New Age in Popular Culture

Abstract

The thesis examines the motifs of New Age spirituality in several prominent horror films of American production (from 1970 to 2010). The theoretical part concentrates on characterizing the New Age Movement, its historical influences, and sociocultural determinants while scrutinizing the New Religious Movements of modern Satanism and Wicca by establishing the linkage to the New Age ethos. Furthermore, it includes a general overview of notable religious motifs in the horror genre. The analytical part then explores such motifs in the selected horror films while observing their continual alteration or lack thereof by each decade.