Articles
The Persecution of Witches, 21st-Century Style
Far from fading away, thanks to digital interconnectedness and economic development, witch hunting has become a growing, global problem.
The 10 Best Self-Help Books You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
While too esoteric to gain mass appeal, these books are a treasure of serviceable advice
Reagan And The Occult
Ronald Reagan had an interest in lucky numbers and newspaper horoscopes. Less known is that a certain scholar of occult philosophy had a lifelong influence on the 40th president of the United States.
How Oral Roberts Changed Religion
The preacher realized we were supposed to be happy.
The Man Who Destroyed Skepticism
Scourge of psychics James Randi was no skeptic; our culture is poorer as a result
Crusader for Christianity, capitalism and 'The Power of Positive Thinking'
For decades, social critics have viewed the author of the 1950s mega-seller “The Power of Positive Thinking” as a sloganeer of happy thoughts, simplistic theology and covert bigotry.
Paint It Black
What is the ‘Lefthand Path’?
Ronald Reagan and the occultist
The amazing story of the thinker behind his sunny optimism
Why the controversial book “Power of Positive Thinking” is still so popular after 70 years
After 70 years, "The Power of Positive Thinking" remains incredibly popular, even though its critics find the book to be mostly fluff.
The Occult & Fascism: A Brief Comment
There exists a strain of thought today, some of it in academia and political commentary, that historically links occult and New Age movements to fascism and rightwing extremism.
When Does A Religion Become A Cult?
America has long been a safe harbor for experimental faiths. But the unorthodox can descend into something darker.
How Thomas Jefferson's Secret Bible Might Have Changed History
Gone are the virgin birth, divine healings, exorcisms and the resurrection of the dead, all of which the chief executive dismissed as “superstitions, fanaticisms and fabrications.”
Is Precognition Real?
Skeptics Eviscerated a Cornell Psychologist Whose Published Evidence Said Yes. A Decade Later, His Data Has Stood Up.
The upstate occult: An interview with writer Mitch Horowitz
The historian discusses upstate New York’s influential role in the development of alternative American spiritual traditions
The Enduring Legacy of Parapsychologist J.B. Rhine
Skeptics deem Rhine's famous ESP trials a bust. The record says otherwise.