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New Age Teaching in Our SchoolsCraig Branch

"A generation in love with Tolkien's fantasy and Castaneda's sorcery are ready for magic in themselves andin their young children."

"You can only have a new society. if you change the education of the younger people." - Marilyn Ferguson,

The Aquarian Conspiracy

"What did you do in school today?" used to be asked without fear. But today many parents are surprised to

find out what is going on in both public and many private schools.

Parents who aren't hearing unusual answers should not necessarily feel secure, because some children aretold not to tell their parents what they are doing. Watchman Fellowship has several examples of such

cases on file.

In November of 1988 Watchman received a letter from a couple involved in researching a program used in

elementary schools in Florida and other states. This program utilized tapes called "Quieting Reflex andSuccess Imagery." A mother had told this couple that her little girl had contacted an inner guide throughthe hypnotic techniques used in this program. The daughter commented, "My 'wise person' told me not to

pray in the name ofJesus anymore." Further, this "wise person" was not the guide that the little girl hadchosen for herself but rather someone that had appeared unexpectedly and spontaneously in herconsciousness. It claimed that it resided in the corner of a "safe place" in her mind. But it proceeded to

command her to do "mean and nasty things." The mother was distraught and had no idea what to do.

Perhaps you saw the "Oprah Winfrey Show" when she had Shirley MacLaine as her guest, explaining her

spiritual journey into the New Age Movement and Eastern mysticism. Oprah asked Shirley, "What questionwere you asking yourself, that needed answers?"

Shirley responded with, "Who am I, where am I going, what is life all about, where do I go when I die?"

Oprah urged on, "And when you asked the questions, how did the answers come?"

Shirley smiled and said, "Well, first I had to learn how to meditate. I had to be very quiet, to be still - andthen boom, the answers would come to me." And the answers are coming to little schoolchildren as well.

Standard induction techniques ofmeditation or hypnosis, commonly called progressive relaxation andguided imagery or visualization, are being imposed on our young children all over the country. Why does itmatter? It matters because these techniques are being used to shape children's worldviews and open them

to spiritual influences which may be dangerous to their mental/emotional health, not to mention theirspiritual health.

According to Melton's New Age Encyclopedia some 300 colleges and educational institutions (over 75 areaccredited or state-approved) now offer programs or even degrees on New Age topics (pp. 512-24). Thishas influenced many educators who have proceeded to introduce these topics into their schools.

Brooks Alexander, noted authority on New Age philosophy, observes why the New Age has targetededucation:

"In the ideological contest for cultural supremacy public education is the prime target; it influences the

most people in the most pervasive way at the most impressionable age. No other social institution hasanything close to the same potential for mass indoctrination" (as cited in Forwardmagazine, Fall 1986, p.

14).

Children especially are targeted because most New Agers (such as prominent educator Jack Canfield)believe that the innate innocence and sensitivity of children render them much closer to the influences of

the spiritual world - such as the spirits who reside there. These are the very spirits who seek to help directthe course of human evolution into a New Age of peace and prosperity. By reaching children before they

have been "corrupted" by Western culture and Christian values, New Agers hope they can educate anentire generation to the spiritual values of New Age philosophy. In other words, if children can beindoctrinated in New Age techniques and beliefs, as adults they will become powerful agents of change,

helping to move society toward a new era of global harmony.

How did those of a New Age or transpersonal perspective manage to slip their ideas into the public schoolcurricula? In part, they have been effective because they have often arranged their beliefs under the

disguise of neutral, academic, psychological, or scientific sounding terminology. If parents want to protecttheir children in the public schools, they should become familiar with the new terminology used by these

educators. For example, "transpersonal psychology" sounds pretty impressive. So does adjusting one's

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It can be demonstrated that the adoption of New Age/occult ideology and practices is not justsporadic and random, but that there is an underlying philosophical current in place, ready toproduce a flood of these curricula into the public schools across America.

These beliefs typically enter public schooling through counseling programs, self-esteem, stress-reduction, health and gifted programs, creative writing classes, some global education courses, and

some literature curricula.

The usual form these programs take is in deep breathing relaxation or progressive relaxationexercises, guided imagery, and visualization. These are sometimes associated with inappropriate

and ineffective value-free or affective learning programs.

The techniques and the presuppositions on which such programs are based are intrinsic to Easternand other mystical religious traditions and practices (such as Hinduism and meditation). Further,

they are frequently synonymous with the techniques of hypnosis and trance induction.Unfortunately, these techniques are disguised to project a secular appearance.

The Supreme Court has held that religious practice in the schools constitutes a violation of theEstablishment clause of the First Amendment since public schools cannot promote the practice orideology of any religion.

Even if administrators refuse to acknowledge this connection to occult religion, there is the furtherproblem of using hypnosis and dissociative techniques, or other psychotherapeutic methods. Usingpsychological techniques without the informed consent of the parents constitutes a violation of the

Hatch Amendment and is illegal.

It can be established that there are genuine risks and liabilities for both school and children if

teachers, unlicensed as mental health professionals, are involved in administering speculative orunproven therapeutic techniques which may later result in psychiatric problems. This may be

considered malpractice.

Many self-esteem-oriented, drug or alcohol prevention, and sex-education curricula utilize a non-directive decision making process without empirical justification. In fact, evidence suggests thesemethods have actually produced a rise in such activities.

The content of many of these materials is likely a violation of students' and parents' constitutionalright to privacy.

Parents should not only be well informed but also closely involved with their children and teachers tomake sure such practices are not occurring in the classroom.

Because of the frequency of incidents, it is recommended that state and local school boards adopt

official policy prohibiting the use of these techniques. Having such policy in place may prevent thecostly political, emotional, educational, and financial consequences of litigation. This is especiallytrue when the policy is set at the state level, eliminating the necessity of carrying on the same

struggle time after time in district after district.

Parents have a right to know what their children are being taught in the name of modern education. If New

Age practices and beliefs of various forms are being introduced in public schools without the parents'knowledge or against their wishes, their rights are being violated.

Having researched New Age teaching in the schools thoroughly, Watchman Fellowship has been

instrumental in helping parents and other professionals to organize and present this issue to the boards oflocal school districts around the country.

In Alabama, the issue was taken up at the State Board of Education. The opposition was formidable. The

education establishment enlisted administrators, the People for the American Way, the ACLU and teacherorganizations. All this, to fight the petition of parents and others to eliminate New Age meditation/hypnosis

techniques, and the transpersonal, non-directive, affective, decision making model from sex and drugeducation courses. In the end, parents' rights over the education of their own children prevailed. After twodays of hearings, the State board voted to ban those objectionable teaching techniques, thus establishing

a precedent, inspiration, and a model for other parents around the country. It is hoped that this issue ofthe Expositor will assist parents, teachers, and school administrators in the quest to safeguard the quality

of children's education in America.

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