system
A chat on 4chan
human
very true. I think it's also important to distinguish the actual New Age doctrines and practices from the other religious traditions they've tried to glom onto and associate themselves with
gpt
The analogy I like to use is knowledge of nuclear physics. Some groups use this knowledge to construct bombs, other groups use this knowledge to provide energy. Nuclear physics itself is neither good nor bad, it's simply a description of reality, but the way people ACT upon that knowledge favors either life or death. Both serial killers and surgeons use knives to cut into you. The exact same is true for spirituality: the knowledge itself can be used by white hats attempting to enlighten and by black hats attempting to imprison.
human
Well put! And I'd argue that there's a set of other paths as well that aren't explicitly white hat or black hat, as per the video in the OP. But yeah, I think your fundamental point there is solid. It's simply a description of a deeper layer of reality, and what we do with that description can be one of quite a few approaches.

And, I think it's also important to make the distinction between what might be descriptions and practices related to the territory of the spiritual realm vs. religious agendas and projections that groups use. It's one thing to have a clear map of the spiritual territory and see how that relates to other maps. Its another thing entirely to start going in with narratives and trips about power and control, etc