The city of Mount Shasta caters to people searching for spirituality, a “higher truth,” pilgrims, as well as general tourists and mountain climbers. A disproportionate amount of metaphysical bookshops and stores cater to New Age and Occult beliefs. People participate in material markets by making rational decisions to fulfill their desires. Consequently, enlightenment and spirituality do not come cheaply to those who seek its benefits. Ancient cultural traditions and systems of thought become commodities like everything else. As with any marketing of a cultural product, an organization must generate money to exist. However, it is difficult to state any relationship between religion and economy. Groups that can maintain visual strength and symbolism appeal more in consumer culture.
Through a process of commercialization, systems of belief have been transformed into individualistic forms of spirituality. For example, adherents of New Age beliefs, criticized for narcissism, reflect emergent spiritualities in a disconnected, isolated, and individualistic world. Occult groups sell their teachings for personal enhancement, including distributing information via radio and television stations, videos, seminars, and audio cassettes. Asian religions remain marketable because of their exotic appeal and “hidden” knowledge.
One New Age strategy combines discourse and therapies, blending psychology and worship. The market has increased in new dimensions through self-improvement strategies, training courses, and control for success. In this way, consumers of belief systems value ideas out of their context, assigning some significance that is only valuable to themselves.
Author: mountshastamyths
Lurking around here with more questions than answers