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[Satori]

[captain kirk]

When I was a teen in the burbs in a midwestern Canadian medium-sized city there was a new age shop. In it were crystals, gongs, kung fu mags, meditation books, tantric books, etc.... The guy who ran it was a Chi Kung practioner. I mean this is three days drive from Vancouver and a whole heckuva hike to California, of course. I was happy the shop was there. It was a taste of Eastern disciplines.

The term 'New Age' is derrogatory because so many people say it with a sneer. The sneer has become built into the pronounciation when it wasn't there to begin with. New Agers probably proved themselves goofy. But, then, it isn't the sixties. New Age seems to be a mild reprise of the sixties (?). Whatever it is it provides a venue for shops and serices, the transmission of information and learning from the Eastern side. The side we're on at the moment.

When people are talking about how Rose Quartz heals in a different way than a crystal of amethyst that's flaky. Or seeing auras and training yourself to see them by wearing coloured glasses. On the other hand auras are something real and I think they can be seen. To a practical person, however, these people have been bonked on the head and aren't wired quite right. Thus they linger in the half-assed limbo of quasi-rational thought. Because they couldn't quite cut it and went off the deep end. Into a kind of rapture (like, 'wow')). The same sort of mesmerized folk can be seen in pcbangs playing games in their trance.

Walk by them. They don't look up, just a flicker and back into their world. Like lizards they sit in front of those consoles playing goofy games unaware of their surroundings beyond the screen. I would say this is highly beyond recreational and far gone escapist.

[Rteacher]

I've never identified myself as "New Age" (and now I identify more with "old age"...) but some of it is interesting and at least amusing...

Of course, one can find additional information on Wikipedia:

New Age
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term New Age describes a broad movement of late 20th century and contemporary Western culture, characterised by an individual eclectic approach to spiritual exploration. Collectively, New Age has some attributes of an emergent religion, but is too diverse and diffuse to qualify. [1] [2]

Many of the ideas of the New Age movement are elements of older spiritual and religious traditions, from both east and west, melded with modern ideas from science especially psychology and ecology. Out of the movement have come a wide-ranging literature on spirituality, new musical styles and even crafts - most visible in specialty shops and New Age fairs. The name "New Age" also refers to part of the LOHAS market segment in which its goods and services are sold to people in the movement. [3]
Contents [hide]
1 Definitions
2 History
3 Beliefs
4 Criticism
4.1 Religious and Spiritual Criticism
4.2 Rationalist and Academic criticism
5 Underlying assumptions
6 Language
7 Medicine
8 Music
9 See also
10 References
10.1 Academic study of the New Age
11 External links
11.1 New Age critics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age

[Rteacher]

For those too lazy, apathetic or stupid to click on the link dealing with actual New Age beliefs, I'll do it for you:

Beliefs
The following are some common � though by no means universal � beliefs found among New Agers:

All humanity�indeed all life, everything in the universe�is spiritually interconnected, participating in the same energy. �God� is one name for this energy. [10]
Spiritual beings (e.g. angels, ascended masters, elementals, ghosts, and/or space aliens) exist, and will guide us, if we open ourselves to their guidance.
The human mind has deep levels and vast powers, which are capable even of overriding physical reality. �You create your own reality.� [11]
Nevertheless, this is subject to certain spiritual laws, such as the principle of cause and effect (karma).
The individual has a purpose here on earth, in the present surroundings, because there is a lesson to learn. The most important lesson is love.
Death is not the end. There is only life in different forms. What some refer to as an afterlife does not punish us but teaches us, perhaps through the mechanisms of reincarnation or near-death experiences.
Science and spirituality are ultimately harmonious. New discoveries in science (evolution, quantum mechanics), rightly understood, point to spiritual principles. [12]
It shares with many major world religions the idea that intuition or "divine guidance" is a more appropriate guide than rationalism, skepticism, or the scientific method. Western science wrongly neglects such things as parapsychology, meditation, and holistic health.
There exists a mystical core within all religions, Eastern and Western. Dogma and religious identity are not so important.
The Bible is considered by some, but not all, to be a wise and holy book. Many important truths are found in the Bible, or are referred to only very obliquely. Some say that Jesus was an Essene, or that he traveled to India in his youth to study Eastern religions. Others say that Jesus was a later avatar of Buddha.
Feminine forms of spirituality, including feminine images of the divine, such as the female Aeon Sophia in Gnosticism, are viewed as having been subordinated, masked, or obliterated by patriarchal movements that were widely practiced when sacred teachings were first committed to writing. A renaissance of the feminine is particularly appropriate at this time.
Ancient civilizations such as Atlantis may truly have existed, leaving behind certain relics and monuments (the Great Pyramid, Stonehenge) whose true nature has not been discovered by mainstream historians.
There are no coincidences (see Synchronicity). Everything around you has spiritual meaning, and spiritual lessons to teach you. You are meant to be here, and are always exactly where you need to be to learn from what confronts you.
The mind has hidden powers and abilities, which have a spiritual significance. Dreams and psychic experiences are ways in which our souls express themselves.
A positive attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in anything. [13]
Meditation, yoga, t'ai chi ch'�an, and other Eastern practices are valuable and worthwhile.
A certain critical mass of people with a highly spiritual conciousness will bring about a sudden change in the whole population. See Hundredth Monkey
The food you eat has an effect on your mind as well as your body. It is generally preferable to eat fresh organic vegetarian food.
Ultimately every interpersonal relationship has the potential to be a helpful experience in terms of our own growth.
We learn about ourselves through our relationships with other people by getting to see what we need to work on ourselves and what strengths we bring to the other party in order to help them in their life.
All our relationships are destined to be repeated until they are healed, if necessary over many lifetimes.
As Souls seeking wholeness, our goal is eventually to learn to love everyone we come in contact with.
An appeal to the language of nature and mathematics, as evidenced by numerology in Kabbala, gnosticism etc., to discern the nature of god.
Certain geographic locations are believed to eminate special energy, which may be male or female in character. Such a place is called a vortex and many such places may have been considered sacred or healing places by indiginous native populations prior to colonization.
Rocks and crystals have special psychic energies and can be an aid to meditation and healing. [14]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age#Beliefs

[pocketfluff]

[pocketfluff]

Crap, double post. I suck at the internets.

[Natalia]

A recent international study (I'm looking for a link) found that the 'sport' with the most injuries reported was yoga.

It involves so much twisting of joints into dangerous positions, and many instructors force people beyond their limits.

People always excuse it though because it's 'exotic'.

If you want want something that isn't going to tear your tendons, try Pilates.

[red dog]

Many of the beliefs and practices Rteacher mentioned are just peachy as far as I'm concerned. But they deserve separate entries in the encyclopedia and shouldn't all be lumped together under one meaningless umbrella.

[happeningthang]

[Qinella]

[cubanlord]

[Satori]

[skinhead]

Old Age still exists. Ain't nothin' new under the sun. Ask Eclesiastes. Is that a double 's' or a single? I can't spell for shit

[flotsam]

[The Man known as The Man]

Yes.