Thirsting for Transcendence: The New Age and the Call Back to Christ

While searching for control and connection, those who practice New Age spirituality — from tarot to Reiki, from manifestation to astrology — are led astray, into anxiety, depression and conflict.

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By Cecilia Dietzler

Across the Western world, New Age spirituality has seen a dramatic rise. From meditation apps to hair salons offering Reiki treatments, it seems to be a constant in our society. Yet, beneath the aesthetic appeal and trendy buzzwords, these practices carry real risks — both psychological and spiritual. While the New Age speaks to genuine desires of the human heart, it often redirects them away from God, the only source of true fulfillment. What begins as a journey of self-discovery and desire for control can quickly spiral into confusion, isolation and despair.  

This article will explore the rise of a spirituality that spans centuries, the psychological and spiritual dangers involved in it, and how these desires can be fulfilled more authentically through a restored relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Understanding the Rise of New Age Spirituality 

The term “New Age” refers to both a formalized spiritual movement as well as a group of beliefs that can be picked through and chosen by individuals: tarot cards, healing crystals, Reiki, astrology, reincarnation and manifesting, to name a few. Across the country, 62% of Americans accept at least one of the New Age beliefs (Pew Research Group). This growing openness is reinforced by social media, where hashtags like #manifestation and #witchtok introduce unsuspecting audiences to tarot readings, manifestation jars and crystals.  

For Catholics, this rise in New Age practices is not only a distant cultural trend on social media, but one of pressing concern. That same study referenced above revealed that Catholics are even more susceptible, with 70% accepting at least one of these New Age beliefs. This has become alarming in a particular way in the Western United States — a Google Trends report indicated that Colorado ranked 5^th in the country for New Age.  

With Halloween around the corner, interest in New Age topics is likely to spike even more. From seasonal décor featuring Ouija boards and tarot cards to horror movies that highlight mystical practices, fall offers online New Age personalities ample opportunities to engage audiences and expand their reach. In many ways, our imagination and spirituality are shaped by what we consume, either in the world around us physically or online. Social media, advertisements and even our Netflix choices at this time of year can introduce a way of thinking that is outside Christianity — we can manifest what we desire, and we can use the spiritual to harness control over our lives. For younger generations, especially, exposure to these ideas through social media plants these ideas deep into the subconscious, influencing the development of their worldview more prevalently than it would for adults, who have developed a more discerning eye. The industry around these practices now generates over $2 billion annually, reflecting how deeply commercialized the movement has become. 

Twenty years ago, any new ideas would have to pass through the filter of what we chose to surround ourselves with — what schools we chose to send our kids to, which friends we chose to hang out with, what city environment and culture we chose to live in. Today, however, social media bypasses those filters and sends a constant stream of unvetted spiritual content into the palm of our hands.  

At the same time, Americans are facing a mental health crisis: in 2023, the US Surgeon General called loneliness a “public health epidemic.” People feel more dissatisfied than ever: in a 2024 Gallup poll, only 47% of US adults reported being “very satisfied” with their personal lives, the lowest levels in two decades. People who feel isolated or dissatisfied with their lives are generally more open to experimenting with different ideas of spirituality — just hoping that they will find something that will improve their lives. This is fertile ground for New Age spirituality to take root and spread. But in order for us to recognize its dangers, we must first understand what the movement includes. 

Beliefs and Practices that Make Up the New Age 

Because the New Age movement is more of a buffet of spiritual ideas than a unified system, there is no single way to “practice” it. While many beliefs and practices exist and even contradict one another, most ultimately converge on a few common themes: 

1. The Promise of Control  

A consistent thread running through many New Age practices is the promise of control, encouraging individuals to shape their reality, health, careers and relationships through intention, thought or energy. Practices such as Reiki, crystal healing and other forms of “energy work” involve harnessing the energy within a practitioner or an object to influence physical or mental well-being. Manifestation and visualization, whether performed verbally or with tools like manifestation jars or crystals, claim to bring the practitioner’s desires into reality. Across these practices, control is presented as something attainable through personal effort. In the New Age, both spiritual and material outcomes are believed to be manageable through individual belief and action. This stands in stark contrast to Christianity, which teaches that true spiritual and material order comes from aligning with God’s will, not from attempting to manipulate outcomes through personal effort or belief.  

2. The Self as the Ultimate Source of Spiritual Authority 

In most New Age teachings, the self is emphasized as the ultimate source of spiritual authority, with individuals encouraged to look within for guidance and clarity. Practices such as affirmation recitation, channeling spiritual energies and self-guided meditation make this theme tangible. Spiritual mentors and gurus serve primarily as presenters of ideas rather than as authorities, reinforcing the notion that insight comes from within. Eckhart Tolle, one of the leading voices in the New Age meditation world, explains in The Power of Now that “true salvation is fulfillment, peace, life in all its fullness … the joy of Being that depends on nothing outside itself. It is felt not as a passing experience but as an abiding presence ... not as something outside you but as your innermost essence.” By framing the self as the highest authority, the New Age movement elevates personal experience and interpretation above any external source of spiritual truth, unlike Christianity, where we look to God for spiritual authority. 

3. Connection with the Divine, the Universe or Hidden Knowledge 

A major draw of New Age spirituality is its promise of connection — whether to the divine, the universe or hidden knowledge — without the mediation or framework of organized religion. Astrology, tarot, Ouija boards, mediums and even meditation promise to go much deeper than mere entertainment: it’s a way to help us communicate with the “beyond.” This emphasis on spiritual connection helps explain why so few atheists are part of the New Age: according to Pew, only 22% report holding at least one New Age belief, compared to 62% of all U.S. adults. Religion more broadly offers ways of connecting with the divine. Unlike Christianity, which sees human beings as created by God and intimately connected with him but not themselves God, New Age spirituality often treats the self as divine apart from God and suggests that individuals can realize their own inherent godliness. 

4. Rejection of Traditional or Institutional Religion 

Many New Age teachings are built on a distrust of organized religion, encouraging a rejection of institutions and promoting personal exploration over communal faith practices and moral structures. The “spiritual but not religious” sentiment has existed for over a century, but its recent surge in popularity is tied to an increasingly secular society and a growing desire for spirituality outside traditional frameworks. Sociologist Irina Shavrina explores this trend in a study published last March. Shavrina notes that many New Age circles adopt ideas such as divine eminence (that a supreme being or energy like God is ever-present), reincarnation (common in Buddhism and Hinduism), and even reflective practices such as the Examen (a prayer practice usually attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola). The key difference is that these beliefs are often taken “à la carte,” outside the context of an organized religion with a specific moral framework and established dogmas. 

It is important to recognize that very few people in the New Age spiritual space are actively seeking to harm themselves or others. The desire for control, for knowledge, for the “divine within” — aren’t these things that we all want? Eve, the first woman, certainly did. Remember what was promised to her in the Garden of Eden:  

“You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of [the tree of the knowledge] your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil” (Genesis 3:5-6).   

Even in the Bible, before sin had even entered the world, Eve’s curiosity led her to seek knowledge for herself, taking God out of the equation. Like Eve, modern seekers are drawn into seeking the divine by a longing to understand, to grow in independence and to connect with something greater than themselves. Again, those longings are not bad in themselves! But, just as sin entered the world when Eve ate of the fruit, dangers arise when we seek fulfillment or understanding outside of God’s guidance. 

Psychological Concerns

Why doesn’t God want us to go down the road of the New Age? While this alternative spirituality can offer personal growth and exploration, it also carries psychological risks that are often overlooked. Self-discovery, intuition and connection to the universe may not sound dangerous in and of themselves, but all these practices subtly shift our worldview, influence our emotional well-being and eventually affect our relationships with others. Because the New Age emphasizes self-guidance and discernment outside of an already established framework, it can lead to distorted thinking, avoidance of personal challenges and “overspiritualizing,” increased anxiety and depression, and even interpersonal conflict. By examining these psychological effects, we gain a strong sense of how certain spiritual practices — though well-intentioned — can have unintended consequences that harm us more than help us.  

The Danger of Relativist Thinking 

One of the most subtle but significant concerns about New Age spirituality is the inconsistency it brings to our worldviews because of how it encourages relativism — the idea that there is no absolute truth, that each individual can determine truth. This can seem freeing and open-minded because it encourages individual thinking, independence and invention. But, more often than not, it results in the inability to establish a coherent or cohesive spirituality. This can lead individuals to become psychologically ungrounded, making it difficult to discern the difference between right and wrong and leaving them vulnerable to confusion and self-doubt. In a 2005 homily, Pope Benedict XVI warned that “We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires.” 

One of the most beautiful things about the Catholic Church that even many non-Catholics admire is its consistency of thought, morality and doctrine. The Church has discerned a worldview over a few thousand years, one aligned with an unchanging set of beliefs about the universe and standing on the shoulders of great thinkers. Choosing a self-made spirituality based on what feels appealing from a variety of different faiths can leave a person more anxious and unsettled, with one foot in one belief system and one in another, rather than grounded in the deep peace that centuries of religious wisdom have sought to provide. This vulnerability impacts more than just how we think. It even starts to shape the approach we take to life’s challenges and how we manage our emotions. 

The Danger of Overspiritualizing 

Overspiritualizing problems, otherwise known as “spiritual bypassing,” is a significant danger no matter what spiritual beliefs you hold. Christians and New Age practitioners alike have highlighted the problem of people avoiding challenges and areas of deep pain in their lives by escaping reality through spiritual practices, ideas and beliefs, hiding behind a practice as a temporary solution instead of confronting the problem head-on. A Catholic who is spiritually bypassing, for example, may immediately say that they forgive someone who hurts them deeply without processing the hurt, saying that Jesus would want forgiveness no matter what. A New Age person in the same situation may turn to affirmations or manifestations and claim that the action didn’t hurt them or use a crystal or another source of energy healing to remove the emotions without processing them. Neither of these “solutions” fix the problem of real and painful emotions.  

However, there is an even greater danger to the New Age solution here. With the centralized authority of a structured religion like Catholicism, there are a lot more avenues through which an overspiritualizing person will be redirected to a healthier solution. Because New Age spirituality is inherently non-structured and emphasizes self-reliance and personal empowerment, it is far less likely for an overspiritualizing person to be redirected. There are no safeguards and no rules. Someone who is constantly told that the answer is within themselves is far less likely to admit that the practice they turned to as a solution is the wrong one, and there is little accountability in a relativistic structure where anything can be the correct belief. Each “spiritual guru” or advisor may give you wildly different advice, and there is no vetting process or oversight to ensure that what is being advised is consistent, cohesive with other beliefs, healthy and well-discerned. This can feed anxiety and depression, intensifying the very problems seekers hope spirituality will solve. 

The Danger of Worsening Anxiety and Depression 

When New Age practices feed into existing anxiety or depression, they often end up intensifying those struggles rather than alleviating or erasing them. At the heart of many New Age frameworks is the belief that the individual is responsible for their own healing, growth and even control of outcomes. This self-centered model carries the appealing promise of autonomy, but it also imposes an unbearable weight: everything in our lives, right or especially wrong, is on us. 

This responsibility was never meant to fall on our human shoulders. Scripture frequently invites us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Whenever we place ultimate trust in ourselves — or in spiritual forces of our own making — we invite deeper anxiety rather than true peace. Even 12-step recovery groups, who are intentionally accommodating to a variety of belief structures, discourage individuals from taking too much onto their own shoulders. It’s seen as necessary to develop community and turn life over to a “Higher Power” that can shoulder some of the burden.  

In short, lasting security does not come from self-reliance, but from entrusting our lives to God alone. As St Augustine famously said in his Confessions, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” 

 

The Danger of Creating Deep Interpersonal Conflict 

With the layered struggles that arise from relativism, overspiritualizing and spiritual bypassing — and the resulting increase in anxiety — pressure inevitably overflows into relationships. When spiritual frameworks focus heavily on the self, relationships can be neglected or treated as utilitarian. Compromise, sacrifice or proactively considering another person’s needs becomes difficult when one’s worldview revolves around personal well-being. Those who interpret every conflict as a sign of another’s “negativity” or their own misalignment may dismiss their own responsibility, leaving wounds unaddressed and stalling personal growth. It is only when we step out of the center of the universe that we can recognize our own areas for growth and begin to engage with others in humility. 

Thomas Merton addresses this dynamic in his book No Man Is an Island, reflecting on the importance of community and authentic love. He reminds us of the importance of interdependence in our authentic relationships, saying that “no man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Self-centeredness (pride) makes us “artificial,” whereas humility makes us “real.” Pride drives us to construct a false self for admiration, validation or control — a temptation echoed in self-focused New Age spirituality. This false self is hollow and unsustainable, but humility lifts the burden, inviting honesty and openness about who we are, flaws and all. Living with true humility is easier outside of the New Age context because one is less pressured to continually refocus on the self, allowing authentic relationships and personal growth to flourish.  

These psychological dangers are not merely isolated concerns; they point towards deeper spiritual consequences. Exploration of different New Age practices begins with psychological tricks and mental postures, which wreak havoc on our own mental health and our relationships with others. But after these consequences, a door is opened to a distortion of the spiritual life, which has an even greater impact on the soul. 

Spiritual Concerns 

Deeper spiritual concerns often accompany the psychological ones. Most New Age practices share a similar psychological impact because of their common worldview, but specific spiritual effects vary from practice to practice. Many former practitioners I spoke with on the condition of anonymity described this variation as a spectrum, with some practices acting as “gateway” experiences and others leading to more serious spiritual consequences. 

The Danger of Spiritual Isolation  

The primary spiritual danger in New Age involvement is the corrosion of your relationship with God. When a person places practices, teachings or self-directed methods above God, they are directly breaking the first and second commandments: “You shall not have any gods before me” and “You shall not make for yourself an idol.” Breaking a commandment intentionally puts distance between yourself and God, damaging or even severing the relationship and leaving the soul estranged and isolated from his love. Over time, this separation can dull or even eliminate your ability to hear God’s voice, making authentic communion and discernment nearly impossible. 

Practices on the more “innocent” end of the New Age spectrum — mindfulness detached from Christian discernment, affirmations or manifestation work, astrology and horoscopes — all share this risk. They place the self, external forces or gods other than God at the center. Even seemingly harmless activities, like reading a daily horoscope, subtly reinforce the notion that God is not in control, eroding trust in his providence. Practices such as tarot cards, which invite users to reflect on the cards and their meanings, can serve as a bridge from this category into deeper spiritual danger. While some may use the cards as a simple reflection tool, many New Age traditions encourage invoking the “universe” or other spiritual forces for guidance, rather than the God of the universe. “Simpler” practices like manifestation can also take a turn in this direction: by asking the universe for something, we often unintentionally invite assistance in the task.  

This not only deepens spiritual isolation from God but also begins to enter the next area of risk: spiritual exposure and manipulation. 

The Danger of Spiritual Exposure and Manipulation

Engaging in New Age spiritual practices beyond the surface usually involves direct contact with spiritual forces. Practices like channeling, mediumship, energy healing and other methods explicitly open a door to invite spiritual forces into the user’s life. By opening themselves up to unknown (or seemingly benign) spiritual forces, they create a significant vulnerability for deception and manipulation. Without a strong relationship with Christ, it can be difficult to discern which influences are harmful and gauge what harm they can do. Consent is given for spiritual forces to occupy the space that should belong to God, shifting trust away from him and towards those who are not divine. 

Just as distance from God carries risks, these practices vary in how “direct” or “anonymous” the forces are and their degree of involvement. Using a Ouija board, for example, invites direct communication with any force present, signaling a desire for its immediate intervention and clearing the way for access. With Reiki healing, the person being healed welcomes the energy of the “healer” and any spiritual influences that may be present within them come along with it. Especially when another human who has been dealing with these forces for much longer acts as a conduit for these forces, things can escalate quickly, exposing you to the most dangerous territory: deliberate alignment with harmful spiritual powers. 

 

The Danger of Harmful Spiritual Affiliation 

When you reach the stage of deliberate engagement with harmful spirits, there is a subtle shift into the deepest “New Age” affiliation: the occult. All spiritual practices that are not from God do damage to our souls, but the worst of all are those that actively affiliate with the Enemy himself. By this point, any relationship with God is severed and spiritual forces — truly evil ones — arrive and take influence over one’s life and soul. Occult rituals, ceremonial magic and anything else in that category place a New Age practitioner in direct influence with forces that are opposed to God and seek to dominate, deceive and harm. These spirits always demand a price, often manifesting not only in mental ailments, but in physical pain and destruction in the practitioner’s life. Persistent engagement with dark or malevolent spirits entrenches this influence, making it seemingly impossible to renounce or turn back towards God. 

This point is the extreme of spiritual danger. But even in the darkest of dangers, there is hope in Jesus Christ as savior. 

Conclusion 

While the dangers of New Age spirituality are real and profound, they are not the end of the story! The heart of the Catholic faith is simple: God created us out of love for a relationship with him. Going all the way back to Eve in the Garden, our relationship with God has been severed, both by this original sin and by the ways that we act as Adam and Eve did to corrode our relationship with God. Even still, God overcame our betrayal and sin by sending his Son to restore this relationship, conquering sin and death and offering forgiveness. He invites us in return to say yes to this offer, to re-enter our relationship with him, placing him at the center of our lives — no matter how far we’ve been from him. He asks us not to worry ourselves about what we can’t control, not to take that burden upon ourselves, but to give it over to him so that he can care for us. 

Like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, God waits with open arms, ready to embrace us and take away all our pain and suffering. What may seem like years of life wasted and incurable wounds pale in comparison to the immensity of his mercy.  

To assist those who are trapped in the talons of the New Age and its accompanying effects, the Church offers healing in the form of deliverance ministry. Far from fearing sin and evil, this ministry is a profound sign of God’s care for his people, restoring freedom and peace where it has been oppressed. No sin is too damning for Jesus Christ. 

At the same time, we can accept our call to bring this relationship with Christ out into the world. Pope Benedict XVI famously said that holiness and mission are “two sides of the same coin,” which means that our holiness in Christ is strengthened by how we bring it out into the world. In a world full of New Age influences, both outwardly in practice and philosophically in worldview, we have the unique and powerful responsibility of countering the noise of the world with the Good News of Christ. The aches and pains that the New Age claims to fill and heal can all be healed in Jesus. 

Our desire for control can be met with the Lord’s desire to take our worries away and trust in him. 

Our pride and authority can be submitted to Christ so that humility can take over, leading to more intentional and authentic relationships.  

Our connection with the divine can be met in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Even our wounds around organized religion can be healed in Jesus. The Church, though made up of sinners, is the place where Christ himself offers healing for the wounds that the institution of religion has caused. 

No matter how far someone has wandered or where they’ve wandered off to, Christ’s mercy is greater. He doesn’t stop at forgiveness but also offers us a new beginning — a fully restored life, filled with purpose, love and authentic connection. As the Church reminds us, “Life in Christ is not…merely a new level of awareness. It involves being transformed in our soul and body by participation in the sacramental life of the Church.” In turning to him, we do not lose ourselves; we find ourselves transformed. Here, we are empowered to share in the healing power of Christ, a calm in the storm, while the rest of the world continues to search for true peace.