New age movement. New Age movement

“New Age” (“New Age”) translated from English means “New Time”, “New Age” or most accurately “New Era” (NE). This is the most famous and most widely advertised modern religion, which involves many sects and organizations. In addition, a person can adhere to the general range of NE ideas, but at the same time not be a member of any of the organizations. The New Age movement is widespread in all levels of society and spheres of life. UN structures, and especially UNESCO, are actively used to promote their ideas.

This occult neo-pagan movement formed in the second half of the sixties in California. Adherents of the movement never talk about it as a religion, but only as “spirituality.” The first and main characteristic of the NE movement is the belief that modern humanity lives in transition period the entry of the earth into a new era - the era of Aquarius. Also very widespread is the belief in the new coming of the Lord (naturally, their Lord), whom they call Maitreya, but sometimes they also call Christ, or they say “Christ-Maitreya.” New Agers believe that their worldview synthesizes all the religious experiences of the world. Such ideas become a convenient tool for uniting all religions, which, as a result, should, in the opinion of the founders of NE, lead (and this is one of the main goals) to the destruction of Christianity as a doctrine.

The movement is based on spiritualism, theosophy and the drug-fuelled youth counterculture of the 60s. Spiritualism is the belief that we can make contact with the other world, which is inhabited by spirits, and force these spirits to communicate with us. It has existed since ancient times and is inherent in the most primitive religions. Theosophy was founded by H. P. Blavatsky and combines elements of spiritualism, hypnotism, Gnosticism, Eastern and Egyptian myths, occult techniques and methods, astrology, and esoteric anthropology. The youth counterculture brought to the NE movement various experiments to “expand consciousness”, undertaken with the help of hashish, LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, etc. Later, after disappointment with various drugs, the Eastern technique of meditation began to be widely promoted (as giving an effect, similar to application drugs).

Like any totalitarian movement, NE has its own language. Here are a few favorite terms: holistic (i.e. holistic), ancient wisdom, spaceship Earth, our home Earth, earthly organism, ecology of the spirit, spiritual guides, initiates, transcendence, new consciousness, paranormal phenomena, new vision, global threat, scenario, new world order, karma, chakras, etc.

One of the most characteristic signs of the NE movement is channeling, which literally translated into Russian means “sewer” - in the sense that someone is a channel for spiritual beings who move into him and speak through him. Nowadays this word is often translated as “contacting.” In fact, this is one of the varieties of spiritualism - a spirit moves in with a person and speaks through him. In this case, the person’s voice and behavior usually change; he often falls into a trance and then does not remember what happened. In Christianity, this phenomenon is called possession.

Other characteristic feature movements - faith in inner voices. The authors of most books on NE thinking claim that they wrote them under the direct influence of spirits, who dictated texts to them through inner voices. (For example: “The Razor’s Edge” by Ivan Efremov, “The Island” by Aldous Huxley, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach.) Any Orthodox Christian will immediately tell whose voices these are.

Another important concept of NE is “ interior space", "inner self". According to the teachings of the movement, all of a person’s troubles occur because he has lost contact with his “inner self,” and, therefore, it is necessary to find this contact and open his inner space. For this purpose, many different exercises are proposed - from the supposedly “non-religious” “neurolinguistic programming” to the occult “Silva Method of Mind Control”.

The next element of NE is visualization. It is based on the idea of ​​"positive thinking" about the creative power of human thought: if you use your thoughts correctly, they can materialize. The way to achieve what you want is to imagine it; you have to imagine everything you want - and you will have it. For example, a fat man wants to become thin - he needs to sit in a chair and properly imagine himself as such, but to become rich, you only need to want it “correctly”. Visualization has been practiced by sorcerers, shamans and healers for thousands of years. In their imagination, they imagined pictures, which they then directed at other people, believing that they could bring them the good they imagined or, conversely, misfortune. There is nothing surprising in this; it is amazing that modern educated people believe in this.

Next important element NE worldview - belief in reincarnation, transmigration of souls. This idea can be found in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism (according to their teachings, a person endlessly dies and is reborn to life, and is also responsible in a future life for what he did in this one; this law is called karma). However, the ideologists of the NE movement put their own special meaning into this teaching: instead of endless reincarnations, an “evolutionary upward movement” appeared - a person accumulates merit, gains useful knowledge, and in the next incarnation finds himself in more favorable conditions. In other words, during life a person can do profitable investment, and in next lives receive interest on capital. This is such a religious banking system. The terrible thing is that belief in reincarnation justifies any immorality and even murder. “Everyone who is hungry or suffering has chosen their own experience (according to the law of karma), leave them alone...” ; “So, you're saying that the killer is essentially doing nothing wrong? - That's right...The murdered person will return again (thanks to the transmigration of souls).

The next element of NE is a passion for crystals and precious stones. New Agers believe in a special crystal magic and believe that crystals have healing properties and open up the inner world. These are not the only sacred objects that are used in NE. The list of these items includes Tibetan bells, exotic herbal teas, Scandinavian runes, solar energy, colored candles, and pyramids. There is a whole New Age pseudoscience - pyramidology (the pyramid is used to enhance meditative vibrations).

There is also New Age music. It is meditative, drawn-out, sleepy, combined with the singing of birds, the mooing of whales, the howling of wolves, the chirping of crickets, the howling of the wind, etc. Most of those who listen to it are not fans of NE, but the New Agers themselves take it very seriously, considering it a religious act.

Listening to this work, you are transported from the depths of the sea to the remote corners of the solar system. The singing and talking of dolphins are in amazing harmony with the sounds of the planets and moons. (!) Some of the recordings made spaceships NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 near Jupiter's smallest moon Io are strikingly reminiscent of the singing of dolphins. Research has shown that these sounds have a profound effect on the subconscious, giving rise to transpersonal experiences of something both distant and close.

Sounds human body- breathing, heartbeat, etc.; sounds of nature - dolphins, wind, water, etc.; Tibetan bowls, bells, gongs; Japanese flute; sounds of the planets solar system. (!) Many of these sounds are processed in such a way that they are perceived only on a subconscious level. This causes a response like deep relaxation and restoration of the body. The last composition (LOUISE 1990) was written specifically for the “Healing in the 90s” conference organized by Louise Hay.

As mentioned above, New Ageers are expecting the coming of “Lord Maitreya”, but not all of them - some of them believe that the messiah is inside each of us, and we just have to discover it within ourselves. Two main postulates of NE are associated with this. The first is New Age monism: the belief that everything is one. Any differences between individual entities are apparent differences, but in reality they are not. From this follows another NE postulate: there is no God outside man, because man himself is God.

And so, with such a theoretical basis, NE really likes to “cling to” Christianity. It is no coincidence that the ideologists of the movement use supposedly Christian terms such as Christ consciousness, and Maitreya is proclaimed identical with Christ. Domestic New Agers love to refer to those who are “like-minded with them,” as they say, Rev. Sergius of Radonezh, “magician” Seraphim of Sarov. Book " Candid stories wanderer to his spiritual father" began to enjoy great popularity - completely misunderstanding and interpreting it, New Agers discovered "an interesting meditative technique." The “miracles” did not slow down either - the book “ Tutorial according to miracles,” which became a bestseller. Its author, New York psychologist Helen Schucman, claims that “Jesus Christ” himself dictated this book to her. But Eve Dowling wrote “The Gospel of Jesus Christ of the Age of Aquarius.” The contents of the book were received from the “angel” in 1922. At the same time, everyone forgets that the voices that sound inside and order something to be done are a sign mental illness or obsession.

However, in the cult of NE there is also a reverse movement - the revival of pagan religions. These are witchcraft (the so-called religion “Wicca”), shamanism, Satanism and astrology. Witchcraft (worship of the Supreme Goddess) has gained particular popularity among feminists who vehemently fight against the image male god in traditional religions and believe that they are reviving the ancient traditions of the Babylonian religion. Shamanism is the study and development of shamanistic practices. Its main ideologist is Carlos Castaneda. Shamans claim that each of them has at least one spirit (if not more) in his service. It is clear to every even slightly educated Christian that these are fallen spirits, i.e. demons. What Satanism (Luciferianism) is is clear and without explanation. Astrology is something that has long been condemned (back in Old Testament) the doctrine that our life and character are controlled not by God and our free will, but by some stars, which are physical bodies and located millions of light years from the Earth.

There is also New Age medicine. She primarily focuses on general feeling well-being rather than on preventing or treating disease. “Ayurvedic medicine”, built on certain Indian philosophical principles, is popular. However, the most famous pseudo-medical practice is Reiki - an occult-religious practice that includes pagan rituals and elements of the occult. Reikists believe that the world is controlled by some faceless dynamic substance, and reiki is the “invisible vibrating spiritual energy” emanating from it.

The consciousness of NE penetrated into the former USSR (and then into Russia and Ukraine) a long time ago - with the teachings of the Roerichs (“Living Ethics” and “Agni Yoga”). This teaching immediately began to sprout poisonous sprouts: the “White Brotherhood”, the Vissarion sect, the “Radasteya” sect, partly the “Virgin Center” and the “Bazhovites” sect in the Urals. But the Siberian businessman Vladimir Puzakov, who chose the pseudonym “Maigret” for himself, is creating a new cult of “Anastasia”.

Using a fashionable environmental theme, Puzakov nominates Anastasia as a teacher of humanity and even proclaims her the “Messiah”...

Elements ( characteristic features) NE can be found in the teachings of many totalitarian sects. Visualization is used in the neo-Pentecostal sects “Faith Movement” and “Word of Life”, the doctrine of reincarnation is used in the “Society for Krishna Consciousness”, in the Brahma Kumaris sect...

Unfortunately, the New Age is now surrounding us on all sides. New Age programs are broadcast on all television channels, the magazines “The Path to Yourself” and “Science and Religion” (once atheistic) are published, and shops are opened.

The same thing happens at the everyday level, for example, all the talk about energy and energetics is completely New Age: internal energies, energy exchange, energy vampires, energy donors, trees and energy-carrying animals. There is a wide popularity of various psychics who can “clearly” explain the energetic principles of the assistance they provide. And all this New Age language determines the thinking of the majority of the population. That is why many people become prey to totalitarian sects. NE also paid attention to children's organizations - all kinds of "schools" early development"etc.

Take a look at the school textbook on valueology - it would seem a completely innocent book. And there you will find topic titles that are quite appropriate to the New Age: “Conspiracies”, “The Sanctification and Miracles of Water in the Song Ritual Circle” (4th grade!); "Astrology and health" (9th grade); “Chakra, aura, karma...” (11th grade)... Topics that have been on everyone’s lips in recent years, presented from TV screens, posters, and from the pages of newspapers. But what does science have to do with it?

Dear brothers and sisters! We would like to warn you that passion for the above activities, supposedly leading to the comprehension of “ secret knowledge”, “self-improvement”, “discovering your inner self” and so on is not only incompatible with Orthodoxy and separates you from God, but is also simply dangerous for your mental and mental health. Salvation is only in the Orthodox Church.

New Age- a set of various mystical and esoteric movements that originated in Western Europe and the USA in the twentieth century. New Age is translated from English as "New Era". Key Points, inherent in the New Age, is a revival of spirituality, esoteric tradition, a revolutionary revision of established views.

The greatest flourishing of New Age occurred in the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century.

It is important to understand that New Age is main line, which includes many schools, movements, teachings, etc. directly unrelated with each other, but having a series general postulates and values.

The movement was caused by spiritual crisis Western society. On the one side traditional religions, due to their ossification and dogmatism, could not give searching people an adequate answer to the question about the meaning of existence, on the other hand, scientific knowledge is also in many ways discredited myself. People appreciated the danger of scientific progress based only on values material world(state cold war, fear of possible nuclear war). In this situation, many turned their attention to Eastern philosophies and practices, since these teachings have been known in the West since the nineteenth century. For example, the Vedanta society (based on Hindu philosophy) was among the first to establish itself in the United States back in the 1890s. Other influential movements of Eastern orientation—Transcendentalism, the Theosophical Society led by Blavatsky, Spiritualism—discovered new order thinking in the Christian Western World - they and plowed that field, on which the New Age rose and exploded in the 70s.

Movements that consider themselves to be New Age are characterized by set of principles, which they share to one degree or another:

1. Monism. This is the thesis that all the diversity of the cosmos comes from one primary source - single divine energy. Here we are talking about the basic unity of all reality.
2. Pantheism. The belief that " God is Everything and Everything is God". That is God- He everywhere, in every person, in every manifestation. Personal task - to find and discover divinity inside myself. This occurs through movement along the path of internal transformation, the full completion of which, however, can already occur in subsequent lives.
3. Reincarnation and Karma. The belief that a person lives many lives, being reborn after death. According to the doctrine of Karma, good deeds lead to good consequences, and bad actions lead to negative consequences. This connection extends not only to this life, but also to all previous and subsequent ones.
4. Universal religion. According to the New Age - in fact there is only one religion. All the various religions of the world are simply alternative paths to the same goal.
5. Personal transformation. The key in this process is not studying other people’s dogmas, but obtaining own mystical experience that will allow a person to rise to the next level in self-knowledge. In the field of personal transformation, there are the following New Age movements:

• Holistic Health Movement. It is believed that the transformation leads to healing. In matters of treatment and health New Age doesn't trust traditional medicine, considering it unnatural, criticizing it for its impersonal approach to patients (“ treat the disease, not the patient"). New Age followers directly connect physical and spiritual health, which means the need integrated approach to treatment. Common in New Age methods Treatments: acupuncture, biofeedback devices, chiropractic (manual therapy), exercise, massage techniques, diet (many New Age fans are vegetarian), natural herbal remedies, and many other types of therapies.
• Movement of consciousness. This direction is associated with research and propaganda altered states of consciousness, which are believed to contribute to the transformation process. Applicable techniques: narcotic drugs(hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, etc.), breathing techniques (for example, holotropic breathing), etc.
• Human Development Movement. It is this aspect of the New Age that has had greatest influence on Western culture. The main thesis of this movement is the importance of human self-improvement and development good qualities. Received today ubiquitous program distribution personal growth, business and psychological trainings are based on practices developed precisely within the framework of the New Age.

6.Planetary vision. Beyond personal transformation lies the global goal of the New Age - a comprehensive planetary transformation, while the Earth is considered as a whole living organism. Based on this, the New Age places great emphasis on protection environment : Green Movement (Greenpeace), Global Network Ecovillages, Gaya Foundation, etc.

It is impossible to list all the people who were active popularizers New Age, working in areas such as philosophy, religion, physics, occultism, psychology, mythology, holistic health, education, politics, economics, sociology, etc.

Among activists and popularizers Russian New Age is called: B. Zolotov, I. Kalinauskas, V. Stepanov, P. Mamkin, G. Shirokov, V. Antonov, A. Sidersky, S. Vsekhsvyatsky, S. Strekalov, P. Burlan, V. Maykov, A .Sviyasha, M.Norbekova, N.Kozlova, I.Vagina.

To build their lives according to New Age principles, many followers of this movement united to communities, communes, ashrams, eco-villages, etc. Among them: Findhorn (Scotland), Damanur (Italy), Farm (USA), White Lotus (Austria), Auroville (India), Crystal Waters (Australia); Schools and centers for personal growth and spiritual development: Institute of Peace, Urantia, Lama Foundation (New Mexico), Forum, World Relationship Centers, Lifespring and similar training companies, dances of the Peoples of the World, many eastern groups around the world (Osho centers, Dhamma House, Vedanta society, Bahais, Meher Baba , Ananda Marga) etc.

It is necessary to note the enormous contribution to world culture, which was made by New Age followers. This includes not only the musical movement of the same name (prominent representatives are Karunesh, Shanti), but also the influence of New Age ideas on literature, cinema, etc. As a striking cinematic example illustrating the tenets of the New Age, we can cite the film “Avatar” by J. Cameron.

Of course, it is impossible to overestimate the contribution of the New Age to the formation of systems of self-knowledge and human self-development in the twentieth century. In fact, this movement replaced traditional religions, responding to current questions spiritual development modern man, setting new goals for him and pointing out the ways to achieve them.

The New Age subculture is, in fact, a new movement - apolitical, esoteric and mystical, so it would be hard to call it a purely youth subculture. New Age is built on specific religious preferences and self-knowledge, which is what distinguishes it from popular youth subcultures based on musical tastes. This subculture acquired global proportions in the 1980s, when dozens of movements appeared: from religious and sectarian to sports and therapeutic. New Age adherents often get carried away healing practices, for example, yoga or qigong, martial arts, Buddhist meditation, non-contact massage, chanting mantras, Kabbalah, alchemy, magic and magical rituals. Interest in magic and Eastern practices in the New Age today is not so strong.

The “trick” of the New Age is in defining values, and they, like those of yogi sadhus, are to achieve nirvana and enlightenment. This subculture is no less positive than hippies: support for universal human values, value the right image life (vegetarianism, abstinence, goodness), the unity of science, mysticism and religion, belief in supernatural entities such as angels, demons and spirits.

New age musical preferences

As for the musical tastes of New Age representatives, they prefer the rock direction, and styles can be completely different: from heavy metal and crabcore to indie rock and gothic. The subculture has given rise to its own direction of music, however, it does not have a clear line; often any incomprehensible multifaceted movement is called new age; some music lovers are sure that the genre developed in the 1970s from the intersection of experimental jazz and electronic music, for example in Germany it is: Popol Vuh , Deuter, Can, Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. During the emergence of the subculture, musical groups loved to use natural soundtracks, mixes of classical and folk music, and music for meditation was also called New Age.

The person of the New Age is an advanced, spiritually developed, well-read person, passionate about esotericism and various Eastern practices, from which several statements follow that make up the picture of the world of any “New Age”: the universe is eternal, time is cyclical, reincarnation is real, man is similar and equal To God, all religions are one, a person can become closer to God through self-knowledge. The main idea of ​​the movement and its prophecy is transformation human consciousness into the global collective and its access to new level. That is, in terms of views on life, we have before us an explosive mixture of a monk, a hipster and a Hare Krishna.

“Human history is a series of changing eras: the era of Aries is replaced by the era of Taurus, the latter is replaced by the era of Pisces, the basis of religiosity of which is Christianity, which plunged humanity into the dark ages of hostility and wars. But this should soon be replaced by the era of Aquarius with its new high religiosity In order for this bright future to come sooner, a person needs to expand his consciousness - to realize that he is god, he is divine, like the entire cosmos, and everything that exists is a single whole: “everything that surrounds me is me.” human abilities, it is necessary, first of all, to abandon religious prejudices..."

If you are familiar with such ideas, then you have already encountered the preaching of the new religious neo-pagan movement “New Age”.

The saying “everything new is well forgotten old” turned out to be absolutely true in the religious sphere. The “newness of thinking” in the “New Age” is just a revival of the most archaic religious ideas of humanity. New Age syncretic religiosity transforms and adapts to the standards of modern consumer society elements of Gnostic sects of the early centuries of Christianity, Eastern, ancient and humanistic philosophies, Western medieval magic, Jewish cabalism, Eastern mysticism, and ancient pagan religions.

New biological species of man

"Friedrich von Hayek, brilliant theorist market economy, said in 1984 in Hamburg that for the existence of a liberal society it is necessary that people free themselves from certain natural instincts, among which he especially singled out the instinct of solidarity and compassion. Recognizing that we're talking about about natural, innate instincts, the philosopher revealed all the greatness of the project of modern society: to turn man into a new biological species...
A small race of those who can wrest from their hearts and souls certain instincts and cultural taboos will constitute the “golden billion”, which will rightfully subjugate the lower races. The instinctive prohibition on killing one’s neighbor will also be automatically eliminated, because those belonging to a different species are no longer neighbors” (Sergei Kara-Murza. Eurocentrism. The Hidden Ideology of Perestroika. M., 1996).
As history shows, racism is a latent (hidden) ideology of Western society. At different periods of its development, this ideology found its expression in the most various forms. But in the 20th century, the ideology of racism acquired a mystical connotation - first in Nazi Germany, and then in the “democratic” United States.
In the 60-70s. A kind of occult-pagan “renaissance” is taking place in the USA. It is due to a sharp surge in public interest in Eastern mysticism. A broad neo-pagan movement, called the “New Age”, was born here.
Gradually, the United States is turning into a mecca of the occult. From here the movement begins its “victorious” march across countries and continents.

The Roots of Neopaganism

The origins of the movement were laid in the 19th century by spiritualism and theosophy. Spiritualism (from Latin spiritus - soul, spirit) - belief in the possibility of communication with the souls of the dead. Originates in the USA, spreads throughout Western Europe and reaches Russia.
Theosophy (from the Greek theos - god and sophia - wisdom, knowledge) is the religious and mystical teaching of the Russian writer Helena Blavatsky (1831-
1891). In 1875, together with Colonel Alcott, she organized the Theosophical Society in New York City (USA). In 1878 she wrote the book “Isis Unveiled”, and in 1888, in England, her fundamental work “The Secret Doctrine” was published.
These works became classics of occult literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the last years of her life, she founded the magazine Lucifer. Blavatsky expressed her attitude towards Christianity very clearly: “Our task is not to restore Hinduism, but to wipe Christianity off the face of the earth.”
In her teachings, she predicted the advent of a “new era.” During this era the birth of the “sixth race” will occur. The occultist classified the current generation of people as the “fifth race.” Occult and magical abilities should become a characteristic feature of the new race.

Classification of non-religious cults

In a narrow sense, the New Age movement refers to religious cults that arose in the second half of the 20th century. Among them, it is customary to distinguish Christian (biblical), oriental (orientalist), psychotherapeutic (scientific) cults. The main idea uniting the conglomerate of these sects is confidence in the end of the era of Pisces (fish is the Christian symbol of Jesus Christ) and the entry of humanity into the era of Aquarius.
According to movement theorists, historical Christianity should give way to “more modern” Christian cults, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Saints last days"(Mormon sect), "Jehovah's Witnesses", "Unification Church" (Moon sect), "Family" (Children of God), "Church of Christ" (Boston Movement), "Worldwide Church of God", "Witness Lee Local Church", neo-charismatic sects (related to the “Faith Movement”), etc.
Supporters of Eastern cults, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna sect), Osho cult Rajneesh, "Transcendental Meditation", the cult of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the "Baha'i Faith", "Sahaja Yoga", "Brahma Kumaris", the cult of Sri Chinmoy, "Reiki", Zen Buddhism, neo-Buddhist cults, etc., offer “dissolve” Christianity in Eastern mysticism and reduce it to the level of “one of the ways of salvation” (how can one not recall E. Blavatsky, who declared: “There is no religion higher than Truth”).
Supporters of scientific cults, such as the Church of Scientology, the Silva Method of Mind Control, etc., propose replacing Christianity with some kind of pseudoscientific surrogate.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Today in the United States, according to various sources, there are more than five thousand sects belonging to the New Age movement. They include more than 20 million Americans. If we count all those who sympathize with this movement, the number of people involved will increase several times.

New Age ideology

American scientist Norman Geisler identifies the following concepts of the “New Age”:
- impersonal God;
- eternal universe;
- illusory nature of matter;
- the cyclical nature of life;
- the need for reincarnation (transmigration of souls);
- evolution of man into Divinity;
- ongoing revelations from unearthly beings;
- identity of man with God;
- occult practices;
- vegetarianism and holistic (holistic) methods of health protection;
- world global order;
- syncretism (the unity of all religions) (quoted from A. Kuraev. Satanism for the intelligentsia. T. 2. M., 1997).
So, the religious and philosophical basis of the movement is pantheism - a doctrine that identifies God and the world. As a result, New Age supporters come to the conclusion that man himself is God.
But if God is not a person, but just a faceless Absolute, then He turns out to be completely indifferent to the categories of good and evil. Ramakrishna, one of the gurus of this movement, stated this: “The Absolute is not associated with either good or evil... Whatever sin, evil or suffering that we find in the world, they are suffering, evil and sin only in relation to us..." Thus, supporters of the movement place themselves, in the language of F. Nietzsche, "beyond good and evil."

Rehabilitation of Satanism

The New Age has made the worship of Lucifer a completely respectable, acceptable and fashionable practice...
So that there is no misunderstanding, I will quote from David Spangler’s book “Reflections on Christ”: “Christ is the same power as Lucifer; Lucifer prepares a person to identify himself with Christ.
Lucifer - the angel of human internal evolution - works within each of us to lead us to integrity, thanks to which we can enter the New Era... Accepting Lucifer is inclusion in the New Era" (quoted by A. Dworkin).
It is no coincidence that Anthony LaVey, the founder of the American Church of Satan, argued that Satanism, with its pandering to human vices, is nothing more than the American way of life.
Another ideologist of the movement, Osho Rajneesh, states that black magic is “one of the greatest opportunities for human development” (quoted by D. Ankerberg. D. Weldon).

Karmic philosophy of movement

To give their teaching some moral appeal, the ideologists of the movement operate with such concepts as reincarnation (transmigration of souls) and the law of karma.
According to this doctrine, a person’s present position is entirely determined by his behavior in the past.
"incarnations".
Karma (in Sanskrit - action, fruit of action) is the total sum of actions performed by every living being and their consequences, which determine the nature of his new birth, that is, further existence. Therefore, every person reaps the fruits that he sowed in past “incarnations.”
Besides, karma and reincarnation even justify murder in the minds of New Agers. In “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is” (the main book of the Hare Krishna sect. - Author’s note), Krishna orders Arjuna to destroy his relatives in battle because this is their karma.
And the leader of the savage sect, Charles Manson, committed ritual murders, claiming that everything he does corresponds to the law of karma" (A. Dvorkin. Op. cit.).

Occult practices

A characteristic feature of the movement is the interest of its adherents in occult methods and practices.
Using meditation, yoga, channeling, visualization, neuro-linguistic programming methods, alternative medicine and other occult practices, neopagans strive to achieve physical and mental health, succeed in business, learn to manage other people, and come into contact with “unearthly beings” and “energies of the cosmos.” , achieve some kind of “enlightenment” and, ultimately, become “god-like” beings.
Fortune magazine indicates that half of America's top 500 businessmen are involved in the New Age human resource maximization movement (and seen by Christians as the first step towards the occult).
Among the companies that opened their doors to New Age gurus were Pacific Bell (which spent $173 million training its managers in "human performance courses" with apparently occult teaching techniques), NASA, and Ford Automobiles. " and "General Motors", "ICA", "IBM", "Boeing", "Singer", "ARCA" and "Bank of America" ​​(D. Marshall. New century against the Gospel, or the Greatest Challenge to Christianity 1995).
Occultism is also penetrating the American education system: “What is especially saddening is that throughout America, in schools where Christian prayer, yoga, Eastern meditation, and techniques related to Hindu prayers were prohibited, they are not only allowed, but are actively encouraged,” - pointed out Christian researcher Dave Hunt.

Penetration into the Christian environment

In order to attract Christians into their ranks, the ideologists of the movement claim that every person is a “Christ,” since the Lord Jesus Christ Himself was supposedly a mere mortal who achieved “Divine enlightenment.”
“When the Religious Center at Princeton University surveyed American Christians in early 1992 about the impact of New Age teaching on their faith, nearly a quarter of them responded that they saw no conflict between Christianity and New Age teaching.” This message pales in comparison to the response of the Catholics surveyed: 60 percent of them believed that Catholicism and the “New Age” are in perfect harmony” (Archimandrite Alexander Mileant. The Seven-Headed Dragon. Indian-Occult Teachings in the Light of Christianity).
In 1971, the book “Christian Yoga” by the French Catholic, Benedictine monk J.-M. Deshanet was published in New York. In 1972, the book “Christian Zen” by Irish Catholic priest William Johnson was published in the same New York.
The main vehicle of the New Age ideology among Protestants is the “charismatic movement.” Charismatics also practice occult techniques, covering them with Christian phraseology.
Having based their philosophy on Hindu pantheism, the ideologists of the movement came to the conclusion that it was necessary to destroy world religions, dissolving them into some kind of “universal religion.”
Liberal Protestant theologian John Hick, quite in the spirit of E. Blavatsky, cited the example of “the Baha’i temple in Chicago, each of the nine entrances of which bears the name of one of the spiritual “teachers,” including Christ.
All nine parishes lead to a single altar located in the center. Hick uses this example as an illustration of his position that “all roads lead to God” (quoted by D. Marshall).
It is precisely this kind of religion that the New Age ideologists and their minions in the Christian camp are striving to create.

The Political Project of Neopaganism

"Western New Agers view the fall of the communist regimes of Eastern Europe as a crucial step towards the integration of the world, which they see a necessary condition for a global celebration of New Age ideas. The movement was created and controlled by Freemasonry and has clear objectives.
And it was no coincidence that they viewed Gorbachev as a person who was carrying out the plans of the Hierarchy to unite the world and prepare the coming of the “Savior”. One of the main ideologists of the movement, Benjamin Krim, considers the UN a “temporary body” preparing for the coming to power of a world government.
"In every issue of his newspaper "Imergence" he trumpets that new leader the world will be a kind of collective image of Christ, whom Christians are waiting for, the Jewish Messiah, the Hindu Krishna and the new Buddha, whom Buddhists are waiting for, as well as the Muslim Imam Mahdi.
This great world leader, as Cream says, will be called "Lord Maitreya", and he will proclaim and personify the Age of Aquarius, the New Age... According to the propaganda of the "New Age", before this age comes, it is necessary to destroy the main ideological enemy - Christianity" (D. Marshall. Op. cit.).
From the Orthodox point of view, “today’s “charismatic” movement, Christian “meditation” and “new religious consciousness” (the “New Age” movement. - Author’s note), of which they are a part, are all harbingers of the religion of the future, the religion of the last humanity, the religion of the Antichrist, and their main “spiritual” activity is to introduce demonic initiation into Christianity, which has hitherto been limited only to the pagan world” (hieromonk Seraphim [Rose]).

Reasons for the occult-pagan "revival"

From now on, a new race of “god-like” masters are those who make up the “golden billion” of humanity. The Hindu theory of reincarnation (reincarnation) is intended to strengthen representatives of the “master race” in the belief that they will be incarnated an infinite number of times to live in a “liberal capitalist paradise”, and the law of karma will allow them to feel like “free individuals”, not bound by any moral duties towards each other.
As for those who were not included in the “golden billion”, they will be obliged to work for their “god-like” masters, because they have such “karma”. World religions, primarily Orthodoxy and Islam, which contain a resource of resistance to the New World Order, are subject to eradication.
Their place should be taken by an ersatz religion, tailored to the standards of the “world community.”
To keep the colonial peoples in line, they also needed to inculcate New Age ideology. Then the slaves of the New World Order will also imagine themselves as “god-like beings,” but less “enlightened” (and therefore poorer) than representatives of the “golden billion.”
It is precisely such people who will follow the Antichrist, because they will see in him “first among equals.” Those who dare to challenge the “planetary triumph of liberal values” are subject to eradication.
We see how the religion of the Antichrist is emerging before our eyes. It is a product of Western liberal-capitalist civilization with its cult of “racial” superiority over other peoples, zoological “individualism” and the mysticism of “business success”.

Now, perhaps, you will not meet a person born at the end of the 20th century who would not remember such words and phrases as “Sadness”, “Enigma”, “Era” or “New Age”. Just about a movement that was very popular in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Some of the “young people” also, of course, know what “Enigma” (we are not talking about a encryption machine) or New Age is, but the real “boom” of the New Age came precisely at that time. Although, who knows, maybe it is just coming?

In order to return briefly to the past, evoke nostalgic emotions and replenish our knowledge, we decided to talk about what New Age is, in addition to the musical movement, the best examples of which can instantly take you somewhere into unknown worlds, a separate reality, to the origins of the universe...

New Age

The term "New Age" (derived from the English "New Age", literally meaning "New Era") serves common name a complex of various mystical movements and movements, which are mainly syncretic, esoteric and occult in nature.

If we consider New Age in a narrower sense, then this concept is used to describe ideologically related religious movements, whose ideology resonates with such terms as “New Age”, “ New Century", "Age of Aquarius", etc.

Mainly, the New Age movement was formed in the 20th century, but continues to actively develop and spread even today. Some teachings related to the New Age are based on the views of theosophy, nagualism, hermeticism, occultism, shamanism, etc. Moreover, supporters of one doctrine can share the beliefs of supporters of others, interact with them and even participate in the same work.

It is precisely because in many cases we are talking about the same individuals that a number of researchers adhere to the general name “New Age” for each group with similar views and ideology.

New Age proponents are united by the foreshadowing of the “Great Transformation”, i.e. the advent of the New Era, which will certainly replace modern culture. It is said that the New Age culture is more advanced and will be marked by a spiritual, mental and technological breakthrough for all humanity. Some groups, in particular many astrologers, call the new era the Age of Aquarius, the beginning of which is expected within the 20th-22nd centuries.

New Age differs from generally accepted religious movements in the absence of any specific spiritual view or teaching, and also in that it includes a lot of metaphysical, esoteric and occult teachings, concepts and practices.

The New Age movement has found a response not only in the West, but also in Russia. Quite specific associations and organizations were also formed in our country. The teachings in them are often positioned as educational, educational, health-improving and even sports, but not religious. We’ll talk about New Age in Russia later, but for now let’s return to the history of the movement.

A Brief History of the New Age

The term “New Age” became widespread in the media and literature in the early 80s of the last century, although its origins occurred much earlier. In the 20th century, New Age developed as a subculture, partially formed in the 19th century. The New Age was preceded by such occult teachings as sacred geometry, Hermeticism, astrology, Kabbalah, magic, mesmerism, anthroposophy, theosophy, spiritualism and others.

The New Age gained popularity thanks to the cultural and spiritual crisis that had matured in Western culture, and the penetration into the mass consciousness of the ideas of such religious traditions as Buddhism, Hinduism, shamanism, etc. Already in the first half of the 20th century, the institution of the church began to lose the trust of people, and was replaced by traditional institutions It was the New Age religious movements that became.

After the end of the Second World War, many associations of a syncretic, esoteric and occult nature appeared in Western countries, which came together under the name “New Age”. In the late 70s, New Age reached its apogee in the West with the development of independent theosophical groups in Great Britain and other countries. The concept of “New Age” was popularized by Alice Bailey, who presented herself as the spiritual heir of the Theosophical Society.

But if in the 70s New Age was focused on social values ​​and moral traditions, service to humanity and altruism, then in the 80s it became part of an even larger phenomenon, also called "New Age" - then many alternative thinking people began to look for ways of spiritual development, creating, so to speak, a “spiritual market” where everyone could find what was right for them. So the New Age ceased to be focused on social values ​​and refocused on personal ones.

New Age Basics

The central idea of ​​the New Age is the idea of ​​​​the transformation of human consciousness, according to which the human “I” discovers its unity with the Universe and the creatures inhabiting it, and the idea implying the definition of the sacred individual principle and the possibility of its connection with the Absolute.

All this is connected with the basic principles of the New Age, including:

• Strength (impersonal deity)
• Eternal Universe
• The cyclical nature of life
• The illusory nature of matter
• The need for rebirth
• Evolution of the human being into the divine
• Identity with God
• Revelations from representatives of extraterrestrial races
• The need for a change in consciousness (etc.)
• Occult practices (mediumship, astrology, etc.)
• Special views on health (vegetarianism, etc.)
• Pacifism
• Syncretism
• World order

And the most popular elements of New Age include:

• Shamanism, neo-paganism, etc.
• Spiritual hierarchy, mystical groups
• Reading mantras
• Magic, fortune telling, rituals, etc.
• Astral exits
• Psychedelic practices
• Meditation
• Reiki, healing, non-contact massage
• Taijiquan, qigong, yoga, oriental gymnastics and martial arts
• New Age, meditative and trance music

But of particular interest, along with all the components of the New Age, is the issue of time perception. And this deserves special attention.

Time in New Age

If the Western world is characterized by a linear perception of time, then in the New Age time is most often viewed as a relative and cyclical process. This is clearly displayed, for example, in the Mayan calendar, which is used in the New Age and represents a vicious circle.

Some authors, for example, Carlos Castaneda, Eckhart Tolle, Lee Carroll, Armando Torres, Norbert Klassen and others, as well as special interpretations of Buddhism (Zen Buddhism), etc. offer the perception of time as an integral and unified substance.

According to New Age adherents, from the perspective of the other world, time is illusory. The transcendental nature of time is emphasized and opinions are expressed that go beyond the boundaries of a linear understanding of time, which speaks of the need to perceive reality “interspatially,” which includes the relativity and illusory nature of time. These ideas are in some ways even similar to the ideas about time in some religions.

By the way, about religions.

New Age and religion

If we talk about the relationship between New Age and religions, in recent years a considerable number of religious movements have developed, the roots of which go back to the New Age, both Western and Eastern movements:

• International schools of Sufism have developed, not as closely tied to Islam as traditional Sufism
• Osho, who developed a complex of dynamic meditations, is very popular
• P. D. Uspensky, which are somewhat similar to Sufism, also became widespread.
• Many people began to show interest in shamanism, nagualism and Toltecianism, which was greatly facilitated by the work of Carlos Castaneda and his associates - Florinda Donner and Taisha Abelar
• Many centers have opened where they teach martial arts and gymnastics, as well as yoga, qigong, reiki, meditation, etc.
• The practice of channeling (receiving information from Mahatmas - Great Teachers) has spread.
• Centers for DEIR (further energy information development) are actively developing in the post-Soviet space.

The reciprocal influence of the New Age on the countries of the East led to a sharp rise in new religions, and even their uncontrolled development:

• Japanese Aum Shinrikyo Society
• White Balgar Society
• Chinese Falun Gong movement
• Japanese Oomoto-kyo movement
• Persian Baha'i religion
• Vietnamese religion Cao Dai

As for the “relations” of the New Age with Russia, the situation here is as follows.

New Age in Russia

New Age in Russia developed under the strong influence of the concepts of the teachings of Nicholas and Helena Roerich “Living Ethics” (or “Agni Yoga”) and the movement of followers of Agni Yoga that appeared in the 90s of the last century. But at the same time, other New Age trends that came from the West were able to penetrate into Russia, still closed by the Iron Curtain. Gradually, the movement began to become more diverse and gain more and more adherents.

Today in Russia the New Age refers to huge amount all kinds of theoretical and practical movements that have developed under the influence of Taoism, Buddhism, Sufism, yoga and much more. Among them are mystical spiritual practices, healing, meditative practices, psychotrainings, systems, etc.

In addition, centers for the dissemination of ideas related to the New Age have appeared, for example, shops, centers for self-development and spiritual practices, book publishing houses, etc.

It would probably be wrong to say that the New Age has had its day. It would be more correct to say that the development of the New Era has transformed and moved to a new stage. Modern society no longer reacts so violently to various innovations, including new trends in the spiritual sphere; people have the opportunity to choose and strive for comprehensive development, and human consciousness in general has become more malleable and thirsty for knowledge about the unknown.

Life without spirituality is impossible, and which path to choose is up to each of us. The main thing is to move forward, and it is possible that someone living today will be able to look at the real world with their own eyes. New Age, and even become a part of it.

Om mani padme hum