“Lovecraftian magic” as a form of fictional religion
https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2026-1-119-136
Abstract
The article is devoted to the form of new religious movements (also “fictional religions”) as “cult of Aliyah” (the author also uses the terms “Lovecraftian magic” and “Lovecraftian”). The study revealed the spontaneous nature of the formation of this cult (through dreaming), and described some elements of the “Holy Scriptures/Legends” of the “cult of Alyakh”. This review study leads to the following results:
1. The religionization of H. F. Lovecraft’s literary heritage began around the 1960s and continues to this day (both abroad and in Russia).
2. G.F. Lovecraft himself was as far as possible from the literal perception of the otherworldly realities described in his works.
3. The heart of Lovecraft is artificially created fictional books from the works of Lovecraft and his followers, often written anonymously.
4. The main method of forming Tradition in Lovecraft magic is the oneiric method – the appeal to dreams, which explains the obscure the vague nature of this teaching.
5. The teaching itself is a hodgepodge of ideas borrowed from Thelema, various forms of Satanism, mainstream occultism, and neo-paganism.
6. Lovecraft’s influence is also noticeable in major narratives of modern philosophy: speculative realism, object-oriented ontology, and cyberfeminism.
Keywords
About the Author
A. V. Kamaldinov
Herzen University;
St. Petersburg State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Aleksei V. Kamaldinov, Cand. of Sci. (Theology)
48, Moika Emb., Saint Petersburg, 191186
7–9, Universitetskaya Emb., Saint Petersburg, 199034
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Review
For citations:
Kamaldinov A.V. “Lovecraftian magic” as a form of fictional religion. Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion. 2026;(1):119-136. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2026-1-119-136
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