Getting off the Wheel: A Conceptual History of the New Age Concept of Enlightenment

Enlightenment, often considered the ultimate goal of spiritual development by New Agers, has been largely overlooked by scholars. This article traces the concept's historical origins to the late 19th-century 'Oriental reaction' to Theosophy, when figures like Vivekananda and Suzuki synthesized transcendentalism, Theosophy, and new psychological ideas to articulate a paradigmatic Asian soteriology. It follows the trajectory from these early figures through Aldous Huxley, 1960s counterculture, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and neo-advaita, providing an account of how the New Age concept of enlightenment was formed.

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Abstract

Abstract Although many new agers believe that enlightenment is the end goal of spiritual development, the importance of this concept has largely been overlooked by scholars until now. This article contextualizes the concept of enlightenment historically. After a detailed description of what the new age concept of enlightenment entails, it traces the origin of the concept to the late 19th-century “Oriental reaction” to Theosophy, when “missionaries from the East” like Vivekananda and Suzuki drew on transcendentalism, Theosophy, and recent innovations in psychology to articulate a paradigmatic expression of Asian soteriology. It highlights the importance of models of enlightenment in the transmission of Asian ideas and follows the trajectory that starts with Vivekananda and Suzuki to figures and currents like Aldous Huxley, 1960s counterculture, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and neo-advaita. Thereby, it provides an account of the formation of the new age concept of enlightenment.