Editing New Age (section)

===Spirit and channeling===
{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=In the flood of channeled material which has been published or delivered to "live" audiences in the last two decades, there is much indeed that is trivial, contradictory, and confusing. The authors of much of this material make claims that, while not necessarily untrue or fraudulent, are difficult or impossible for the reader to verify. A number of other channeled documents address issues more immediately relevant to the human condition. The best of these writings are not only coherent and plausible, but eloquently persuasive and sometimes disarmingly moving.|source=— Academic Suzanne Riordan, 1992.{{sfn|Riordan|1992|p=107}} }}

A ''conduit'', in [[Western esotericism|esoterism]], and [[Spirituality|spiritual]] discourse, is a specific object, person, location, or process (such as engaging in a [[séance]] or entering a [[trance]], or using [[Psychedelic drug|psychedelic medicines]]) which allows a person to connect or communicate with a [[Spirit world (Spiritualism)|spiritual realm]], [[Energy (esotericism)|metaphysical energy]], or [[Spirit (animating force)|spiritual entity]], or vice versa. The use of such a conduit may be entirely metaphoric or symbolic, or it may be earnestly believed to be functional.

MacKian argued that a central, but often overlooked, element of the phenomenon was an emphasis on "spirit", and in particular participants' desire for a relationship with spirit.{{sfn|MacKian|2012|pp=51, 117}} Many practitioners in her UK-focused study described themselves as "workers ''for'' spirit", expressing the desire to help people learn about spirit.{{sfn|MacKian|2012|p=145}} They understood various material signs as marking the presence of spirit, for instance, the unexpected appearance of a feather.{{sfn|MacKian|2012|pp=142–143}} New Agers often call upon this spirit to assist them in everyday situations, for instance, to ease the traffic flow on their way to work.{{sfn|MacKian|2012|pp=84, 143}}

New Age literature often refers to benevolent non-human spirit-beings who are interested in humanity's spiritual development; these are variously referred to as angels, [[guardian angel]]s, personal guides, masters, teachers, and contacts.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=197, 198}} New Age angelology is nevertheless unsystematic, reflecting the idiosyncrasies of individual authors.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=198}} The figure of Jesus Christ is often mentioned within New Age literature as a mediating principle between divinity and humanity, as well as an exemplar of a spiritually advanced human being.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=189–190}}

Although not present in every New Age group,{{sfn|Riordan|1992|p=105}} a core belief within the milieu is in channeling.{{sfnm|1a1=Melton|1y=1992|1p=21|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1996|2p=23|3a1=Pike|3y=2004|3p=24}} This is the idea that humans beings, sometimes (although not always) in a state of [[trance]], can act "as a channel of information from sources other than their normal selves".{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=23–24}} These sources are varyingly described as being [[God]], [[gods]] and [[goddesses]], [[ascended masters]], [[spirit guide]]s, [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrials]], [[angel]]s, [[Deva (New Age)|devas]], historical figures, the [[collective unconscious]], [[elemental]]s, or [[nature spirit]]s.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=23–24}} Hanegraaff described channeling as a form of "articulated revelation",{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=24}} and identified four forms: trance channeling, automatisms, clairaudient channeling, and open channeling.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=27–28}}

A notable channeler in the early 1900s was [[Rose Edith Kelly]], wife of the English [[occultist]] and [[ceremonial magic]]ian [[Aleister Crowley]] (1875&ndash;1947). She allegedly channeled the voice of a [[non-physical entity]] named [[Aiwass]] during their honeymoon in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] (1904).<ref>{{cite book |author-last=Hayward |author-first=Rhodri |year=2017 |chapter=Part III: Beyond medicine – Psychiatry and religion |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nDAlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA137 |editor-last=Eghigian |editor-first=Greg |title=The Routledge History of Madness and Mental Health |location=[[London]] and [[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Routledge]] |series=Routledge Histories |edition=1st |pages=137–152 |doi=10.4324/9781315202211.ch7 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |isbn=9781315202211 |lccn=2016050178}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gillavry |first1=D. M. |year=2014 |title=Aleister Crowley, the Guardian Angel and Aiwass: The Nature of Spiritual Beings in the Philosophies of the Great Beast 666 |url=https://digilib.phil.muni.cz/bitstream/handle/11222.digilib/132199/3_Sacra_11-2013-2_6.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Sacra |location=[[Brno]] |publisher=[[Masaryk University]] |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=33–42 |issn=1214-5351 |s2cid=58907340 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627021137/http://digilib.phil.muni.cz/bitstream/handle/11222.digilib/132199/3_Sacra_11-2013-2_6.pdf |archive-date=27 June 2016 |access-date=10 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Tully |first=Caroline |year=2010 |title=Walk Like an Egyptian: Egypt as Authority in Aleister Crowley's Reception of ''The Book of the Law'' |url=https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/252812/Tully%20Walk%20like%20an%20Egyptian%20.pdf |url-status=live |journal=[[The Pomegranate (journal)|The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies]] |location=[[London]] |publisher=[[Equinox Publishing (London)|Equinox Publishing]] |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=20–47 |doi=10.1558/pome.v12i1.20 |hdl=11343/252812 |hdl-access=free |issn=1528-0268 |s2cid=159745083 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110234429/https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/252812/Tully%20Walk%20like%20an%20Egyptian%20.pdf |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=10 January 2022}}</ref> Others purport to channel spirits from "future dimensions", ascended masters,<ref>{{cite book| last = Brown| first = Michael F.| title = The Channeling Zone: American Spirituality in an Anxious Age| year = 1999| publisher = Harvard University Press| isbn = 0-674-10883-3}}</ref> or, in the case of the trance mediums of the [[Brahma Kumaris]], God.<ref>{{cite book| last = Klimo| first = Jon| title = Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources| year = 1998| publisher = North Atlantic Books| isbn = 978-1-55643-248-4| page = 100}}</ref> Another channeler in the early 1900s was [[Edgar Cayce]], who said that he was able to channel his higher self while in a trance-like state.

In the later half of the 20th century, Western [[mediumship]] developed in two different ways. One type involves [[clairaudience]], in which the medium is said to hear spirits and relay what they hear to their clients. The other is a form of channeling in which the channeler seemingly goes into a trance, and purports to leave their body allowing a spirit entity to borrow it and then speak through them.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Wood
 | first = Matthew
 | title = Possession Power and the New Age: Ambiguities of Authority in Neoliberal Societies
 | year = 2007
 | publisher = Ashgate Publishing, Limited
 | isbn = 978-0-7546-3339-6
}}</ref> When in a trance the medium appears to enter into a [[cataleptic]] state,<ref name="LeCron-1970">{{cite book
 | last1 = LeCron
 | first1 = Leslie
 | last2 =  Bordeaux
 | first2 = Jean
 | title = Hypnotism Today
 | year = 1970
 | quote = When in a trance&nbsp;... the medium seems to come under the control of another personality, purportedly the spirit of a departed soul, and a genuine medium undoubtedly believes the 'control' to be a spirit entity&nbsp;... In the trance, the medium often enters a cataleptic state marked by extreme rigidity. The control then takes over, the voice may change completely&nbsp;... and the supposed spirit answers the questions of the sitter, telling of things 'on the other plane' and gives messages from those who have 'passed over.'
 | publisher = Wilshire Book Co
 | isbn = 0-87980-081-X
 | page = 278
}}</ref> although modern channelers may not.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} Some channelers open the eyes when channeling, and remain able to walk and behave normally. The rhythm and the intonation of the voice may also change completely.<ref name="LeCron-1970"/>

Examples of New Age channeling include Jane Roberts' belief that she was contacted by an entity called Seth, and Helen Schucman's belief that she had channeled Jesus Christ.{{sfnm|1a1=Melton|1y=1992|1p=22|2a1=Riordan|2y=1992|2pp=108–110|3a1=Pike|3y=2004|3p=28}} The academic Suzanne Riordan examined a variety of these New Age channeled messages, noting that they typically "echoed each other in tone and content", offering an analysis of the human condition and giving instructions or advice for how humanity can discover its true destiny.{{sfn|Riordan|1992|p=110}}
For many New Agers, these channeled messages rival the scriptures of the main world religions as sources of spiritual authority,{{sfn|Riordan|1992|p=108}} although often New Agers describe historical religious revelations as forms of "channeling" as well, thus attempting to legitimate and authenticate their own contemporary practices.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=26–27}} Although the concept of channeling from discarnate spirit entities has links to [[Spiritualism (movement)|Spiritualism]] and [[psychical research]], the New Age does not feature Spiritualism's emphasis on proving the existence of life after death, nor psychical research's focus of testing mediums for consistency.{{sfn|Melton|1992|p=23}}

Other New Age channels include:<ref>{{cite news | title=Interview: The couple who claim they can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams | first=Robert | last=Chalmers | work=[[The Independent]] | date=8 July 2007  | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/interview-the-couple-who-claim-they-can-make-you-rich-beyond-your-wildest-dreams-456087.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403114012/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/interview-the-couple-who-claim-they-can-make-you-rich-beyond-your-wildest-dreams-456087.html |archive-date=3 April 2008}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2024}}

* [[J. Z. Knight]] (b. 1946), who channels the spirit "Ramtha", a 30-thousand-year-old man from [[Lemuria (continent)|Lemuria]]
* [[Esther Hicks]] (b. 1948), who channels a purported collective consciousness she calls "Abraham"
* Gary Douglas, who purportedly channels [[Grigori Rasputin]], aliens called Novian, a 14th-century monk names Brother George, and an ancient Chinese man called Tchia Tsinin his organization, [[Access Consciousness]].<ref name=Houston>{{Cite web |last=Malisow |first=Craig |date=November 7, 2012 |title=What's Behind Gary Douglas's Scientology Knockoff? |url=https://www.houstonpress.com/news/whats-behind-gary-douglass-scientology-knockoff-6596177 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507233928/https://www.houstonpress.com/news/whats-behind-gary-douglass-scientology-knockoff-6596177 |archive-date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=July 14, 2024 |website=Houston Press}}</ref>