The Author: Stuart Rose was a senior director in one of the world’s largest advertising agency groups. He then studied religion at Lancaster University and has been an Honorary Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Bath Spa University College. He is now an independent researcher of key religious themes and has published a number of papers.

• Contents: Focusing on the New Age, its central ideas and main qualities – Recent history, the counter-culture, literary influences – Human Potential Movement – New Age women – Social and demographic characteristics of participants, drug use, paranormal influences – Levels and categories of participant involvement – Six essential concepts defined – New Age spirituality – Healing and health, practices, therapists, efficacy – New Age community, politics, economics, ecology – Ethnographic report of a 5-day healing workshop – The critics, Christian, the academe, Paul Heelas, Christopher Lasch and Ken Wilber – Consistencies and inconsistencies between the players and critics.