...so I'm working on a new book tentatively titled Mystic Bourgeoisie: Numinous Lunacy & the Sanctimonious Narcissism of the NewAge++ (or) the unlikely story of how America slipped the surly bonds of earth & came to believe in signs & portents that would make the Middle Ages blush. I like short, pithy titles. The idea of the ++ in "NewAge++" is that this new breed (ilk, if you will) comprises far more than the usual tinfoil-pyramid-hat crystal aromatherapy angels-out-the-yin-yang crowd. Many concepts that have come to be uncritically accepted as capital-T Trooths would have been laughed at not so long ago. How did this stuff sneak up on the culture at large? How did its axioms and premises come to infiltrate the shelves of the typical bookstore beyond the New Age -- excuse me -- Metaphysics section? Today these hugely questionable ideas permeate books categorized as Self-Help, Relationships, Psychology, Health, Philosophy, even Science. How did Americans (especially but not exclusively) become so steeped in outright superstition? The pharmacological experimentation of the 1960s certainly precipitated a resurgence of edgy and full-bore occult beliefs. A couple good books on Esalen Institute, the scene of the crime for much of this malarky, are and . One of Esalen's chief boohoos at the time was Abraham Maslow, whose became something of a sacred text for the newly hyper-spiritualized encounter-in-a-hot-tub set. The "transpersonal" so-called psychology that came out of those hot-tubs is now widely accepted as relevant to some actual reality, though there's not a shred of evidence that it constitutes anything more than drug-induced wishful thinking. Roll up for the mystery tour. Here are a handful of titles to get you rolling... (though Wilber now claims to be neither New Age nor Transpersonal; uh-huh), (by an old acid "researcher"; me too, but I quit just shy of 10,000 um experiences), and ("the writing is always engaging and lucid" says Booklist, but YMMV; mine did). And those are among the more "rational" of these modern shapersons. Dropping down a few rungs, anything by Tupak Okra is... well, let's call it enlightening. For instance, is a trip, as is, more literally, the breathily "spiritual" computer game -- woo-hoo! And who could forget Wayne Dyer? My favorite is . The sheer chutzpah of using "manifest destiny" -- a.k.a. Indian Removal -- in that way is nothing short of breathtaking. The list of these modern-day mystic bourgeoisie could go on forever. Let me just mention one other fave: Marianne Williamson. Although perhaps best known for her boosterism via , you simply must check out . Be sure to use Amazon's "Search Inside" feature to peruse the back cover -- it goes a long way toward explaining her popularity with the growing throng of Babes-in-Spirit wannabes. And I guess I mustn't neglect to mention, however briefly, the sine qua non contribution of the Science as Mystical Obfuscation School of Unadulterated Blatherskite: . I have an answer for that question, but it's not printable here -- except to say, not BLEEPing much! However, this stuff didn't start with the '60s. Not the 1960s anyway -- more like 1860s, and even earlier. Of course, the Great Granddad of American irrationalism was Ralph Waldo Emerson, of whom you've probably heard only good things. Reconsider. His reading of early (i.e., bad) translations of Eastern mystical texts sent him off on a second-childhood sleigh-ride to some unmanifest destination we can only guess at today. What was he really trying to say, for instance, in ? Chances are, we'll never know. Personally, I thought he reached the pinnacle of his philosophical powers with . The real force, however, behind what was to become the New Age (and by extension, usher in NewAge++) was the indefatigable madame: Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. What a piece of work! Not only did she give us a theory of "root races," including the supremacy of "Aryans -- in -- but she also resurfaced a vicious little number that is perhaps best explained in all its weirdness in . Another highly readable account of Madame B is provided by . For a reputable scholarly introduction as to how Theosophy laid the metaphysical groundwork for the Third Reich, you can do no better than Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke's . On the way to total madness -- that is to say, where we've ended up -- tells a tale so bizarre it's guaranteed to blow your mind. Yet a Chilean diplomat, novelist and bona fide Nazi -- not to mention a pal of both Jung and Hesse (see ) -- believed that Hitler was coming back from some Arctic entrance to the Hollow Earth with a full complement of SS in squadrons of heavily armed UFOs! Wow, huh? It just doesn't get a whole lot better. Finally, for some of the more sobering effects of this sort of brain-damaged magical thinking, you might take a look at the U.S. contribution. is a good place to start. Even the churches got into the act. is a good reminder that it can happen here. And did. Edwin Black's is also an eye-opener, as is his more recent . Though much of this material descends into the worst sort of conspiracy theory and idiot-fringe psychosis, the history is solid -- these are the sorts of results to which 19th century occultism and social Darwinism led. Though those two may seem strange bedfellows, they were often just that, and proceeded in tandem. For a scholarly overview, which is nonetheless quite enjoyably readable, have a look at James Webb's excellent . His sequel, , is unfortunately out of print. It's available used, but quite expensive. Far more expensive, however, is the widespread attitude that this kind of "mysticism" is a harmless, even socially beneficent "lifestyle option." As it was in the past, it's actually the "spiritual" underbelly of political fascism -- and it's bearing down on the present like a fast frieght. Heads up, Casey. This trainwreck is gonna be an ...