The new age

It seems every time I spend any amount of time in California I run into various interpretations of this idea of a New Age, and everything related to this phenomenon. All if it has to do with some vague notion of spirituality that is rooted in lifestyle choices that always seem to center around extreme vegetarianism/veganism, some sort of eastern influenced movement practice, and a penchant for attempting to conflate scientific theories around the material universe into some sort of guide book for how to frame non-material truths. I'll give you an example:

Yesterday I attended a "talk" by a San Diegan who happens to be staying here at The Ideal Hotel before he leaves on a world tour funded through credit card debt that he has no intention of paying back. He brought up the "golden proportion", a very interesting mathematical proof that establishes a singular proportionality to certain material phemonmena. Similar to Pii, this concept is known as Phi (pronounced phee), and is a fairly complex mathematical concept in and of itself. He stated that this mathematical relationship is proof that we are all connected and that everything is One. Lovely, but when further questioned on his understanding of the mechanics of this proof, he had no foundation in its mathematical core, and simply dismissed that knowledge as erroneous except where it fit his point.

Now, I am fairly open to new things, and am trying very hard not to be a judgemental person, but this type of shit drives me crazy! What was amazing was that everyone in the room was ready to throw out any sort of rigour around his arguement and simply nod their heads in agreement. To futher my consternation, almost everyone I met in the room that night was "swimmy" eyed and had very little of interest to say (except for the couple from Virginia Beach who were the flotsam I clung to in this ocean of New Age sentiment).

Other arugements I have heard over the course of the last week that I'll paraphrase:

"Love is limitless. If we give more love we'll get more love". (Sounds good, right?) " I mean, I dont understand all these conservationists who tell us to conserve water, to conserve money. To conserve.... I mean just like love, we should spend money, use water, and it will all come back to us one day." Huh?

I arrest my case. This New Age hippie bullshit ain't for me.