Alpha and
the New Age
by Elizabeth McDonald
Adullam News, June
1999
In the last issue of
Adullam News (March 1999, No 13) Jo wrote "It is essential that
we exercise discernment daily (Heb 5:14) and keep ourselves abreast
of the growing subtlety of deception. The widespread
acceptance of Alpha should act as a warning about how a shallow
understanding of what the gospel demands is deception, and leads
into further deception." While Sandy Millar insists Alpha is
merely an introduction to the Christian faith, the Course
nevertheless claims to preach the gospel sufficiently enough for
participants to come to salvation; several of the talks end with a
prayer of commitment. But testimonies such as :
| Since I said the prayer of commitment something has
changed. I don't know what, but something has
changed and my faith has been a journey. There
have been no dramatic experiences of the Spirit, no
dramatic conversion. Instead there has been a
journey on which I have fallen in love with the whole
thing stage by stage [1]. |
indicate that many
participants have neither understood what the gospel is nor what it
demands of them.
It is bad enough that so
few Alpha testimonies include any mention of conviction of sin,
repentance, or the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, but worse is the
number of Alpha testimonies resembling occult experiences.
What are we to make, for instance, of the following testimony?:
| On the Saturday, Nicky Gumbel talked about the Holy
Spirit. In the afternoon, he asked the Holy Spirit
to come. I was thinking to myself, What's going
on? ... Then suddenly, as I stood there, I began to feel
tingling in my left hand. It was like little
electric shocks ... Then two team members laid hands on
me ... I felt that it took all the rubbish out of me.
Then suddenly I got all hot ... The next day ... the
Holy Spirit was asked to come again. I was just
standing there and it came quickly this time.
First I had all this tingling in my left hand and up my
arm. Then my leg started shaking. They laid
hands on me again. ... I was also boiling hot again ...
When I got up it was as though I was a new person.
I had forgotten about the past ... I did pray afterwards
'Thank you God for baptising me with your Holy Spirit.'
[emphasis mine] [2]. |
In the book of Acts,
when men heard the gospel preached they were pricked in their hearts
and repented, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord,
they believed and rejoiced. One will search the New Testament
in vain to find any conversions accompanied by tingling, electric
shocks, shaking, or heat, as mentioned in the Alpha testimony above.
Other Alpha testimonies speak of feeling a warmth or even burning
sensation when someone lays hands on them to pray with them, usually
followed by an overwhelming sense of peace [3].
While Scripture does not
provide us with examples of this kind of thing amongst the early
church, there are similarities to be found in, for example, Reiki
Therapy. 'Rei' means 'universally or spiritually guided'.
'Ki' means 'life force energy'. The practitioner channels this
life force energy through the laying on of hands:
| that lovingly supports one's innate ability to heal
and also balances the energy centers in the body.
The Reiki energy and experience feeds the mental,
emotional and physical aspects of an individual.
This results in a state of well-being and total
relaxation [4]. |
According to one
recipient of Reiki, who, like Alpha participants, claims his life
has since changed dramatically:
| The Reiki Master's hands seem to get hot, and I
actually feel heat. I could feel energy going
through my body and out my toes [5]. |
Another occurrence
amongst some Alpha participants is the 'white' or 'bright
light'. An article about the Alpha Course in Times
Weekend reported that Nicky Gumbel had received a letter
from someone taking Alpha while in prison for murder. The
man, who had been beaten and sexually abused as a child, agreed
to let two Christians pray with him in the jail:
| I held my eyes tightly shut. After a
couple of minutes a bright light came in from my
right side, then disappeared, and I felt relaxed and
at peace with my mind for the first time in fifty
years [6]. |
During the time of
one participant's attendance on the Alpha Course, she was prayed
for by Anne Watson who had been invited to speak at her church:
| I didn't have a clue what she was on about but
it didn't matter. At then end she invited
people forward for prayer ... Anne put her hand on
me and said 'Come Holy Spirit' and the most
incredible thing happened. I felt as if
someone took two torches and put them into my eyes.
I saw this incredible white light and my whole body,
from my head to my toes, was bathed with bright
white light. Liquid love was pouring onto me
and I kept saying over and over again 'I've met
Jesus. I've met Jesus.' I was so happy
[7]. |
Bill Wilson, the founder
of Alcoholics Anonymous, had a similar experience. A drunk for
whom several detoxification programmes had proved useless, he
finally cried out in despair:
| If there is a God, let Him show Himself! I am
ready to do anything, anything! ... Suddenly the room
lit up with a great white light. I was caught up
into an ecstasy ... It seemed to me, in the mind's eye,
that I was on a mountain and that a wind, not of air but
of spirit was blowing. And then it burst upon me
that I was a free man ... All about me and through me
there was a wonderful feeling of Presence, and I thought
to myself, so this is the God of the preachers! A
great peace stole over me... [8]. |
An inadequate grasp of
the gospel is surely one reason for Alpha participants' acceptance
of these 'spiritual' experiences as coming from God; another may be
that the Alpha Course, to all intents and purposes being the
evangelistic wing of the Toronto Blessing, would very likely display
the same tendencies. And this is the case. it has been
well documented by others [9] that the supernatural phenomena seen
in the Toronto Blessing - and thus, by extension, the Alpha Course -
are very similar to those experienced by practitioners of Kundalini
Yoga. At least one Kundalini Yoga website agrees:
| There is a natural, biological energy center in us,
which is usually sleeping ... When this center becomes
alive a growth-process starts and unmistakable symptoms
are observable in the body and in the psyche. ... In the
last years these Kundalini awakenings happen more often
that ever before ... in the 1970s occurred a marked
increase in psycho-spiritual experiences ... when
Bhagwan's Poona Ashram became famous. But the
1970s fall short when compared to the ten thousands of
people who came into contact with the Kundalini energy
since 1994 in the so-called Toronto Blessing... [10]
|
It would be a mistake to
think that because some of the more extreme manifestations have
subsided the Toronto Blessing was just the latest fad that has now
run its course:
| Relax: after one or two years, the symptoms
gradually disappear, because the body is then
adjusted to the higher level of bioenergy and calms down
[their emphasis] [11]. |
More frightening still
is the realisation that these Kundalini awakenings are being claimed
by the New Agers as initiation into the next stage in mans' alleged
evolution:
| Kundalini is the Hindu word for the sacred
transformative element that awakens consciousness.
When it becomes active, it is usually felt as a high
vibrational, electromagnetic energy or powerful force in
the body, and/or a strong sense of the inner presence of
the Spirit ... This process is also called shamanic
awakening, ascension, awakening the light body or the
energy body, rebirth, or simply transformation ...
Judging by the current condition of the world, had my
own Kundalini not arisen, I would have doubted the New
Age proclamations that we are in the midst of a
collective developmental leap in human consciousness.
But from what has transpired in my own life, on top of
the testimony from countless others going through
similar experiences, I have a growing spark of hope that
as a species, we are truly evolving [12]. |
Evolving into what?:
| The main purpose of its awakening in a seeker is to
enable him to attain Godhood [13].
[NB from Jo Gardner: This is
the same end as the teachings of Restoration, Manifest
Sons, and Word-Faith.] |
Returning to the 'white light' for a
moment, one Western mystic says that sometimes, along with the white
light is the experience of clairaudibly hearing an inner voice,
indicating direction and elucidation. This inner voice remains
with him as an ever-ready guide to the unravelling of complexities
in daily life [14]. This would also seem to be the case with
the woman mentioned above who also heard voices on at least two
occasions. The first was during a panic attack, prior to her
white light experience, when she cried out to God to help her if He
was there:
| All of a sudden, this incredible peace filled the
front room. [My son's] photograph was on the side and I
felt my eyes drawn to his face. I heard a voice
say, 'Hold on tight, ... look at [your son's] eyes.
Aren't his eyes, your eyes? Isn't he beautiful?
Aren't you beautiful? Look at his face, ... he
needs you.' There was a glow around [my son's]
face and it seemed to be coming out of the picture.
That was it - the panic attack went completely [15]. |
On the second occasion, shortly after
her white light experience, feeling pain and confusion after
finishing with her boyfriend:
| I lay on the floor of my kitchen crying and pulling
my hair out and then, in all that confusion and pain, I
heard someone in the room say, 'Do you love me?'
It was the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard and I
knew it was Jesus. The whole room was filled with
his Spirit and his peace peace and I said, 'Yes, Lord, I
do.' Then Jesus said, 'Well, hold on tightly to me
now and I promise you with all of my heart that I will
take all your pain away.' That night, in the
solitude of my bedroom, I gave my life to Christ [16]. |
But how are those visions to be
distinguished from the following? The Ascended Master Djwhal
Kuhl appeared to New Ager Will Baron:
| [R]adiating an almost blinding light golden light
and a soothing presence that filled him with peace ...
Will writes, 'When I first saw him, my own initial
thought was, He looks just like Jesus Christ' [17]. |
Not one of the Alpha participants who
had an experience of 'Jesus', whether visual or audible, questioned
whether it might have been something else. Yet we read this in
Scripture:
| For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom
we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye
have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. ... For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel
of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their
works [18]. |
It is vital then that we:
| believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world [19]. |
But we all know these Scriptures so
well; why aren't they being applied by the leaders of Alpha Courses to the
bizarre experiences going on in their courses?
Even if we allow that previously
un-churched Alpha participants cannot be expected to distinguish the
true from the false, there is no excuse for leaders of these
courses - Christians, one would expect, for at least a reasonable
length of time - to be uncritically accepting of these highly
dubious supernatural goings-on. But they are. And the
originators of the Course itself delight to publish ever more of these very
questionable 'conversions' in their newspapers and books. But
what can we expect when they themselves encourage such occult
experiences?:
| Mr. Gumbel led a session entitled How Can I Be
Filled With The Spirit? ... Mr Gumbell asked us to
put our hands out. He prayed: 'Fill us with your
Spirit', then described what he saw - 'The Spirit of God
has come and is filling people all around this room.
Some people are shaking. Some of you feel a great
weight on your hands. Others, tears are rolling
down your face and you are thinking, 'Why am I crying?'
This is the Spirit of God, don't be embarrassed.
Don't resist the Spirit. Some of you feel waves
coming over you. Waves and waves of liquid love...
[20]. |
The New Age may seem a long way from
the Alpha Course, but is it? The sentiments expressed by
Kundalini initiates below are not to be found in Scripture but they
are in Alpha conversions:
| [T]his cleansing, divine light snakes its way up
through the subtle nerve threads of the body and expels
the darkness of the past, unknotting any traumas that
are caught in the memory of the body, so that a person
ceases to be limited by past life, present life traumas
or old thought forms ... It is an opportunity to
become new or reborn ... the nature of the cleansing
process creates strange behaviour that might make th
person weep and laugh within minutes [emphasis mine]
[21]. |
Neither is the fact that Alpha
leaders are calling on the Holy Spirit, rather than the Kundalini
power, any guarantee it is the Holy Spirit who responds:
| I also experienced a process called Christian
Kundalini ... Kundalini is a vital force at the base of
the spine ... Our vital force will answer to the term
Holy Spirit and then it is Christian, or any other term
that means spirit of God and then it is God's time to
introduce Himself [22]. |
With little understanding of the
objective facts of the gospel and an apparent lack of real
conviction of sin by the (true) Holy Spirit, the experiences being
had by Alpha participants are not sufficient evidence of their
having been born again. The very things claimed by Alpha to
prove conversion to Christianity, though not to be found in
Scripture, are frequently experienced during Kundalini
awakening, or initiation into the New Age.
So, are these experiences by Alpha
participants evidence of their being born again into the Kingdom of
God or are they evidence of a Kundalini awakening and/or New Age
initiation? Kundalini Yogis, as we have seen, would seem to
suggest the latter. So would New Age Guru Benjamin Creme.
Creme was recently asked what he thought of the Toronto Blessing.
His response was that he thought it was a good thing: it is,
according to him, the method being used by his spiritual Masters to
soften up Christian Fundamentalists to accept the New Age Christ
when he appears [23].
In closing, please compare this from
Alpha:
| Things reached a climax at the away weekend in
Pontins. ... By now, thanks to a lot of of background
reading and reflection, I was certain where I stood, but
at least my atheism was an informed choice. ... 'You
have to believe in the supernatural', Nicky told us,
'Otherwise, it just boils down to people being nice to
each other and I don't think that's enough.' That
evening, he asked for the Holy Spirit to visit the
congregation ... grown men and women began to shake and
weep. ... One member of my group ... fell into a
trance-like state, his mouth open and his head back as
Tom prayed for him. 'I felt like I was a balloon
being inflated, that I was absorbing a supernatural
experience. There was a swirling in my mouth and I
felt myself engulfed by the Holy Spirit', he told us
next morning. I was ready. It was time to
open myself up to God [24]. |
With this from a former New Ager:
| My New Age background made me think I had been in
the 'presence of God' all my life. ... Neither Denny nor
I had ever heard explanations like this from the Bible
[the gospel preached to them]. Richard invited us
to admit we were sinners and thank the Lord Jesus for
dying in our place on the cross. He quoted a Bible
verse which says, that is you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans
10:9). My eyes lowered. Tears fell to the
ground as I was overcome by a sense of shame before God.
I remember praying, gently confessing that I was a
wretched sinner. I believed that Christ died in my
place on the cross for my sins. I was overwhelmed
by His unwarranted love foe me through this act.
There were no bright lights or tingling sensations, only
remorse mingled with gratefulness, a sense of peace in
reconciliation and assurance of security for eternity.
I had confidence in a joy and safety I'd never known
before [25]. |
Notes:
[1] Interview for Newsroom
South East, 09:04:1998; also Alpha News, July-Oct 1998,
p. 7.
[2] Mark Elsden-Dew, Ed., The God
Who Changes Lives, Vol. 2, (Alpha Publications, 1998), pp. 149-150.
[3] For example, Alpha News,
Nov 1997-Feb 1998, p. 7.
[4] { source }
[5] Donna M. Viggiano, White
Light Reiki, lifeenrichment.com/dvigg
[6] Dominic Kennedy, Article in
Times Weekend, 14:12:1996, pp. 1-2.
[7] Alpha News,
March-June 1998, pp. 12-13.
[8] Quoted in Dave Hunt,
Occult Invasion: The Subtle Seduction of the World and Church,
(Harvest House Publishers, 1998) p. 298.
[9] For example, Alarm Call
For Concerned Christians, Spring 1998, pp. 1-3; See also Antti
Huima, Comparing Kundalini Yoga and TB/Pensacola,
www.davidcox.com.mx/library/H/Huima,%20Antti%20-%20Comparison%20between%20Kundalini%20Practice%20&%20so-called%20Toronto%20Blessing.pdf
[10] Zenhouse.com/zen.html
[11] Ibid.
[12] El Collie, Shared
Transformation: Kundalini Signs and Symptoms, www.elcollie.com/st/symptoms.html.
[13] Muktananda, as quoted in
Ruth Trimble, When Mercury Escapes, www.adishakti.org/pdf_files/kundalini_awakens_(spiritweb.org).pdf.
[14] Master Subramuniya, The
Clear White Light, deoxy.org/annex/cwl.htm.
[15] Alpha News, March-June 1998, p. 13.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Occult Invasion,
p. 391.
[18] 2 Corinthians 11:4,13-15.
[19] 1 John 4:1.
[20] Quoted in Times Weekend,
14:12:1996, pp. 1-2.
[21] When Mercury Escapes.
[22] Michael Foster,
Recovery by Discovery, www.recoverybydiscovery.com/story.htm
[23] Nick Needham, The
Toronto Blessing, Part Two, www.inplainsite.org/html/toronto_deception.html; See also
Ed Tarkowski, Laughing Phenomena: Its History and Possible
Effects on the Church, (PO Box 233, McKean, PA 16426, USA, June
1995).
[24] Julia Llewellyn-Smith,
Article in The Daily Express, 16:11:1998, reproduced in UK Focus,
Dec 1998, pp. 4-5.
[25] Caryl Matriciana, 'Outer
Beauty, Inner Despair', in Dawn of the New Age: Five New Agers
Relate Their Search for the Truth, (Penfold Books, PO Box 26,
Bicester, Oxen, OX6 8PB, UK, 1998), pp. 48-49.
For more detailed
and comprehensive articles than this one on the relationship between
Alpha and the New Age please see the following:
Open Letter to the Leaders of the Alpha
Course: Alpha's Holy Spirit Retreat
The Powers Behind the Alpha Course: The
Powerful Spirit
The New Age of Alpha
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