Over the past few years I’ve noticed peculiar spiritual practices around the US, though I haven't always had language for how to categorize them. At my local library, there have been postings to try a session with a Reiki practitioner (Reiki is an increasingly popular form of energy healing that gained notoriety in Japan in the 1900s). I've seen people selling smudge sticks, which are said to create cleansing auras that give people good energy in their homes and work places if you burn them there. I’ve heard of someone in another city hiring an energy worker who counsels him on how to get rid of bad energy and maximize positive energy coming into his life. People gather at certain places, known as “vortexes” or “portals,” where they believe energy vibrations are particularly strong and they can have mystical experiences (unbeknownst to me, I visited one when I went with family to Sedona, AZ, in 2016). Others buy crystals that they believe contain particularly potent energies, and rub or wave them over body parts or other areas needing good energy. Still others are directed by spirit guides or gurus, utilize tarot cards and divination techniques, consult psychics and mediums to predict the future and connect with the dead, channel spirits themselves, and/or seek healing from ancient Eastern practices. An event is being hosted in August in my city of residence, dubbed “Manifest Station” (manifesting is a practice involving thinking positively, visualizing your positive dreams, and speaking positive affirmations in order to help your desires come true–I see similarities with “name it and claim it” theology in some Christian circles). The event's offerings range from art and journaling to other more explicitly spiritual exercises. Most of these aforementioned things would fall under the new age label, which gets used to describe the embracing of an eclectic collage of spiritual practices. The new age moniker, or at least its popularization, probably originates in the 60s and 70s counterculture, deriving from astrological predictions of the coming of the "Age of Aquarius" that would bring a revolution in human consciousness and an age of great harmony.
I recently finished reading Asa Kelsang’s book New Age Spirituality for Beginners. Now that I’ve read one book on the topic, it makes me an expert, right? (I hope you can pick up on sarcasm, reader). As someone who is an outsider to this movement, Kelsang's perspective was helpful to me for understanding some of the common ideas, roots, and practices that fall under the new age umbrella. I don’t know enough to know if others would disagree with his definitions and representation of what it means to be new age. There doesn't seem to be one standard way to be new age. It is a blended, personalized approach to spirituality that mixes and matches ideas and practices from a variety of religious sources. There are nearly an endless number of combinations of how people can be new age, so some of what I write below may not apply to everyone. With that in mind, as a Christian pastor I’d like to comment on areas of resonance as well as give some critiques when comparing new age spirituality with Christianity.
Resonances
Belief in a Transcendent Reality
Christians and new age practitioners would agree that there is more to life than meets the eye. There is a deeper level of reality. We as humans are more than just neuro-chemical processes firing throughout our brains and bodies, and we can tap into things on a spiritual level. Both would reject a purely secular view of the world that has no capacity for the supernatural. Some new age practitioners connect with spiritual beings and spirit guides, others may focus more on the concept of energy, while some embrace both. Regardless, belief in and connecting with transcendent powers is something new age practitioners and Christians both do.
Healing, Healing Objects, and Miracles
There is a strong emphasis on healing in many new age modalities, whether it is seeking physical healing or inner healing. Both new age practitioners and Christians can affirm the reality and importance of healing. Jesus and his apostles physically healed people, and healing miracles done through Christians have continued throughout history and continue today. There also is a pursuit of emotional healing and equilibrium throughout Scripture, which you can especially see in the Psalms.
Some new age practitioners use objects like crystals, smudge sticks, or wands to bring healing energy/magic into their lives. There are connections here with the sacramental tradition in Christianity. The sacraments are physical objects/actions through which God chooses to impart his grace. Various Christian traditions define what they consider to be sacraments differently (most Protestants believe in only two, while Catholicism holds to seven sacraments. It really comes down to differences in definitions, since most all Christians do the same stuff regardless of whether they label it a sacrament or not). Most Christians believe that in receiving Holy Communion, God really is giving recipients his grace through the physical act of eating bread and drinking wine/grape juice. The same can be said of baptism. The Bible also reports using oil and the laying on of hands in setting people apart for ministry (Lev. 8:10-12; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6) and in seeking healing for people who are sick (Mat. 8:1-4; James 5:14-15). It is reported in Acts that even Peter’s shadow falling on people caused people to be healed (Acts 5:15-16) and handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul were brought to people who were sick and oppressed, and they were healed (Acts 19:11-12). God communicates his grace and power through objects and actions.
A key difference centers around the source of healing power–Christians believe it is the Triune God who works to heal through these objects and actions. New age practitioners would probably see the source as coming from either energy, from another spiritual being, or perhaps even from Jesus, though they’d probably not be exclusively devoted to Jesus. A great book on Christian healing is simply entitled Healing by Francis Macnutt. It is a comprehensive, accessible, and practical guide when it comes to understanding and practicing Christian healing ministry. I have been up close to at least two physical healing miracles done by Jesus, one in 2013 and one in 2020 just before the pandemic. I also have heard testimonies from several friends (who I don’t think are crazy charlatans) about healing from Christ they received themselves or someone they know received. There also have been times when God has provided great encouragement, hope, and inner strength in times of difficulty that I and many others can attest to.
Healings fit under the broader topic of miracles and supernatural demonstrations of power. It seems that most new age adherents and Christians both can affirm that these things happen. There are reports of miracles outside of Christianity that happen across the world today. While certainly frauds are everywhere, I don’t think we Christians should balk at all spiritual power claims outside of our religion. The Bible does not depict Christians as the only people who have spiritual power. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 speaks of people who foretell signs and wonders that actually come to pass, though it further warns against following such people if they try to turn everyone away from God. The medium of Endor really does conjure up the spirit of Samuel in 1 Samuel 28, though consulting mediums was forbidden and depended on the power of a foreign god/spirit. There is the curious and puzzling passage of 2 Kings 3:26-27, where one interpretation is that a spiritual being brings fury against Israel’s army in the aftermath of the king of Moab sacrificing his firstborn son, causing Israel to withdraw from battle. Mark’s account of the Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:1-5) presents a demon-possessed man who has super-human strength that enables him to break chains and not be subdued (see also Acts 19:13-16). Acts 16:16-21 reports a slave woman possessed by a spirit (literally “the spirit of a Python,” with Python being a title for the god Apollo, who slew a dragon named Python in Greek mythology) that enables her to be clairvoyant and tell the future, which earned her masters money.
These sorts of non-Christian displays of power are not limited to the Bible and ancient history. Dr. Edith Turner (now deceased) was an anthropologist who, along with her husband Victor, was studying the Ndembu people in Zambia. An anthropological practice is to “go native” and participate in the rituals of the people you study as though you believe in them yourself. Dr. Turner went native, and throughout her career reported things such as healing, clairvoyance, a witch doctor extracting a bad spirit from a sick woman’s back (it came out in the form of a gray blob), trances, and more (you can read about her experiences here). She became an adherent to a shamanistic form of religion in the aftermath of her experiences.
I am including two testimonies at the end of this blog post written by people who converted to Christianity from more new age/Wiccan backgrounds, and they both affirm the reality of utilizing spiritual power/magic outside of Christ. The Bible and several modern day accounts agree that real spiritual power is present both inside and outside of Christianity. Christians and many new age adherents would agree here.
Shared Spiritual Mechanics/Techniques
Though we are oriented toward different conceptions of the divine, mechanically speaking Christians and new age practitioners do some of the same “stuff." Christians and several new age practitioners get in touch with an external spiritual personality or force. Christians and new age practitioners can practice meditation, whether on a being, on a text, on art, on music, in silence, or on nature. Both can practice prayerful journaling. Both can care about physical health and being good caretakers of our bodies and other people’s bodies. Christians and several new age adherents seek to channel a spiritual being, with Christians seeking to be channels of the Holy Spirit, and some new age practitioners channeling other spirits. We can learn from each other on some of these spiritual nuts and bolts (like how better to focus and deal with distraction during meditation, how to become more spiritually aware throughout our day, how to create time for spirituality, how to be a part of a spiritual community, etc.), though most Christians in particular would insist that we need to be connecting with the Triune God and not some other being.
Critiques
Enthronement of Personal Autonomy and Inner Experience
Kelsang writes in New Age Spirituality for Beginners, “…transformational power lies within each individual. While there were and are many teachers within new age modalities, the direct experience of a person and their intuition is always the ultimate guru” (p. 3). Further, “New age spirituality generally focuses on the non-dogmatic-oriented aspects of traditional religions–in other words, more on the feelings and direct inner knowing than doctrine” (p. 19). There is a prioritization of your intuition, feelings, and personal autonomy as the arbiter of what is true and good.
Inner spiritual sensitivity and intuitions can be sources of genuine knowledge of God, ourselves, and others. The call toward inward spirituality can be helpful since so many of us are spiritually and internally out of touch. However, intuition and emotions certainly are not infallible, nor are the the only sources of spiritual/religious knowledge. The biblical authors, while certainly participating in spirituality and inner spiritual experiences, are more pessimistic about us being able to discover all truth purely by looking within. What if our inner intuitions, emotions, and spiritual senses are flawed? Jeremiah says “The heart is deceitful and wicked. Who can understand it?” Paul talks about God giving people over to the sinful desires of their hearts in Romans 1:24 and giving them over to depraved minds in 1:28 to do what ought not be done. We can be misled by bad desires in our hearts and by darkened, corrupted thinking. Our faculties and senses, while not marred beyond helpful use, are not inerrant guides to truth and goodness.
I like to say that emotions and inner intuitions serve as helpful guides but terrible masters. Sometimes our inner experience and feelings can let us know about important things. What if the anger we feel is a signpost that someone has sinned against us, or the something is wrong in the world? What if the longing we feel is a leading from God into a new venture? What if our spiritual sense is actually a prompting from the Holy Spirit of something God wants us to do? It is also true that healthy spirituality should call our intuitions and emotions into question. What if my anger is really just selfishness and pride? What if that inner feeling is just the coffee I drank this morning? What if God is leading me to practice self-control, which is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and a resist an inner desire?
People have followed their inner intuitions and thoughts into ruining good relationships and getting into bad relationships, into unhealthy dependences on substances and escapist behaviors, into miserable jobs, into disappointing relocations, into saying things they regret that hurt others, into burning relational bridges unnecessarily, into isolation, and more. God gives us more than just an inner spiritual sensitivity as a way to know him. He gives us the Bible as his inspired message to us for how to know and follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit can sanctify our hearts (Mat. 5:8) and minds (Rom. 8:5-8; 12:2) so that we can cultivate healthy desires and resist bad ones, as well as unlearn negative patterns of thinking and think better thoughts. Living a wise, fruitful life takes more than just inner spiritual sensitivity. It takes knowing the God who is outside of us and different from us, a God who can challenge our inner feelings, a God who calls us beyond our own proclivities into loving him with everything and loving neighbor as self. Christianity is not about doing whatever we may feel is right in a given moment; it's about honoring God with all of our mind along with our heart, soul, and strength. We need more than just intuition. Thus a prioritization of inner experience over against everything else can lead people to damaging places. Do we trust ourselves so much that we think only we can find the perfect conception of all truth that no one has ever found before? Are we bigger, stronger, and smarter than God?
I recently heard an alliterative critique that fits new age spirituality well. It is a desire for the mysticism and miracles of religion without the morals of religion. In several new age modalities, you can noodle around spiritually and seek mystical experiences without ever being held to any kind of ethical expectation. There is grave potential toward self-absorption here. This danger is present within my own faith tradition as well, but at least there are Scriptures, examples, and teachings that help push us out of it (go read 1 Corinthians). I don’t know if there are any such governors and guard rails in many new age modalities. I wonder if a lot of them will lead to people worshipping themselves, their freedom, and their own desires.
Where’s Justice and Compassion?
Related to self-absorption, where’s the concern for neighbor and the poor in new age practice? What if my inner sense leads me to do nothing for the people around me? If truth is reduced to whatever feels best in our own inner experience, then it gets really hard to talk about justice. Whose inner experiences and intuitions should prevail when there are disagreements? Justice deals in accountability to some sort of universal standard, and it deals in overturning that which is wrong, evil, and wicked in society to empower the vulnerable. Can we name evil with confidence from a new age perspective? Can we push toward a more just, flourishing world from a new age conception of truth and discernment? I’m not sure where Kelsang is on this, but his book did not touch justice at all. In fact, some of the beliefs he commends (like reincarnation) may give divine sanction to injustice and inequality. In Christianity and several other world religions, justice and mercy toward our neighbors is a big deal. I wonder if a spirituality that enthrones self-sovereignty and inner experience over everything else has much capacity to consider mercy and justice for the marginalized. That's not to say people in the new age movement aren't moral or don't do any work for justice. I'd just like to see how new age beliefs and working for justice might be sensibly integrated.
Theological/Philosophical Doctrines Are Inescapable and They Matter
Kelsang writes, “While spiritual philosophies differ in certain areas, overall they generally share the same core principles” (p. viii). He later claims that no one specific religion is totally correct (p. 19). There is a general belief here that divine/spiritual reality is bigger than any one religion or theological system, and truth can’t be exclusively claimed by any one of them. Differences around how various religions speak of the nature of the divine (theology) and the kind of lives we are called to live (ethics) are minimized. I fear this idea is quite common among a lot of people today and isn’t limited to new age beliefs.
First, I want to point out a common critique of people who make claims like this: Kelsang is teaching doctrine by deemphasizing religious differences and doctrines. The claim that truth and reality supersede all religions is an absolutizing truth claim. You will need to embrace this universal claim/doctrine in order to go along with Kelsang's approach to spirituality. As a Christian, I would disagree with this. I think my religion is right and sufficiently accounts for existence, much like adherents to several other religions think their religion is right. As for all religions sharing "core principles," you can find some version of the Golden Rule (love your neighbor as yourself) in most world religions, but the devil is in the details. Is there one God or many gods? Can we trust our faculties or is our lived experience just an illusion? Is there reincarnation or resurrection and final judgment? Does time follow the never-ending cycle of samsara or is time linear, with God creating existence and guiding history toward his ultimate goal? What does Hinduism say about dietary restrictions, caste, and animal sacrifice? What does the Quran say about polygamy and wife-beating? What does Christianity say about the pathway to salvation? What does Jainism say about killing insects? What do shamanistic and occult practitioners believe about casting curses on people, or even harnessing spirit powers to kill people? While there certainly can be commonalities and bridges amongst the various world religions, I find "common core” language insufficient for bridging the real differences amongst religions, nor do I find it to be honest about the importance that adherents place on those differences. There’s a reason devotees to the various world religions have not all gotten together and said, “Yeah, we basically believe the same things.” Interreligious dialogue can work toward common causes of peace, respect, understanding, and freedom without collapsing our religious differences in the process.
Beyond this, Kelsang teaches about reincarnation, about manifesting, about energy and vibrations and channeling, etc. These are not things people just go off into a forest and discover themselves by sitting in deep contemplation with no outside input. They are things people are taught and then encouraged to embrace. People are taught to pursue a personally curated spiritual pastiche that is chosen based on our inner proclivities. New age ideologies, even with their multiplicity of variations, teach some form of doctrine and praxis. The question is, are these teachings true and do they stand up to scrutiny? Further, can you pull practices from various religions without doing violence to the worldviews/theological systems within which those practices originated?
Gullibility
I say this as someone speaking primarily to Westerners raised either in Christianity itself or in a society that has had Christian influence shape it in some forms. I’d nuance this a bit differently to someone coming from a different background. I'll be honest, some new age stuff just sounds silly. It seems strange to me that people will believe in energy bodies, vortexes, auras, and crystals before they will believe in Jesus's incarnation, death, and resurrection. Can you tell me why that stuff is more beautiful and compelling than Christ? Can you tell me why you think that’s more rational than Christianity? Do you have any proof that waving a crystal around makes any difference? I think there can be a danger of gullibility, of naiveté, of not being critical. Just because someone makes a claim doesn’t mean it’s true or that it will work for you. Some people run to whatever practice or teaching offers the promise of power, healing, or liberation. We all can be attracted to people who tell us what we want to hear, or tell us that we can have spirituality without having to change. Paul warns against turning to myths and encourages thoughtful vigilance in 2 Timothy 4:3-5, and gives a negative example of being gullible in 2 Timothy 3:6-7. But even beyond unwise gullibility, there can actually be something more sinister to guard against in this conversation.
The Danger of Evil Spirits
Opening ourselves up to a myriad of spiritual influences can prove dangerous. Now some new age practitioners are big on harnessing and tweaking energy, while others focus more on spirits and paranormal personalities. I see a difference between energy and spirits. Energy is often defined as something you can feel or sense, and it’s basically an impersonal substance or force you can harness and bend to your will to accomplish your goals. Spiritual beings, however, are creatures that have a different form of existence from us who have agency and will. While I think it's naive, doing "energy work" seems less dangerous to me than communing with spirits. If you’re tapping into spirits, then you’re dealing with personal beings who can influence your life and move you toward their goals, and can even domineer and coerce you. The Bible does not speak of impersonal energy, but of spiritual beings on the heavenly plane of existence, which makes me wonder if even some of the energy practices might have spiritual beings connected to them. Scripture speaks of God and the devil, of angels and demons, of being a channel for the Holy Spirit and of being demonized and possessed by evil spirits. I fear channeling, consulting mediums, some divination practices, seeking a spirit guide, etc., can open people up to demons. Interfacing with demons can prove scary at best and horrifyingly destructive at worst. The reason that Scripture forbids serving other gods and some of the aforementioned practices (as in Ex. 20:3; Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Deut. 18:10-12) isn’t because God is a selfish killjoy. It is meant to spare us from being corrupted and demonized by wicked powers who are stronger than us. These demons have real power, as highlighted earlier in the section on healing and miracles.
I fear some new age practices are going to increase the number of people who experience demonic oppression. These occurrences are still fairly rare in the West, and I think that’s largely because we live in a Christianized culture that diminished a lot of pagan influences and practices. Even so, I know people who have done exorcisms in the US and who have had encounters with malevolent spirits. Exorcisms/deliverance ministry is fairly common in areas of the world where there is a lot of influence from other religions, especially in dabbling with the occult. As the West becomes increasingly post-Christian, I think we’re going to see an uptick in demonization, along with Christians doing deliverance ministry.
One key question I remember from a spiritual warfare class in seminary is this: Is a spiritual being bringing someone closer to the feet of Jesus or not? If it is, it might be an angel, for angels seek to do the will of God and bring people to faith and allegiance to Christ. But if it is not, it is more than likely a wicked spirit, even if it gives people special powers in some form. The demonic can use something that appears good and enticing to gain control in people’s lives.
When we come to Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid of evil spirits. We have the strongest being in the universe on our side. We can be free from demonic oppression when Jesus comes into our lives and hearts and we submit to his way. Paul prays the following for the Ephesian Christians in Ephesians 1:18-22, and it is a good reminder of the supremacy of Jesus over every other spiritual being–
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
I'll end this section with a quip Christian rapper Lecrae posted: “Don’t play with the devil. He plays back.”
Marketing the Exotic
A lot of new age stuff tries to appeal to people’s interest in that which is foreign. People may use a lot of language around “ancient wisdom,” (Judeo-Christian beliefs and practices are ancient too, by the way) and highlight how these practices are from other times, places, and cultures. Who doesn’t want to be seen as globally engaged and broadly informed? You can look like a free-thinker. Maybe you think you'll be considered unique or mysterious if you embrace some of these teachings. Who doesn't want to be seen as special or a spiritual pioneer? What if this exotic practice addresses some problems in my life? Once the novelty fades away, however, you’re doing a lot of practices that most Christians would do (as mentioned above), but centered on different beings and conceptions of reality. While I can’t condone everything J. P. Sears does, he humorously highlights some of this in his first “Ultra Spiritual Life” episode that you can see here.
I wonder if some people will get bored after a while and move on to other things.
Conclusion
As you can tell, I have misgivings about new age spirituality. While there are aspects of of truth in it, there are things I view as problematic, false, and even dangerous. If you’re someone who is into stuff that falls under the new age label, have you thought about trying Jesus and the church? I think he is more powerful than any other spirit or force people utilize. I believe he is perfectly good, and you can’t find a purer, more righteous and loving being in all of existence. I also think we need to be taught morality, to be taught how to live well. I don’t think our inner intuitions are enough to lead us to a righteous life of love and service to God and neighbor. Jesus gives us revelation in Scripture, there are examples in the tradition of the church and modern day experience of church, and the Holy Spirit can sanctify our thinking and desires so that we can live holy lives. Jesus gives love, mercy, power, hope, and purpose to those who surrender to him in trust as Savior and give allegiance to him as Lord. He makes us new creations when we become his followers (2. Cor. 5:17), and we can look forward to the new age of his return, where he purges the world of all evil and heals all things, brings perfect harmony and peace, and brings eternal joy and flourishing.
To close, I’m linking to a couple testimonies of people who have been in new age spaces and have converted to Christianity. One is of Irishwoman Nicole Watt, a former Reiki master, occasional dabbler in the occult, and clairvoyant healer who converted to Christianity. Another long testimony comes from Englishman Paul Kingsnorth, who went from atheism, to some form of animism/new age practice, to Zen Buddhism, to Wicca, and finally to Christianity.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you.
