New Civilization Network

During the 1990s, by far the best-selling metaphysical text was The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. It offered the idea that an increasing number of people were gaining new insights into their own nature and the inner structure of the universe. In fact, as a critical mass of such people who shared these insights became aware of each other, they would realize a common world vision. Working together, awakened people could produce a new spiritualized world culture.

As the readership of The Celestine Prophecy and its sequels, The Tenth Insight (1996) and The Celestine Vision (1997), grew, study groups began to form. Redfield also produced several study guides and a newsletter for people who took the content of the books most seriously. At the same time he has resisted becoming the leader of a new movement.

However, in 1995, Flemming Funch, the head of a computer web development and networking company (Synchronicity Network in Van Nuys, California), sent out an e-mail letter calling for people who were interested in working toward a new spiritual culture. He received an unexpected amount of feedback and organized the New Civilization Network and a loose association of people conversing on the Internet. Since that time, the network has grown into what is described as a "self-organizing international grass-roots association" of people interested in building a better world. The members of the network share a positive vision of the future and seek appropriate means for working with each other. As the network has increased in size, in those geographical areas where members are concentrated, network members have organized salons, gatherings at which they meet and discuss their new ideas. The largest number of these are in southern California.

Members come to the network from a wide range of backgrounds and have appropriated the Redfield material in quite diverse manners. Respect for the diversity and the very different ideas being expressed is a hallmark of the network, holding it together even as commonalities are being sought. Members may join simply by submitting their name to the network, where they are placed on a membership list and begin receiving the messages posted by other members. They may also participate in Internet chat rooms and bulletin boards. In some places they may attend meetings and work with others on mutually agreed upon projects. Funch has also put together a reading list of complementary material.

As of the beginning of 2000, the network is not incorporated, its major emphasis being on providing a space in which the spontaneous cooperation of its members may occur. Contact with the network is through its webpage, http://www.newciv.org/.

Sources:

New Civilization Network. http://www.newciv.org/. February 25, 2000.

Redfield, James. The Celestine Prophecy. New York: Warner Books, 1994.

——. The Celestine Vision: Living the New Spiritual Awareness. New York: Warner Books, 1997.

——. The Secret of Shambhala: Search for the Eleventh Insight. New York: Warner Books, 1999.

——. The Tenth Insight. New York: Warner Books, 1996.