Appendix 1
Magazines selected for the primary research:
New Age Magazines:
Connect (British)
Connection (German)
Esotera (German)
Gralswelt (German)
Mensch & Sein (German)
Kindred Spirit (British)
Visionen (German)
Zeitgeist (German)
Specialised New Age Magazines:
Pagan Dawn (British)
Reiki Magazine (German)
Health Magazines:
BIO (German)
Gesundheit (German)
Apotheken Umschau (German)
Mail Order Catalogue (for books, videos, etc.):
Weltbild (German)
Table 1
This table looks at the outline and price of the magazine as well as if environmental issues (paper wise)
are addressed by the magazines.
Table 2
This table shows the overall advertising space in the magazine and the percentage it takes compared to the actual content (the space of the different advertisements was measured and calculated).
Other commercial activities of the magazine are also indicated.
In addition this research looks on one of the leading German mail ordering seller’s catalogue (Weltbild) for books (as well as CDs, videos etc.) to find out about the different categories under which New Age books are offered.
Under the following categories New Age books and other New Age equipment are listed:
Health (alternative healing methods)
Psychology & Pedagogic (especially life improvements)
Literature (New Age novels)
History (i.e. mythologies, templer, pyramids)
Living & Home : Hobbies (feng shui)
Phenomenon (a special section mainly dedicated to New Age)
Idea shop (minerals and crystals, tools for energy improvements in the room)
Videos (Thai Chi)
Music (meditation music)
The remaining sections no New Age products are offered so far are:
Food & Drink
Advice & Software
Children
Nature
Travel
Technicians
Tabel 3 Content of the Magazines
In the following table the different categories of articles are listed. The number in brackets indicates the number of articles dedicated to the category.
Table 4
This table displays if the articles in the magazines are purely informing or include a hidden advertising aspect (for example some articles describe spiritual journeys that could be booked or explain new alternative healing methods or awareness practices which refer to a contact address where seminars and workshops can be booked). It has to be mentioned that articles that refer to a particular book or give a taster of a book are not considered as advertising (because in order to present a new method, lifestyle etc. references need to be made).
