Oprah: High priestess of the New Age

In May 2009, Newsweek published a blistering critique of Oprah in which it argued that Oprah’s most attractive quality is “that she abhors the celebration of victimhood.” It went on to criticize Oprah’s uncritical endorsements of pop-science and “new age” remedies ranging from Suzanne Somers’ use of unregulated ‘bio-identical’ hormones to Jenny McCarthy’s anti-vaccine campaign. It is a trend that surgical oncologist David Gorski has termed the “Oprah-fication of medicine.”

Back in 2006, after the release of “The Secret,” Oprah dedicated two shows to the book with Ellen DeGeneres and Larry King soon following with their own. Oprah’s Midas touch heightened and solidified its popularity. As she stated on her show of February 8, 2007, “my guests today believe that once you discover the secret that you can immediately start creating the life you want whether it’s getting out of debt, whether it’s finding a more fulfilling job, even falling in love. They say you can have it all and, in fact, you already hold the power to make that happen.”

On the show, Oprah interviewed Rhonda Byrne, the Australian writer and producer responsible for The Secret, as well as several of the other “teachers of the secret” who make appearances in the film. Oprah states on the show, “I realized I’ve always lived by the secret, I didn’t know it was a secret.” Her statement hints at the almost pathetic simplicity of “The Secret,” which is based on what the film calls the “Law of Attraction.”

The law states that we attract into our lives what we feel and what we think. If we believe that we will pass an exam, we elevate the possibility of it actually happening. If we feel that we are unqualified for a job as we enter the interview session, that negative energy will heighten the probability that the interviewer will think the same thing. In other words, as Byrne tells Oprah, “whether we realize it or not, the Law of Attraction is working all of the time.”

Some cynics have argued that Oprah seems peculiarly adept at tapping into the needs and anxieties of a particular time. They have suggested that perhaps ratings are her primary motivation. This is unfair. Rather, as Newsweek points outs, “if Oprah has an exquisite ear for the cravings and anxieties of her audience, it is because she shares them. Her own lifelong quest for love, meaning and fulfillment plays out on her stage each day.”

Oprah seems to be at home within the New Age movement in the United States. The perennialist, individualistic focus on spirituality that she exemplifies arises out of seeds planted during the New Age movement, particularly the Human Potential movement. Instead of taking direct action to help cure the ills of society, members of the Human Potential movement seek to elevate themselves as individuals and reach their full potential as a necessary first step towards societal transformation.

The movement does not have a single founder or a single place of residence, but it has been a significant presence in American culture for the last few decades. One of its fundamental characteristics is its syncretistic nature; there is an eager borrowing and melding process that is foundational to the movement. Films like The Secret and What the Bleep Do We Know are undoubtedly the offspring of the Human Potential movement, creating a synthesis of various elements including quantum physics, individualism and Eastern religions.

Members of Human Potential movements generally speak of being focused on the attainment of happiness, of moving away from self-erected roadblocks, and practicing gestalt consciousness. Gestalt consciousness is focused on achieving greater insight into the self and one’s body, on feeling one with the universe, nurturing a sense of wonder, enjoying the sacredness of everyday occurrences, and achieving one’s true potential.

As Chicken Soup for the Soul creator Jack Canfield states in The Secret, “Decide what you want. Believe you can have it. Believe you deserve it and believe it’s possible for you. And then, close your eyes everyday for several minutes and visualize having what you already want and feeling the feelings of already having it. Come out of that and focus on what you’re grateful for already. And really enjoy it. And then go into your day and release it to the universe and trust that the universe will figure out how to manifest it.” In other words, learn to be effective creators and your destiny will be what you make of it. Oprah could not agree more.

Amarnath Amarasingam  | May 25, 2011 11:20 AM