The New-Age Movement: Full of Narcissists Or Truly Magical People?
It’s hard not to get really down thinking about humanity when you’re scrolling through social media or spending time on the Internet. Even just walking into a store can be enough to put you in the wrong mood. The New-Age movement has permeated our culture, and years ago, I would have been so delighted by this news. Unfortunately, the version of the New-Age Movement that dominantly exists now is not the movement that I came to love and grow within.
Our society truly has devolved into a mish-mosh mess of labels, fake identities, false claims, and unhealthy obsessions. The original New-Age Movement provided so many opportunities for growth, spiritual enlightenment, and light-seeking, but it has been hijacked by people seeking attention, thinking it’s trendy, and not fully embracing the purpose and meaning of becoming a person of the New Age.
If you’re wondering if you’ve been surrounding yourself with a bunch of New-Age Narcissists, or if you might be one yourself and want to change for the better, then let’s talk about the dangers of getting sucked into this label and identity-obsessed consumerist culture.
Appropriating the Spirituality of Other Cultures Without Embracing the True Light
We’ve all seen it. Maybe we’re even guilty of it ourselves. Some of the most inspiring Divine Masters of history and the biggest spiritual movements have come out of cultures we’re not a part of and haven’t even experienced first-hand. For instance, how many people do you know have been practicing Yoga but have never been to India and have not even bothered to become informed about the origins and true meanings behind this amazing practice?
So many Yoga classes available now are just empty shells of the practice. They are meant more for exercise than for genuine spiritual practice, or they just feed into the ego rather than cultivate spiritual growth. In reality, Yoga is an essential element to the faith and spiritual lives of so many people, but it’s been copied and pasted over to Western Culture without all that wealth of light, love, and divinity. Then, it’s been exploited through marketing and consumerism to the point that it’s almost unrecognizable from its true purpose.
Scrolling through Instagram, I bet there are at least one or two people who come to mind who you see posting their Yoga journey. They have endless selfies and photoshoots of them striking popular poses, meeting with their spiritual teachers, and wearing expensive clothes and accessories that call to mind South Asian cultures.
All of this, I bet, is just a play on their ego. They’re obsessed with their self-created identity as a Yoga student, getting in touch with their spirit, and they want everyone everywhere to know it. Their identity is marked and advertised to the world through their clothes, home decor, trips to the studio, and endless posts online.
Now, I’ve talked a lot about Yoga, but that’s only just one example. Many other practices have been hijacked and turned into consumer products and services that entirely miss the authenticity and purpose of these things.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, for example, also has so many amazing practices like Qi Gong, acupuncture, and Chinese Herbal Medicine that have been hijacked and turned into purely exercise or spa treatments.
Next time you find something in the New-Age Movement that you’re thinking about trying, first ask yourself: Am I taking on this practice because I fully understand its importance and purpose and have the intent to change my life through it, or am I just attracted to the consumerism and altered identity it will give me?
Obsessing Over Trauma, Fears, and Hurdles With No Intent to Grow and Move On
Similar to how many people take on spiritual practices for the sake of feeding their ego, the New-Age Movement is also overflowing with people who have adopted the language of self-awareness and reflection but not the intention to be reformed and healed.
The New-Age Movement, or at least the original version, urged us to dive deep within ourselves, identify our flaws, recognize our dark sides, and pursue the light. We’re supposed to seek change, evolve, and become our best selves. In the New-Age Movement culture that exists now, we’re focusing way too much on speaking about ourselves and dwelling on our past and the negatives.
Think about it: how many conversations have you had where the formula is always the same? “Oh, I’ve had a very terrible childhood full of toxic family members. I still struggle with the trauma and all the bad habits that I have left over from that.” And then they make some really quick, disingenuous remark about how they’re working on themselves.
Or maybe you hear this a lot: “All these people around me are way too negative. They are really bringing down my mood, vibes, and spiritual health. I really need to cut these people off.”
How about this? Do you know that one person that just never stops talking about themselves and their growth? Do they constantly word-vomit about their feelings, leaving no space for others, and have no intention of hearing anyone else’s advice or proposed solutions?
All of these behaviors are the result of self-obsession. These New-Age Narcissists believe they are participating in the New Age Movement by identifying “toxic” people and relationships and purging themselves of trauma and fear. At the same time, they’re never rolling up their sleeves to truly heal, find spiritual growth, or better themselves in any way. They never fully turn inward or reflect on how their own flaws might be causing their problems – or other peoples’ problems!
Feeding Into the Consumerism of New-Age Movement Symbols, Trends, and Products
We’ve already touched on this a bit, but I want to emphasize that the original New-Age Movement has been overrun with consumerism. It doesn’t take long for companies to identify trendy images, symbology, and practices that it can turn into a product or service and make major profits.
Gym and fitness chains have fully taken on Yoga classes as a daily exercise offering. Spas and resorts have embraced incense, essential oils, crystals, acupuncture, and culturally-distinct massage techniques.
Every cheap, fast-fashion mall store sells jewelry and clothing that consumerizes Asian and indigenous cultures for Western profit and enjoyment.
What’s at the very heart of consumerism? Narcissism. We buy these things because they feed into our ego. They help build our outward identity. That next pair of dream catcher earrings, that new incense holder, that fresh yoga mat you just bought – all of those products make us feel more trendy and more “in-tune” with our spirituality without actually feeding our spiritual growth.
Confrontation Is Not Only Scary But Completely Unwelcome
Finally, New-Age Narcissists are terrified of confrontation. They are so fearful of being confronted about themselves, in fact, that they’ll label anyone who dares to do so as toxic and turn them into outcasts.
How dare you insinuate that the Yoga studio I’ve been attending is led by a disingenuous guru? Can you believe that person told me I should stop being so obsessed with what kind of Starseed I am, or which number on the Enneagram fits me, and that I should instead start delving deeper into who I am and feeding my true light?
How dare they.
Self-obsessed, identity-obsessed, label-obsessed people are more concerned with introducing themselves to the world as a type of alien or personality label than they are with doing the deeper persona work. New-Age Narcissism is a religion for children, avoiders, and deeply broken people who are unwiling to face reality. They have no true intention of discovering themselves, they just want to follow the celebrities, influences, and trendy gurus that tell them lovely things and don’t really challenge them to change.
All these things are a replacement for the virtue, integrity, loving intention, and spiritual growth that are the hallmarks of the original genuine New Age Movement. I wish you luck on your journey to full enlightenment, and luck as well in finding others who are genuine light-seekers just like you.
REMEMBER!
You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.
Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.
LOTS OF BLESSINGS TO YOU!
There is no “Other.” There is only you experiencing yourself.
Meet Paul Wagner
Paul Wagner (Shri Krishna Kalesh) is an intuitive mystic, clairvoyant reader, and a loving life & business coach. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships.
He created The Shankara Oracle, a profound divination tool that includes 18 gemstones, a lavishly designed divination board, and over 300 penetrative oracle cards – all to help you heal to your core and illuminate your Being.
Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.
Paul tours the world lecturing on spiritual liberation. He lovingly offers intuitive readings, inspirational coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Book a session with Paul: HERE
