Surge in Spiritualism

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that there has been a kind of "resurgance" in the interest in spiritualism, both personal interest and in the public media?

It seems there has been much more dicussion of it recently, and there are lots of shows regaurding this stuff (shows on Travel Chanel, Ghost Whisperer, Medium, etc.) compared to the past years.

isnt that supposed to be part of the ''spiritual ascension" humanity is supposed to be going through now?

Originally posted by Toxic Fox
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that there has been a kind of "resurgance" in the interest in spiritualism, both personal interest and in the public media?

I think it's a reflection of our culture. (although I could be wrong) Here's why I think so:
The 19th century saw a rise in spiritualism. Some of the factors leading to this were travel, industrialism, affordable printed material, scientific discoveries, newer forms of government, and a rise in per capita wealth for industrialized countries.
Basically, people had more opportunities to explore the "mysteries" around them, and the societal freedom to do so.

There was a resurgence in spiritualism during the early part of the 20th century, and another during the 1960's and 1970's... but this time, we had television. So we got neat shows like Bewitched and I Dream of Genie.

Maybe it's just time again? I've noticed more "spiritual" tv shows in the last 15 years or so, too.

that people are searching for meaning.

Last year, it was "Religion is the new sex."

'Cept, hollywood doesn't know anything about religion. That would require reading that Bible & stuff. And fashionable people, celebrities and their producers simply DO NOT read.

They said to themselves:

"Spirituality. Hmmm. we can't really do that with TV and Movie programming. And we don't want to encourage activities that involve people turning off their TV's and reading books."

"So lets NOT do spirituality. . . . why don't we do . . . Spiritualism, instead? Yeah! That looks like the search for meaning, but won't bring up any nasty morality issues, and will make people LOOK TO US to find out more about this topic. Yeah! that's it!"

So, there you go. Spiritualism, the new religion!.

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft

that people are searching for meaning.

Last year, it was "Religion is the new sex."

'Cept, hollywood doesn't know anything about religion. That would require reading that Bible & stuff. And fashionable people, celebrities and their producers simply DO NOT read.

They said to themselves:

"Spirituality. Hmmm. we can't really do that with TV and Movie programming. And we don't want to encourage activities that involve people turning off their TV's and reading books."

"So lets NOT do spirituality. . . . why don't we do . . . Spiritualism, instead? Yeah! That looks like the search for meaning, but won't bring up any nasty morality issues, and will make people LOOK TO US to find out more about this topic. Yeah! that's it!"

So, there you go. Spiritualism, the new religion!.

Wow, that makes so much sence and I never really thought of it that way. Brilliant.

That question is way to difficult to answer without knowing satistics before and after, but yes I have noticed more things in media but I just maybe notcing due to my new found interest...?

I think with all the crap happening in the world and people running around saying end of days this has been the only time I have considered it to be a possibility..

I dont think it is anything new, i think that we have finally gotten to the point with technology that we can find out about things at an instant. man has always sought to strengthen his spirit since the moment he stopped being a monkey and became a person.

As for hollywood, the do read, if they didnt.. half of them wouldnt worship that fool L. Ron hubbard, Nor would the other half be students of the Qabalah... and it isnt the actors or producers that make movies.. it's writers.. and i think it is safe to say that if you write,. you read as well.

Me and the person who is the closest thing to what i would refer to as my teacher have spoken about this, hollywood has deffinetly responded to mankinds spiritual need, we see this is movies like stigmata, you cant tell me that movie was made without someone doing alittle reading

I'm not sure if it's more than it has been, maybe.

If so, there are at least 4 things going on simultaneously:

1. The year 2000 may have sparked renewal not just because of the Y2K problem, but also because there's something mystical about zeros in peoples minds.

2. We are entering a new astrological age, the age of Aquarius. This is a big deal to a lot of the world. The last time we entered a new astrological age (Pisces), Christianity was born.

3. "End times" hysteria is being whipped up by evangelicals due to the popularity of the left behind series. Everyone wants to cash in, in terms of $ and "souls", so it's feeding on itself.

4. We are entering a new age of credulity bred by the laziness of abundance combined with the US dumbing down its citizenry intentionally and stressing faith from the bully pulpit at every opportunity as if it were something to be revered. If people accept this they will then simply believe what authority figures tell them uncritically. What could be better than millions of faith zombies at your beckoned call dutifully paying their taxes and acting as canon fodder?

Originally posted by Becon of Light
and it isnt the actors or producers that make movies.. it's writers.. and i think it is safe to say that if you write,. you read as well.

Point taken.

Originally posted by Becon of Light
As for hollywood, the do read, if they didnt.. half of them wouldnt worship that fool L. Ron hubbard, Nor would the other half be students of the Qabalah...

Well, now. If you go to a dianetics course, you'll discover that there isn't THAT MUCH reading to be done. A book, and not a very complex one at that. Then you just hold the soup-cans and "open up" about your urges.

As for Kabalah, yeah well. . . . How many people in Socal speak Hebrew? Don't tell me that any of those Hollywierd folks are actually learning their tense afixes. They wouldn't know hitpael from qametz hatuph, or a holem vav if it came up and bit them on their collective bottom. And that's just the linguistic hurdles.

Now. Tell me that Madonna is ready to discuss the long recension of the Aesh Mitzaruph over a bottle of "Kabalah Water," Or that She's a practitioner of Hitboddedut, and I'll buy you lunch.

Media people collect religions the way normal people collect coffe-table books. Just because you read about the abridged english translation doesn't mean you are a follower of that religion. Any more than reading Carlos Casteneda after eating a mushroom pizza makes you anything but a Yanqui medicine man.

Originally posted by Becon of Light
Me and the person who is the closest thing to what i would refer to as my teacher have spoken about this, hollywood has deffinetly responded to mankinds spiritual need, we see this is movies like stigmata, you cant tell me that movie was made without someone doing alittle reading

I think they responded to a marketing opportunity. You can call that a "need" if you want. I wont argue.

So. Tell me about stigmata, the fortean phenomenon versus Stigmata, the box-office Hype-a-thon. How many cases can you name of a Stigmatic that wasn't already a Christian? None, that's how many. But don't let that get in the way of a B-movie, right? Tell me how many places in the Bible it sets the stage for Jesus possessing people without their consent, and taking the form of beauticians from the bronx. Is that in Galatians, or Ephesians? Or the Da-Vinci-Codesque "secret gospels in the vatican's secret library?" That is a badly done action-movie, cloaking the lumbering plot in Aramaic mutterings anytime they need to move to a new scene or just start the movie over halfway through.

If that satisfies anyone spiritually, then I'd say they could have gotten the same effect from a burger and fries. And they'd still have a buck forty in change.

You want to see a REAL spiritual movie? Take a look at "Pi," by Darren Aronofsky. Never heard of it? neither has anyone else.


See, what most people are searching for is not spirituality in and of itself. They are searching for something nice and safe that makes them feel like they are making contact with something other, but in a safe way. A way that won't place any demands on them, or make them actually behave differently or change jobs or do anything dangerous.

Basically, the public is always searching for a way for people to feel good about themselves.

If you were old enough to remember the 70's, you watched people jump from one religion to another with astonishing rapidity. Zen. Hare Krishna. Next year it was TM; then Ekankar. Always something new. And never mastering anything, or developing discipline.

Spirituality, the way most people live it out, is really the search for self, not the search for God.