A
Targeted Generation
Prior to the late l960s,
occultism in America was relatively obscure and considered an
eccentric pursuit. If such ideas were discussed in public, the
person expressing them would have been considered peculiar.
The l960s changed all that in a
relatively short period of time. I remember once having a
conversation with an elderly lady who had been involved with
occultism all of her life. She recounted to me how New Age
thought “hadn’t really gotten anywhere until the hippies came
along, then things really started to get off the ground.” Her
observation could not have been more accurate.
Many people think of the 1960s as
a time when a bunch of outlandish young people acted up and
tweaked the nose of straight society. In reality, it was a
social and cultural revolution of gigantic proportion. These
shifts in attitudes during the 1960s deeply affected the social
fabric of the entire Western world.
The youth/drug/rock
counterculture, as it was called, could be broken down into
three basic segments:
The Radical
Political Element:
Collectively known as the New Left, they wanted to off the
pig (kill police), smash the state, and give power to the
people. In other words, they considered themselves to be the
politically motivated vanguard who would lead progressive
elements of society in a broad-based socialist revolt
against what they perceived as the capitalist/imperialist
coalition of government and military. In addition to those
who wanted revolution, there were many who simply wanted to
see the war in Vietnam end.
The Hedonists:
These were the ones who really
just wanted to party. This meant getting stoned, engaging in
promiscuous sex, listening to Jimi Hendrix or the Jefferson
Airplane, looking hip, and giving lip service to whatever
seemed to be fashionable at the time. They had no real
commitment to anything other than their own pleasure.
The Spiritual
Seekers: These were the ones
who had spiritual insights from their involvement with drugs
(mainly LSD) and Eastern mystical practices. They were into
yoga, 1-Ching, tarot cards, astrology, Zen, Native American
lifestyles, Atlantis, UFOs, ESP, Eastern gurus,
reincarnation, holistic health, and other such interests. In
other words, instead of Marxism and pleasure seeking, these
people were delving into the Ancient Wisdom as the answer to
the world’s problems. What made them significant is that
they numbered in the millions.
Those in New Age circles have
rallied around and taken very seriously a book called The
Starseed Transmissions, purportedly channeled from a being
[demonic spirit guide] who
called himself “Raphael.” Many highly respected New Age leaders,
such as Jean Houston, have praised it for telling us what the
intention and plan of the New Age is really all about. The book
gives some keen insights. In it, Raphael describes the mission
he and his kind are pursuing:
"There is but the flimsiest
of screens between your present condition and your true
nature. It is our mission to assist you in bridging this
gap, to awaken you from sleep, to bring you to the
fulfillment of your destiny."[12]
According to Raphael, the 1960s
played a key role in this mission. This is very apparent in his
comments about that time period. He speaks of their
(Raphael and his fellow spiritual entities) first large scale
entry into our “historical process” in the late 1960s:
"At that time, the members of
your species most responsive to our descending vibrational
patterns were those who had not yet assumed clearly defined
social roles. Within them, we could plant the seeds of our
Life-giving information with the greatest chance for
successful germination.... We chose the years 1967 to 1969
for this first large scale experiment, because at that time
in your global civilization there was an entire generation
coming into maturity that was receptive to change on a
planetary scale."[13]
What Raphael said he and his kind
were going to do has happened just the way he explained it
would. The generation that embraced these metaphysical ideas in
the 1960s has been the catalyst for the current surge of
spiritual transformation that is now permeating our society.
Because of this, occultism is no
longer a proper term for the Ancient Wisdom since it is not
hidden from view or kept secret any more. In fact, just the
opposite is now the case. Being anything but hidden, it is
highly visible and available to anyone. I heard one practitioner
on the radio put it very aptly when he said that in the last
twenty years occultism has come out of the closet, and it will
never be driven back in.
Another metaphysician made a
similar concurrence by stating:
"At one time such cosmic
knowledge was hard to come by. It was known as the mystery
teachings, or the occult (hidden) teachings, or the secret
doctrine and it was only available to selected individuals
in secret retreats which have always existed on Earth. Now
it is available to all who are interested."[14]
The
New Age Around the World
The New Age phenomenon is by no means confined only to America.
In virtually every country in the world you can find evidence
that it is having an impact. In countries such as India, Japan,
and Nigeria, it has been the traditional spirituality for
centuries. In many others, especially countries that have been
traditionally Christian, the New Age movement is expanding
Germany is a good example of this. Consider the following quotes
in a West German magazine from the 1980s:
"[The movement] has exploded
in the BRD (West Germany) - [since] 1986 an infrastructure
has spread out.... it is very typical of the early phases of
a mass movement.... Germany is over-ripe for New Age,” says
Gerd Gerken of the Creative House. “In this country there is
a high potential for the transformation.”[15]
Great Britain has also been
engulfed in the New Age tide. One annual New Age festival, the
Glastonbury Festival, has been in existence since 1970 and draws
a crowd of 150,000 each year.[16]
A sympathetic English clergyman had this to say:
The popularity of the
Meditation movement today is beyond doubt. All sections of
society, religious and secular, urban and rural have felt
its impact. It is everywhere apparent, from the now familiar
groups meeting regularly in church halls for the practice of
Yoga to the recent invasion of rural Sussex by Buddhist
contemplatives.[17]
The New Age view has become
so respectable and mainstream in Great Britain that some very
notable personalities have no qualms about endorsing practices
that are distinctly metaphysical. One popular healer in London
who uses occult energies in her work has the openly public
support of none other than Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of
York, widely known as Fergie:
"Alla [the healer] has
been a tremendous help in guiding me in all aspects of my
physical and emotional well being. Whenever I go to see her,
she recharges my energy and enables me to cope with the many
challenges and demands of my busy life. She offers me sound
practical advice that I’m sure would make sense to anyone
who is struggling to find time to focus on their health in
the midst of a hectic lifestyle.”[18]
This healer is also endorsed by
Elizabeth Hurley, one of the most beautiful and high
profile models and actresses in Great Britain.
Back in the Soviet Russia of the
80's, there was a thriving interest in Aquarian pursuits. A book
on citizen diplomacy to the Soviet Union at the time revealed:
"Growing numbers of Soviets
are experimenting with and avidly pursuing interests in
meditation, yoga, vegetarianism, exercise, massage,
encounter groups, gestalt groups, est, underwater birthings,
crystals, psychic healing, clairvoyance, telepathy, Aikido
and transformationalism... Literature on yoga, sufism,
Buddhism, Vedanta, Cabala, the lost knowledge of ancient
civilizations, and other esoteric subjects is available and
finds a wide audience.. .we know for certain that many top
officials are involved in these activities themselves.”[19]
Today, Russian metaphysical
pursuits are still going strong, very strong! In her fascinating
book on modern Russia, Moscow Days, journalist Galina
Dutkina explains:
[T]here have never been so
many people involved with the occult sciences and paranormal
phenomena in Russia as there are now. Two years ago the
evidence of this was only bubbling on the surface like foam,
but now it has penetrated throughout everyday life. Wherever
you look on television or in the newspapers, astrologists
and magicians, shamans and traditional psychics, warlocks
and witches, healers and medicine men, seers and
clairvoyants....
"There are numerous schools,
courses, and academies of all types where you can learn
these crafts yourself, where there are courses in telling
fortunes by the stars, healing, casting spells, and
harnessing or simply invoking the forces of darkness or
cosmic energy."[20]
You can
order
For Many Shall Come in My Name from
Lighthouse Trails at
www.lighthousetrails.com/formanyshallcome.htm
Reference citations
are in the book.
