Few expressions of New Age spirituality evoke greater skepticism
and derision than does channeling, the practice of serving as a
vessel for the voices of ancient or otherworldly beings. Channelers
claim to be possessed by angels, aliens, and "ascended masters" who
speak through them, offering advice and solace. Intellectuals
dismiss them as cranks and charlatans; evangelical Christians
accuse them of trafficking with Satanic forces. Meanwhile, the
steady spread of channeling from the West Coast to the American
heartland fuels the fear that the United States now confronts an
epidemic of public irrationality.
"The Channeling Zone" reveals that this controversial practice
has deep roots in earlier forms of American spiritualism while
manifesting the most current concerns and anxieties of American
life at the end of the twentieth century. Basing his analysis on
dozens of interviews with practicing channels and extensive
participant-observation research in New Age workshops, Michael
Brown takes readers into the world of those who find meaning and
inspiration--and occasionally a lucrative career--in regular
conversations with spectral beings. Drawing on his previous
research among Amazonian Indians, he brings a historical and
comparative perspective to the study of this flamboyant expression
of contemporary spirituality.
Neither a debunker nor an advocate, Brown weaves together the
opinions and life stories of practicing channels and their clients
to bring their world and its assumptions into higher relief. He
describes the experiences that lead often highly educated,
middle-class Americans to conclude that useful information is
filtered through the spirit world. He pursues thenature of the
quest--the fears, hopes, and expectations of the seekers--and finds
its roots in traditional American notions of individualism and
self-perfection. "The Channeling Zone" is a lively journey into the
complex social world of the thousands of Americans who have
abandoned mainstream religions in search of direct and
improvisational contact with spiritual beings.
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