| Many of us into metaphysics are frequently | | | | of them were mutually exclusive or |
| called upon by our "non-New Age" friends and | | | | antithetical. Interestingly, however, |
| acquaintances to explain ourselves and our | | | | religion based on theism is, by definition, a |
| metaphysical orientation to them. "What is | | | | part of metaphysics, as any concept of a |
| metaphysics" "What is the 'New Age?'" "What | | | | deity in traditional Western religion is |
| do you believe in?" "What makes your | | | | outside the purview of our three-dimensional |
| spirituality different?" | | | | reality. |
| | | | |
| As those of us hard-core metaphysical types | | | | Which leads us to another interesting |
| know, you can't really say that there is any | | | | hallmark of contemporary metaphysics and the |
| one set of beliefs that all "New Agers" are | | | | "New Age:" the spirituality is experiential. |
| into. (As a matter of fact, the term "New | | | | |
| Age" or "New Ager" is somewhat distasteful to | | | | And some of the causative factors involved |
| many into metaphysics.) The New Age | | | | with this experiencing of spirituality are |
| "movement" is a widely diversified | | | | somewhat understandable. |
| conglomerate of subsets of ideas and | | | | |
| explorations - so truly diversified that one | | | | Many have theorized that the current interest |
| could hardly ascribe the term "movement" to | | | | in spirituality and metaphysics may in part |
| it, as this term connotes a cohesive, unified | | | | be viewed as a reaction against the Age of |
| organization. One person into crystals and | | | | Reason and the perceived pursuant |
| spirit guides, for example, may not be into | | | | overemphasis on the strictly material and |
| UFO abduction phenomena. And those into | | | | empirical - that there is a longing for the |
| paganism or magick may not necessarily break | | | | transcendently spiritual, instead of feeling |
| bread together well with those into angels or | | | | bogged down in a strict immersion in the |
| Christed energy. | | | | physical. I. e., after a couple of centuries |
| | | | of emphasis on the empirically provable and |
| So, what is it that links those of us into | | | | concrete, there is a longingfor the spiritual |
| metaphysics and the New Age together? What | | | | as an antidote. |
| are the common threads? | | | | |
| | | | Just as the Age of Reason spawned a golden |
| First of all, let's look at the terms | | | | age for science and intellect, Western |
| themselves, so that we may gain some insight | | | | religions became more oriented toward beliefs |
| into what we are identifying ourselves with. | | | | and religious practices that grew out of and |
| | | | drew upon the left brain - i. e., in |
| "Metaphysics" is a term derived from the | | | | religious beliefs and practices, we stayed in |
| Greek: "meta" is a prefix meaning beyond or | | | | our heads. |
| greater than and "physics" refers to that | | | | |
| which is physical (or at least what we as a | | | | At the same time, Western religions have |
| culture understand at the present time to be | | | | traditionally encouraged adherents to cede |
| our physical reality). Thus, we can thank | | | | control to the church and its authority, |
| Greek for our term metaphysics - the realm of | | | | rather than encouraging believers to take |
| that which transcends physical reality. | | | | individual responsibility for their own |
| | | | spirituality. This approach worked for |
| The term "New Age," on the other hand, does | | | | centuries until the advent of more public |
| not have such a lengthy history or tradition. | | | | education and the resultant higher education |
| Ostensibly coined during the 60's (1960's, | | | | of the populace. Education leads to |
| not the 19th or any other century prior to | | | | empowerment. |
| this one), the term "New Age" referred to the | | | | |
| new astrological age we Earthlings were on | | | | Small wonder, then, that New Agers and those |
| the cusp of entering: the Age of Aquarius. | | | | into metaphysics want to experience their |
| (We had been in the Age of Pisces, we were | | | | spirituality, so that they may feel it, |
| told, for about 2000 years.) | | | | rather than simply think it, and that they |
| | | | want to have some control over their practice |
| On the face of it, it might appear that | | | | or manifestation of it, rather than strictly |
| metaphysics and the New Age might not have | | | | going through an external intermediary. This |
| anything intrinsically in common. However, | | | | shift to a feeling of control over one's |
| one common link would appear to be that of | | | | expression of spirituality also reflects the |
| spirituality. For example, little would seem | | | | trend towards personal responsibility, as |
| to light up the eyes of those into | | | | well as personal empowerment. |
| metaphysics more than a discussion of those | | | | |
| things spiritual. What transcends our | | | | Experiential spirituality may be expressed in |
| so-called physical reality more than spirit? | | | | various ways: some learn to meditate to tap |
| | | | into the divine; some are sensitized to the |
| With regard to the New Age, one hallmark of | | | | divine in nature and animals; some become |
| the transition from the Piscean to the | | | | healers or receive healing work; some seek to |
| Aquarian Age is the anticipated shift in | | | | tap into the divine and receive guidance; |
| consciousness, whether it is defined as a | | | | etc. The list goes on and on…. |
| vibrational frequency shift precipitated by | | | | |
| our approach to and entrance into the Photon | | | | Experiential spirituality shifts spirituality |
| Belt or is defined as an awakening and | | | | from something "out there," impersonal, and |
| concurrent "raising of awareness" brought | | | | external, to an internalization of the |
| about by astrological influences and | | | | divine. Aside from this making more people |
| energies. Consciousness is also the stuff | | | | mystics because they transcend the physical |
| that dreams - and matters spiritual - are | | | | in their spiritual explorations, it also |
| made of. | | | | represents a democritization of the |
| | | | spiritual, whereby we take control of our |
| Thus, one link between metaphysics and the | | | | spirituality, get out of being exclusively in |
| New Age "movement" would appear to be | | | | our heads and move into our hearts (and |
| spirituality and consciousness - those topics | | | | hopefully then move towards linking our |
| deemed insubstantial and ephemeral, at least | | | | hearts and our minds), and take personal |
| to the minds of those more pragmatic, | | | | responsibility for understanding our personal |
| empirical, and skeptical among us. | | | | beliefs and acting accordingly. (Another |
| | | | interesting reflection of the trend in our |
| The above may represent somewhat of an | | | | world toward democracy….) |
| oversimplification, but we may be | | | | |
| hard-pressed to find a New Ager or someone | | | | It is through experiential spirituality that |
| into metaphysics who wasn't basically | | | | we truly come to know what we believe and |
| pursuing some facet of spirituality, | | | | what we resonate with. It is a knowing akin |
| consciousness, or energy (a basic building | | | | to gnosis, where what we experience becomes a |
| block of reality and that which may be | | | | knowing that is a true knowing - because |
| affected by consciousness and spirituality). | | | | we've been there. Which is quite different |
| | | | from believing in ism's , creeds, and tenets |
| And this emphasis on spirituality and | | | | we've been told by external agents or |
| consciousness reflects an acknowledgment that | | | | authorities are true, but that we haven't |
| we are, in essence, spiritual beings - and | | | | truly experienced. |
| beings of pure energy, as consciousness is a | | | | |
| form of energy - even though we are "in the | | | | So, "what is metaphysics?" "What are you |
| body." As Wayne Dyer says, "We are spiritual | | | | into?" The next time someone asks us where |
| beings having a human experience." Or, as | | | | we're coming from with our "metaphysical |
| Deepak Chopra says, our bodies are contained | | | | stuff," maybe the notion of experiential |
| within our consciousness, not our | | | | spirituality and real gnosis may be some |
| consciousness contained within our bodies. | | | | grist for our mill in grinding out our |
| | | | answer. |
| Many people have attempted to compare | | | | |
| traditional religion and metaphysics, often | | | | First published in the March 1996 issue of |
| pitting one against the other, as if the two | | | | "Innerchange. |