Through his own cathartic experiences, Colin Wilson discovered that human beings consist of a ladder or hierarchy of selves, whose upper members may be called on at will for personal transformation and deep knowledge. Mysteries attempts to explain all paranormal phenomena -- from precognition to Uri Geller's spoon bending -- in terms of this theory. Included are detailed studies of hauntings, possession, and "demonic hypnosis," and also of magic, the Kabbalah, and astrology. At the heart of the book is a fascinating chapter on the "Great Secret" of the alchemists, which Wilson sees as the key to the mystery of the "ladder of selves."