AP Photo/Vladimir Piskunov

This is the seventh article in a series of weekly articles about universal lessons offered by the spiritual Teachings, beginning (in alphabetical order) with Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Indigenous wisdom, Islam, and Judaism, and continuing this week with New Age Teachings.

One negative stereotype of New Age Teachings is that they are somehow radical or on the fringe of spiritual thinking. In many cases, however, New Age Teachings are not really “new.” They are different interpretations of well-worn spiritual paths that people have been walking for centuries.

This article seeks to look past perceptions that often divide us, and offers three of many New Age lessons that could be considered universal lessons for all of us. These three lessons are not meant to capture the sum total of New Age thought and are offered in no particular order:

Lesson #1: You are an active co-creator of your life, not a passive observer. This does not mean that anyone is to blame for their own disease, abuse, or pain. Aside from the obvious point that we can strive to achieve our own goals, Seth’s assertion that “you create your own reality” is consistent with psychologists’ belief that no one perceives objective reality exactly as it is. We all filter reality through our experiences, our culture, our language, our attitude, and our sense of self – what cognitive psychologists call the “black box.” Because of this filtering, two people sitting on the same subway car at the same time can be having two completely different experiences. We do not simply observe the events occurring in our lives; we actively co-create those experiences through the power of our mind.

Lesson #2: We could choose abundance instead of scarcity. There is enough food to go around if we choose to distribute it. There is enough love to go around if we choose to extend it. There are enough possessions to go around if we choose to share them. But whether we perceive abundance or scarcity is up to us. Per Abraham-Hicks, “What makes allowing abundance difficult? Awareness of not enough abundance! You can't have it both ways.” (A YouTube video about scarcity is embedded at the end of this article.)

Lesson #3: Be honest. This lesson reflects the previous two lessons because it once again underscores the power of the mind. Per A Course in Miracles, “Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. There is nothing you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another.” We are honest when we are thinking, speaking, and acting with clear focus and integrity.

New Age Teachings honor each of us as a co-creator in an abundant world where internal consistency and honesty are the key to our own integrity. They also tend to offer positive, uplifting views of humanity rather than defining us only by our weaknesses or our mistakes. As A Course in Miracles teaches:

You are altogether irreplaceable in the Mind of God. No one else can fill your part in it, and while you leave your part of it empty, your eternal place merely waits for your return….You did not establish your value and it needs no defense. Nothing can attack it or prevail over it. It does not vary. It merely is.

To read the previous articles in this series, click on the following:
Interfaith Spirituality 101: what are three universal lessons from Buddhism?
Interfaith Spirituality 101: what are three universal lessons from Christianity?
Interfaith Spirituality 101: what are three universal lessons from Hinduism?
Interfaith Spirituality 101: what are three universal lessons from Indigenous wisdom?
Interfaith Spirituality 101: what are three universal lessons from Islam?
Interfaith Spirituality 101: what are three universal lessons from Judaism?

To browse through related articles, click here: New Age & Psychology.

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