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Awakening the Global Mind: A New Philosophy for Healing Ourselves and Our World (Sounds True Audio Learning Course) [Audiobook] (Audio CD) ~ Ashok Gangadean (Author) $125.00 Though the evolution of human culture has been shaped by such teachers as Buddha, Jesus, and Socrates, we still seem to be stuck in patterns of life that fail to embody our collective wisdom. With Awakening the Global Mind, groundbreaking philosopher Ashok Gangadean focuses on the essential teachings that are missing from modern thought--and articulates a new approach to global dialogue that is vital for our sustainability in the 21st century. Integrating the highest and best principles of Western, Eastern, and indigenous traditions, he presents a fascinating blueprint for a great shift in consciousness that can take us away from the trap of "egomental thinking" to ignite a new global wisdom for our time.	Inspirations For Your Awakening: A New Vision of The Ancient Book of Changes (Paperback) ~ John Dunne-Brady (Author) $69.90 Inspirations For Your Awakening is a masterpiece of spiritual insight. It contains profound messages based onthirty years of study and practice with the I Ching, as well as many other spiritual texts. Everyone can find wisdom to further their personal andspiritual development. Like the original I Ching, you can use this bookto seek guidance about specific situations and issues. The author has discovered aseries of powerful transformational mandalas within the structure of the IChing that he reveals in the pages of this book. These patterns open your chakras and allow healing to unfold, bringing you closer to your truth. They're present the cumulative results of a 3000 year old tradition and its evolution into a new level of awareness and spiritual knowledge. The messages in this book will help you stay centered and clear as you grow.	The Hidden Messages in Water Book (Paperback) Masaru Emoto (Author) $49.95 This book has the potential to profoundly transform your world view. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.
The Global Brain: The Awakening Earth in a New Century (Paperback) Peter Russell (Author) $80.00 We've seen the power of the internet to connect people around the world in ways never before known. This remarkable book argues that the billions of messages and pieces of information flying back and forth are linking the minds of humanity together into a single, global brain--a brain with astonishing potential for the Earth. Peter Russell, an acclaimed author and speaker, weaves together modern technology and ancient mysticism to present a startling vision of the world to come--one in which humanity is a fully conscious super-organism in an awakening universe. He shows that the human potential movement is growing quickly while influencing business, politics, and medicine.<P? This new edition is fully updated for the challenges we face in the twenty-first century.	Waking Up In Time: Finding Inner Peace In Times of Accelerating Change (Paperback) Peter Russell (Author) $49.95 In this new release of an award-winning bestseller, visionary scientist Peter Russell updates his classic manifesto for awakening to the mounting planetary crisis even while deepening our connection to inner tranquility. Russell powerfully demonstrates the need for a spiritual renaissance in the face of the dangers of ever-accelerating change. Amid fears of ecological catastrophe and political chaos, this book stands out for its message of sanity and hope. This tenth anniversary new edition features a new foreword by Ervin Laszlo, author of Macroshift, and new introduction by Peter Russell. Russell is the widely acclaimed author of the bestseller The Global Brain and other pioneering works. He earned degrees in theoretical physics and psychology at the Cambridge University in England, where he studied for a time under Stephen Hawking. His subsequent journey to India led to a lifetime exploration of meditation, Eastern philosophy, and the nature of consciousness.	The Consciousness Revolution (Paperback) Ervin Laszlo (Author) (Author), Stanislav Grof (Author), Peter Russell (Author) $49.95 In The Consciousness Revolution, three pioneers at the cutting-edge of Western thought reflect on the chances of peace in the world, on how society is changing, and on the changes we can make in ourselves. They consider the roles of art, science, education, goals and values, world views, religion, spirituality and, above all, consciousness - for the state of our consciousness is the key issue underlying almost everything else. As Ken Wilber asks in his Foreword, what does it all finally come down to? Peter Russell puts it like this: 'Each little bit counts we are all part of the same ground-swell. The most important question we need to ask is how can I put my own life in greater alignment with that ground-swell? How can I do my little one-hundred-thousandth worth to facilitate that shift a bit further?' These intense and memorable discussions among three of the finest minds of our time convey a sense of excitement and passion which we can carry forward in our own lives. The Consciousness Revolution is an essential guide to how our map of reality is changing in the midst of the global transformation going on in all parts of the world and in every sphere of life, in us and around us.
Quantum Shift in the Global Brain: How the New Scientific Reality Can Change Us and Our World (Paperback) Ervin Laszlo (Author) $49.95 The shift from scientific materialism to a multidimensional worldview in harmony with the world’s great spiritual traditions • Articulates humanity’s critical choice--to be the last decade of an outgoing, obsolete world, or the first of a new and viable one • Presents a new “reality map” to guide us through the environmental, scientific, and geopolitical upheavals we are experiencing Our world is in a Macroshift. The reality we are experiencing today is a substantially new reality--climate change, global corporations, industrialized agriculture--challenging us to change with our rapidly changing world, lest we perish. In this book, Ervin Laszlo presents a new “reality map” to guide us through the world shifts we are experiencing--the problems, opportunities, and challenges we face individually as well as collectively--in order to help us understand what we must do during this time of great transition. Science’s cutting edge now views reality as broader, as multiple universes arising in a possibly infinite meta-universe, as well as deeper, extending into dimensions at the subatomic level. Laszlo shows that aspects of human experience that had previously been consigned to the domain of intuition and speculation are now being explored with scientific rigor and urgency. There has been a shift in the materialistic scientific view of reality toward the multidimensional worldview of multiple interconnected realities long known by the world’s great spiritual traditions. By understanding the interconnectedness of our changing world as well as our changing “map” of the world, we can navigate with insight, wisdom, and confidence.		The Future of the Ancient World Book: Essays on the History of Consciousness (Paperback) Jeremy Naydler (Author) $45.00 The sacred consciousness that prevailed in antiquity is the key to unlocking our future • Shows how scientific consciousness, which gives primacy to the sense of sight, estranged us from the participatory spiritual consciousness of antiquity • Explores the vital importance of the imagination in reconnecting us to the spirit world The Future of the Ancient World sheds new light on the evolution of consciousness from antiquity to modern times. The twelve essays in this book examine developments in human consciousness over the past five thousand years that most history books do not touch. In ancient times, human beings were finely attuned to the invisible world of the gods, spirits, and ancestors. Today, by contrast, our modern scientific consciousness regards what is physically imperceptible as unreal. Our experience of the natural world has shifted from an awareness of the divine presence animating all things to the mere scientific analyses of physical attributes, a deadened mode of awareness that relies on our ability to believe only in what we can see. In these richly illustrated and wide-ranging essays that span the cultures of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and the early Christian period, Jeremy Naydler shows how the consciousness that prevailed in ancient times may inspire us toward a future in which we once again reconnect with invisible realms. If the history of consciousness bears witness to the loss of visionary and participatory awareness, it also shows a new possibility--the possibility of developing a free and objective relationship to the spirit world. Naydler urges us not only to draw inspiration from the wisdom of the ancients but to carry this wisdom forward into the future in a renewed relationship to the spiritual that is based on human freedom and responsibility.

The New Age Movement is in a class by itself. Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, creed, etc. They often use mutually exclusive definitions for some of their terms. The New Age is in fact a free-flowing spiritual movement; a network of believers and practitioners who share somewhat similar beliefs and practices, which they add on to whichever formal religion that they follow. Their book publishers take the place of a central organization; seminars, conventions, books and informal groups replace of sermons and religious services.

Quoting John Naisbitt:

"In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience...With no membership lists or even a coherent philosophy or dogma, it is difficult to define or measure the unorganized New Age movement. But in every major U.S. and European city, thousands who seek insight and personal growth cluster around a metaphysical bookstore, a spiritual teacher, or an education center." 1

The New Age is definitely a heterogeneous movement of individuals; most graft some new age beliefs onto their regular religious affiliation. Recent surveys of US adults indicate that many Americans hold at least some new age beliefs:

8% believe in astrology as a method of foretelling the future
7% believe that crystals are a source of healing or energizing power
9% believe that Tarot Cards are a reliable base for life decisions
about 1 in 4 believe in a non-traditional concept of the nature of God which are often associated with New Age thinking: 11% believe that God is "a state of higher consciousness that a person may reach"
8% define God as "the total realization of personal, human potential"
3% believe that each person is God.

The group of surveys cited above classify religious beliefs into 7 faith groups. 2 Starting with the largest, they are: Cultural (Christmas & Easter) Christianity, Conventional Christianity, New Age Practitioner, Biblical (Fundamentalist, Evangelical) Christianity, Atheist/Agnostic, Other, and Jewish, A longitudinal study from 1991 to 1995 shows that New Agers represent a steady 20% of the population, and are consistently the third largest religious group. 2

History of the New Age movement:
New Age teachings became popular during the 1970's as a reaction against what some perceived as the failure of Christianity and the failure of Secular Humanism to provide spiritual and ethical guidance for the future. Its roots are traceable to many sources: Astrology, Channeling, Hinduism, Gnostic traditions, , Spiritualism, Taoism, Theosophy, Wicca and other Neo-pagan traditions, etc. The movement started in England in the 1960's where many of these elements were well established. Small groups, such as the Findhorn Community in Inverness and the Wrekin Trust formed. The movement quickly became international. Early New Age mileposts in North America were a "New Age Seminar" run by the Association for Research and Enlightenment, and the establishment of the East-West Journal in 1971. Actress Shirley MacLaine is perhaps their most famous current figure.

During the 1980's and 90's, the movement came under criticism from a variety of groups. Channeling was ridiculed; seminar and group leaders were criticized for the fortunes that they made from New Agers. Their uncritical belief in the "scientific" properties of crystals was exposed as groundless. But the movement has become established and become a stable, major force in North American religion during the past generation. As the millennium comes to a close, the New Age is expected to expand, promoted by the social backlash against logic and science.

The one version of the "New Age" that does not exist:
Major confusion about the New Age has been generated by academics, counter-cult groups, Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians and traditional Muslim groups, etc. Some examples are:

Many of the above groups have dismissed Tasawwuf (Sufiism) as a New Age cult. In reality, Sufiism has historically been an established mystical movement within Islam, which has always existing in a state of tension with the more legalistic divisions within Islam. It has no connection with the New Age.
Some conservative Christians believe that a massive, underground, highly coordinated New Age organization exists that is infiltrating government, media, schools and churches. No such entity exists.
Some conservative Christians do not differentiate among the Occult, Satanism, Wicca, other Neopagan religions. Many seem to regard all as forms of Satanism who perform horrendous criminal acts on children. Others view The New Age, Neopagan religions, Tarot card reading, rune readings, channeling, work with crystal energy, etc. as merely recruiting programs for Satanism. In fact, the Occult, Satanism, Neo-pagan religions are very different phenomena, and essentially unrelated. Dr. Carl Raschke, professor of Religious Studies at the University of Denver describes New Age practices as the spiritual version of AIDS; it destroys the ability of people to cope and function." He describes it as "essentially, the marketing end of the political packaging of occultism...a breeding ground for a new American form of fascism."

New Age beliefs:
A number of fundamental beliefs are held by many New Age followers; individuals are encouraged to "shop" for the beliefs and practices that they feel most comfortable with:

Monism: All that exists is derived from a single source of divine energy.
Pantheism: All that exists is God; God is all that exists. This leads naturally to the concept of the divinity of the individual, that we are all Gods. They do not seek God as revealed in a sacred text or as exists in a remote heaven; they seek God within the self and throughout the entire universe.
Panentheism: God is all that exists. God is at once the entire universe, and transcends the universe as well.
Reincarnation: After death, we are reborn and live another life as a human. This cycle repeats itself many times. This belief is similar to the concept of transmigration of the soul in Hinduism.
Karma: The good and bad deeds that we do adds and subtracts from our accumulated record, our karma. At the end of our life, we are rewarded or punished according to our karma by being reincarnated into either a painful or good new life. This belief is linked to that of reincarnation and is also derived from Hinduism
An Aura is believed to be an energy field radiated by the body. Invisible to most people, it can be detected by some as a shimmering, multi-colored field surrounding the body. Those skilled in detecting and interpreting auras can diagnose an individual's state of mind, and their spiritual and physical health.
Personal Transformation A profoundly intense mystical experience will lead to the acceptance and use of New Age beliefs and practices. Guided imagery, hypnosis, meditation, and (sometimes) the use of hallucinogenic drugs are useful to bring about and enhance this transformation. Believers hope to develop new potentials within themselves: the ability to heal oneself and others, psychic powers, a new understanding of the workings of the universe, etc. Later, when sufficient numbers of people have achieved these powers, a major spiritual, physical, psychological and cultural planet-wide transformation is expected.
Ecological Responsibility: A belief in the importance of uniting to preserve the health of the earth, which is often looked upon as Gaia, (Mother Earth) a living entity.
Universal Religion: Since all is God, then only one reality exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate reality. The universal religion can be visualized as a mountain, with many sadhanas (spiritual paths) to the summit. Some are hard; others easy. There is no one correct path. All paths eventually reach the top. They anticipate that a new universal religion which contains elements of all current faiths will evolve and become generally accepted worldwide.
New World Order As the Age of Aquarius unfolds, a New Age will develop. This will be a utopia in which there is world government, and end to wars, disease, hunger, pollution, and poverty. Gender, racial, religious and other forms of discrimination will cease. People's allegiance to their tribe or nation will be replaced by a concern for the entire world and its people.

The Age of Aquarius is a reference to the precession of the zodiac. The earth passes into a new sign of the zodiac approximately every 2,000 years. Some believe that the earth entered the constellation Aquarius in the 19th Century, so that the present era is the dawning of the age of Aquarius. Others believe that it will occur at the end of the 20th century. It is interesting to note that the previous constellation changes were:

from Aries to Pisces the fish circa 1st century CE. This happened at a time when Christianity was an emerging religion, and many individuals changed from animal sacrifice in the Jewish temple to embracing the teachings of Christianity. The church's prime symbol at the time was the fish.
from Taurus to Aries the ram circa 2,000 BCE. This happened at a time when the Jews engaged in widespread ritual sacrifice of sheep and other animals in the Temple.
from Gemini to Taurus the bull circa 4,000 BCE. During that sign, worshiping of the golden calf was common in the Middle East.

New Age practices:
Many practices are found among New Agers. A typical practitioner is active in only a few areas:

Channeling A method similar to that used by Spiritists in which a spirit of a long dead individual is conjured up. However, while Spiritists generally believe that one's soul remains relatively unchanged after death, most channelers believe that the soul evolves to higher planes of existence. Chanelers usually try to make contact with a single, spiritually evolved being. That being's consciousness is channeled through the medium and relays guidance and information to the group, through the use of the medium's voice. Channeling has existed since the 1850's and many groups consider themselves independent of the New Age movement. Perhaps the most famous channeling event is the popular A Course in Miracles. It was channeled through a Columbia University psychologist, Dr. Helen Schucman, (1909-1981), over an 8 year period. She was an Atheist, and in no way regarded herself as a New Age believer. However, she took great care in recording accurately the words that she received.
Crystals Crystals are materials which have their molecules arranged in a specific, highly ordered internal pattern. This pattern is reflected in the crystal's external structure which typically has symmetrical planar surfaces. Many common substances, from salt to sugar, from diamonds to quartz form crystals. They can be shaped so that they will vibrate at a specific frequency and are widely used in radio communications and computing devices. New Agers believe that crystals possess healing energy.
Meditating A process of blanking out the mind and releasing oneself from conscious thinking. This is often aided by repetitive chanting of a mantra, or focusing on an object.
New Age Music A gentle, melodic, inspirational music form involving the human voice, harp, lute, flute, etc. It is used as an aid in healing, massage therapy and general relaxation.
Divination The use of various techniques to foretell the future, including I Ching, Pendulum movements, Runes, Scrying, Tarot Cards.
Astrology The belief that the orientation of the planets at the time of one's birth, and the location of that birth predicts the individual's future and personality. Belief in astrology is common amongst New Agers, but definitely not limited to them.
Holistic Health This is a collection of healing techniques which have diverged from the traditional medical model. It attempts to cure disorders in mind, body and spirit and to promote wholeness and balance in the individual. Examples are acupuncture, crystal healing, homeopathy, iridology, massage, various meditation methods, polarity therapy, psychic healing, therapeutic touch, reflexology, etc.
Human Potential Movement (a.k.a. Emotional Growth Movement) This is a collection of therapeutic methods involving both individualized and group working, using both mental and physical techniques. The goal is to help individuals to advance spiritually. Examples are Esalen Growth Center programs, EST, Gestalt Therapy, Primal Scream Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Transcendental Meditation and Yoga.

The Canadian Census (1991) recorded only 1,200 people (0.005% of the total Canadian population) who identify their religion as being New Age. However, this in no way indicates the influence of new age ideas in the country. Many people identify with Christianity and other religions, but incorporate many new age concepts into their faith.



"Indigo Children"
Some within the New Age movement believe that children with special powers and indigo colored auras have been born in recent years. According to Nancy Ann Tappe, this is a global phenomenon affecting over 95% of newborns since 1995. She writes:

"As small children, Indigo’s are easy to recognize by their unusually large, clear eyes. Extremely bright, precocious children with an amazing memory and a strong desire to live instinctively, these children of the next millennium are sensitive, gifted souls with an evolved consciousness who have come here to help change the vibrations of our lives and create one land, one globe and one species. They are our bridge to the future."

Some New Agers feel that the special personality factors among Indigo Children result in them being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD by therapists who do not understand their special qualities and needs. 6,7,8



References used:
J. Naisbitt & P. Aburdene, Megatrends 2000", William Morrow & Company, New York, NY (1990)
George Barnia, "The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators", Word Publishing, Dallas TX, (1996)
Richard Kyle, "The Religious Fringe", InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL (1993), Page 285-298
J.Gordon Melton, "Whither the New Age?", Chapter 35 of T. Miller, "America's Alternative Religions", SUNY Press, Albany, NY (1995)
R.T. Carroll, "A Course in Miracles," The Skeptic's Dictionary, at: http://skepdic.com/cim.html
Nancy Ann Tappe, "Understanding Your Life Through Color," 2004 book review at Sentient Times. See: http://www.sentienttimes.com/
Lee Caroll, "Indigo Children," Hay House, (1999). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
Doreen Virtue, "The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children," Hay House, (2001). Read reviews or order this book

Links to New Age web sites:
AquariusAge.com is a spiritual/new age web site with articles mostly in Dutch. See: http://www.aquariusage.com/
Blue Ridge Spirit is a web site featuring New Age and Metaphysical gifts and products. They also have a series of self-help essays "dedicated to empowering Individuals in the pursuit of clarity and truth during their lives journey." See: http://www.blueridgespirit.com/
The Center for the New Age in Sedona, AZ has "... over 15 professional psychic readers and energy healers..." specializing in "...spiritual quest and inner transformation." They distribute many free newsletters. See: http://www.sedonanewagecenter.com/
Life Positive offers "a complete encyclopedia on holistic living and new age alternative sciences." See: http://www.lifepositive.com/
LinkLight is a New Age site whose goal is to "create a spiritual connection between everyone on this Planet, and in this way raise the Consciousness of the Planet." They are at: http://www.linklight.com
New Age Truth emphasizes that: "...in seeking our paths we have the opportunity to embrace and explore all possible 'truths' before choosing the path which best fits our footsteps. Remembering that no one path is absolute. No truth is in itself whole. See: http://www.newagetruth.com/
New Age Web Works honors: "....all life as important, and all humanity as One." They support and invite :....the New Age, UFO, Pagan, Occult and Alternative Spirituality communities to share ideas, products and services." See: http://www.newageinfo.com/
Open2love.com is "a positive spiritual new age community for Lightworkers and Wanderers, featuring chat, forums, links and more."