The Occult, How has it benefited the modern world?

The dictionaries definition is "the supernatural or hidden from view" but to me (and I think many people have this idea) occult has a negative connotation. I tend to picture some crazy guy in a black robe sacrificing a kidnapped baby to the devil lol. Many of our modern sciences owe their existance to ancient occult arts. Modern chemistry sprang from alchemy (primarily the art of trying to change other substances into gold), astronomy comes from the art of astrology, medical science has evolved from occult practices and these are only a few examples. It's difficult for me to decide whether these things have benefitted humanity or caused more harm than good. The sciences can either be used as tools or as weapons. Physics is a good example, it can be used to travel to other worlds or create nuclear weapons. Only time will tell.