866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
Positive Thinking -- This is the preeminent New Age technique that has been employed by all its practitioners. In 1903 Henry Wood described this technique in his book New Thought Simplified: “With scientific accuracy, one may make himself what he will by thinking his thoughts into the right form, and continuing the process until they solidify and take outward correspondence.” The practice of positive thinking has been highly refined. It often employs the creation of special mental chambers in which the New Age practitioner performs his thinking magic. He is taught to imagine the desired thing in great detail and hold onto it until it becomes reality. The Silva Method teaches the student to build a “mental screen” and to project three dimensional images onto the screen, such as images of himself as a thin person if he is trying to lose weight or images of a wealthy lifestyle. Maxwell Maltz calls positive thinking the “theater of the mind.”
Visualization -- This is often used as a synonym for positive thinking but it can go beyond that. It can involve such things as imagining conversations with the dead. Napoleon Hill visualized nine famous men from history who became his advisers. The imagined characters took on a life of their own and actually communicated with him. The Silva Method teaches the practitioner to construct a mental laboratory in his mind and evoke counselors to assist in diagnosing illnesses. From a biblical perspective, we know that this gets into the realm of communicating with demons.
Positive Confession -- This is the practice of confessing with the mouth the things that the individual wants to create in life. The confessions are also called affirmations and decrees. The idea is that words have the power to change reality. Marianne Williamson’s workbook for A Course in Miracles suggests a different confession for each of the 365 days of the course. For Lesson #70 it is “My salvation comes from me.”
Guided Imagery -- In this practice a guide helps the individual to use fantasy to create various situations. It is used for such things as delving into past lives and connecting oneself with the “universal power.” During an education workshop in California in 1980, children were taught to imagine bringing the sun down into their bodies and then using this power to fill themselves with perfect knowledge.
Out of Body Projection -- This is the practice of leaving one’s body mentally or spiritually and traveling to other places or viewing things that are happening in other places. It is also called astral projection and distant viewing.
Channeling -- This is communicating with spirits and receiving messages from them.
Transference -- This is the practice of transferring spiritual energy through such things as the laying on of hands and massage. Reiki is called “the healing touch” and allegedly involves the transference of “life force energy.”
Meditation -- Yogic style meditation is a very big part of New Age practice. It involves putting oneself into a hypnotic state or an “altered” state of consciousness through repetition of a mantra or focusing the mind on a picture or a mental image.
Hypnosis -- This is a trance-like state which is induced by such things as chanting, progressive relaxation, guided imagery, music, lights, and focusing on an object or a mental picture.
Regression Therapy -- This is the practice of dredging up supposed events from past lives in order to understand, heal, and empower the present. It is employed through hypnotism or guided imagery.
Anchoring -- This practice, which is employed by Tony Robbins and others, involves anchoring oneself in a past positive experience in order to access the positive emotions of that experience to create success in the present.
Interfaith dialogue -- This is the practice of building bridges of understanding between religious faiths. This is a New Age tool for creating harmony and good will and bringing peace on earth.
Community Building -- This is the practice of bonding people together into New Age communities. It is a process of breaking down the divisions between people and emphasizing unity and group thinking as opposed to individualism. It requires a non-judgmental attitude and a willingness to accept all different views and practices as legitimate.
- Receive these reports by email
- www.wayoflife.org
______________________
Sharing Policy: Much of our material is available for free, such as the hundreds of articles at the Way of Life web site. Other items we sell to help fund our expensive literature and foreign church planting ministries. Way of Life's content falls into two categories: sharable and non-sharable. Things that we encourage you to share include the audio sermons, O Timothy magazine, FBIS articles, and the free eVideos and free eBooks. You are welcome to make copies of these at your own expense and share them with friends and family. You may also post parts of reports and/or entire reports to websites, blogs, etc as long as you give proper credit (citation). A link to the original report is very much appreciated as the reports are frequently updated and/or expanded. Things we do not want copied and distributed are "Store" items like the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, print editions of our books, electronic editions of the books that we sell, the videos that we sell, etc. The items have taken years to produce at enormous expense in time and money, and we use the income from sales to help fund the ministry. We trust that your Christian honesty will preserve the integrity of this policy. "For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (1 Timothy 5:18). Questions? support@wayoflife.org
Goal:Distributed by Way of Life Literature Inc., the Fundamental Baptist Information Service is an e-mail posting for Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. Our primary goal with the FBIS is to provide material to assist preachers in the edification and protection of the churches.
Offering: Offerings are welcome if you care to make one. If you have been helped and/or blessed by our material offerings can be mailed or made online with with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Paypal. For information see: www.wayoflife.org/about/makeanoffering.html.
