[The "New Age" and Old Beliefs][New Age Beliefs and Hinduism][A Brief History of New Age Philosophy]
[God and the New Age][Man and the New Age][Sin and Satan][Salvation][Jesus Christ][New Age Occultism][Channeling]
[UFOs][Astology][Other Occultic Practices][Skepticism][Conclusions]

The New Age movement is not easy to characterize and define.  It is very diffuse and diverse with no central organization or underlying "holy book."  There is no central organization, no founder, no organizational structure, and not even an organized statement of beliefs.  The proponents of this religion do not meet in any one place at any particular time, and each proponent may have a widely different view concerning their essential role in the movement.  Even though the New Age movement is very loosely organized and defined there is one thing for certain; it is not Christian.  Walter Martin noted that the New Age movement is "pointedly anti-Christian and particularly hostile to the unique claims of deity by the Lord Jesus Christ and confirmed by apostolic witness.'  (The New Age Cult, Walter Martin (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1989).  But the New Age movement is more than just an isolated system of religious beliefs, but represents a movement of spirituality, health, politics, social change, politics, education, and business that pervades our whole society - including the Church.  The term "New Age" denotes the belief of the movement that mankind is currently on the brink of a new understanding of the cosmos - on the brink of something very new and different.  There is to be an evolutionary leap of man's nature that will bring about an "emergence of a new cycle of human consciousness and experience.." (David Spangler, Revelation: The Birth of a New Age (San Francisco: Rainbow Bridge, 1976).

The coming "new age" will be marked by global peace, mass enlightenment, and great social advancement.  David Spangler wrote,

"The New Age is a concept that proclaims a new opportunity; a new level of growth attained, a new power released and at work in human affairs, a new manifestation of that evolutionary tide of events which, taken at the flood, does indeed lead on to greater things, in this case to a new heaven, a new earth, and a new humanity."  (Spangler, Revelation, 105).

"Humankind has come upon the control panel of change - an understanding of how transformation occurs.  We are living in the change of change, the time in which we can intentionally align ourselves with nature for rapid remaking of ourselves and our collapsing institutions...We are not victims, not pawns, not limited by conditions or conditioning ... We are capable of imagination, invention, and experiences we have only glimpsed."  (Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy (Los Angeles: J.B. Tarcher, 1980).

One basic tenant of the New Age movement is that humankind is on the verge of a new understanding as to how the universe works, and how humankind can all live together in this understanding.  Most within the New Age movement are very energetic missionaries for their cause, believing that this positive social change will occur more quickly with greater numbers of adherents.  Through organized rallies, mass literature distribution, and high profile personalities such as Shirley MacLaine, New Age philosophy has been injected throughout our culture without our knowledge or consent.  This philosophy has become so pervasive in our society that it has become considered normative, and penetrates our educational institutions (from elementary school through university education), the film industry, the political arena, the business world, and even the United States military.  Most considered it just a harmless eccentricity when it became public knowledge that the wife of President Reagan consulted an astrologer before any decisions were made regarding the affairs of her husband - the President of the United States.  Few people were concerned that the President of the United States, certainly a Christian man by every standard, allowed the affairs of the United States to be controlled by a California astrologer.  The intervening years have now made astrology and other occult practices normative in our society/

But the beliefs and practices underlying the New Age movement are hardly new - they stem from some of the oldest civilizations in history.  Time magazine noted that New Age is "a combination of spirituality and superstition, fad and farce, about which the only thing certain is that it is not new."  (Time (Dec. 7, 1987).  Behind all of the twentieth century sophistication, terminology and sociopolitical agenda, lies the clear indication that the central beliefs of the New Age movement arise from ancient occultism.  Every means whereby the New Age proponent tries to gain a "new understanding" can be traced back to the pagan mystery religions of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and other cultures.  The word "occult" basically means "hidden" or "secret" things.  The term is used to describe such practices as palm reading, crystal gazing, witchcraft, necromancy, magic, divination, among many others.  All of these practices have been forbidden to man and more importantly are cursed by God (Leviticus 20:6, Deuteronomy 13:9-11, Acts 19:19).  These forbidden practices are the very heart and soul of the New Age movement by which means proponents attempt to understand the future or some deep secret or mystery of the universe.  These practices have been given modern sounding names (such as astral projection, psychometry, radiance therapy, channeling), but they are still the same practices the Church has been forbidding for two millennia.

Derivation of New Age Beliefs from Hinduism

Examination of New Age beliefs quickly indicates its similarity to Hinduism in many ways.  New Age philosophy is the repackaging of Hinduism using Western terminology and presented as a new form of spirituality that will lead mankind, through its own efforts, to a spiritual Utopia.  Just like Hinduism, New Age philosophy is an amalgam of many beliefs, all of which are given equal validity.  Using occult methods and through his own effort, individuals and also mankind can achieve an evolution to a newer understanding of spiritual truth.  The only major difference between New Age philosophy and Hinduism is its relationship with the world at large.  Hinduism attempts to perfect humanity through meditation and inward reflection while denying worldly pursuits and occupations.  New Age adherents, on the other hand, attempt to achieve perfection of humankind by affirming the world's values rather than denying them.  The umbrella beliefs of New Age philosophy would include all religions and all philosophical thought that would help mankind advance itself.  The underlying theme is all belief systems are valid, and any attempt that might advance mankind's understanding is also valid - including those specifically forbidden by the Bible such as witchcraft and necromancy.  Hinduism's asceticism has been replaced by by something much more palatable to the average American - materialism.  Just as with Hinduism, New Age philosophies consider all religions to have some validity and is therefore inclusive.  Christianity, on the other hand, insists that the only way back to God is through Christ; all other means are invalid.

A Brief History of New Age Philosophy

The modern belief system of New Age philosophy has its roots in several religious groups which began in the nineteenth century.  One group was the Theosophical Society which was founded in 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.  From Theosophy came Anthroposophy, founded in 1912 by Rudolf Steiner, the Arcane School founded in 1923 by Alice Bailey, and the "I AM" sects which began to appear during the Depression. New Thought philosophy, started by Phineas P. Quimby, taught that all disease is a product of the mind and that many problems are produced by "wrong thinking."  Quimby's teachings them led to many Mind Science cults - such as Christian Science. All of these groups and the countless factions they spawned were influenced by spiritualism, psychology, science, quantum physics, and the contemporary concerns of society producing what is now called the New Age movement.

God and the New Age

The God of the New Age movement is certainly not the God of the Bible.  New Agers define "God" as an impersonal force that permeates all of creation.  This flows from the New Age movement's fundamental belief in monism.  Monism - or "one ism" teaches that all is one and one is all.  Therefore, "all reality may be reduced to a single, unifying principle partaking of the same essence and reality."  (Russell Chandler, Understanding the New Age (Dallas: Word Books, 1988).  Every New Age believer understands the universe to be made of only one substance, and the diversity we perceive is only an illusion.  In other words, people only think that a rock they might see in a field is separate from the field upon which it is lying.  In fact, the rock is the field and the field is the rock. Similarly, people only think that we are different from each other when in reality there is no "you" or "me" but only a single big "I."  This "I" includes not only individuals, but also every thing.  Everyone is everything, and everything is everyone.  All are a prt of the one substance which is referred to as the Reality, Power, Mind, Force, Absolute, Principle, One, or Universal Energy.  The ultimate reality is one in which all individuality dissolves into one universal, undifferentiated consciousness.

Pantheism usually accompanies monism, asserting that everything is God.  Thus, if everything that exists is one, and God is in everything, then God must also be one with everything and everything is ultimately God.  As New Ager Benjamin Creme says,

"In a sense there is no such thing as God, God does not exist.  And in another sense, there is nothing else but God - only God exists ... This microphone is God.  This table is God.  All is God.  And because all is God, there is no God ... God is everything that you have ever known or could ever know - and everything beyond your level of knowing."  (Benjamin Creme, The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom (London: Tara Press, 1980).

"This whole world is Brahma.  Tranquil, let one worship.  It as that from which he came forth, as that into which he will be dissolved, as that in which he breathes."  (Creme, The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom (London: Tara Press, 1980).

In contrast to the god of the New Age movement, the Christian God is a personal, knowable, intelligent, compassionate, and above all a personal being.  As such, God is the enemy of New Agers whose central and most cherished belief is that they ARE god!

Man and the New Age

New Age proponents come to a belief that they are actually God by a natural extension of this monistic/pantheistic worldview.  This relationship between monism, pantheism, and the divinity of the individual man is exemplified in Revelation: The Birth of a New Age:

"This is the being/embodiment relationship, as exemplified primarily in the Eastern religions and philosophies ... This relationship simply affirms that all life is one, that I am one with God and can embody Divinity ... God and I do not just communicate; we commune and are one.  There is no separation except failure to recognize that there is no separation."  (Spangler, Revelation).

"I was six when I saw that everything was God ... My sister was only a very tiny child then, and she was drinking her milk, and all of a sudden I saw that she was God and the milk was God.  I mean, all she was doing was pouring God into God."  (J.D. Salinger, Nine Stories).

"I know that I exist, therefore I AM.  I know that the God-source exists.  Therefore IT IS.  Since I am part of that force, then I AM that I AM."

"Two-thirds of evil (for humanity) comes from false God concepts, promoted by clever minds to enslave humanity.  There is no God, no one intelligent entity outside His creation." (Two Disciples, The Rainbow Bridge).

Sin and Satan

The New Agers believe in the duality of man and God; mankind and God are one.  Therefore, there can be no judgment because each person, being God, determines their own morality.  There is no moral standard, no single source of truth, no objective code of righteousness.  While the Scriptures say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12, NIV), the New Ager believes that they are God and so what each person considers "true" is therefore "truth."

"God is everything - He is every thing.  So anything you do, you have an inner action in divinity.  Remember that, and do what you want to do." (Douglas James Mahr, Voyage to a New World (Lopez, Wash.: Masterworks, Inc., Publishers, 1985).

"Contemplate the love of God; how great this Entity-Self is, that is all-encompassing, that will allow you to be and do anything you wish and hold you judgeless.  God has never judged you or anyone.  If He has then He has judged himself, for who be you but He." (Ibid.)

We can take all the scriptures and all the teachings, and all the tablets, and all the laws, and all the marshmallows and have a jolly good bonfire ... because that's all they are worth.  Once you are the law, once you are the truth, you do not need it externally represented for you."  (David Spangerl, Emergence; Rebirth of the Sacred (New York: Delta, 1984).

"The devil was a masterful ploy by a conquering institution to put the fear of God, most literally, into the hearts of little ones - that God had created a monster that would get them unless they be good to him.  The devil was used to control the world most effectively and even today it is still feared and believed.  someone conjured it up - a God - and thus it became, but only to those who believed.'  (Mahr, Voyage).

Furthermore, rather than being Godly, mankind is referred to by the Bible as wicked and sinful.  Jeremiah observed that the heart of man is "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9).  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:9-12, 23).  Everyman stands condemned as sinners before the righteous God ( Romans 5:18-19) who judges us according to eternal law and righteousness (Romans 7:7). The idea of an absolute right and wrong is anathema to the New Ager who believes that all "is neither good nor bad but open to continuous transformation and transcendence.'  (Ferguson, Conspiracy).  Historic orthodox Christianity is the epitome of the old world order which tried to make mankind feel constantly guilty.  All that belongs to Christianity can be discarded, and certainly is patently offensive,

'For two thousand years, we have been called sinful creatures.  That stigma automatically takes away our ability to remind ourselves that we are great, or that we equal with God or Christ or Buddha, or whatever."  (Mahr, Voyage).

:"The Christian religion is replete with guilty and negativity and needs to be changed."  (Virginia Essene, New Teachings for an Awakening Humanity (Santa Clara, Calif.: Spiritual Education Endeavors Publishing, 1986).

The mystics went some way toward liberating Christianity from its unfortunate servitude to historic fact.  (Or, to be more accurate, to those various mixtures of contemporary record with subsequent inference and fantasy, which have, at different epochs, been accepted as historic fact) ... unfortunately, the influence of the mystics was never powerful enough ... Christianity has remained a religion in which the pure Perennial Philosophy (i.e., all is one, all is God, we are God) has been overlaid ... by an idolatrous preoccupation with events and things in time - events and things regarded not merely as useful means, but as ends, intrisnsically sacred and indeed divine." (Aldus Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy).

The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the New - the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism."  (John Dunphy, "A Religion for a New Age.' The Humanity, 1983).

Salvation

New Agers have rejected the  Christian doctrine of salvation primarily because they reject the need.  In the New Age philosophy, people are not fallen creatures, but rather are themselves Gods in no need for redemption.  The New Ager will not be judged because they are themselves divine.  However, the New Ager does believe that the realization of one's "godness" is in itself a "salvation," being called "god-realization," "enlightenment," "attunement," or "at-one-ment [with God]."  This realization of one's own god nature comes about through "personal transformation."  Douglas Groothuis notes, "To gain this type of transformation, the three ideas that all is one, all is god, and we are god, must be more than intellectual propositions; they must be awakened at the core of our being." (Douglas Groothuis, Unmasking the New Age (Downers Grove, Ill, InterVarsity Press, 1986).  This transformation and knowledge comes from understanding one's own true nature by looking "within," where all truth and reality exist.  Salvation therefore comes from the self.  New Agers, to borrow from Christian doctrine, "save" themselves.

We already know everything.  The knowingness of our divinity is the highest intelligence.  And to be what we already know is the free will.  Free will is simply the enactment of the realization that your are God, a realization that you are divine."  (William Goldstein, "Lif on the Astral Plane,"  Publishers Weekly, 1983: quoting Shirley MacLaine).

"The aim of A Course in Miracles is to lead us from duality to oneness - to the realization of our At-one-ment with God, our Self, and all people - our brothers.  In this healing is our Salvation - we are saved from our misperceptions of ourselves as separated individuals.  When our perception is corrected we remember our true or higher Self ... Salvation is really enlightenment.'  (Julius J. Finegold and william M. Thetfore, Ets., Choose Once Again:  Selections from a Course in Miracles.)

"According to mid Eastern thought, many lives are required to reach oneness with the One; salvation is a multi-lifetime process of progression or digression.  If one accumulates good karma, positive benefits accrue in later lives.  Bad karma produces future punishments.  Eventually one may leave the cycle of birth and rebirth entirely through the experience of enlightenment.  Redemption, if it could be called that, is a process of realizing the true self throughout many lifetimes."  (Groothuis, Unmasking).

These concepts of New Age philosophy run counter to Christianity on many fronts.  First, the Scriptures are very clear that not all are saved; indeed, most are not.  Jesus prophesied that on the day of judgment, many false followers will be told to depart from His presence (Matthew 7:23).  Reincarnation also runs counter to Christian doctrine, for after death "the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all iars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."  (Rev. 21;8).  There is no second chance for those who in this life do not accept Jesus, for "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  (Hebrews 9:27).  Salvation is not a matter of changing, meditation, yoga, or becoming connected with an "inner self."  Rather, salvation is a gift from God to those who accept Christ and is "not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9).

Jesus Christ

New Agers believe that Christ was a great man - a teacher, but a man nonetheless.  They contend that the "Christian Church's concept of a vicarious atonement is a misunderstanding of the Christ's function."  (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya's Mission (Amsterdam: Share International Foundation.)  Certainly, the New Age movement's notion of Christ is very different from that presented in Scripture.  John 1:18 indicates that Christ came to declare God to us, and Christ was to accomplish a work which man could not do for himself.  New Agers reject these doctrines because they reject the transcendence of God; God is only an unknowable "thing," a bit "It," which is "one" with all that exists.

Whereas Christians come to know God through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, New Agers gain their understanding from a host of "avatars (or "teachers"), who are "way-show-ers."  Jesus, to the New Ager, was just another one of these avatars among many.  All of these avatars (including Jesus) gained their special understanding and ability to lead through countless lives and reincarnations,

"Jesus differed but little from other children, only that in past lives he had overcome carnal propensities ... Jesus was a remarkable child, for by ages of strenuous preparation he was qualified to be an avatar, a savior of the world."  (Levi Downing, The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ (Marina del Ray, California; DeVorss and Company, 1981).

"In every age Teachers have come forth from this spiritual centre to enable mankind to take its next evolutionary step; we know them, among others, as Hercules, Hermes, Rama, Mithra, Vyasa, Sankaracharya, Krishna, Buddha, and the Christ.  All perfect men in their time, all sons of men who became Sons of God, for having revealed their innate Divinity."  (Creme, Reappearance).

The Christian views Jesus Christ differently, as the unique Son of God.  Peter exclaimed to Jesus, :"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  (Matthew 16:15-16).  Peter did not say or even imply, "Thou art an avatar upon whom the office of Christ rests."  Jesus is identified as the Christ in many passages throughout the Bible; indeed, the entire New Testament was written so that readers would be able to identify Jesus as "the Christ."  (John 20:31).  The Bible identifies any thought system which attempts to show Jesus as not "the Christ" as a "liar" and "antichrist." (1 John 2:22).

New Age Occultism

From the beginning of time, man has sought to gain "secret" power and knowledge from occultic practices.  These practices are strictly forbidden by God in Scripture as He wants us to trust solely in Him and not in occultic powers (or any other power for that matter).  The world of the occult includes witchcraft, astrology, Tarot reading, and Satanism.  For the New Ager, occult techniques (such as Ouiji boards, crystals, tarot cards, etc.), are used to try to penetrate into a world of understanding that is outside of the normal (paranormal) in order to try to gain knowledge and understanding that will help them reunite with the great One.  The world of the occult is a real one, also well demonstrated in Scriptures.  Believers in the Biblical Jesus must be careful when confronting those into the occult, but must also remember that God who is in the Christian is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4;4).

Channeling

Spiritism is the ancient practice of trying to gain understanding of the next world through communication with the dead.  this practice has been revived today under the rubric of "channeling" - a practice whereby Ascended Masters (those who have died and gone on to a higher level of knowledge) and other departed humans are contacted in hopes of learning "truths" to help them in search of "enlightenment."  It is the "process of receiving information from either the 'higher self' [one's most spiritual part lying beyond the conscious mind] or a metaphysical entity."  (Kerry D. McRoberts, New Age or Old Lie?).   It has also been defined as the "alleged phenomena in which a nonphysical entity communicates through a human medium, through a channel who links the spiritual and physical worlds....Channeling is the communication of information to or through a physically embodied human being from a source that is said to exist on some level or dimension of reality other than the physical."  (Ted Peters, The Cosmic Self).  Interestingly, the information communicated is generally along the following lines:  (1) God is all; (2) man is god; (3) man creates his own reality; (4) death is unreal; and (5) the self is where all truth resides.  For example, a woman named J.Z. Knight channels Ramtha, supposedly a 35,000 year old warrior-king and former inhabitant of Atlantis.  According to Ramtha, "You be unequivocally God ...!  Do not reckon yourself less, for if you do you will become the lessness of your reckoning."  (Mahr, Voyage).  Jach Pursel channels Lazarus, a multidimensional being who says the human condition is "to be saving itself."  (Miller, Crash Course 171 (quoting Lazarus, "Do Not Ignore Your Responsibility to Be Free, to Be Limitless, to Found a New World,"  Psychic Guide, 1987).

Some of the channels that New Agers can "learn" from include the following,

"Psychic and parapsychologist Alan Vaughan channels "Li Sung," a smallj-town philosopher from eighth-century Northern China.  Nutritionist and psychic healer Iris Belhayes channels "Enid," an "earthy" Irish woman from the nineteenth century.  Psychic healer Azena Ramanda is among the many who claim to channel "Saint Germaine," an Ascended Master from the "Seventh Ray.'  Psychic Virginia Essene is one of an unfathomable number who claim to channel "Jesus."  Former country and western singer Jamie Sams channels "Leah from Venus."  Former legal secretary Taryn Krive channels "Bell Bell," a giggly six-year-old from the legendary lost civilization of Atlantis ... full-time medium David Sweetland channels "Matea," a 35,000-year-old spirit who once stalked the Earth as a six-foot-eight-inch black female spice tracer ... One of the latest New Age crazes in Southern California is channeling dolphins."  (Miller, Crash Course).

UFOs

Central to the New Age Movement is the belief in extraterrestrial life.  Numerous "aliens" currently being channeled give messages which are very similar to those being given through departed spirits.  Ken Carey reported that "Christ is the single unified being whose consciousness all share."  (William Alnot, UFOs in the New Age (Grand Rapids, Mich.; Baker Book House, 1992).  Gabrial Green, the founder of the Yucca Valley, California Amalgamated Flying Saucer Club indicated that the chief mission of the UFO is to raise our consciousness so that we will "recognize our own individual Godhood."  (William Alnot, UFOs in the New Age).  Brad Sieger assures humanity that "the Space Beings hope to buide Earth to a period of great unification, when all races will shun discriminatory separations and all of humankind will recognize its responsibility to every other life form."  (Brad Stieger, The Fellowship (New York: Dolphin/Doubleday, 1988).

A 1987 Gallup Poll showed that up to 50%  of all Americans believe in UFOs, and that one in eleven had an experience of something they thought was a UFO. (Bill Lawren, "UFO Report," OMNI (October 1987).  Certainly, many of these observations can be reasonably explained by natural phenomenon, and are misidentified, misrepresented, or just plain hoaxes, there are some that appear to be direct communication with beings that are associated with what the Bible would consider as being demonic or occult.  A very interesting observation is made,

"Contact with the UFOs often seems to be by occult means.  Our visitors rarely responded to any standard approach, whether it is by aerial pursuit or by ground confrontation.  By contrast, the standard tools of the occult have reportedly established contact in innumerable cases."  (John Weldon and Zola Levitt, Encounters with UFOs (Irvine, Calif.; Harvest House Publishers, 1975).

Astrology is one of the oldest of all occult practices, and believes that somehow the position of the stars and planets influences the everyday experiences of mankind.  One's personality as well as one's character traits are determined by the position of stellar objects billions of miles away, and many more billions of miles apart.  The goal of astrologers is to determine information to guide one's life through an understanding of these relationships.

According to professional astrological associations, there are approximately 10,000 professional astrologers serving about 20 million clients.  Even the President of the United States, President Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan (once a follower of occultist Jeanne Dixon) scheduled Presidential activities and the activities of agencies of the United States according to astrologer Joan Quigley's forecasts,

"Virtually every major move and decision the Reagans made during my time as White House Chief of Staff was cleared in advance with a woman in San Francisco who drew up horoscopes to make certain that the planets were in a favorable alignment for the enterprise ... Mrs. Reagan insisted on being consulted on the timing of every presidential appearance and action so that she could consult her friend in San Francisco about the astrological factor ... the frustration of dealing with a situation in which the schedule of the President of the United States was determined by occult prognostications was very great."  (Donald T. Regan, For the Record).

The Bible prohibits consultation with astrologers, and "those who prophesy by the stars, and those who predict by new moons" (Isaiah 47:12-13).  And there is another good reason not to become involved with astrology - it doesn't work.  The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Claims of the Paranormal stated that dozens of rigorous tests by scientists had determined that astrology and its predictions "fail completely in predicting future events."  They examined more than 3000 predictions by astrologers and found them to be accurate no more than 10% of the time. (Chandler, Understanding).

Other Occultic Practices

Some of the other occult practices used by astrologers trying to gain a better understanding of their "true self" are as follows: Monism, Pantheism, Reincarnation, Karma, Evolution, Personal Transformation, Unlimited Human Potential, Reality Creating, Energy Alignment, Energy Healing, Energy Focusing, Attunement, At-one-ment, Enlightenment, Inner Power, Goddess Within, Mother Earth, Sensory Deprivation, Intuitive Abilities, Near-Death Experiences, Chakras, Gurus, Tarot, Kabbalah, Pyramids, Crystal, Power, Auras, Color Balancing, Psychic Centering, UFOs, Extraterrestrials, Brotherhood of Light, Higher Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness,  Ascended Masters, Spirit Guides, Meditation, Yoga, Guided Imagery, Visualization, Astral Projection, Silver Cord, Inner Light, Out-of-Body Experiences, Mystics, Metaphysical, Holistic Healing, Therapeutic Touch, Biofeedback, Transpersonal Psychology, Hypnotherapy, Paranormal, Parapsychology, Higher Self, Personal Transformation, Values Clarification.

Skepticism

New Age philosophy and belief in the paranormal demands a lot from its adherents - it frequently demands that we believe in what we think we see and want to believe at the expense of science and the "normal" way of perceiving reality.  Perhaps a recent anti-science sentiment has made this suspension of reality more easy to accept for many people.  However, for those of us with scientific backgrounds, we wonder whether the paranormal has been subjected to the same scientific inquiry as what we normally believe is true.  Thankfully, much of what is claimed to be fact by New Agers has been scientifically examined and, well, does not pass muster.  As with most movements, there are many followers who are brainwashed, fooled, and just plain made look stupid by those promoting beliefs that have no basis in fact.

    Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.  This group publishes The Skeptic which, as its name suggests, is skeptical of everything outside the domain of science.  Since most people believe in miracles which would be considered "outside the domain of science," most people would probably have some area of their belief system seriously challenged by this site.  Still, I would assert that there is no division between true science and true religion, and that indeed - recent scientific evidence has demonstrated that some miracles (answers to prayer) have been scientifically proven.  This is an interesting site, but remember that these authors too have an agenda to keep.

    The Skeptic's Dictionary.  From astral projection to Zen, this site provides more than 300 entries on things paranormal.  Many links are also included for further research.

    The Challenge.  James Randi ("The Amazing Randi") was (is) a stage magician who recognizes that much of what seems to be true in our world concerning the paranormal might be explainable by trickery and imagery, much as what is done during a magician's show.  People frequently see and believe what they expect or want to see or believe - and this forms the basis for much of parapsychology and the paranormal.  Randi has even offered a $1 million reward to anybody who can "provide evidence under proper observing conditions of any psychic, supernatural, or occult power or event."  An application for this prize can be printed from this site.

    Shermer's March.  Michael Shermer, the publisher of Skeptic magazine, is responsible for much of this site which is updated regularly.  As might be imagined, much of the paranormal and parapsychology is debunked through serious scientific inquiry.

    Skeptic News.  This is a site with many links to articles about all things paranormal, including UFO sightings and abductions, as well as hysteria over alleged religious apparitions.  If you want to find out the latest fad in the paranormal, this is the place!

Conclusions

The essence of the New Age movement is really a distillation of Old Age thought - mankind can perfect himself and can become God.  Every religion is perfectly acceptable because each one teaches essentially the same thing.  All religious leaders are equal, by they Buddha, Mohammed, Zoraster, Confucius, Krishna, or Jesus.

The Scriptures indicate otherwise, however.  They noted that Jesus along is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14;6).  Also, Scriptures indicate that there is no other name under heaven whereby mankind is saved other than Jesus (Acts 4:12).  In the New Age movement, however, there is no heaven and certainly no hell.  There is only universalism that in the end saves everybody through works and reincarnation.  Everybody will eventually - maybe after a few million lifetimes - be absorbed back into the great One.  Benjamin Creme notes, "The Path to God is broad enough to take in all men." (Creme, Reappearance).  Of course, this is antithetical to the Bible which states that the way back to God is narrow and few there will be that find it.  Alternatively, the broad way "is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13).

The New Age movement is very deceptive and sound very wonderful.  It promises peace, disarmament, abolition of nuclear weapons, prosperity, success, and preservation of the earth.  Hedda Lark notes, "I think people are searching for a sense of security in a world that's gone pretty mad, and they have the feeling that there must be more to life than this craziness." (Martin E. Marty, "An Old New Age in Publishing."  Christian Century, 1987).  Of course, to the Christian there is much more to life than what is apparent in this world, but it is not to be found in the occultism of New Age philosophy.

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