In my other post The New Age movement in churches: an introduction, I was explaining how New Age practices, teachings, and disciplines can creep, sometimes very subtly, in churches. Now, looking at these practices will give us a clearer idea of what spiritual trends and influences we can be dealing with -at a small or more pronounced level.
If you are in a solid Bible-based church, you surely won’t be exposed to this! And all the better! But not all churches have a solid foundation. It is therefore necessary to be informed and prepared, as this happens all around the world, in many aspects. So, this isn’t only a matter of New Age in churches (even thought that’s my main focus). After all, a friend or relative of yours, Christian or not, may be seduced by this subversive movement.
The spirituality of spiritual enlightenment
So let’s cover what New Age practices consist of.
The list below doesn’t show the whole scope, but it does include major spiritual practices and beliefs, some of which are quite interconnected.
You will notice that methods and doctrines vary, but the ultimate goal is generally the same and it is satanic. Indeed, you will see that a common trait of these New Age practices is spiritual enlightenment; this idea of acquiring or reaching to a certain secret, hidden, or special knowledge, or state of consciousness, with the aim of realising one’s own divinity, or being in union with the universe or the divine. In addition, New Age practices often involves supernatural experiences and the discovery or use of a power, or powers – of course, because you’re supposed to be a god who has the power to control events in his own favor…
–> Wasn’t this the old serpent’s agenda for Eve in the garden of Eden?
Needless to say, these New Age practices are all spiritual pursuits and attempts at reaching divinity, without the only true medium to God, the Saviour Jesus Christ, the only true way to the only Eternal God.
Astral projection
A practice when the soul (‘astral body’, ‘etheric body’, ‘spirit body’) disconnects from the body and travels in a parallel spirit realm (astral realm). Also called an OBE — out-of-body experience, as it involves the separation of the consciousness from the body. The person initiates it and attempts to control it.
Binaural Beats
Special audio frequencies designed to assist in meditation and achieving astral projection.
Buddhism
An Eastern religion, which teaches that the ultimate goal in life is to achieve “enlightenment” as each individual perceives it. It teaches that Nirvana is the highest state of being, a state of pure being, and it is achieved by means relative to the individual. Nirvana defies rational explanation and logical ordering and therefore cannot be taught, only realised. There is no almighty God in Buddhism.
Channelling
A practice whereby a human becomes a “vessel” for a spiritual or interdimensional being (believed to be a deceased person, alien, spirit guide…) to convey specific messages to the human race. The person (vessel) usually enters a trance-like state of consciousness before attempting to make contact to the being.
Divination
The practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means such as horoscopy (astrology), palm reading, prophecy, telepathy, psychic powers, etc.
Esotericism
Also called esoterism, typically refers to Western Esotericism, or Western mystery traditions. There is no set definition but is understood as traditions that teach spiritual knowledge to a limited circle of followers. Or, “rejected knowledge” accepted neither by traditional religious authorities nor by dominant scientific systems of thought.
Gnosticism
The belief that human beings are in themselves divine (or have a “divine spark”) and that a special self-knowledge (of their “inner spark”) is a means of salvation, or the liberating realisation that oneself is God. This realisation is Gnosis — from the Greek “to know”.
Hermeticism
Hermetic practices are varied and deeply rooted in the esoteric traditions of alchemy, astrology, theurgy, and other occult disciplines. These practices are not exclusively ritualistic but have the aim of achieving spiritual transformation, aligning the participant with the divine order, and unlocking hidden knowledge about the self and the cosmos.
Hinduism
A belief that views mankind as divine. The spiritual goal is to bring people into a realised state of self-divinity – to become one with Brahman, thus ceasing to exist in its illusory form of “individual self.” Yoga is a Hindu practice aiming at this. Karma is also Hinduism, a spiritual principle rooted in the Eastern concept of reincarnation wherein a person accumulated negative moral debt in their lives, that they have to pay off in a future incarnation. Bad karma needs to be alleviated through enlightenment.
Lucid Dreaming
A dream wherein the sleeper become consciously aware that their are in a dream. They have full consciousness as they operate in a dream world and can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. A practose close to, or who lead to, astral projection.
Magic, Witchcraft & Sorcery
Practices are intertwined, but can sometimes be confused for one another. Magic is the use of hidden powers and connections in the universe for one’s benefit. Witchcraft comes in many forms and practices, but it essentially is any practice that dabbles in a power source other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Sorcery is specifically the use of spells, divination, or speaking to spirits. Witchcraft or Sorcery practices can involve the ritualistic use of magic potions and mind-controlling drugs to achieve an altered state of consciousness.
Mind Science (Religious Science – RS, or Science of the Mind – SOM)
The belief that God is everywhere and everything is in God (pantheism). Mind Science promotes getting in touch with this ever-present source and becoming unified with it. Teaches salvation comes from the realization that you are actually a part of God, and by weeding out the bad in your life through scientific/philosophical principles. Practices includes ‘Spiritual Mind Treatment’, or ‘Affirmative Prayer’, a step-by-step process, in which one states the desired outcome as if it has already happened.
Mysticism
Based on the quest to “experience” God through the use of rituals or other techniques. All forms of mysticism are rooted in an assumption that God can only truly be “known” in some subjective or personal way. It is therefore an individual, subjective practice, which often involves asceticism of some type and seeks union with the divine. It is sometimes seen as secretive or elitist. Most New Age practices are a form of mysticism.
New Tought
A philosophical and metaphysical movement, New Thought focuses on the power of thought and the power of our mind. It teaches that our thoughts shape our reality, and that by changing our thoughts, we can change our lives.
Occultism
Involves all divination and occult practices such as astrology, witchcraft (Wicca, Druidry), the black arts, fortune telling, magic (black or white), Ouija boards, Tarot cards, spiritism, parapsychology, and Satanism. There is a yearn for unveiling hidden knowledge and making use of it. Occult means “hidden, secret and mysterious, particularly pertaining to the supernatural”.
Paganism
Varied in forms and practices, relies very much on hedonism—the sensual gratification and the pursuit of happiness and pleasure to the exclusion of everything else. Concepts such as mother Earth, the sun and the moon, the divinity of all being, self-indulgence, etc, are significant in paganism. Pagan worship, prayer, and sacrifice involve altars decorated with crystals, runes, tarot cards, incense, symbols, candles, and pictures of Ascended Masters, angels, or alien. Prayers and chants are presented to these foreign beings, in anticipation of receiving information, direction, and blessings.
Pantheism
A doctrine that states that God (Theos) is everything (pan). It’s the view that God is identical with the cosmos (the forces and laws of the universe). God is thought to be the universe and all things in the universe. Within pantheism, there’s the belief that all things in the universe are limited to a single substance, that is consciousness (see Monism). Pantheists believe consciousness isn’t a function of the brain activity, but the building block of the universe itself — Universal Consciousness. Practices include Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Yoga.
Psychedelics
The use of psychedelic drugs with the aim of contacting the spirit world, by having visions of encounters with beings (aliens, angels, demons) in another dimension.
Quantum Physics
Not a New Age practice in itself but used by New Age teachers to promote New Age beliefs and pseudoscience, such as “quantum healing”. This promotes the idea of “the quantum field” being a field of infinite energy and knowledge also called Chi or Prana, or collective unconscious.
Reincarnation
Also called the Transmigration of the soul, refers to the process, after death, of a soul returning in a new body. This is an Eastern belief (Sikhism, Jainism, and Hinduism), and where the concept of ‘Karma’ stems from. Believers in Reincarnation will interpret the following as confirmation they have been reincarnated: feelings of déjà vu, recurring dreams, feeling one has an “old soul,” irrational phobias, and an affinity for other cultures and eras.
Spiritual psychology
Also called Transpersonal Psychology, an aspect of psychology that combines spiritual and transcendent experiences within modern psychology. Refers to concepts such as the “law of attraction” (The Secret) – the belief that thought can bring things into existence, or manifestation.
Transcendental meditation (or TM)
A technique for achieving inner peace and spiritual renewal by focusing on a mantra repeated silently. As the mind “settles,” the practitioner is able to “transcend” thought and enter a silent state of bliss and tranquility.
Transcendentalism
A philosophy that says that our knowledge of reality comes from an analysis of our own thought processes, rather than from scientific evidence. According to the transcendentalist, if God exists, He can be found through human intuition.
Ufology
A combination of the biological categorization of supposed alien beings and the spiritual acceptance of their teachings and message to humanity. Theories include “ancient astronaut theory”, interstellar space travel, interdimensional and extradimensional beings. The aliens’ spiritual teachings usually teach a combination of Gnosticism, Jewish and Eastern mysticism, and “new thought” stressing the divinity of man.
Yoga
A Hindu practice, its aim is to reach oneness with the divine. The goal of all types of yoga is ‘moshka’, a state of union with the spirit of Brahman, the Universal Supreme Self. The word yoga means ‘union’ in reference to the unity between the individual self and the Universal self. As well as methods, it refers to a certain state of consciousness that help one reach that goal or state of union with the divine. Some Yoga poses are named after Hindu gods.
More New Age practices
Opening of the Third Eye, opening of the chakras, Taoism, Theosophy, ESP (Extra Sensory Perception), telekinesis, energy healing (Reiki, crystals)…
In summary
As mentioned, this list isn’t final and it will be difficult to cover the full spectrum of New Age practices, teachings and disciplines.
New Age practices are many and varied, as the New Age movement is a spiritual system of thoughts and practices made of beliefs, values, and traditions from different schools and religions throughout the world.
Precisely, the New Age movement cherry-picks pieces of information from whatever its believers please. It generally accepts everything under the sun, from the mystery teachings of Ancient Babylon to modern-day witchcraft, to the latest best-selling spiritual psychology books published. For some New Agers, the priority will be to perfect their astral travel, for others it will be to reach a state of bliss and tranquillity. Some others will want to reach out to seek ancient wisdom.
Besides the final common goal of spiritual awakening (enlightenment), the peculiarity of New Age practices is that they lack a common doctrine and do not have an official standard to hold by. This makes the New Age movement quite loose and subjective. It is therefore pretty much open to everything and anything -except that is, Christianity and the very plan of salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
>> To understand more of the New Age practices and the philosophies behind this movement, I recommend The Second coming of the New Age, by Steven Bancarz and Josh Peck. See my book review here. <<
