De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof
In the Netherlands, the paranormal circuit is rather visible in the ‘paranormal fairs’ for the last twenty years. Sociologists consider such fairs as commercialized New Age practices, but I doubt if they are identical. In my article, I summarize eight characteristics of New Age, and then I present...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | nld |
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Radboud University Press in cooperation with Open Journals
2007-09-01
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| Series: | Religie & Samenleving |
| Online Access: | https://religiesamenleving.nl/article/view/13204 |
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| author | Frans Jespers |
| author_facet | Frans Jespers |
| author_sort | Frans Jespers |
| collection | DOAJ |
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In the Netherlands, the paranormal circuit is rather visible in the ‘paranormal fairs’ for the last twenty years. Sociologists consider such fairs as commercialized New Age practices, but I doubt if they are identical. In my article, I summarize eight characteristics of New Age, and then I present a description of some paranormal fairs and the complete circuit around it. From that, I can deduce some remarkable differences between these fairs and New Age. At the fairs, people have a directly thaumaturgical expectation, especially when clairvoyants invoke assistant spirits. Visitors combine a more or less dualistic world view with practices from various religions (e.g. reincarnation, amulets). The majority of the visitors belongs to the (lower) working class. In conclusion, the paranormal fairs represent a special form of ‘the spiritual revolution’ (Heelas & Woodhead), namely New Age in its most popular and traditional version, hardly secularized, but quite reenchanting or re-sacralizing. In sum, the paranormal ‘market’ may show a take-over of a part of New Age by folk religion.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a657627bd5684b8a94d76bf8eda226a4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1872-3497 2773-1669 |
| language | nld |
| publishDate | 2007-09-01 |
| publisher | Radboud University Press in cooperation with Open Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religie & Samenleving |
| spelling | doaj-art-a657627bd5684b8a94d76bf8eda226a42025-08-20T02:39:28ZnldRadboud University Press in cooperation with Open JournalsReligie & Samenleving1872-34972773-16692007-09-012210.54195/RS.13204De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloofFrans Jespers0Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen In the Netherlands, the paranormal circuit is rather visible in the ‘paranormal fairs’ for the last twenty years. Sociologists consider such fairs as commercialized New Age practices, but I doubt if they are identical. In my article, I summarize eight characteristics of New Age, and then I present a description of some paranormal fairs and the complete circuit around it. From that, I can deduce some remarkable differences between these fairs and New Age. At the fairs, people have a directly thaumaturgical expectation, especially when clairvoyants invoke assistant spirits. Visitors combine a more or less dualistic world view with practices from various religions (e.g. reincarnation, amulets). The majority of the visitors belongs to the (lower) working class. In conclusion, the paranormal fairs represent a special form of ‘the spiritual revolution’ (Heelas & Woodhead), namely New Age in its most popular and traditional version, hardly secularized, but quite reenchanting or re-sacralizing. In sum, the paranormal ‘market’ may show a take-over of a part of New Age by folk religion. https://religiesamenleving.nl/article/view/13204 |
| spellingShingle | Frans Jespers De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof Religie & Samenleving |
| title | De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof |
| title_full | De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof |
| title_fullStr | De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof |
| title_full_unstemmed | De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof |
| title_short | De paramarkt: New Age en volksgeloof |
| title_sort | de paramarkt new age en volksgeloof |
| url | https://religiesamenleving.nl/article/view/13204 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fransjespers deparamarktnewageenvolksgeloof |