Includes bibliographical references and index.

Publisher Fact Sheet,With clarity & wit, the author argues that we are a society intoxicated by the irrational: religion, spirituality, & popular therapies threaten to replace rational thought with supernaturalism & a belief in personal testimony, no matter how unsubstantiated. Author critiques our fascination with angels, aliens, & other paranormal or spiritual phenomena, illuminating its roots in the recovery movement. She explores the rise of junk science, the dangers of deferring to feelings instead of facts in the courtroom, & the irrationalism of the emerging digital culture. And she questions conventional assumptions about the relationship of religious belief to virtue & identifies the sectarianism of efforts to establish religion in the public square. This book challenges us to look critically at public piety, established religious beliefs, & New Age movements. In an age of magical thinking & reverence for spiritual authorities, it calls for a return to skepticism, reason, & free inquiry.