Why The New Age Movement Is Just Another Religion
- Reclaim Your Empowered Self
Copied from: http://www.reclaimyourempoweredself.com/
I have been on a path of conscious 'spiritual awakening' for just over four years now, and while in many ways it has been a journey of learning new information, I have come to understand that it has been more a process of unlearning - of shredding the mind's many layers of 'knowing'. What remains at the core? Experiential truth. But that is something I will discuss a bit later on…
![[Image: Ascension.jpg]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Gx5L5QwS7Q/U0bXsgp7hII/AAAAAAAAAJo/SZToCOqd3PU/s1600/Ascension.jpg)
We are currently living in times of great uncertainty. The world is constantly changing at a rapid pace, and now more than ever humans are looking for answers - answers to their problems, to their true identity, to the real meaning of their existence and of life itself. For generations, religion has served as a key foundation in many people's daily lives - deemed as an authority of the highest order, and one that can essentially dictate to us what are considered to be the most 'Divine truths'.
There is, however, a phenomenal danger in empowering such a hierarchical structure of authority - the most critical one being the giving away of one's emotional, sovereign free will. For thousands of years, a large percentage of humanity have, to one degree or another, (unconsciously) surrendered their personal free will to religious and spiritual authorities in exchange for attaining what they believe to be promises of salvation or spiritual enlightenment. More importantly though, there has been an immense fear that humans have held concerning the idea of choosing not to accept and follow a religious or spiritual belief system of some sort - the fear of persecution and abandonment.
This fear I am talking about here is a deeply rooted emotional belief in the human being… As a society, we have believed for such a long period of time that we are separate from Love and from each other, and this has created a tremendously powerful sense of vulnerability within the unconscious human mind, and an animalistic, survival-based desire to 'belong' by any means necessary - even if that entails buying into and believing in ideas that one may have absolutely no ability to relate to, in comparison with their own personal, experience-based truths... It is, initially at least, a rather daunting place to be in one's mind - the place of not knowing, or 'the void' as I like to call it. However, it is one that ultimately we each must courageously face at some point in our evolutionary journey as human beings.
Having spent countless hours reading, researching and learning new information in the spiritual field over the past few years, I have only recently come to realise that the New Age movement is, at its core, simply just another religious structure of belief systems. In saying this however, I am not implying that there is no truth to any of the material which is available out there, nor am I saying that it has been of no service to anyone on their path. Rather, what I am pointing to, is the fact that its foundations are based on abstract concepts of the mind - and typically from someone else's mind, rather than one's own… As much as that part of me which feels powerless and vulnerable sometimes would love to emotionally hang on to the never-ending promises of an 'event' that will magically change everything for the better in our society overnight, or 'Divine intervention from our space brothers and sisters', I know deep down that these hopes stem from a place of victim consciousness, and from a conditioned belief that we all need to be 'saved' by some higher, benevolent force outside of ourselves. This is also another example of the surrendering of one's power and responsibility to an external authority, and this ultimately only serves to weaken us both individually and collectively. My heart, meanwhile, has been quietly whispering and inviting me to "come back home". Perhaps you have been hearing a similar call from your own recently? If so, I strongly encourage you to listen to it...
In my eyes, the New Age movement is just another religion, because its foundation is rooted on a set of spiritually-based belief systems - benevolent ETs, angels, Ascended Masters, The Illuminati, etc… Again, I am NOT saying here that none of the information out there on such subjects is true, but I am saying that a lot of it is stuff I simply cannot relate to on an experiential level. What I'm talking about here is a brutally honest self-inquiry into what one truly knows. I for one, have absolutely no knowledge on a personal, experiential level of these subjects - other than what I have read and watched videos about online in my journeys 'down the rabbit hole'. In reality, however, this is not a great deal more effective in acquiring 'true knowledge' than by watching a documentary on television. Therefore, the question that my heart begs is "How do I know what I am reading about and what I am watching is really true or even exists?"… Well, I don't know. That's the honest truth, for my own experience in this life so far at least - I don't know!
The only 'spiritual experiences' I can honestly say I've had so far, in which I truly felt I experienced something that was 'beyond the veil' of this physical world, have been (on separate occasions) a series of intensely traumatic past-life regressions, as well as an utterly euphoric 'flash' of no-time - both of which I experienced on my own, in deep, silent meditations. I still don't really understand what these actually were on an intellectual/conceptual level, but to me, they serve as prime examples of what I call 'experiential knowledge' - experiences that are far too mystical and sacred to be confined to the limitations of the mind or communicated accurately enough in language. This is the problem with modern spirituality in my view, particularly in the Western world - it has been approached predominantly through the mental and conceptual workings of the mind - the majority of which perceive reality through beliefs of separation and limitation (illusion).
To clarify - the only things I truly know are the personal experiences I have had in this life so far, and even those I question in terms of some of the mentally conditioned meanings I have given to them. This is why I feel that the heart is the golden key to uncovering one's true, inner knowing and wisdom - because it doesn't decipher reality and experience in a way of quantifying and comparing everything, like the mind does. Instead, it is always open and available to new perspectives... The truth is, it is as daunting to let go of what you think you know as it is liberating, and yet the mind will do everything it can to hold on to its illusory sense of control and 'knowing'. But it is a choice that everyone has to make - to continue following the patterns of the mind, or to authentically lead (to be led by the heart).
We are living in times where the structures of the mind's belief in separation and limitation are beginning to collapse - both within ourselves and in the world. As I have mentioned already, it is a time of great uncertainty, and this is why I encourage you now more than ever to come back to yourself - to your heart centre. It is within this inner space that you will discover the truth for yourself, because it is a truth that is unique to you as it is to every individual, and it is something that you can only truly discover on a personal level (if you choose to, of course).
The days of looking to religious and spiritual gurus for the answers we seek are over… This is about our willingness to take responsibility for our lives, and to remember that WE have the power within us - the power of Love. The power to BE empowered, guided, discerning, and conscious individual creators in an ever-evolving physical form.
Thank you for reading, and may the light of Love within you shine ever more brightly as we now enter a glorious new epoch in our human journey - one of peace, harmony, freedom and joy for all beings...
~ Matthew
- Reclaim Your Empowered Self
Copied from: http://www.reclaimyourempoweredself.com/
I have been on a path of conscious 'spiritual awakening' for just over four years now, and while in many ways it has been a journey of learning new information, I have come to understand that it has been more a process of unlearning - of shredding the mind's many layers of 'knowing'. What remains at the core? Experiential truth. But that is something I will discuss a bit later on…
We are currently living in times of great uncertainty. The world is constantly changing at a rapid pace, and now more than ever humans are looking for answers - answers to their problems, to their true identity, to the real meaning of their existence and of life itself. For generations, religion has served as a key foundation in many people's daily lives - deemed as an authority of the highest order, and one that can essentially dictate to us what are considered to be the most 'Divine truths'.
There is, however, a phenomenal danger in empowering such a hierarchical structure of authority - the most critical one being the giving away of one's emotional, sovereign free will. For thousands of years, a large percentage of humanity have, to one degree or another, (unconsciously) surrendered their personal free will to religious and spiritual authorities in exchange for attaining what they believe to be promises of salvation or spiritual enlightenment. More importantly though, there has been an immense fear that humans have held concerning the idea of choosing not to accept and follow a religious or spiritual belief system of some sort - the fear of persecution and abandonment.
This fear I am talking about here is a deeply rooted emotional belief in the human being… As a society, we have believed for such a long period of time that we are separate from Love and from each other, and this has created a tremendously powerful sense of vulnerability within the unconscious human mind, and an animalistic, survival-based desire to 'belong' by any means necessary - even if that entails buying into and believing in ideas that one may have absolutely no ability to relate to, in comparison with their own personal, experience-based truths... It is, initially at least, a rather daunting place to be in one's mind - the place of not knowing, or 'the void' as I like to call it. However, it is one that ultimately we each must courageously face at some point in our evolutionary journey as human beings.
Having spent countless hours reading, researching and learning new information in the spiritual field over the past few years, I have only recently come to realise that the New Age movement is, at its core, simply just another religious structure of belief systems. In saying this however, I am not implying that there is no truth to any of the material which is available out there, nor am I saying that it has been of no service to anyone on their path. Rather, what I am pointing to, is the fact that its foundations are based on abstract concepts of the mind - and typically from someone else's mind, rather than one's own… As much as that part of me which feels powerless and vulnerable sometimes would love to emotionally hang on to the never-ending promises of an 'event' that will magically change everything for the better in our society overnight, or 'Divine intervention from our space brothers and sisters', I know deep down that these hopes stem from a place of victim consciousness, and from a conditioned belief that we all need to be 'saved' by some higher, benevolent force outside of ourselves. This is also another example of the surrendering of one's power and responsibility to an external authority, and this ultimately only serves to weaken us both individually and collectively. My heart, meanwhile, has been quietly whispering and inviting me to "come back home". Perhaps you have been hearing a similar call from your own recently? If so, I strongly encourage you to listen to it...
In my eyes, the New Age movement is just another religion, because its foundation is rooted on a set of spiritually-based belief systems - benevolent ETs, angels, Ascended Masters, The Illuminati, etc… Again, I am NOT saying here that none of the information out there on such subjects is true, but I am saying that a lot of it is stuff I simply cannot relate to on an experiential level. What I'm talking about here is a brutally honest self-inquiry into what one truly knows. I for one, have absolutely no knowledge on a personal, experiential level of these subjects - other than what I have read and watched videos about online in my journeys 'down the rabbit hole'. In reality, however, this is not a great deal more effective in acquiring 'true knowledge' than by watching a documentary on television. Therefore, the question that my heart begs is "How do I know what I am reading about and what I am watching is really true or even exists?"… Well, I don't know. That's the honest truth, for my own experience in this life so far at least - I don't know!
The only 'spiritual experiences' I can honestly say I've had so far, in which I truly felt I experienced something that was 'beyond the veil' of this physical world, have been (on separate occasions) a series of intensely traumatic past-life regressions, as well as an utterly euphoric 'flash' of no-time - both of which I experienced on my own, in deep, silent meditations. I still don't really understand what these actually were on an intellectual/conceptual level, but to me, they serve as prime examples of what I call 'experiential knowledge' - experiences that are far too mystical and sacred to be confined to the limitations of the mind or communicated accurately enough in language. This is the problem with modern spirituality in my view, particularly in the Western world - it has been approached predominantly through the mental and conceptual workings of the mind - the majority of which perceive reality through beliefs of separation and limitation (illusion).
To clarify - the only things I truly know are the personal experiences I have had in this life so far, and even those I question in terms of some of the mentally conditioned meanings I have given to them. This is why I feel that the heart is the golden key to uncovering one's true, inner knowing and wisdom - because it doesn't decipher reality and experience in a way of quantifying and comparing everything, like the mind does. Instead, it is always open and available to new perspectives... The truth is, it is as daunting to let go of what you think you know as it is liberating, and yet the mind will do everything it can to hold on to its illusory sense of control and 'knowing'. But it is a choice that everyone has to make - to continue following the patterns of the mind, or to authentically lead (to be led by the heart).
We are living in times where the structures of the mind's belief in separation and limitation are beginning to collapse - both within ourselves and in the world. As I have mentioned already, it is a time of great uncertainty, and this is why I encourage you now more than ever to come back to yourself - to your heart centre. It is within this inner space that you will discover the truth for yourself, because it is a truth that is unique to you as it is to every individual, and it is something that you can only truly discover on a personal level (if you choose to, of course).
The days of looking to religious and spiritual gurus for the answers we seek are over… This is about our willingness to take responsibility for our lives, and to remember that WE have the power within us - the power of Love. The power to BE empowered, guided, discerning, and conscious individual creators in an ever-evolving physical form.
Thank you for reading, and may the light of Love within you shine ever more brightly as we now enter a glorious new epoch in our human journey - one of peace, harmony, freedom and joy for all beings...
~ Matthew
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