Brothers and Sisters,
I haven’t gotten much feedback on the topic reflecting on the New Age Movement to raise awareness of counterfeit gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Post 1, Post 2) So, either you don’t find it interesting, or you dumb-struck by the insightful analysis, or you think I am off in the weeds on this one. Whatever the case, I always welcome feedback. So, I will give this topic another week to see if anyone is paying attention.
I may have touched on the following idea before, but I think this is critical in discerning the difference between Christianity and the New Age. I found this to be a good summary statement (again this is from the “Jesus Christ: Bearer of the Water of Life document”).
“In what might be termed a classical New Age account, people are born with a divine spark, in a sense which is reminiscent of ancient Gnosticism; this links them into the unity of the Whole. So, they are seen as essentially divine, although they participate in this cosmic divinity at different levels of consciousness. We are co-creators, and we create our own reality. Many New Age authors maintain that we choose the circumstances of our lives (even our own illness and health), in a vision where every individual is considered the creative source of the universe. But we need to make a journey in order fully to understand where we fit into the unity of the cosmos. The journey is psychotherapy, and the recognition of universal consciousness is salvation. There is no sin; there is only imperfect knowledge. The identity of every human being is diluted in the universal being and in the process of successive incarnations. People are subject to the determining influences of the stars, but can be opened to the divinity which lives within them, in their continual search (by means of appropriate techniques) for an ever greater harmony between the self and divine cosmic energy. There is no need for Revelation or Salvation which would come to people from outside themselves, but simply a need to experience the salvation hidden within themselves (self-salvation), by mastering psycho- physical techniques which lead to definitive enlightenment.”1
Also, it is important to be aware that when someone (a spirit or a person) talks about Christ, we need to be really clear about whether they are talking about Jesus of Nazareth who lived on the earth around 0-33 A.D. or something else as shown in this quote.
“When it is consciously received by men and women, ‘divine energy’ is often described as ‘Christic energy’. There is also talk of Christ, but this does not mean Jesus of Nazareth. ‘Christ’ is a title applied to someone who has arrived at a state of consciousness where he or she perceives him- or herself to be divine and can thus claim to be a ‘universal Master’. Jesus of Nazareth was not the Christ, but simply one among many historical figures in whom this ‘Christic’ nature is revealed, as is the case with Buddha and others.”2
The New Age conception of the world is also different than the Christian view as is evident in this quote.
“The move from a mechanistic model of classical physics to the “holistic” one of modern atomic and sub-atomic physics, based on the concept of matter as waves or energy rather than particles, is central to much New Age thinking. The universe is an ocean of energy, which is a single whole or a network of links. The energy animating the single organism which is the universe is ‘spirit’. There is no alterity (otherness) between God and the world. The world itself is divine and it undergoes an evolutionary process which leads from inert matter to “higher and perfect consciousness”. The world is uncreated, eternal and self-sufficient. The future of the world is based on an inner dynamism which is necessarily positive and leads to the reconciled (divine) unity of all that exists. God and the world, soul and body, intelligence and feeling, heaven and earth are one immense vibration of energy.”3
In talking about this new way of seeing the world the buzz-word “new paradigm” is often used. To me it seems like a reversal of the Copernican revolution, which told us that everything revolved around the sun rather than the earth, now everything is moving away from revolving around God, and is back to revolving around us or creation.
One last thing from the document, has to do with the distinction between New Age mysticism and Christian mysticism. The distinction seems to mainly be whether or not your experience involves God or not.
“For Christians, the spiritual life is a relationship with God which gradually through his grace becomes deeper, and in the process also sheds light on our relationship with our fellow men and women, and with the universe. Spirituality in New Age terms means experiencing states of consciousness dominated by a sense of harmony and fusion with the Whole. So ‘mysticism’ refers not to meeting the transcendent God in the fullness of love, but to the experience engendered by turning in on oneself, an exhilarating sense of being at one with the universe, a sense of letting one’s individuality sink into the great ocean of Being.”4
Some of the experiences that I have had in deep prayer might be interpreted in either camp of mystical experience. So, I would say it is important for a Christian to make a conscious effort to make sure our minds are focused on God while in prayer or meditation. Even to the point that we ask Jesus through the intercession of Mary (Satan reportedly does not like either one) to protect us from deception.
Having listened to the testimony of people who have left the New Age, their experiences are very real and much more dramatic than anything I have experienced. Their initial experience was wonderful, and they were drawn in, as was the case with Edmond in C.S. Lewis’s book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, (Edmond was enticed by a fabulous tasting treat called “Turkish delight” by the White Witch. He forsook his brother and sisters and began to keep company with the White Witch, who eventually enslaved him,) but their spirit guides eventually turned on them when they began to have doubts or tried to stop practicing New Age techniques.
Given that, I think Christians should be very sure that what they expose themselves to does not have any links to the occult, eastern religions, New Age methods or techniques, etc. I have listened to testimonies people who experienced demons attaching themselves to people, objects or places (the classic haunted house), and tormenting ex-New-agers to the point of suicide even after they had become Christians. They found little relief until they sought prayer for deliverance.
Most of the testimonies involved people getting involved through some seemingly innocent activity (often Yoga) and gradually moving into deeper things. Then through the grace of God, they were given doubts and began struggling to extract themselves, often experiencing much worse conditions (depression, despair, suicidal thoughts, etc.) than they ever had before they started.
That being said, I would like to put a qualifier on what I have quoted from the Jesus Christ: Bearer document.
“…it is worth saying once again that not everyone or everything in the broad sweep of New Age is linked to the theories of the movement in the same ways. Likewise, the label itself is often misapplied or extended to phenomena which can be categorized in other ways. The term New Age has even been abused to demonize people and practices. It is essential to see whether phenomena linked to this movement, however loosely, reflect or conflict with a Christian vision of God, the human person and the world. The mere use of the term New Age in itself means little, if anything. The relationship of the person, group, practice or commodity to the central tenets of Christianity is what counts.”5
For more on this topic see the post Is this Gift from God?
Peace of Jesus,
Dave
- Jesus Christ The Bearer of the Water of Life a Christian Reflection on the “New Age” Pontifical Council for Culture Pontifical, Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Section 2.3.4.1.
- Ibid. Section 2.3.4.2.
- Ibid. Section 2.3.4.3.
- Ibid. Section 3.4.
- Ibid. Section 6.2.
Musings on Charisms of the Holy Spirit 
