What every Christian should know
The “Human Potential” movement is a branch of the “New Age” movement that is especially packaged to be acceptable to corporations, government, small businesses, and the educational establishment in the form of “motivational seminars” or “Learning to Learn skills”.
Its principles are based on eastern mysticism and the occult, but the terminology has been changed to sound scientific and psychological.
Claiming that humans have unlimited or infinite potential, the goal then becomes to achieve this infinite potential.
- This is accomplished by rejecting traditional beliefs that limit us and avoiding any negative thoughts.
- The subconscious must be reprogrammed by daily affirmations, positive thinking, and constant self-talk (e.g., “I am great, I am wonderful, I will achieve!”).
- The ability to be reprogrammed can be enhanced by consciousness altering techniques that create a state of higher suggestibility, such as meditation, visualization, guided imagery, and other inward looking activities. These are also promoted for stress reduction.
- “Self” is said to be the source of all success and each person can “take responsibility” to “create his own reality”.
The “New Age” principles
The above summary of “human potential” principles plus many other elements in these training programs are founded on the premises and goals of the “New Age” movement.
- All is One: The external world and consciousness/thoughts are one and the same (monism) which accounts for the occult powers of the mind (e.g., psychokinesis and levitation).
- Man is a Divine Being: We are all part of God, so we are God (pantheism).
- Life is for evolutionary purposes: There is no destination in life. Meaning is found in the journey through the process of reincarnation and the guiding impersonal force of karma.
- Self-actualization: Awareness of the “True Self” within leads to mastery of your own reality.
- There are many paths to God: Since each person creates their own reality and there is no absolute truth, each person’s religious views are equally valid.
- God is the sum total of all that there is: God is impersonal, a force, energy.
- The earth is at the dawn of a “New Age” of peace, harmony, and enlightenment that will be achieved through a global transformation; a quantum leap of human evolution. The global transformation will occur after a “critical mass” of individuals have achieved personal transformation through mystical means including meditation, guided visualization, and other looking within techniques.
The Biblical View
- There is only one God and he is personal.
- There is one reality and it is created by God.
- Jesus is the only way, truth, life, and means of relationship with God.
- Satan fell when he exalted “Self” to be above God through positive thinking, self-talk, affirmations: “I will… I will… I will…” (Isaiah 14:12-14)
- Satan seduced Eve into rebellion by contradicting God’s negative thinking, “…you will surely die” if you eat the fruit.
- Satan was the positive one, “you will not surely die.”
- Instead he told Eve, “you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
- As a Christian, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, as opposed to, “I can do all things through the Occult powers of my own mind.”
- We are to “die to self” and “it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.”
- Biblical meditation has nothing to do with leaving our rational mind and entering an altered state of consciousness. Biblical meditation is the conscious pondering of God and His truth.
Warning: Satan comes as an “Angel of Light”.
“In latter times some will abandon the faith, following after seducing spirits and the doctrines of devils.” (1Timothy 4:1)
The above is the text (slightly modified) of a pamphlet we published in 1987-88.
Confronting “Motivational” Training Programs
Some examples of unbiblical philosophies & techniques:
Transcendental Management – Share and Network – Global Transformation – High Touch Need – Look “Within” – Deep Breathing and Visualization – “Explain How the Subconscious Mind Works!” – “Your Subconscious Mind is Programmed in Two Ways“
Facing up to the fact that we’re deceived:
Humanistic & Transpersonal Psychology 1 of 2 – The False Gospel of Self Esteem – Questions for Christians about Psychology