Slowly but surely, America is waking up.

And I have been a witness to this process – all of my now long life.

But when I recently got a wild hair to check on our numbers with an AI search, I first had to come up with a ‘measurable’ question for something common for most of our ‘cultural niche’. What finally came to mind was “What percentage of people in America believe in reincarnation?” And the result just blew my mind!

“Depending on the poll, 25% to 33% of the American population believe in reincarnation.” Whoa! Seriously? I knew there were a lot more of us these days, but still. This is like a quarter to a third of the population! Which is just massive!

So, just to be on the safe side, I tried the same question in a different AI, and got – “21% to 22%”. Which is still the same ballpark. So, I’m good with that.

But, just to be on the safe side again… I decided to come up with a whole different question: “What percentage of people in America identify as Spiritual-But-Not-Religious?” The most common of the ‘catch phrases’ for us, these days. (We’ve been through quite a few in my lifetime. But – we have to call ourselves something, right? And I’ve heard worse!)

So guess what the numbers were… “21% to 22% of the people polled, identify as Spiritual-But-Not-Religious”. The exact same numbers! Good to know! Not to mention that this was statistical validation for my feeling that us “Spiritually Alternative” folks are by far more common than we used to be. By a landslide actually… In fact, let’s run the numbers.

Google says the US population is 340 to 342 million people. So, let’s go with 340. And let’s go with just 20% of this population. (Nice round number.) So, 340 x 20% = 68. Sixty-eight million, that is. And that’s 68,000,000 people, in the United States alone! And you guys are feeling lonely? Hummm.

Because – with numbers like that – why is this thing still so quiet? You know, out in the ‘Cultural Myth’? I mean, if we’re really roughly 20% of the population, why don’t the ‘normies’ know about us. And at least acknowledge our existence?

I mean, that’s weird, right? So, let’s go down this rabbit hole a little deeper. Shall we?

*****

I was born in the mid-1950’s. The youngest of three children of a lower-middle-class blue-collar construction worker father, and a ‘typical 1950’s housewife’ mother. The WWII generation. (Dad was in the South Pacific.) Both raised during the Great Depression.

And yet, despite my “very 1950’s” small-town midwestern upbringing, I was also raised – very ‘metaphysical’! Psychics, Lost Civilizations, Astrology, Ghosts…  and especially – UFO’s! And third generation no less! Because my maternal grandmother was even more into all of this than my mother was! Which is saying something. I sometimes explain it as “when other young kids were being told bible stories, I was told about Roswell, Edgar Cayce, and Atlantis”. So, not really your typical Baby Boomer upbringing. And no – even as an adult, I have NEVER lived in California!

But my point is that we ‘woo, woo and metaphysical types’ couldn’t have been more than a tiny percentage of the population. This is just an educated guess, but I’d be very surprised if we were as much as 2% of the population, back when I was old enough to notice. I mean, talk about growing up as a ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’. (One of my all-time favorite books, by the way). I was literally born weird! (Weird is a word I am very comfortable with, as I learned to ‘own it’ a long time ago.) But then, that is exactly why I picked them!

Books were my mother and her mother’s main lifelines. They devoured them, shared them, and at age eleven – Mom started sharing them with me too.

Though when I was younger, what Mom called “our-kind-of-books” were very few and far between. It was a gold mine if there were even half-a-dozen in one book shop. (And book shops weren’t as common either.) And of course, “New Age Book Stores” did not exist at all. Yet. But by the time I was old enough to read and understand them, ‘our-kind-of-books’ were becoming at least somewhat more common. And, a whole lot more interesting!

*****

I’m calling this article The Silent Revolution, because even though the numbers show a vast amount of growth in the remarkably short time of just my nearly 70 years on the planet
– it seems that the people it’s happening to don’t know how to, or are just plain unwilling to talk about it!

And/or are not even seeking out like-minded people for support, for that matter. When so many of them that I’ve befriended through the decades, until they met me, thought they were all alone.

Well, you’re NOT alone. But, you feel alone – because you tend not to let anybody else see, or  know about it. Because you’re reluctant to talk about it. Or own it.

And I understand why. Because you are the one who’s changed. You – are the one who doesn’t fit anymore. And your friends and family might just reject you completely, if you do tell them what’s happening inside you. And you’re not necessarily wrong about that! It is a valid concern.

So, very sadly in my opinion, at least a large portion of us ‘woo-woo people’ tend to feel like they’re all alone in this. But I think I’m now safe to say that, with 68 million of us in America alone – YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You just haven’t found a safe way to reach out yet.

*************************************

So, how do you find a support system, in a way that feels safe? Right? Well, here’s a scene from a novel I’m writing (no, it’s not done yet) that might just help you with this:

The conversation flowed easily, moving from wine to travel to their respective careers. But the highlight arrived when Kanon mentioned, “Dion and I are both what is being called these days ‘spiritually alternative’. Have you heard of that?” 

Both women froze, their expressions a mirror of stunned recognition. Reyna felt her heart skip — this couldn’t be a coincidence. Not after her prayer just weeks ago.

“It was called ‘New Age’ or ‘metaphysical’ when I was a kid. And I was raised in it by my mom. Though it was pretty rare back then,” Kanon continued, pausing to take a sip of his wine. His free hand had somehow found its way to the back of Amber’s chair, not quite touching her but creating a space that seemed to belong to just the two of them. “And figuring out that we had that in common – well, it sort of created an instant connection. Because when you’re a ‘spiritual-but-not-religious’ guy, especially in this culture, like-minded friends can be very hard to find. So, we ended up like brothers. Almost from day one.”

“But how did you figure that out so quickly? You can work with someone for years, and not find out stuff like that.” Amber asked, unconsciously leaning back slightly closer to Kanon’s hand.

Dion watched this interplay with a subtle smile, then caught Reyna’s eye. The look they shared held volumes – recognition, amusement, and something deeper, something that made her breath catch slightly, and his pulse quicken.

***

“Good point,” Kanon said, his voice taking on a passionate tone that made Amber lean forward unconsciously. “But though it’s pretty quiet, this is actually a fast-growing movement. People are waking up these days. More, and more and more. To the point that nowadays, there are a lot more of us, than I think anybody suspects. But, like you say – it can be really hard to find each other. It’s not like there are ‘special churches’ on every block – or even any block – that we can just walk into to find ‘our kind of people’.”

Reyna noticed how Dion watched his friend’s enthusiasm with quiet amusement, but when he turned to catch her watching him, his gaze held such knowing warmth that she had to look away, and take a sip of wine to hide her blush.

“So, I decided to get proactive about it,” Kanon continued, his hand gesturing animatedly. “By making a point of wearing what I think of as ‘my signals’. Subtle pieces of jewelry. Usually on a chain around my neck. Like, a ‘Herkimer Diamond’ Quartz crystal. Or a piece of polished Hematite. Things that make ‘the normal people’ just assume I like rocks and crystals. Nothing weird about that. Especially here in Colorado.”

He leaned forward, his voice dropping conspiratorially. “Though I also wear symbols sometimes. An Om, or a Yin/Yang symbol. A mala, or a Rune…” At the word ‘Rune’, Amber’s eyes lit up with such sudden interest that Kanon paused, caught by her expression. For a moment, they just looked at each other, some unspoken recognition passing between them.

“Something that ‘people like me’ will understand is a spiritual message — but the rest of the world never notices,” he continued, his eyes still on Amber. “Only us ‘like-minded woo-woo types’ know what it means. And it works like a charm! I’ve met a lot of ‘like-minded people’ this way. I’ve been invited to meditations and channelings. In fact, Dion spotted my raw Moldavite crystal wrapped in silver, on day one. And – here we are. Fast friends ever since.”

“But what about you two?” Dion asked, his Swiss German accent seeming to grow richer, and more musical as the evening progressed. “You seem to be unusually close also. So, how did that happen?”

“‘Luck of the draw.’ Or at least that’s what we tell people,” Amber answered, finally breaking her eye contact with Kanon to share a fond look with Reyna. “College roommates from day one, freshmen year. But then, neither of us believe in coincidences. So that’s created a lot of ‘thank you’s’ to our Spirit Guides over the years. Because my dear Gentlemen –” she paused for effect, “we are both just as woo-woo as you are!”

*************************************

I get it, though. I really do. The hesitation. The keeping quiet.

When I was little, my Mom taught me not to openly talk about “our stuff” at school. Because kids can be cruel to weirdos. And she was right. That was good programming – it kept me safe while I was small and vulnerable.

But here’s the thing I realized recently: that programming doesn’t serve me anymore. I’m not a little girl trying to survive grade school. I’m approaching 70, with a lifetime of experience, a spiritual mission, and an audience of fellow weirdos who are actively looking for someone like me.

The programming did its job. I can thank it now, and retire it.

And I suspect a lot of you have similar programming running in the background. Something that taught you, long ago, to keep quiet about the weird stuff. To read the room before you show that side of yourself.

But here’s what I want you to consider: Stop reading the room. BE the room. Let the room adjust to you.

*****

Here’s a story that breaks my heart a bit:

Two women worked together in the same office for years. Friendly acquaintances, but nothing more. Then one day, one of them wore a small quartz crystal pendant to work. The other woman noticed it, asked about it, and then carefully asked if she was into “that New Age type stuff.” Meditation and such.

They became fast friends.

The thing is — they had both been keeping it secret. For years! Working side by side, each one thinking she was “the weird one.” Each one afraid of being judged. When all along, there was a kindred spirit sitting ten feet away.

Multiply that by millions, and you have the Silent Revolution.

A quarter to a third of the population, hiding in plain sight, each one feeling alone. When actually — we’re everywhere.

*****

So here’s my message to you, if any of this resonates:

You don’t have to hide anymore. Our numbers are huge now. The tipping point hasn’t just been met — it’s been passed.

Wear the crystal. Say the thing. Let slip that you meditate, or that you’ve had experiences you can’t explain, or that you believe there’s more to this reality than what we can measure.

You might be surprised who says “me too.”

Find your people. They’re out there — 68 million of them, just in America alone. They’re in your office, your neighborhood, your family. They’re just as quiet as you are.

Someone has to break the silence first.

How about you? Or at least try a crystal pendant…

Aggeya Renée