Indigo children are thought to be spiritually gifted children that possess special qualities such as telepathy, empathy, and creativity. The origin of the term “indigo children” has been attributed to the parapsychologist and self-described synesthete Nancy Ann Tappe, who published a series of books about indigo children starting in the 1970s.
The concept of indigo children
The concept of indigo children gained popular interest with the publication of Lee Carroll and Jan Tober’s 1999 book The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived. Carroll described indigo children as having indigo auras and possessing supernatural abilities that allow them to function as spiritual healers. According to Carroll, indigo children started incarnating on Earth around the 1970s and have an important mission to aid humanity.
Some of the abilities and characteristics attributed to indigo children include:
- Strong intuition and psychic abilities
- Greater intelligence and curiosity
- Increased creativity and imagination
- Nonconformity and rebellious nature
- Feeling like outsiders or aliens
- Frustration with systems they see as dysfunctional
- Dislike of authority figures
- Strong empathy and desire to help others
While the concept of indigo children became popular in New Age circles, it has received little scientific credibility or empirical evidence. Some critics view claims about indigo children as pseudoscience or the result of confirmation bias in which broad descriptions are interpreted to confirm vague predictions.
Proposed origins of indigo children
Various theories have been proposed for the origins of indigo children, often tying into New Age beliefs about spirituality, reincarnation, and paranormal abilities.
Extraterrestrial origins
Some proponents of the indigo children concept claim they originated from other planets or star systems. This includes the belief that they are incarnations of extraterrestrials sent to aid Earth’s transition into a new phase of spiritual evolution.
For example, Lee Carroll claimed indigo children are reincarnations of beings from the advanced Pleiades civilization, while other theorists argue they have origins in Sirius, Orion or Arcturus star systems. However, there is no scientific evidence to support extraterrestrial origins for indigo children.
High vibration souls
Another theory is that indigo children are very old souls that have incarnated from a higher spiritual plane or vibration. According to this belief, their souls carry a greater spiritual wisdom and purpose due to having lived through many lifetimes of human existence.
This perspective claims indigo children chose to incarnate at this important juncture in human history to advance spiritual evolution through their abilities, sensitivity, and resistance to old paradigms. However, the concept of higher vibrational souls remains unproven.
Neurological differences
Some scientists propose that the traits attributed to indigo children reflect alternative neurological development rather than spirituality. For example, the brain processes sensory information differently in some children, which could lead to differences in perception, cognition, and behavior.
ADHD and autism spectrum disorders involve neurological and developmental differences that could account for apparent psychic and empathetic abilities in some children. However, there are many children with neurological differences that do not fit the indigo children profile.
Scientific research on indigo children
There has been minimal scientific research conducted on indigo children specifically. Some small studies have attempted to compare groups of children identified as indigos by their parents to controls.
| Study | Methods | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Granbom (2018) | Compared 9 self-identified indigo children to 50 controls on psychic and psychological factors | No differences between groups in psychic abilities, mystical experiences, personality, or psychopathology |
| Johnston (2009) | Surveyed 62 families with children identified as indigos | Children exhibited high IQs, emotional intensity, sensory sensitivities, and opposition to authority |
| Webb (2005) | Compared millennial child (similar to indigo) sample to normative data | No generational differences in cognitive, psychosocial, and spiritual dimensions |
Overall, these studies found little empirical evidence to distinguish indigo children as claimed. More research is needed, but alleged psychic and paranormal abilities have proven difficult to study scientifically.
Critical viewpoints on indigo children
While the concept of indigo children is promoted by many in the New Age movement, it has garnered criticism from skeptics, scientists, parenting experts, and concerned professionals:
- Attributes are vague and subjective, lacking agreed upon definitions
- No scientific proof for extraordinary psychic or mystical powers
- Reinforces problems by placing children in an elite or special category
- Risk of parents using “indigo” label to avoid addressing behavioral problems
- Enables pseudoscientific or dangerous alternative treatments for diagnosed conditions
- Promotes conspiratorial and paranoid thinking about systems of authority
- Concept lacks cultural universality, centered around relatively affluent white populations
Critics also express concern that labeling children as different or enlightened may foster arrogance, dysfunction, and difficulties integrating into society in healthy ways.
Conclusion
The origin of indigo children remains unclear as the concept lacks conclusive scientific evidence. Proponents theorize indigo children represent extraterrestrial souls, high vibration reincarnations, or neurologically atypical children, but these hypotheses have limited proof. While some believe indigo children have an important destiny, skepticism remains about their exceptional nature and abilities. More objective research is needed to determine if indigo children differ significantly from the general population or reflect subjective interpretations and confirmation bias.
