I'd say look at his post history but unfortunately he's deleted many of the good ones. He's on and off, that's why the post that was linked in the recent "I got banned" deal kind of worried me. A sharp bend it was indeed.

Here's one where he wasn't rude, and perhaps was informed by a commenter (though it would have helped socially for him to give some admission of this). He also made a modern connection as an example of his point. And while he may be wrong about literary criticism being so young, he is spot on about it being new with the specific bent of esotericism which is just now fighting for its spot in academia worldwide. Interestingly, at the most recent ASE conference this last summer, a paper was presented about western esotericism as it appears and functions in manga and anime. It is a line of inquiry that is nascent and it will likely continue to grow. He is ahead of the curve in seeing it as an avenue for deeper examination, but instead of any discussion of that, the discussion became an issue about the history of literary criticism (that has much value, just not to my mind as interesting), and that would solve itself with education and time.

He regularly brings up of topics that are being investigated from new esoteric perspectives academically such as Machen and the works of other weird tales authors, the mentioned anime and lesser known eastern mysticisms (I'd like him to read Avery Morrow's The Sacred Science of Ancient Japan and get his take, but he'd have to open up for that - it would be a perspective I would understand as specific to one person, not the authoritative word). His curriculum may seem strange, but it very well may be a curriculum that is coming the western mainstream occult way in the future.

However, I think he tries to combine his interests with ones that are more prevalent on this board and that is but one place, IMO, he stumbles. It's not easy and certainly not for a person who has trouble communicating dispassionately and empathizing (among other issues about which I can only speculate).

I get where you are coming from though, but I do not think I think I am perceiving or treating him as some hidden teacher more than any other person is a hidden teacher (he might perceive that about himself though with the magus-itis thing). I often find some synchronicity with what he writes and what I am looking into in a moment, but I do not assume that for everyone. I do feel he has gems in his pockets; however, I admit that he frequently tosses them so forcefully that they scatter from view.

I think you are right that he is going to have to present ideas "as the rest of us understand them" especially if he is going to take the path of the scholar because they get knocked down frequently in their analyses even when their lives are about doing the homework. And he has some gaps as does everyone. (And by "the rest of us" I am simply referring to presenting ideas for a wider range of differentiation so gaps can be filled. Certainly, a blanket "rest of us" cannot hold much meaning in any place with such diversity, but I get what you meant.)

I have observed people similar to Spooky in other communities as well, and I try to find gems if with them too if I can. Even if the types do not learn, allowing the opportunity for others to explain can help in solidifying concepts. But I have only been actively participating here for a short time. Some here may be very tired of taking these types of opportunities and being thrashed for their efforts. I can understand the desire to ban. I'm just not at that point myself.

Sorry for the length, Solmunder! As you may suspect, I am procrastinating.