The "New Age" trend

Résumé du document

The New Age is both difficult to qualify and describe historically. It is a spiritual movement neither recognized as a cult nor as a religion. The New Age is a form of alternative spirituality which is influenced by many practices like Buddhism, Esoterism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism, Tantrism etc. The New Age appeared in the United States in California and in Findhorn in Scotland a century ago. Some authors think that it was really created in the early 60's and 70's. In the beginning, the New Agers wanted to build a counter culture against modern capitalism, war in Viet Nam, racism, and violence, and had the aim of promoting ecology, nature values, equality, democracy and universal peace. They founded their ideology on astrological beliefs. The new agers trusted in the Age of Aquarius which is, for them, an era of peace, and new way of life and communication between people. The Age of Aquarius will happen soon because of the astral situation.

Extraits

[...] Every one is free to get his own spirituality, that's why some people are convinced that The New Age is good for them. II Characteristics of the movement A multicultural influence The New Age is influenced by many traditions, beliefs, religions and myths. Its aim is to form an alternative spirituality or religion that each person can share. New Age build a big community with people who trust the same beliefs and make ceremonies between us. They live almost like the hippies. For example they use alternative medicine, traditional medicine practices. They believe in a conceptual integration of mind, body and spirit. [...]

[...] * As the New Age has got many influences. It is many times discredited because of his lake of serious. The religions see the New Age as a movement of impostors who try to build a religion on traditions who already exist. The New Agers are profiting of the old religions to create a superficial ideology. The lake of basis is the biggest criticism against the New Age. Criticism from American Indian Writers: one of the biggest movement against the New Age. [...]

[...] The New Agers use the science but not in the right way. They use auto-medication, traditional medicine etc. But every one knows that it can be inefficient or dangerous. We all know that there are controversies regarding alternative medicine. They use scientific means but discredit the rationality of science. They also use modern equipments when they are at work or at home but in the same time they complain about the damages of the modernity. The New Age is also criticized because it stops personal and psychological development. [...]

[...] Each New Ager find his own way of thinking. The only common point is the will to create a better way of life to go against the industrial modernity. The New Agers founded their theories on astrological beliefs like the Age of Aquarius which will happen in a few years and be the beginning of a peaceful era with more communication, less individualism and cupidity and with more mysticism. This could be an attractive theory as it promotes holism and love between people all over the world. [...]

[...] Crystals: for the New Agers, quartz crystals are believed to have mystical properties. They can help people meditating. Some practices: Channeling: a channel, a person (seen as a medium) has got the power to communicate with inert entities like rocks, Christ, angels, deadsouls etc. This is a kind of meditation with something that doesn't exist. Rebirth: this is a kind a medical therapy using relaxation and accelerates breathing to cure the patient from his pain or from fears which have a relation with his birth. [...]