European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Occult guru . Knight of san Francisco who says she is the embodiment of a 35,000-year-old Man has attracted scores of followers. Alternative thought influencing social religious political life by Robert Lindsey new York times r representatives of some of America largest corporations including ism at to and general motors met in new Mexico injury to discuss How metaphysics the occult and hindu mysticism might help executives compete in the world marketplace. In san Francisco a politically conservative research Center foresees an eventual Alliance of conservatives leftists of the 1960s, and americans with interests ranging from Eastern mysticism and the occult to holistic Medicine. And this november Abc to plans a 5-hour mini series based on an autobiography by the actress Shirley Maclaine that delves deeply and seriously into reincarnation and the supernatural. These Are strands in a thread of alternative thought that scholars say is working its Way increasingly into America s cultural religious social economic and political life. On one level they say it is evidenced by a surge of interest in new metaphysical religions mediums the occult reincarnation psychic Healing satanism spirit guides and other aspects of supernatural belief. At another level the scholars cite the spreading influence of psychological self help and human potential groups that operate under names such As the forum insight actualization Silva mind control and life Spring. These groups programs for corporate employees attract millions of dollars a year. Borrowing some spiritual concepts from asian religions the programs try to transform clients thought processes and to make them better More creative people. On both Levels leaders contend they Aro ushering in what they Call a new age of understanding and intellectual ferment As significant As the Renaissance. Critics of these groups argue that Many Are nothing More than Cults and that others subject unwitting participants to mind control. The ideas themselves like Many of the groups Are not new. The est psychological training program popular and controversial in the 1970s, set the pattern for most of those that followed. And beginning even earlier Many Young americans joined Eastern religious sects like the Hare Krishna. What is changing is that increasing numbers of Middle class americans Many of them Middle aged Are showing an interest in supernatural Phenomena that blend Eastern mystical and Western occult thinking. Over the past year for example scores of people Many of them Middle aged women have left their Homes around the country and in Canada and moved to the Pacific Northwest to live near a 40-year-old woman . Knight who says she is the embodiment of a 35,000-Yearold Man. The new age movement is essentially the maturing of the hippie movement of the 1960s," says Carl a. Raschke a professor of religious studies at the University of Denver. According to experts in sociology religion and psychology interviewed Over the last several weeks the phenomenon is less a movement than a collection of disparate organizations and iconoclasts challenging orthodox thinking in a wide Range of subjects from religion to physics. New age thought according to Many proponents As Well As detractors directly or indirectly rejects the saturday october 25, 1986 the stars and stripes Jude Christian concept of a single omnipotent god who has revealed his will to Man. Instead new age adherents follow the View of Many Eastern religions that there is a Unity in the universe of which All things including god and Man. Are equal parts. Thus according to this View Man himself is a deity who can create his own reality " sociologists say this View is a foundation of human potential training programs like life Spring insight and the forum. Raschke. A critic of the trend describes it As the most powerful social Force in the country  i think it s As much a political movement As a religious  he says and it s spreading into business management theory and a lot of other areas. Ii you look at it carefully you see it represents a Complete rejection of Jude Christian and Bedrock american  some who have evaluated the trend attribute it partly to a loss of Confidence in traditional Western ideas and conventional ways of doing things and to a willingness to try out anything new in a search for a replacement. Why is business Rushing in to look at everything from est to fir walking asked Robert s. Colodzin a business consultant who is a retired vice president of the Champion International corp. The old ways of doing business Aren t working anymore and even the most intelligent people feel that something s  much of the ferment is on the West coast where there Are hundreds of new age groups but experts say it is occurring nationwide and making inroads abroad including in the soviet Union. The Tarrytown conference Center in Westchester county n.y., is a major Center of new age thought particularly As it relates to business and Industry. Its owner Robert Schwartz says criticism of unorthodox thinking is inevitable in this society w Page 17 i Licisyn i unc a