新時代運動(New Age Movement)興起於一九六○年代的美國,是一個跨越宗教、靈性、心理、健康、環保與社會參與的綜合性運動。當時是少數另類的社會與文化運動,如今超越了過去作為對抗主流文化的另類運動,成為西方社會中主流文化的一部份,並向外擴展成為跨國性的靈性與文化運動。本文闡述此一運動多重的歷史脈絡與發展,包括新時代運動與對抗文化的關係以及新時代運動三大主要運動(另類靈性運動、潛能開發運動和整體健康運動)的歷史脈絡,並且指出新時代運動當代發展與變遷的趨勢。對新時代運動之歷史脈絡的解析,有助於瞭解近一、兩百年來西方社會從傳統邁向現代、後現代的變遷軌跡。
The New Age Movement has been a new socio-spiritual movement emerged in Western society in the late 1960s. This eclectic movement includes many different movements. Now, the New Age Movement has had tremendous growth and become part of mainstream culture in contrary to its beginning as a kind of counterculture movements. Moreover, it has also expanded to other countries and become a cross-country spiritual movement. This paper clarifies its multiple historical origins and contexts, which are the historical background of alternative religions, human potential movements, and holistic health movement. I also show contemporary trends and changes of the New Age Movement in the Unites States. The understanding of historical contexts of the New Age Movement helps to depict the cultural and spiritual transformation of Western society since the nineteen centuries.