Ripples of the Universe

Ask an American what they know about Sedona, Arizona, and they will mention New Age spirituality. Nestled among stunning sandstone formations, Sedona's identity is completely intertwined with that of the permanent residents and throngs of visitors who insist it is home to powerful vortexes--sites of spiraling energy where meditation, clairvoyance, and channeling are enhanced. It is here that Susannah Crockford took up residence for two years to make sense of spirituality, religion, race, and class in this uniquely American town. People move to Sedona because they say they are called there by its special energy. They are also often escaping job loss, family breakdown, or foreclosure. Spirituality offers a way to critique and distance themselves from the current political and economic norms in America, yet they still find themselves monetizing their spiritual practice as a way to both raise their vibration" and meet their basic needs. Through an analysis of spirituality as it plays out in Sedona, Crockford gives shape to the failures and frustrations of middle- and working-class people living in neoliberal America, describing how spirituality infuses their everyday lives. Exploring millenarianism, conversion, nature, food, and conspiracy theories, Ripples of the Universe combines captivating vignettes with astute analysis to produce a unique take on the myriad ways in which class and spirituality are intertwined in contemporary America"--