Editing New Age (section)

===Theology, cosmogony, and cosmology===

A belief in [[divinity]] is integral to New Age ideas, although understandings of this divinity vary.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=182–183}} New Age [[theology]] exhibits an inclusive and universalistic approach that accepts all personal perspectives on the divine as equally valid.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=185}} This intentional vagueness as to the nature of divinity also reflects the New Age idea that divinity cannot be comprehended by the human mind or language.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=186}} New Age literature nevertheless displays recurring traits in its depiction of the divine: the first is the idea that it is [[Holism|holistic]], thus frequently being described with such terms as an "Ocean of Oneness", "Infinite Spirit", "Primal Stream", "One Essence", and "Universal Principle".{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=186}} A second trait is the characterisation of divinity as "Mind", "Consciousness", and "Intelligence",{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=186–187}} while a third is the description of divinity as a form of "[[Energy (esotericism)|energy]]".{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=187}} A fourth trait is the characterisation of divinity as a "life force", the essence of which is creativity, while a fifth is the concept that divinity consists of [[love]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=187–188}}

Most New Age groups believe in an Ultimate Source from which all things originate, which is usually conflated with the divine.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=120}} Various [[creation myths]] have been articulated in New Age publications outlining how this Ultimate Source created the universe and everything in it.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=122–123}} In contrast, some New Agers emphasize the idea of a universal inter-relatedness that is not always emanating from a single source.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=128}} The New Age worldview emphasises holism and the idea that everything in existence is intricately connected as part of a single whole,{{sfnm|1a1=Hanegraaff|1y=1996|1p=119|2a1=Drury|2y=2004|2p=11}} in doing so rejecting both the [[Dualistic cosmology|dualism]] of the Christian division of matter and spirit and the [[reductionism]] of Cartesian science.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=119}} A number of New Agers have linked this holistic interpretation of the universe to the [[Gaia hypothesis]] of [[James Lovelock]].{{sfn|Pike|2004|p=23}} The idea of holistic divinity results in a common New Age belief that humans themselves are divine in essence, a concept described using such terms as "droplet of divinity", "inner Godhead", and "divine self".{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=204}} Influenced by Theosophical and Anthroposophical ideas regarding '[[subtle bodies]]',{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=222–223}} a common New Age idea holds to the existence of a [[Higher Self]] that is a part of the human but connects with the divine essence of the universe, and which can advise the human mind through [[intuition]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=211–212}}

Cosmogonical creation stories are common in New Age sources,{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=304}} with these accounts reflecting the movement's holistic framework by describing an original, primal oneness from which all things in the universe emanated.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=305}} An additional common theme is that human souls—once living in a spiritual world—then descended into a world of matter.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=307–308}}
The New Age movement typically views the material universe as a meaningful illusion, which humans should try to use constructively rather than focus on escaping into other spiritual realms.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=115}} This physical world is hence seen as "a domain for learning and growth" after which the human soul might pass on to higher levels of existence.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=116–117}} There is thus a widespread belief that reality is engaged in an ongoing process of evolution; rather than [[Darwinian evolution]], this is typically seen as either a teleological evolution which assumes a process headed to a specific goal or an open-ended, creative evolution.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=158–160}}