CB writes: “Could you give me a statement regarding the phrase 'self discovery’? This rings alarm bells for me but in the absence of clear cut info, I am struggling to find the right words.”
TD writes: "I am concerned because someone I know has recommended this book [by Pam Grout entitled E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality] to me and even the image on the cover scares me. Have you heard of this woman?"
EC writes: “We are having a parish 'retreat' day with a priest who also is heavily involved with the Silva Mind Control Method. Can you point me to any Vatican documents which expressly state that the Silva Mind Control Method is New Age and therefore incompatible with our Catholic faith? I want some 'backup' from the Church, so I can voice my objections to the Parish Priest.”
LL writes: "How do I know if a speaker is New Age or not? There are so many of them out there, and they make some very enticing promises. How do I know who is legit and who isn't?"
Photo by Joshua Newton on UnsplashThe ability to walk across burning hot coals is known as firewalking and many a New Age motivational speaker wants us to believe that our mind has the power to enable us to do this. Does this explain why so many people at these events end up with their feet on fire while others walk away unscathed?
BB writes: "A parishioner at my church is offering NLP at her health food store. It sounds kind of New Agey to me. Can you tell me more?
Motivational speaker Tony Robbins (photo courtesy of Randy Stewart via Wikimedia Commons)Tony Robbins, a popular motivational speaker and self-help guru who counsels his fans on the science of personal achievement may need to take some of his own advice as he struggles to recover from accusations of sexually abusing followers to labeling fans who underachieve as “losers.”
Werner Erhard (Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons, AkashOM, CC BY-SA 4.0)SC writes: "My sister, a confirmed Catholic and the godmother of my daughter, attended a Landmark Forum last weekend in Cincinnati. She was "invited" by her boyfriend. After looking at a website on cults and watching a video that a French TV station did on this group, I do believe that it is a cult. It has been around for awhile, but seems to have really hit the Midwest. I looked on your New Age blog but couldn't find an entry on this particular group. I told her it is anti-Christian and at the very least, she will be out of a lot of money. She has already signed up for more weekends, and asked me why I thought it was anti-Christian. What could be wrong with trying to make your relationships better with family and friends, she says? She is a smart woman and so is the boyfriend - I can't understand how they could be drawn to something which is such a scam."
Gabrielle Roth (1941-2012)We have received a question from a reader about a form of trance dancing known as the 5Rhythms. Is it New Age? And are there any connections to the occult?
