ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how Alice Ann Bailey in many of her books written in the specific context of the two World Wars combined concepts such as consciousness, evolution and the New Age with the language of science and a discourse of urgency. Certainly, Bailey’s works as well as the organisations, which she formed with her husband and co-workers, have been absolutely fundamental to the development of modern esotericism and alternative spirituality, including the New Age movement. The modern concept of consciousness employed by esotericism can therefore be viewed as a part of the naturalisation and demystification of concepts such as soul and spirit – two concepts now primarily belonging to the domain of religion and spirituality. Theosophical consciousness, being rational and systematic in orientation did, however, extend beyond traditional psychology and philosophy to also embrace everything from atoms, planets and spiritual avatars to New Ages, setting it apart from most forms of mainstream science and traditional religions.
