Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952)We recently received a very candid testimony from a former member of the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), which is supposedly about acquiring self-realization through yogic control of the mind and body, but members say it’s more like a cult. Thankfully, Our Lord rescued this member from the SRF through faith in the promises of the Miraculous Medal.
(Photo courtesy of Wikicommons Images Sarah Rozenthuler and Gil Dekel CC BY-SA 3.0)Some of today’s hottest selling New Age books were written by a middle-aged man who turned to God after four divorces, countless career changes and a car wreck that left him with a broken neck. In the middle of a February night in 1992, Neale Donald Walsch picked up a pen and wrote an anguished letter to God. “What does it take to make life work?”
JD writes: "I tuned into your program on the New Age movement and it suddenly brought a question to light for me. Last week I purchased a children's book entitled Journey to the Heart - Centering Prayer for Children by Frank X. Jelenek. I purchased this at a very conservative Catholic bookstore with the intention of reading it to my daughter's kindergarten class at a Catholic school. After your show, I pulled out the book and found no apparent "Catholic" connection within the book. The content is a little concerning in light of your program. Is it possible for you to comment on the legitmacy/intention of this book and if it is or is not recommended by you."
We had a caller on a recent Wacky Wednesday show who knew someone claiming to be a “blue domer.” She didn’t know much about it, and neither did we, until we did a little digging. Here’s what we discovered.
DP writes: "Recently on an episode of your show, I heard a priest speak negatively about a book titled, "The Cloud of Unknowing," saying that it was New Age. . .
A friend of mine sent me an e-mail from a purveyor of crystal singing bowls who alleges that using the bowls with guided meditation will enable persons to do everything from attracting millions into their bank accounts to awakening their DNA (whatever that means).
SM writes: "I have a friend who insists that every word of a prayer novena has to be said correctly, or you have to start all over. Is this true?"
C asks: "What are the Church's teachings about speaking in tongues? I have to admit that I was thrown for a loop while reading a book by Fr. George Montague about The Holy Spirit when he talked about speaking in tongues as though it is normal. Is this true? I am in RCIA, so still learning about the church."
GM asks: "What is flame meditation, and what does the fact that my psychology professor does it tell me about her (as well as her denial of absolute truth)?"
