There is a fraudulent aspect to New Age spirituality and the hype that goes along with it. In some cases it amounts to cashing in on the credulous.
The packaging of spirituality in the form of books, tapes and videos, creates the impression that enlightenment can be acquired 'over-the-counter'. Media savvy teachers add to the impression that knowledge and self-development is about identifying with an in-culture ... going to the seminars and retreats, buying the books and promoting the ideas.
Even though the teacher or guru may not believe that spiritual progress will necessarily come to those-that-enthuse, the act of generating commercial hype around the teaching ensures that it becomes a magnet for that type of attention. "Fad and following" follows easily. This can and does fool a lot of people into easy identification with brands of spirituality-lite that don't do much for them in real terms.
People who are "spiritual seekers" of the New Age sort tend to be exiles from the mainstream religion of their families. Some are impressionable types - easy targets for any good proselytizer masquerading as a font-of-wisdom. Others get caught up in webs of spiritual self-deception, often at the hands of unscrupulous teachers, who milk them for for every available nickel and dime.
New Age stores are magnets for seekers. When a customer enters one of these establishments, he or she is usually greeted by the aroma of incense or other inscrutable scents. The chances are high that the person behind the cash register will be smiling blissfully for no easily discernible reason. Suburban homemakers who double as friendly witches and tarot card readers, can usually be found wondering the aisles checking out the titles. Some books offering techniques for spiritual self-development are crasser than others. One that comes to mind makes "cosmic consciousness" seem like something you can acquire with a bit of all-American effort - sort of like patriotism or team spirit.
Spirituality 'as product' is becoming more common, and of course advertising and attendant gimmickry goes hand-in-glove with that. New spiritual 'help' books arrive with advanced hype, beguiling promises, eye-catching packaging and a user-friendly teacher figure who possesses the product-moving-power of charisma - preferably with something cute going on in addition.
To a significant degree, contemporary civilization has lost touch with authentic knowledge of the esoteric variety. By "authentic" I mean knowledge that pre-dates the main monotheistic religions. The Greeks and the Romans helped to divide us from these older sources when they set civilization on a course that has come to be defined by politics, military and commercial power, technology and the ruthless plundering of the earth's resources.
Remnants of the older knowledge still exist, but interest in this wisdom is a minority pursuit because the message is difficult to assimilate. It doesn't flatter the N. American ego and there is nothing "insta" about it. Not everyone who reads it, will reliably "get it". Moreover much of this knowledge isn't particularly optimistic about the ability of the average human to escape from the grip of the 'sleep' or automatism, that controls behavior to greater or lesser degrees.
N. American culture, particularly its media, endorses false personality and phony positive attitudes. It's an act that gets crooks elected and moves product. It also ensures that celebrity hucksters of the spiritual variety who aim to please, get a lot of air time.
Let's face it, the truth we most readily embrace is the truth that endorses our delusions and that gives us the prospect of a belief in a hereafter - however unwarranted.
The packaging of spirituality in the form of books, tapes and videos, creates the impression that enlightenment can be acquired 'over-the-counter'. Media savvy teachers add to the impression that knowledge and self-development is about identifying with an in-culture ... going to the seminars and retreats, buying the books and promoting the ideas.
Even though the teacher or guru may not believe that spiritual progress will necessarily come to those-that-enthuse, the act of generating commercial hype around the teaching ensures that it becomes a magnet for that type of attention. "Fad and following" follows easily. This can and does fool a lot of people into easy identification with brands of spirituality-lite that don't do much for them in real terms.
People who are "spiritual seekers" of the New Age sort tend to be exiles from the mainstream religion of their families. Some are impressionable types - easy targets for any good proselytizer masquerading as a font-of-wisdom. Others get caught up in webs of spiritual self-deception, often at the hands of unscrupulous teachers, who milk them for for every available nickel and dime.
New Age stores are magnets for seekers. When a customer enters one of these establishments, he or she is usually greeted by the aroma of incense or other inscrutable scents. The chances are high that the person behind the cash register will be smiling blissfully for no easily discernible reason. Suburban homemakers who double as friendly witches and tarot card readers, can usually be found wondering the aisles checking out the titles. Some books offering techniques for spiritual self-development are crasser than others. One that comes to mind makes "cosmic consciousness" seem like something you can acquire with a bit of all-American effort - sort of like patriotism or team spirit.
Spirituality 'as product' is becoming more common, and of course advertising and attendant gimmickry goes hand-in-glove with that. New spiritual 'help' books arrive with advanced hype, beguiling promises, eye-catching packaging and a user-friendly teacher figure who possesses the product-moving-power of charisma - preferably with something cute going on in addition.
To a significant degree, contemporary civilization has lost touch with authentic knowledge of the esoteric variety. By "authentic" I mean knowledge that pre-dates the main monotheistic religions. The Greeks and the Romans helped to divide us from these older sources when they set civilization on a course that has come to be defined by politics, military and commercial power, technology and the ruthless plundering of the earth's resources.
Remnants of the older knowledge still exist, but interest in this wisdom is a minority pursuit because the message is difficult to assimilate. It doesn't flatter the N. American ego and there is nothing "insta" about it. Not everyone who reads it, will reliably "get it". Moreover much of this knowledge isn't particularly optimistic about the ability of the average human to escape from the grip of the 'sleep' or automatism, that controls behavior to greater or lesser degrees.
N. American culture, particularly its media, endorses false personality and phony positive attitudes. It's an act that gets crooks elected and moves product. It also ensures that celebrity hucksters of the spiritual variety who aim to please, get a lot of air time.
Let's face it, the truth we most readily embrace is the truth that endorses our delusions and that gives us the prospect of a belief in a hereafter - however unwarranted.
