Aloha,
[For some reason, this entire counter-culture thread just arrived in a
clump of
posts. Today. I hadn't seen them before. Even my own posts in the thread.]
On Mon, 04 Aug 2014 09:16:12 -0700, Nicholas Campion
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I have always had a problem with the notion of 'New Age' as a 'post
> counter-cultural'. i.e., post 1960s phenomenon. A lot of commentators on
> the topic hold to this idea, even if they acknowledge Alice Bailey's
> existence from the 1920s onwards. My working assumption is that New Age
> ideas (and
> magical, esoteric, theosophical, occult ones) had a significant input
> into
> 1960s hippy/psychedelic culture. Hence New Age did not arise from the
> counter-culture, but contributed to it.
In Northern California (circa 1920s-1960s), at least, pre-New Age and
proto-New
Age notions touching on esoteric, magical, and spiritual topics were
present in popular
culture and actively known on a fairly widespread basis. (So were, to be
fair,
progressive, Left, and civil rights notions. And an "underground" cultural
tradition.)
Formal groups and organizations and casual interest groups were found here
and there,
as well as recalled from the recent past. My parents, by no means
occult-minded,
were usually able to provide a basic account of things like AMORC, I AM
activity,
Buddhist temples in San Francisco, and similar topics on the basis of this
common
popular culture.
Media commented on them every once in a while. Esoteric literature
was to be found at various retail outlets. And at some public libraries.
Practitioners
and proto-New Age figures could well also be neighbors or community
activists or
local celebrities.
I do not recall this proto-New Age subculture as being particuarly
associated with
either Left politics or drug use. Aspects of proto-New Age subculture did
intertwine
with the Human Potential Movement.
From my own counter-culture involvements, I'd suggest that proto-New Age
and
early New Age outlooks and familiarity were widely assumed and enjoyed, but
were not held to be essential to the more activist side of
counter-culture. Thematically,
the watchword was "change." Esoteric and occult means were paths of change.
As was grass roots Left politics.
Let me add that one of the important but not so much discussed influences
on the
counter-culture (and emerging New Age outlooks) involves law enforcement.
Law enforcement was actively involved in watching, turning to its own
advantage,
discouraging, and subverting counter-cultural outlooks and activities.
Including
using proto-New Age and early New Age notions to achieve law enforcement's
own
goals.
To be clear, this is more opinion and suspicion than arrived at from
definite evidence.
But Ufology was surely not the only esoteric endeavor maneuvered via
programmatic
disinformation. And it's difficult to know the overall effects on
counter-cultural world
views of widespread, fairly common encounters with law enforcement. But I
am sure
that there were many, many such encounters.
Musing Old Timer From Ancient Days! Rose,
Pitch
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