Ask a random American what springs to mind about Sedona, Arizona, and
they will almost certainly mention New Age spirituality. Nestled among
stunning sandstone formations, Sedona has built an identity 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 in
this uniquely American town that Susannah Crockford took up residence
for two years to make sense of spirituality, religion, race, and class.
Many people move to Sedona because, they claim, they are called there by
its special energy. But they are also often escaping job loss, family
breakdown, or foreclosure. Spirituality, Crockford shows, offers a way
for people to distance themselves from and critique 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 in Sedona,
Crockford gives shape to the failures and frustrations of middle- and
working-class people living in contemporary 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 class and spirituality are linked in
contemporary America.
