It is difficult to go through a day without seeing television programs, commercials, news stories, tabloids, magazines, or hearing radio programs without some blatant or subtle reference to the New Age movement. The assimilation of New Age assumptions and beliefs is happening at all levels in our culture. In television its influence can be seen from youth through adult. Even commercials reflect yoga, reincarnation , and in their subtle subliminal attempts Infinity car ads. Others like Ted Turner's Captain Planet and the Planeteers are more subtle as they promote the New Age version of ecology.
Slasher movies are adolescents' favorite fare.
It is as if their consciences have been numbed and dulled by violence. Other popular movies such as Field of Dreams , E.T. , Close Encounters of the Third Kind , the Star Wars trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark , and Temple of Doom , although often beautifully entertaining, are laced with the New Age messages of benevolent space creatures, positive psychic powers and a clever blending of evil and good characters and themes. Many have questioned the Christian criticism of these programs claiming there have always been these themes in programs such as the Wizard of Oz , Bewitched , and Casper the Friendly Ghost . But the sheer volume and the escalating intensity of these programs in a culture of diminishing Biblical values and reference points, these penetrating themes tend to cloud our children's minds so that they can no longer discern between the real and unreal or between right and wrong. Many people are surprised that Steven Speilberg and George Lucas are listed in the New Age camp.