spiritual movements

Spiritual movements are organized efforts centered on religious, mystical, or transcendent beliefs and practices, often emerging outside or alongside established religions.

The term covers a wide range—from 19th-century spiritualism to New Age practices to contemporary wellness cultures with quasi-religious dimensions.

Unlike formal religions, spiritual movements typically lack rigid doctrine or institutional hierarchy: The 1960s saw numerous spiritual movements gain followers in the West.

A movement may coalesce around a charismatic leader, a set of practices like meditation or energy healing, or shared beliefs about consciousness and the divine.