Is New Age western or eastern philosophy?

[The Sum of Awe]

Western is like Christianity, Islam, Wicca, etc.

Eastern is like Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, etc.

 

[doppelganger]

It's usually a synchretism of both Eastern and Western thought. And it's not really that "new" even if you just restrict yourself to the West. Western mystics and philosophers have been working on such things all along, but our intellectual tradition splits religion from Philosophy in a way that the East doesn't.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I once suggested that New Age is the result of Postmodernism removing a specific spiritual base and allowing for all areas of spirituality to be explored. I think what we term of New Age is certainly the result of a new interest in mystical spirituality without cultural boundaries, but is being exploited at an alarmingly fast rate by the new Big Brother: Consumerism.

But that's not really on-topic. It would appear that the mixing of Eastern and Western thought is not at all a new thing, as Dopp suggests, but has been happening throughout human history. But our postmodern world is wonderfully equipped for spiritual exploration, with information readily available and communication across cultural lines easier. Now if we can keep it from becoming a McEnlightenment...

 

[doppelganger]

Now if we can keep it from becoming a McEnlightenment...

Too late . . . e.g. "The Secret" . . .

 

[Debunker]

Western is like Christianity, Islam, Wicca, etc.

Eastern is like Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, etc.

How do you define "new age" philosophy?That will help me to give you an answer.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

How do you define "new age" philosophy?That will help me to give you an answer.

Google it, look around in this section.

 

[doppelganger]

Google it, look around in this section.

The Wiki page for "New Age" describes it pretty well. It's the "self help" aspects of it that I find extremely distasteful, though the philosophy is otherwise quite sound.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Too late . . . e.g. "The Secret" . . .

Dude, The Secret is over.. it's all about The Power, now. Not The Power of Now...that's a different author, but that one is still "in" too.

 

[Breathe]

I agree with doppelgänger and Guitar's Cry.

I kind of like New Age philosophy, but there's too much that it's associated with now that I'm not keen on at all. Things like The Secret and quantum quackery that just ruin it to me.

Some of the things I find a bit distasteful are the way they re-interpret stuff, indigo children, divination and magic, the "age of Aquarius" stuff and then the Secret and ideas that seem to make the universe into a sugar daddy (Cosmic Ordering, etc), not to mention the "I learnt it from a Cherokee master" claims for how someone knows something.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Yes, New Age is great! I always look into it.

 

[no-body]

The answer to the OP is: yes.

The Wiki page for "New Age" describes it pretty well. It's the "self help" aspects of it that I find extremely distasteful, though the philosophy is otherwise quite sound.

I think the self help part is pretty commendable unless you mean just that branch of new-age which then I would tend to agree.

I find the psuedo-science and repackaging of ancient beliefs for materialistic gain to be extremely embarrassing and troubling.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Those crystals I bought for my chakras are incredible.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

I personally believe that it is both. It is equal parts western and eastern.

 

[SageTree]

An attempt for the West to (re)connect with it's ''Eastern'' origins.

 

[Mata]

I agree with doppelgänger and Guitar's Cry.

I kind of like New Age philosophy, but there's too much that it's associated with now that I'm not keen on at all. Things like The Secret and quantum quackery that just ruin it to me.

Some of the things I find a bit distasteful are the way they re-interpret stuff, indigo children, divination and magic, the "age of Aquarius" stuff and then the Secret and ideas that seem to make the universe into a sugar daddy (Cosmic Ordering, etc), not to mention the "I learnt it from a Cherokee master" claims for how someone knows something.

I feel the same way, more or less. I think many of the ideas behind the New Age movement are nice and commendable, but it's been extremely bogged down by commercialism and spiritual novelty. Another issue I have with it is the unnerving amount of cultural appropriation done within many New Age circles; i.e using Native American rituals or ceremonies without any real knowledge of their purpose, or refashioning beliefs and traditions to fit with their own culture, and still calling it _____. Instead of "my own version of _____ that's been drastically changed in context and purpose."

That aside, I think it's possible to be New Age without becoming a spiritual consumerist, or someone who (mis)applies quantum physics to everything in a attempt to make it more plausible; it just takes respect, and knowledge.

Bottom line, syncretism and eclecticism are extremely easy to do badly - but a magnificent feat to do well.

 

[nnmartin]

to me New Age seems a good definition to those of us who have a mixture of beliefs.

In general I would say I am most inclined to Paganism though don't really know enough about it to call myself Pagan. A lot about Buddhism and Hinduism appeals to me but I don't believe in karma. The Earth Goddess seems like God to me and always has done.

As for Christianity, it has some appeal as a philosophical creed but is just too contrived and the fact that it's based on a man made book doesn't really cut the mustard with me.

 

[Angel1]

It is both. But an upgrading for both and a merging.

Truth is One. A coin has 2 sides, head and tail, but still one coin, the very same. As one ascends the Path, he finds no conflicts.