Hey guys, since I was a young rebellious child I always claimed myself as an Atheist. Over the years, I researched many different religions, and I came to agree with some of their beliefs. I never believed specific religions in their entirety, just specific ideals.

Over time these have all built up into one belief system. The interesting thing is that the belief system is actually classified as 'New Age'.

I was interested to see what the general population of totse thought about New Age.

Sooo... what do you think?

Edit: Apologies, here are the basic beliefs.

- All humanity—indeed all life, everything in the universe—is spiritually interconnected, participating in the same energy. “God” is one name for this energy

- Spiritual beings (e.g. angels, ascended masters, elementals, ghosts) exist, and will guide us, if we open ourselves to their guidance

- The human mind has deep levels and vast powers, which are capable even of overriding physical reality. “You create your own reality.” Nevertheless, this is subject to certain spiritual laws, such as the principle of cause and effect (karma)

- The individual has a purpose here on earth, in the present surroundings, because there is a lesson to learn. The most important lesson is love.

- Death is not the end; there is only life in different forms. What some refer to as an afterlife does not punish us but teaches us, perhaps through the mechanisms of reincarnation or near-death experiences

- Western science wrongly neglects such things as parapsychology, meditation, and holistic health

- Feminine forms of spirituality, including feminine images of the divine, such as the female Aeon Sophia in Gnosticism, have been subordinated, masked, or obliterated by patriarchal movements that were widely practiced when sacred teachings were first committed to writing. A renaissance of the feminine is particularly appropriate at this time

- Meditation, yoga, t'ai chi ch'üan, and other Eastern practices are valuable and worthwhile

- Science and spirituality are ultimately harmonious. New discoveries in science, e.g. evolution and quantum mechanics, when rightly understood, point to spiritual principles

- An appeal to the language of nature and mathematics, as evidenced by numerology in Kabbala, gnosticism etc., to discern the nature of god

- Ancient civilizations such as Atlantis may truly have existed, leaving behind certain relics and monuments (the Great Pyramid, Stonehenge) whose true nature has not been discovered by mainstream historians

- Certain geographic locations emanate special energy, which may be male or female in character. Many such places may have been considered sacred in the worlds religions or as healing places by indigenous native populations. Sacred places Rocks and crystals have special psychic energies and can be an aid to meditation and healing

- The mind has hidden powers and abilities, which have a spiritual significance.

Dreams and psychic experiences are ways in which our souls express themselves.

There we go.

[This message has been edited by TheHammer (edited 10-02-2006).]

What the hell is New Age (specific details)?

OP, I agree with you entirely.

Yet the "new age" understand, or belief system is the most ridiculed and missunderstood belief system there is, or one of them.

A lot of what people are shoveling out and calling "new age" is not, yet I believe the basic beliefs you have are classified as "new age".

Yet, now with that said, I think all new age is a joke, it's a lie and slander.

It's to get people to believe that this is some sort of "fad" based movement that just began in the past few years, when in reatliy this level of spiritual interconnectedness and reality altering belief system has been around since the beginning.

I believe new age as you put it is the truth, yet when you find the truth in the world, when you see it, it won't be "new age". I believe that's just a label to try and compartmentalize it.

Also.

What most people would agree on is that new age is used to classify the movement of books, articles, sessions, groups and what not that are relying on the channeling of spirits who do not exist in manifest within the low-third dimension as physical humans do.

You can channel energy from anything so I think that's were a lot of the mix-ups come from. In the end "new age" is never the answer to anything, yet the things that it entails, the beliefs that people like to put with "new age" for the most part, I believe are right.

The beliefs being exactly what you listed.

In truth, "new age", may simply be the point where you start to live those believes, where the boundaries between one another and all seperate things in the physical dissolve and love is unbounded within you. Then you start to look odd to others because they don't understand and people begin to think you're so different that you deserve a label. Then new age comes about.

Irrational and not based on evidence, just like any mainstream religion.

Ate is a troll.

Most religious folks that talk about their beliefs are trolls, in real life or otherwise.

Sounds like an odd pagan religion with a little of everything mixed into it which is basically what you said, but im agreeing with ate, its not at all new and doesnt deserve the label of "new age".

quote:Originally posted by Surak:

Most religious folks that talk about their beliefs are trolls, in real life or otherwise.



Ate is an actual troll in that he impedes legitmate discussion by asking inane questions, giving illogical responses, and constantly changing the subject and his position. In this thread he deleted the particular offending post which directly preceded mine of calling him a troll.

But yes, I do agree that many religious folks (especially those that try to "spread the faith") behave just like trolls in real life.

[This message has been edited by Real.PUA (edited 10-02-2006).]

Yep, you're the one calling people trolls.

And yet I'm the troll because I'm agreeing with others, giving my opinion, and simply stating what I know.

Lol. Great logic ya got there bud.

quote:

he deleted



I deleted the post "Just like your statement!", because you you said

quote:

Irrational and not based on evidence, just like any mainstream religion.



And I believe I was right!

Lol! Look how you 'told on me', it's almost as if you are a young child taddle tailing on a student you don't like!

You must be young, play nice!

Hahahah! I fully realize what you're doing!



You're trying to defame me...to make your own opinions and values look better and more important by contrast! To both yourself and any one who reads what you write!

This doesn't work! You just make yourself look like a crude individual that doesn't understand or have respect for others experiences and opinions and you only learn to believe that you are right, for no reason other than that you can insult a person!

Hahaha, that's a skewed view of life if you ask me!

Anyone who follows you on that purpose does so because they either fear being on the wrong end of your insults, or because they blindly believe in what you say without looking deeper into what you're actually doing!

http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

You will learn eventually that this isn't the way the world works, well, it is, but only by the governments, militants, and media of today.



Defame all you want! It won't change a thing!





[This message has been edited by ate (edited 10-02-2006).]

^^Another example of trolling.

Why delete a post after being identified as a troll? Unless, of course, you are a troll...

[This message has been edited by Real.PUA (edited 10-02-2006).]

lol he wasn't being a tattle-tail, he was defending the comment he made about you being a troll.

why let a word such as troll be presumed to be directed towards the wrong post? He pretty much HAD to say you deleted your post, or else his comment would be taken in the wrong context.

quote:Originally posted by Merlinman2005:

lol he wasn't being a tattle-tail, he was defending the comment he made about you being a troll.

why let a word such as troll be presumed to be directed towards the wrong post? He pretty much HAD to say you deleted your post, or else his comment would be taken in the wrong context.



True true true, good point merlin.

Ok, you're a good guy for pointing out the you were calling...wait...he put my name in his post...how would anyone assume it wasn't for me? http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

And, I posted the same time you posted merlin, so it actually ate my post up...not that it's important.

LOL!

This is equal to......:

Real: You're stupid.

Me: Don't call me names, it's not a good tactic, and it's just plain crude!

Real: Look everyone he's stupid, he doesn't want me calling him names.

Hahah! http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

quote:Originally posted by Real.PUA:

^^Another example of trolling.

Why delete a post after being identified as a troll? Unless, of course, you are a troll...



1) What was wrong with my post?! It pointed out that you simply judged and insulted out of context and out of line, like you didn't want to inform people of why you were saying what you were saying, but simply that you said it!

2) I deleted my post in hopes that you would do the same, in realizing that posts like these only ruin and clog up the thread, if you deleted all of your posts in this thread, because they weren't related to the thread! I would do the same to all my unrelated posts!

As of now, we are trolling! Because we are off topic.

[This message has been edited by ate (edited 10-02-2006).]

Ate, you are the one impedeing discussion in this thread. The OP asked for thoughts on his "new age" beliefs, I stated that they suffer from the same lack of reasoning as mainstream religious beliefs. You then responded to my post saying my statement was unreasonable, when in fact, it is the opposite. Thus, instead indulging your inane comment, I simply identified you as a troll, and then you deleted you inane comment making it look like I called you a troll because of your original post in this thread.

You could be talking about irrationality of new age beliefs but instead we are talking about you being a troll. Why is that? Answer: Because you are trolling.

This is equal to......:

Real: You're stupid.

Me: Don't call me names, it's not a good tactic, and it's just plain crude!

Real: Look everyone he's stupid, he doesn't want me calling him names.

****************************

Wrong. From what I understand it was more like this.

ate- blah blah

real- hey troll

ate- *deletes trolling post*

ate- i'm not a troll

real- yea you are, you just deleted the evidence

ate- hahaha you told on me

merlinman- he should tell on you

quote:Originally posted by Real.PUA:

[B]Ate, you are the one impedeing discussion in this thread. The OP asked for thoughts on his "new age" beliefs, I stated that they suffer from the same lack of reasoning as mainstream religious beliefs.



Why! Don't just say it! Explain it! Explain your views, expand on them! Otherwise guess what? See below!

quote:

You then responded to my post saying my statement was unreasonable, when in fact, it is the opposite.



You stated something was unfounded, without founding your own statement!

quote:

Thus, instead indulging your inane comment, I simply identified you as a troll, and then you deleted you inane comment making it look like I called you a troll because of your original post in this thread.



I hoped you would delete your insult!

quote:

You could be talking about irrationality of new age beliefs but instead we are talking about you being a troll. Why is that? Answer: Because you are trolling.

Because you chose to insult instead of explain what you meant, like I had originally implied you hadn't with my post!

quote:

Why is that? Answer: Because you are trolling.



You state this because you said my comment was 'inane' but I explained why it was relative, and that if you wanted to make sense then you should at least state how you found your beliefs of something being unfounded! So I am not the troll, and neither are you! Yet you are insulting! So what does that make you?

Actually it happened like this. http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

quote:Originally posted by Merlinman2005:

real-it's unfounded!

ate-that statement was unfounded!

real- hey troll

ate-*deletes post in in hopes of ending it there*

ate- don't insult, it's trolling!

real-troll

merlinman-*puts his spin on it*





I was there. http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif) I saw the whole thing.

omg no way!!! Wow, this changes everything!!



Not.

your outline of events was flawed, so i corrected it.

get it?

What do you mean?

That's the way it went down, post by post.

Knock knock... is there anyone there?

Well, so much for THAT idea...

I'm sorry.

Hey hey hey, why don't we do the OP a favor.

We can make the thread as good as new by deleting our posts. What do you say?

By that I mean every post after both of our firsts posts, real.

[This message has been edited by ate (edited 10-02-2006).]

Off topic discussion becomes a part of a lot of threads.

It just needs to get placed back on the right track. The offer you made about deleting posts implies that you're ready for this.

I'm gonna keep the posts up. And prepare an answer for the OP.

Response post:

Alot of the stuff there is pretty good, but I'd like to talk about a couple.

The ancient civilizations part doesn't say anything else about them.. as in how they lived or destroyed themselves (not that it had to, just sayin')

I don't personally believe that energy has a gender unless it's from a certain person. Like, their spirit's sig would tell you. I kinda think places can have energy, like generic energy, not psychic buildup from people.

I think dreams and psychic stuff is just our doing, but not our soul's expression. IT's us. And we need to take a closer look at that and accept it as a race, instead of makin' it out to be crazy talk.

The belief system described is very much like the one that one of my friends follows, but the blanket classification of "New Age" sounds wrong. Its hardly new, beliefs like this have been around for quite along time, many of them are the just the more likeable and pleasant aspects of other religions. And I’m sure that many of the believers aren’t too keen on the term either.

quote:Originally posted by Real.PUA:

Ate is a troll.

You're the troll, not ate. GTFO.

He actually responded to what was relevant, you just spammed.



As for the new age: Secret messages from the past? people with powers? places on the planet that are better than other places spiritually? Evolution has to do with spirituality?

Sounds bogus to me, and illogical.

quote:Originally posted by flatplat:

The belief system described is very much like the one that one of my friends follows, but the blanket classification of "New Age" sounds wrong. Its hardly new, beliefs like this have been around for quite along time, many of them are the just the more likeable and pleasant aspects of other religions. And I’m sure that many of the believers aren’t too keen on the term either.

Good points. Take crystals, for example--sort of a big New Agey thing. Shamans all over the world have been using quartz crystals for thousands of years, in various and sundry specific ways.

Some airy-fairy New Agers, however, just accumulate them and don't actually do anything with them or understand anything about their supposed attributes.

quote:Originally posted by ShouldTrip:

You're the troll, not ate. GTFO.

He actually responded to what was relevant, you just spammed.



As for the new age: Secret messages from the past? people with powers? places on the planet that are better than other places spiritually? Evolution has to do with spirituality?

Sounds bogus to me, and illogical.



How is it illogical? Don't throw out words you don't really know.

THEOSOPHY FTW!

http://www.theosophical.org/

its surprizing how extreamly similar our beliefs are.



yipppie!