RP351 A Mystical Magical Soup

 RP351 A Mystical， Magical Soup

Take a pinch of Eastern philosophy, ancient rituals, pseudoscience, superstition, and native American spiritualism. Mix them all together with a sprinkling of astrology, belief in psychic powers, and some self-help psychology, and the New Age movement is what you should call the resulting soup.
New Age is a mishmash of a variety of different spiritual, mystical, and magical traditions that has become an umbrella term for almost any kind of beliefs outside the established world religions. New Age usually embraces beliefs that promote spirituality or the idea that the whole universe is connected in some kind of meaningful way. It is, however, fairly nonspecific and has absorbed countless different belief systems regardless of their origins or contexts.
Conversely to science and mainstream religions, New Age primarily promotes the existence of magic over science or the divine. This can be seen especially in the healing beliefs associated with New Age, such as crystal healing. This is where crystals are thought to hold magical powers and, when put on the body, create a protective, healing magical field. The all-inclusive nature of New Age has even led it to incorporate common conspiracy theories such as the belief in UFOs and mysteries like the supposed mystical powers of Stonehenge.
Psychologist Michael D. Langone suggests that people turn to New Age because they have spiritual impulses, but do not want to get involved with the complexities and commitments of the major religions. Also, due to the all-inclusive nature of New Age, there is something for everyone, and once someone accepts one belief as true, it becomes easier and easier to accept the other more ridiculous ones as true also.
Some native American groups have become increasingly offended by the apparent exploitation of their traditional beliefs. They see the New Age movement as using practices specific to native American culture simply for profit or distorting them to suit personal needs. As a result, people who claim to practice or be adept at native American spiritual healing but who are not themselves native American have been labeled “plastic medicine men.”