The channeling zone : American spirituality in an anxious age

著者

書誌事項

The channeling zone : American spirituality in an anxious age

Michael F. Brown

Harvard University Press, 1997

  • : [pbk]
  • : [hbk]

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注記

Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-229) and index

内容説明・目次

巻冊次

: [hbk] ISBN 9780674108820

内容説明

Channeling- the practice of serving as a vessel for the voices of ancient and otherworldly beings- is investigated in this book. Based on interviews with practitioners and participants, the author presents opinions and case studies, finding its roots in traditional American ideals.
巻冊次

: [pbk] ISBN 9780674108837

内容説明

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 the nature 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.

目次

Preface Into the Channeling Zone Linking Up Channeled Theology Mastering Self-Expansion Toward Sacred Androgyny Dreaming of Community Spiritual Commerce Being Multiple Notes Bibliography Index

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