Table of Contents

Introduction Methodology A Preliminary Demarcation of the Field Part One: ORIENTATION: MAJOR TRENDS IN NEW AGE RELIGION 1. Channeling A Brief Characteristic Channeling as Articulated Revelations Channeling Modes and Developmental Processes The Sources (Edgar Cayce; Eva Pierrakos; Jane Roberts; A Course in Miracles; David Spangler, Ramala; JZ Knight; Sanaya Roman; Shirley MacLaine) 2. Healing and Personal Growth The Alternative Therapies Healing as a Religious Phenomenon Main Currents The Sources (Eva Pierrakos; Ken Keyes, Leonard Orr & Sondra Ray; Shakti Gawain; Sanaya Roman; Henry Reed/Edgar Cayce; Jean Houston; Stanislav Grof; Ken Wilbur; Michael Harner; Roger Walsh; Louise L. Hay; Chris Griscom; Shirley MacLaine; Fritjof Capra) 3. New Age Science The Quest for a Unified Worldview New Age Science as Naturphilosophie Main Orientations The Sources (David Bohm; F. David Peat; Michael Talbot; Ilya Prigogine; Erich Jantsch; Rupert Sheldrake; Fritjof Capra; Ken Wilbur; Arthur M. Young) 4. Neopaganism The Phenomenon of Neopaganism Neopaganism as Magic Main Orientations The Sources (Janet & Stewart Farrar; Vivianne Crowley; Starhawk; Zsuzsanna Budapest; Marian Green; Caitlin & John Matthews; Murry Hope) 5. New Age in a Restricted and in a General Sense Introduction An Historical Sketch New Age sensu stricto: The Mellenarian Vision New Age sensu lato The Sources ( David Spangler; George Trevelyan; Gary Zukav; Marilyn Ferguson; Fritjof Capra; Peter Russell; Willis Harman; Shirley MacLaine; Matthew Fox) Part Two: EXPOSITION: THE VARIETIES OF NEW AGE EXPERIENCE 6. The Nature of Reality 1. Introduction: Attitudes to Experiential Reality 2. The Meanings of Holism A. The Ultimate Source of Manifestation B. Universal Interrelatedness Parallellism and Bootstrap Philosophy--Systems Thinking--The Holographic Paradigm C. Other Meanings of Holism 3. The Evolutionary Perspective 4. Some Additional Issues The Transcendence of Space-Time--Mind and Matter--The Wilbur Controversy 7. Meta-Empirical and Human Beings 1. Introduction 2. Divine Beings A. God B. Christ 3. Intermediate Beings A. Beings of Amibiguous Status B. Entities, Angels, and Other Intermediate Beings 8. Matters of the Mind 1. Introduction 2. Human Beings A. The "I am God" Theme B. The Constitution of Human Beings The (Higher) Self--The Unconscious--Ego and Personality--Subtle Bodies--The Brain 3. The Metaphysics of Mind A. The Psychologization of Religion and Sacralization of Psychology B. Creating Our Own Reality The Law of Manifestation and its Implications--Self-Responsibility--The Mechanics of Changing Reality --Creating Illness and Health C. Inner Realms Cartographies of Consciousness--Journeys through Inner Space 9.Death and Survival 1. Introduction: The Experience of Death 2. Other Realities 3. Reincarnation and Beyond New Age Reincarnation and its Attractions--The Process and "Mechanics" of Reincarnation--Past-Life Recovery 10. Good and Evil 1. Introduction: The Paradox of Ethical Holism 2. The Structure of Cosmic Justice Non-Dual Ethics and the Problem of Relativism --Evolutionist Karma 3. The Negative Limited Consciousness--Psychological "Negativities": Sin, Guilt, Fear 4. The Positive Holistic Consciousness--The Positive: Love, Surrender, Forgiveness 11. Visions of the Past 1. Introduction 2. Beginnings Cosmogonic Myths--The Descent of Man 3. From Atlantis to the Holy Land Atlantis--Egypt and the "Great White Brotherhood"--The Essenes and Jesus 4. The Age of Pisces Christianity--The Rejection of Reincarnation--Cartesian/Newtonian Thinking 5. Historical Religious versus Universal Spirituality Exoteric Religious--Perennial Wisdom 12. The New Age 1. Introduction 2. The Age of Aquarius The Timing of the New Age--The "Pathos of Change"--The "Moderate" New Age--The Age of Light 3. The Shift from Old to New The Potentials of Crises--Evolution of Consciousness--The Human Contribution: Creating Critical Mass--Images of Intervention 4. Epilogue: Controversies over the New Age Seneu Lato Part Three: INTERPRETATION: NEW AGE RELIGION AND TRADITIONAL ESOTERICISM 13. Towards a Historical Perspective on New Age Religion 1. A Short Evaluation 2. Perspectives on the New Age Hans Sebald--Christof Schorsch--J. Gordon Melton (cum suis)--Christopher Bochinger 3. Desiderata for Academic Research 14. A Historical Framework 1. The Modern Hermeticist Revival and The Emergence of Western Esotericism A. "Esotericism" as Technical Terminology B. The Origins of Western Esotericism C. The Components of West Esotericism Philosophical Frameworks: Neoplatonism and Hermeticism--The "Occult Sciences": Magic, Astrology, Alchemy--The Theosophical Component: Christian Kabbalah D. The Worldview of Western Esotericism 2. Esotericism between Renaissance and Enlightenment A. The "Inner Church" and Esotericism B. The Factor of Reformation "Spiritualism" 3. A Clash of Worldviews 15. The Mirror of Secular Thought 1. Esotericism Between Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment A. The Emergence of Romanticism B. The Emergence of Occultism Emanuel Swedenborg--Franz Anton Mesmer--Modern Spiritualism--Conclusion 2. The Impact of the Study of Religions A. The Theosophical Synthesis Proto-Theosophical Perspectives--The New Theosophy B. The Orient and American Transcendentalism 3. Evolution as Religion A. The "Metaphysical" Context B. The Theosophical Context Spiritual Progress after Death--Reincarnation--The Law of Evolution 4. The Psychologization of Esotericism A. Harmonial Religion American Mesmerism and the Rise of New Thought--Functionalist Psychology--Harmonial Religion and the Sacralization of the Psyche B. Carl Gustav Jung Jung and German Romanticism--The Cult of the Interior Sun--Gnosticism, Alchemy, and Jungian Psychology 16. Conclusions: The New Age Movement and the Nature of New Age Religion New Age as Culture Criticism--New Age as Secularized Esotericism--A Final Problem: The Demarcation in Time--Postscript Appendix: Primary New Age Sources (in alphabetical order) Bibliography Index of Subjects Index of Names

About the Author

Wouter J. Hanegraaff is a Research Fellow at the Department for the Study of Religions at Utrecht University in The Netherlands. He is coeditor of Gnosis and Hermeticism: From Antiquity to Modern Times, also published by SUNY Press.

Reviews

"There will be no book like this for some time to come. It should be on the reading list of any student of religion and brings into the foreground a needed agenda for those in the humanities and social sciences, and will be valued by all those who appreciate fine, clear writing. I wish I had written it myself." - Antoine Faivre, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Sorbonne "Finally, someone has mastered the vast literature of, and reality which is the New Age movement, and produced a comprehensive and authoritative survey of its major themes and most important leaders. Hanegraaff's effort should immediately become the foundation upon which future research of the movement will be constructed." - J. Gordon Melton, Institute for the Study of American Religion, Santa Barbara "This is the best critical study of New Age thinking hitherto available. An outstanding achievement." - Garry W. Trompf, School of Studies in Religion, University of Sydney