Guenon freely admits he is of the perennial philosophy tradition. However, the purpose of his book, “The Spiritist Fallacy” is not to draw us into his tradition but to refute many central Spiritist (from spirits) ideas flooding the West such as reincarnation, spiritual evolutionism, communication with the dead, depictions of the afterlife, the plethora of psycho-technologies being advanced by New Age gurus and subtle but far more dangerous ideas.
In other words, Guenon is warning us away from what Western modernists such as William James and a bevy of Western theologians partook of and what you were caught up in.
Amazon’s review of The Spiritist Fallacy:
“The doctrinal expositions that accompany his astonishing account offer extraordinarily prescient insight into many deviations and ‘psychological’ afflictions of the modern mind, and will be as valuable to psychological practitioners and spiritual counselors as to historians of esoteric history. It also offers a profound corrective to the many brands of New Age ‘therapy’ that all too unwittingly invoke many of the same elements whose nefarious origins Guénon so clearly described many years ago.”
Though his book is not for everyone and must be read with discretion and discernment Guenon was trying to help us, not harm us.
Like Guenon, Pember focuses on the influx into Christendom of Spiritism, Theosophy and Buddhism. Unlike Guenon though, Pember actually witnessed the influx. On page 243 he said,
"(as) we glance at the world of to-day, we see the men of this nineteenth century returning to the wisdom of long past ages, and modern thought sustaining its flight upon the wings of ancient lore. Nay, almost every characteristic of antiquity seems to be reappearing. Open intercourse with demons is being renewed on a vast scale in the very heart of Christendom (along with)magical practices...ancient Mysteries...mesmeric healings...astrology (and) countless other practices of primal and mediaeval times are once more becoming common. And, impossible as it would have seemed a few years ago, all these 'superstitions' are floating back to us upon the tide of 'modern thought.' They come no longer veiled in mystery...but, in accordance with the spirit of the age, present themselves as the fruit of science (p. 243)..as the advances of Modern Science, and especially of evolutionary philosophy" (p. 245).
In his book, Pember extensively examines the role of demonic forces from the pre-flood world up through his own time. He provides authenticated instances of the reality and nearness of the spirit world, demonic teachings regarding God (usually presented as the sum total of the universe; cosmic consciousness),the structure of the universe (matter and psychic energy), the acquisition of powers, and so on.
Pember was classically educated, thus he knew that many of the vaunted results of modern (natural)science and evolutionary philosophy were included in the instruction given to the,
"initiates of the Hermetic, Orphic, Eleusinian, and Cabalistic mysteries, and were familiar to Chaldean Magi, Egyptian Priests, Hindu Occultists, Essenes, Therapeutae, Gnostics, and Theurgic Neo-Platonists." (p. 244)
Like Guenon, Pember was greatly concerned by widespread contact with spirits (spiritism):
"Direct communications with demons, whether by writing, clairvoyance, clairaudience, or in other ways, is now becoming universally prevalent." (p. 163)
With respect to James, it was his lengthy involvement with spiritist practices that concerned Guenon and which eventuated in James seeing God as a finite,
"cosmic consciousness, a pooling or weaving together of all individual consciousness." (Total Truth, Nancy Pearcey, p. 425)