Chapter 8. New Age

Channeling

Out of a trance a voice commands attention from another nearby plane of discarnate existence to teach the lesson that each individual makes his or her own reality in the present moment through thoughts, beliefs, and channeled reports.

A Course in Miracles

Helen Schucman said she channeled Jesus, which is hard to deny because everyone knows that Jesus lives, although why he chose her for this psychobabble is hard to say. In any event, this Jesus says we need to end our egos by seeing Jesus, that is, love, in everything.

Alternative medicine

Having a problem with the father, it’s comforting to think there’s a viable alternative to rational, authoritative, Western medicine, which would naturally be irrational, individualized, and somewhat Eastern, or pseudoscientific effects of placebos, the regression fallacy, and observer bias dominated by superstition.

Esotericism

Conveniently, esoteric, occult traditions cannot be verified. They arise from hidden, inner study, meditation, and prayer or from alleged authorities who speak only to the practitioners. Unfortunately, they are easily coopted by charlatans who imitate the tenor of true and higher knowledge.

Wicca

I’m all for women acting together against our repressive male-dominated monotheistic oligarchic cultures. There’s too much hatred, shame, and silly insistence from multiple sources that there’s only one true religion. There’s not enough magic in our lives, too much hypocrisy, and not enough support for people being who they are.

Masters of the Ancient Wisdom

Theosophists prepared for the manifestation of an emissary from ancient spiritual masters who would bring new truths to help human beings to a higher spiritual existence. The society found a boy and groomed him to be this New World Teacher. Twenty years later, he disavowed the idea and went his own way. It’s gotta be the right truth since it’ll supposed to be both new and ancient.

The Age of Aquarius

Hippies and the musical Hair showed us, regardless of how astronomers calculate the lengths and beginnings of astrological ages, that the Age of Aquarius has already begun. although maybe the Manson case showed us that it has just ended.