In the late 1980s, the New Age movement became the focus of both media attention and widespread ridicule as some of the more outlandish aspects of the movement,

The "Handbook of New Age" is a comprehensive survey of alternative spiritualities: their history, their global impact, their cultural influence and how they are

Most new or alternative religious are gravely misunderstood by members of the religious mainstream. Labeled cults or sects, groups and their members are often r

Contains nearly 600 brief entries on the world's religious traditions.

New Age and holistic beliefs and practices - sometimes called the "new spirituality" - are widely distributed across modern global society. The fluid and popula