearer perception. In other words, the qualities people associate with “success” are simply the natural expression of a regulated nervous system.

This is what I call “Nervous System Wealth.” It is the recognition that real abundance does not arise from hustle, force, or positive thinking, it arises when the body, mind, and subtle system are aligned in safety, clarity, and openness. When internal contraction dissolves, people begin to take the right actions, recognise the right opportunities, and trust their deeper intelligence. Prosperity stops being something they chase and becomes something they finally have the capacity to receive.

In practical terms, mind-body practices create abundance because they expand the internal container. They dismantle trauma, stabilise attention, refine perception, and remove the unconscious barriers that keep people looping in the same patterns. When the nervous system becomes spacious and regulated, abundance is no longer an aspiration. It becomes a natural outcome of an unburdened human being.

PAA: More broadly, what is your view on the intersection of modern science and ancient spiritual wisdom? We live in a time where concepts like energy work, meditation, and manifestation are being examined by neuroscience and psychology. Do you feel that science is validating what mystics have known for ages, or is it more that new scientific language helps us understand age-old practices in a fresh way? I’m curious how you personally integrate cutting-edge research with esoteric knowledge – as you seem to do in projects like The Abundance Key.

I’ve always seen modern science and ancient spiritual wisdom as two lenses pointed at the same underlying reality. For centuries, mystics described inner transformation in the language of energy, prana, nadis, winds, and consciousness, while today’s neuroscientists speak of neural networks, vagal tone, trauma patterns, and state regulation. The terminology is different, but the mechanisms are strikingly similar. What science is doing now is not “inventing” new truths, it is simply giving modern vocabulary to processes that yogis, monks, and alchemists have worked with for thousands of years.

Where the two worlds meet, something powerful happens. Ancient practice gives science depth, while science gives ancient practice clarity. This is exactly how I approach projects like The Abundance Key: it is a no-bullshit, no-fluff system. I have no interest in vague spirituality, wishful thinking, or the kind of manifestation clichés that dominate the Western wellness market. Everything I teach is grounded in hard science, neuroscience, polyvagal theory, trauma psychology, and somatic research, while simultaneously honouring the precision of the yogic and meditative traditions I’ve practiced for decades.

Science helps people understand how these practices work. Ancient wisdom shows us why they matter. When you put them together, you get a framework that is both practical and transformative. You stop relying on belief and start working with the actual biology and energetics of the human system. My advice is simple: don’t get lost in superstition, and don’t become a slave to scientism either. Use both. Let science illuminate the mechanisms, and let practice reveal the truth directly.

Reflections and Advice 

PAA: Throughout your journey, you’ve been involved in formal initiatory orders (like the Knights Templar, Martinist or Masonic groups, etc.) as well as extensive personal practice. In your opinion, what is the value of joining an esoteric order or lineage in today’s world? How important is formal initiation, apostolic succession, or lineage transmission in spiritual growth, versus one’s own independent study and practice? For someone debating whether to join a fraternity or order, what would you say are the main benefits or potential pitfalls?

Most of today’s fraternities are deeply compromised. Most modern Freemasons sit directly on top of the holy grail of inner alchemy without even realising what they are holding.  Yet, as long as there is one mason still understanding, still practicing, the path is well and truly alive. Rosicrucian lodges, once devoted to genuine spiritual transformation, have drifted into politically correct New Age ideology, losing the depth and rigor that once defined them. Strong men and women are needed on this path, yet most people are weak followers, just reading monographs and taking over other peoples opinions. What people fail to understand is that every order, every lodge, every fraternity carries an egregore; a collective psychic field, and when you mingle with these groups unconsciously, you absorb their norms, limitations, and blind spots without even noticing.

This is why awareness is everything. You must question everything, especially the traditions that claim to offer enlightenment. Think for yourself. Do not inherit someone else’s spiritual assumptions just because they are packaged in ritual and symbolism. And yet, initiation still has its place. It can act as a catalyst, a mirror, a moment of recognition. But never mistake the outer ceremony for inner awakening.

The principle I live by is simple: speak like everyone, think like no one. Remain independent. Stay loyal only to truth, not to orders, hierarchies, or leaders who have long since abandoned the original purpose of their own traditions. The real path requires discernment, courage, and an uncompromising commitment to your own direct experience.

PAA: For aspiring magicians or mystics reading this – those who may be just starting out – what advice would you give them? Are there any fundamental practices or habits you believe are crucial for beginners on the esoteric path? Perhaps things you wish you had known earlier in your own development. Likewise, are there common mistakes or misconceptions you would warn new seekers to be mindful of as they delve into Hermeticism, meditation, etc.? 

First and foremost, become a strong individual. The path of the Magician is not for the faint-hearted or the politically correct spiritual tourists who crumble at the first sign of discomfort. This path demands strength, discipline, and an uncompromising commitment to inner truth. Failure will be your greatest ally, because it reveals precisely where you must grow, refine, and sharpen yourself.

Study all traditions, but learn only from true masters, those who embody the work, not those who merely speak about it. Avoid influencers, fashionable authors, and self-appointed gurus who recycle shallow ideas for attention. Their teachings will distract you, dilute your focus, and waste years of your life.

Understand the principle of Dependent Origination, the architecture of how suffering and identity arise. Understand anatta, the reality of non-self, because without this foundation you have no compass and no destination. You must know the goal before you begin. Otherwise, you will be trapped in the cycle of trying a new method every six months, never penetrating beyond the surface. Attend meditation retreats. Learn to be focusses, learn to meditate for several hours for many weeks.

Strength, clarity, and purpose; these are the prerequisites. Everything else grows from there.

PAA: You juggle many roles – CEO of a music company, author, teacher, and more – all while pursuing deep spiritual work. How do you balance the demands of everyday professional and family life with your spiritual practices and obligations? Do you have any personal strategies to stay grounded and avoid burnout? It would be insightful to learn how someone in your position manages to keep one foot in the material world and one in the mystical, so to speak.

Do what is necessary. At any cost. Speak the truth even if it threatens your reputation, your comfort, or your life. Fear no enemy, internal or external. And above all, do no wrong and safeguard the weak, the sick, and those who cannot stand for themselves. A true practitioner is a knight, not in symbolism, but in conduct, relentlessly seeking the Divine in every action and every breath.

Nothing can be accomplished with the lukewarm efforts of a part-time magus. Half-heartedness is death on this path. Whether in spirituality or business, the real question is always the same: How badly do you want it? How far are you willing to go? How much of yourself are you willing to transform?

I never pursued extreme wealth. What I sought, what I still seek, is balance. Money matters, yes, but only up to a certain point. Beyond that, the pursuit becomes hollow. The tragedy of the modern billionaire is the same across the board: they spend a lifetime accumulating mountains of wealth, only to realise, often too late, that none of it can save them from mortality. The moment illness arrives; the entire empire becomes meaningless.

Spiritual attainment, however, is the one treasure no one can take from you. It follows you beyond this life. It shapes your consciousness, your destiny, your freedom. Wealth fades. Bodies fail. Status evaporates. But the inner work, your clarity, your realization, your expansion, remains eternal.

PAA: Finally, what’s next for you on the horizon? Are there any upcoming projects, books, or teachings that you’re working on that we should watch out for? And on a more personal note, what continues to drive you forward on this path? After decades of experience, what keeps you inspired to keep learning, teaching, and exploring the mysteries?

I have several book manuscripts at home, but The Abundance Key was difficult to write, not because the content is complex, but because I crafted it so it could be understood by almost anyone. The book I originally wanted to write may never see the light of day, simply because very few people are willing to face the deeper truth. Yet The Abundance Key delivers precisely what most Western practitioners consistently overlook. It distils a simple, essential reality, and everyone I have ever taught it to has experienced noticeable success and transformation almost immediately.

The core misunderstanding is the belief that there is something to achieve, some state to force, some enlightenment to conquer, some immortality to grasp through sheer personal will. This is the great illusion. The real path begins the moment we let go of the idea that the ego can will or drag itself into liberation. Instead, we must become knights of the heart and soul, anchored in truth, integrity, and inner strength. We must be willing to stand our ground, to sacrifice comfort, and if necessary, even our own life for what is real.

True progress is not about attainment, it is about surrender, courage, and unwavering loyalty to the deepest truth within us. Nibbana, Theosis is achieved through the process of letting go.

I understand that many will take offense to my comparison between Theosis and Nibbana, Buddhism and Franz Bardon. Your own practice will prove me right ?

PAA: Erwin on behalf of Perseus and our readers I would like to thank you for what has been a very inspiring interview and hugely motivating. I for one would like to see you do that book that only a few may appreciate and I am sure there others thinking the same.

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