COMMENT:An extensive survey of magical and paranormal beliefs in many cultures, contemporary and historical. McClenon's first concern is to demonstrate that such beliefs are based on experience, and are not primarily culturally driven. In this, he appears largely correct, though he dismisses some cultural theories too quickly. The experiences give rise both to religious belief systems and skeptical reactions. A good book, with one problem: McClenon adopts a sham sociological agnosticism which tends to reduce skepticism to being trapped in a scientistic paradigm, while psychic beliefs gain at least implicit support by not being so linked to a structured community. He also is inclined to find evidence for "mind/body" ideas even in fairly well-understood phenomena like fire-walking.
