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NEW AGE SPIRITUALITY
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NEW AGE SPIRITUALITY
a.k.a. Self-spirituality, New spirituality, Mind-body-spirit
Sponsored link.
Introduction:
The New Age Movement is in a class by itself. Unlike most formal
religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy,
geographic center, dogma, creed, etc. They often use mutually exclusive
definitions for some of their terms. The New Age is in fact a free-flowing
spiritual movement; a network of believers and practitioners who share somewhat
similar beliefs and practices, which they add on to whichever formal religion
that they follow. Their book publishers take the place of a central
organization; seminars, conventions, books and informal groups replace of
sermons and religious services.
Quoting John Naisbitt:
"In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two
extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience...With no membership
lists or even a coherent philosophy or dogma, it is difficult to define or
measure the unorganized New Age movement. But in every major U.S. and European
city, thousands who seek insight and personal growth cluster around a
metaphysical bookstore, a spiritual teacher, or an education center."
1
The New Age is definitely a heterogeneous movement of individuals; most graft
some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation. Recent surveys of
US s indicate that many Americans hold at least some new age beliefs:
 8% believe in astrology as a method of foretelling the future
7% believe that crystals are a source of healing or energizing power
9% believe that Tarot Cards are a reliable base for life decisions
about 1 in 4 believe in a non-traditional concept of the nature of God
which are often associated with New Age thinking:
 11% believe that God is "a state of higher consciousness that a
person may reach"
8% define God as "the total realization of personal, human
potential"
3% believe that each person is God.
The group of surveys cited above classify religious beliefs into 7 faith
groups.
2 Starting with the largest, they are: Cultural (Christmas &
Easter) Christianity, Conventional Christianity, New Age Practitioner, Biblical
(Fundamentalist, Evangelical) Christianity, Atheist/Agnostic, Other, and Jewish,
A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady
20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group.
2
History of the New Age movement:
New Age teachings became popular during the 1970's as a reaction against what
some perceived as the failure of Christianity and the failure of Secular
Humanism to provide spiritual and ethical guidance for the future. Its roots are
traceable to many sources: Astrology, Channeling,
Hinduism, Gnostic traditions, , Spiritualism,
Taoism, Theosophy, Wicca
and other Neo-pagan traditions, etc. The movement
started in England in the 1960's where many of these elements were well
established. Small groups, such as the Findhorn Community in Inverness
and the Wrekin Trust
formed. The movement quickly became international. Early New Age mileposts in
North America were a "New Age Seminar" run by the Association for
Research and Enlightenment, and the establishment of the East-West
Journal in 1971. Actress Shirley MacLaine is perhaps their most famous
current figure.
During the 1980's and 90's, the movement came under criticism from a variety
of groups. Channeling was ridiculed; seminar and group leaders were criticized
for the fortunes that they made from New Agers. Their uncritical belief in the
"scientific" properties of crystals was exposed as groundless. But the movement
has become established and become a stable, major force in North American
religion during the past generation. As the millennium comes to a close, the New
Age is expected to expand, promoted by the social backlash against logic and
science.
The one version of the "New Age" that does not exist:
Major confusion about the New Age has been generated by academics,
counter-cult groups, Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians and
traditional Muslim groups, etc. Some examples are:
Many of the above groups have dismissed Tasawwuf (Sufiism) as a
New Age
cult. In reality, Sufiism has historically been an
established mystical movement within Islam, which has always existing in a
state of tension with the more legalistic divisions within Islam. It has no
connection with the New Age.
Some conservative Christians believe that a massive, underground, highly
coordinated New Age organization exists that is infiltrating government,
media, schools and churches. No such entity exists.
Some conservative Christians do not differentiate among the
Occult,
Satanism, Wicca, other
Neopagan religions. Many seem to regard all as forms of Satanism who perform
horrendous criminal acts on children. Others view The New Age, Neopagan
religions, Tarot card reading, rune readings, channeling, work with crystal
energy, etc. as merely recruiting programs for Satanism. In fact, the
Occult, Satanism, Neo-pagan religions are very different phenomena, and
essentially unrelated. Dr. Carl Raschke, professor of Religious Studies at
the University of Denver describes New Age practices as the spiritual
version of AIDS; it destroys the ability of people to cope and function."
He describes it as "essentially, the marketing end of the political
packaging of occultism...a breeding ground for a new American form of
fascism."
New Age beliefs:
A number of fundamental beliefs are held by many New Age followers;
individuals are encouraged to "shop" for the beliefs and practices that they
feel most comfortable with:
Monism: All that exists is derived from a single source of divine
energy.
Pantheism: All that exists is God; God is all that exists. This
leads naturally to the concept of the divinity of the individual, that we
are all Gods. They do not seek God as revealed in a sacred text or as exists
in a remote heaven; they seek God within the self and throughout the entire
universe.
Panentheism: God is all that exists. God is at once the entire
universe, and transcends the universe as well.
Reincarnation: After death, we are reborn and live another life
as a human. This cycle repeats itself many times. This belief is similar to
the concept of transmigration of the soul in Hinduism.
Karma: The good and bad deeds that we do adds and subtracts from
our accumulated record, our karma. At the end of our life, we are
rewarded or punished according to our karma by being reincarnated into
either a painful or good new life. This belief is linked to that of
reincarnation and is also derived from Hinduism
An Aura is believed to be an energy field radiated by the body.
Invisible to most people, it can be detected by some as a shimmering,
multi-colored field surrounding the body. Those skilled in detecting and
interpreting auras can diagnose an individual's state of mind, and their
spiritual and physical health.
Personal Transformation A profoundly intense mystical experience
will lead to the acceptance and use of New Age beliefs and practices. Guided
imagery, hypnosis, meditation, and (sometimes) the use of hallucinogenic
drugs are useful to bring about and enhance this transformation. Believers
hope to develop new potentials within themselves: the ability to heal
oneself and others, psychic powers, a new understanding of the workings of
the universe, etc. Later, when sufficient numbers of people have achieved
these powers, a major spiritual, physical, psychological and cultural
planet-wide transformation is expected.
Ecological Responsibility: A belief in the importance of uniting
to preserve the health of the earth, which is often looked upon as Gaia,
(Mother Earth) a living entity.
Universal Religion: Since all is God, then only one reality
exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate
reality. The universal religion can be visualized as a mountain, with many
sadhanas (spiritual paths) to the summit. Some are hard; others easy.
There is no one correct path. All paths eventually reach the top. They
anticipate that a new universal religion which contains elements of all
current faiths will evolve and become generally accepted worldwide.
New World Order As the Age of Aquarius unfolds, a New
Age will develop. This will be a utopia in which there is world
government, and end to wars, disease, hunger, pollution, and poverty.
Gender, racial, religious and other forms of discrimination will cease.
People's allegiance to their tribe or nation will be replaced by a concern
for the entire world and its people.
The Age of Aquarius is a reference to the precession of the zodiac.
The earth passes into a new sign of the zodiac approximately every 2,000 years.
Some believe that the earth entered the constellation Aquarius in the 19th
Century, so that the present era is the dawning of the age of Aquarius. Others
believe that it will occur at the end of the 20th century. It is interesting to
note that the previous constellation changes were:
from Aries to Pisces the fish circa 1st century CE. This
happened at a time when Christianity was an emerging religion, and many
individuals changed from animal sacrifice in the Jewish temple to embracing
the teachings of Christianity. The church's prime symbol at the time was the
fish.
from Taurus to Aries the ram circa 2,000 BCE. This happened at a time
when the Jews engaged in widespread ritual sacrifice of sheep and other
animals in the Temple.
from Gemini to Taurus the bull circa 4,000 BCE. During that sign,
worshiping of the golden calf was common in the Middle East.
Sponsored link:
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New Age practices:
Many practices are found among New Agers. A typical practitioner is active in
only a few areas:
Channeling A method similar to that used by Spiritists in which a
spirit of a long dead individual is conjured up. However, while Spiritists
generally believe that one's soul remains relatively unchanged after death,
most channelers believe that the soul evolves to higher planes of existence.
Chanelers usually try to make contact with a single, spiritually evolved
being. That being's consciousness is channeled through the medium and relays
guidance and information to the group, through the use of the medium's
voice. Channeling has existed since the 1850's and many groups consider
themselves independent of the New Age movement. Perhaps the most famous
channeling event is the popular A Course in Miracles.
It was channeled through a Columbia University psychologist, Dr. Helen
Schucman, (1909-1981), over an 8 year period. She was an Atheist, and in no
way regarded herself as a New Age believer. However, she took great care in
recording accurately the words that she received.
Crystals Crystals are materials which have their molecules
arranged in a specific, highly ordered internal pattern. This pattern is
reflected in the crystal's external structure which typically has
symmetrical planar surfaces. Many common substances, from salt to sugar,
from diamonds to quartz form crystals. They can be shaped so that they will
vibrate at a specific frequency and are widely used in radio communications
and computing devices. New Agers believe that crystals possess healing
energy.
Meditating A process of blanking out the mind and releasing
oneself from conscious thinking. This is often aided by repetitive chanting
of a mantra, or focusing on an object.
New Age Music A gentle, melodic, inspirational music form
involving the human voice, harp, lute, flute, etc. It is used as an aid in
healing, massage therapy and general relaxation.
Divination The use of various techniques to foretell the future,
including I Ching, Pendulum movements, Runes, Scrying, Tarot Cards.
Astrology The belief that the orientation of the planets at the
time of one's birth, and the location of that birth predicts the
individual's future and personality. Belief in astrology is common amongst
New Agers, but definitely not limited to them.
Holistic Health This is a collection of healing techniques which
have diverged from the traditional medical model. It attempts to cure
disorders in mind, body and spirit and to promote wholeness and balance in
the individual. Examples are acupuncture, crystal healing, homeopathy,
iridology, massage, various meditation methods, polarity therapy, psychic
healing, therapeutic touch, reflexology, etc.
Human Potential Movement (a.k.a. Emotional Growth Movement) This
is a collection of therapeutic methods involving both individualized and
group working, using both mental and physical techniques. The goal is to
help individuals to advance spiritually. Examples are Esalen Growth Center
programs, EST, Gestalt Therapy, Primal Scream Therapy, Transactional
Analysis, Transcendental Meditation and Yoga.
The Canadian Census (1991) recorded only 1,200 people (0.005% of the total
Canadian population) who identify their religion as being New Age. However, this
in no way indicates the influence of new age ideas in the country. Many people
identify with Christianity and other religions, but incorporate many new age
concepts into their faith.
"Indigo Children"
Some within the New Age movement believe that children with special powers
and indigo colored auras have been born in recent years. According to Nancy Ann
Tappe, this is a global phenomenon affecting over 95% of newborns since 1995.
She writes:
"As small children, Indigo’s are easy to recognize by their unusually
large, clear eyes. Extremely bright, precocious children with an amazing
memory and a strong desire to live instinctively, these children of the next
millennium are sensitive, gifted souls with an evolved consciousness who
have come here to help change the vibrations of our lives and create one
land, one globe and one species. They are our bridge to the future."
Some New Agers feel that the special personality factors among Indigo
Children result in them being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD by therapists who do
not understand their special qualities and needs. 6,7,8
References used:
J. Naisbitt & P. Aburdene, Megatrends 2000", William Morrow &
Company, New York, NY (1990)
George Barnia, "The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators", Word
Publishing, Dallas TX, (1996)
Richard Kyle, "The Religious Fringe", InterVarsity Press, Downers
Grove, IL (1993), Page 285-298
J.Gordon Melton, "Whither the New Age?", Chapter 35 of T. Miller,
"America's Alternative Religions", SUNY Press, Albany, NY (1995)
R.T. Carroll, "A Course in Miracles," The Skeptic's Dictionary, at:
http://skepdic.com/cim.html
Nancy Ann Tappe, "Understanding Your Life Through Color," 2004 book
review at Sentient Times. See:
http://www.sentienttimes.com/
Lee Caroll, "Indigo Children," Hay House, (1999).
Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
Doreen Virtue, "The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children," Hay House,
(2001).
Read reviews or order this book
Links to New Age web sites:
AquariusAge.com is a spiritual/new age web site with articles
mostly in Dutch. See:
http://www.aquariusage.com/
Blue Ridge Spirit is a web site featuring New Age and
Metaphysical gifts and products. They also have a series of self-help essays
"dedicated to empowering Individuals in the pursuit of clarity and truth
during their lives journey." See:
http://www.blueridgespirit.com/
The Center for the New Age in Sedona, AZ has "... over 15
professional psychic readers and energy healers..." specializing in "...spiritual
quest and inner transformation." They distribute many free newsletters.
See:
http://www.sedonanewagecenter.com/
Life Positive offers "a complete encyclopedia on holistic
living and new age alternative sciences." See:
http://www.lifepositive.com/
LinkLight is a New Age site whose goal is to "create a
spiritual connection between everyone on this Planet, and in this way raise
the Consciousness of the Planet." They are at:
http://www.linklight.com
New Age Truth emphasizes that: "...in seeking our paths we
have the opportunity to embrace and explore all possible 'truths' before
choosing the path which best fits our footsteps. Remembering that no one
path is absolute. No truth is in itself whole. See:
http://www.newagetruth.com/
New Age Web Works honors: "....all life as important, and all
humanity as One." They support and invite :....the New Age, UFO, Pagan,
Occult and Alternative Spirituality communities to share ideas, products and
services." See:
http://www.newageinfo.com/
Open2love.com is "a positive spiritual new age community for
Lightworkers and Wanderers, featuring chat, forums, links and more."
See: http://www.open2love.com
Amazon.com's online bookstore lists the following books on the New Age:
If you see a generic Amazon ad here, please click on your browser's refresh
key.
Sponsored links:
Web sites which sell New Age / Metaphysical products:
The Shadow Shop maintains an online store with "hundreds of
New Age / Metaphysical products from around the world." See:
http://www.newagereseller.com
Ambient Moods supplies music for many needs: to facilitate
meditation, yoga, breathing, hypnosis, massage, Reiki, etc. See:
http://www.ambientmoods.com/
Site navigation:
Home page >
Spiritual paths, etc > here
Copyright © 1995 to 2006 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2006-OCT-01
Author: B.A. Robinson
Links checked: 2006-FEB-21
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