Indigo children

For the 2012 film, see Indigo Children (film).

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Indigo children, according to a pseudoscientific New Age concept,[1][2][3][4] are children who are believed to possess special, unusual, and sometimes supernatural traits or abilities.[5] The idea is based on concepts developed in the 1970s by Nancy Ann Tappe,[6] who wrote that she had been noticing indigo children beginning in the late 1960s.[7] Her ideas were further developed by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober. The concept of indigo children gained popular interest with the publication of a series of books in the late 1990s and the release of several films in the following decade. A variety of books, conferences, and related materials have been created surrounding belief in the idea of indigo children and their nature and abilities. The interpretations of these beliefs range from their being the next stage in human evolution to the belief that they are more empathetic and creative than their peers.

No scientific studies give credibility to the existence of indigo children or their traits. Some parents choose to label their children who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities as an indigo child to alternatively diagnose them. Critics view this as a way for parents to avoid considering pediatric treatment or a psychiatric diagnosis. Some lists of traits used to describe indigo children have also been criticized for being vague enough to be applied to most people, a form of the Forer effect.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carroll was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ David V. Barrett (26 May 2011). A Brief Guide to Secret Religions: A Complete Guide to Hermetic, Pagan and Esoteric Beliefs. Little, Brown Book Group. pp. 129–. ISBN 978-1-84901-811-1.
  3. ^ Witts, Benjamin (July 2009). "Seeing the Indigo Children". Skeptical Inquirer. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  4. ^ Tony Monchinski (28 June 2008). Critical Pedagogy and the Everyday Classroom. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 100–. ISBN 978-1-4020-8463-8.
  5. ^ Stenger, Victor J. (June 1998). "Reality Check: the energy fields of life". Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
  6. ^ "Who was Nancy Tappe?" Archived 2019-08-24 at the Wayback Machine NancyAnnTappe.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  7. ^ "All About Indigos". NancyAnnTappe.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-23.