That’s the question in this article in the Christian Research’s newsletter from 1989. It is an interesting read that shows the concern some people had when new age music became more mainstream in the late 1980s. The article starts with:

There can be no disputing that the increasingly popular and profitable “New Age music” has roots in the New Age movement — the identical names are not a coincidence. The trend began with jazz luminaries like Paul Horn and John Fahey seeking to create music especially conducive to New Age spirituality.

The possible connection to the spiritual new age movement was a bit scary. About Steven Halpern’s music we get this comment:

Halpern, who holds a Master’s degree in the psychology of music, was deliberately attempting to facilitate the development of “higher” levels of consciousness. This has remained a central goal for many New Age musicians today. Even Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider, whose records have sold in the millions, explains that the purpose of the tranquil sound is to “build a bridge between the conscious and the subconscious.”

Read the article here.