By Danny Valle

“The answer is out there... It's looking for you. And it will find you. If you want it to.” With these words Trinity ignited Neo's quest for the truth in the film The Matrix. Besides Neo's imaginary quest, the film also kicked off a new spiritual quest of self-discovery for many people. As certain parts of our society continue to move towards a more secular way of life, there seems to be a gap that needs to be filled – with something to bring meaning and order into what can often seem like a life of chaos. So it should come as no surprise that urban mythologies have exploded in popularity. But are these new, alternative spiritualities just a way of reinventing traditional religious tenets for the 21st century? Do psychic vampirism and indigo children really exist, or are they simply new faith-based beliefs that help us to feel special in an increasingly homogenous world?
   
Do you know of someone who is so draining to be around that people can only bear to spend time with him or her for a limited amount of time? Most people answer yes to this question – and if you didn't, consider yourself lucky! These energy-draining people have come to be referred to as psychic vampires. The image you get from this phrase might be of someone lurking in the shadows and waiting to suck out some poor victim’s energy, but it's actually much more subtle. Psychic vampires are thought to be people who are so selfish that it takes all of your energy to be around them. The longer you put up with them, the more energy they force you to expend. According to the theory, they don't necessarily intend to be draining and may not know they do it. Sound familiar? Don't hate the psychic vampire – hate the psychic vampirism. It sounds a lot like an embellished term for a needy, exasperating person – but to each their own. About.com has a Holistic Healing section with a quiz purporting to determine if you’re an energy Nosferatu or not.
   
Another common belief is the notion that the color of one's aura (a paranormal/spiritual term for a luminous field of energy emanating from living things) is affected by changes in mood or the predominant traits of one’s personality. It is also believed that each age has its own predominant color. Blue and violet are said to be the dominant colors today, but there is supposedly a transition occurring which is pointed to by the increasing number of indigo auras perceived by psychics in children under the age of ten. Many indigo proponents feel that there are certain characteristics that get misdiagnosed by the medical community as A.D.D. due to their lack of new age savvy. There are numerous sites (cybersocket.com/link/zmpft, cybersocket.com/link/svxth, cybersocket.com/link/zygcx) intended to help parents determine if their child is indigo. Some of the markers include difficulty with absolute authority, frustration with systems that are ritually oriented and don't require creative thought, a tendency to see better ways of doing things (“system busters”), a sense of high self-worth and entitlement, and a strong-will. Sounds a lot like a spoiled brat – but who knows? If any parents of indigo children happen to overhear one of them screaming out the cure for cancer or the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, call us and we'll become instant believers.
   
These new terms may never have come about if it weren't for the increasing interest in the New Thought Movement (NTM), or New Thought as it is commonly called. Although you may think that you've never heard of such a thing, the truth is that you probably have. Anyone who's been cognizant of pop culture during the last couple years has likely heard of the phenomenon known as The Secret, which bases much of its information on the NTM. As you may have guessed the NTM fundamentally believes that “spirit” is the ultimate reality, that humans shape who they are by their way of thinking, and that life works on the basic principles of the law of attraction. There is no one religion that the group abides by, although the idea itself is a bit religious since it is faith-based as opposed to evidence-based. It recognizes all teachings and acknowledges that we are all spiritual beings and that our highest function is to love one another. Unlike more established religions where people are often subject to the wrath and judgment of God, the NTM gives people a way to be the drivers of their own destinies.
   
As more and more people break away from traditional teachings, they are left to fill the void for themselves. In many ways, these movements are indeed just a more user-friendly repackaging of the old ones. But new religions have been springing forth from old ones throughout our history. Another similarity among all of these new teachings is that they generally allow one to be an individual – and even encourage it. Perhaps this is what the Mayans were talking about when they wrote that 2012 would be the year of the apocalypse. But maybe it won't be the end of the world, as some have hypothesized, but instead only the beginning of a dramatic spiritual transformation that will slowly change the way we see the world, helping to guide us into the future. Human society is constantly changing, so that sounds like a reasonable prediction.

Contact Danny Valle at: danny@cybersocket.com

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