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New Age Infiltration & Conquest of Counseling
Below are seminar notes that may be helpful as a supplement to counseling / counselling. This seminar will give you information, definitions and understanding of some of the problems, influences, effects & consequences that need to be sorted through as a result of being involved with new age spirituality. What it is, it's beliefs & it's teachings will be outlined as well as it's inroads into churches, psychology, social work, hr (human resources), nursing, and professional / personal development & growth training workshops. The New Age movement involves a number of diverse spiritual teachings, practices, religions & cults. Some of the religions include Hinduism, yoga, Buddhism, Theosophy, Freemasonry (Freemason), Reiki, native American religion, spiritualism, witchcraft & the occult. Their beliefs often focus on ancient knowledge & wisdom, metaphysics, the esoteric & ambient, dharma, gurus & ascended masters. Their practices may include astrology, alchemy / alchemical stones & crystals, meditation, the kundalini, the supernatural, magic, spells, channeling, divination & tarot. Ufo's & crop circles seem to somehow fit in with this mix as well.
We offer professional Christian counseling / counselling therapy services for individuals, marriages and families. Our goal in this context is to help others work out healing related to past or present new age involvement. Phone counseling / counselling,
Online audio / video, email
or LiveType Chat Instant Messaging etherapy sessions are available for
working through issues as an alternative to the standard
Office appointments we
also offer
New Age Infiltration & Conquest of Professional Counseling / Counselling Steve Cadman-Neu MSW This seminar was originally given at an NACSW Conference in 1989 (North American Association of Christians in Social Work)
Table of Contents Introduction:
Focus & Purpose Eastern Mysticism & the Human Potential Movement Religion:
Eastern Mystical World View Psychology:
Humanistic Psychology Conclusion Biblical
References to the Occult:
Introduction My emphasis today will be to facilitate your discernment of the New Age Movement & how it has infiltrated our profession, our society, & even the evangelical church to some extent.
Focus
& Purpose The focus of this workshop will be on the Eastern mystical view of the self, & the ramifications this has had on counselling theory & practice over the past few decades. New Age counselling will be outlined as a form of induced narcissism, when looked at from an ego psychology framework. The purpose of this workshop will be to demonstrate that ego psychology & New Age counselling are diametrically opposed in both goals & process. An attempt will be made to uncover New Age trends that are woven almost imperceptibly into even our own Christian counselling practices. The final result that is hoped for, is a grasp of the subtleties that we need to discern & weed out of our theory base & practice. The teachings of eastern mysticism will also be shown to have obvious connections to current day Values Relativity teachings in schools & elsewhere.
My
New Age Background It might be helpful to understand that I have come out of a New Age background. From 1973-75 I was a devotee of a guru, lived in an ashram for 2 years, lived & traveled with yogic monks from India, meditated 3 ½ hours/day, taught meditation, yoga postures & yogic philosophy, & was a strict vegetarian. I became a Christian in the Fall of 1975 when someone pointed out to me in the book of Revelation, Matt.24, etc., what was going to be happening on earth before Jesus returned. It dovetailed with, & put in a different light what yogic teaching & prophesy said was about to happen at the “end of the Age” (ie. the New Age).
Eastern Mysticism & the Human Potential Movement To begin with, I’ll first briefly outline a few of the elements in Eastern mysticism that are currently influencing the Human Potential Movement & counselling in general. I do not see these things as being conducive at all with an ego psychology perspective. The core teaching of Eastern mysticism is that the inner self is divine & perfect. The means to enlightenment & “tuning into” cosmic vibrations includes the destruction of language, the fragmentation of reality, & the breakdown of mental reasoning, thereby helping to thrust one totally into the experiencing of ever intensified altered states. Essentially, one is to seek to achieve cosmic totality by means of altered states. The reality of the experiences & the importance of “the now” is stressed & put on a pedestal. Some of these Eastern mystical trends in the Human Potential Movement & Values Relativity, that I will further outline, centre on this view that the self is perfect & that it is merely covered with an illusion of imperfection. Their teaching is that what is required is to transcend this illusion by means of various techniques, usually involving altered states (deified experiences). Their goal is to cut through the defenses (illusions of imperfection) & all content of the self, whatever the cost, so that the perfect self underneath can be reached. Some in the Human Potential Movement such as R.D. Laing & William Schutz believed that if madness & psychosis was the only way to accomplish this, then it is to be viewed as merely a step in this process. Most in the Human Potential Movement have wisely somewhat tempered much of what I have just outlined, in order to gain widespread acceptance. The essence & foundation is still there though & has crept into much of our counseling theory & practice in subtle ways. I will seek to uncover & list many of these trends in our own counseling practices.
Religion Eastern
Mystical World View I’ll spend a little time now, outlining the Eastern mystical religious world view, so that you can better see where & how the connections & in-roads to counseling theory & practice are taking place. Included in this category are yoga (union), tantra, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, the metaphysical, spiritualists, the occult, witchcraft, astrology, Transendental Meditation (supposed nonsense syllables), psychic healing, Silva Mind Control, Scientology, est, crystals, reincarnation, etc.. As I mentioned before, the core belief is that man is divine. The inner self is seen as divine & perfect. Man merges into God. All is One & everything but God, including us, is an illusion (maya). The purpose & fulfillment of life is to become aware of our divine nature. Self realization or enlightenment, where man merges into God, leads to the mastery of occult powers. Mysticism merges into magic. Cosmic totality is achieved by altered states. The belief is that all is consciousness, all is One, all is God, I am all. In ego psychology, the ego is seen as our organizing & integrating structure, our thought processes, defenses, autonomy, regulation & control of instinctual desires, & our view of ourselves in relationship to others (human reality). Unfortunately, Tantra & other yogic disciplines ultimately seek to destroy the ego in order to merge with God. This ego destruction is accomplished by teaching others to passively rely on the guru or spirit guides (experiences of altered states / possession?). Understanding & experience in this system requires initiation by a guru rather than individual study. It is taught that guru worship enables the tapping of the guru’s power, which he can transmit by touch or glance. It is a form of guided inner journey led by the guru that leads to a universe within, which once found & tapped into, connects one with the whole cosmos. Supernatural powers & occult correspondence are gained by the adept. There is a destruction of language, where things are unexplainable & intuitive, not a rational or methodological process. The aim is to throw an individual into experiencing rather than understanding, to penetrate beyond existence. There is a mimicking, distortion, & re-defining of Christian terminology. There is also a fragmentation of reality, where all identities are seen as false or an illusion. There is a blurring of boundaries & a lack of distinction between humanness & Godness. Ego boundaries are seen as hindrances. It is induced narcissism with omnipotent wishes. There is a breakdown of mental reasoning because it is not a rational or methodical process. It is unexplainable & intuitive. Concentrating on non-logical riddles or Zen koans such as “the sound of one hand clapping”, would be an example of this. These non-logical riddles lead to passive states where one abandons logic & tries to leap into enlightenment. In these koans, language is misused, is contradictory, & is impossible to grasp & understand. It is basically a thought reform process. The purpose is to break the mind of logic. They do not want logic. They want to “burst the bag” & drive the pupil into whole-souled participation in the great emptiness. It is enlightenment via the void. It is how the world looks when it disappears. Unfortunately, I believe these altered states are often open to infiltration by demons (fallen angels from a Christian perspective), because people’s ego defenses are orchestrated to be down & paralyzed. Forerunners Transcendentalists & spiritists are the forerunners of groups such as Silva Mind Control, Alpha Thinking, Mind Dynamics, & many of the Large Group Awareness Training (LGAT) ideas about the mind & its powers.
Psychology Humanistic
Psychology I’ll now begin to paint a picture of how humanistic psychology began to be influenced by the eastern mystical world view. Maslow began in a good way by emphasizing mans’ discontinuities with animals rather than our similarities. He outlined our unique characteristics & our hierarchy of needs (physiological, safety, social, & self actualization (growth)). He returned choice, dignity & responsibility, & broke the hold of scientific determinism in psychology. We again became more than machines. We became free beings with untapped capabilities. Maslow then went beyond this, however, by moving into the realm of faith, away from the observable, empirical model. It was a faith in transcendence & the ultimate nature of reality. Transcendence was presented as the ability to reach beyond oneself & become unified with the whole of reality as the highest goal. He added religious seeking after transcendence, & belief about the actual nature of spiritual realities. He ended up merely building another layer onto biological evolutionary philosophy. Humanistic Psychology was leaving the scientific model. It assumed that people were good (their natural tendency), & that we naturally move towards growth (self actualization). Humanistic psychology essentially had a faith in mans’ ability to solve problems, & a growing belief in mans’ godlike nature. There was an arrogance of supreme faith in human reason. Humanism, unfortunately, denies the possibility of wrong or poor choices. Christians counter, “then what is the meaning of choice”. If good values are inherent in our choices, then how can we be autonomous. How can there be true choice if good is automatically always a part of our choices. If good is always chosen, given a climate of acceptance, then how can autonomous choice as a concept even be real?
Humanistic
Psychology assumed that we have unlimited potential, that everything was
within our power to change, & that we utilize only 10% of our potential. Humanistic
Psychology’s Teachings Humanistic Psychology teaches that experience is primary, & that autonomy is assumed. To grow, means depending on our own experience to show us the way. Values are personal, to be experienced, experimented with, decided on autonomously without regard to belief, parental training or relationships. We are not responsible to God or others, only to our own feelings (Values Relativity). The dual emphasis on experience & autonomy, places the self at the apex of reality, as experience determines our values, & choices only control growth. We have no duties, inhibitions or restraints, only rights, privileges, & opportunities for change. The belief in goodness & unlimited potential, led to the assumption that awareness is a valid life goal. Experience becomes the measure of truth & the path to self actualization. The more aware we become, the more latent potential we are able to realize. This leads to a heightened awareness in the experience of becoming, that it is I, the acting one, who is the subject of what is occurring. The search for self awareness is not to solve problems but to realize infinite potential. Heightened awareness was believed to change perception. Because personal experience equals reality, one changes reality by focusing on self. You are to focus on your perceptions of the situation in order to change it. Intentionally perceiving others as good & loving, will change the reality. Regardless of current problems, continue to seek awareness & fulfillment. The search for self awareness often becomes a thin veil for selfishness & amassing personal power. Self actualization as a goal, erodes relationship responsibilities. There is nothing more transcendent than self, & nothing outside self regulating choices. Self deification then follows. The view of God & humanity is One (the self). The self becomes God. Everything is relative in the world. Everything is in flux. Values are personal. The only absolute is the absolute of change (Values Relativity). Change is seen as the absolute good. Change equals growth. Change is the growing tip of experience. Repressive or harmful change is ruled out. In spite of appearances, any change is good because it is moving on toward growth & becoming more beautiful. It leads to a total denial of evil. Nothing is wrong in & of itself, & change is always good. Problems disappear & potential expands. There is no right or wrong (Values Relativity). Unfortunately, history defies this. They can deal with guilt only by denying it. Transactional Analysis (TA) believed that we are all good, so we don’t need to follow any structure of imposed values (Values Relativity). In Roger’s nondirective approach, change is a positive force, & we are able to change ourselves through experience. Encounter Groups were used to develop self potential. Human
Potential Movement Secular humanism readily becomes cosmic humanism. The search for untapped human potential evolves into developing godlike capabilities. The perfect self is seen as being covered with an illusion of imperfection. Experience is seen as being the source of human values, & ethics are seen as situational (Values Relativity). The only meaning life has, is what we give it. This is taking the right to make our own 10 commandments. It is rejecting God & making oneself to be God by occupying His seat & sitting in judgment over Him. The
Rise of Cosmic Humanism The question here, quickly becomes, whether the secular absorbed Eastern mysticism, or whether Eastern mysticism is now merely dressed in secular psychological language? The result is confusion. Secular humanism’s search for untapped human potential has now evolved into developing godlike capabilities in some of the new psychotherapies. The goal becomes to evolve a god out of a man. Secular humanism defines itself in opposition to the supernatural, but has assumptions compatible with Eastern mysticism. Both regard humanity collectively & individually as the source of meaning & value in life. The 1973 Humanist Manifesto said that the source of values was human existence, that ethics are autonomous & situational (Values Relativity), that life has meaning because we create & develop our futures, that if there is any significance to life & history it is only due to the significance we give it. Secular humanism readily escalates into cosmic humanism. The occult is the logical conclusion. Humans, as the source & centre of meaning, become a manifestation of deity, when inflated to the cosmic level. Humanity becomes so amplified & self sufficient that God is excluded. His functions are absorbed. The transition has been so slow & gradual, that it has been almost imperceptible. Humanism & mysticism now more & more resemble one another. The distinctions are blurred, as most were really illusory to begin with. They are on the same spectrum of connected beliefs. Evolution is another place where secular & cosmic humanism cross paths. Darwinism has been extended from the biological, to human potential, to infinite possibilities. Reincarnation & spiritual transformation are now mixed in. There is an evolutionary metamorphosis to a new, improved level of functioning. The secular & mystical are mingled by promoting the boosting of creativity & the stimulation of one’s brain through breath control (yogic technique of pranayama & control of the life force). It is defined as enhanced mental performance. The explanation given, is that it is the key to yogi’s startling feats of laying on nails, being buried alive, etc.. The boosting of creativity is defined in secular terms, but the interpretation of why it works is religious. It is a blending of the secular & the Eastern. Whether the secular is absorbed into the Eastern, or the Eastern into the secular, is irrelevant. The point is the ease that these ideas & values flow back & forth between these two systems. Esoteric
Gap There is a blurring of distinctions that is deliberate. The occult adapts to whatever cultural forms are available. TM’s (Transcendental Meditation) Maharishi Mahesh Yogi instructed followers to place mystical teaching onto whatever mass tendencies & phase of life was currently guiding society. The propagation is according to the consciousness of the times. They don’t present the occult on its own terms but within whatever goals will seem recognizable, popular & acceptable. This even includes bringing fulfillment to the political aspirations of the generation. This is deliberate deception. It is a split level of inner real truth & its outer appealing, limited, symbolic & somewhat misleading face. It is seen as a pragmatic necessity. It is reshaped from time to time according to contemporary expectations. Mysticism has therefore infiltrated the established territory of secular humanism with ease. It can adapt itself to secular humanistic concerns because it is just a “higher” form of humanism. People therefore are delving wholeheartedly into personal experimentation, believing it will enhance growth. Ethics, effects on relationships, & cultural mores are laid waste. Good faith & sincerity are believed to result in self actualization (reaching one’s potential). Faith is placed in our unlimited capabilities, rather than seeing ourselves as limited created beings. Wisdom is within rather than from God. Eastern
/ Occult The Eastern/occult framework teaches that matter & spirit are One, & that any perceived differences are illusory. What appears is merely subjective to each person. Reality is a unity beyond appearance. This belief is only a short step from the conclusion that one creates reality by perceiving what one desires to perceive. Perceptions are seen as being inaccurate. They are merely part of the illusion of reality beyond which lies Oneness, the real reality. Godlike transcendence is seen as an experience of Oneness. The top of Maslow’s hierarchy is to experience this Oneness. It is, in essence, to become God. Obviously this is compatible with the occult teaching that every part of the universe contains the wisdom of the whole. The foundation of Rogers’ client centred framework is also, that clients have the answers within themselves. Unlocking the universal wisdom within has traditionally been the role of the occult priest. Transpersonal
Psychology The final step in this theoretical progression is Transpersonal Psychology which embraces humanism but goes beyond it to define Maslow’s transcendence. There is no attempt to veil the Eastern/occult foundation. Stretching for full human potential becomes a search for God within, & the knowledge of the transcendental power in oneself. It is an optimistic view of evolution as a basis for hope. Evolution is to be captured & directed. Its goal is the transformation of society, when society orchestrates the next step. It will be a quantum leap from the drudgeries of history into the Age of Aquarius (New Age).
Conclusion As Christian counsellors, I believe we need to be clear about these in-roads into our profession & intentionally sift & sort them out of our theoretical base, so that we don’t become even partly subtly absorbed into this incompatible framework & system.
Biblical references to the occult
Occult
miracles & activity are to precede Jesus’ Second Coming
Isaiah
14:12-15 - the reason Lucifer fell – I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God Rev. 22:8-9 – the apostle John fell down at an angel’s feet to worship him – the angel said not to do that, as he was a fellow servant Matt. 24 -
false Christs & false prophets performing miracles & thereby
deceiving & 2 Thes. 2:1-4, 6-12 – do not be disturbed by a spirit or message that the Lord has come – Jesus doesn’t return until after the apostacy, the man of lawlessness who exalts himself above every so called god, sitting in the temple displayed as being God – in accord with Satan’s power, signs & false wonders – the Lord will slay him at His coming Rev. 9:11, 20 – mankind worshipping demons 13:1-8 - worshipping the beast the dragon gives power to… 13:11-15 – false prophet performing miracles convinces mankind to worship the beast 16:13, 14 – the unclean spirits & demons coming out of the mouths of the dragon, beast & false prophet, are performing the miracles 18:2 – this fallen system is called the dwelling place of demons & every unclean spirit
19:19, 20 – the beast & the false prophet, who performed the
miracles by which 20:4 – those who didn’t worship the beast or his image reign with Christ 1,000 years
20:10 – the devil is thrown into the lake of fire where the beast
& false prophet Dan. 7:7 – the beast was different (spiritual? as described in book of Rev.?)
7:8 – the beast had a horn that possessed eyes & a mouth
uttering great boasts
7:10, 11 – the beast was slain & his body given to the burning
fire (Judgment of 7:19-23, 25 – the horn was warring the saints & overpowering them until Judgment when the saints possessed the Kingdom – the horn was speaking out against the Most High (false prophet of Rev.?)
8:9-12 – the small horn was causing some of the host of heaven to
fall & was
8:19, 23,25 – at the final time of the end, a king magnifies
himself & opposes the
11:30-32, 36, 39 – a leader who shows regard for those who forsake
the Holy
12:1, 2, 7, 9,13 – the archangel Michael arises – everyone found
written in the book
is rescued – as soon as they
finish shattering the power of the Holy
people – this is concealed until
the end time – Daniel would rise again
for his allotted portion at the end of the age (paralleling the
events of Rev.?)
Occult
Deception 1 Tim. 4:1 –
the Spirit says in latter times that some will fall away from the faith,
paying
4:3, 4 – the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but wanting 1 John 2:18-19, 22-23 – the antichrist is coming – there are many antichrists already – the one who denies Jesus Christ came in the flesh – they deny the Father & the Son 4:1-3 – don’t believe every spirit – test the spirits – there are many false prophets – the spirit of antichrist does not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh 2 John 1:7, 9
– the antichrist – demons deny that Jesus came in the flesh – anyone
who 2 Peter 2:1
– false prophets will be amoung you introducing destructive heresies, even 2 Cor. 11:3-4, 12-15 – deceived by craftiness – their minds led astray – preaching another Jesus & receiving a different spirit & gospel – cut off opportunity of false apostles, & workers disguising themselves as apostles of Christ – Satan disguises himself as an angel of light so his servants do likewise Gal. 1:7-8 –
some are distracting you & distorting the gospel of Christ – even
though an Col. 2:8, 23 – let no one take you captive through philosophy according to the elementary principles of the world – there is an appearance of wisdom in self made religion, self abasement & the severe treatment of the body (asceticism?) Eph. 4:14 – do not be tossed here & there by every wind of doctrine
Occult
Powers are warned against, not denied Exodus 7:11-12, 22 : magicians duplicated the miracles God did through Moses (snakes, & turning water to blood) 1 Sam. 28:13-15 – Saul had a witch bring Samuel back from the grave Lev.
19:26,31 – cut him off if he turns to mediums & spiritists – dispossess
nations Exodus 22:18 - do not allow a sorcerer to live Lev. 20:27 - mediums & spiritists were to be put to death (stoned) Deut. 13:1-5 - if a prophet or dreamer gives a sign or wonder, & says lets go after other gods, then put them to death – purge evil from amoung you Acts 8:9, 11,
19 – Simon Magnus was practicing the magic arts in Samaria – he was
13:8 – Paul called a magician on Cyprus, the son of the devil –
Paul said he was
16:16-18 – a slave girl had a spirit of divination (fortune
telling) – Paul 1 Cor. 10:20,21 – Gentiles sacrificed to demons – Christians warned that they can’t drink the cup & eat at the table of both the Lord & demons, as you become sharers in demons Isaiah 8:19 – consult your God rather than mediums & wizards Obviously, people are not to be put to death today for their spiritual beliefs or practices. The above biblical references are just to show how seriously the occult was taken, & that in no way is it remotely compatible with Christianity.
Context of o
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