Philosophical aspects concerning the New Age movement Cover Image

Aspecte filosofice privitoare la mişcarea New Age
Philosophical aspects concerning the New Age movement

Author(s): Ioan-Gheorghe Rotaru
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion
Published by: Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai

Summary/Abstract: SUMMARY. Philosophical aspects concerning New Age movement. In the field of today’s futurology there exist two contrary and mutually exclusive spiritual inclinations. On one hand, there is a fear regarding the future, a state of panic and alarm, typical of pre-catastrophycal events, and on the other hand, there is an unbounded trust in the future, an euphoric and unconscious optimism concerning the linear progress of Humankind toward a final Edenic state based on the benefits of science and technology. The New Age movement suggests surpassing this dualism with the help of the idea of reinstatement and non-linear existence. Thus, the economy along with the society will be transformed. Man will be reconciled with nature. He will go through a mutation and therefore adopt thinking patterns inconceivable nowadays. This movement has infiltrated itself in many aspects of our lives, such as: education, medicine, music, pass-times, TV programs, toys and even in the field of Christian meditation. New Age is a generic term, used to describe a conglomerate or a broad scope of beliefs based on Spiritism, Humanism and mystical oriental religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. New Age is so diverse, subtle and changing, that it is very difficult to define it. The term “New Age” is borrowed by the political, sociological and philosophical literature. Throughout time, New Age has been known by other names, such as: “Aquarius”- “The Age of the Water Carrier”, “the Age of the Sun”, “Solar”, “Ecological”, “Holonomical”. New Age falls precisely under the sign of the Aquarius and alleges that, since there is a biological rhythm closely tied with the hours of the day and the seasons, there also exists o cosmical rhythm, joined with the lives of peoples, nations and Humankind itself. The New Age movement is a rebirth, a revival of the occultist and spiritist practices such as reincarnation, mystical meditation, Pantheism, unification with the Universe, Channeling, Numerology, Astrology, Parapsychology, Holistic medicine of different kinds and numerous psychic phenomena. There is nothing new in the New Age movement. It is, as proven by extensive research, a combination of many ancient spiritist ideas that pertain to faith/ belief, the nature of reality, life practices, ritual and truth, all of these having their origins in numerous cultures, other than the Western ones.

  • Issue Year: L/2005
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 193-216
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Romanian