I’ve been a Christian prayer coordinator and counselor for about 15 years. I help people find their way when they feel lost or confused about their faith.
I want to tell you about something important that happened to one of our church members. We’ll call him Eric. He was feeling empty inside and wanted to feel more connected to God. When his friend invited him to try Eastern meditation, he thought it might help.
The postures and breathing exercises made Eric feel peaceful at first. But at night, he had scary dreams that made him worried. He came to talk to me about it, and together we looked at what the Bible says about these practices.
I wrote this blog post to help you. It explains why some popular spiritual practices may not be good for you as a Christian. I’ll explain:
- What these practices are.
- Why are they dangerous to your faith?
- What the Bible says about them.
- How to find true peace through Jesus.
I share only what I’ve learned from counseling others and, most importantly, from God’s Word.
Let’s learn together about how to stay strong in our faith and avoid things that might lead us away from Jesus.
Key Takeaways
- The New Age movement promises secret wisdom and mystical experiences outside of Christ. This has led many astray.
- Practices like the law of attraction, unbiblical meditation, and crystals bypass Jesus. They seek to tap into a “higher self” or the universe.
- Yoga aims for Hindu spiritual enlightenment because it is, by nature, a form of worship and ritual.
- Universalism denies Jesus as the exclusive way to God. It claims all paths lead to God.
- Occult practices seek supernatural power and hidden knowledge. They open demonic doors.
- The most dangerous aspect of the New Age movement is its focus on the self, not on submitting to God.
- Jesus Christ alone is the Truth and the Life. Let’s fill our minds with Scripture. It is better than the competing spiritual alternatives. Then we will avoid deception.
- The path to true wisdom and freedom is to walk in close companionship with the Lord Jesus. Let His Word renew your mind.
What is the New Age Movement?
The New Age movement is a spiritual philosophy that has gained immense popularity. It promises secret wisdom, mystical experiences, and supernatural power. The central belief is that you can become your own “god” and control reality with your mind.
New Agers worship the created things rather than the Creator. They often appeal to the universe, energy, or astrology. Or, they seek their “higher self” and spirit guides. They do not submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The New Age movement mixes Eastern religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, with pagan practices. These include shamanism, neopagan nature worship, and Native American spirituality.
This is why you’ll find many similarities between New Age beliefs and what the Bible forbids. It explicitly forbids them. As you read this post, I hope that your discernment will be sharpened and you’ll cling more closely to the Word of God.
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:31 (NIV)
biblegateway.com
Why New Age Practices Are Spiritually Dangerous
Let me explain why dabbling in New Age practices is very dangerous. Then, I will list specific ones to avoid.
1. New Age practices bypass Jesus. They make you the authority over your life, not God.
New Age teachers tell you to look within to find truth instead of seeking God in humility. This leads to arrogance, deception, and rebellion.
2. New Age practices open doors to deceiving spirits.
The Spirit explicitly warns that doctrines of demons will increase in the last days (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV). Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14, NLT). Without discernment, one can easily be led astray.
3. New Age practices promise secret wisdom outside of God’s Word.
The Bible contains everything you need for salvation, godly living, and true wisdom. If you neglect Scripture in favor of “new revelation,” you’ll be tossed by every wind of false teaching.
I hope this post on popular New Age practices to avoid helps you. I want you to be more discerning and cling to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Now, let’s explore specific New Age practices that are infiltrating the church.
1. Law of Attraction
The law of attraction says that thoughts create experiences. Positive thoughts bring good experiences. Negative thoughts bring bad ones. Focus your mind. Send “good vibes” to the universe. You can “manifest” money, relationships, and success.
This belief system bypasses God and glorifies the self. It also dabbles in pantheism (the belief that everyone is God).
When we try to manipulate outcomes through our thoughts, we usurp God’s sovereignty. We must surrender our desires to Christ instead of demanding that the universe bend to our will.
Furthermore, the law of attraction relies on New Age concepts like:
- Meditating to make contact with “Source Energy.”
- Tapping into the “Divine Mind.”
- Unlocking your inner potential to become a “god.”
- Raising your vibrational frequency.
In contrast, Scripture tells us to set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2, NIV). To pray according to God’s will (1 John 5:14, NKJV), and find our identity in Christ alone.
The law of attraction is self-deification cloaked in pleasant euphemisms. It leads people away from their Creator. It encourages them to use mystical “forces” to create their best life.
Reject this practice as self-idolatry and continue to point people to the true and living God.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Isaiah 42:8 (NIV)
biblegateway.com
2. Meditation
Meditation is a broad term. Biblical meditation fills your mind with Scripture and focuses on Christ. Unbiblical meditation empties your mind, repeats mantras, and channels universal energy.
New Age meditation aims to unlock your subconscious and psychic powers. It seeks to connect with spirit guides and reach higher states of consciousness.
The goal is to realize your own divinity apart from God. This contradicts Jesus’s teaching that we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23, NIV).
If your meditation technique uses any of these dangerous practices, avoid it:
- Repeating mantras.
- Visualizing symbols, geometric patterns, or mystical images.
- Silent observation of the breath.
- Gazing at candles or mandalas.
- Yogic body postures and gestures.
- Entering trance states.
- Channeling energy, spirits, or “ascended masters.”
Emptying your mind also makes you vulnerable to a spiritual attack:
“43 When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” – Matthew 12:43-45 (NIV)
Instead of New Age meditation, fill your mind with Scripture:
“2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (Psalm 1:2-3, NLT)
If you seek God with humility, the Holy Spirit will lead you to all truth (John 14:16-17, NKJV). Don’t pursue hidden knowledge.
3. Yoga
Yoga’s goal is Hindu spiritual enlightenment, not merely physical exercise. It is, by nature, a worship ritual. It aims to awaken your “god within” and unite with Brahman, the Hindu concept of universal divinity.
The yoga poses are offerings to specific Hindu deities. They include the Sun god Surya and the goddess Kali, of destruction. For instance, the Surya namaskar (“Sun Salutation”) is a sequence of postures. It has multiple bowing poses to worship Surya.
Yoga isn’t just physical—it is an act of spiritual devotion.
Advocates whitewash yoga’s religious core to market it to Westerners. But by participating, you align yourself with idol worship. This violates God’s first commandment to have no gods before Him (Exodus 20:3, NIV).
There is no such thing as “Christian yoga.” If you strip yoga of its spiritual purpose, all that’s left is stretching, not yoga. You can stretch your body for fitness and flexibility. But it shouldn’t involve a pagan worship ritual.
“15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” - 2 Corinthians 6:15-16 (NLT)
4. Universalism
Universalism asserts that all spiritual roads lead to the same divine destination. It teaches that no matter what (or even whether) you believe, God will save and reconcile everyone in the end.
If this were true, Jesus’s call to repent would be hollow. He urged people to believe in the Gospel to avoid perishing (John 3:16; Luke 13:3). God’s wrath over sin revealed in Romans 1-3 would seem unjust or even cruel.
The doctrine of hell makes no sense if God excuses all sin because He’s so unconditionally “loving.””
This heresy denies the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. It traps billions in darkness.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NIV)
Our pluralistic culture cringes at the idea of absolute religious truth. But Jesus’s words could not be clearer—He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6, NIV).
Diluting this truth for inclusion misleads people. It pulls them from God’s grace into deception. Let us cling to Scripture rather than the shifting tides of culture.
5. Crystals
Crystal healing taps into earth elements and mystical energy instead of God’s power. It treats crystals like amulets that can heal, remove bad energy, and bring good luck.
Occultists believe they can manipulate unseen spiritual forces to serve their own ends. Scripture forbids witchcraft, sorcery, fortune-telling, and occult amulets like crystals. (Deuteronomy 18:9-14, NIV)
Only Jesus has the power to heal and set free (Acts 10:38, NLT). Crystals cannot detect spiritual darkness or remove demonic influence. Only the Holy Spirit can.
At best, crystals provide a psychological placebo effect. At worst, they usher people into contact with deceiving spirits. In either case, they pull you away from trusting in Christ.
Crystals trap people in a limited physical realm. They block access to the Almighty God. They are now trendy idols that compete with Jesus. They don’t lead people to acknowledge His Lordship.
Let us warn others of these deceptive practices and not remain silent. The spiritually desperate and wounded are most vulnerable to Satan’s snares.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
1 Timothy 4:1 (NIV)
biblegateway.com
6. Tarot Cards
Tarot cards are a form of divination. Occultists believe they channel ancient, mystic wisdom and reveal secrets of the past, present, and future.
The modern Tarot deck can be traced back to 15th-century Europe. Its success today shows how much Western culture has shifted. It has moved from its Christian roots to spiritual darkness. This darkness is now repackaged as self-empowerment tools.
Tarot readers use the cards to tap into psychic abilities and contact the spirit realm. But, the Bible condemns mediums and spiritists who consult the dead for the living (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6).
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:31, NIV)
“I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.” (Leviticus 20:6, NIV)
Seeking forbidden supernatural knowledge shows arrogance and rebellion against God. When you pursue secret wisdom outside of Christ, you open doors to deception. Jesus alone holds the keys to the unseen world (Revelation 1:18, NLT).
God can reveal spiritual knowledge to you. He does so in Scripture, through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10, NLT).
Tarot and other divination trap people by giving false guidance. This binds them to demons.
Let us point people to the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus.
7. Astral Projection
Astral projection, or “astral travel,” teaches you to exit your body and enter the spirit realm. It uses visualization, meditation, trance states, and more.
Seeking out-of-body experiences to explore spiritual realms invites deception. It may take the form of hidden knowledge.
Scripture records a few instances where God removed someone from their body. They then encountered the heavenly realms or divine revelation (2 Corinthians 12:2-4, NIV).
But these experiences are very rare. The Lord initiates them, not techniques, rituals, or substances.
Any practice that tries to program your spirit to leave your body is very dangerous. You risk exposure to evil spirits that pose as angels, guides, and loved ones.
Demons can attach themselves to you like parasites. Many return, tormented, by what they encountered after leaving their unprotected, God-given limits.
Instead of chasing astral thrills, seek intimacy with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. He alone can give true, balanced revelation knowledge. This will transform your heart and mind without endangering your spirit.
“18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.” (Colossians 2:18-19, NLT)
Additional New Age Practices to Avoid
Here are other New Age practices infiltrating the church today. I’ll mention them in a short summary since this post is already lengthy.
- Angel cards. This is a divination tool to seek guidance from angels and spirits. Scripture forbids this.
- Enneagram. A personality test with occult roots. It offers self-insight. It focuses on the self, not Christ.
- Reiki. Energy healing technique that channels universal life force energy, not the Holy Spirit.
- Spirit guides. Demonic spirits masquerading as spiritually advanced beings, forbidden in the Bible.
- Channeling. The practice of contacting the dead or serving as a spirit medium, strongly condemned by God.
- Past life regression. Seeking to uncover memories from alleged past lives; reincarnation is unbiblical.
- Alien contact. Making contact with alleged extraterrestrials, who are fallen angels or demonic spirits.
- Light therapy. Harness colors, visualization, chakras, and energy rather than the healing Spirit of God.
- Earth worship. Pagan reverence for the earth, sun, and creation leads to spiritual deception.
- Shamanism. Seeking spiritual power/insight through altered states of consciousness.
- Spirit release therapy. Tries to “release” spirits attached to someone, not to command demons out in Jesus’ name.
The list of unbiblical New Age practices is so long that it cannot be fully covered in this post. But I trust that I have provided you with discernment across many areas!
Common Misconceptions About New Age Practices
Next, I want to address some common misconceptions.
1. Isn’t Focusing on “Negative” Topics Unspiritual?
Some well-meaning Christians avoid studying spiritual warfare. They fear it will “pollute their spirit.”” I often hear objections like these:
- “Studying heresy focuses too much on the enemy.”
- “Other religions have truth, too.”
- “Doesn’t God say to avoid arguments and debates?”
- “Let’s not judge or condemn others.”
Here’s the problem. The Bible talks about false teachings and prophets more than it talks about hell. About 20-25% of Jesus’s words in Scripture confront false teachings.
Why does the Bible hammer so much on calling out unbiblical concepts?
Because God cares for those who follow lies that will ultimately damn them to hell. Confronting with grace and truth reflects compassion instead of judgment. (James 5:20, NLT)
If God’s Word warns us to test every spirit, is it “unspiritual” to heed its warnings? Many churches today overlook or even embrace obvious heresy. This is due to misplaced tolerance and biblical illiteracy.
I don’t want to spark debates with this blog. I want to awaken your discernment. Then, you can enjoy a strong relationship with Jesus, rooted in His eternal truth.
2. Won’t This Make Me Judgmental and Intolerant?
Calling out falsehoods sounds intolerant in our inclusive culture. People fear it will damage relationships or shut down fruitful interfaith dialogue.
But we serve a Lord who refused to tolerate lies that draw people away from God’s kingdom. Jesus’s sharpest rebukes were always directed at religious deception (Matthew 23).
Of course, we must speak truth with compassion, having first examined our own lives. Trust God’s Word above your own judgment. Discernment checks self-righteous pride at the door.
We must confront harmful ideas that trap others outside of Jesus’ salvation. It is our spiritual duty to do so.
The worst thing we could do is to downplay or hide the danger of these false teachings to avoid controversy. If we don’t warn those following a spiritual counterfeit, who will?
How Do You Witness to New Age Friends?
When sharing Jesus with New Age-influenced friends, emphasize His greater truth and power. Do not attack what they already believe.
For example, when crystals emerge, you could say, “I used to have a strong interest in crystals as well. But I’ve found a deeper healing and freedom in Christ that crystals never provided.” Then share your story.
Understand their perspective, and do not blast away. Listen twice as much as you speak.
Pray to the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom to navigate each conversation with patience and care. The life and power of Christ shining through our lives speak louder than arguments.
Pray for opportunities to show Jesus’ love by honoring and serving others. When you lift up Christ, you don’t have to tear down every little thing you disagree with.
The Light of Christ reveals darkness by its very nature. Your life must affirm the truth.
Final Thoughts
I hope this teaching on New Age practices to avoid has sparked a desire for the true wisdom found in Christ alone.
I want to encourage you to fill your life with the Word of God. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Grow close to Jesus through worship and prayer. Find your identity only in Him.
Fix your eyes on Christ Jesus. You’ll become rooted in love. Then, you’ll grasp the vastness of His love for us (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV).
I’m reminded of this passage from Isaiah. It contrasts the pursuit of occult guidance with the pursuit of godly wisdom.
“19 Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? 20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. 21 They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven 22 and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.” – Isaiah 8:19-22 (NLT)
Do not open yourself to deceit. Find true life, wisdom, and satisfaction in Christ. Study His Word, prayerfully. Yield to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, always.
I pray this post on New Age practices has prepared you. It should help you enjoy a close walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Please reject anything that competes for your affection!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. If New Age practices are so dangerous, why are they becoming so popular?
People crave mystical experiences. We’re made for a supernatural bond with God. When the church lacks the power and closeness to Christ, the New Age offers a tempting fake that resonates with our souls.
Q. Isn’t it intolerant to say that Jesus is the only way to God?
A. Truth by nature excludes. 2+2 can only equal 4. Jesus didn’t claim He was “a” way but “the only” way. If all religions were valid, God wouldn’t have sent His Son to rescue us from vain pursuits at such a cost. God cares too much about our eternal destinies to remain silent.
Q. Aren’t all spiritual practices that encourage self-reflection and inner growth helpful?
A. Some teachings may seem morally sound. But, if they want to distract you from fully trusting Jesus and the Bible, you’ll be spiritually blind. Even if it brings some temporary benefits, a deceptive worldview is harmful. It keeps you from your highest goal: a close union with God.
Q. How can I have spiritual experiences or tap into mystical realms without dabbling in New Age practices?
A. Mature in Christ. Study Scripture, pray, worship, fast, and seek intimacy with God. This will release greater measures of His miraculous power through your life. As you bask in His presence and move according to His initiative, you’ll walk in sync with the will of God.
Q. What should I do if I’ve already opened doors through some of these practices?
A. First, repent for alignment with any counterfeit beliefs or spirits. Renounce involvement with any New Age practices or objects you own. Ask God to close any spiritual doors you’ve opened. Then, fill your life with Scripture, prayer, and worship. Seek Christian community, and commune with Jesus through personal devotion. Be empowered by Christ and His indwelling Spirit rather than counterfeits.
