NEW AGE SPIRITISM

Under the golf sized umbrella of New Age, we find Western occultism and Eastern mysticism. They fit nicely together in the belief that we should reach out and learn from our "ascended masters", which can be accomplished via a type of meditation. Throughout history people have gone to mediums and seances to talk to the dead, but only recently has the New Age managed to make it become fashionable to do so. They have scrapped the mediums, and successfully linked the undiscerning seeker to the spirit world directly through meditation. It is also called channeling, and the one in the spirit world who responds to the seeker is referred to as the spirit guide. These guides are usually said to be "ascended masters" or "wise ones" who have gone into the hereafter ahead of us, and they impart to their seekers all the truths that they will need to know in order to live on this Earth and to prepare for the hereafter. A spirit guide will appear to each seeker and move about and speak to the seeker much as a character in a play communicates with the audience. Though all of this occurs through the mental process, the interaction is VERY REAL, and the communication is VERY DISTINCT.

What is known as the third eye is usually said to be the point of contact between the seeker and the spirit world. Through this means, those of the Hindus faith seek to improve themselves, gradually achieving the truly enlightened state of self divinity. To them, the body is an illusion, and the mind is evil and should be reprogrammed to realize the ultimate destiny of Christ Consciousness or individual godhood. Though many have gone insane or been possessed by undesirable spiritual entities during this process, it is considered by the devout Hindu to be worth the risk, for unless this goal is reached, life is recycled. The death of one who is still seeking means he or she must come back again in another human incarnation to continue the journey to enlightenment.

The altered state of consciousness achieved through meditation is most often used to create the channel through which these spirits (demons) interact with their seekers. The Bible speaks of meditation, however, what is standard practice for the non Believer is forbidden to the Believer. Meditation evokes interaction with the spirit world, but the spiritual essence of the ones who respond is different in the Hindu style of meditation than the One who responds during a Believer's proper meditation. As Believers, we are to "meditate" upon God's Word, and our relationship with God, and we are never told in the Bible to make our minds "blank" and await a spiritual experience. Thus the difference between Biblical meditation and the Hindu, New Age style of meditation. During their time of meditation, Hindu practitioners will focus (through their third eye) upon the spirit world in expectation, then blank their minds to give the spirit world an opportunity to respond. They are taught how to achieve a trance-like state, which now occurs. They can now receive messages from the spirit world, whereby they are invariably instructed to develop their minds by way of the mind sciences (such as ESP, telekinesis, telepathy, etc.), and told how to achieve perfection or Christ Consciousness, referred to as Nirvana by Hindus. (Note that it is NOT necessary for the third eye to physically be represented on the forehead to enter into this spiritual interaction.)

In order to understand why Hindu meditation techniques are not harmful to the Hindu, but can be very harmful to the Believer, the reader is encouraged to read about Tree 1 and Tree 2 in our book titled Nether Nuggets. Again though, I would stress that the same practices which may benefit the Hindu are expressly forbidden to the Believer, because our spiritual interaction is to be reserved only for the God we serve. Exodus 20:5 tells us that He is a jealous God! Yet, Believers are being encouraged to participate in techniques which our God has forbidden. Sadly it is not unusual for our naive youngsters to be taught these techniques in the public school system today. Various aspects of the New Age movement are being promoted in our children's classrooms at an alarming rate. Coupled with the multitude of New Age cartoons and toys on the market, our children are bombarded with it from every angle. In our preschools, even three and four year old children are often initiated into the occult by channeling without knowledge or consent of the parents or society at large. The euphemism for channeling used by the school systems today is "guided imagery". Older children are sometimes subjected to such classroom games as Dungeons and Dragons via the computers in their rooms (particularly the exceptional students on both ends of the scale). Some states have reached the saturation level of New Age in the classrooms, while others lag slightly behind. Children in innumerable schools across the country are being systematically deprogrammed of any Christian concepts, and reprogrammed to become model, spiritually interactive, pagan, global community citizens. Per Personal Update (a newsletter of Koinonia House) we read: "HR6 (already law) established a National School Board which will set national outcomes that will be imposed on the states. The states will be forced to comply by withholding federal money from states which don't."

So what are the "spirit guides" called up by these children telling them? The information is the same as that being told to the adults who consult them, that we all have God within us, that we just need to develop this consciousness! A few years ago, Shirley McClain said over and over in the movie Out on a Limb: "I am God!, I am God, I am God!". She was learning to develop this concept! From a New Age perspective, the development of this Christ Consciousness on a mass scale is linked to evolution, so let's take a look at that for a moment.

They believe our evolving from primates was the first step in the evolutionary process for mankind, and that evolving from this physical mindset to the spiritual utopia of Christ Consciousness is the second and final step. At that point the world will no longer have any problems, because all minds will be in "sync" with the mind of the pantheistic supreme force. The process by which they expect to achieve this goal is called "harmonic convergence". They believe when a certain percentage (the critical mass) of the Earth's population concentrates hard enough at the same time, this quantum leap in evolution will occur instantly, and all people will be linked to the same wavelength of thought processes, being Christ Consciousness, collectively, yet individually as well. New Agers across the globe meditate and focus as the New Year approaches each year, in the hope that the critical mass will be reached this time.

Let's observe some of the undertrappings of the New Age Movement. Seekers are told by their spirit guides to develop their minds. They are told that all knowledge is within us. When we learn something, we are just remembering and applying what we already know. It is said that we only use about 10% of the human brain. Seekers are told they must develop the other 90% of the brain, and their guides draw them into parapsychology. You see (the reasoning goes) if Christ Consciousness and all knowledge are within you, it follows that it is locked up in this 90% of the brain, and all we need to do is to "tap into its power"! The name coined for this process is "human potential". This movement includes the area of Holistic Health and the pursuit of the "Mind Sciences" (sometimes called the "soft sciences").

Taoism as described by Eerdman's Handbook to the World's Religions is: "Chinese philosophy outlined in the Tao Te Ching. Its aim is to achieve harmony with all that is by pursuing inaction and effortlessness. Taoism gradually evolved an elaborate mythological system and incorporated notions of spirit possession, alchemy and divination."

This "harmony with all that is" is a harmony of the "God forces" or pranic energy. One example of a "God force" is the Kundalini force which activates Shakti, a force that is said to be coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine. When awakened, it leaps up the spine to the brain giving an experience of union and liberation. This is considered to be a re-enactment of the sexual union of Shiva (said to be present in the mind) and Shakti. Shiva is said to preside over creation and destruction -- good and evil. Shakti is a female counterpart to Shiva that exists in latent form in man and is awakened by Kundalini. Yoga utilizes this god force. Various Yoga stances and chants summon Kundalini to begin the chain effect that creates this "liberating" experience.

Religious Science, Christian Science, New Thought, Divine Science, Unity School of Christianity, Silva Mind Control, and the Erhard Seminars Training (EST) are all based upon the concept of the power of the mind to bring about reality. EST is especially dangerous, as it is so slickly packaged. It is an extensive seminar designed to give people a positive self image, and many companies (especially large, prestigious companies) require that their employees attend this or a similar seminar in order to be better equipped to deal with the public or perform their jobs. These seminars can produce extremely powerful transformations by breaking down people psychologically and emotionally, and they are potentially destructive! Such seminars are said to be non religious, but one of their purposes is to alter a person's belief system, and instill the pantheistic world view of impersonal divinity in it's place. I guess it all depends on your definition of "NON RELIGIOUS"!!!

Parapsychology includes a number of techniques by which an altered state of consciousness can be achieved (either upon oneself or upon a willing participant). An example would be hypnosis. It can be self hypnosis, or hypnosis of a willing participant or group. In hypnosis, a particular stimulus (such as the tinkling of a bell) is supposed to prompt the subject into a deeper state of consciousness in which he will respond to a stated or PRESTATED command or goal. One use of hypnosis is supposed to be to help the subject find his inner self, improve his self esteem, and resolve problems that stem from past experiences or relationships. If during the process of taking the subject back into previous years of life, the hypnotist takes him back to birth, then prior to birth, one is said to have been regressed into a prior life. This is called regression therapy, and provides a great deal of proof for the concept of reincarnation. Whereas the Believer is exempted from the cycle of reincarnation, (per Hebrews 9:27), those who have not yet believed upon Yeshua may not be exempted. Our Hebrews 9:27 exemption is linked to our acceptance of the atonement provided by Yeshua in the previous verse! All of mankind is ULTIMATELY appointed to receive God's sacrifice, thereby ending the cycle of reincarnation, but for some the time may not yet be right to do so! Going back to regression therapy, however, again it must be stressed that such practice is expressly forbidden to one who HAS become a Believer, receiving the atoning blood of Yeshua. Severe consequences to the soul of a Believer (though not immediately obvious) can occur down the road unless the Believer who has participated in this type of activity repents of it!

Transcendental meditation is similar to self hypnoses, as the individual (through focused meditation) allows his mind to go blank, and transcend into a deeper state of consciousness. The first step in any of these practices is to become totally relaxed and oblivious to the world around you, putting the practitioner in a highly suggestible state of mind. From this point one can be hypnotized, participate in transcendental meditation, visualization, or guided imagery. Guided imagery is when an instructor suggests what the practitioner should visualize, helping one to find a spirit guide, etc. Visualization, is simply the same process, only self-induced. Participants in guided imagery (especially children in the school system) are taught that they can call up these same "guides" on their own at any time, and told how to do so through the techniques of visualization. Once a spirit guide has been contacted, the subject can then write down the thoughts that come to him (called "dictation"). When the state of consciousness is extremely deep, the spirit guide may write directly through the subject, rather than by transfer of thought. This is called "automatic writing".

Then we should look at some of the more active forms of the "mind sciences", being the supposed power of mind over matter. It is a form of parapsychology, which according to Josh McDowell and Don Stewart's Handbook of Today's Religions is: "a new branch of either the occult or psychology, depending on whom you consult. It is a discipline that has aimed to put many of the supernatural phenomena associated with the occult on sound scientific footing ..."

We have all heard of those who walk on hot coals, and/or perform tremendous feats of strength during martial arts displays, etc. The martial arts stress physical discipline through the control of the mind and body. Different forms of martial arts are to achieve different goals. The most common in our country is the goal of self defense. The concept behind the training maneuvers however, is usually to regulate the flow of mystical prana energy throughout the body, and to enable one to attain a state of mind-body oneness, in progress to enlightenment. Most methods incorporate Eastern teachings and techniques, including meditation, chanting (often repeating the name of a god), and/or bowing in respect to this deity. The student is usually NOT informed that the meditational techniques pose a danger to him spiritually, or that the chanting and/or bowing is to another god. The instructor (often deceived himself) may steadfastly deny any spiritual interaction whatsoever, then proceed to teach the very thing he has denied he is teaching. Christians, be aware of the martial arts. There are some courses of it that claim to be Christian, but this is about like trying to mix oil and water. It is a fallacy to believe that you can blend the concepts of the martial arts with the true ways of Christ.

We might see this same type of mind-body oneness in athletes who sometimes appear to be one with their equipment, or a musician who may seem to be one with his instrument. Mind science will indicate that this is not only mind-body oneness, but that the mind can actually control inanimate objects as well. Robert Jahn, a professor at the Princeton University has been collecting data for the past 18 years. He explains this process as a "bonding of human consciousness with some physical system or process that brings out a transcendent result". The power of thought of the human mind (when properly focused) is said to be able to bend steel.

The Mind Sciences teach that this mind power is transferable in many ways. Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) is the ability to acquire knowledge outside of the normal limitations of sight, sound, and time. It encompasses both mental telepathy and, clairvoyance. Mental telepathy is the ability to say which card will appear next in a deck of playing cards for instance. Clairvoyance, on the other hand would be the ability to identify an image that is completely unknown (as in one drawn on a paper by a third party and hidden away). Mental telepathy not only intercepts the supposed "thought waves", however, it can transfer them to other people or objects at will "psychokinesis". This would include levitation (the lifting up into the air of self, another, or an object). Now if anyone remembers the movie Carrie, we can remember the revulsion and horror we felt in connection to the use of telekinetic power, but somehow it seems to be cute and innocent when it's used in a comedy and no one gets hurt! I must admit that that alarms me a bit.

Complacency, and an insatiable appetite for entertainment has prompted the average Believer today to view movies which open the mind to the practices forbidden by God. Because the effects are not immediately obvious, and the movies are so "cute", it is easy to continue down the path to destruction, never seeing the need to repent. Believers will have to answer for such interaction one day! The media has learned that if they can present occult practices in a harmless, cute, and humorous manner, society will not reject it. Our children (who do not yet know it to be wrong) may even interpret our acceptance of it to mean that it is OK for them develop this type of power should the opportunity arise (and with the explosion of New Age in the schools, it just might!). We must remember that what we don't reject as Christians, we may appear to condone, and that we can easily send the wrong signals to the very ones we most want to protect! As Christians, aren't we called to a higher level of discernment regarding the signals we send to others and the witness we bear in their presence? We must be willing to sacrifice our indulgence of anything that might send the wrong signals, so we can be the role models God intends for us to be.

Finally, we have astral projection (the transference of the soul to another location while the body supposedly remains behind). Astro travel is responsible for a majority of the near death experiences we hear about today. Either 1) the soul leaves the body suspended by the "silver cord" of Ecclesiastes 12:6, then returns to it, or 2) the soul interacts with spiritual beings outside the body which electronically transmit the effects outside the body to the mind of the victim as though he/she were experiencing these things personally. There are reports of great comfort and/or fear during these experiences, which often prompt changes in behavior and/or belief systems after the return to the body. Though near death experiences are not voluntary, other forms of astral travel are self induced. These journeys can be very dangerous to the practitioner, and again, I believe the soul of the Believer who astral travels is in GRAVE danger when he/she later appears before the Bema (Greek for "judgment seat") throne of the Son (per Romans 14:10).

We must realize that ALL of these aspects of parapsychology are accomplished by occult techniques! As the mind descends into altered states of consciousness where it is susceptible to demonic interaction (even during intense concentration for the purpose of achieving these acts), the subject may become aware of an extraordinary power, capable of accomplishing tremendous feats. This power is either forbidden latent soul power (as activated by demonic assistance), or can be the actual power of the interacting demon which comes to the assistance of the subject. Either of these options can be extremely perilous to us both physically and spiritually! Oh if mankind could be content to live in submission to God instead of feeling the need to gain power he is not intended to have! In his greed for power, he is breaking through the protective barriers God gave us to prevent demonic invasion. In our efforts to integrate society into a global community, however, many have encountered and embraced the teachings of other religions, and have fallen prey to Satan's lies and become prey to the demonic realms of the spirit world. Yes, we are quickly being led into the "One World Religion" of the Anti Christ. Let us (as children of God) reach out to those who are seeking before they are caught in the grips of deception, and let us offer the hand of assistance to those who are already within it's grasp. Lord, keep our discernment high, and our walk sure in these end days!

Have you noticed the fascination of people today with life on other planets? The scientists and media are wanting to prove that it exists in the worst way! The movie industry has produced many a film based on extraterrestrial (or interterrestrial) life. Alien life forms are everywhere on the screen and in our books, magazines, and newspapers. Most of the newer movies feature the aliens as being friendly (will we ever be able to forget ET?). Yet, in real life, those who claim to have been abducted or have otherwise encountered supposed extraterrestrial life forms have related the most graphic and horrifying experiences. Even non Christian researchers have concluded that the UFO phenomenon is occult. Those who have experienced UFO phenomenon indicate severe mental and spiritual disruptions, dramatic manipulations of mental processes, poltergeist events; the ever present experience of missing time; mental terrorism; profound and drastic personality changes, and according to many sources the medical experimentation is graphically sexual in nature, and there is a feeling as though one's soul is being stolen and abused in a most horrific fashion. Some believe that most if not all of the grey alien beings are merely demonic spirits in some type of mass produced bodies.

The media, however, does not report on the horrors of these interactions with aliens. Movies, etc., may use UFO as the basis of horror footage, but by and large, the media glamorizes the idea of contact with other life forms continually conditioning us to accept them as loving creatures. New Agers the world over have eagerly sought opportunities to interact with these alien beings. A local newspaper featured a huge article about the migration of people to the Florida panhandle in recent years, where sightings have been reported, in the hope that they might "encounter" these alien beings. Other areas where many UFO's have been reported are Mexico, and (strangely enough) Israel (particularly Jerusalem)! A recent TV newscast featured a spot about the people who flocked to a known site in Mexico in hopes of a close encounter of the "alien" kind. You see, these alien beings aren't dreaded by mankind, they are glorified, and eagerly anticipated. People seem to think they are reaching out to us, and want to assist us, that they care for us, maybe they are even gods ....

Quoting extensively from an article called A Wing of Horrors -- Dark Angels Create an Outer Space Delusion" in Prophecy in the News magazine, lets hear more about this phenomenon: "The human reception of the Anti Christ simply could not come to pass unless a deceptive foundation had been previously laid. Today's New Age movement is the visible portion of this groundwork. It cuts across all cultural and economic boundaries. The impoverished Mexican farmer, Hindu beggar, the Chinese laborer, the middle-class European or American, and opulent globalist kingmaker are all equally capable of being assimilated into the movement. In general, New Agers believe in a coming "quantum leap" or "paradigm shift," in which revolutionary powers from on high will intercede in the world's normal affairs. Overnight, they say, the old world will pass away, as the ascended masters and ancient astronauts (angels and demons) bring the world to a final "utopian" reality. Today, they breathlessly await the first signs of this event .... The bottom line: In clinical psychology, there is a well-known and often used therapy called 'systematic desensitization.' As the name would imply, the object of this technique is to progressively reduce one's emotional reaction to a given stimulus .... The culture of this world has been literally primed to believe in the real and present existence of extraterrestrial visitors. At first, in 1947, "flying saucers" were a distant and fleeting phenomenon. In the 1950's they buzzed airliners and police cars, leaving burned patches on the ground, as they allowed fleeting glimpses of flying saucer "occupants." In the 1960's they initiated the phenomenon that was later called a "close encounter of the third kind." This involved contact with human beings, and even abductions .... Over the years, these monsters have acquired personality ... someone you'd like to have as your nextdoor neighbor. (You'd never have any trouble with vandals.) ... A novel written by physicist Arthur C. Clarke ... beginning with Childhood's End, written in 1953, depicted a future world in which man's problems would be solved by the arrival of an extraterrestrial force. In his narrative, these superhuman beings are discovered to be responsible for the creation of man. Now they are returning to check on their work, and prepare man for the next great step in his evolution. Mankind is about to leave its childhood stage and become prepared for interplanetary maturity and social perfection. It turns out that these aliens from outer space are not merely man's real creators, but the shepherds of his continuing evolution. Oh, incidentally, they are described as having leathery skins, batlike wings and strange reptilian heads with horns -- exactly as one might picture a fallen angel.

In Clarke's story, however, they are the heroes. It is the story of man's final generation, just prior to a radical transformation of being. The New Age is about to dawn .... (In reference to crop circles, the article continues) Signals from the stars, or imprints left by evil spirits? Although many say we're about to experience contact with intergalactic ambassadors, it's more likely that we're seeing patterns inscribed by demonic hordes led by the 'prince of power of the air'. They constitute nothing more or less than a call to New Age worship."

In an attempt to create a Millennial Kingdom of peace and prosperity of sorts, there may actually be an attempt by sincere beings of extraterrestrial origin to reform our world. When the time is right, they will be presented to humanity as Ascended Masters who are here to help us. They may truly believe they have the answers which will provide a breakthrough and save humanity, but only Yeshua will be able to do so successfully. They will be allowed to try, only to prove that it takes the True God to accomplish the feat. Their attempt will bring into being the New World Order prophesied in Revelation, and will be escalate into an ethnic cleansing agenda that the world has yet to imagine. It will end in dismal failure, and Yeshua will return to sort it all out. Though I do not believe that all Believers will be snatched up in a "Rapture" precisely as it is normally taught in Christendom, I do believe that some WORTHY Believers will be spared the things to come upon the Earth (Luke 21:36) in a similar fashion. When these Believers are taken away, it is often speculated how this will be explained to those of humanity who remain. Some theologians speculate (with good reason) that upon the removal of these Believers, the Ascended Masters will claim they have removed all the dissidents who would stand in the way in order to reprogram them for adaptation to the global community and the New World Order. In fact, some spirit guides have indicated to their subjects that objectors to the New World Order will be evacuated by the aliens for this express purpose, and the core New Age community eagerly awaits it. As Believers, we can look to our Blessed Hope to provide a better place during the days of transition to come when Earth is being cleansed, but we must be found WORTHY to be removed. Luke 21:36 states: