New Age
A loose spiritual movement from the 1970s on, mixing esoteric ideas, Eastern practices and self-development, and now a large industry.
Also: New Age movement, alternative spirituality, mind-body-spirit
The New Age movement grew from the 1960s counterculture, Theosophy and the Human Potential movement, and took off in the 1980s with books, crystals, channelling and festivals. It emphasises personal growth, healing, and a belief in a coming era of change, hence the name. Scholars such as Paul Heelas describe it as a self-spirituality, and some use the term spiritual but not religious. The movement is also a market, with shops, workshops and online sales, and it has drawn criticism for health claims, for selling borrowed Indigenous and Asian practices, and for exploitation by fraudulent healers. Followers rarely use the label themselves and may prefer terms such as holistic or mind-body-spirit.