The Western Esoteric Tradition as an Object of Sociological Studies: History and Prospects The article is aimed at presenting a particular way of developing sociological reflection upon the tradition of Western esotericism in the categories of counterculture. The author makes an attempt to indicate the significance of practicing this reflection within a separate sociological subdisciplinethe sociology of esotericism. The study consists of two parts: the first comprises a reconstruction of the

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... ciological perspective in the research into Western esoteric tradition, while in the second, a certain way of practising sociology of esotericism is suggested, one focussing on the notions of visibility and recognition.