The New Age still matters because it is the best resort we have to age-old traditions of wisdom. I wanted to say that up front, even though I have never used the phrase "New Age" in any talk or writing. The New Age has become a byword for any cheap shot or automatic sneer directed toward a carnival of spiritual noodles and charlatans. But that's not the whole story, or even reality. Behind the label is something very different--a loose coalition of people who want to reach beyond organized religion and its many drawbacks.
Ever since Aldous Huxley coined the phrase "perennial philosophy," people in the West have come to realize that sectarianism is too narrow and religions too orthodox to contain a great body of wisdom that is available to every culture. The New Age is just today's Americanized version of the perennial philosophy, as Theosophy was the British version at the turn of the century.
In a word, the perennial philosophy is the search for transcendence. It's a corpus of thought which holds that higher realities are real.
At this moment in time, there is no doubt that organized religion is serving reactionary social forces (not for the first time). This has left a spiritual vacuum in society, and although many right-thinking people deplore the carnival aspects of the New Age, it is far more deplorable to ignore the spiritual yearning that exists in every culture. The New Age may not fill the vacuum perfectly, but it has many virtues
--People feel free to express themselves outside the dogma of the church.
--They feel open to experiences that earlier generations denied or condemned.
--They are aware that spirituality is a broad river running back for centuries.
--They feel included in a magnificent human quest.
--They believe that evolution of consciousness is real.
--They feel included in a magnificent human quest.
--They believe that evolution of consciousness is real.
--They believe they can find a noble vision and begin to live up to it.
The New Age contains a lot of Old Agers, among them various Jungians and other therapists who were brought up in the Fifties, freethinkers and flower children from the Sixties, along with even earlier Theosophists, followers of teachers like J. Krishnamurti and gurus like Paramahansa Yogananda, not to mention readers of Huxley, Gerald Heard, and other expatriates who brought Vedanta to Southern California in the era before World War II. I'm sure I've left a lot more out.
The net result of this diverse movement is hard to calculate. Certainly there don't seem to be many inroads into orthodox political or religious thought, but as a grass-roots movement it is powerful; the New Age stands for the unquenchable idealism of millions of people who either flirt with the perennial philosophy or dive into it more deeply.
I don't see an alternative, frankly, unless a person wants to mount a rearguard action to revive organized religion, and that seems highly unlikely. The liberal wing of every major Christian denomination has become quiescent in the face of aggressive fundamentalism, and resorting to Buddhism, Islam, or Hinduism lands one in yet another dogma with its own constrictions. So whatever the New Age morphs into thirty years from now, it seems to be the most viable spiritual movement in place, and it deserves to be considered on its own terms, without sneers and thoughtless labels.
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Donny,
You're crazy man... But I like you.
Oh boy, this is a tough subject. The New Age matters. It is here and alive. It has permeated all aspects of our culture. I get excited every time I recognize that fact.
The New Age has helped people look out of the windows of their spiritual houses to see the similarities in others, the shared values instead of the differences. WE ARE ONE!
I call myself a Presbyterian but I am a committed, unabashed New Ager. The New Age is not about relativism though it DOES have a loving, broad embrace. In fact, I've moved through a stage of New Ageism where I found anyone unappealing or unattractive who didn't accept my views (on complementary medicine, let's say, or the beauty of Eastern philosophy). I kind of chuckle at my old self, the dogmatically New Age clinger, so desperate to make my points at parties, and so wounded when others disagree with me!
I try today to be a disciplined New Ager, a good thinker, mother, contributor, a person in awe of everything God has handed me. I live in wonder! Rudolf Steiner once wrote that all learning starts with wonder. Life is a precious gift!
This blog is wonderful, Chopra family! It's exciting to read your thoughts here!
Brian,
I understand your concern with following the followers of Christ who have organized religion beyond any spiritual value. The truth of Jesus is not contained in simply deposing Him and following your own inner voice. The biggest problem that I think New Agers face is the lack of redemption, forgiveness, and grace in their message. If everything is good, then nothing is better for you. And I would share with you that worship of Jesus is better than worship of self, the moon, and the stars.
I find the term "New Age" to be an oxymoron, there is noting new about it. Instead it is a turning back to the old ways of thought, living and relating to the world around us. The term now is so all-inclusive that it is truly becoming non-valid. Labels being what they are, it is a more palatable label for those with "non traditional" belief systems. So we lump together all the free thinking men and women into this category. That being said, this movement has lead to a new awareness of our purpose here on earth, our connection to our Source, and the way that we interact with our surroundings. If you were informed about this "movement" Brother Jones, you would know that an acceptance of "all as good" is no where near the commonly held beliefs of most of these believers. There is a rejection of the judgmental and shaming tenants of many "mainline" religions. The need for redemption is not a part of the philosophy of the "New Agers", as humans are products of the Creator, and not fundamentally flawed as the concept of "original sin" claims. There is vast increase in the ability to love one's self if the shame and guilt of Christianity, Islam and Judaism are removed from one's consciousness. Those of this persuasion prefer to connect with the inner beauty and joy of their spirit, creation, and a relationship with the Creator free of the burdens put upon them by religions that purport themselves as the ONLY way to reach their definitions of God. This movement to the "old ways" IMO is the only hope we have of abolishing the oppression of man by other men (I am not speaking in terms of gender), the greedy systems that are raping our planet, and the domination of women by the religions of this realm.
Being in touch with your 'self' does not mean being well adjusted and understanding your feelings. It speaks to the larger SELF, or I AM, otherwise known as God.
Most organized religions collect money, try to legislate their particular views into law and force it on the rest of us and what have they done about war, famine, humans rights(slavery-white & other)?
Look at the style in which their leaders live, while millions go hungry and have no health care. You really think Jesus would have approved of this?
Where are the leaders of the world's largest religions when women are allowed to burn alive in a school in Saudi Arabia, or people are mass murdered in Dar-fur? But, these leaders come together to condemn gay marriages and birth control& abortion. These are just examples of the fact that they have come together to condemn things but not atrocities.
We need something better.
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