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New Age is the term commonly used to designate the broad movement of late 20th century and contemporary Western Culture , characterised by an eclectic and individual approach to Spiritual exploration. '''Self-spirituality''', '''New spirituality''', and '''Mind-body-spirit''' are other names sometimes used for the movement. New Age Transformed J Gordon Melton, Director Institute for the Study of American Religion - Accessed June 2006 What Is “New Age? Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. Cult Observer, 1993, Volume 10, No. 1- Accessed July 2006 [http://www.religioustolerance.org/newage.htm New Age Spirituality] a.k.a. Self-spirituality, New spirituality, Mind-body-spirit by Author: B.A. Robinson of Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Last update: 2006-OCT-01. Accessed March 2007. New Age is a term which includes diverse individuals, including some who graft additional beliefs onto a traditional religious affiliation. Individuals who hold any of its beliefs may not identify with the name, and the name may be applied as a label by outsiders to anyone they consider inclined towards its World View . The New Age movement may include elements of older spiritual and religious traditions from both East and West, many of which have been melded with ideas from modern science, particularly Psychology and Ecology . New Age ideas could be described as drawing inspiration from all the major World Religions with influences from Spiritualism , Buddhism , Hinduism , Shamanism , Sufism , Taoism , New Thought and Neo-Paganism being especially strong. From this collection of influences have come a wide-ranging literature on spirituality, New Musical Styles and crafts — most visible in speciality shops and New Age Fair s and Festival s The Mind, Body Spirit Festival has run event in the UK since 1977. Accessed Dec 2006. International Listing of New Age Shows, Expos & Exhibitions at www.equinoxastrology.com. Accessed Dec 2006. DEFINITIONS There are no formal or definitive definition of the New Age movement. One academic study suggests that those who sample many diverse teachings and practices from both 'mainstream' and 'fringe' traditions and formulate their own beliefs and practices based on their experiences can be considered as New Age. New Age Transformed J Gordon Melton, Director Institute for the Study of American Religion - Accessed June 2006 Rather than following the lead of an organised religion, "New Agers" typically construct their own spiritual journey based on material taken as needed from the Mystical traditions of the world's Religion s, also including Shamanism , Neopaganism and Occultism . What Is “New Age? Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. Cult Observer, 1993, Volume 10, No. 1- Accessed July 2006 New Age practices and beliefs may be characterized as a form of ''alternative spirituality'' or ''alternative religion''. Even apparent exceptions, such as Alternative Medicine or Traditional Medicine practices, often have some spiritual dimension — such as a conceptual integration of Mind , Body , and Spirit . The term ''New Age'' is used in a Western or modern context where the Judeo-Christian Tradition and/or Positivism are dominant, so the use of "alternative" in New Age thought generally implies a contrast with these dominant religious and/or scientific beliefs. Hence, many New Age ideas and practices in the West contain either explicit or implied critiques of organised mainstream Christianity — emphasis on meditation suggests that simple prayer and Faith is insufficient, and beliefs such as Reincarnation (which not all New Age followers accept) — challenge familiar Christian doctrines, like those regarding the Afterlife . HISTORY The contemporary usage of the term ''New Age'' was popularised by the American mass media during the late 1980s , to describe the alternative spiritual subculture, including activities all the way from Meditation , Channelling , Reincarnation , Crystals , Psychic experience, to Holistic Health or Environmentalism , or belief in Anomalous Phenomena , or for others “unsolved mysteries” such as UFO s, Earth Mysteries and Crop Circle s. Diverse activities of this subculture, or subcultures, might include: participation in study or meditation groups, attendance at lectures and fairs; the purchase of books, music, or different products such as crystals or incense; or patronage of fortune-tellers, healers and spiritual counselors. ]] A New Age like subculture already existed in the 1970s , and clearly continued themes from the 1960s Counterculture . New Age Files includes a comprehensive timeline, and information from 1800 to the present day. Accessed July 2006 Earlier generations would also recognize some, although not all, of the New Age's constituent elements under the practices of , Mesmerism , Swedenborgianism , and various earlier Western Esoteric or Occult traditions, such as the Hermetic arts of Astrology , Magic , Alchemy , and Cabbala . Some of the popularisation behind these ideas has roots in the work of early twentieth-century writers such as D H Lawrence and W B Yeats . In the English-speaking world, we should make special mention of study groups devoted to American trance-diagnostician and Umbanda . are seen as evidence of spirit beings or aliens by some with New Age belief]] Key moments in raising public awareness of this subculture include the publication of by Glenda Green . The question of which contemporary cultural elements can be included under the name of "New Age" , or what it means, is much contested. 'New Age' channelers, for instance, have many points of similarity with Spiritualist mediums. Many spiritual movements, such as 's Person/Planet (1978), Marilyn Ferguson 's Aquarian Conspiracy (1980), and Gordon Davidson and Corinne McLaughlin 's Spiritual Politics (1994). The New Age is a wide menu of ideas and activities, from which participants in the subculture select their own preferred streams to patronise or identify with. Since around 2000 the New Age movement is sometimes referred to as the New Edge movement when it is closely allied to ecological and environmental concerns. From New Age to New Edge Across Borders Media Video. "Can we really change the world without changing ourselves? From New Age to New Edge explores this question, as it travels to the remote rainforests of western Canada, where a revolution is in the making. Here, the face of environmental activism is going through radical changes, as it dovetails with the personal growth movement. " Accessed December 2006. BELIEFS Recent surveys of U.S. adults indicate that around 20% of Americans hold at least some New Age beliefs.1 Those who categorize themselves as New Age followers have a diverse set of beliefs that differ widely across individuals, groups and locations; 2 3 an individual identified with New Age thinking may subscribe to one, some or all of these: Teleology
Spiritual versus scientific knowledge
Human potential
Miscellaneous
CRITICISM AND SKEPTICISM Criticisms of New Age beliefs generally take one of two forms: that they lack proper scientific basis and testing, or that they violate or misappropriate the sanctity of various traditional religions, philosophies, or cultures. Religious and spiritual criticism Many in established religions dismiss New Age thinking as heretical, immoral and shifting without the clear guidance given by a sacred book or tradition of teaching.[http://www.inplainsite.org/html/relativism.html In Plain SiteRelativism
Many adherents of traditional disciplines from cultures such as India , China , and elsewhere; a number of Orthodox schools of Yoga , Tantra , Qigong , Chinese Medicine , Ayurveda and Martial Arts (the traditional Taijiquan families, for example), groups with histories reaching back many centuries in some cases, eschew the Western label ''New Age'', seeing the movement it represents as either not fully understanding or deliberately trivializing their disciplines or outright distortions. New Age vs. Vedic tradition Accessed July 2006 , 1988]] Much of the strongest criticism of New Age eclecticism has come from , Leslie Marmon Silko and Geary Hobson. A dominant Native American argument is that New Age Shaman s profit from ''tribal'' beliefs in a way that is fundamentally inconsistent with Indigenous People s' Worldviews , while ignoring the Communal aspects of Indigenous People s sacred beliefs and practices, such as among the Urarina of the Peruvian Amazon . In the US, part of the criticism leveled at the ''New Age'' movement has also been the perpetuation of Native ''racial'' stereotyping ("The Hollywood Indian"), cultural fetishism and the distortions of historic and Anthropological insights into Native Americans' multiple and diverse ways of life and spirituality. This is abundantly clear when one contrasts the customary practice of Ayahuasca Shamanism among the Urarina , with ''New Age shamanism''. (see also Noble Savage ) Some writers have identified racist bias in the movement's early Theosophical sources, especially the writings of Alice Bailey on the Jews 20 21 and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner on black people. 22 Those elements of the early writings have not remained part of the ongoing evolution of New Age philosophies and have either not been taken up or have been repudiated by modern members of the movement. 23 24 Rationalist and academic criticism Adherents of Scientific Skepticism criticize New Age beliefs based on their philosophy that one should in general question the veracity of all claims, and especially paranormal or extraordinary claims, unless such claims can be empirically tested. As science has been unable to find strong evidence of any paranormal activity, or to find ground for new-age beliefs, some scientists take issue with the use of scientific terminology, or so-called ''"pseudo-science"'', to promote what may be unprovable religious beliefs. A New Ager's path to becoming a skeptic Accessed July 2006 Dutch skeptic website with articles and links to criticism of a range of New Age topics Accessed July 2006 Some authors, such as Deepak Chopra , Fritjof Capra , Fred Alan Wolf and Gary Zukav , have linked Quantum Mechanics to New Age thinking, to form a genre which is sometimes known as Quantum Mysticism , often in connection with the Law Of Attraction . They have interpreted the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle , Quantum Entanglement , Wave Function Collapse or the Many Worlds interpretation, to a mean that all objects in the Universe are one ( Monism ), that possibility and existence are endless, and that the physical world is only what one believes it to be. Most scientists are sceptical of this broad application of quantum ideas. They have criticized the vague descriptions of the phenomena in quantum mechanics on which they are based. Notable scientists such as Margaret Wertheim , Heinz Pagels , Murray Gell-Mann and Victor Stenger have explicitly stated they do not agree that any evidence from quantum mechanics supports these views . ''Qunatum Quackery'' by Victor Stenger Article in ''Skeptical Inquirer magazine'' , January/February 1997 . Accessed March 2007 UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS Millenarianism Judging by its name, the New Age movement ought to involve Millenarian claims, perhaps of a glorious future age which is about to begin. The Sleeper Awakens onlygodexists.org 2006 Accessed June 2006 The Aquarian Age - Rosicrucian Fellowship Accessed July 2006 As such it could theoretically be traced back to the time of Zoroaster , or to biblical Apocalypticism . While such expectations are encountered often enough—e.g., the dawning of the Age Of Aquarius , pole shifts and Paradigm Shift s, the imminent end of the Mayan Calendar —the predominant themes of the New Age are Mystical rather than apocalyptic. Hence the widespread interest within this subculture in the mystical traditions within the world’s various religions, especially Vedanta , Tibetan Buddhism , Zen , Sufism , Taoism , Shamanism , Kabbalah , Gnosticism , and Esoteric Christianity . Syncretism Much of New Age thought is Syncretic in nature and has roots as a counter-cultural phenomenon. Thus New Age adherents tend to emphasize a relativist approach to truth, often referring to the Vedic statement of "one truth, but many paths," the mainstay of Hinduism , which idea is also found in the later Zen Buddhist spiritual dictum of "many paths, one mountain". This belief is not only an assertion of personal ''choice'' in spiritual matters, but also an assertion that truth itself is ''defined'' by the individual and his or her experience of it.[http://www.religioustolerance.org/newage.htm Religious Tolerance.org] by Author: B.A. Robinson of Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Last update: 2006-OCT-01. Accessed March 2007. :"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." Globalization was and still is an important social phenomenon of the 20th and early 21st centuries, with religious Syncretism inevitably being one consequence. New Age religious developments are eclectic, hence multifarious. Some synthesize Christian ideas with beliefs involving many gods or goddesses, Pantheism , include aliens, Reincarnation , or the use of Drugs , together with other spiritual beliefs from different parts of the world. Likewise, the movement may incorporate differing beliefs about, or attempts to practice, Magic . Though many New Age terms are associated with Eastern religions, they should not be considered as being identical with the concepts and practices of those religions. Ancient traditions such as Hinduism , Taoism , and Buddhism can hardly be referred to as New Age religions. It just so happens that the New Age movement has 'adopted' many of the ideas of eastern religions, incorporated them into their own beliefs and practices. The Gnostic approach of experiential insight and revelation of truth may be closest to the New Age methodology of prayers and Spirituality . Relativism In keeping with a Relativist stance, New Agers believe they do not contradict traditional belief systems, but rather some of them say that they are concerned with the ultimate truths contained within those systems, separating these truths from false tradition and Dogma . On the other hand, adherents of other religions often claim that the New Age movement has a vague or superficial understanding of these religious concepts, leaving out that which may seem "negative" or contradict contemporary Western values and that New Age attempts at religious Syncretism are vague and self-contradictory. The New Age Movement Probe Ministries, Kerby Anderson. "A final major tenet is moral relativism. New Agers think in terms of gray, rather than black or white. Denying the law of non- contradiction, New Agers will often believe that two conflicting statements can both be true." Accessed February 2007. This relativism is not merely a spiritual relativism, but also extends to physical theories. Reality is considered largely from an experiential and subjective mode. Many New Age phenomena are not expected to be repeatable in the scientific sense, since they are presumed to be apparent only to the receptive mind; for example, telepathy may not be achievable by a skeptical mind, since a skeptical mind is not pre-conditioned to expect the phenomenon to exist. Mysticism The New Age worldview typically involves a Mysticism -based (rather than Experiment-and-theory-based ) view of describing and controlling the external world; for example, one might believe that Tarot card reading works ''because'' of the " Interconnectedness Principle ", rather than regarding the success (or failure) of tarot card reading as ''evidence'' of the interconnectedness principle. The various New Age Vitalist theories of health and disease provide further examples. Magical thinking Some New Age practices and beliefs could make use of what British anthropologist Sir James George Frazer termed Magical Thinking , in '' The Golden Bough '' (1890). Common examples are the principle that objects once in contact maintain a practical link, or that objects that have similar properties exert an effect on each other. Magical thinking, Sleeping with Extra-Terrestrials: The Rise of Irrationalism and Perils of Piety by Wendy Kaminer. New York: Pantheon, 1999. Review in ''Issues in Science and Technology'' , accessed December 2006 Another example of magical thinking is the belief that because two events coincide, they must be connected, such as thinking of a friend followed by said friend calling. Anti-intellectualism In contrast to the Scientific Method , any failure to achieve expected results is not considered as a failure of the underlying Theory , but as a lack of knowledge about (hidden) extenuating circumstances. This stance has led some skeptics to pronounce the New Age movement to be primarily Anti-intellectual in nature. Critiques of Post Modernism (And of Irrationalism in General) Ernest Partridge, Ph.D, June 1, 2006. Accessed December 2006. What Is “New Age? Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. Cult Observer, 1993, Volume 10, No. 1- Accessed July 2006 Postmodernism The emphasis on subjective knowledge and experience is a connection between New Age beliefs and Postmodernism . The shift to a feeling of control over one's expression of spirituality reflects a trend towards personal responsibility, as well as personal empowerment. Its populist origins help characterize the New Age approach. This emphasizes an individual's choice in spiritual matters; the role of personal intuition and experience over societally sanctioned expert opinion and an experiential definition of reality. Postmodernism and new age unreason Skeptical Inquirer, May-June, 1995 by George Englebretsen. Accessed December 2006. This does not mean, however, that its members necessarily become free individuals. There may be as much peer-group conformity on the fringe as there is in mainstream society. Holism A belief in a coherent, interconnected cosmos. Everything in the cosmos is actually or potentially interconnected, as if by invisible threads, not only in space but also across time. Further, it is held that every thing and every event that has happened, is happening, or will happen leaves a detectable record of itself in the cosmic "medium" such as the Akashic Records , or the " Morphogenetic Field " (not to be confused with the Developmental Biology use of The Same Term ). LANGUAGE Many adherents of belief systems characterised as New Age rely heavily on the use of metaphors to describe experiences deemed to be beyond the empirical. Consciously or unconsciously, New Agers tend to redefine vocabulary borrowed from various belief systems, which can cause some confusion as well as increase opposition from skeptics and the traditional religions. In particular, the adoption of terms from the language of science such as " Energy ", "energy fields", and various terms borrowed from Quantum Physics and Psychology but not then applied to any of their subject matter, have served to confuse the dialog between science and spirituality, leading to derisive labels such as Pseudoscience , Quantum Flapdoodle and Psychobabble . A New Age Glossary (pdf) Michael A. Cox North American Mission Board & the Southern Baptist Convention. Accessed June 2006 Glossary for the new Millennium and Aquarian Age Dr Joshua David Stone "I AM University" 2004 - Accessed June 2006 This phenomenon is additionally compounded by the propensity of some New Agers to pretend to esoteric meanings for familiar terms; the New Age meaning of the esoteric term is typically quite different from the common use, and is often described as ''intentionally'' inaccessible to those not sufficiently trained in the area of their use. See the following list:- , above, as having a special "energy".]]
NEW AGE APPROACHES TO MEDICINE See Also: Alternative medicine New Agers may use exclusively or in part on Alternative Medicine rather than relying on traditional Medicine .25 Possible techniques seen as compatible with the New Age perspective include:2627
Louise Hay has published New Age books regarding the belief that illnesses have a Metaphysical origin and can be treated by an evaluation of emotional and spiritual attitudes (a similar belief is held by members of the Church Of Christ, Scientist ). Hay's books feature lists of diseases and the associated negative belief, accompanied by the correcting positive belief which can be sought by repeating the correcting positive Affirmation . This approach is criticised as Victim Blaming for causing the condition though the intent is to empower the individual to change their thinking and therefore change the condition. One benefit of New Age medicine's popularity, and in particular its criticism of what some describe as the limitations of conventional medicine, has been to encourage medical practitioners to pay closer attention to the entire patient's needs rather than just a specific disease. Such approaches, termed "holistic medicine", have been tentatively embraced by some elements of mainstream medical establishment. Conventional medicine has recognised that a patient's state of mind can be crucial in determining the outcome of many diseases, and this perception has helped recast the roles of doctor and patient as more egalitarian. Most scientists are convinced that complementary medicine is Placebo medicine. In recent tests, the placebo effect has been shown to be effective in certain placebo-responsive conditions. To the extent that there is a psychological element in illness, placebos, in the form of homeopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, etc., may help where the patient is convinced it will, although much depends on the level of conviction in the therapist. Controversy regarding alternative medicine Some scientific professionals question the efficacy of the methods of "alternative or complementary medicine," and some writers have referred to these methods as Quackery (Norcross et al 2006;Singer and Lalich 1996)). There are increasing numbers of Double Blind tests of alternative medicine methods but such testing has rarely resulted in corroborating results. However, it is difficult to apply double-blind testing methods to some alternative medicine techniques because in many of these techniques, the relationship with the practitioner is part of the process, and that relationship cannot be practically "blinded" in a testing protocol. See the main article on Alternative Medicine for a deeper discussion of these points. Skeptics of the New Age approach to medicine point out it is possible that direct harm can result from a treatment such as acupuncture (bruising, dizziness, infection) , from poorly prescribed herbal medicine or from an untrained person self-administering herbal medicines. Indirect harm may result when a patient declines proven scientific treatment in favor of unproven alternative treatments and thereby misses the benefit that may have accrued from the mainstream treatment {Link without Title} . Critics of New Age medicine state that without scientific testing, it is not possible to determine which techniques, medicinal herbs, and lifestyle changes may contribute to increased health and which treatments have no effect or may be dangerous. In 2005, the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland began a program of research to determine which alternative medicine practices may be useful in support of conventional medical practice. NEW AGE MUSIC ''For in-depth information see the article on New Age Music .'' Although more rock than new age in genre, the 1967 successful musical Hair with its opening song "Aquarius" and the memorable line ''"This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius"'' brought the New Age concept to the attention of a huge worldwide audience. A large percentage of music described as of New Age genre is instrumental, and electronic. This music has its roots in the 1970s with the works of such free-form jazz groups recording on the ECM Label such as Oregon, the Paul Winter Group, and other pre-ambient bands; as well as Ambient performers such as Brian Eno . The Greek artist Yanni , one of the "superstars" of the New Age genre, relies heavily on synthesizers and instrumental "world music" sounds. Vocal arrangements are also common. Enya , although claiming her music is not of this genre, has won a New Age Grammy for her music which utilizes vocals in a variety of languages, including Latin. Music labeled New Age often has a vision of a better future, expresses an appreciation of goodness and beauty, even an anticipation, relevant to some event. Rarely does New Age music dwell on a problem with this world or its inhabitants; instead it offers a peaceful vision of a better world. Often the music is celestial, when the title names stars or deep space explorations. Additionally, instrumental albums often come with "liner notes" encouraging the music's use in meditation, and many albums have been recorded with specific design for this purpose. While other genres like Ambient , Psy-trance , Goa Trance are not associated with New Age in their philosophies, they can take a similar perspective. Psy-trance, especially, suggests a fusion of transcendental feeling and the individual's connectedness with the cosmos. This experience and the dance culture surrounding it may express views about technology, parapsychology, artificial intelligence, as well as a view that thoughts may in fact determine reality. LOHAS (''"LIFESTYLE OF HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY"'') DEMOGRAPHIC People who embrace "New Age" lifestyle and/or beliefs are included in the LOHAS (''"Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability"'') demographic Market Segment , currently in a growth phase related to so-called "green" ecological initiatives and generally focused on marketing to a relatively upscale and well-educated population segment (see main LOHAS article for additional references). Who Buys New Age Materials? Exploring Sociodemographic, Religious, Network, and Contextual Correlates Of New Age Consumption Daniel P. Mears, Christopher G. Ellison - Accessed June 2006 SEE ALSO See List Of New Age Topics for a summary of related articles, or click on the New Age category at the foot of this page. REFERENCES Academic study of the New Age
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