Around 1900, nature-oriented way of life, spiritism and theosophy inspired artists from Arnold Schönberg to Egon Schiele. This comprehensive overview is the first to explore the occult aspects of the "Lebensreform" movement in Vienna.

In the late 19th century, criticism of the materialism of industrialized society reached Vienna. Spiritism and theosophy inspired many who were looking for a "better self." Painters such as Albert von Keller and Gabriel von Max documented their trance states, Gertrude Honzatko-Mediz created mediumistic drawings, the writer August Strindberg painted dark landscape visions, artists such as Richard Gerstl, Arnold Schönberg, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, and Max Oppenheimer saw their models as auratic presences. For the first time, this volume examines the search for the "New Human" in Vienna without ignoring the darker aspects of magical thinking.