Spiritual Practices to Avoid

New Age, Spiritism & Holistic Practices I Believe Christians Should Avoid. A Former Psychic Medium's Perspective

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For more than twenty years, I was involved in mediumship, psychic work, New Age spirituality, and related spiritual practices. My perspective today comes from my personal experiences within that world, my return to Jesus Christ, and my journey into the Catholic faith.

I once believed many of these practices were helpful, healing, and spiritually positive. I no longer believe that.

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Some practices can appear harmless, comforting, or even beautiful. Some use words such as light, angels, healing, energy, intuition, and guidance. But something sounding spiritual does not necessarily mean that it comes from God.

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Scripture tells Christians:

“Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God.”

— 1 John 4:1

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The Catholic Church likewise teaches that Christians should reject divination, attempts to summon or consult the dead, recourse to mediums, magic, and spiritism. See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2115–2117.

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For that reason, I encourage Christians to avoid the following practices.

Mediumship & Spirit Communication

Mediumship can be especially compelling when someone is grieving. The possibility of hearing from someone we love and miss can provide tremendous emotional comfort.

I understand that attraction because I spent more than two decades in this field.

But I eventually came to a very different conclusion about what I was experiencing.

I no longer believe that receiving apparently accurate information proves that the source communicating it is a deceased loved one—or that the source is from God. Christians are specifically warned to exercise discernment regarding spiritual experiences.

Scripture is also remarkably direct about attempting to consult the dead:

“Let there not be found among you anyone who…consults ghosts and spirits, or seeks oracles from the dead.”

— Deuteronomy 18:10–11

From my own experience, I became particularly concerned when supposed spirits offered predictions, discussed the private lives of other people, attempted to direct someone's decisions, created fear, encouraged dependence upon readings, or appeared to interfere with a person's relationship with God.

Today, I believe seeking supernatural information through mediumship can expose a person to spiritual deception. A Christian does not need a medium to receive God's guidance. We are called to seek Him through Jesus Christ, prayer, Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and the life of the Church.

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Psychic Readings & Clairvoyance

Psychic readings may involve predictions, relationships, careers, health, money, future events, or claims about another person's thoughts and intentions.

The danger, from a Christian perspective, is not simply whether a prediction proves accurate.

The deeper question is:

Where is the information coming from, and why are we seeking supernatural knowledge that God has not chosen to reveal to us?

The Catechism teaches that Christians should entrust the future to God's Providence rather than pursue hidden knowledge through divination.

Our desire to know what happens next can quietly become a desire to control what belongs to God.

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Tarot & Oracle Cards

Tarot cards are often presented today as entertainment, self-reflection, intuition, or harmless spiritual guidance. I do not believe Christians should use them for divination.

Cards themselves are physical objects. They do not possess intelligence and cannot know someone's future. The spiritual concern begins when cards are used as instruments through which unseen guidance, supernatural knowledge, or messages are sought.

That raises the same question I now ask about every form of divination:

Who—or what—is being invited to provide the information?

I therefore believe tarot and oracle cards should be avoided rather than treated casually.

I would be particularly cautious about combining divination with alcohol or other substances that impair judgment. Something being offered at a party, gathering, or social event does not make the spiritual practice itself harmless.

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Ouija Boards & Spirit Boards

I strongly recommend avoiding Ouija boards, spirit boards, pendulums used for spirit communication, automatic writing, and similar attempts to obtain answers from unseen entities.

The problem is not the cardboard, pointer, pendulum, pen, or other object.

It is the invitation to communicate with an unknown spiritual source.

Christians are not called to summon spirits or experiment with the unseen world.

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Séances, Channeling & Calling Upon Spirits

Practices intended to summon, channel, invite, invoke, or communicate with unknown spiritual beings should be avoided.

This includes séances, channeling entities or “spirit guides,” automatic writing for spiritual messages, and deliberate attempts to invite supernatural beings to speak through a person.

Something presenting itself as loving, enlightened, ancient, angelic, or benevolent does not establish its identity.

Christian discernment asks whether a spiritual experience leads us toward Jesus Christ, obedience to God, humility, truth, and freedom—or toward fascination with hidden knowledge and spiritual powers.

Reiki & Spiritual “Energy” Practices

This area requires careful wording because not every practice described as holistic or energy-based is identical, and legitimate health and wellness practices should not simply be grouped together with occult practices.

My concern is specifically with practices that claim to channel, manipulate, transmit, invoke, or spiritually direct an unseen universal energy or spiritual power. With Reiki, I began asking questions I had not seriously considered before:

What exactly is the energy being channelled?

What is the spiritual meaning of the symbols?

Why are initiations or “attunements” used in some Reiki traditions?

What spiritual authority is being invoked?

And how can we know that a spiritual force is the Holy Spirit merely because the experience feels peaceful or healing? For Christians, the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal universal energy that human beings learn to channel. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. For this reason, I personally reject Reiki as a spiritual practice and encourage Christians to seek forms of healthcare and wellness that do not involve spiritual channeling, occult symbolism, divination, or invocation of unknown spiritual powers.

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Runes, Pendulums & Divination Tools

Runes, pendulums, dowsing tools, oracle systems, divination dice and similar objects should not be used to seek supernatural answers, predictions, or spiritual direction.

Again, the physical object is not the central issue.

The issue is what we are asking it to do.

When an object becomes a means of seeking hidden spiritual knowledge, Christians should step away from it and turn toward God.

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Astrology, Horoscopes & Birth-Chart Readings

Astrology attempts to derive information about personality, relationships, destiny, or future events from celestial positions.

The Catholic Church specifically includes astrology among forms of divination Christians are to reject.

Our identity is not determined by a zodiac sign, birth chart, planetary alignment, or astrological forecast.

Our identity ultimately belongs in Christ.

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Numerology, Angel Numbers & Repeating Numbers

I also recommend caution around assigning supernatural messages to numbers—particularly “angel numbers” or repeating sequences believed to contain personalized spiritual instructions.

Christians certainly believe that God can act providentially in our lives. But that is different from developing a system in which numbers become a source of divination or personal revelation.

We do not need to search constantly for coded messages from the universe.

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Crystals, Talismans, Charms & Amulets

A crystal, stone, piece of jewelry, or other object is simply an object.

The spiritual concern arises when we attribute supernatural powers to it: protection from evil, attraction of love or money, manifestation, cleansing spiritual energy, predicting events, or manipulating circumstances.

Christians place their trust in God—not in an object's supposed spiritual power.

A blessed Catholic sacramental should not be confused with a magical object either. A crucifix, medal, rosary, holy water, or blessed object does not function as a charm that controls supernatural forces.

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Manifestation & “The Universe”

There is an important difference between setting goals, thinking positively, working toward something, and believing that thoughts, vibrations, intentions, or rituals can spiritually compel “the universe” to produce a desired outcome.

Christian prayer says:

“Your will be done.”

Manifestation can move in the opposite direction when it becomes an attempt to impose our will upon reality through spiritual laws or unseen forces.

God is not an energy to manipulate. He is our Creator.

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Dream Interpretation

Dreams themselves are not sinful, and Scripture contains instances in which God communicated through dreams.

My concern is with divination through dreams—automatically treating dreams as supernatural predictions or seeking occult interpreters, spirit guides, cards, pendulums, or other divination systems to decode them. Not every dream is a message from God.

Christians should exercise discernment rather than assuming that every unusual dream carries supernatural instruction.

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Angels, Guardian Angels & Saints

Catholics absolutely believe in angels, including guardian angels. Catholics also believe in the Communion of Saints and ask the saints to pray for us.

But angels and saints are not gods, spirit guides, fortune-tellers, or substitutes for Jesus Christ.

Catholics do not worship Mary, the saints, or angels. Worship belongs to God alone.

We may ask the saints for their intercession, just as we ask other Christians to pray for us. But we should not attempt to use saints or angels as a means of divination, demand predictions from them, summon them through occult techniques, or expect them to override God's will or reveal information God has not chosen to give us.

Everything ultimately points back to God.

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Reiki

Reiki has become increasingly mainstream and is often presented as a gentle form of relaxation, wellness, or holistic healing. However, Christians should understand the spiritual beliefs behind the practice rather than assuming that something described as peaceful, healing, or “energy work” necessarily comes from God.

Reiki originated in Japan and is generally described as a practice in which a practitioner channels or transmits a form of universal life energy for healing or well-being. Reiki training can include different levels, attunements or initiations, and the use of symbols.

For me, this raises important questions:

What exactly is the energy being channelled? Why is an attunement needed? What do the symbols represent? And, most importantly, what is the spiritual source behind the practice?

As a Christian, I believe the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal energy or universal force that we learn to channel. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. We do not control Him, become attuned to Him through another person, or use techniques or symbols to activate His power.

A Reiki practitioner may be a sincere and compassionate person and may even believe in God. My concern is not with the individual—it is with the spiritual practice itself.

What Have Catholic Bishops Said About Reiki?

In 2009, the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy.

After examining Reiki as both a healing technique and a spiritual practice, the Committee concluded that Reiki's explanation of healing through a universal life energy is incompatible with Christian teaching. The document also stated that it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions or representatives of the Church to promote or provide support for Reiki therapy.

Because of my own history in the spiritual world, I have learned not to assume that something comes from God simply because it feels peaceful, spiritual, or healing.

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I believe Christians should always ask:

What is the source?

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If you are looking for physical relaxation or well-being, consider alternatives such as massage therapy, physiotherapy, stretching, mobility exercises, walking, swimming, or other forms of exercise that do not involve spiritual-energy practices.If you are seeking spiritual healing or peace, turn toward Jesus Christ, prayer, the Sacraments, and trusted Catholic pastoral guidance. We do not need to channel an unidentified spiritual energy to receive the peace and healing of God.

Source

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Committee on Doctrine.
Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy, March 25, 2009.

The document is available through the official USCCB website.

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Link: USCCB — Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy

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Yoga: Know What You Are Practicing

Yoga has become so mainstream in Western culture that many people encounter it simply as exercise. It can be offered at gyms, recreation centres, schools, resorts, workplaces, wellness retreats, and even alongside other health and fitness programs.

For many people, it means little more than stretching, improving flexibility, strengthening the body, or reducing stress.

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But I believe Christians should understand that yoga did not originate simply as a Western exercise program. Yoga has ancient roots in Indian religious and philosophical traditions, including Hindu traditions, and historically has included much more than physical movement. Meditation, spiritual liberation, mantras, altered states of consciousness, and concepts of union with the divine can all be found within various yoga traditions.

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The Vatican itself has discussed yoga in the context of Eastern methods of meditation and has cautioned Christians about adopting spiritual methods from other religious traditions without understanding the beliefs behind them.

What About the Poses?

This is an area where I believe Christians should be careful about making assumptions in either direction.

Not every stretch or physical position is inherently a religious act. A human body can only bend and stretch in so many ways. Simply placing your body in a particular position does not automatically mean you are worshipping another god.

However, some yoga terminology, traditions, poses, sequences, mantras, and practices have connections to Hindu religious figures, stories, philosophies, or spiritual concepts.

For example, Virabhadrasana—the series commonly called the Warrior poses—takes its Sanskrit name from Virabhadra, a figure associated with the Hindu god Shiva. Other yoga traditions incorporate Sanskrit prayers, mantras, chakras, kundalini, or concepts of divine consciousness.

That is where I believe Christians need discernment.

I do not want to unknowingly participate in a spiritual practice belonging to another religion, invoke a spiritual being, repeat a mantra addressed to another deity, or pursue a concept of God that contradicts my Christian faith.

Scripture tells us:

“You shall not have other gods beside me.”

— Exodus 20:3

As a Catholic, I believe that worship belongs to the Holy Trinity alone—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I therefore choose not to participate in the spiritual or religious dimensions of yoga.

“But I Only Do It for the Stretching”

I understand this argument, and there is an important distinction to make. The Catholic Church has not issued a blanket teaching declaring ordinary bodily stretching sinful. The Church's concern is with spirituality, worship, prayer, and religious practices that are incompatible with Christian faith.

So my recommendation here is a personal one informed by my experience and my Catholic faith:

If what you want is stretching, flexibility, balance, strength, relaxation, or mobility, you don't need yoga to obtain those benefits.

There are many alternatives that can provide physical benefits without introducing another religion's spiritual practices.

Consider:

• Traditional stretching and flexibility exercises

• Mobility training

• Pilates

• Physical therapy or physiotherapist-directed exercises

• Low-impact strength training

• Walking

• Swimming or water exercise

• Tai chi-style movement only where it is presented strictly as physical exercise and separated from spiritual concepts

• Breathing exercises used simply for physical relaxation

• Chair stretching and senior mobility programs

• Christian stretching or movement classes that avoid yoga terminology, mantras, chakras, kundalini, and other non-Christian spiritual elements

You can stretch your muscles, strengthen your core, improve your balance, slow your breathing, and calm your nervous system without making those activities spiritual.

Be Careful What Becomes Attached to the Exercise

This is perhaps my greatest concern.

Someone may initially attend a yoga class simply because they want to become more flexible. Over time, however, they may encounter practices involving chakras, energy healing, kundalini, mantras, sound healing, crystals, spiritual awakening, manifestation, or teachings about an impersonal divine energy.

That does not happen in every yoga class, and I don't believe we should make that claim.

But when exercise begins introducing spiritual teachings, I believe Christians should stop and ask what they are participating in.

What does this word mean?

What does this mantra mean?

Who or what is being invoked?

What spiritual worldview is being taught?

Is this simply physical exercise—or am I being invited into a spiritual practice?

The Vatican has cautioned Christians about indiscriminately incorporating Eastern spiritual techniques into Christian prayer. Christian meditation is ultimately an encounter with the personal God revealed in Jesus Christ—not an attempt to discover divinity within ourselves or merge ourselves with an impersonal universal consciousness.

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Catholic Teaching & Further Reading

In 1989, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation (Orationis formas).

The document specifically identifies Yoga among “eastern methods” inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism. It cautions Christians about combining Christian prayer with non-Christian methods in ways that can confuse the nature of Christian prayer or lead to religious syncretism. It also reminds us that physical sensations such as relaxation, warmth, or peacefulness should not automatically be interpreted as spiritual experiences or as the action of the Holy Spirit.

The Church does not teach that ordinary stretching or a particular bodily position is inherently sinful. Rather, Christians are called to discern the spiritual beliefs, methods, and purposes connected with practices they adopt.

Christian meditation is ultimately centred on Jesus Christ. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, methods of meditation are guides; what matters is that we advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus(CCC 2707).

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Official Catholic Sources:

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation (Orationis formas), October 15, 1989.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2705–2708.

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Link: 

Vatican — Catechism on Christian Meditation (CCC 2705–2708)

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For me, the choice has become very simple:

If I want to stretch, I stretch.
If I want to exercise, I exercise.
If I want to meditate, I meditate on Christ and His Word.
And if I want to pray, I pray to God.

I don't need to combine them with a spiritual system whose theology is not my own.

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Other Practices I Recommend Avoiding

From a Christian and Catholic perspective, I recommend avoiding practices whose purpose is divination, spirit communication, magical power, supernatural manipulation, or obtaining hidden knowledge outside of God. These can include mediumship, psychic readings, tarot and oracle cards, Ouija and spirit boards, séances, channeling, necromancy, automatic writing, spirit guides, divination with pendulums or runes, astrology, fortune-telling, numerology used for divination, angel-number divination, spell work, witchcraft, magic intended to manipulate spiritual forces, occult rituals, attempts to summon spirits, and spiritual practices that seek to channel unidentified supernatural powers.

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Not every practice marketed as “holistic” belongs on this list. Massage, nutrition, exercise, physiotherapy, counselling, meditation understood simply as relaxation, and legitimate complementary healthcare should not automatically be characterized as occult merely because someone describes them as holistic.

The question is whether a practice crosses from ordinary physical or psychological wellness into divination, invocation, spirit communication, magical manipulation, or reliance upon spiritual powers apart from God.

Why I Speak About This

I do not write these things to condemn the people who participate in these practices.

I was one of them. For many years, I sincerely believed I was helping people. I know that many people involved in New Age spirituality are compassionate, sincere people searching for healing, meaning, connection, answers, or hope. My warning concerns the practices, not the worth or intentions of the people involved in them.

After more than twenty years in this world—and after spiritual experiences beginning in childhood—I eventually came to believe that spiritual experiences must never be accepted merely because they appear loving, accurate, comforting, or supernatural.

Accuracy does not prove spiritual authority.

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A supernatural experience does not prove that something comes from God.

Scripture tells us to “test the spirits to see whether they belong to God” (1 John 4:1).

Today, I believe the safest place for our spiritual lives is not in attempting to communicate with the unseen world, predict the future, manipulate spiritual energies, or search for hidden knowledge.

It is in Jesus Christ.

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A Note About This Page

This page reflects my personal experiences, Christian beliefs, and understanding of Catholic teaching after leaving mediumship and New Age spiritual practices. It is intended for religious education, testimony, and spiritual discernment. It does not identify or make allegations about any individual practitioner, organization, business, or profession as a whole. References to spiritual danger or deception describe my religious beliefs and interpretation of these practices and should be understood within that Christian theological context.

This information is not medical, psychological, or legal advice. Anyone experiencing physical or mental-health symptoms should seek assistance from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Catholics seeking guidance about spiritual concerns should consider speaking with a Catholic priest or qualified spiritual director.