The individual motivations of becoming a New Ager

This study aims to shed light upon the historical and theoretical background of the New Age spirituality and, by using a qualitative methodology and through in-depth interviews, reveal the motivations of participation to New Age movements as well as the meaning of being a New Ager in Turkey. The first part of the study emphasizes the analytical and theoretical distinctions between New Religious Movements and the New Age Spirituality and the differences as well as the similarities between these two phenomena are touched upon. The second part, which bears the title of "Applied Research", consists of interviews with individuals participating in New Age spiritual practices. The data obtained through the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. In order to enrich the diversity of the data, the snowball sampling was used to select the people for the in-depth interviews. The data gathered during the interviews with a sufficient number of people to identify differences and diversities was analyzed in comparison with theories revolving around the historical process and meaning of the New Age spirituality. The study focuses on individuals who participate in and have become followers of the practices and teachings of New Age spirituality. In addition to these, the motivations for participating in various spiritual practices as well as the relationship between New Age beliefs and secularisation, modernity and individualization are also explored throughout the study. The study also sheds light upon whether New Age spirituality means a radical transformation in people's lives. "Does New Age radically transform the religious beliefs that people have inherited?" can be considered to be a question of which the answers is sought under this section. The study observes that New Age spirituality does not imply such a radical break. Consequently, interpreting the spread of contemporary spiritualities through the lens of secularization can be regarded as a problematic approach.