How did the New Age movement connect personal transformation with a hoped-for age of love and light?

The New Age movement connected personal transformation to a hoped-for era of "love and light" by positioning individual spiritual growth as both a preparation for and a catalyst of global change. Followers believed that a massive spiritual awakening within the general population would eventually usher in a New Age characterized by peace and the end of societal ills like war, poverty, and racism.12

To bridge the gap between the present and this future era, individuals practiced various techniques to achieve a "foretaste" of that heightened consciousness. These methods included:12

• Consciousness-altering practices: Techniques such as meditation, yoga, and channeling were used to foster personal transformation.3
• Holistic Healing: Aligning with the Holistic Health movement, followers promoted spiritual and natural healing to address physical and psychological wounds.3
• Critical Mass Theory: Many believed in the "100th-monkey" idea, suggesting that if a small, critical mass of people achieved a higher state of consciousness, it would trigger a sudden, global shift toward the New Age.3

By integrating these practices, believers sought to contribute to "planetary healing" and the collective evolution of humanity.34