NEW AGE SPIRITUALITY
Introduction
The New Age Movement is in a class by itself. Unlike most formal religions,
it has no holy text, central organization, formal clergy, dogma, creed,
etc. It is in fact a network of believers who share similar beliefs.
They have book stores instead of churches; seminars, books, and informal
groups in place of sermons and religious services.
Some conservative Christians believe that a massive, underground New Age
organization exists that is coordinating the infiltration of government,
media, schools and churches. No such entity exists.
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: Hinduism, Gnostic traditions,
Neo-paganism, Spiritualism, Theosophy, etc.
The start of the movement is often considered to be 1971 with the publishing
of the East-West Journal. Shirley MacLaine is perhaps their most
famous figure. Tens of millions of people have embraced a few New Age
beliefs and/or practices and grafted them onto their personal religion.
New Age Beliefs
A number of fundamental beliefs are held my many New Age followers:
- 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.
- Reincarnation: After death, we are reborn and live another life.
This cycle repeats itself many times. This belief is essentially identical
to that of 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
- Personal Transformation A profoundly intense mystical experience
will lead to the acceptance of New Age teachings. 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.
- 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.
- Universalism: 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 religion which contains elements of all current faiths
will evolve and become generally accepted throughout the world.
- 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 the 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 through each of the signs of the zodiac approximately every
24,000 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. It is interesting to note that the previous constellation
change was from Taurus the bull to Pisces the fish. It happened at a time
when Christianity was emerging, and many individuals changed from animal
sacrifice in the Jewish temple to embracing the teachings of Christianity
whose prime symbol at the time was the fish.
New Age Practices
Many practices are common amongst New Agers:
- Channeling A method similar to that used by Spiritists in which
a spirit of a long dead individual is conjured up. That person's consciousness
is channeled through the medium and relays guidance and information.
- Use of Crystals Crystals are materials which has its 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 posses healing energy.
- 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 predicts the individuals 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, meditation methods, 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
Centre, EST, Gestalt Therapy, Primal Scream Therapy, massage, Transactional
Analysis, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga.
The Canadian Census (1991) recorded only 1,200 people 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.
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