Editing New Age (section)

==Beliefs and practices==
{{Main|Spiritual but not religious|List of New Age topics}}

===Eclecticism and self-spirituality===
The New Age places strong emphasis on the idea that the individual and their own experiences are the primary source of authority on spiritual matters.{{sfnm|1a1=Hanegraaff|1y=1996|1pp=201–202|2a1=Heelas|2y=1996|2pp=21–23|3a1=Pike|3y=2004|3p=26}} It exhibits what Heelas termed "unmediated individualism",{{sfn|Heelas|1996|pp=21–23}} and reflects a world-view that is "radically democratic".{{sfn|Riordan|1992|p=124}} It places an emphasis on the freedom and autonomy of the individual.{{sfnm|1a1=Heelas|1y=1996|1pp=26–27|2a1=MacKian|2y=2012|2p=119}} This emphasis has led to ethical disagreements; some New Agers believe helping others is beneficial, although another view is that doing so encourages dependency and conflicts with a reliance on the self.{{sfn|Heelas|1996|p=25}} Nevertheless, within the New Age, there are differences in the role accorded to voices of authority outside of the self.{{sfn|Heelas|1996|p=34}} Hammer stated that "a belief in the existence of a core or true Self" is a "recurring theme" in New Age texts.{{sfn|Hammer|2001|p=11}} The concept of "[[personal growth]]" is also greatly emphasised among New Agers,{{sfnm|1a1=Hanegraaff|1y=1996|1p=46|2a1=Sutcliffe|2y=2003a|2p=188}} while Heelas noted that "for participants spirituality ''is'' life-itself".{{sfn|Heelas|2006|p=27}}

New Age religiosity is typified by its eclecticism.{{sfn|Hammer|2001|p=163}} Generally believing that there is no one true way to pursue spirituality,{{sfn|MacKian|2012|pp=118–119}} New Agers develop their own worldview "by combining bits and pieces to form their own individual mix",{{sfn|Hammer|2001|p=28}} seeking what Drury called "a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas".{{sfn|Drury|2004|p=8}} The anthropologist David J. Hess noted that in his experience, a common attitude among New Agers was that "any alternative spiritual path is good because it is spiritual and alternative".{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=36}} This approach that has generated a common jibe that New Age represents "supermarket spirituality".{{sfn|Partridge|2004|p=32}} York suggested that this eclecticism stemmed from the New Age's origins within [[late modernity|late modern]] capitalism, with New Agers subscribing to a belief in a free market of spiritual ideas as a parallel to a free market in economics.{{sfn|York|2001|p=367}}

As part of its eclecticism, the New Age draws ideas from many different cultural and spiritual traditions from across the world, often legitimising this approach by reference to "a very vague claim" about underlying global unity.{{sfn|Hammer|2001|p=139}} Certain societies are more usually chosen over others;{{sfnm|1a1=Hammer|1y=2001|1p=199|2a1=Kemp|2y=2004|2p=49}} examples include the ancient Celts, ancient Egyptians, the [[Essenes]], [[Atlantis|Atlanteans]], and ancient extraterrestrials.{{sfn|Kemp|2004|p=47}} As noted by Hammer: "to put it bluntly, no significant spokespersons within the New Age community claim to represent ancient Albanian wisdom, simply because beliefs regarding ancient Albanians are not part of our cultural stereotypes".{{sfn|Hammer|2001|p=199}} According to Hess, these ancient or foreign societies represent an exotic "Other" for New Agers, who are predominantly white Westerners.{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=48}}

===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}}

===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>

===Astrological cycles and the Age of Aquarius===

New Age thought typically envisions the world as developing through cosmological cycles that can be identified [[astrology|astrologically]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=102, 302}} It adopts this concept from Theosophy, although often presents it in a looser and more eclectic way than is found in Theosophical teaching.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=303}} New Age literature often proposes that humanity once lived in an age of spiritual wisdom.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=302}} In the writings of New Agers like Edgar Cayce, the ancient period of spiritual wisdom is associated with concepts of supremely-advanced societies living on [[Lost lands|lost continents]] such as Atlantis, [[Lemuria (continent)|Lemuria]], and [[Mu (lost continent)|Mu]], as well as the idea that ancient societies like those of [[Ancient Egypt]] were far more technologically advanced than modern scholarship accepts.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=309–314}} New Age literature often posits that the ancient period of spiritual wisdom gave way to an age of spiritual decline, sometimes termed the [[Age of Pisces]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=302}} Although characterised as being a negative period for humanity, New Age literature views the Age of Pisces as an important learning experience for the species.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=320}} Hanegraaff stated that New Age perceptions of history were "extremely sketchy" in their use of description,{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=320}} reflecting little interest in [[historiography]] and conflating history with [[myth]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=324}} He also noted that they were highly [[ethnocentrism|ethnocentric]] in placing [[Western world|Western civilization]] at the centre of historical development.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=303}}

[[File:Venice ast sm.jpg|thumb|left|Astrological ideas hold a central place in the New Age.]]

A common belief among the New Age is that humanity has entered, or is coming to enter, a new period known as the [[Age of Aquarius]],{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=94}} which Melton has characterised as a "New Age of love, joy, peace, abundance, and harmony[...] the Golden Age heretofore only dreamed about."{{sfn|Melton|1992|p=19}} In accepting this belief in a coming new age, the milieu has been described as "highly positive, celebratory, [and] utopian",{{sfn|Heelas|1996|p=28}} and has also been cited as an [[Apocalypticism|apocalyptic movement]].{{sfn|Melton|1992|p=24}} Opinions about the nature of the coming Age of Aquarius differ among New Agers.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=333}} There are for instance differences in belief about its commencement; New Age author David Spangler wrote that it began in 1967,{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=334–335}} others placed its beginning with the Harmonic Convergence of 1987,{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=335}} author José Argüelles predicted its start [[2012 phenomenon|in 2012]],{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=72}} and some believe that it will not begin until several centuries into the third millennium.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=335–336}}

There are also differences in how this new age is envisioned.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=336}} Those adhering to what Hanegraaff termed the "moderate" perspective believed that it would be marked by an improvement to current society, which affected both New Age concerns—through the convergence of science and mysticism and the global embrace of alternative medicine—to more general concerns, including an end to violence, crime and war, a healthier environment, and international co-operation.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=339–340}} Other New Agers adopt a fully utopian vision, believing that the world will be wholly transformed into an "Age of Light", with humans evolving into totally spiritual beings and experiencing unlimited love, bliss, and happiness.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=341–343}} Rather than conceiving of the Age of Aquarius as an indefinite period, many believe that it would last for around two thousand years before being replaced by a further age.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=102}}

There are various beliefs within the milieu as to how this new age will come about, but most emphasise the idea that it will be established through [[human agency]]; others assert that it will be established with the aid of non-human forces such as spirits or extraterrestrials.{{sfn|Heelas|1996|p=74}} Ferguson, for instance, said that there was a vanguard of humans known as the "Aquarian conspiracy" who were helping to bring the Age of Aquarius forth through their actions.{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=70}} Participants in the New Age typically express the view that their own spiritual actions are helping to bring about the Age of Aquarius,{{sfnm|1a1=Melton|1y=1992|1p=19|2a1=Heelas|2y=1996|2pp=75–76}} with writers like Ferguson and Argüelles presenting themselves as prophets ushering forth this future era.{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=73}}

===Healing and alternative medicine===
Another recurring element of New Age is an emphasis on healing and [[alternative medicine]].{{sfnm|1a1=Ellwood|1y=1992|1p=60|2a1=York|2y=1995|2p=37|3a1=Hanegraaff|3y=1996|3p=42|4a1=Sutcliffe|4y=2003a|4p=174|5a1=Butler|5a2=Tighe|5y=2007}} The general New Age ethos is that health is the natural state for the human being and that illness is a disruption of that natural balance.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=46–47}} Hence, New Age therapies seek to heal "[[illness]]" as a general concept that includes physical, mental, and spiritual aspects; in doing so it critiques mainstream Western medicine for simply attempting to cure [[disease]], and thus has an affinity with most forms of [[traditional medicine]].{{sfnm|1a1=Albanese|1y=1992|1pp=81–82|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1996|2pp=42–43|3a1=Sutcliffe|3y=2003a|3p=176}} Its focus of self-spirituality has led to the emphasis of self-healing,{{sfnm|1a1=Heelas|1y=1996|1pp=82–87|2a1=Sutcliffe|2y=2003a|2pp=176, 178|3a1=MacKian|3y=2012|3p=160}} although also present are ideas on healing both others and the Earth itself.{{sfnm|1a1=Heelas|1y=1996|1pp=82–87|2a1=MacKian|2y=2012|2p=160}}

[[File:Siete chakras.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Reiki]] is one of the alternative therapies commonly found in the New Age movement.]]

The healing elements of the movement are difficult to classify given that a variety of terms are used, with some New Age authors using different terms to refer to the same trends, while others use the same term to refer to different things.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=48}} However, Hanegraaff developed a set of categories into which the forms of New Age healing could be roughly categorised. The first of these was the [[Human Potential Movement]], which argues that contemporary Western society suppresses much human potential, and accordingly professes to offer a path through which individuals can access those parts of themselves that they have alienated and suppressed, thus enabling them to reach their full potential and live a meaningful life.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=48–49}} Hanegraaff described [[transpersonal psychology]] as the "theoretical wing" of this Human Potential Movement; in contrast to other schools of psychological thought, transpersonal psychology takes religious and mystical experiences seriously by exploring the uses of [[altered states of consciousness]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=50–51}} Closely connected to this is the [[Neoshamanism|shamanic consciousness]] current, which argues that the [[shamanism|shaman]] was a specialist in altered states of consciousness and seeks to adopt and imitate traditional shamanic techniques as a form of personal healing and growth.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=52}}

Hanegraaff identified the second main healing current in the New Age movement as being [[holistic health]]. This emerged in the 1970s out of the [[free clinic]] movement of the 1960s, and has various connections with the Human Potential Movement.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=53–54}} It emphasises the idea that the human individual is a holistic, interdependent relationship between mind, body, and spirit, and that healing is a process in which an individual becomes whole by integrating with the powers of the universe.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=54}} A very wide array of methods are utilised within the holistic health movement, with some of the most common including [[acupuncture]], reiki, [[biofeedback]], [[chiropractic]], [[yoga]], [[applied kinesiology]], [[homeopathy]], [[aromatherapy]], [[iridology]], [[massage]] and other forms of [[Bodywork (alternative medicine)|bodywork]], [[meditation]] and [[Visual perception|visualisation]], nutritional therapy, [[psychic healing]], [[herbal medicine]], [[crystal healing|healing using crystals]], metals, music, [[chromotherapy]], and reincarnation therapy.{{sfnm|1a1=York|1y=1995|1p=37|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1996|2pp=54–55|3a1=Kemp|3y=2004|3p=30}} Although the use of crystal healing has become a visual trope within the New Age,{{sfn|Albanese|1992|p=79}} this practice was not common in esotericism prior to their adoption in the New Age milieu.{{sfn|Hammer|2001|p=162}}
The mainstreaming of the Holistic Health movement in the UK is discussed by Maria Tighe. The inter-relation of holistic health with the New Age movement is illustrated in Jenny Butler's ethnographic description of "Angel therapy" in Ireland.{{sfn|Butler|Tighe|2007}}

===New Age science===
{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=The New Age is essentially about the search for spiritual and philosophical perspectives that will help transform humanity and the world. New Agers are willing to absorb wisdom teachings wherever they can find them, whether from an Indian guru, a renegade Christian priest, an itinerant Buddhist monk, an experiential psychotherapist or a Native American shaman. They are eager to explore their own inner potential with a view to becoming part of a broader process of social transformation. Their journey is towards totality of being.{{sfn|Drury|2004|p=11}}|source=[[Nevill Drury]]}}

According to Drury, the New Age attempts to create "a worldview that includes both science and spirituality",{{sfn|Drury|2004|p=10}} while Hess noted how New Agers have "a penchant for bringing together the technical and the spiritual, the scientific and the religious".{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=4}}
Although New Agers typically reject [[rationalism]], the [[scientific method]], and the academic establishment, they employ terminology and concepts borrowed from science and particularly from [[Physics beyond the Standard Model|new physics]].{{sfnm|1a1=Heelas|1y=1996|1p=5|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1996|2p=62}} Moreover, a number of influences on New Age, such as [[David Bohm]] and [[Ilya Prigogine]], had backgrounds as professional scientists.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=63}} Hanegraaff identified "New Age science" as a form of ''[[Naturphilosophie]]''.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=64}}

In this, the milieu is interested in developing unified world views to discover the nature of the divine and establish a scientific basis for religious belief.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=63}} Figures in the New Age movement—most notably [[Fritjof Capra]] in his ''[[The Tao of Physics]]'' (1975) and [[Gary Zukav]] in ''[[The Dancing Wu Li Masters]]'' (1979)—have drawn parallels between theories in the New Physics and traditional forms of [[mysticism]], thus arguing that ancient religious ideas are now being proven by contemporary science.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=128–129}} Many New Agers have adopted James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis that the Earth acts akin to a single living organism, going further to propound that the Earth has a consciousness and intelligence.{{sfnm|1a1=Hanegraaff|1y=1996|1pp=155–156|2a1=Heelas|2y=1996|2p=86}}

Despite New Agers' appeals to science, most of the academic and scientific establishments dismiss "New Age science" as [[pseudo-science]], or at best existing in part on the fringes of genuine scientific research.{{sfnm|1a1=Hess|1y=1993|1p=11|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1996|2p=62}} This is an attitude also shared by many active in the field of [[parapsychology]].{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=11}} In turn, New Agers often accuse the scientific establishment of pursuing a dogmatic and outmoded approach to scientific enquiry,{{sfn|Hess|1993|p=68}} believing that their own understandings of the universe will replace those of the academic establishment in a [[paradigm shift]].{{sfnm|1a1=Heelas|1y=1996|1p=5|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1996|2p=62}}

===Ethics and afterlife===
There is no ethical cohesion within the New Age phenomenon,{{sfn|Partridge|2004|p=35}} although Hanegraaff argued that the central ethical tenet of the New Age is to cultivate one's own divine potential.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=281}} Given that the movement's holistic interpretation of the universe prohibits a belief in a dualistic [[good and evil]],{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=277}} negative events that happen are interpreted not as the result of evil but as lessons designed to teach an individual and enable them to advance spiritually.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=236–237, 278}}
It rejects the Christian emphasis on [[sin]] and [[guilt (emotion)|guilt]], believing that these generate fear and thus negativity, which in turn hinder [[spiritual evolution]].{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=294–295}} It also typically criticises the blaming and judging of others for their actions, believing that if an individual adopts these negative attitudes it harms their own spiritual evolution.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=293}} Instead, the movement emphasizes positive thinking, although beliefs regarding the power behind such thoughts vary within New Age literature.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=240}} Common New Age examples of how to generate such positive thinking include the repeated recitation of [[mantra]]s and statements carrying positive messages,{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=240–241}} and the visualisation of a white light.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=242}}

According to Hanegraaff, the question of death and afterlife is not a "pressing problem requiring an answer" in the New Age.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=258}} A belief in [[reincarnation]] is very common, where it is often viewed as being part of an individual's progressive spiritual evolution toward realisation of their own divinity.{{sfnm|1a1=Hanegraaff|1y=1996|1p=262|2a1=York|2y=2001|2p=364|3a1=MacKian|3y=2012|3p=109}} In New Age literature, the reality of reincarnation is usually treated as self-evident, with no explanation as to why practitioners embrace this afterlife belief over others,{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=263}} although New Agers endorse it in the belief that it ensures cosmic justice.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=264}} Many New Agers believe in [[karma]], treating it as a law of cause and effect that assures cosmic balance, although in some cases they stress that it is not a system that enforces punishment for past actions.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=286}}
Much New Age literature on reincarnation says that part of the human soul, that which carries the personality, perishes with the death of the body, while the Higher Self—that which connects with divinity—survives in order to be reborn into another body.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=266}} It is believed that the Higher Self chooses the body and circumstances into which it will be born, in order to use it as a vessel through which to learn new lessons and thus advance its own spiritual evolution.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=262}} New Age writers like [[Shakti Gawain]] and [[Louise Hay]] therefore express the view that humans are responsible for the events that happen to them during their life, an idea that many New Agers regard as empowering.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|p=234}} At times, past life regression are employed within the New Age in order to reveal a Higher Soul's previous incarnations, usually with an explicit healing purpose.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|1996|pp=271–275}} Some practitioners espouse the idea of a "soul group" or "soul family", a group of connected souls who reincarnate together as family of friendship units.{{sfn|MacKian|2012|p=109}} Rather than reincarnation, another afterlife belief found among New Agers holds that an individual's soul returns to a "universal energy" on bodily death.{{sfn|MacKian|2012|p=109}}