New Age Religions

The Age of Reason, or Age of Enlightenment, saw many systems of thought which raised the idea of individuality to god-like status. It was during this time that we can find many of the beginnings of the New Age Movement - a movement which is difficult to define because of its diversity of belief and practice. However, New Age ideas can be traced back even further, to the 15th century and the time we refer to as the Protestant Reformation. The ideas which developed over the next few hundred years, and what all New Age religious movements have in common, is self in the center - the idea that the development of self is the development of 'god'.

I. New Age Religious Beginnings

Philip von Hohenheim (1493-1541, also known as Paracelsus and a contemporary of Martin Luther, was a physician who dabbled in alchemy, the occult, and astrology. He created talismans for curing diseases and connected these to signs of the zodiac. He was also responsible for connecting various elements to parts of the body. Paracelsus' works were closely related to the Hermetic Religion which predated Christianity and practiced astrology, alchemy, and theurgy (connecting with spirits). The ideas of Hermetism are based on the perfection of self through various means including tarot, channeling spirits, the use of chemicals and elements, etc. What started in the 16th century gained pace in The Enlightenment.

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) is considered by some to be a Christian mystic, but in truth his beliefs are closer to spiritism. He began to experience visions and dreams and claimed to have conversed with spirits from various planets, visited heaven and hell at will, and had conversations with demons. He established what he called the 'New Church', and like the Kabbalists, believed that he had been given a special revelation to translate the Bible purely in spiritual terms.

Franz Mesmer (1734-1815) is identified with what was known as 'animal magnetism' - a term he used to describe a vital force or energy which could be relayed to other people through concentrated mental techniques and the laying on of hands. Mesmer's work lead to forms of 'mesmerism' and hypnosis, but perhaps more importantly for the New Age movement, he was actually acting as a spiritualistic medium and using the powers of spiritual beings to perform healings.

Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891), a Ukrainian woman, was instrumental in forming the Theosophical Society, a group who believe that the 'wisdom of the gods', a secret wisdom, often hidden (occult) and contained within ancient religions, can be learned and practiced. More than any other single individual, her contribution to New Age religion cannot be overestimated. Blavatsky's heritage can be traced back to Russian noblemen and the time of Peter the Great. As a young teen her favorite place was her grandmother's extensive library which contained many works on Medieval Occultism. At the age of 16 she is said to have undergone an 'inner change' from a lighthearted girl who enjoyed socializing, to a serious student of occult literature. At 16 she also became fascinated with a certain Prince Golitson who was considered to be a magician or soothsayer. Golitson claimed to have   connections with a mysterious sage of the East.

Blavatsky wanted independence and entered into a marriage of convenience which she soon escaped, moved to Odessa and, together with a Russian countess Kisileva, traveled over Egypt, Greece and Eastern Europe. This was the first trip of a life of extensive travels in her search for esoteric and occult knowledge. To those who knew her, it seemed that her search was something which drove her; indeed, she felt driven by an unseen spiritual person and was often heard to say 'this work is not mine, but his who sends me'. She also claimed to have seen someone she called her 'Teacher' in dreams - a person she met for the first time in 1851 on her birthday in Hyde Park, London. This Teacher, presumably a Hindu, prophesied that she would spend several years in Tibet and sent her to India for two years where she received financial support from him.

In her book From the Caves and Jungles of Hindustan, about her experiences in India, she recalls meeting a witch. She describes seeing the skeleton of a huge antediluvian creature the size of an elephant, but with four horns, which was used to summon the witch and demons which empowered the woman. The witch appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to perform powerful demonic rites which fascinated her. In her book she speaks of the Aryan people, the ancients who invaded and took over India with the help of giant/human creatures. Blavatsky was certain she had encountered a secluded occult tribe who had in their possession the skull of a god/man, and the witch was possessed by the spirits who empowered this long gone creature. 

Blavatsky's travels took her to Tashilhunpo Monastery at Shigatse in Tibet where she studied and practiced Mahayana Buddhism. Her experiences in Tibet are recorded in her work The Voice of Silence, a work which depicts her interest in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. After more traveling through the Middle East, and another failed marriage, she eventually spent time in Paris and finally settled in the USA where she wrote The Secret Doctrine and died in 1891. 

II. The Secret Doctrine

Blavatsky's work entitled the Secret Doctrine is foundational in understanding the basis on which all New Age religions are grounded. Blavatsky identifies what she calls 'root races', a term meaning the races from which humans evolved or were originally created. Like many before her, she interprets the Bible through the lens of the Avestas (Aryan/Zoroastrian), Vedas (Aryan/Hindu), Babylonian and Egyptian writings, and claims that great chunks of the original Torah are missing which would bring it into line with these other writings. She rejects the creation story of Genesis in favor of the others. The first races are those which existed before human beings, the fourth is the Atlantis race, made up of semi-gods and giants, and the fifth is that in which humanity is now - the race of the Aryans. This is not the last race, but the entire universe is on a Buddhist-like cycle of evolution towards something unmentioned.

Humanity has descended from these root races which, to the discerning scholar, are none other than the Nephilim - the children of fallen angels and human women. These creatures are mentioned in all of the above literature as 'gods'. Blavatsky speaks about 'seven ancestral spirits' who produce seven Adams or roots of men, that the Tree of Knowledge had seven columns, etc. She believes that the number seven, which she finds predominantly in the Bible, has a secret meaning to understanding spiritual mysteries.

She explains a theory of four continents in the world of which one was reduced to an island and later destroyed - the Island of Atlantis. In order to further prove to any skeptical readers, she quotes the Secret Book of Dzyan which, like the Bible, speaks about the giants who ruled before the Great Flood, produced races of giants and men, took human wives, and built huge monuments and cities. But with the coming of the Great Flood, the giant animals (dinosaurs) and giants were destroyed. These creatures were the first 'root races'.

Blavatsky's cosmology is a mixture of all of the ancient texts and signs of the zodiac, Kabbalism and occult literature. Throughout the Secret Doctrine she draws from many ancient sources and the writings of theosophist occult literature. By interpreting texts as analogies, especially parts of the Bible, she carefully attempts to show a consistent thread of 'occult truth' in all ancient literature. The genealogies within the Bible, such as Adam and Eve having Cain and Abel, selected writings of the prophets and various isolated verses, are placed in the same categories as the Vedas, Avestas and others.

On the topic of Satan, Blavatsky has much to say, indeed she writes, "But Satan will be shown, in the teaching of the Secret Doctrine, allegorized as Good, and Sacrifice, a God of Wisdom, under different names" (The Secret Doctrine, Vol 2). Like the Gnostics who reject Jehovah for trying to stop Adam and Eve from eating of the Tree of Knowledge, Blavatsky sees Satan as humanity's 'Savior'. In her conclusions she says, "To make the point clear once and for all: that which the clergy of every dogmatic religion - pre-eminently the Christian - points out as Satan, the enemy of God, is in reality, the highest Divine Spirit..."

Where Blavatsky and all other occult writers fall down is in recognizing a principle within Biblical literature which is nowhere present in any other. All ancient texts record their own versions of the past and their present experiences. All of them look backwards. The Bible is absolutely unique in that it records the past only up and until the time of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. From then on the Bible looks forwards. There is no other ancient text which uses future prophecy to prove its validity. Blavatsky, and others like her, simply ignore this vital fact, for the simple reason that Biblical prophecy refuses to be analogized to fit their agenda.

Alice Bailey (1880-1949) is another who has had a great deal of influence on the development of New Age religion. She was something of a disciple of Blavatsky; however, her occult ideas had a very specific spiritual source. She spent decades linked to a 'person' she initially called 'the Tibetan' and later named Djwal Khul (DK). In fact, her husband testified that she and this person were like 'a joint single projecting mechanism'. 

Blavatsky also wrote about Djwal Khul in The Secret Doctrines. Understanding Bailey’s relationship with DK is essential in interpreting her teachings. Initially she considered herself telepathically linked to her 'Tibetan', but later termed the relationship as 'overshadowing'. In Christian terminology Bailey was possessed. DK is claimed to be a member of the 'Spiritual Hierarchy', and one of 'The Masters of Ancient Wisdom'. 

Under the guidance of DK, Bailey founded the Lucifer Publishing Company in the early 1920s, a name that was later changed to the Lucius Trust. This trust became the main publisher of Bailey's works which were given to her by her spiritual guide, and the founding of the Arcane School which trained students in her theosophical views on karma, reincarnation, ancient masters, the divine plan for humanity, and how human beings can achieve their original divine status. Bailey believed that under the guidance of ancient spiritual masters the world was heading towards a New Age called the 'Age of Aquarius' - a new world religion which would be united under the philosophy that all humans are gods.

In order to achieve this end, Bailey founded what is called the 'World Goodwill' organization which promotes the Lucius Trust publication 'The Great Invocation' - a mantra calling on light to enter the minds of men and prepare them for the New Age version of Christ. According to the literature, Christ himself used this invocation in 1945, and all humanity has to do to bring in the Age of Aquarius is to allow ourselves to become aligned to the divine will through the Hierarchy of Spiritual Masters, in the same way that Bailey did with DK. Bailey claims that the 'Great Ones', a hierarchy of spiritual beings, have a definite plan for humanity, which, among other things, means the annihilation of anyone who stands in their way. She praised the era of the atomic bombings of Japan at the end of WW2 as part of that plan. 

III. Modern New Age Movements

Since the 1950s various New Age movements have sprung up until now there is a virtual smorgasbord of groups available to those seeking self-gratification. The 1960s-70s saw the Transcendental Meditation movement of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a Hindu teacher who captured the imagination and money of the Beatles through whom the movement gained international fame. Onto the music scene came songs with words claiming 'this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius' with 'harmony and understanding' - an echo of the Lucius Trust.

The hippie movement, like the Aryans before them, used drugs - not soma, but LSD and cannabis - to get in touch with the 'other side'. The Hare Krishna movement emerged as another blatantly Hindu version of the Unification Church as a Christian sect teaching that all religions lead to God and bliss.

Buddhist, Tibetan and Chinese movements grew as bearded gurus promoted their own particular styles - all with the same message of self-development. Publishers churned out books like Jonathon Livingstone Seagull and publications on Tarot, channeling, yoga, using crystals, astral travel, finding your personal spirit guide, and a myriad of other topics including meditation. 

In the medical world, alternative holistic medicine - specifically types linked to Eastern religions - became popular. Health and New Age shops popped up throughout the West as the demand for incense, holistic medicines, essential oils, and other items became the latest fad. Meditation centers drew many new 'believers' seeking answers to the emptiness of their capitalistic lives, or a way to deal with stress.

Popular movie and television stars and celebrities such as Shirley McClain and Oprah Winfrey push their own brands of New Age philosophies to millions of viewers worldwide.

IV. Conclusions

To the uninitiated, the idea of extrasensory perception, astral travel, moral relativism, reincarnation, karma, determinism, pyramid power, nature worship, shamanism and the like is very attractive. The mystery/secret factor is always there - the idea that you are more than you realize, and can find your true self, lures many into various New Age religions.

But there is nothing 'new' about New Age religions. All of them have one fundamental philosophy in common - self in the center. To the Christian theologian, their philosophies are as old as the Antediluvian religion and echo Lucifer's words in the Garden of Eden - 'you will be like God'. 

For many people on the fringes, New Age philosophy is just a pastime, a hobby, something you dabble in for fun. However, for millions of others it is something far more sinister and existentially linked to demonic forces, such as in the teachings of Blavatsky and Bailey, who, although they taught about the unity of man, also taught intolerance of anyone who dared to stand in the way of their Spiritual Hierarchies' plans for the future of this planet.

The Bible warns that in the Last Days many such religious groups would arise and speak about the return of Christ and claim to be Him, deceiving millions. Many New Age groups promote their own effigy of Jesus Christ in their promotional literature - a Christ completely devoid of any similarities to the one who warned they would claim to be Him. 

The most common omission in all New Age religious ideas is that of 'sin'. Sin is not an appropriate word in New Age circles, for human beings are divine, or at least well on their way to becoming so. 

Many churches who consider themselves progressive have adopted this same emphasis. Preaching about sin and self-denial is not a popular message and filling seats is the main objective. Therefore, the emphasis is on self, worship has become a form of participatory entertainment, the money flows in and pays for the buildings and professional staff, and the church can compete with the other mega church down the street. Scripture demands the denial of self, and that the self is crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6) and this is the only biblical way to become like Christ. Any other path is a form of counterfeit ‘christianity’ which may be wrapped in very subtle packaging and appear legitimately Christian.

Like Satan, new agers will, as Satan proclaimed, 'make themselves like the Most High God'; indeed, it is he who leads the charge, he who is the head of the 'ascended masters' and 'spiritual hierarchy', the arch angel who stood over the fallen angels who created the Nephilim, who guided the Aryans with their use of Soma, inspired the Zoroastrians, Babylonians and Kabbalists to seek answers in the zodiac and occult knowledge, and introduced it all in similar forms through his disciples such as Blavatsky, Bailey and Hubbard.

In Biblical Scripture Lucifer is the 'god of this world', the 'prince of the air'. His name means 'Light Bearer' or 'Beautiful One' and he is said to present himself as an 'angel of light' in order to deceive those who refuse to recognize sin. It is no coincidence that Bailey's Lucifer Publishing Company (Lucius Trust) uses his name, or that the Great Invocation speaks about allowing in the light. The Bible also predicts that in the Last Days an Antichrist figure will arise who unites the nations against the Bible's revelation of the real Jesus Christ, and that the world will follow him. The New Age movement believed that this New Age would begin in December 2012, and that their messiah figure will appear soon. 

Like the Muslims awaiting their Mahdi to destroy Christianity, New Age adherents wait for the one who will do away with that negative idea of sin and elevate their egos to god-like status. The Antichrist, according to the Bible, has a short-lived reign, for the real Jesus Christ will return to judge those who have followed in his rebellion against God.

I pray this article/video has been enlightening for you. Please share it with those who may be involved or dabbling in New Age religions. The video series on World Religions and Cults can be viewed from my YouTube channel @stevecopland6001.

Steve Copland