Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2003, Page 78
which ―has been a central influence in Foundation spirituality‖ (217) and ―what C. G. Jung
calls ‗the shadow,‘ i.e., archetypal material pushing up from the unconscious‖ (218). The
New Age is seen as ―a new paradigm‖ for ―an emerging global religion‖ and ―new root race‖
(189), a worldwide movement using ―paranormal techniques preserved from ancient times,
including hypnosis, laws of forms, ritual, and behavior control‖ (190). Its aim is ―to restore
the inner or esoteric dynamic‖ that Christianity has ―largely lost‖ (202).
Chapter 16 explores ―the United Nations connection‖ in the Lucis Trust, originally The
Lucifer Trust, but omits the etymology that Lucifer first meant light and in Britain, a match.
Lucis ―appears to have a long term advisory connection with the U.N.‖ (238) and ―a
sympathetic parallelism‖ with the Findhorn Foundation ―and its leading affiliates and writers‖
(239). Findhorn ―achieved three U.N. affiliations.‖ This may be evidence of a ―ramp,
something between a paradigm and a conspiracy … a kind of group consciousness that is
charged and selfish in nature‖ (240). This ramp is ―a mingling of Alice Bailey‘s theosophy
with eccentric Freemasonry and an extreme development of Star Sirius lore‖ (247)." The
―U.N. bureaucrats do not appear to know what is going on in the engine room‖ (242). ―We
are looking at an international network which has already acquired enormous power without
revealing much of what it is about …‖ (248).
Chapter 17 focuses on ―language games‖ such as the ―classic mind-trap‖ of Findhorn‘s ―we
create our own reality‘‖ and ―democratic sounding terms such as ‗eco, group, community,
village‘‖ (250). There is a change in direction that describes various Findhorn operations.
Chapter 18 details ways Findhorn creates its own reality but its ―eco-village is but the
‗planetary village‘ of ‗Limitless Love and Truth‘ under a toned down title and expensive
workshop spirituality … derived from New Age California and its distorted Theosophy‖ (263).
The work of Singer, Lifton, Clark, and Langone on mind control are described and compared
to Findhorn practices. Chapters 19, 20, and 21 describe various foundation activities over
time.
Chapter 22 summarizes the book and concludes ―Findhorn Foundation is not the exploration
of Eastern religions or the Western mystery tradition‖ but ―a type of commercial spirituality‖
(356). It is ―genuine up to a point when seeking public recognition or applying for public
money.‖ It is ―trying to re-invent itself as an international eco-center,‖ though it remains ―a
hybridization‖ of New Age elements (356). The prefix ―eco‖ is ―a gift to word-spinners,‖ a
―chameleon word‖ for Findhorn ―a magical compression of its totalist mission‖ (356).
Without data he again charges, ―Freemasonry allied to the New Age is a volatile and flaky
departure from historical Masonry‖ and ―Christian churches have been almost mown down
by the New Age phenomenon" (357). He describes New Age religion as a ―distorting prism‖
to ―first dive into our Self‖ to find ―pristine innocence ignoring Man‘s Fall‖ then to realize ―we
are God.‖ In contrast, Christianity ―stands ready with natural powers at rest before a higher
Power which lifts us up‖ but critical of it because its ―narrow doctrinal rationalism and
legalism drives people out of existing churches by the million‖ (359). He offers ―two ways
back to sanity,‖ recognizing ―a significant proportion‖ of New Age religions are ―exploitive,‖
and ―churches need to recover their history‖ including the ―healing traditions‖ and ―energy
flow‖ of earlier Christian and Eastern ideas (358). He recommends ―a Western Christian
ashram‖ such as Bede Griffith‘s in India and ―meditative prayer‖ to ―discourage crazes‖
(360). He considers the New Age not new at all but can be traced back to Virgil and 12th
century papal approval of meditative prayer ―nurturing the space before words‖ (361). He
sees traditional religion as too restrictive of individual spiritual growth and New Age versions
as too unrestricted and shallow.
Despite some rambling, repetition, needless tangents, and a focus on relatively trivial facts
this book contains much wisdom and insight. It would have benefited greatly from better
organization and editing. Reading it is work but it is worth reading, a labor of love for the
rich material to be mined. The author‘s search for truth is clear, his observations are
which ―has been a central influence in Foundation spirituality‖ (217) and ―what C. G. Jung
calls ‗the shadow,‘ i.e., archetypal material pushing up from the unconscious‖ (218). The
New Age is seen as ―a new paradigm‖ for ―an emerging global religion‖ and ―new root race‖
(189), a worldwide movement using ―paranormal techniques preserved from ancient times,
including hypnosis, laws of forms, ritual, and behavior control‖ (190). Its aim is ―to restore
the inner or esoteric dynamic‖ that Christianity has ―largely lost‖ (202).
Chapter 16 explores ―the United Nations connection‖ in the Lucis Trust, originally The
Lucifer Trust, but omits the etymology that Lucifer first meant light and in Britain, a match.
Lucis ―appears to have a long term advisory connection with the U.N.‖ (238) and ―a
sympathetic parallelism‖ with the Findhorn Foundation ―and its leading affiliates and writers‖
(239). Findhorn ―achieved three U.N. affiliations.‖ This may be evidence of a ―ramp,
something between a paradigm and a conspiracy … a kind of group consciousness that is
charged and selfish in nature‖ (240). This ramp is ―a mingling of Alice Bailey‘s theosophy
with eccentric Freemasonry and an extreme development of Star Sirius lore‖ (247)." The
―U.N. bureaucrats do not appear to know what is going on in the engine room‖ (242). ―We
are looking at an international network which has already acquired enormous power without
revealing much of what it is about …‖ (248).
Chapter 17 focuses on ―language games‖ such as the ―classic mind-trap‖ of Findhorn‘s ―we
create our own reality‘‖ and ―democratic sounding terms such as ‗eco, group, community,
village‘‖ (250). There is a change in direction that describes various Findhorn operations.
Chapter 18 details ways Findhorn creates its own reality but its ―eco-village is but the
‗planetary village‘ of ‗Limitless Love and Truth‘ under a toned down title and expensive
workshop spirituality … derived from New Age California and its distorted Theosophy‖ (263).
The work of Singer, Lifton, Clark, and Langone on mind control are described and compared
to Findhorn practices. Chapters 19, 20, and 21 describe various foundation activities over
time.
Chapter 22 summarizes the book and concludes ―Findhorn Foundation is not the exploration
of Eastern religions or the Western mystery tradition‖ but ―a type of commercial spirituality‖
(356). It is ―genuine up to a point when seeking public recognition or applying for public
money.‖ It is ―trying to re-invent itself as an international eco-center,‖ though it remains ―a
hybridization‖ of New Age elements (356). The prefix ―eco‖ is ―a gift to word-spinners,‖ a
―chameleon word‖ for Findhorn ―a magical compression of its totalist mission‖ (356).
Without data he again charges, ―Freemasonry allied to the New Age is a volatile and flaky
departure from historical Masonry‖ and ―Christian churches have been almost mown down
by the New Age phenomenon" (357). He describes New Age religion as a ―distorting prism‖
to ―first dive into our Self‖ to find ―pristine innocence ignoring Man‘s Fall‖ then to realize ―we
are God.‖ In contrast, Christianity ―stands ready with natural powers at rest before a higher
Power which lifts us up‖ but critical of it because its ―narrow doctrinal rationalism and
legalism drives people out of existing churches by the million‖ (359). He offers ―two ways
back to sanity,‖ recognizing ―a significant proportion‖ of New Age religions are ―exploitive,‖
and ―churches need to recover their history‖ including the ―healing traditions‖ and ―energy
flow‖ of earlier Christian and Eastern ideas (358). He recommends ―a Western Christian
ashram‖ such as Bede Griffith‘s in India and ―meditative prayer‖ to ―discourage crazes‖
(360). He considers the New Age not new at all but can be traced back to Virgil and 12th
century papal approval of meditative prayer ―nurturing the space before words‖ (361). He
sees traditional religion as too restrictive of individual spiritual growth and New Age versions
as too unrestricted and shallow.
Despite some rambling, repetition, needless tangents, and a focus on relatively trivial facts
this book contains much wisdom and insight. It would have benefited greatly from better
organization and editing. Reading it is work but it is worth reading, a labor of love for the
rich material to be mined. The author‘s search for truth is clear, his observations are
