I would like to speak about some specific aspects that are significant for the new age. This word has recently been used a lot by certain groups of people. Some use it in right understanding, some manage to make it a cliche. But this happens with all concepts of truth. There is hardly a protection against this, for the glibness exists in man’s mind. It exists because of laziness and a tendency to label so as to avoid feeling the reality of a specific truth. But this must not influence those who do not fall into this trap to give up the truth in question.

“At certain intervals in history a new influx comes into your world because humanity has grown sufficiently to make it ready for this particular influx. So it is now. We often discussed this topic in more general terms — about the meaning and significance of the new age. We talked about the consciousness of the Christ spirit permeating this world, trying to fill the consciousness of individuals to an ever greater degree.

“It is fairly obvious that such a powerful influx must bring in its wake manifestations that are not always pleasant, welcome, agreeable, or even constructive. Many events on your earth are outright undesirable but are, nevertheless, direct results of this influx. In fact, without them the growth and expansion of consciousness inherent in this new age could not take place. Your own mind is still very much geared to the immediate. That which is good and right at this moment is always, in your idea, also ultimately good and right. And the converse is equally believed in although that is hardly always the case. An outright negative manifestation may indeed be necessary for the total development to take place. This applies to the individual as much as it does to the entity mankind or, to put it differently, to the entity earth.

“The new influx sweeps with tremendous force through your world. This is not always recognized in its manifestation. In the first place, it reaches man’s inner consciousness. Wherever there is the slightest potential, this consciousness begins to change — perhaps ever so subtly, ever so gradually; possibly through new ways of thinking about life; or through a desire to find a way to understand self and life in a more profound way.

“The new influx, also called the new age, also effects outer events. Often this happens in a most obscure way. What may appear as an entirely undesirable, negative occurrence is, in reality, a necessity in order to establish new values, to reestablish life based on spiritual premises, truth, and love. In other words, destructiveness that has advanced so far that it can no longer be changed, molded, transformed, needs to be destroyed before a new and better structure can be erected. Many destructive events in your earth are of that nature. You need to learn to distinguish between those events that are outright and directly opposed to life, unnecessary, and the expression of evil and those that fall into the category I now described. This is not always immediately discernible, but as you train your inner vision and become more aware of these processes of creation, your perception will become more accurate.

“Many of you already see that new values are springing up all over, working their way laboriously through the thicket of the old weeds — obsolete values, negative and destructive attitudes and behavior toward life. The new values are still small and delicate plants that need nurturing, courage, commitment to the larger cause of life, and the ever necessary self-honesty that fosters development and expansion of individual consciousness. The more of you who follow this road, the stronger the plants will become on your planet.

“It has often been mentioned that the new age, or as it is also called, the Aquarian Age, brings about group formations, group consciousness. This has not existed in the same way before. Of course, mankind as a whole is a group on a larger scale. Society could not exist unless group consciousness would not be cultivated to some degree. But until now, individuals were mainly concerned with themselves, their own interests, regardless of how this effects the rest of the world. Not that this attitude has now disappeared — far from it. But a new awareness is growing in which man begins to see that if he pursues only his self-interest to the detriment of others, it goes far beyond violating moral and spiritual laws and values. He begins to see that he must suffer from it eventually as much, if not more, as those whom he disregards with his shortsighted selfishness.

“The human family could not exist without a group spirit. But the general establishments of society have not yet put sufficient weight on spiritual values. They are unaware of any new influx, and they proceed by old standards, values that are often based on expediency only and on the most shortsighted goals. It is surely no coincidence that in your time new groups, communities of all sorts, are growing all over. Many of them are misguided; many succumb to the influence of destructive forces and evil spirits. This can never be different on this plane of consciousness. Wherever there is divine influx, the demonic forces send out their own influences to corrupt those who are not purified, to tempt and to destroy. But this does not change the fact that new communities must spread which represent the new values and which become models for new ways of life. The question is always to be wakeful and never neglect the work of self-purification. This is the only key of safety. If this is followed through painstakingly, in the spirit of service to fulfill God’s will, the evil forces cannot confuse you. You will always know, you will find the answers, you will stay clean, even if there must be temporary manifestations of your lower self.

“When you think of the new age, it is necessary that you do not only think of it as a general, vague force. It is necessary to imagine that specific aspects manifest in various parts of your earth as the need arises. The new age is not a vague thing. It is a consciousness by and in itself. As all consciousness, it consists of many aspects, completing a harmonious whole. In this lecture, I discussed three particular aspects: (1) communication, (2) group consciousness, (3) exposure.” (PL #257)