There are Many Flavors of the Truth:

Previous research on the position of science in the New Age movement consists mainly of textual-historical analyses of ideas in movement texts. The aim of this study is to explore New Age adherents’ experiences, motivations and ideas in order to assess how and why they retreat from science, as well as to assess the role they still attribute to science when situated in the New Age milieu. An analysis of twenty in-depth interviews with adherents of the New Age phenomenon the Children of the New Age indicates two mechanisms: adherents both retreat from and retain science. Experienced shortcomings of science, postmodern feelings of alienation, and several media form incentives to retreat from science. Once adherents have adopted an alternative identity as a Child of the New Age, their critique of science is typical of the New Age movement but also of postmodernity. Because incentives and postmodern critiques have not been mentioned in previous studies these findings add contextualization to the existing theory. Moreover, respondents also retain science by means of negotiations. Apart from the previously studied legitimation, adherents negotiate science for more complete health treatments and pragmatic solutions. They engage in practices of bricolage when both opposing and embracing aspects of science. Science has not lost all authority, however, it holds no monopoly within the field concerning truth claims. Finally, recommendations for further research on science’s position in contemporary Western societies are presented.