The Channeling Zone: American Spirituality in an Anxious Age

«During the winter of 1 989, I was one of several visiting anthropologists at the School of American Research, an institute for advanced study in Santa Fe, New Mexico.» — Brown data y sitúa el trabajo de campo: el invierno de 1989 como antropólogo visitante en la School of American Research de Santa Fe; el troceo parte la cifra del año en dos.

«Her impromptu ceremonies served notice that I had landed in an epicenter of the New Age, a diffuse social movement of people committed to pushing the boundaries of the self and bringing spirituality into everyday life.» — la definición que Brown da de la New Age al presentar el terreno: un movimiento social difuso empeñado en empujar los bordes del yo y llevar la espiritualidad a la vida diaria.

«Although the term New Age is shunned by some, it accurately conveys the optimism and perceived urgency of their quest.» — Brown sostiene el rótulo pese al rechazo de una parte de los suyos, por lo que dice del optimismo y la urgencia del asunto.

«Ethnographic curiosity overpowered discretion, and I began to attend spirituality workshops at the Santa Fe Public Library and several of the town’s» — cómo empezó, según él: la curiosidad etnográfica pudo más que la discreción y se puso a asistir a talleres de espiritualidad; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«A mecca for artists and health-seekers since the early 1900s, Santa Fe is today one of the nation’s foremost centers of alternative spirituality, much to the chagrin of the local American Indians and Hispanics, who find themselves pushed to the margins as the city experiences unprecedented growth.» — Brown sitúa a Santa Fe entre los centros mayores de espiritualidad alternativa del país y añade el reverso que reportan los indios e hispanos locales, empujados al margen.

«In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, New England and upstate New York spawned many movements of religious renewal, ranging from the Great Awakenings of the 1740s and early 18(J0s to the utopian communes of the Shakers and the Oneida Community.» — la genealogía regional que traza: Nueva Inglaterra y el norte del estado de Nueva York como cuna de movimientos de renovación religiosa, de los Grandes Despertares a las comunas utópicas.

«Nevertheless, New England offers an abundance of channeling workshops and counseling services which, while less exuberant than their New Mexican counterparts, still attract a diverse clientele.» — y lo que encuentra allí hoy: talleres y servicios de consejería menos exuberantes que los de Nuevo México y con clientela igualmente diversa.

«In intimate workshop settings where it would have been impossible to remain a bystander taking notes in the corner, I faced the choice of either pretending to participate or actually throwing myself into the channeling experience as best I could.» — Brown declara la disyuntiva metodológica del taller: fingir que participaba o entregarse de veras a la experiencia de canalizar.

«The second course proved simpler and more forthright. Participant-observation ultimately offered glimpses of the world behind channeling’s public face: subtle struggles over spiritual turf, tensions between autonomy and dependence, conflicting notions of gender, vexing issues of money, and a lively sense of humor often absent from channeling books and magazines.» — y lo que dice que le rindió la observación participante: pugnas por el territorio espiritual, tensiones entre autonomía y dependencia, nociones encontradas del género, la cuestión del dinero y un humor que los libros del ramo no traen.

«Basic respect for others’ beliefs does not preclude reflection on the implications of those beliefs, however.» — el límite que Brown pone a su propia norma de respeto: no impide pensar las consecuencias de lo que se respeta.

«Channeling rests on a series of assumptions about the historical trajectory ot human beings, both as individuals and as members ot a community. Some of these assumptions are admirable, others disturbing. Together they hold a mirror to our society as it is experienced by the growing number of people who seek meaning in New Age practices.» — la tesis que gobierna el libro entero: el channeling descansa en supuestos sobre la trayectoria histórica del hombre, unos admirables y otros inquietantes, que hacen de espejo de la sociedad.

«Their restlessly shifting interests led me on brief excursions into other areas of alternative spirituality, including shamanism, energy work, goddess-centered religion, and the imitation of American Indian rituals, some of which are documented here.» — el censo de lo vecino que el trabajo tocó de paso: chamanismo, trabajo energético, religión centrada en la diosa e imitación de rituales indios americanos.

«When I began this research, academic colleagues frequently asked, “Why are you studying this?” Many found my interest in channels baffling and in subtle ways contaminating; like others who have studied controversial groups, I was suspected of having gone native.» — Brown consigna la recepción académica del proyecto: la pregunta de por qué estudiaba eso y la sospecha de haberse vuelto nativo.

«In contrast, channels themselves viewed the project as a stage in my own spiritual growth.» — y la lectura contraria, la de los propios canalizadores, que veían el proyecto como una etapa de su crecimiento espiritual.

«They were right about one thing, however: many of my comfortable assumptions about shared understanding were shattered, probably never to be restored.» — Brown consigna lo que el trabajo le costó: los supuestos cómodos sobre el entendimiento compartido quedaron rotos, dice, y probablemente sin reparación.

«I vividly recall documenting the life story of a bright and attractive, woman whose spiritual path had brought her from Manhattan to New Mexico. She shared spellbinding tales of paranormal experiences and miracles that ranged from intergalactic voyages to an arduous apprenticeship with a Peruvian shaman.» — el caso que pone como ejemplo, con la mujer cuyo nombre no da: relatos de milagros que van del viaje intergaláctico al aprendizaje con un chamán peruano.

«Although it was impossible to accept parts of her autobiography as literally true, I became convinced that her passionate sense of mission, which is shared by thousands of others engaged in similar religious explorations, could tell us something about the hopes and obsessions of our age.» — y cómo resuelve Brown el problema de la credibilidad sin arbitrar la doctrina: no acepta como literal la autobiografía y toma en cambio el sentido de misión como dato sobre la época.

«In the spirit of Alexis de Tocqueville’s reflections on American democracy early in the nineteenth century, then, I have tried to illuminate a novel expression of American individualism and religiosity at the end of the twentieth.» — el modelo que Brown declara para su propio libro, las reflexiones de Tocqueville sobre la democracia estadounidense, y su objeto, el individualismo y la religiosidad del fin del siglo veinte.

«Those who helped me navigate the spirit world were willing to remain anonymous, although some clearly would have preferred to receive credit for their ideas.» — la tensión que Brown reporta entre el anonimato que aceptaron sus informantes y las ganas de crédito que algunos tenían por sus ideas.

«Some of them will disagree with my interpretations of channeling. Others may feel that the analysis focuses excessively on matters peripheral to spiritual growth.» — Brown anticipa las dos objeciones de los suyos: el desacuerdo con sus interpretaciones y el reproche de atender a lo periférico al crecimiento espiritual.

«In reply, I would simply say that my goal has been to write a book that allows readers to reach conclusions quite different from my own.» — y la respuesta que da, que es también la regla de escritura que se fija: un libro que deje al lector concluir distinto que él.

«J. Z. became a celebrity by allowing her body to serve as a vehicle for Ramtha, The Enlightened One, an Atlantean warrior and deity whose voice emerges when she enters trance.» — Brown presenta a J. Z. Knight, que es personaje público y conserva su nombre, y a la entidad que ella reporta, Ramtha, guerrero y deidad atlante cuya voz sale cuando entra en trance.

«Responding to a question about her life before Ramtha, J. Z. describes a world of suburban alienation in which nothing mattered more than dinner parties, hybrid roses, and her children’s braces.» — lo que Knight cuenta de su vida anterior según el video que Brown mira: un mundo de alienación suburbana con la cena, los rosales y los frenos de los hijos.

«In 1977 she was transformed by the sudden appearance of an enormous figure dressed in robes of light: Ramtha.» — la fecha y la escena de la aparición según el relato de Knight que Brown transcribe del video.

«“Ramtha,” she says, ‘‘allows us the vision, the hope, the desire to become all that we can become, which is unlimited probability. He will be remembered for teaching us how to love again realistically.”» — Knight resume en el video el mensaje que atribuye a Ramtha: visión, esperanza y deseo de volverse todo lo que se puede ser, y enseñar a amar de nuevo.

«She answers questions posed by members of the audience. One asks what it’s like to channel Ramtha. “I’m in a different time-flow when I leave this body, because when I channel, Jjphysically die. My spirit and soul and the essence that» — lo que Knight responde en el salón cuando le preguntan qué se siente al canalizar a Ramtha: un flujo de tiempo distinto y una muerte física al canalizar; el troceo corrompe una palabra a media cita y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«Saying farewell, she reminds the audience that simply by being there, by witnessing, they make an important contribution to humanity.» — el trato con el público que Brown describe del video: presenciar la sesión se presenta como contribución a la humanidad.

«She wanders off the dais and begins to work the crowd as Ramtha. She greets the cameraman, pats the sound technician on the head, and trades repartee with the director» — la escena que Brown levanta como dato etnográfico: la canalizadora, ya como Ramtha, saluda al camarógrafo y bromea con el director del video.

«For social critics, J. Z. Knight and her channeled deity, Ramtha, serve as icons ot the New Age, a movement that one scholar of American religion has defined as a search» — Brown sitúa a Knight y a la entidad que ella reporta como iconos de la New Age para los críticos sociales, y remite a la definición de un estudioso de la religión estadounidense; el verbatim se corta antes de la comilla angular que el escaneo mete en la propia cita.

«The planet, Ramtha has said, will undergo apocalyptic changes—seismic and volcanic cataclysms, floods, and climatic shifts—that will propel us into a new era in which we can realize our true potential as gods.» — la profecía que Brown atribuye a la entidad según los materiales de Knight: cataclismos sísmicos y climáticos que abrirían una era en que se realizaría el potencial divino.

«Although these predictions are taken seriously by some of Knight’s followers, hundreds of whom have moved to the Pacific Northwest in search of places that Ramtha has deemed safe from catastrophe, most seem drawn to Knight’s performances primarily by the promise of total self-fulfillment.» — y la medida que Brown le pone: unos cientos se mudaron al noroeste por los lugares que la entidad declaró seguros, pero la mayoría parece ir por la promesa de realización personal.

«In 1995 she again came to public attention when it was revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration paid $1.4 million for sensitivity training classes administered by one of her disciples.» — el dato de prensa que Brown consigna sobre el alcance institucional del asunto, con la cifra pagada por la agencia federal de aviación por clases de sensibilización.

«Although J. Z. Knight’s highly publicized troubles have led some of her devotees to seek spiritual wisdom elsewhere, the notion that channeling is in decline could hardly be more mistaken.» — Brown objeta la lectura corriente de que el escándalo signifique declive de la práctica.

«A Gallup poll conducted in 1994 revealed that more than 25 percent of Americans claim to believe in reincarnation and the possibility of communication with the dead, a substantial increase from a similar poll taken only a few years before.» — la encuesta con que Brown mide la plausibilidad social del asunto: más de la cuarta parte de los estadounidenses declara creer en la reencarnación y en la comunicación con los muertos.

«A national survey conducted by Time in 1993 found that 69 percent of adults accept the existence of angels; nearly a third of these had “felt an angelic presence in their lives.» — y la segunda medida, sobre la creencia en ángeles y sobre quienes declaran haber sentido su presencia.

«Citing estimates developed by sociologists at the University of California-Santa Barbara, Michael D’Antonio declares that 12 million Americans actively participate in New Age activities and another 30 million may be more peripherally involved.» — la cifra que Brown toma de Michael D'Antonio para el tamaño de la New Age, doce millones de participantes activos y otros treinta de periferia.

«There is, however, a significant demographic split between the producers and the consumers of channeled information. The consumers—those who attend channeling workshops or seek individual counseling from channels—are well educated and often affluent.» — la partición que Brown introduce y que gobierna el capítulo del comercio: productores y consumidores de información canalizada, y los segundos bien educados y a menudo acomodados.

«educational backgrounds similar to their clients, but their economic situation is often precarious because ot their unusual career.» — y el reverso, en la frase que arranca al pie de la plana anterior nombrando a los canalizadores como los productores de ese intercambio: misma educación que sus clientes y situación económica precaria; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«The professional channels who enjoy the most stable incomes are those who manage to intev grate channeling into a conventional occupation, oiten as psy-I chotherapists or motivational trainers.» — según Brown, los que más estabilidad logran son los que integran la canalización a una ocupación convencional, psicoterapia o entrenamiento motivacional; el troceo mete dentro del renglón dos marcas marginales del ejemplar, una v y una I, y parte integrate en dos.

«Although outsiders are predisposed to view those drawn to channeling as emotionally unstable or, at the very least, conspicuously eccentric, most succeed in weaving their unusual gift into the fabric of lives that are otherwise fairly conventional.» — Brown objeta el retrato de inestabilidad emocional que se les hace desde fuera: la mayoría, dice, teje ese don en vidas por lo demás convencionales.

«Channeling represents a frontier outpost in the shadow of which more popular expressions of New Age spirituality goddess worship, meditation, inner-child work, and various forms of alternative healing—can prosper.» — la figura con que Brown explica por qué un asunto pequeño pesa: un puesto de frontera a cuya sombra prosperan la adoración de la diosa, la meditación, el trabajo del niño interior y las sanaciones alternativas.

«When new developments in alternative spirituality come to the attention of the general public, it is usually because a journalist has seen them as an opportunity to practice the art of high irony.» — Brown traza el trato de la prensa con el asunto: llega al público cuando un periodista ve ocasión de ironía.

«In the mid-1980s, the cartoonist Gary Trudeau entertained readers of Doonesbury with a story line that featured a channeled 21,000-year-old warrior named Hunk-Ra, an obvious send-up of J. Z. Knight’s spirit ally, Ramtha.» — el ejemplo que da de esa ironía, la tira de Doonesbury con un guerrero canalizado de veintiún mil años como parodia de la entidad de Knight.

«Intellectual circles, in contrast, seem wary of the New Age, and academic studies of alternative spirituality, especially ones based on first-hand experience, are surprisingly scarce.» — y el reverso académico, con el hueco que el propio libro viene a llenar: escasean los estudios de espiritualidad alternativa hechos de primera mano.

«After hearing about my research, for example, a psychologist remarked, “I don’t know how you can spend time with these sickening New Age types. They’re just rich people with too much time on their hands.”» — Brown consigna el desprecio de una psicóloga cuyo nombre no da, como muestra de la recepción universitaria del asunto.

«would think of making such disparaging comments about the religious beliefs of the Yoruba, the Hopi, or the Australian Aborigines.» — la asimetría que Brown señala en sus colegas, en la frase cuyo sujeto queda en la plana anterior: ninguno hablaría así de las creencias de los yoruba, los hopi o los aborígenes australianos.

«The academic mind, whether of the scientific or humanist persuasion, thrives on distinctions and particulars, whereas New Age thought seeks connections and universals, which are pursued with an enthusiastic holism that disorients thinkers trained in highly specialized disciplines.» — la explicación que Brown da del desencuentro: la mente académica vive de distinciones y el pensamiento de la New Age busca conexiones y universales con un holismo que desorienta.

«This hostile response may also reflect the similarities, as much as the differences, between New Age ideology and contemporary academic work. The New Age, for instance, celebrates indeterminacy and moral relativism. It has also embraced the rhetoric of personal empowerment that characterizes writing in the humanities today. For many academics, the likeness may be too close for comfort» — y la segunda explicación, más incómoda: la New Age celebra la indeterminación y el relativismo moral y ha adoptado la retórica del empoderamiento personal que caracteriza a las humanidades.

«In common with forms of spirit mediumship practiced in many non-Western cultures and with the dramatic expressions of spiritual communication found among Christian pentecostalists closer to home, channeling offers an improvisational alternative to formal religious institutions.» — la tesis con que Brown lo empareja con la mediumnidad de otras culturas y con el pentecostalismo: una alternativa improvisada a las instituciones religiosas formales.

«Mediums and channels bypass religious specialists to establish direct, personal contact with the spirit world.» — el rasgo común que Brown fija entre médiums y canalizadores: saltarse al especialista religioso y tratar directo con el mundo espiritual.

«Channeling also exhibits remarkable continuities with the now largely forgotten spiritualism of the nineteenth century, suggesting that its preoccupations reflect deep-seated aspects of the American character, not some sudden outburst of postmodern irrationality.» — la genealogía que Brown traza, y que es su objeción a leer el asunto como brote de irracionalidad posmoderna: continuidad con el espiritualismo del siglo diecinueve.

«In common with spiritualism, channeling is dominated by women who find in communication with spirits a refuge from mainline religions that even today offer little scope for their spiritual aspirations.» — y el rasgo que comparte con aquel: predominio de mujeres que hallan en el trato con los espíritus refugio ante iglesias que les dejan poco sitio.

«Not only can female channels achieve the religious authority denied them elsewhere, they are free to embody male spirits or “energies” in ways that many find liberating.» — lo que Brown sostiene que ganan: la autoridad religiosa negada en otra parte, y la libertad de encarnar espíritus masculinos.

«Increasingly, both men and women involved in channeling are drawn to androgynous spirits that have moved beyond gender altogether.» — y la deriva que reporta hacia entidades andróginas, que es el asunto del capítulo quinto.

«From the perspective of channels and their clients, however, money is a' morally T^eaitralj*aw material, a view that they inherit from nineteenth-century self-help movements that promoted the power of positive thinking.» — lo que Brown reporta de cómo ven el dinero los canalizadores y sus clientes, y de dónde dice que lo heredan; el troceo corrompe dos palabras del renglón.

«Many, in fact, believe that market relations are more natural and democratic than those found in organized religious congregations.» — y la forma fuerte de esa idea según Brown: el mercado tenido por más natural y democrático que la congregación organizada.

«Certain channels aggressively protect their intellectual property—some, in fact, even seeking trademark status for their spirit guides—but their behavior simply emulates the behavior of corporate America, which now asserts ownership of everything from human gene sequences to the symbols that animate the imagination ot our children.» — el dato con que Brown mide la mercantilización: canalizadores que buscan registro de marca para sus guías espirituales, imitando, dice, a la América corporativa.

«Above all, channeling affords an ideal vantage from which to observe the mutability or fragmentation ot the self that social philosophers have identified as a key feature ot postmodern experience.» — la razón última por la que Brown dice haber escrito el libro: el channeling como mirador de la mutabilidad o fragmentación del yo.

«In the course of a single day we may be required to adapt to wildly dissonant social worlds, taking on a,different persona iibeach. For artists, actors, and advocates of computer-mediated communication, these opportunities to experiment with different identities are exhilarating, and they are likely to extol the creative possibilities of “decentered selves.”» — el marco del yo proteico según Brown, con los artistas y los partidarios de la comunicación por computadora celebrando los yoes descentrados.

«The dramatic increase in the incidence of multiple personality since the 1980s is surely one index of the anxiety produced by self-decentering, as is the spread of forms ot political and religious fundamentalism that offer adherents an unambiguous social identity.» — los dos índices de ansiedad que Brown pone uno al lado del otro sin armonizarlos: el alza de la personalidad múltiple y la difusión de los fundamentalismos.

«Such questions, of course, skirt the issue of channeling’s ultimate validity—that is, whether it represents a paranormal phenomenon defying scientific understanding.» — Brown declara expresamente fuera de su libro la cuestión de si el channeling es fenómeno paranormal.

«His story was a gentle reminder that experience may have a magical quality that simply cannot answer to rational thought or argumentation.» — lo que Brown saca del relato de un psicólogo que asistió a un seminario de Knight: que la experiencia puede tener una cualidad mágica que no responde al argumento.

«Nevertheless, many channels exhibit only scant interest in debates about whether channeling is, or is not, a manifestation of the paranormal» — el desinterés que Brown reporta en los propios canalizadores por el debate sobre si el asunto es paranormal; el verbatim se corta antes de la barra que el troceo mete al final del renglón.

«“I couldn’t care less about where this information comes from or whether the beings that I channel are real,” many insisted. “The only important thing is whether the information they provide» — la fórmula con que Brown resume ese pragmatismo en boca de muchos informantes, que no nombra: lo que importa no es el origen del mensaje sino si sirve.

«Ten people were gathered in a house in upstate New York to talk to Kana. A handout circulated by the organizers explained that Kana “lives on a future dimensional plane, parallel to ours but ahead of us by many thousands of years.”» — la sesión con que Brown abre el capítulo segundo, y la hoja de los organizadores que sitúa a la entidad, a la que llama Kana, en un plano dimensional futuro; el nombre es seudónimo de los que Brown declara haber inventado.

«His encounters with Kana began a decade ago, when he experienced a steadily intensifying series of dreams and psychic experiences that at first led him to fear for his sanity.» — el relato de primer contacto del canalizador al que Brown llama Paul: sueños y experiencias psíquicas que al principio le hicieron temer por su cordura.

«Before the session began, Jack explained for the benefit of newcomers that Kana belongs to a society of future technocrats, survivors of a terrestrial holocaust that took place when human beings harnessed an apparently limitless power source that had the unanticipated effect of depleting the planet’s gravitational energy.» — la cosmología que el organizador expone antes de la sesión, según Brown: tecnócratas del futuro sobrevivientes de un holocausto por agotamiento de la energía gravitacional del planeta.

«A radical faction of these beings decided to contact contemporary humans—who are, of course, their ancestors—to warn them of the impending disaster and, if possible, to avert it. If they succeed, they will erase themselves from the future, a fate that they’re willing to accept if they can prevent the destruction of human life as it currently exists.» — y el motivo del contacto según esa misma exposición: avisar del desastre a los antepasados aun a costa de borrarse del futuro.

«Lord, we are gathered here in Thy name to quest and seek answers with this manifestation of truth, intelligence, and love. Please locate this group.”» — la invocación con que se abre la sesión, en boca del organizador al que Brown llama Jack; el Dear inicial queda al pie de la plana anterior.

«“We have one thought and mind. We share all feelings and hearts and deeds. At present we share all postures of living. If one has a problem, all share the problem and through our mass dissipate it. Eventually we learned other sharing techniques, and so we merged as a single unit.”» — lo que la entidad responde sobre la organización social de los suyos, según la transcripción de Brown: un solo pensamiento y una sola mente, con el problema disipado por la masa.

«The long-time members of the group, who had heard this before, looked impatient. At the first opportunity, they fired off questions about the technology of Kana’s society. Bob, a man in his sixties who was clearly fascinated by technical details, badgered Kana for information about his people’s energy source, a device that focuses power from the planet’s internal vibrations. When Kana waffled, Bob expressed doubts about the accuracy of his descriptions.» — el dato etnográfico que Brown levanta del trato: los veteranos se impacientan, preguntan por la tecnología y ponen en duda la exactitud de las respuestas.

«The other old hands around the table occasionally cracked jokes at Kana’s expense, and in his robotic way he gave as good as he got.» — y el tono de la reunión, que Brown subraya contra el retrato solemne del asunto: bromas a costa de la entidad y réplicas de ella.

«“You see, I deal with this information from an intuitive standpoint,” she explained. “A lot of the philosophical sessions we’ve had with Kana have helped me to see that the things guiding me are the right things. These encounters teach us that our powers are far greater than we know. I’m amazed by the human mind and by how far we can expand ourselves.”» — lo que la anfitriona a la que Brown llama Janet dice haber sacado de diez años de sesiones: respaldo intuitivo de su rumbo y asombro por cuánto puede expandirse uno.

«This event served up many of channeling’s main ingredients: eclecticism, an improvisational atmosphere, preoccupation with the future of humankind» — el censo que Brown hace de los ingredientes principales del asunto a partir de esa sesión; el verbatim se corta antes del renglón que el troceo corrompe.

«He reported an unexpected connection to a mysterious source, a return to ordinary wakefulness, and reassurance by witnesses that remarkable wisdom had poured forth during his trance.» — la forma del relato de primer contacto que Brown declara típica: conexión inesperada, vuelta a la vigilia y confirmación de los testigos.

«The validity of experiences such as this is questioned by skeptics who consider channeling a lorm ot self-delusion or, worse still, a pathetic hoax.» — Brown consigna la lectura de los escépticos, que tienen el asunto por autoengaño o por engaño a secas, sin suscribirla.

«Nevertheless, at least one scientific study has shown that channeling produces a distinctive brainwave signature, suggesting that channels achieve a specific altered state» — y el dato que pone al lado sin arbitrar entre los dos: un estudio que reporta firma distintiva de ondas cerebrales; el troceo corrompe la última palabra del renglón.

«Paul’s trance-like state and his inability to recall most ol what happens during the channeling session are classic features of what psychologists call dissociation, a mental state marked by divided consciousness or “at least momentarily unbridgeable compartmentalization of experiences» — la categoría con que Brown describe el trance del canalizador que observa, la disociación de los psicólogos, con la definición que cita de ellos.

«In many cultures, people actively seek dissociative states through sleep deprivation, fasting, drumming, frenetic dancing, or the use ol hallucinogenic drugs, often as part of their religious practices.» — el marco comparativo que Brown abre: privación de sueño, ayuno, tambores, danza frenética o alucinógenos como vías buscadas a la disociación.

«The quest for altered states ol consciousness is so widely found in human societies that it may reflect a deep-seated biological need still only dimly understood by science.» — y la conjetura con que lo cierra, dicha con su límite: una necesidad biológica de fondo que la ciencia apenas entiende; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«Euro-American culture is unusual in its unwillingness to grant dissociation an honored place in human experience.» — la tesis comparativa de Brown: la cultura euroamericana es rara en negarle a la disociación un lugar honroso.

«Although psychologists make half-hearted allowance lor occasional dream-like states or out-of-body experiences, they are inclined to consider dissociation an expression of mental illness, and their categories of dissociative disorders continue to proliferate accordingly.» — y el reverso que le adjudica a la psicología: tener la disociación por enfermedad mental y multiplicar las categorías de trastorno disociativo.

«The reality of multiple personality is still contested among mental health professionals, but it has earned a place in the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association (usually referred to as the DSM-IV), which defines it as “the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of behavior» — Brown consigna a la vez el desacuerdo entre profesionales de la salud mental y el sitio que el diagnóstico tiene en el manual de la asociación psiquiátrica, con su definición.

«Many of psychiatry’s early figures, both in Europe and the United States, were fascinated by spiritualism, a precursor to channeling.» — el vínculo histórico que Brown traza entre la psiquiatría temprana y el espiritualismo, al que llama precursor del channeling.

«Sigmund Freud belonged to the Society for Psychical Research for a time, although he later came to regard mediumship as a form of neurosis.» — el caso con que lo ejemplifica, con su vuelta: Freud miembro de la Society for Psychical Research y luego lector de la mediumnidad como neurosis.

«Despite Freud’s move away from spiritualism, he retained the idea that the selfwas fundamentally multiple, with ego, id, and superego carrying on a ceaseless internal quarrel» — y lo que Brown sostiene que quedó de aquello: la idea de un yo fundamentalmente múltiple.

«For the moment, however, let it suffice to say that the two are separated by a critical difference: multiple personality is experienced as a mental disturbance that produces acute dysfunction, whereas channeling is, with few exceptions, a process that its practitioners find beneficial.» — la diferencia que Brown fija entre personalidad múltiple y channeling: una se vive como perturbación con disfunción aguda y el otro como proceso provechoso.

«When a researcher administered identical psychological tests to channels and to people diagnosed with multiple personality, she found that the two populations in fact had little in common» — y el dato con que lo apoya, de una investigadora que no nombra: las dos poblaciones tenían poco en común en las mismas pruebas.

«A Connecticut woman who channels a being named Amos, for instance, refused to refer to him as an entity, a term widely used among channels.» — el desacuerdo terminológico dentro del campo que Brown levanta, con la canalizadora a la que llama por seudónimo la entidad Amos y que rechaza la palabra entidad.

«“I don’t like the word entity because it makes Amos seem like a thing. Amos is multiple energies. His energy is a composite ofMichael and the Archangel Gabriel.”» — y la razón que ella da: la palabra lo vuelve cosa, mientras que para ella se trata de energías múltiples compuestas de otras dos figuras.

«For her, these different formulations—“being,” “energy,” “higher self,” “collective unconscious”—were in no way incompatible.» — lo que Brown subraya del caso: que ser, energía, yo superior e inconsciente colectivo no se excluyen para la misma persona.

«Belief in the individuality of spirit guides reaches its zenith among the small but apparently growing number of channels who identify themselves as “walk-ins,” that is, people whose bodies have been taken over by extraterrestrials.» — el extremo que Brown reporta dentro del campo: los que se dicen walk-ins, con el cuerpo ocupado por extraterrestres.

«Walk-ins, who refer to the physical body as their “ground crew” and take names straight from science-fiction novels (Kadar Mon-Ka or Jalendra or ZrenDar), claim to represent organizations like the Intergalactic Council of Light or the Mother Ship Starbase, which use sophisticated technologies to intervene in human affairs.» — y el vocabulario que reporta de ellos, con los nombres tomados de la novela de ciencia ficción y las organizaciones que dicen representar.

«A case could be made that walk-ins are not channels in the strict sense, since» — la objeción que Brown se plantea a sí mismo sobre si los walk-ins caben en su definición; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, y el renglón siguiente dice que han dejado la identidad que era su punto de referencia.

«Channels explain that spirits, energies, or alien forms of consciousness contact humans for many reasons. Some want to push humanity along the path of spiritual perfection. Others confess more self-interested motives, including a desire to improve the planet before they reincarnate in human form. Some are simply curious about life on our plane of existence.» — el censo de motivos que Brown recoge de los propios canalizadores para el contacto: empujar la perfección espiritual, mejorar el planeta antes de reencarnar, o mera curiosidad.

«Without exception, channels describe these beings as having benevolent intentions. Demons or negative energies, channels insist, are too disorganized to manifest themselves in humans who make a conscious effort to channel only positive spirits or, as they are often called, “beings of light.”» — lo que Brown reporta como unánime entre ellos: las entidades son benévolas, y los demonios o energías negativas demasiado desorganizados para manifestarse en quien se propone canalizar seres de luz.

«The wisest spirits have undergone many incarnations and thus graduated to a different plane or dimension. From their outpost beyond earthly notions of space and time, they can see possible futures, hence their value as a source of predictions.» — la jerarquía de fuentes que Brown levanta del campo: las más sabias han pasado por muchas encarnaciones y ven futuros posibles desde fuera del espacio y el tiempo.

«The recently dead, in contrast, may offer some useful information, but they are still too close to the passions and fears of earthly life to be completely objective.» — y el reverso de esa jerarquía, que es donde el channeling se separa de la mediumnidad con difuntos: los muertos recientes están todavía demasiado cerca de las pasiones terrenas.

«In Santa Fe, a channel named Jill Parsons recommended avoiding second-rate spirits. “If you’re going to get information, you have to go to the highest sources,”» — la regla que Brown recoge de una canalizadora de Santa Fe, cuyo nombre es de los seudónimos que él declara: ir a las fuentes más altas.

«referring to the second level of a seven -level hierarchy based on the teachings of the Theosophical Society, “because that s like hanging out at Bud’s Bar and Grill.”» — y la jerarquía en que ella se apoya, que Brown remite a las enseñanzas de la Sociedad Teosófica, con el símil de taberna con que ella desprecia el plano astral; el troceo separa el guion de seven-level.

«Jill and other channels who believe in ranked levels of spiritual understanding are likely to describe their guides as Ascended Masters or members of the Great White Brotherhood, references to beings whose gilt-edged credentials were established a century ago by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831—1891), the Russian mystic and spiritualist who in 1875 co-founded the Theosophical Society, an organization whose occult teachings have strongly influenced the contemporary New Age movement.» — la genealogía que Brown traza para los Maestros Ascendidos y la Gran Fraternidad Blanca: credenciales fijadas hace un siglo por Blavatsky, a quien fecha y llama mística y espiritualista rusa, cofundadora en 1875 de la Sociedad Teosófica.

«This obsession with celestial rank has its critics. One outspoken Santa Fe channel lampooned the Great White Brotherhood as “male hierarchical garbage.”» — el desacuerdo interno que Brown consigna sin armonizar: un canalizador de Santa Fe que no nombra desprecia la Gran Fraternidad Blanca como basura jerárquica masculina.

«“I say that if some people channel the Ascended Masters, then I channel the Descended Mistresses.”» — la broma con que ese mismo canalizador invierte el rótulo ante sus clientes.

«A man involved in metaphysical work in New England astringently referred to the Ascended Masters as “British colonialism on the spiritual plane.”» — y la segunda objeción que Brown recoge, de un informante de Nueva Inglaterra que lee los Maestros Ascendidos como colonialismo británico en el plano espiritual.

«A compromise position voiced by some channels is that the location from which an entity speaks affects the kind but not the quality of information conveyed, thus implying that even the wisest spirits have limits.» — la postura intermedia que Brown reporta dentro del campo: el sitio desde el que habla una entidad cambia la clase de información y no su calidad.

«Adam’s comment is typical of channeling’s humanist wing, which rejects a focus on powerful aliens or spiritual masters on the grounds that it promotes separation of the human from the divine.» — el ala que Brown llama humanista dentro del campo, que rechaza el alienígena poderoso y el maestro espiritual por separar lo humano de lo divino.

«Adam and other humanist channels insist that channeling provides an upward link to our higher self, an eternal and transcendent core that knows the answers to all of life’s questions.» — y lo que esa ala sostiene en su lugar, según Brown: un enlace hacia arriba con el yo superior, núcleo eterno que sabe todas las respuestas; el nombre del informante es seudónimo.

«Channels committed to this vision insist that the names and features of their sources are artificial constructs that give a human face to powers beyond our comprehension.» — el corolario más fuerte de esa ala, que Brown consigna sin arbitrar contra la otra: los nombres y rasgos de las fuentes serían construcciones artificiales que dan cara humana a poderes incomprensibles.

«Beliefs about spiritual sources thus wheel around opposing themes. Channels and their clients see the self as vast, eternal, and protean, taking on new shapes as it evolves.» — la tensión que Brown fija como eje del campo y que no resuelve: el yo tenido por vasto, eterno y proteico.

«But if the idea of oneness is pushed too far, the self would dissolve into the totality of everything. That might be acceptable to Buddhists, but it is unappealing to Americans convinced that each of us is unique in the universe.» — y el límite que Brown le pone a esa unidad desde la misma cultura que la sostiene: la disolución del yo en el todo sería aceptable para budistas y no para estadounidenses.

«Channels vigorously disagree about what happens to their everyday self while they are channeling, an ambiguity that has produced a major split between advocates of trante channeling and those who prefer conscious channeling» — la partición mayor del campo según Brown, y que él atribuye a una ambigüedad no resuelta: canalización en trance contra canalización consciente.

«Trance channels, ol whom J. Z. Knight is a prominent example, claim to experience a complete separation of their selves from the spirits they channel. Their bodies become empty vessels for spiritual intelligence.» — lo que declaran los del trance, con Knight como ejemplo: separación completa del yo y el cuerpo vuelto vasija vacía; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«Some argue that the conscious self must step aside completely for the channeling to work. Others contend that the conscious self merely moves over to make enough space for the spirits to squeeze in.» — y el desacuerdo interno sobre cuánto se ausenta el yo consciente, que Brown consigna con sus dos posturas.

«Bryan Wood, who regularly channels a collective spirit called The Clan in deep trances, said, “When describing my trance, I tell people that it’s as though I’m immersed in water and The Clan is the water in which I’m immersed. We join in a cooperative venture.”» — el símil del agua con que un canalizador de trance, nombrado con seudónimo, describe su propio estado.

«Unlike trance channels, conscious channels remain aware of what happens around them while they communicate with spiritsr-^When I channel,” one man explained, it s like being at a party and overhearing another conversation. At the same time, the entity uses my mind, my vernacular, perhaps my memory.”» — y el símil de la fiesta con que un canalizador consciente que Brown no nombra describe el suyo; el troceo corrompe el final del renglón donde arranca la cita.

«For conscious channels, spirits are allies, not replacements for the ordinary self.» — la fórmula con que Brown cierra el deslinde entre las dos escuelas: para los conscientes los espíritus son aliados y no sustitutos del yo ordinario.

«In June 1993 the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, offered a workshop by Kevin Ryerson, a nationally-known trance channel who serves as a medium for several colorful spirits.» — el taller que Brown observa en junio de 1993, con Kevin Ryerson, canalizador de trance de nombre nacional y por tanto de los pocos que el libro nombra sin seudónimo.

«Omega, one of the largest of the many personal-growth centers now springing up throughout the United States, has been described as a “spiritual summer camp for adults.”» — y la institución donde ocurre, que Brown sitúa entre los mayores centros de crecimiento personal del país con la fórmula ajena de campamento de verano espiritual.

«spiritualists, a historical connection recognized by few other channels.» — el hallazgo que Brown subraya, en la frase donde dice que Ryerson reconoce el vínculo de su don con los espiritualistas del diecinueve y principios del veinte: pocos canalizadores lo reconocen. El verbatim arranca después del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón y que span reconstruye en una forma que no casa.

«In his opening remarks he disarmed potential skeptics by acknowledging that channeling can be seen as a poetic or metaphorical process rather than a literal one, although he harbors no personal doubts about its empirical reality.» — y el doble registro con que Ryerson abre ante los escépticos: admitir la lectura poética o metafórica sin abandonar la suya, literal.

«Like shamanism, Ryerson said, channeling rejects analytical and critical thought, which he dismissed as “safety blankets” that prevent us from direct knowing on the emotional and intuitive levels.» — lo que Ryerson sostiene sobre el parentesco con el chamanismo y sobre el pensamiento analítico, al que llama manta de seguridad.

«“Intelligences from other places and times are available in books. Using these books, we can draw from those times and cultures. Channels are trained to tap into these intelligences directly. They establish trust and rapport with other intelligences. With much work, this contact becomes regular and comfortable.”» — el símil de la biblioteca con que Ryerson explica cómo se accede a las fuentes: inteligencias disponibles como libros, y el canalizador entrenado para consultarlas.

«Ryerson described his own state when channeling as a form of “benign amnesia,” since he recovers the experience only by listening to recordings made during his trance.» — y cómo llama Ryerson a su propio estado, amnesia benigna, con el dato que da de ello: recupera la sesión oyendo la grabación.

«The strong personalities of the beings that he channels leave him no doubt that he has contacted separate intelligences rather than his own higher self.» — la postura de Ryerson en la disputa interna del campo: la fuerza de las personalidades le basta para tenerlas por inteligencias separadas y no por su yo superior.

«Thirty seconds later, he began to speak in a hoarse whisper, the voice of an entity called John the Essene, who lived in biblical times.» — la primera de las entidades que Brown ve aparecer en el taller, descrita por el nombre y la época que ella misma declara.

«is like a river that flows as though both into the past and into the future. Verily, verily I say unto thee, time is more so like a pool, out of which you may pull up past, present, future, or state of being at any moment.”» — lo que la primera entidad enuncia sobre el tiempo, según la transcripción de Brown: no un río sino un estanque del que se saca pasado, presente o futuro; el arranque de la frase queda al pie de la plana anterior.

«Then the flow ofJohn’s monologue halted abruptly. Ryerson’s voice changed to the melodious stage-Irish lilt of Tom MacPherson, sixteenth-century pickpocket» — el relevo de entidades que Brown cronometra dentro de una misma sesión, con la segunda presentada por su oficio y su siglo; el troceo pega dos palabras al nombrar el monólogo.

«“It is quite a large room, is it not? ‘Tis a bit round, not unlike as though the Globe of me own day. That is, the Globe being the stage, so to say. Now, it you will, each of you are performers upon the stage. All’s you need to do is to reach deep into the passions, if you will, and all that you need then» — lo que esa segunda entidad dice al público según Brown: la sala comparada con el Globe de su época y cada asistente vuelto actor sobre el escenario; el tramo se corta donde el troceo reemite la marca de plana a media plana, y el renglón siguiente pide oído para el aplauso.

«This urbane baritone proved to be Atun-Re, a Nubian priest and advisor to Akhenaton who lived around 1300 B.c., although the languid accent was reminiscent of Charles Aznavour.» — la tercera entidad de la misma sesión, con la fecha y el cargo que declara, y el apunte de Brown sobre el acento, que es donde el etnógrafo se separa de lo que reporta.

«If the group failed to respond with sufficient vigor, he became testy: “You humans haven’t evolved much in three thousand years, have you?”» — y el trato de esa entidad con el público cuando la respuesta le parece floja, según la transcripción de Brown.

«When someone asked him why Atun-Re speaks English rather than Nubian, he explained that “Spirit must use the neuromotor responses that I’m conditioned with.”» — la explicación que Ryerson da de por qué la entidad habla inglés y no nubio: el espíritu usaría las respuestas neuromotoras del canalizador.

«Atun-Re articulated his vision of the future: “The electronic town meeting will become a voting booth^There will be popular voting from an ffiSgtenied^^ based^X-a-g^ identitv. The fundamentalisms will subside.» — la profecía que Brown transcribe de esa entidad en el taller, con el voto electrónico y el repliegue de los fundamentalismos; el troceo corrompe dos renglones de la cita.

«will be stimulated and healed through color. Architecture will become seamless with the environment. Dependence on nuclear and fossil fuels will be obsolete. Diet will become the principal source of health, and there will be a planetary aquaculture based on Maya, Inca, and Aztec traditions.”» — la continuación de esa misma profecía, cuya palabra inicial queda partida en el cambio de plana: color curativo, arquitectura sin costura con el entorno, fin de los combustibles fósiles y acuacultura planetaria de raíz mesoamericana y andina.

«As the day wore on, it became evident that there was a subtle tension between members of the group who, fascinated by the drama of channeling, wanted Ryerson to do more, and Ryerson himself, who seemed more interested in the content of the messages than in the exotic means of their production.» — la tensión que Brown observa en el taller y que da la clave del capítulo: el público quiere el drama y el canalizador quiere el contenido.

«As the famous channel closed up shop, autograph seekers crowded around with copies of his latest book, which was selling briskly at Omega’s bookstore.» — el dato de comercio que Brown deja caer al cerrar la escena, y que anticipa el capítulo séptimo.

«Ryerson mentioned, for instance, that the spirit ofJohn the Essene had revealed to him the exact location of a buried city in the Holy Land, the existence of which was subsequently confirmed by an archaeological excavation.» — la prueba de realidad histórica que Ryerson ofrece según Brown: una ciudad enterrada revelada por la entidad y luego excavada; el troceo pega el nombre al of.

«The histrionics of Kevin Ryerson and other trance channels are regarded as problematic by some outspoken conscious channels, however.» — la objeción que Brown recoge del otro bando contra la teatralidad del trance, y que en el renglón siguiente pone en boca de una canalizadora consciente de California cuyo nombre es seudónimo.

«Along with other practitioners of conscious channeling, Marianne Rose sees deep trance as a useful but temporary step toward the integration of spiritual guidance into everyday life.» — y la lectura evolutiva que esa ala hace del trance, según Brown: paso útil pero transitorio hacia integrar la guía espiritual a la vida diaria.

«Several channels reported, in fact, that they gradually 'moved' from trance channeling to conscious channeling as their understanding matured. This was consistent with what they saw as their growing intimacy with spirit guides. Only one claimed the opposite trajectory.» — lo que Brown mide en su muestra sobre esa trayectoria, y el caso único que la contradice; el troceo mete comillas simples dentro del renglón.

«A Santa Fe channel who began his career as a conscious channel reported that an awareness of his entity’s words led him to feel too responsible for the information, especially if the news upset his clients. His emotional reaction caused the flood of information to “back up,” giving him various physical ailments that healed only when he abandoned conscious channeling and began to channel from a deep trance.» — ese caso contrario, que Brown cuenta entero: la responsabilidad por la noticia mala le represó la información y le trajo males físicos hasta pasarse al trance profundo.

«A linguist who studied the performances of several channels found that \yfrerTthey clamTtb be speaking in the voice oFsomeone frbm another epoch, their speech is larded with anachroni stic words or expressions» — el dato que Brown toma de una lingüista, nombrada en las notas, sobre el habla de los canalizadores: anacronismos en la voz de quien dice venir de otra época; el troceo corrompe el arranque de la subordinada.

«At one moment a spirit may strugglWoTffld ^ cornmorTinglish word, as if to show unfamiliarity with the language (“that place of the dead that you call—is it a cemetery?”), and the next it will drop an obscure colloquialism, usually for comic effect (“Tell me the truth; I’ll know if you’re fibbing.”» — el segundo defecto que Brown señala en esas actuaciones, el vocabulario inconsistente, con sus dos ejemplos; el troceo corrompe varias palabras del renglón.

«Channels rationalize these idiosyncrasies by pointing out that spirits depend on the neurological structure ol their human host, which explains why they don’t speak in foreign languages and, when they communicate in English, why their accents tend to wander.» — la respuesta del campo a esa objeción, según Brown: el espíritu depende de la estructura neurológica del anfitrión humano; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«Anyway, they argue, the point of channeling is to jog people out of their complacency and propel them toward higher consciousness, so the stranger the speaking style the better.» — y el segundo argumento que recoge de ellos: lo raro del habla sirve para sacar al oyente de su conformidad.

«They make a valid point. Religious ceremonies throughout the world use unusual vocabularies, even entire ritual languages, to separate sacred space and time from everyday life.» — Brown les concede ese punto desde la antropología: las ceremonias religiosas usan vocabularios raros y hasta lenguas rituales para apartar lo sagrado.

«The enduring popularity of the Latin Mass among some Roman Catholics, which has withstood the Church’s efforts to eradicate it, reminds us that unconventional language is not as distant from American rituals as we might suppose.» — y el ejemplo doméstico con que lo cierra, la misa en latín sobrevivida a los esfuerzos de la propia Iglesia por suprimirla.

«So low-keyed is their connection to the spirit world that one wouldn’t know that they were channeling if they hadn’t announced in advance that they would be connecting to an entity named Michael.» — el contraste que Brown levanta con la pareja de canalizadores conscientes a la que llama David y Sasha Johnson, nombre que es seudónimo: sin aviso previo no se notaría que canalizan.

«The name assigned to the group reflects the human need to personalize a more abstract concept.» — lo que esa pareja explica del nombre de la entidad colectiva que canalizan: una necesidad humana de personalizar un concepto abstracto.

«The Michael Teachings, as they are sometimes called, are as close to a channeling franchise as one can find in the United States today.» — la figura con que Brown mide la difusión de ese cuerpo de enseñanzas: lo más parecido a una franquicia de canalización que hay en el país.

«Channeled by several psychics in the Bay Area in the early 1970s, Michael is said to be the source of a complex body of spiritual and psychological information centraf to the work of perhaps three dozen professional channels, mostly on the West Coast, and an unknown number of others whose links to Michael are more sporadic.» — y su alcance, que Brown data y cuenta: unas tres docenas de canalizadores profesionales, casi todos en la costa oeste.

«Based on the concept of progressive reincarnations, the Michael Teachings offer a formal system of personality categories that help to explain the needs and proclivities of people as they live out each of the lifetimes on their path toward spiritual maturity.» — el contenido de esas enseñanzas según Brown: reencarnaciones progresivas y un sistema formal de categorías de personalidad.

«I started receiving channeledjmfQrmation that improved mv management skills. It was amazing how that office became very successful and everyone got along. I became known for my skill at solving problems and serving as an arbitrator.» — lo que la canalizadora del matrimonio dice haber sacado de la entidad en su oficina inmobiliaria: mejores dotes de gestión y fama de árbitro; el troceo corrompe dos palabras.

«Sasha connects to the “Michael energy” more or less at will, while David needs a more formal process to activate his link.» — la diferencia de procedimiento que Brown observa dentro de la misma pareja: ella se conecta a voluntad y él necesita un proceso formal.

«Watching David and Sasha give channeled lectures, their connection to Michael is perceptible only as a slight pause in their speech and more reflective answers to questions posed by an audience. Throughout the process they are completely alert.» — lo que Brown ve desde fuera en la canalización consciente: una pausa leve en el habla, respuestas más reflexivas y alerta completa.

«David recently appeared on a nationally broadcast television talk show, discussing his new book about techniques for recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of one’s personality traits.» — el dato de comercio y difusión de ese caso que Brown consigna: aparición en un programa nacional de televisión y libro nuevo sobre rasgos de personalidad; el renglón que da su tarifa, comparable a la de la psicoterapia ortodoxa, sale ilegible en el troceo.

«From the perspective of trance channels, conscious channeling like that practiced by the Johnsons is flawed because a listener cannot easily separate the message from the messenger.» — la objeción del bando contrario que Brown consigna sin arbitrar: en la canalización consciente no se separa el mensaje del mensajero.

«Trance channels, in contrast, are effectively absent during their channeling sessions, offering their clients direct, unmediated contact with spiritual entities.» — y lo que los del trance reclaman para sí: ausencia efectiva durante la sesión y contacto directo del cliente con la entidad.

«When they suspend personal consciousness by offering their body to a spirit entity, trance channels have implicitly admitted that the spirit is higher, better, more powerful—qualities that conflict with the notion that humans are themselves capable of infinite wisdom.» — la contradicción interna que Brown señala en el trance: ceder el cuerpo admite que el espíritu es superior, y eso choca con la grandeza del yo que la misma corriente sostiene.

«Yet even conscious channels feel compelled to define themselves as “clear,” meaning that they bring in metaphysical knowledge untainted by personal motives.» — lo que Brown señala como concesión del bando consciente al vocabulario del otro: definirse como claros, o sea traer saber no contaminado por motivos personales.

«The reverse side of this debate is the question of whether the channel opens to inner or outer space—that is, a more celestial part of the self or an autonomous being utterly different from the self.» — la segunda cara de esa disputa según Brown, y que es la cuestión doctrinal de fondo: si el canal se abre al espacio interior o al exterior.

«Virtually all channels agree, however, that at some level of abstraction it does not matter whether the channeled consciousness is self or other.» — y el acuerdo que Brown encuentra por encima de la disputa: a cierto nivel de abstracción da igual que la consciencia canalizada sea propia o ajena.

«The act of channeling itself proves that humans have untapped powers which, if acknowledged and refined, can connect us to other dimensions and universes, thereby expanding the self far beyond its present limits.» — lo que según Brown sostienen unos y otros como razón de ese acuerdo: el acto mismo probaría poderes humanos sin explotar que conectan con otras dimensiones.

«Although trance channels and conscious channels profess different approaches to spirit communication, their performances actually fall along a continuum.» — la corrección que Brown hace a la partición que acaba de exponer: las actuaciones caen en un continuo y los dos casos que describió son los extremos.

«In this middle ground, the major difference between trance and conscious channeling is that the former are more immobilized by trance and less likely to recall the words of their spirit contacts.» — y lo que queda de la diferencia en la zona media, según él: más inmovilidad y menos recuerdo de lo dicho.

«Channels generally confirmed this, observing that the change reflects the integration of spirituality into daily life.» — la deriva hacia la canalización consciente desde 1990 que Brown data, con la explicación que los propios canalizadores le dan.

«me it’s like always having friends around. When I need to, I can just fall back into their energy. It’s like collapsing into a big» — el símil doméstico con que una canalizadora consciente de Santa Fe, a la que Brown llama Martha, describe el trato con los guías; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior y el troceo la corta antes de la palabra final.

«Because trance channels experience nearly complete disorientation, they usually need help during their channeling sessions: someone to operate a tape recorder, handle situations that arise in the room» — la razón práctica que Brown añade a la doctrinal para esa deriva: el trance profundo exige ayudante y no se presta al trabajo privado ni telefónico.

«The common goal of all channels is to ^/n^Tr^to make an emotionally satisfying connection to higher powers and to their own divine essence» — el fin común que Brown atribuye a los dos bandos: conexión emocionalmente satisfactoria con poderes superiores y con la esencia divina propia; el troceo corrompe la palabra del medio.

«The actual form that this connection takes, however, reflects characteristically American dilemmas about the self—whether, for instance, it should submit to some authoritative master plan at the expense of personal autonomy or instead blaze its own lonely trail.» — y el dilema estadounidense que Brown dice ver en la forma que toma esa conexión: someterse a un plan autoritativo o abrirse camino solo.

«Most channels succeed in having it both ways by appropriating the language of higher authority and using it to exalt the self» — la salida que Brown les adjudica a casi todos: tomar el lenguaje de la autoridad superior y usarlo para exaltar el yo.

«If the spirit guides often sound like cosmic psychotherapists, laughing at human foibles but rarely offering reproach or criticism, it is because channels and their clients take the therapeutic ethos that so thoroughly permeates our age and project it onto the limitless screen of the universe.» — la explicación que Brown da del tono terapéutico de los mensajes: canalizadores y clientes proyectarían en el universo el ethos terapéutico de la época.

«Jon Lockwood, a channel from northern New Mexico, met me late in 1993 in the comfortable living room of his friend and collaborator Janice Chenaille.» — el canalizador cuyo retrato ocupa el capítulo tercero, presentado con la fecha de la entrevista; los dos nombres son de los seudónimos que Brown declara haber puesto.

«Two themes dominated his turbulent childhood: the mental illness of his father, a condition that eventually shattered his parents’ marriage» — el primero de los dos temas que Brown dice haber hallado en la infancia de ese informante, la enfermedad mental del padre; el segundo, la conciencia de la propia homosexualidad, sigue en la plana siguiente.

«At first he sought solace in his local Methodist congregation, later in psychedelics and marijuana.» — el itinerario religioso que Brown le atribuye antes del channeling, de la congregación metodista a los psicodélicos.

«But from the moment he sat down to read one of Shirley MacLaine’s books, parts of which describe her experiences with several famous channels, he was “overcome with waves of energy.”» — el punto de entrada que ese informante declara, la lectura de un libro de Shirley MacLaine, que es de los pocos nombres reales del volumen.

«“The first night of the class,” Jon said, “I was told by the teacher’s entity that my purpose was to be an antenna”» — cómo dice haber recibido el encargo: por boca de la entidad de la maestra del curso, que le adjudicó el oficio de antena.

«After a period of experimentation, he established a link with Ariel a being with whom he instantly felt a strong affinity. Jon described Ariel as a “seventh-dimensional energy” that originates in a distant galaxy.» — la entidad con la que dice haberse enlazado, descrita por él como energía de séptima dimensión de una galaxia lejana; el nombre es seudónimo como los demás.

«During a meditation at Airport Mesa, Sedona’s best-known sacred site, Jon’s entity Ariel went into Janice’s body and activated her own spiritual potential, an experience that she said instantly made her aware of the universe’s unconditional love.» — el episodio de traspaso que Brown recoge de la colaboradora: la entidad de él habría entrado en el cuerpo de ella en un sitio de vórtice de Sedona.

«Now Janice usually attends Jon s channeling sessions, where she assists him by “grounding his energy”—that is, helping him to maintain a sense of physical balance and well-being—and occasionally administering hands-on healing to Jon’s clients.» — y el oficio que ella cumple desde entonces en las sesiones, con el término del campo para lo que hace, enraizar la energía.

«As he channeled, Jon looked like a blonde Buddha on amphetamines. He laughed with gusto and gestured expressively with his hands» — el apunte con que Brown describe el cuerpo del canalizador en trance, y donde el etnógrafo se distingue de lo que reporta.

«“Hello, my friends. I’m very excited to be in the body again. So! It’s interesting what’s happening on your planet in these times, yes? And who’s got the key? Who’s the one who’s got the right to touch divinity? Each and every one of you, my friends] All the universe is applauding! Look at them touching their divinity!’’» — lo que la entidad dice al grupo según la transcripción de Brown: la divinidad al alcance de cada uno de los presentes.

«He mentioned that during one recent period Ariel went on strike, insisting that Janice and other members ofJon’s informal study group begin to channel for themselves.» — el episodio que Brown reporta de ese mismo informante: la entidad se habría puesto en huelga para forzar a los del grupo a canalizar por su cuenta.

«Even more dramatic was the appearance ofJesus in their midst—or at least a “Jesus energy” that each of them channeled during a few memorable evenings.» — y lo que el grupo dice haber canalizado después, una energía de Jesús; el troceo pega el nombre a la preposición.

«Like the life stories of many channels, Jon’s is organized around a millenarian theme. He believes that his own life, and that of the wider society, is headed toward spiritual fulfillment that will transform the world» — el tema milenarista que Brown halla común a los relatos de vida de sus informantes; el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, la calcomanía de la New Age con que él lo remata.

«Dissatisfied with institutional religion, Jon, Janice, and their friends are appropriating Christianity to meet their personal needs» — la fórmula con que Brown describe el trato de ese grupo con el cristianismo: apropiación para uso propio; el renglón siguiente, que dice cómo, sale corrompido en el troceo.

«anything is characterized by a kaleidoscopic reordering ot traditional themes to suit the preoccupations of the moment.» — cómo define Brown lo que mueve al channeling contemporáneo, en la frase que arranca al pie de la plana anterior: una reordenación caleidoscópica de temas tradicionales según lo que preocupe en el momento; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«Jon framed his quest in a key American idiom when he described channeling as a way of “redefining who we are.” “The channeling process,” he insisted, “is about sovereignty.”» — el término con que el informante nombra lo que busca, soberanía, que Brown lee como idioma estadounidense de fondo.

«As Jon’s comments imply, the sovereignty sought by most channels makes them wary of religious orthodoxy ot any kind.» — lo que Brown deriva de ahí para el campo entero: recelo de toda ortodoxia religiosa; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«Although a few channels have authored best-selling works that are considered authoritative in some respects, even admirers are careful to stipulate that no single message is appropriate for everyone.» — y el límite que los propios admiradores ponen a los libros canalizados de más venta: ningún mensaje vale para todos.

«At the heart of this reluctance to accept any truth as universally valid is a rejection of habits of mind based on analytical reason.» — lo que Brown pone en el fondo de esa negativa: el rechazo de los hábitos mentales de la razón analítica.

«Analytical reason, channels are fond of saying, is a legitimate way of knowing, but it has come to dominate our civilization in destructive ways.» — la fórmula con que los canalizadores acotan ese rechazo según Brown: la razón analítica es legítima y ha llegado a dominar de modo destructivo.

«To counteract the tyranny of rationality, they advocate a turn toward the emotions and the body as a way of fostering more balanced human» — y lo que proponen en su lugar, según Brown: un giro hacia las emociones y el cuerpo; el verbatim se corta antes de la palabra que el troceo deforma.

«Attainment of this holism requires the suspension of “judgment,” a term that for them carries only negative connotations.» — el término del campo que Brown analiza, el juicio, y que para ellos solo tiene carga negativa.

«“Judgment means that we are more aware than someone else, which creates separation,”» — la definición que un canalizador de Santa Fe, que Brown no nombra, da de ese término: creerse más consciente que otro, y eso separa.

«Judgments about truth and error also fan the flames of sectarian struggle, setting people against one another in endless arguments over orthodoxy and heresy.» — la segunda razón que Brown recoge contra el juicio: alimentaría la lucha sectaria y la pelea entre ortodoxia y herejía.

«measure the accuracy of channeled information? Linda Butler, a Massachusetts woman who values channeled teachings, explained that to separate good information from bad she “listens to the channels’ tone of voice and feels their energy.” Then she asks hei own spirit guides» — la pregunta con que Brown abre el criterio de verdad del campo, cuyo arranque queda al pie de la plana anterior, y la primera respuesta que recoge; el troceo imprime hei por her.

«According to Sally Roberts, a woman from New Mexico, “Channeled information obtained in a private session should be an affirmation of who you perceive yourself to be.”» — el segundo criterio, más fuerte, en boca de otra informante de nombre igualmente inventado: lo canalizado en sesión privada debe afirmar quien uno cree ser.

«In Santa Fe, the channel Bryan Wood emphasized, “No information source can abrogate a person’s free will.”» — y el límite que un canalizador pone a la autoridad de la propia fuente: ninguna puede anular el libre albedrío.

«During long”workshops and extended interviews, this reluctance to judge occasionally fell away in the face of truly outlandish claims.» — lo que Brown observa cuando la negativa a juzgar se rompe, y cómo se rompe: no con crítica franca sino con encogimientos y frases irónicas; el troceo mete una comilla dentro de la primera palabra.

«A parody flier that circulated in Santa Fe in the early 1990s announced a workshop to help people “lower their self-esteem naturally,” warning that “healing the child within may involve costly dental work.”» — el volante paródico con que Brown documenta la autoironía del medio, contra el retrato de credulidad sin humor.

«Another advertised the services of a clever spirit named Gerry, once a financial adviser to the 1 haraohs and now an expert on Santa Fe real estate.» — y la segunda parodia del mismo volante, con la entidad vuelta agente inmobiliario; el troceo corrompe la palabra faraones.

«the error is rationalized by speculating that those who believed the warning actually benefitted by being jarred out of their complacency.» — lo que Brown reporta que se hace con una profecía de desastre fallida: se racionaliza el error diciendo que quien creyó el aviso salió ganando al sacudirse la conformidad. La frase arranca en las últimas líneas de la plana anterior, que el escaneo entrevera con la columna vecina.

«As one woman said about prophecies of doom, “I’m not into the fear mode myself, but it’s another perspective. Some people need to go through fear modes in order to come up out ot them.» — la fórmula con que una informante que Brown no nombra justifica las profecías de catástrofe como perspectiva entre otras.

«If truth is personal, then channdmgjaaL^^ contradictory visions but actualK 7 needs thatvarisfrv to ni£st-fche demands of people who are themselves infinitely diverse. Their personal truths will vary according to where they are on the path of self-discovery.» — la consecuencia que Brown saca de esa noción personal de verdad: el campo necesita visiones contradictorias porque las verdades varían con el punto del camino en que va cada quien; el troceo corrompe tres tramos del pasaje.

«A contributor to an Internet discussion forum likened channeled messages to television programs. “Do you complain about the conflicting messages you get from different programs on TV? Probably what you do is decide which one you’re most comfortable with and watch it regularly.”» — el símil televisivo con que un participante de un foro de internet resuelve la contradicción entre mensajes canalizados.

«Sandy Randolph, a New Mexico channel, noted that disappointment about a false prophecy of doom proved to be a major turning point in her life, showing her that channeled information, whatever its source, had to be tested against inner knowing.» — el caso que Brown recoge de una canalizadora, con nombre inventado, para quien una profecía fallida fue el giro que la llevó a probar todo mensaje contra el saber interior.

«This laissez-faire attitude toward truth leads to the proliferation of improbable claims of angelic manifestations, dimensional shifts, hovering spaceships, and imminent natural disasters in the numerous small-circulation magazines that cater to the channeling community.» — lo que Brown adjudica a esa actitud de laissez faire ante la verdad: la proliferación de afirmaciones improbables en las revistas del medio.

«One on-line journal advertised a “Reverse Channeling Facilitator that allows users to “channel out of your body and project into the bodies of other life forms throughout the universe. Priced at $44, it includes a headband lined with meteorites, minerals, and crystals.» — el ejemplo con que Brown mide lo que circula por internet dentro del campo, con precio y contenido del aparato anunciado.

«Although it is doubtful that Americans “are much more irrational today than in the past, the alarmists of CSICOP may be right when they observe a significant shift in truth standards among the nation’s educated classes.» — la concesión medida que Brown hace a los escépticos: duda que haya más irracionalidad que antes y les concede un cambio en los patrones de verdad de las clases educadas; el troceo abre una comilla que no cierra.

«For the past two decades, scientific habits of mind have come under withering criticism from academic humanists» — la causa que Brown pone de ese cambio, y que no está en el campo que estudia sino en la universidad: dos décadas de crítica de los humanistas a los hábitos científicos.

«Those involved in channeling often have a general familiarity with academic attacks on science even if they show little interest in their details.» — lo que Brown mide de esa herencia entre sus informantes: familiaridad general con el ataque académico a la ciencia sin interés por el detalle.

«The argument that Western science is ethnocentric, however, is appealing to an audience that believes in the redemptive power of ancieinf^.pre-scientific knowledge, especially as preserved bv American Indians and other native peoples.» — y qué parte de ese ataque les resulta útil: la acusación de etnocentrismo, ante un público que cree en el poder redentor del saber anterior a la ciencia; el troceo corrompe una palabra.

«Contemporary multicultural politics, for instance, leads routinely to claims that social identities create unique ways of understanding the world.» — la segunda corriente social que Brown pone detrás del relativismo del campo: la política multicultural y su tesis de que la identidad crea modos propios de entender.

«Meanwhile, public-relations experts in the employ of corporate clients assert that truth is infinitely variable, a contest ofstories or viewpoints rather than of facts» — y la tercera, que Brown pone del otro lado del espectro político: los publicistas corporativos con la verdad vuelta contienda de relatos.

«These social currents converge in the epistemological framework of channeling, where they are distilled into the guiding principle that all meaningful truth is personal.» — la tesis con que Brown cierra ese tramo: las tres corrientes destilan en el principio rector del campo, que toda verdad con sentido es personal.

«“It may not be my reality,” channels are fond of saying, “but if it’s yours, that’s OK with me.”» — la fórmula corriente en boca de los canalizadores con que Brown ilustra ese principio.

«With patient probing, one can find enough common elements to piece together a moral and philosophical framework that qualifies as a theology in the most general sense.» — la operación que Brown declara para el capítulo entero, en la frase que arranca al pie de la plana anterior diciendo que hasta los relativistas comparten supuestos: reconstruir con sondeo paciente una teología en sentido general.

«“We are God, and God is love. We are here to manifest our own God-realized nature» — el primer postulado de esa teología, que Brown pone en boca de Kevin Ryerson, figura pública y por eso sin seudónimo; el troceo deforma su nombre en el renglón anterior.

«Other channels assert human divinity more obliquely, declanng that we are “fragments of the God-Head” or “Christed beings” put on earth fo r a spiritual purpose.» — las fórmulas oblicuas del mismo postulado que Brown recoge de otros, fragmentos de la Cabeza Divina y seres crísticos; el troceo deforma dos palabras.

«The inherent divinity of human beings means that we are immortal, inherently good, and fully able to create our own reality» — lo que Brown deriva de ese postulado para el resto de la teología: inmortalidad, bondad inherente y capacidad de crear la propia realidad.

«But reincarnation raises a knotty problem. Ifwe inevitably cycle through countless lives male and female, affluent and impoverished, human and extraterrestrial then who are we? Do we have a meaningful self, and if so, what is it?» — la objeción que Brown le hace a la reencarnación desde dentro de la propia doctrina, y que es su modo de encontrar la tensión sin arbitrarla: si se cicla por vidas incontables, quién es uno.

«Few channels express concern about this, however. They seem comfortable with the assumption that there is an irreducible quality of the self that persists, say, through successive incarnations as a Babylonian magician, a Saxon peasant, a Buddhist monk, and a powerful healer from another dimension.» — y cómo la resuelven ellos según Brown: una cualidad irreductible del yo que persiste de encarnación en encarnación; el troceo cierra el paréntesis que no abre.

«The Hundredth Monkey story is a wildly distorted version of a primatologisf s report published in the 1950s. Scientists noted that macaques could teach one another to wash food that had been left for them by the researchers. In the New Age version of the tale, when the hundredth monkey learned the technique, knowledge of it jumped spontaneously to monkeys on other islands.» — la carta mítica de la masa crítica según Brown, con el desvío que le atribuye respecto del informe de primatología de los años cincuenta.

«The claim that we can create our own reality would seem to be contradicted by the parallel belief that behavior is strongly influenced by incidents in previous lifetimes.» — la segunda contradicción interna que Brown señala en esa teología: crear la propia realidad contra el peso de vidas anteriores.

«But most channels insist that the pernicious influence of past-life problems can be countered by changes in attitude once the client is made aware of the hidden forces that stand in the way of creating a new and better personal reality.» — y la salida que ellos le dan según Brown: el cambio de actitud contrarresta el lastre de las vidas previas una vez que se le nombra.

«The purpose of channeling—and by extension, otheTTormsof New Age spirituality—QTTo-bxixig-- together elements oT life ripped apart by Western civilization: science and religion, body and soul, culture and nature, male and female, reason and intuition, thought and matter.» — el postulado del holismo, con la lista entera de las dicotomías que el campo se propone reunir; el troceo pega tres palabras del renglón.

«Those involved in channeling insist that embodiment—experiencing things in the body is needed to cure the negative effects of the mind games that plague modern life.» — lo que el campo opone al intelecto según Brown: el estar encarnado como cura de los juegos mentales de la vida moderna.

«Channels and their clients see the universe as a single interconnected ^Tet^. Just as the thought patterns of individuals can reshape the cosmos, so shifts in the cosmos affect individuals.» — la forma cosmológica del holismo que Brown reporta: el universo como red interconectada, con ida y vuelta entre pensamiento y cosmos.

«Earth changes may be dramatic— floods, epidemics, and earthquakes—or subtle, such as shifts in “spiritual frequencies” that stimulate a desire for personal change.» — el término del campo que Brown analiza, los cambios de la tierra, con sus dos registros, el catastrófico y el de frecuencias espirituales.

«Sacred places, many of which are identified as vortex sites, assist this process by drawing in useful spiritual energies from other parts of the universe.» — la doctrina de los sitios de vórtice que Brown recoge: lugares que atraen energías espirituales de otras partes del universo.

«Jill Parsons explained that an energy voitex south of Santa Fe accounts for the city’s role as a center tor alternative spirituality. “The vortex has been a place of spiritual opening. The Indians used this area for ceremonies. There’s an openness to other realities and other dimensions.”» — lo que una canalizadora de nombre inventado da como razón del papel de Santa Fe, con el uso ceremonial indio invocado como antecedente; el troceo imprime voitex por vortex.

«Vortex sites in Sedona, Arizona, receive 5,000 visitors a month during the summer tourist season, an influx that now supports several tour companies that take pilgrims to the principal sacred sites in, colorful jeeps.» — la medida económica que Brown le pone a esa doctrina: los visitantes por mes en temporada y las empresas de excursión que viven de llevarlos.

«Channels in vortex-deprived parts of the country often dismiss special claims about the Southwest, which they feel are ex» — el desacuerdo interno que Brown consigna sin armonizar: los canalizadores de otras regiones tienen por exagerado el privilegio del suroeste; el troceo corrompe la palabra final.

«insisted that power spots are a human phenomenon rather than something intrinsic to a place. “When a group of people get together for a level ofcommunication that is clear and like-minded and flowing,” he said, l^h^Wcreate a kind of energy _thaG in a sense, becomes a power spot.”» — la postura contraria en boca de un informante de Massachusetts que Brown no nombra: el sitio de poder lo hace el grupo y no el lugar; el troceo corrompe una palabra de la cita.

«Where people cannot find energy vortexes, in other words, they can now make their own.» — la fórmula con que Brown cierra ese desacuerdo, y que es su modo de no arbitrarlo.

«A surprising number of the theological principles that underlie channeling were first enunciated by spiritualists in the nineteenth century.» — la tesis histórica del capítulo, y la que más pesa para la genealogía que Brown traza: buena parte de los principios teológicos del channeling ya los enunciaron los espiritualistas del diecinueve.

«American spiritualism emerged in the late 1840s and peaked in the period between 1850 and 1875. In its heyday, spiritualism may have been followed by more than a million people, almost five percent of the U.S. population.» — la periodización y la medida que Brown da del espiritualismo estadounidense, con su auge entre 1850 y 1875 y más de un millón de seguidores.

«Such respected scientists as Michael Faraday and Louis Agassiz, as well as prominent artists, legislators, and social activists, participated in public debates about its validity and significance.» — el peso público que Brown le atribuye a aquel movimiento, con los científicos y legisladores que debatieron su validez.

«During worship services held in 1843, for instance, Shakers living near Watervliet, New York, welcomed to their community Oliver Cromwell, Robespierre, Julius Caesar, Saint Patrick, George Washington, Catherine of Aragon, and even an Egyptian mummy.» — el dato con que Brown empareja las entidades de hoy con las de entonces: los shakers de Watervliet recibieron en 1843 una lista de figuras históricas y hasta una momia.

«By the turn of the century, however, such lively manifestations of spiritualism were in decline. Most Americans interested in reincarnation and communication with the dead shifted their allegiance to the emerging field of parapsychology» — el declive que Brown data hacia el fin de siglo, con el traspaso de interesados a la parapsicología naciente.

«popularity, small congregations carrying on the democratic tradition of mid-nineteenth-century spiritualism survive to the present, some operating under the aegis of organizations such as the National Spiritualist Association of Churches.» — lo que Brown dice que sobrevive de aquello hasta hoy, en la frase cuyo arranque el escaneo destroza: congregaciones pequeñas de la tradición democrática del espiritualismo de mediados del diecinueve, algunas bajo una asociación nacional de iglesias.

«Henry Chanmng argued that spiritualism represented the zenith of man’s religious evolution.» — la voz espiritualista que Brown cita por su nombre para el paralelo teológico, fechada en 1854: el espiritualismo como cima de la evolución religiosa del hombre; el troceo parte el nombre entre dos planas y deforma el apellido.

«For Channing, spiritualism “asserts that love, reason, and creative power are really the Divine Life» — y la fórmula de aquel espiritualista: amor, razón y poder creativo como la Vida Divina dentro de uno; el tramo se corta donde el troceo reemite la marca de plana a media plana, y sigue diciendo que esa vida forma a cada espíritu en imagen inmortal del Uno Infinito.

«Just as today’s channels certify that our world consists of far more than can be experienced on the material plane, so nineteenth-century spiritualists believed that the messages coming through them would banish all doubts about the reality of eternal life.» — el paralelo que Brown traza entre la certificación de hoy y la de entonces sobre lo que excede al plano material.

«A major goal of spiritualists was to bring science and religion into fruitful union. In part this reflected despair over the sectarianism of mainstream religions, which olfered little hope ol a unified vision of human destiny.» — el segundo paralelo, que Brown pone en el proyecto de unir ciencia y religión, nacido según él de la desesperanza ante el sectarismo de las iglesias; el troceo imprime olfered y ol.

«Ultimately, however, most scientists proved unwilling m accept the h oh stic thinking advocated by spiritualists.» — y cómo acabó aquel proyecto según Brown: los científicos no aceptaron el pensamiento holístico; el troceo imprime m por to.

«But while nineteenth-century spiritualism saw -rirgrr r ^ partial savior of spiri tuality, the New Age now sees spirituality as the savior ot science» — la inversión con que Brown fija la diferencia entre los dos momentos: antes la ciencia como salvadora parcial de la espiritualidad y ahora la espiritualidad como salvadora de la ciencia; el troceo corrompe el renglón intermedio y imprime ot por of.

«Having lost faith in the integrity of existing churches, spiritualists vested their hope in the intellectual and spiritual growth of individuals.» — lo que Brown pone en el origen del individualismo espiritual que estudia: los espiritualistas, perdida la fe en las iglesias, cifraron su esperanza en el crecimiento de cada uno.

«“Every individual of sane mind ought to be left free to form his own opinions,” wrote a spiritualist in 1854.» — la fórmula de un espiritualista anónimo de 1854 que Brown cita como antecedente de esa libertad de opinión.

«An anonymous contributor to a spiritualist magazine argued that beneficial growth could take place if groups of people “would gather together in little circles, at stated intervals, with the bare idea of the possibility of their receiving communications from the world above.”» — y el procedimiento que otra voz anónima de aquellas revistas recomendaba, los círculos pequeños a intervalos fijos, que Brown empareja con las reuniones de hoy.

«The democratic sensibility of spiritualism was eroded after 1875 by the growth of the Theosophical movement, which emphasized secrecy, hierarchy, and the training of a spiritual elite.» — el giro que Brown data en 1875 y atribuye al movimiento teosófico, con secreto, jerarquía y élite espiritual erosionando el temple democrático del espiritualismo.

«Today, channels are more likely to speak of%elfactualization than of democracy, but they rarely miss an opportunity to assert the spiritual bankruptcy of all institutions predicated on hierarchy.» — y lo que queda hoy de aquel temple según Brown: autorrealización en vez de democracia, con el reproche a toda institución jerárquica; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«Although spiritualists sometimes contacted Native American wise men and famous historical figures, most focused on communication with members of their clients’ families who were recently deceased.» — la primera diferencia que Brown fija entre los dos movimientos: el espiritualismo trataba sobre todo con los muertos recientes de la familia del cliente.

«Today, when so many Americans think of the nuclear family as a hothouse for pathology, few seem interested in contacting their dead relatives.» — y lo que hoy ocupa ese lugar según Brown, con la razón que le adjudica: la familia nuclear vuelta invernadero de patología.

«Spiritualists hoped to reform Christianity, wmch they felt was corrupted by money and dogmatism. Channels, in contrast, express little interest in Christianity as such, although most see themselves as returning to the» — la segunda diferencia que Brown fija: el espiritualismo quería reformar el cristianismo, corrompido a su juicio por el dinero y el dogmatismo, y los canalizadores apenas se interesan en él aunque se declaren de vuelta a sus valores reales; el troceo deforma which y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«The shabby tricks of stage spiritualists—rapping noises, shaking furniture, and spurious ectoplasms—ultimately led to revelations of fraud that undermined the movement’s credibility.» — la tercera diferencia que Brown fija, y que es la del espectáculo: los trucos de escena terminaron por minar la credibilidad de aquel movimiento.

«As Kevin Ryerson noted during his workshop at the Omega Institute, channeling offers some degree of spiritual entertainment, but it can hardly compete with the megawatt amusements available to most Americans today.» — y lo que el propio Ryerson dijo del asunto en el taller, según Brown: el entretenimiento espiritual no compite con las diversiones de hoy.

«The Reverend Anna Swenson, a middle-aged woman from upstate New York, communicates regularly with the “Wise Ones,” whom she describes as a group of souls joined like “strands of light intertwined in perfect harmony.”» — la canalizadora cuyo caso ocupa el resto del capítulo, presentada con su título de reverenda y con la entidad colectiva que reporta; el nombre es de los seudónimos que Brown declara.

«She then began to speak in a style quite different from her remarks of only a few moments before. The sentences that tumbled out were over-enunciated and mechanical. As she talked, her head continued to pivot back and forth as if tracking an invisible tennis game Her eyes blinked and twitched and sometimes rolled, revealing the whites.» — la descripción que Brown hace del cambio de voz y de cuerpo al entrar la entidad, con el símil del tenis invisible.

«Their message stressed that die personal, bodily aspect of human life is motivated by^ars and desire^sThis is a necessary quality for survival in the material world, the_Wise Ones said, but it interferes with the unfolding of a ’more spiritual self.» — el contenido del mensaje de esa entidad según Brown: el aspecto corporal movido por miedo y deseo estorba el despliegue de un yo más espiritual; el troceo deforma tres palabras del renglón.

«We must therefore move beyond physical being and its desires to something on a higher level, laying the foundation for a totally spiritual existence when bodily life reaches its inevitable completion.» — y la consecuencia que esa entidad saca, según la transcripción de Brown: pasar del ser físico a lo alto, con una existencia enteramente espiritual al cabo de la vida corporal.

«After ten minutes of silence, Anna emerged from her trance and switched on a recording of confectionery New Age music. Obviously moved, several members of the audience dabbed at their eyes with tissues.» — el cierre de esa sesión tal como Brown lo observa, con la música y el efecto en el público.

«The message would not have been out of place in many Christian churches on a Sunday morning.» — la lectura que Brown da de ese mensaje, y que es el eje del capítulo: no habría desentonado en una iglesia cristiana cualquiera.

«Brought up in a conservative Lutheran family, she explored other churches in search of a more vital form of worship. For a time, she attended an evangelical church but eventually became disillusioned with what she la» — el itinerario religioso que Brown recoge de esa informante: crianza luterana conservadora, busca de un culto más vivo y desencanto con una iglesia evangélica; el troceo parte dos palabras y el pasaje sigue en el renglón siguiente.

«She studied at a center for psychics, then affiliated herself with ashram. Eventually she found the^tuarchLofReligious few Thought denomination distantly related to Christian Science.» — la siguiente etapa de ese itinerario, con la denominación del Nuevo Pensamiento que Brown emparienta con la Christian Science; el troceo corrompe el nombre de la iglesia y se come una palabra.

«At about this time, she came across The Seth Material, the first of several books by Jane Roberts.» — el libro que Brown pone en el giro de esa informante hacia la canalización, nombrado por su título y su autora; el troceo parte el título entre dos planas.

«wiitei from Elmira, New York, began using trance states to contact Seth, who identified himself as a “personality without a» — lo que Brown dice de Jane Roberts: desde 1963, antes de que el término corriera, usó estados de trance para contactar a Seth, que se declaró personalidad sin cuerpo; el troceo deforma writer y corta la frase.

«Until her death in 1984, Roberts shaped the transcripts of her encounters with Seth into a series of books that have together sold more than a million copies.» — y la medida que Brown le pone a esa obra: transcripciones vueltas serie de libros con más de un millón de ejemplares vendidos hasta la muerte de la autora en 1984.

«“The Seth books talk about your own power to create~re3ir£y,” Anna explained. “At that point, my life was out of control. I didn’t have a clue as to where I was in the midst of it. So those two things, Religious Science and the Seth material, were an important awakening.’’» — lo que esa informante dice haber sacado de esos libros y de su iglesia, con la doctrina resumida en una línea: el poder propio de crear la realidad; el troceo corrompe la palabra realidad.

«Her interests gradually shifted from Religious Science to the Unity Church, another New Thought denomination.» — la siguiente etapa del itinerario, con el paso de una denominación del Nuevo Pensamiento a otra.

«Anna was drawn to the emotional tone of Unity because she felt that she had exhausted the possibilities of Religious Science, which for her reached only the intellect.» — y la razón que ella da del cambio, según Brown: la iglesia anterior solo le llegaba al intelecto.

«Allergic to almost everything, she nearly died of anaphylactic shock on one occasion. Doctors pronounced hei condition incurable.» — la crisis de salud que Brown pone en el centro de ese relato de vida; el troceo imprime hei por her.

«Up to that point my conversations with God, or the God-Head as the Wise Ones call it, were ‘Either heal me or take me, because I can’t stand living like this.’ And that night 1 totally surrendered. When I awoke, I knew that diere was eter» — lo que esa informante dice haber hecho en el fondo de la crisis, con la rendición y la certeza de la vida eterna al despertar; el troceo imprime un 1 por la I, deforma there y corta la última palabra.

«When the Wise Ones haltingly came forth with their first word, it was “home.” To Anna, this meant that she had reestablished a spiritual link initiated in her previous lifetimes.» — la primera palabra que ella atribuye a la entidad y lo que leyó en ella: un enlace espiritual reanudado de vidas anteriores.

«The Wise Ones identified themselves as spiritual teachers who were at the “next level of evolvement” from humanity. Their plan was to use Anna as their “generating station” through whom they could communicate to human beings.» — lo que esa entidad declara de sí según la informante: maestros del nivel siguiente de evolución, con ella por estación generadora.

«Although Anna continued to serve as a minister, her channeling practice was too controversial for some members of the congregation. Eventually she resigned her position.» — el costo institucional que Brown consigna del caso: la práctica resultó demasiado polémica para parte de la congregación y ella renunció.

«Once free of the burdens of writing sermons and dealing with the church, however, she began to hold public channeling sessions and private consultations for which she received some compensation, although she appeared to be living in modest economic circumstances at the time of our meeting.» — y lo que vino después, con el apunte económico que Brown añade de su propia observación.

«The Wise Ones have said that if someone’s in their presence or in the presence of another true teacher, that person’s essence or God-seed is awakened or accelerated.”» — el primero de los dos beneficios que esa informante atribuye a su trabajo: la presencia misma despierta o acelera la simiente divina del asistente.

«“Our purpose is to bring the pea^cejrf^otf. The peace of God is God-experience. The peace~of God is the experience of total acceptance, the experience of total oneness, the experience of no conflict within the consciousness of the individual.”» — y el mensaje mismo en boca de la entidad, según la transcripción de Brown: la paz de Dios como experiencia de aceptación total, unidad y ausencia de conflicto; el troceo corrompe dos veces la frase paz de Dios.

«Her autobiography, with its emphasis on the connection between crippling allergies and the emergence of the Wise Ones, also offers interesting parallels to the life of Mary Baker Eddy, who founded Christian Science in 1879.» — el paralelo histórico que Brown traza para ese relato de vida, con la fundadora de la Christian Science y su fecha.

«An invalid for many years, Eddy came under the influence of a prominent advocate of “mind cure” named Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. Quimby, who claimed to have healed himself of a vaguely defined neurasthenia through self-hypnosis, successfully cured Eddy of her ailments, thereby creating an eager disciple.» — el episodio de curación que Brown reporta de aquella historia, con el nombre del terapeuta de la cura mental y su propio caso de autohipnosis.

«Along with other proponents of what came to be called the New Thought movement, Eddy succeeded in making the transition from “therapy to theology” and thereby laying the foundation for a new church.» — y la fórmula con que Brown describe el paso que dio aquel movimiento, de la terapia a la teología.

«Yet discussions of morality are remarkably rare at chan- ~Tretrrrg events, and it takes considerable probing to discover what channels and their clients think about such matters.» — el hallazgo negativo que Brown reporta del campo, y que es dato y no hueco: la moral casi no se discute en los actos de canalización; el troceo corrompe la palabra que sigue.

«When pushed,ri^psTcHaiinels reject formal systems ofmbsality, arguing that they are inevitably supported by f?ar/whicTi spawns violence and insensitivity.» — lo que los canalizadores responden cuando Brown insiste: rechazan los sistemas formales de moral por sostenerse, dicen, en el miedo; el troceo destroza el arranque del renglón.

«Among channels, separation carries the emotional resonance that sin holds for evangelical Christians. Separation causes us to lose sight of our oneness with the divine, thus furthering a destructive internal alienation.» — la equivalencia con que Brown mide el peso de ese término: separación es ahí lo que el pecado para el cristiano evangélico.

«In the words of Deborah O’Neill, a channel from Santa Fe, inflexible notions of good and evil create “absolute separation, leaving you with little room to create, or move, or empower yourself—to become unconditional.”» — la fórmula de una canalizadora, con nombre de los inventados por Brown, sobre lo que dejan las nociones inflexibles de bien y mal.

«In the spiritualist tract Whatever Is, Is Right, published in 1861, A. B. Child argues that because everything that happens is the will of a benevolent God, by definition humans» — el antecedente espiritualista que Brown le pone a esa negativa del mal, con su título, su autor y su fecha; el troceo corta la frase, que sigue diciendo que nadie puede pecar.

«The channeled best-seller A Course in Miracles, today read in study groups across the nation, makes an identical case when it contends that cruelty and pain are nothing but figments of humanity’s wounded imagination.» — y la obra canalizada de hoy con que Brown la empareja, cuyo argumento resume: crueldad y dolor como ficciones de una imaginación herida.

«Andrew Jackson Davis, the most influential spiritualist thinker oi his time. Davis accepted the reality of evil but argued that it represented only a transitory stare in the» — la voz espiritualista con que Brown matiza la negativa absoluta del mal, presentada como la más influyente de su tiempo; el troceo imprime oi por of, stare por stage y se come el final del renglón.

«Writing in 1873, he declared that war and other forms of human cruelty were steps in a “majestic march from the deepest recesses of grossness and materiality to the highest eminences of refinement and spirituality.”» — y la fórmula con que aquel espiritualista, fechado en 1873, convertía la crueldad humana en tramo de una marcha hacia lo espiritual.

«When today’s channels talk about the process of spiritual “ascension,” they speak of the same passage to divinity.» — el paralelo que Brown traza con el término de hoy, la ascensión, para el mismo tránsito.

«W. S. Courtney, frequent contributor to a journal called the Spiritual Telegraph, held that “man’s inner nature, instead of being vicious and depraved, is plenary with every human excellence, beauty, and use.”» — la segunda voz espiritualista que Brown cita por su nombre y su revista, con la naturaleza interior del hombre declarada plena de excelencia y no viciosa.

«Courtney argued that the negativity ol conventional Christianity, with its emphasis on sin and damnation, perverts the human soul» — y el reverso de esa postura: la negatividad del cristianismo convencional, con su pecado y su condenación, pervertiría el alma; el troceo imprime ol por of y destroza el resto del renglón, que hace de las reglas morales la causa y no la cura.

«The event’s hosts, both of whom appeared to be in their thirties, were a couple identified as Oberon and Lyra Alpha, lepre sentatives of the Church of Universal Spirit, an organization based in Colorado.» — la pareja que conduce el acto de 1993 con que Brown documenta esa hostilidad a la moral, con la iglesia que dicen representar; los nombres son seudónimos como los demás.

«Oberon, Lyra, and their companions claimed to be extraterrestrials, walk-ins, who have taken on earthly bodies to assist the planet’s awakening.» — lo que esa pareja y los suyos declaran ser, extraterrestres walk-ins con cuerpo terreno tomado para ayudar al despertar del planeta.

«In their opening remarks, Oberon and Lyra explained that Lyra channels several beings from distant galaxies, including a tilth-dimensional entity of indeterminate gender named Altair.» — la entidad que ella dice canalizar, presentada por su dimensión y por su género indeterminado; el troceo imprime tilth por fifth.

«Altair explained that our selves are more vast than we ever imagined. “You are a multidimensional being living simultaneously on all dimensions back to God-All-That-Is,” it said. “Oneness, that is who be you.”» — lo que esa entidad enuncia del yo según la transcripción de Brown: ser multidimensional que vive a la vez en todas las dimensiones hasta Dios-Todo-Lo-Que-Es.

«Because we are multidimensional, the life that we think we are living right now is in fact an “illusionary holographic model,” a game that we play to acquire truth needed for our journey.» — y lo que de ahí se sigue para la vida presente según esa misma entidad: un modelo holográfico ilusorio jugado para adquirir verdad.

«As divine beings, we cannot do wrong; we cannot go to hell because there is no hell: “You were made in the likeness and image of God. God-All-That-Is cannot make a mistake.”» — la negativa del mal en boca de esa entidad, con el argumento de la semejanza divina.

«In saying this, Altair articulated a position identical to that laid down by the spiritualist A. B. Child more than a century before.» — el emparejamiento que Brown hace de esa negativa con la del tratadista espiritualista de 1861, que es la operación del capítulo entero.

«“English is a language of comparison and hierarchy,” he said. “It was developed for commerce. But in the paradoxical universe in which we live, there is All-That-Is, and we are all of that. At the same time, we re a unique expression/ of that divinity, unlike anything else in the universe.”» — lo que el otro miembro de la pareja dice de la lengua inglesa al explicar la paradoja: hecha para el comercio, con jerarquía y comparación.

«One participant, obviously perplexed, asked where ideas of personal responsibility fit into this model. Altair observed that the question was predicated on an assumption that humans are by nature evil.» — la objeción del público que Brown recoge, sobre dónde queda la responsabilidad personal, y cómo la entidad la devuelve.

«So it doesn t matter ifyou kill twenty people?” the skeptic persisted.» — la réplica del asistente escéptico que Brown transcribe, llevando la negativa del mal hasta el homicidio; el troceo se come el apóstrofo y parte la palabra.

«Altair paused for a moment, then asked the questioner to repeat the following statement: “I formally rescind any and all vows, in this lifetime or in any other lifetime or embodiment, about needing to control myself and needing to protect others from myself. I rescind any vows that I am anything other than a loving being, and that I am not safe in the world, and that others are not safe in the world.”» — y lo que la entidad responde en lugar de argumentar: una fórmula para que el asistente rescinda votos de controlarse y de proteger a otros de sí mismo.

«Oberon gently intervened to explain that this process of rescinding vows was a new “technology” that freed important energies locked up in commitments to others. By letting go of them, he said, we’re freeing up our energetic field.» — la explicación que el otro miembro de la pareja da de esa fórmula, llamándola tecnología nueva que libera energía comprometida con otros.

«doubt 'THTpSintless to follow the absolute rules typical of most belief systems, he said, because they create internal conflicts that lead to a “downward spiral of energy.» — y la razón que da contra las reglas absolutas de los sistemas de creencia, que crearían conflictos internos; el troceo destroza el arranque del renglón.

«These sounds would produce “code adjustments” in our bodies, he explained, but the group had nothing to fear.» — el don que el otro miembro de la pareja declara por su parte, tonos interdimensionales que ajustarían el código del cuerpo.

«Sometimes the tones converged into a powerful wave of dissonance, producing an uncanny sense of physical vibration and heat, as if one s internal organs were being microwaved.» — lo que Brown describe de su propia experiencia física durante esa sesión de tonos, que es donde el etnógrafo se pone a sí mismo como dato.

«Before bidding the group farewell, the channeled being named Altair explained that the participants were now ready to experience life in a new way, based on oneness rather than on limitation.» — el cierre que la entidad da al taller, con los asistentes declarados listos para una vida nueva.

«“The karmic model has been shelved,” Altair insisted. “Looking for what’s wrong with you and trying to correct it is on the way out. So it is all good news.”» — y la fórmula con que esa entidad retira el karma y la corrección de faltas.

«Oberon and Lyra s channeling performance and the theological framework that it articulated were extreme even by the liberal standards ofcontemporary channeling. Relatively few channels concur with Oberon and Lyra’s absolute denial of evil.» — el límite que Brown le pone a ese caso para no tomarlo por el campo entero: es extremo incluso para los estándares liberales del medio.

«Instead, most acknowledge the human capacity to do harm and assert that such wrongdoing produces negative karma, which is repaid through painful experiences in subsequent lifetimes.» — lo que sostiene la mayoría según Brown: capacidad humana de dañar y karma negativo cobrado en vidas siguientes.

«One channel explained, for instance, that men who oppress women in one incarnation must work off their karma by being born as women in another. In fact, he asserted, some of today’s most outspoken feminists were in their past lives men who oppressed women.» — el ejemplo que Brown recoge de un canalizador que no nombra, con las feministas de hoy leídas como opresores de otras vidas.

«Whatever their feelings about the nature of evil, most channels subscribe to an epistemological and moral relativism that leaves little room for prescriptive rules of conduct.» — la generalización con que Brown cierra el asunto: relativismo epistemológico y moral que deja poco sitio a reglas prescriptivas.

«Instead, they accept the more general precepts of the Golden Rule. They also embrace a diffuse but deeply felt commitment to protect the environment from further harm. More specific moral codes, however, are dismissed as inherently divisive.» — y lo que queda en su lugar según él: la regla de oro y un compromiso difuso con el ambiente, con los códigos más precisos rechazados por divisivos.

«“I’m willing to be responsible for labeling this as evil and labeling that as good. But I’m not willing to assume that there’s a totally objective evil. It makes whole categories of people wrong, no matter what.» — la distinción que una canalizadora, con nombre inventado, hace entre juzgar por cuenta propia y sostener un mal objetivo.

«At a deeper level, moral systems force us to live in a world of negativity—of can’ts and shouldn’ts, of fear and separation—that prevents the spread of a worldview based on unconditional love.» — la razón de fondo que Brown adjudica a ese rechazo: los sistemas morales obligarían a vivir en un mundo de negatividad, miedo y separación.

«“Sex is an energy. From this point of view there are no value judgments and there are no morals and no ethics about sex. What we’re working toward here is unconditional acceptance of your own sexuality and, of course, unconditional acceptance of everybody else’s sexuality.”» — lo que la pareja de canalizadores conscientes dicta sobre la sexualidad por boca de su entidad colectiva: energía sin juicio de valor ni moral ni ética.

«When people in the audience asked about child abuse and rape, David admitted that they were undesirable—in his words, “very karmic”—because they lacked the element of consent.» — el límite que ese mismo canalizador pone cuando el público lo aprieta, y que Brown consigna sin armonizar con lo anterior: el abuso y la violación son indeseables por faltarles el consentimiento.

«But he cautioned those present to beware of sexual morality, which is imposed by religions as a means of control.» — y la advertencia con que cierra, con la moral sexual leída como instrumento de control de las religiones.

«Althouglr formal rules have no^glace in channeling, channels subscribe to an informal set (^professional ethrc^> They must respect their chents^jariva^-y^ and they have an obligation to prevent clients from becoming overly dependent.» — la ética informal que Brown sí encuentra en el campo pese a la ausencia de reglas formales: respeto a la privacidad del cliente y obligación de no volverlo dependiente; el troceo deforma tres palabras del pasaje.

«The latter may be hard to resist, especially if emotionally fragile people are will» — y la tentación económica que Brown señala contra esa obligación, y que anticipa el capítulo del comercio; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, y sigue diciendo que esa gente paga sesiones frecuentes.

«A moral frameworlcm which people are thought capable of creating their own reality and the existence of evil is routinely called into question provides two logical avenues for the interpretation of illness, poverty, and other forms of suffering.» — la partición con que Brown aborda la teodicea del campo: dos vías lógicas para leer la enfermedad, la pobreza y el sufrimiento; el troceo pega dos palabras al arrancar.

«The first is that they occur because the victims cannot or will not envision the world in ways that protect them from misfortune. Calamity originates in a failure of individual attitude or thought.» — la primera de esas vías: la calamidad nacida de una falla de actitud o de pensamiento de quien la padece.

«A newsletter distributed by a channel in upstate New York, tor example, asserted that the national problem of homelessness is nothing but an illusion, “the last out-picturing of a form of mental and emotional poverty.”» — el caso extremo con que Brown la documenta, con el problema nacional del desamparo declarado ilusión en el boletín de un canalizador; el troceo imprime tor por for.

«Belief in the ability of the mind to pluck hardship from a loving universe can be traced to the New Thought movement of the nineteenth century. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, saw illness in these terms, and some of her contemporaries extended this line of thinking to account for poverty and its opposite.» — la genealogía que Brown le traza a esa idea: el Nuevo Pensamiento del diecinueve, con la fundadora de la Christian Science leyendo así la enfermedad.

«The alternative is that victims of illness or misadventure have chosen their own fate, usually at a “deep soul level” beneath everyday awareness.» — la segunda vía de esa teodicea: la víctima habría elegido su destino en un nivel profundo del alma.

«The logic here is that reincarnating selves need a range of learning experiences in order to achieve spiritual maturity. The underlying eternal core of the self thus chooses certain challenges as part of its growth process.» — y la lógica que la sostiene según Brown: el núcleo eterno elige ciertos desafíos como parte de su crecimiento.

«Nancy Cohen, a Massachusetts channel committed to progressive politics, confided that this expression of New Age thought, which she labeled “spiritual Republicanism,” sometimes troubled her.» — el malestar interno que Brown encuentra con esa doctrina, en boca de una canalizadora de nombre inventado que la llama republicanismo espiritual.

«“People are wronged. But one can ask, ‘What will this woman who’s been raped learn from this? Why was she put in this position?’ She didn’t choose it, but she allowed it at some level. Since it has happened, what’s the reason for it?”» — y hasta dónde llega esa misma informante pese al malestar, con el caso de la mujer violada que no lo eligió pero lo permitió en algún nivel.

«One woman, for instance, reported that a female relative trapped in a physically abusive marriage was told by a channel that she should endure her current suffering because it would restore karmic balance lost in a previous lifetime, during which she herself had been an abusive male.» — el caso que Brown recoge de una informante sobre el uso duro de esa lógica: la pariente maltratada aconsejada de aguantar para saldar karma de otra vida.

«“When a person has cancer,” he said, “he is not consciously choosing the cancer. To tell the cancer-person that he has chosen the disease is New Age fascism.» — la fórmula con que un canalizador de Santa Fe se deslinda del uso duro de esa lógica, y que Brown transcribe entera.

«In this, they are explicitly reacting against the contemporary American cult ofvictimhood, which sanctifies persons or groups who can plausibly claim to have been wronged.» — la lectura con que Brown explica esa doctrina en vez de reprobarla: una reacción explícita contra el culto estadounidense a la condición de víctima. El renglón anterior, donde dice que el punto no es repartir culpa sino afirmar control, lleva dentro un guillemet que el escaneo imprime.

«Channeling’s theological framework rejects victimhood because of its connotation of powerlessness, arguing instead that everyone suffers indignities on their way to higher consciousness.» — y la razón que le adjudica a ese rechazo: la connotación de impotencia que la condición de víctima arrastra.

«when faced with a diagnosis of cancer, they must answer the question, “Why do / have cancer and why now?” The merely statistical has become the urgently personal, thus demanding adequate explanation.» — el giro con que Brown aplica a su propio país el problema antropológico de la desgracia, en la frase que arranca al pie de la plana anterior recordando que el cáncer aflige a millones: lo estadístico vuelto urgentemente personal.

«Some Americans find comfort in the belief that their illness, and the personal suffering that it causes, are all part of God’s plan. Others make sense of their condition by laying blame on the corporations whose factories leak toxic wastes into the local drinking water.» — las dos respuestas corrientes que Brown pone antes de la del campo que estudia: el plan de Dios y la culpa de las empresas que contaminan.

«Given these presuppositions, the conclusion that they are to some degree responsible for their own tribulations is inevitable.» — y la que le corresponde al campo, derivada de sus propios supuestos: alguna responsabilidad propia en las tribulaciones.

«The human actor Laces the world alone and must assert control over his or her life as a solitary agent.» — lo que Brown señala como lo notable de esa lógica, la negación absoluta de la índole social de la experiencia; el troceo imprime Laces por faces.

«The possibility that social ioices affect one s health, safety, or economic well-being never enters into the picture, a fact that has profound implications tor the attitudes toward community expressed by channels and their clients.» — y la consecuencia que anuncia para el capítulo de la comunidad: las fuerzas sociales no entran en el cuadro; el troceo imprime ioices por forces.

«In a recent survey, seventy percent of a sample of middle-aged respondents declared themselves in favor of a “return to stricter moral standards.”» — la medida que Brown trae para contrastar el relativismo del campo con el resto del país.

«Almost half the conservative Protestants interviewed for the survey declared themselves uncomfortable with rigid moral codes, preferring instead to follow the dictates of their conscience» — y el reverso que halla en la misma encuesta, y que le sirve para no dejar al campo tan aparte: casi la mitad de los protestantes conservadores prefiere la conciencia a los códigos rígidos.

«The theology of channeling, then, brings together disparate influences—among them, spiritualism’s emphasis on the inherent divinity of humankind, the epistemological relativism of contemporary academic and commercial discourse, collective uneasiness about rigid morality, and a longstanding American faith in the power of positive thinking to define our fate» — el censo con que Brown resume las influencias de esa teología al cerrar el capítulo, del espiritualismo al pensamiento positivo pasando por el relativismo académico y comercial.

«Yet even as it claims to offer a corrective to the sense of separation that afflicts so many people today, channeling’s portrait of humans as autonomous and god-like agents throws up a subtle barrier between self and other.» — la objeción con que Brown cierra el capítulo, y que es suya y va firmada: el retrato del humano como agente autónomo y divino levanta una barrera entre uno y otro.

«“We must each take full responsibility for our own happiness,” channels say, a view that despite its apparent optimism reduces the passions and predicaments of social life to a vast game, or, as the entity Altair would have it, to “an illusionary holographic model.” From this cosmic hallucination the self» — la fórmula del campo con que ilustra esa objeción, y lo que Brown lee bajo su optimismo: la vida social reducida a juego; el renglón siguiente dice que el yo emerge triunfante y solo.

«Most reject attempts to codify their beliefs or to formalize techniques lor acquiring spiritual knowledge, preferring instead to pick and choose from among the ideas that cn culate in the workshops and individual counseling sessions in which they participate, thus crafting a distinctive, personal idea of channeling practice.» — el rasgo con que Brown abre el capítulo cuarto: la gente del campo rechaza codificar y prefiere escoger a su gusto entre las ideas que circulan.

«Yet there must be a counterweight to these centrifugal tendencies, sorti£^hared experientiaTcor^>q:hat prevents channeling from spinning off into a thousand fragments.» — y la pregunta que de ahí saca, que es la del capítulo: qué núcleo experiencial compartido impide que el asunto se deshaga; el troceo destroza dos palabras del renglón.

«If, as the English critic John Ruskin asserted, education is not “teaching people to know what they do not know” but instead ‘teaching them to behave as they do not behave,” by what means do channels learn to behave as channels?» — la fórmula ajena con que Brown plantea el aprendizaje, tomada de un crítico inglés del diecinueve al que nombra: enseñar a comportarse y no a saber.

«The eleven seekers whom I joined for Deborah’s class were representative of channeling audiences in northern New Mexico: predominantly middle-aged, white, and female (eight women versus three men), although the group also included an Asian-Amencan man and an African-American woman.» — la composición del taller que Brown mide desde dentro, y que es su dato demográfico de primera mano: mayoría de mediana edad, blanca y femenina.

«There was an expedition outfitter who had spent years in the Yukon, a computer technician who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a housewife, and a professional counselor who used psychic information to enhance her practice.» — los oficios de los asistentes que Brown censa, contra el retrato de marginalidad: de un técnico de Los Álamos a una consejera profesional.

«An advocate ol conscious channeling, Deborah said that her plan was to help the group “bring normal reality and paranormal reality into a place where they’re one, where it feels like miracles are how we live our life.”» — lo que la canalizadora que da el taller declara como plan, con nombre de los inventados por Brown: juntar la realidad normal y la paranormal en un solo sitio; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«Most people are afraid to let those two great rivers—thought and intuition—flow together, she emphasized. They edit themselves, suffer from performance anxiety, and invent a hundred reasons not to heed their inner knowing.» — el diagnóstico con que ella explica por qué hace falta el taller: el miedo a dejar correr juntos el pensamiento y la intuición.

«Those seeking to lose themselves in submission to some higher being had best find another guide into the world of channeling, she warned.» — y el deslinde con que ella abre, que es el del ala consciente: quien busque someterse a un ser superior debe buscar otra maestra.

«Her personal ally for the duration of the workshop was a spirit or, as Deborah put it, an “energy format”—named Dwahl Khul or, more informally, DK, whom she has channeled for many years.» — la entidad que esa canalizadora dice traer al taller, con el término que ella prefiere, formato de energía.

«(The name Dwahl Khul is a slight alteration of Djwhal Khul, The Tibetan, a source channeled by Alice Bailey and other Theosophists beginning in the 1920s.)» — el hallazgo que Brown mete entre paréntesis, y que es de los pocos donde adjudica una filiación: el nombre es alteración leve del Tibetano canalizado por Alice Bailey y otros teósofos desde los años veinte.

«Although DK’s energy has a distinctive quality, Deborah said, she does not think of it as a force beyond herself. Rather, it is something thoroughly integrated into her being.» — y la postura de ella sobre el estatuto de esa entidad, que es la del ala consciente: no una fuerza ajena sino algo integrado a su ser.

«“Anything that you come up with for you is important to maintain, even if it’s different from what I would do,” she stressed.» — la regla con que esa maestra resuelve las preguntas de técnica del taller, y que es la del campo entero: vale lo que a cada quien le sirva.

«She sat quietly for a moment, then began to talk in the cfi^rmeled voice of DfCN^uder and with more careful diction than her everyday» — cómo entra la entidad según lo que Brown observa en el taller: voz más alta y dicción más cuidada que la habitual; el troceo deforma el nombre de la entidad y corta el renglón.

«We were told to envision a beautiful place in nature and open the senses to all of its qualities—smells, sounds, colors, textures. We were then to collect the energy that emerged from the door of our heart, energy that DK said was “personally symbolic of your open, clear channel.”» — el ejercicio con que se enseña la técnica, dicho por Brown en primera persona del plural porque él mismo participa.

«Mark, a visitor from Massachusetts, described his image as a heart with wings. “Then I sort of breathed life into it and it began to pulsate with heart energy.”» — lo que uno de los asistentes reporta de su propia visión, con nombre de los inventados por Brown.

«Compared to the elaborate, kaleidoscopic images reported by Mark and other participants, the luminous inverted triangle that I had discovered seemed ordinary, but Deborah assured me that it was an alchemical symbol o fGod coming to earth.» — lo que Brown reporta de su propia visión en el ejercicio y lo que la maestra le dijo de ella, que es donde el etnógrafo se pone a sí mismo como informante; el troceo parte la palabra of.

«Participants reported strong feelings d£well-bemg, visions ot colored energies pouring into their bodies, and even encounters with mysterious human or animal figures.» — lo que los demás reportaron del segundo ejercicio; el troceo corrompe dos palabras del renglón.

«Still, many seemed uncertain about how to interpret the imagery or even whether they should invest much significance in it.» — y la incertidumbre que Brown observa en ellos ante esas imágenes, dato que matiza el retrato de credulidad.

«She noted that her own invocation has gradually shitted from a focus on contacting a specific spirit guide toward a more expanded approach, forging a link to “the super-essential light field or the greater self of all greater selves.”» — el desplazamiento que esa maestra declara en su propia invocación, de una entidad concreta a un campo de luz; el troceo imprime shitted por shifted.

«The invocation of one woman went as follows: “In a state of knowingness ofmy profound power, I ask to communicate with visual and symbolic information available to me in a form healing to the body, soul, and spirit, through my beingness and through my energy patterns transferred by these hands to awaken, love, and serve.”» — una de las invocaciones que los asistentes escriben en el taller, reproducida entera por Brown.

«The invocations showed the influence of Deborah’s gentle pressure, which pushed the group away from a search for grandiose spirits similar to J. Z. Knight’s channeled entity, Ramtha, and toward a» — lo que Brown observa en el conjunto de esas invocaciones: la presión suave de la maestra aparta al grupo de los espíritus grandiosos como el de Knight; el troceo corta el renglón.

«He encouraged people to trust the feelings that came when they opened up to channeling and not to worry about whether these impressions made sense on some everyday level.» — lo que la entidad aconseja a los aprendices según la transcripción de Brown: fiarse de lo que llega sin pedirle sentido cotidiano.

«To get to this state of spiritual openness, Deborah had told us earlier, apprentice channels should develop their own ritual. After the recitation of an invocation, the ritual might include burning sage, ringing Tantric bells, or holding a powerful crystal.» — la parte ritual de la enseñanza que Brown consigna: cada aprendiz se fabrica el suyo, con salvia, campanas o cristal.

«“Channeling,” she said, “is really a shamanuNite. A shaman is someone who goes into other worlds toTielp and assist, to retrieve information or healing for someone el^jiior-meHhat. s exactly what channeling is all about» — la equivalencia que esa maestra declara entre canalizar y el oficio del chamán, y que Brown pone a prueba en el resto del capítulo; el troceo deforma tres tramos de la cita.

«Fifteen years earlier, I had witnessed a half-dozen shamanic rituals while living among the Aguaruna Indians of the Peruvian Amazon. The shaman, or iwishin, who presided over these rituals was a wiry man named Yankush, my neighbor for more than» — el contrapeso que Brown trae de su propio trabajo de campo anterior, entre los aguaruna de la Amazonía peruana, con el término indígena para el oficio.

«Because Aguaruna shamans control powerful forces, they are major players in the intricate politics of a society disturbed by frequent threats of violence. The Aguaruna believe that shamans can kill as well as cure, so their behavior is scrutinized closely.» — lo que Brown reporta de aquel oficio, y que es lo que faltará en la comparación: el chamán puede matar tanto como curar y por eso se le vigila.

«The constantly shifting balance between their allies and enemies—they inevitably have both—determines whether they live to enjoy old age or die in a murderous ambush on some lonely trail.» — y el precio de ese oficio, que Brown pone al lado del taller de Santa Fe sin comentar la distancia.

«Like other Aguaruna shamans, Yankush achieved a trance state by drinking a concoction made from the ayahuasca vine, a powerful hallucinogen, that was mixed with several other ingredients about which he was extremely secretive.» — el procedimiento de aquel chamán según Brown, con la liana alucinógena y los ingredientes que guardaba en secreto.

«The patient’s relatives shouted words ofencouragement, as well as demands that Yankush name the sorcerer who had harmed their loved one. “Tell us who he is so that we can kill him,” they often insisted.» — lo que Brown reporta de las sesiones de aquel chamán, con la exigencia de los parientes de nombrar al brujo culpable; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«This sophisticated control of symbols did not come easily, for shamans such as Yankush endure years of personal sacrifice to master their art. Among the Aguaruna, and elsewhere in the world, shamans need decades to learn complicated healing songs—in some societies, a feat of memory equivalent to memorizing the Old Testament» — y el costo de aprendizaje que Brown le pone a aquel oficio, con la medida de la hazaña de memoria.

«Identification with tribal shamanism holds immense appeal because it conjures up romantic images of sweat lodges, ancient tribal wisdom, and control of mystical powers.» — la explicación que Brown da del atractivo de esa identificación, con las imágenes románticas que convoca.

«The answer to this question is complicated by disagreement among experts about how shamanism itself should be defined.» — y la cautela con que Brown abre la comparación, señalando el desacuerdo de los especialistas sobre la definición misma del chamanismo.

«Within this framework, the key diagnostic features of shamanism are trancing, soultravel, and mastery of alien spirits. Channeling satisfies the first part of the definition but not the rest, for channels rarely claim to go on soul-journeys, at least while channeling, nor do they see themselves as controlling entities in a purposeful way.» — el deslinde técnico con que Brown responde a la equivalencia entre canalizar y chamanear: trance sí, viaje del alma y dominio de los espíritus no.

«In some societies, mediums control the spirits who possess them. In others, they are unwilling vessels, and their role as spirit-hosts is seen as an affliction. But in either case, spirits come to human mediums rather than vice versa.» — y el rasgo que fija a la posesión y la mediumnidad frente al chamanismo, con el desacuerdo interno de esas prácticas consignado: el espíritu viene al médium y no al revés.

«Although the distinction between shamanism and spirit possession is plain in theory, practitioners show little concern for anthropologists’ tidy classifications.» — el límite que Brown le pone enseguida a su propio deslinde, y que es donde el antropólogo se examina a sí mismo.

«Among the Tungus people of Siberia, whose language gave us the word “shaman,” healers routinely experience magical soul-flights and possession.» — el caso con que lo apoya, y donde el libro declara de dónde viene la palabra chamán: entre los tungús las dos cosas se dan juntas.

«Confronted by the wide range of techniques used by shamans around the world, one expert has proposed that shamanism be defined as broadly as possible. “A shaman,” he writes, “is an inspired prophet or healer, a charismatic religious figure, with the power to control the spirits, usually by incarnating them.”» — la definición ancha que Brown toma de un especialista al que no nombra en el cuerpo, y bajo la cual los canalizadores sí calificarían.

«The trouble with formal definitions is that they say little about context. A botanist identifies thyme largely on the basis of its flower structure.» — la objeción que Brown hace a las definiciones formales, con el símil del botánico que identifica el tomillo por la flor; el renglón siguiente pone a la jardinera, para quien es hierba útil o maleza según dónde crezca.

«When we compare the social context of American channeling to that ot shamanism, the similarities begin to fade.» — y el criterio que pone en su lugar, el contexto social, con el resultado anunciado: las semejanzas se desvanecen.

«Among tribal and peasant peoples, shamanism takes place in a world of extraordinary social density. The players in communal religious dramas share a wealth of collective experience. They have been raised on the same myths, seen the same rituals, tilled identical fields, witnessed the same moral crises.» — la densidad social que Brown atribuye al mundo del chamán, con los mismos mitos, los mismos ritos y las mismas crisis morales compartidos.

«Shamans such as Yankush manipulate highly specific, shared symbols that shape the understanding of a tightly-knit group ot kinsmen and allies.» — y el corolario para el símbolo: el chamán maneja símbolos específicos y compartidos por un grupo estrecho; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«The information that emerges in shamamc trances may ratify the local status quo or challenge it, but its impact is always political in the broadest sense of the word.» — lo que Brown fija como rasgo de aquel oficio y que faltará en el otro: el efecto es siempre político en sentido amplio; el troceo deforma shamanic.

«In contrast, a typical American channeling session involves people who come together for a single event—a lecture, a weekend workshop, or perhaps a personal counseling session lasting for an hour.» — el contraste de duración y de trato que Brown levanta: una sesión estadounidense reúne a gente para un solo acto.

«Nevertheless, the symbolic vocabulary of channels is dominated by abstract references into which clients can read whatever they like.» — y el contraste de lenguaje, que es el argumento fuerte del capítulo: vocabulario abstracto en el que el cliente lee lo que quiera.

«Speaking for a being named Andora, who hails from the Pleiades, the channel declared:» — la entidad pleyadiana con cuyo dictado Brown documenta ese lenguaje abstracto, y cuyo nombre es de los inventados por él; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde el dictado habla de frecuencias aceleradas y alineación de los corazones.

«In comparison to the language of Yankush’s healing songs, which are thick with specific references to local history, the natural world, and Aguaruna mythology, Andora’s speech is nebulous, even bureaucratic.» — la comparación con que Brown cierra ese argumento, y que es su juicio declarado: frente a los cantos del chamán, el habla de la entidad resulta nebulosa y hasta burocrática.

«In fact, that is their goal, for more specific concepts would either be lost on the audience or rejected as an attempt to impose a particular belief system, which from a New Age perspective is entirely unacceptable.» — y la razón funcional que le encuentra a esa vaguedad: lo más específico se perdería o se leería como imposición de un sistema de creencias.

«Any Amazonian shaman who suggested that his clients were free to interpret the violent world of sorcery as mere poetry would be dismissed as a madman.» — la prueba con que Brown cierra el deslinde, tomada de su propio campo anterior: allá nadie ofrecería leer la brujería como poesía.

«Although the similarities between American channeling and shamanism in intimate tribal settings wither under close scrutiny, they hold up slightly better when the comparison is to forms of spiritual healing that have emerged in the cities of the developing world.» — la concesión que Brown hace enseguida a la comparación, desplazándola de la aldea a la ciudad del mundo en desarrollo.

«In urban Brazil, where African, Amerindian, and European cultures fertilize a lush garden of spiritualist practices, some mediums exhibit the vague language and businesslike attitude of North American channels.» — el primer caso de esa concesión, con el espiritismo urbano brasileño y sus médiums de lenguaje vago y trato de oficina.

«Xavier spends most of his sessions communing with spirits while sitting in a closet. He periodically hands out messages to an officious secretary, who then delivers them to anxiously waiting clients. Xavier never lays eyes on most of the people for whom he is channeling.» — el médium brasileño que Brown nombra sin seudónimo por ser figura pública, con el armario, la secretaria y los clientes que nunca ve.

«At healing sessions sponsored by practitioners of Umbanda, a spirit-possession cult blending African and European traditions, patients are sometimes given numbers and asked to wait their turn until a busy medium can get to their case.» — el segundo caso, con el culto de posesión afroeuropeo nombrado y los pacientes esperando turno por número.

«Like their counterparts in urban areas of the Third World, American channels draw on the symbolic resources of tribal tradition, recycling them in a generic form suitable foi a mass audience.» — la fórmula con que Brown concede parte de la equivalencia: reciclaje de recursos simbólicos tribales en forma genérica para público masivo; el troceo imprime foi por for.

«Nevertheless, contemporary American channels are far more likely to identify with healers in remote rainforests or desert villages than with shamans and mediums working in the slums of Rio, Bogota, or Manila.» — y la asimetría que le añade: los canalizadores se identifican con el sanador de la selva remota y no con el de la barriada urbana.

«The tumult of urban life is simply too hard to reconcile with channeling’s image of itself as a path to ancient wisdom and renewed intimacy with nature.» — con la razón que le adjudica: la ciudad no cuadra con la imagen que el campo tiene de sí, sabiduría antigua e intimidad con la naturaleza.

«DK explained that everyone experiences a channeling state ol consciousness at some point in their lives, perhaps in a moment ol creativity or insight.» — lo que la entidad del taller enseña sobre el estado de canalización, y que lo vuelve ordinario: todos lo han tenido alguna vez; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«“Channeling is a process of translating information and energy that is nonarticulate, that operates in the realm of light, and bringing those symbols into communicable formats,”» — la definición que esa entidad da del oficio según la transcripción de Brown: traducir a formatos comunicables lo que opera en el reino de la luz.

«Janet, one ot the more confident participants, volunteered to go first. After performing her invocation, she slowly developed a story about the object that she picked from the pile, the tattered blanket. This blanket has traveled on a long journey to come to you,” Janet said. “It’s related to a new life that’s filled with joy and a movement away from an older sadness.» — el ejercicio de adivinación por objetos que Brown describe desde dentro, con la lectura que una asistente hace de una manta; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«When it was my turn, I chose one of the crystals and nervously turned it over in my hands. Closing my eyes, I tried to capture the diffuse energies that DK had told us to seek when channeling. To my surprise, I saw an incendiary landscape of southwestern mesas that evoked a sense of regret followed by a feeling of reconciliation.» — lo que Brown reporta de su propio turno en ese ejercicio, que es la observación participante llevada al límite.

«“You were right,” she said. “I had a dream like that a few months ago, and there was a lot hanging on it. I had to reconcile myself with it.» — y la respuesta de la dueña del cristal, que Brown consigna sin comentar si acertó.

«Deborah jumped in to explain that intuition was a muscle that only needed exercise. “Don’t worry if it feels like you’re making it all up, because you’re not,” she said reassuringly.» — la regla pedagógica con que la maestra despeja la duda de los aprendices: la intuición como músculo que solo pide ejercicio.

«These comments skillfully weave together several threads of channeling’s theology. In addition to emphasizing our divine nature, DK implies that we share a kaleidoscopic internal multiplicity. Each person’s hidden inner selves—the source of the voices, sounds, emotions, or images accessed by channeling—are somehow more sacred, more connected to the forces that drive the universe, than is the everyday self. To bring these fragments of the inner self into focus is to infuse life with magic.» — la lectura que Brown hace del cierre del primer día: la entidad enhebra la naturaleza divina con una multiplicidad interior cuyos yoes ocultos serían más sagrados que el yo cotidiano.

«We are not presenting channeling as an experience that takes you wholly and completely out of a situation. We are suggesting that channeling and the state ot consciousness can bring you more wholly» — lo que la entidad del taller enseña contra la idea de ausencia: canalizar no saca de la situación sino que mete más de lleno en ella; el troceo imprime ot por of y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«After performing my invocation, I closed my eyes and waited for something to present itself. The sensations were indistinct, and all I could muster was a series of disjointed impressions.» — lo que Brown reporta de su propio desempeño en el ejercicio por parejas, sin adornar el resultado.

«As I struggled with the translation of vague feelings and impressions into words, 1 wondered whether I was simply engaged in a deductive process of connecting the curious picture to what little I knew about Steven: that he was Asian-American and a recent widower, that he made his living by providing therapeutic massage and other forms of bodywork, and so on.» — y la duda que él mismo se plantea en el momento: si no estaba haciendo inferencia deductiva a partir de lo poco que sabía del compañero.

«For Deborah it did not matter what the process was called—channeling, intuition, unconscious inference—as long as it led to insight.» — cómo responde la maestra a esa duda, según Brown: el nombre del proceso da igual si trae comprensión.

«Suddenly growing serious, she emphasized that one should make no claims about the information unless it came as part of a true shift in consciousness.» — y el límite que ella sí pone, que es el único criterio duro del taller: sin cambio verdadero de consciencia no hay canalización.

«“I see channeling as good training for unconditionality,” Deborah said, “because you have to let go completely. You have to let go of initial superficial judgments ofwho somebody is.”» — lo que esa maestra declara que se aprende ahí, y que devuelve el asunto a la ética del campo; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«As the exercises continued, it became clear that stripped of rhetoric about Ascended Masters or vibrations from the Pleiades, channeling could be an effective transactional tool.» — la conclusión que Brown saca del taller, y que es suya y va firmada: descontada la retórica, el procedimiento funciona como herramienta transaccional.

«The channel’s words, however ordinary, strike a chord with others, who proceed to interpret them according to their own preoccupations, which may eventually nudge them toward a new understanding of their situation.» — y cómo describe esa mecánica: la palabra del canalizador la interpreta el otro según sus propias preocupaciones.

«She referred to this chain of events as “trinitization”: insight cycles from the channel’s higher self to the channel, then to the client. This evokes new questions from the client, repeating the cycle until the reading is completed.» — el término que la maestra acuña para ese ciclo, con las tres estaciones que le asigna.

«Such exchanges reveal striking parallels to the form of divination practiced by the Ndembu people of Zambia. Ndembu diviners shake a score of symbolic objects in a millet basket and then decipher patterns that form as the objects heap together.» — el segundo paralelo comparativo que Brown trae, la adivinación por cesta de los ndembu de Zambia.

«Ndembu diviners balance their intuition, which they understand as having a mystical origin, against a shrewd reading of the family conflicts that usually he behind their clients’ anxiety.» — y el rasgo que le interesa de aquella práctica: el equilibrio entre intuición de origen místico y lectura sagaz de los conflictos familiares.

«Although the idioms used by an American channel are different from those of a Ndembu diviner, both aim for transactional revelation. For that matter, so do most Western psychotherapists» — la equivalencia que Brown sí concede, y que extiende de paso a la psicoterapia occidental: las tres apuntan a una revelación transaccional.

«She introduced 11s to an angel named Rafael and a squeaky-voiced fairy called Elicia.» — las dos fuentes nuevas que la maestra abre al final del taller, un ángel y un hada, con nombres de los inventados por Brown; el troceo imprime dos unos por us.

«Deborah giggled, referring to this idea as the “reception deception.” “If you believe that you are receiving something from outside yourself, she said, “then you ve denied and diminished yourself.”» — la fórmula con que esa maestra rechaza la idea de recibir algo de fuera, y que es la posición más clara del ala consciente en todo el libro.

«For instance, one woman channeled as if she were speaking in the voice of an unnamed earth spirit. “I speak to you from the earth as a mother who sees you all as having the capability to help my children grow. And I encourage you to use this opening, this gift, to give other people a chance to see themselves as you see them.”» — uno de los dictados de cierre de los aprendices, en la voz de un espíritu de la tierra sin nombre.

«In keeping with the atmosphere of the past two days, Deborah and the others murmured words of support after each channeling performance, no matter how limited or halting.» — lo que Brown observa del trato del grupo con los desempeños flojos: apoyo murmurado sin importar lo corto del resultado.

«Eight weeks after the workshop, I contacted three of the participants to see whether DK’s promises of lasting impact had proved accurate.» — el seguimiento que Brown hace a ocho semanas del taller, que es donde la etnografía mide el efecto en vez de suponerlo.

«Sandy, the computer technician, reported that she was in contact with a range of energies, mostly female, including an elderly Native American woman with healing powers.» — lo que reporta la primera de las tres, con las energías mayormente femeninas y la anciana india curandera; el nombre es de los inventados por Brown.

«Marilyn, a state employee, explained that she did not expe1 ience channeling as a connection to named beings but rather as an opening to “clear energies” that made her feel powerful.» — lo que reporta la segunda, que no experimenta el trato con seres nombrados sino con energías claras.

«Although Marilyn admired the group’s teachings, she eventually became disillusioned with its insistence that only designated prophets could receive religious insight.» — el desencanto religioso previo de esa informante, y que Brown pone como clave de su paso al channeling: solo los profetas designados podían recibir la revelación.

«He now regularly contacted an entity named Andrew, whom he identified as a “being of light,’ as well as other souices that were less clearly defined. Some of what he received appeared to come from outside ot himself; the rest was clearly from a deeper part of his own understanding.» — lo que reporta el tercero, con la mezcla sin resolver entre lo que viene de fuera y lo que viene de sí; el troceo imprime ot y souices.

«The accounts of these three participants imply that each had applied Deborah O’Neill’s lessons in slightly different ways to suit diverse needs and temperaments.» — lo que Brown concluye de los tres seguimientos: cada uno aplicó la misma enseñanza a su manera.

«Her class defined channeling as a process of personal expansion rather than as a search for awesome spiritual beings living at a higher level than the self.» — y la influencia de la maestra que Brown ve en ese resultado, con la advertencia de que otra clase habría empujado al grupo hacia seres nombrados.

«The common denominator in Deborah’s workshop was a connection to “energies,” a term used almost universally in channeling and related spiritual practices.» — el término que Brown identifica como denominador común del taller y del campo entero, energía.

«Energy is a perfect organizing concept because it is both all-encompassing and ambiguous. Like the spirit world itself, energy is everywhere yet difficult to see. Its elusive, mysterious quality lends itself to metaphysical speculation.» — y por qué sirve tan bien según él: porque lo abarca todo y a la vez es ambiguo.

«By bridging scientific and spiritual approaches to the world, energy offers a way to bring everything together in a grand synthesis.» — la función que Brown le adjudica a ese término: tender puente entre el acercamiento científico y el espiritual.

«Because energy is everything, it is also nothing very specific, which makes it a perfect vehicle for creating shared meaning among spiritual individualists.» — y la paradoja con que lo cierra, que explica de paso cómo un campo de individualistas comparte algo.

«The chief lesson of the channeling class was that these omnipresent energies are texts that we can learn to read, texts that ultimately offer clues to the self. By reading them, we assimilate new identities, becoming wiser and more powerful in the process.» — la lección que Brown extrae del taller entero: las energías leídas como textos que devuelven claves del yo.

«The comments ofJim and his classmates, who now contentedly create their own wisdom, exemplify channeling’s precarious position in the borderland between religion and therapy.» — el sitio en que Brown coloca al asunto, y que es la tesis de fondo del libro: una frontera precaria entre religión y terapia; el troceo pega el nombre a la preposición.

«In comparison to the world’s ancient religions, which routinely demand years of diligent work before practitioners can fully comprehend even the simplest of sacred truths, channeling of» — la comparación con que Brown mide el costo de entrada, frente a los años de trabajo que exigen las religiones antiguas; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde dice que el channeling ofrece un lenguaje que se domina en pocos días.

«The altered state associated with channeling is easily learned, although it presumably would take months or years to refine it to the level demonstrated by some accomplished channels.» — y el matiz que añade enseguida: el estado se aprende fácil y afinarlo sí llevaría meses o años.

«Channeling welcomes everyone because it demands and presupposes little. Its philosophical and theological thinness is, from this perspective, an asset rather than a liability.» — la fórmula con que Brown convierte en ventaja lo que los críticos llaman delgadez filosófica y teológica.

«When taken to an extreme, Taylor observes, subjectivist expressionism hurtles toward the omega point ot absolute emptiness.» — el término del filósofo Charles Taylor que Brown toma prestado, con el punto omega de vacío absoluto al que llevaría llevado al extremo; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«The uncharitable observer might conclude that the apprentice channels trained in Deborah O’Neill’s workshop have already bought a one-way ticket to Taylor s subjectivist void.» — la lectura dura que Brown formula y enseguida acota, que es su modo de no hacerla suya.

«But we should keep their current passion for exploring inner space in perspective. The biographies ot othei Americans, especially members of the Baby Boom generation, reveal considerable restlessness with respect to religious loyalties.» — y la acotación: las biografías de su generación muestran inquietud de lealtades religiosas, de modo que esto sería una etapa; el troceo imprime ot y othei.

«Marilyn had been part of one such congregation before learning to channel, and her rejection of it reflected a need for independence and emotional self-sufficiency.» — lo que Brown pone detrás del rechazo de una informante a su congregación anterior: una necesidad de independencia y de autosuficiencia emocional.

«“In my sessions working with Deborah,” Marilyn said, DK told me that you can't go by somebody else’s rules on sexuality or the types offood that you eat or how to live your life. You have to go by what works for you. My choice has been to step outside the organization frame ofmind. As soon as I made that choice, I felt the expansion.”» — lo que esa informante dice haber sacado del taller, con la entidad autorizándola a salirse del marco de la organización; el troceo se come una comilla de apertura.

«Although women were prominent in the rise of channeling in the 1970s and 80s, lor instance, most of the entities they channeled were identified as male.» — el dato con que Brown abre el capítulo quinto, y que es el eje del libro sobre el género: mujeres al frente del asunto y entidades mayormente masculinas; el troceo imprime lor por for.

«In the 1990s, channels report more frequent contacts with feminine or sexually ambiguous beings, and they emphasize the important lole that spiritual gender-crossing can play in broadening people’s views of their own internal multiplicity.» — y el cambio que Brown data en los años noventa, con entidades femeninas o ambiguas y el cruce de género declarado útil; el troceo imprime lole por role.

«In mainstream Christian denominations, some women not only demand a larger role in day-to-day participation and decision-making but also seek representation in liturgy through the introduction of feminine symbols such as the biblical figure Sophia, a female personification of God.» — el paralelo que Brown traza fuera del campo, con la figura bíblica femenina introducida en la liturgia de denominaciones cristianas.

«At the same time, and partially in response to the emergence of women-centered forms of spirituality, thousands of men now flock to revivals organized by the Promise Keepers, an evangelical fellowship dedicated to helping men “reclaim their manhood” within a Christian moral framework.» — y el movimiento masculino que pone del otro lado, nombrado, con su fórmula de recobrar la hombría en marco cristiano.

«The most dramatic expressions of gender-focused spirituality take place farther from the mainstream, in ecofemimst workshops, neopagan covens, Goddess seminars, men’s drumming groups, and, in smaller numbers, communities that experiment with nontraditional family arrangements and sexual practices.» — el censo de lo que Brown pone más lejos de la corriente principal: talleres ecofeministas, aquelarres neopaganos, seminarios de la Diosa y grupos de tambor de hombres; el troceo imprime ecofemimst.

«In the nineteenth century, groups such as the Shakers and the Oneida Community experimented with novel family structures and approaches to sexuality, ranging from total celibacy to free love, in an attempt to offer a level of personal freedom denied them by the wider society.» — el antecedente histórico que Brown le pone a esa preocupación por el género, del celibato total al amor libre en las comunidades del diecinueve.

«Although nineteenth-century spiritualists were not prominent among those advocating novel rearrangements of family structure, they were deeply committed to the emergence of women from their subordinate status in Christian churches.» — y el deslinde que hace dentro de ese antecedente: los espiritualistas no encabezaron los arreglos familiares nuevos y sí la salida de las mujeres de su sitio subordinado.

«Between 1854 and 1861, for example, a former invalid from Vermont named Achsa Sprague held audiences spellbound with her inspirational lectures, presented while she was deep in trance.» — el primer caso con que lo documenta, con la conferencista espiritualista nombrada y fechada, que es nombre histórico y no seudónimo.

«Her fame as a public speaker opened to her a life unknown to most women of the time. She traveled extensively, acquired independent means, and felt free to decline offers ofmarriage from admirers.» — y lo que esa fama le dio según Brown: viaje, medios propios y libertad de rechazar ofertas de matrimonio; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«Other women found that spiritualism allowed them even bolder forms of self-expres» — el segundo caso histórico, anunciado al pie de la plana: formas más audaces de expresión de sí que el espiritualismo permitió a otras mujeres, con la médium inglesa nombrada en el renglón siguiente.

«Another of Fairlamb’s spirit manifestations, a brazen, bearded man named George, liked to kiss women at seances, and his salty language sometimes scandalized listeners.» — y la segunda entidad de aquella médium, un hombre barbado cuyo lenguaje escandalizaba, que es el antecedente exacto del cruce de género de hoy.

«Fairlamb and other female mediums thus became vessels for the spirits of men, allowing them to explore male language and even male embodiments in ways that, for some at least, proved liberating.» — la lectura que Brown da de aquellos casos: vehículos de espíritus masculinos que permitían explorar el lenguaje y hasta la encarnación del varón.

«More important, the direct connection that mediums established with the spirit world bypassed the male chain of command then characteristic of religious congregations.» — y lo que declara más importante todavía: el trato directo con los espíritus saltaba la cadena de mando masculina de las congregaciones.

«Regional magazines oriented to natural healing and alternative spirituality in New England typically advertise the services of roughly twice as many female practitioners as male, and the discrepancy is even greater if one limits the comparison to those who offer psychic counseling and psychotherapy.» — la medida que Brown hace del desequilibrio de sexos en el campo, contando anuncios de revistas regionales.

«At channeling sessions, women often outnumber men by a factor of three to one or more, and the ratio ot male to female channels is approximately 1:2 in New England and the Southwest.» — y las dos proporciones que da de su propio conteo, la del público y la de los canalizadores; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«In a 1990 interview, Kim Westin and Ian Flanson, channels who provide spiritual counseling from the back of their bookstore in a tormer mining town in New Mexico, argued strongly that men and women have fundamentally different spintual attributes and potentials.» — la pareja de canalizadores, con nombres de los inventados por Brown, que explica ese desequilibrio por diferencia inherente entre los sexos; el troceo imprime spintual.

«Kim interrupted. “A woman is a natural receiver. A man is a natural sender.”» — la fórmula con que ella resume esa diferencia, y que Brown deja hablar sin corregirla.

«“For a man to be a trance medium or a channel, he has to be a feminine polarity in his male body to receive that information,” Kim continued. “So there are far fewer feminine-polarity males than there are feminine-polarity» — y la doctrina de polaridades con que ella explica la escasez de varones canalizadores; el tramo se corta donde sigue la enumeración.

«Ian interjected, “It’s all yin and yang. You've got it both, you know—the masculine and the feminine.» — lo que él le opone desde el mismo vocabulario, que es el desacuerdo dentro de la propia pareja y Brown lo consigna sin armonizar.

«Ian and Kim s animated burst ot opinion about gender expresses beliefs held by many of those who are involved in channeling. Masculine and feminine represent two poles with contrasting attributes and predispositions. The masculine is rational, analytical, power-seeking, and self-absorbed; the feminine is emotional, intuitive, nurturing, and other-focused.» — el esquema de polaridades que Brown generaliza al campo a partir de esa conversación, con los dos juegos de atributos enteros; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«About the root cause ot these differences, however, there is considerable disagreement.» — y el desacuerdo que Brown encuentra sobre la causa de esa diferencia, que organiza el resto del capítulo; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«Some channels argue that the contrast between the sexes has been created by our upbringing. As one woman put it, “Women» — la primera explicación que recoge, la de la crianza; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, y la fórmula de la informante sigue diciendo que a ellas se las entrena para anhelar vínculos y a ellos para anhelar individualidad.

«Anna Swenson, the channel from upstate New York, put the issue more starkly: “Women haven’t had the intuitive aspects beaten out of them.”» — la versión más cruda de esa misma explicación, en boca de la canalizadora de nombre inventado cuyo caso ocupa el capítulo tercero.

«Ironically, by discouraging women from involvement in politics and intellectual life, patriarchal oppression left them free to explore their intuitive powers. Because men were off playing power games, the argument goes, their own intuition withered.» — la vuelta que el campo le da a esa explicación según Brown: la opresión patriarcal habría dejado a las mujeres libres para lo intuitivo mientras ellos jugaban al poder.

«Others contend that the differences between men and women begin at a deeper level, in genes or chromosomes or fundamental “energies” unique to each sex, forces that supposedly make women spiritual by nature.» — la segunda explicación que recoge, más dura: genes, cromosomas o energías propias de cada sexo.

«Such views echo nineteenth-century reasoning about why women were more likely than men to become mediums. "Women, it was asserted then, are by nature impressionable, sentimental, passive, and even angelic all qualities that open them» — el eco decimonónico que Brown le encuentra a esa doctrina, con las cualidades que entonces se adjudicaban a la mujer; el troceo imprime una comilla recta y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«object to the characterization of women as naturally passive, the rest of the portrait would strike them as accurate.» — y el matiz con que Brown cierra ese eco, en la frase que arranca al pie de la plana anterior: hoy se objetaría lo de la pasividad y no el resto del retrato.

«Another explanation offered for the predominance ofwomen as channels is eschatological, based on the belief that history follows a sacred plan.» — la tercera explicación que Brown recoge del campo para el predominio femenino, de índole escatológica; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«Among those involved in women-centered spirituality, it is virtually an article of faith that all societies were once matriarchies dedicated to the worship of the Goddess. Matriarchal utopias, the story continues, were eventually overthrown by the male institutions that have dominated human history for the last three millennia.» — el relato del matriarcado original que Brown reporta como artículo de fe de la espiritualidad centrada en la mujer.

«(The absence of support for this view among reputable scholars is considered further proof of patriarchal domination.)» — y el paréntesis con que Brown señala cómo ese relato absorbe la objeción académica que se le hace.

«A New Mexico channel described recovered memories of her previous incarnations, dating to a period before the destruction of matriarchy. “I can remember lives of being in temples, and I can remember lives of being a medicine woman, she said. I have memories of being empowered, of leading groups of people and communing with groups of women, doing Moon Lodges and all these wonderful things that» — lo que una canalizadora, de nombre no dado, reporta de sus vidas anteriores al derrumbe del matriarcado; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«For Sandy Randolph, also from New Mexico, the dark ages of male dominance were needed so that humans could understand the effects of imbalance.» — la lectura que otra canalizadora, con nombre inventado, hace de los siglos de dominio masculino: necesarios para conocer los efectos del desequilibrio.

«“There was a time for Spirit to withdraw and for people to have these experiences of competition and killing,” she explained. “Spirit is now returning. You can see this in all the angels and entities that are coming through now.”» — y la señal que ella da del regreso, que es la proliferación misma de entidades y ángeles.

«Sandy Randolph, whose spiritual services include channeling and American Indian pipe ceremonies, argues that women predominate in her workshops because “it’s time for them to give up their woundedness, to come back into their own feminine power.”» — la razón que esa misma canalizadora da del predominio femenino en sus talleres, con su propio repertorio de servicios consignado.

«With a mischievous grin, Jill Parsons, a channel from Santa Fe, claimed that single women also attend channeling events in hope of meeting a man who’s “willing to open his heart and talk about what he feels,” a quasi-mythical species of male known as a SNAG (“Sensitive New Age Guy”» — la razón más prosaica que otra canalizadora ofrece entre bromas, con la sigla del varón sensible de la New Age.

«Despite their celebration of the spiritual re-emergence of the feminine, most women involved in channeling distance themselves from feminism, which they describe as negative and reactive, a state of being against men.» — el hallazgo que Brown subraya del capítulo: las mujeres del campo celebran lo femenino y a la vez se apartan del feminismo, al que llaman negativo y reactivo.

«Pamela, a middle-aged channel from Santa Fe, put it this way: “Feminism is not equality to me. It’s a response to male chauvinism that s taken to an extreme.» — la fórmula con que una de ellas, con nombre inventado, distingue igualdad de feminismo.

«Like Pamela, most women involved in channeling hold feminist positions on grassroots issues: equal pay, child care, sex discrimination, and abortion rights.» — y el reverso que Brown mide en ellas, y que es lo que vuelve el hallazgo interesante: sostienen las posiciones feministas de base una por una.

«A contrast between strong suppoit for the political goals offeminism and rejection of a feminist identity is hardly» — la advertencia con que Brown no hace de eso una rareza del campo, y que el tramo deja a medias en el cambio de plana: escritoras feministas lo declaran patrón nacional; el troceo imprime suppoit y pega dos palabras.

«But what is particular to them as a group is their commitment to ideals of harmony and wholeness incompatible with what many see as feminism’s confrontational outlook.» — y lo que sí declara propio del campo: un compromiso con la armonía y la totalidad incompatible con el talante confrontativo que le atribuyen al feminismo.

«Some invoke the mystical integration of yin and yang to explain their search for balance between masculine and feminine powers. Others insist that sexual balance simply offers the best hope for happier lives.» — las dos razones que Brown recoge de esa busca de alianza entre los sexos y no de mayor conflicto, la mística del yin y el yang y la práctica de una vida más feliz.

«Such attitudes help to explain their enthusiastic defense of the men’s movement, which finds few supporters among feminist intellectuals.» — y la consecuencia que le encuentra, y que es otro desacuerdo consignado sin armonizar: el apoyo entusiasta al movimiento de los hombres.

«In explaining her sympathy for such experiments, one channel said, “The guys are having a hard time. There s no role model, no pattern for any kind of male energy now. That’s why men’s groups are wonderful.”» — lo que una canalizadora que Brown no nombra dice de ese movimiento: a los varones les falta modelo de rol para su propia energía.

«Even the channels who identify themselves as committed feminists admit that channeling has made them more open to masculinity, if not to men.» — el matiz con que Brown cierra el asunto: hasta las que sí se declaran feministas dicen haberse abierto a lo masculino.

«“All the feminist stuff that we talked about in divinity school, that doesn’t work for me anymore,” she said, referring to feminism’s focus on the coercive power of patriarchal institutions and attitudes. “In channeling, there isn’t any agenda. There’s no power in a negative sense.”» — lo que dice una terapeuta con grado en teología, de nombre inventado, sobre lo que el channeling le hizo a su feminismo de escuela.

«Katherine argues, in other words, that channeling offers direct experience of masculinity without the emotional risks associated with human relationships.» — la lectura que Brown da del caso de esa terapeuta: experiencia directa de lo masculino sin el riesgo emocional de una relación humana.

«“Channeling really has to do with balanced energetic forms of male and female. People are now coming to the place of exploring androgyny itself—not necessarily acting in a bisexual manner but simply holding balanced energy,”» — la fórmula de otra canalizadora, con nombre inventado, sobre la androginia como energía equilibrada y no como conducta.

«Deborah O’Neill explained her connection to the male entity Dwahl Khul in terms of a desire to offset her natural femininity: “A male guide provided an energy format that helped me to achieve male—female integration. At first I worried that I had a male, leftbrained, scientific guide because ofsome patriarchal tendency on my part, but I found that the male was what I needed for greater integration.”» — lo que la canalizadora del taller dice de su entidad masculina, con la sospecha que ella misma se planteó de tendencia patriarcal propia.

«Some women disapprove ol the predominance ol male spirits that characterized channeling in the 1970s and 80s, attributing it to the lingering influence of patriarchy.» — el desacuerdo interno que Brown consigna sobre el predominio de entidades masculinas en las primeras décadas; el troceo imprime ol por of dos veces.

«Tamara Jenkins, a Massachusetts channel who holds strongly feminist views, commented, Many beginners channel male entities because they seem more authoritative. I warn people about this tendency in my channeling workshops.”» — la advertencia que una canalizadora de posiciones feministas, con nombre inventado, dice dar en sus propios talleres.

«Randolph sees her alliance with the Medicine Women, a group of Native American healers whom she regularly channels, as proof that the pattern is shifting.» — la prueba contraria que otra canalizadora ofrece, con el grupo de curanderas indias que dice canalizar; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«The spirits who contacted her “could have had many incarnations that were not female, yet they’ve chosen to represent themselves as female or feminine.”» — y el argumento de ella sobre la elección de género de esas entidades.

«Unlike women, who talk about their “opening to channel” as a process of discovering personal power, men tend to view it as a path to their feminine side: intuition, emotional availability, and a sense of connection to others.» — la asimetría que Brown mide entre los relatos de unas y otros: ellas hablan de poder propio y ellos de acceso a su lado femenino.

«Nevertheless, a note of defensiveness sometime crept into men’s descriptions of being male in a world undergoing spiritual feminization. A male channel in Florida spoke with approval of feminine empowerment but then added quickly that “Spirit can’t be restricted solely to the feminine form.”» — el matiz defensivo que Brown observa en los varones del campo, con la fórmula de uno de Florida que no nombra.

«In New Mexico, a man talked of how much he had grown by learning to express his feelings openly, then confessed that he was “looking forward to the time when men don’t feel like they have to make excuses for being male.”» — y el segundo caso, con el varón que espera el tiempo en que no haya que disculparse por serlo.

«The balance or symmetry sought by women is seldom fully realized in men’s channeling practice: there are few men who regularly channel female spirits, although some predicted that this will become more common as society moves toward gender balance.» — la asimetría que Brown mide del otro lado: casi no hay varones que canalicen entidades femeninas, aunque algunos lo anticipen.

«Gay channels disagree among themselves over whether their sexual orientation is a significant factor in their approach to channeling. Most feel that it is irrelevant, but Bryan Wood, a particularly outspoken New Mexico channel, alleged that many straight channels believe that gays and lesbians are spiritually unbalanced.» — el desacuerdo que Brown consigna entre los canalizadores homosexuales sobre el peso de su orientación, con la acusación de uno de ellos; el nombre es de los inventados.

«As a strategy for expanding his channeling practice, Bryan developed a less assertive form of counseling that would appeal to female clients uncomfortable with male authority figures.» — la estrategia de negocio que ese mismo canalizador declara, y que Brown consigna sin comentario.

«“There are a lot of feminists among my upper-class white clients,” he explained. “I downgraded my authority so that I didn’t offend them. I also came out about being gay. So feminists tend to be at ease with me because they see me as part of an oppressed group.”» — y la fórmula entera con que él la explica, rebajar la propia autoridad y declarar la orientación.

«The search for internal gender balance, as well as the frequently stated desire for a new synergy of masculine and feminine principles in the world at large, has led channeling toward several versions of sacred androgyny, the notion that highly developed spiritual beings encompass male and female principles in fruitful complementarity.» — la definición que Brown da del término que titula el capítulo, la androginia sagrada, y de dónde dice que sale.

«Channeling the entity Michael during a channeling session in Arizona, David Johnson explained that in different lifetimes individuals acquire experiences unique to each gender or sexual orientation.» — lo que la entidad colectiva de la pareja de canalizadores conscientes dicta sobre las experiencias propias de cada género a lo largo de las vidas; el renglón siguiente da la cifra que él asigna a la homosexualidad.

«In the course ol hundreds ol reincarnations, in other words, we will inhabit bodies that live out all possible permutations of gender and sexuality. Our spiritual core incorporates all aspects of gender and therefore transcends them.» — la conclusión que Brown saca de ese dictado, y que es la base doctrinal de la androginia sagrada; el troceo imprime ol por of dos veces.

«This line of thinking has given rise to a growing number of genderless spirits. Their channels describe them as citizens of different dimensions or galaxies that have either evolved past gender or never experienced it in the first place.» — la consecuencia práctica que Brown reporta: entidades sin género, de dimensiones o galaxias que lo habrían superado o nunca lo tuvieron.

«An ardent follower of the teachings of Seth, the being channeled by Jane Roberts in the 1960s and 70s, mentioned Seth’s assertion that humans are nothing but consciousness. “So there is no gender,” she continued. “When you get back to what we really are outside of physical reality, there’s no gender to any of us.”» — lo que una seguidora de las enseñanzas de Seth deriva de ellas, con Jane Roberts nombrada y fechada por Brown como su canalizadora.

«The healing power of androgyny is celebrated by a group of channels based in Sedona, Arizona, who claim to be walk-ins. In a video distributed by the group, which calls itself the Extra» — el grupo de Sedona que Brown toma como caso extremo de esa doctrina, declarados walk-ins; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde se da el nombre de la misión.

«The thickset man, who goes by the name of Aktivar, explains, “It is time for male/female balance to come to the fore. We talk to many beings about androgyny, which we find to be an exquisite state: delightful, balanced, beautiful, powerful!”» — lo que el miembro de ese grupo declara en el video, con el balance masculino y femenino puesto al frente.

«“By allowing your androgyny to come forth,” he continues, “you are either in a male or female body, but you are not purely male or female. You are a third type.”» — la fórmula más fuerte de esa doctrina en el mismo video: ni puramente varón ni puramente mujer sino un tercer tipo.

«The advance literature for the event explained that a couple from Colorado were organizing meetings which would allow participants to “experience the empowering Love of the Divine Maternal-Paternal” by activating “the twelve-fold chakra system encoded within your DNA.”» — el segundo caso de androginia sagrada que Brown documenta, con la propaganda del acto y su vocabulario de chakras codificados en el ADN.

«The flier’s allusion to something called the “I AM Presence’ signaled that the channels’ work was influenced by the “I AM’ Religious Activity, founded in 1930 by a mining engineer named Guy Ballard and his wife, Edna.» — la filiación que Brown le adjudica a ese acto, con la actividad religiosa fundada en 1930 y sus dos fundadores nombrados.

«Appropriating names and concepts from Theosophy, Ballard reported a number of encounters with the Ascended Masters. Ballard explained that the Ascended Masters had evolved to the level of what he called the “I AM,” the universal source of divinity.» — la genealogía teosófica que Brown le traza a aquel movimiento, con los Maestros Ascendidos y el término del que toma su nombre.

«some to be an incarnation of Francis Bacon), his “twin flame Portia, El Morya (once a Rajput priest), and Jesus Christ. Ballard assumed the role ol messenger lor the Ascended Masters, and he regularly delivered communiques from Saint Germain» — las identificaciones que aquella enseñanza daba a sus Maestros y el papel de mensajero que su fundador asumía; el elenco arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«Writing under the name Godfre Ray King, Ballard described these visions in a series of books that became best-sellers. With the help of his wife and son, he organized a movement that by 1940 had attracted nearly a million followers.» — el seudónimo con que aquel fundador publicó y la medida del movimiento hacia 1940.

«Ballard had a knack for making arcane teachings clear and accessible, and his books gave Theosophy an American face by locating the Ascended Masters in Mt. Shasta, Yellowstone, and the Tetons.» — la fórmula con que Brown resume lo que aquel movimiento le hizo a la teosofía: darle cara estadounidense situando a los Maestros en montañas del país.

«Legal suits charging the “I AM” Activity with fraud were eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in two rulings ( Ballard v. United States, 1944, and Ballard v. United States, 1946) now considered landmarks in the legal separation of church and state.» — el desenlace judicial que Brown consigna, con los dos fallos de la Corte Suprema citados por su año.

«By the 1950s, splinter elements within the “I AM” Activity had begun to make their own contacts with Ascended Masters» — la deriva posterior de aquella enseñanza según Brown, con los grupos escindidos haciendo contacto por su cuenta; el renglón siguiente dice que ese círculo se ensanchó hasta los extraterrestres.

«Today many channels, some of whom know little about Guy Ballard and his work, claim to communicate with Ascended Masters, especially Saint Germain.» — y la herencia que Brown le encuentra hoy, con la advertencia de que muchos la ignoran.

«Channels influenced by the “I AM” oiler an erotically charged androgyny that differs markedly from the rather sexless androgyny offered by other practitioners.» — la diferencia que Brown fija entre las dos androginias del capítulo, la erótica y la asexuada; el troceo imprime oiler por offer.

«site where Guy Ballard had received his first messages from the Ascended Masters. As predicted, Alistair met Diana there, and they have been together ever since.» — el relato de encuentro que la pareja conductora declara, anclado en el sitio de las revelaciones del fundador de aquella enseñanza; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior y los nombres son de los inventados por Brown.

«She converted to Mormonism in her late teens, she said, but the church excommunicated her when she began to channel Jesus, whom she called Yeshua Sananda.» — el itinerario religioso de la canalizadora de ese acto, con la excomunión declarada por haber empezado a canalizar a Jesús bajo otro nombre.

«He asked participants to open themselves so that the “I AM" energy could move in and through us. Diana’s channeling would simply “mirror” us, he said, giving shape to the divine power surging through us all.» — el papel que el conductor asigna a la canalizadora en la sesión, espejo de la potencia divina que atraviesa a todos.

«He named key Ascended Masters, including Saint Germain, Maitreya, Ashtar, and Kadar Mon-Ka, each of whom had a feminine counterpart.» — el elenco de Maestros que se invoca en ese acto, con la contraparte femenina que a cada uno se le asigna, que es donde entra la androginia.

«He explained that the rational mind has to give way to an emotional heart-opening based on unconditional love. We must become empty vessels for the transformative “I AM” energy, which we ourselves help to co-create. If we do this, the Divine Maternal will gently embrace all in her limitless love.» — la doctrina que ese conductor expone antes del trance, con la mente racional cediendo a una apertura del corazón y la Maternidad Divina abrazándolo todo.

«assure you,” she said, “that while at times it seems as though the Father-Mother and that radiant being called Christ might appear to be behind a closed door, in truth that door is always open. And the Father-Mother have stepped beyond the threshold and entered upon the path and run out to meet you.”» — lo que dicta la canalizadora en la voz que el conductor atribuye a uno de los Maestros, con la puerta siempre abierta; el yo inicial de la frase queda al pie de la plana anterior.

«Alistair explained that our energy had called forth “the I AM presence of Yeshua Sananda and his divine complement, Mary Magdalena, blended in a perfect balance of masculine and feminine.”» — la fórmula más clara de androginia sagrada del capítulo, con la pareja de presencias mezclada en balance perfecto de lo masculino y lo femenino.

«Turning to Sarah, she commenced a ceremony that was part blessing, part anointing. She stood over Sarah with her right hand raised, two fingers pointing up. Her breath came with a rasping sound. She asked permission to come into Sarah’s space. Diana rubbed rose oil on her own hand and then made slow circles in the air around Sarah’s head. She slowly closed in on Sarah’s face: touching her forehead, her temples, her throat. She gently brought Sarah’s» — el rito que Brown describe paso a paso, entre bendición y unción, con el aceite de rosas; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana y los nombres son de los inventados por él.

«The process was excruciatingly long, perhaps fifteen minutes. Her movements were gentle but labored. Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes.» — la duración y el efecto que Brown consigna de ese rito, sin comentar su eficacia.

«“Know that Diana isn’t representing Mary Magdalena,” he said at one point. “Mary has presented herself in Diana through the divine energy ot I AM, the I AM Presence in all of us. The maternal force of Mary Magdalena is coupled with the twin-flame masculine presence of Yeshua Sananda, whom you know as Jesus.”» — el deslinde que el conductor hace entre representar y presentar, y la pareja de llama gemela que declara.

«The implication seemed to be that the integration ofJesus and Mary Magdalena generated a sexual synergy that was far more powerful than masculine or feminine energies alone.» — la lectura que Brown da de ese deslinde, declarada como inferencia suya; el troceo pega el nombre a la preposición.

«Diana Lovejoy’s erotically charged language, with its “twin flames” and “empowering Love of the Divine Maternal-Paternal,” defines a world in which the combination of male and female energy produces a spiritual incandescence that burns with the intensity of nuclear fusion.» — la fórmula con que Brown cierra ese caso, con la incandescencia espiritual comparada a la fusión nuclear.

«More typical of contemporary channeling, however, is a relatively sexless androgyny, the performance of which establishes for both practitioner and audience that the human soul exists at a level beyond such earthly considerations as gender, with all its dilemmas and limitations.» — y el contraste con el resto del campo, donde la androginia es asexuada y sirve para poner el alma más allá del género.

«In Africa, Latin America, and Asia, women are more likely than men to be possessed by spirits, many of whom are identified as male.» — el paralelo comparativo que Brown trae para el juego de géneros, con la posesión por espíritus masculinos en tres continentes.

«Women are often excluded from formal positions of religious power, so they fight for a voice in religious matters by speaking for capricious spirits whose opinions men are obliged to respect.» — y la explicación que da de ese patrón, que es la que luego aplicará y acotará para su propio terreno.

«The woman’s spirit spoke forthrightly of her objections to his drinking and other personal failings. The husband, who was present during the event, then had to defend himself publicly against the spirit's accusations.» — el caso de posesión que Brown recoge de un colega antropólogo, con la mujer acusando al marido por boca de su espíritu; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«This exchange can be seen as a form of family therapy in which the woman and her husband use spirits to mediate a discussion of problems that are too sensitive to be talked about directly.» — la lectura que Brown da de ese caso: terapia familiar con los espíritus de mediadores para lo que no se puede decir de frente.

«Like other useful terms that find their way into academic fashion, “resistance” has been reduced to a platitude nearly stripped of meaning.» — la objeción que Brown hace a un término de su propio gremio antes de usarlo, la resistencia, y que es su modo de no heredar la rejilla.

«Nevertheless, there is little doubt that women are drawn to contemporary channeling for the same reasons that they were a strong presence in nineteenth-century spiritualism—notably, their continued exclusion trom positions of influence in mainstream churches.» — lo que sí sostiene sobre el motivo del predominio femenino, y que empareja el hoy con el diecinueve: la exclusión de puestos de influencia en las iglesias.

«But with few exceptions, channels themselves reject this way of looking at it. Instead, they see their quest in proactive terms, as a positive, loving search for personal strength and global healing between the sexes.» — y el deslinde que Brown hace entre su lectura y la de sus informantes, que rechazan el marco de la resistencia y ven una busca positiva.

«It is important to remember that channeling is only one element of a much larger mosaic of religious options open to Americans. Other pieces ot the mosaic offer forums in which women can work through rage or confusion over the injuries of gender.» — la cautela con que Brown sitúa su objeto dentro del mosaico religioso estadounidense; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«An anthropologist who worked closely with neopagan groups, some of which promote a militantly feminist spirituality, found that they celebrate what she calls “images of anger and destruc» — el contraste que Brown trae de otra investigadora sobre los grupos neopaganos, algunos de espiritualidad feminista militante, que celebrarían imágenes de ira y destrucción; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde ella las declara terapéuticas.

«Channeling, in contrast, oilers sale haven from such emotions. In its embrace, men and women can explore the qualities of the opposite sex as part of a journey ol self-expansion that leaves a gendered identity lar behind, a process that female channels in particular find satisfying» — y lo que el channeling ofrece en cambio según Brown: refugio ante esas emociones y un viaje de expansión que deja atrás la identidad de género; el troceo imprime oilers, sale y lar.

«Scholars have proposed that gender is less a fixed condition—something hard-wired into our genes—than it is a state of mind and body maintained through daily performance.» — la teoría del género que Brown toma prestada para responder a su propia pregunta: menos condición fija que estado sostenido por actuación diaria.

«Movements, gestures, dress codes, and subtle inflections ot voice constitute the raw materials ol gender display. What performances create, they can also undo, subtly shifting the boundaries of gendered identities.» — y la consecuencia que saca de ella: lo que la actuación crea, la actuación puede deshacerlo; el troceo imprime ot y ol.

«They enact masculinity, in other words, which may help them to domesticate it or otherwise render it less threatening.» — la hipótesis que Brown propone para las canalizadoras, dicha como hipótesis: representar lo masculino lo domesticaría.

«The gender enactments ol male channels are not yet symmetrical to those ol women, lor few are inclined to embody feminine beings.» — y la asimetría que le pone enseguida, medida en su muestra; el troceo imprime ol, ols y lor.

«Paradoxically, this gender play depends on the acceptance of a highly polarized view of masculinity and femininity—for instance, the belief that men are by nature rational, women intuitive, and so forth.» — la paradoja con que Brown cierra el capítulo: el juego de géneros descansa en una visión polarizada de lo masculino y lo femenino.

«For channels and their clients, however, these absolute, “natural” states are not models to which they aspire; instead, they are envisioned as diffuse energies that can be interwoven and rebalanced to suit personal needs.» — y cómo la resuelve el campo según él: esos estados naturales no son modelos a los que aspirar sino energías difusas que se entretejen.

«During her channeling workshop in Santa Fe, Deborah O'Neill explained to participants that when a man channels, he connects to something “poetic and creative and softer.”» — lo que la maestra del taller dice que gana un varón al canalizar.

«For a woman, in contrast, channeling offers the experience of “taking authority and standing in a seemingly masculine position.”» — y lo que dice que gana una mujer, con la autoridad y la postura masculina nombradas.

«Above all, channeling offers both men and women the opportunity to “feel and act as if all your gaps had been filled.” “When you’re channeling,” she concluded, “you’re asking for your totality.”» — la fórmula con que esa maestra cierra el asunto, y con la que Brown cierra el capítulo: pedir la propia totalidad.

«The session took place in the home ol Sarah McGuire and Ruth Como, practitioners of holistic healing and channeling.» — la casa donde ocurre ese acto y el oficio de sus dueñas, con nombres de los inventados por Brown; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«While a signup sheet and a basket for donations (the suggested offering was $10) was passed around» — el dato económico que Brown consigna al pasar, con el donativo sugerido para la sesión.

«Even channels, most of whom are committed to an intensely individualistic form of spirituality that shuns orthodoxy and compromise, must occasionally come together to share experiences and to taste what Emile Durk» — la tensión con que Brown abre el capítulo sexto: gente de espiritualidad individualista que aun así tiene que juntarse; el tramo se corta antes del nombre del sociólogo que el troceo parte.

«Adam Bell, a New Mexico channel, explained that the spirits to whom he connects speak frequently of the need ior humanity to join together in cooperative ventures.» — lo que un canalizador, con nombre de los inventados por Brown, dice que las entidades repiten sobre la necesidad de cooperar; el troceo imprime ior por for.

«Deborah O’Neill echoed Adam’s comments when she declared that channeling helps her “to become less identified with our culture, our» — y lo que la maestra del taller dice ganar con ello; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde la frase añade el sexo y la raza y el sentido universal de la naturaleza humana.

«What social arrangements, for example, offer the optimal balance of freedom and fellowship? Is it possible to translate a deeply felt commitment to global community into civic involvement at the local level, and if so, how?» — las dos preguntas que Brown declara guía del capítulo, sobre el equilibrio entre libertad y compañía y sobre la traducción del compromiso global en obra local.

«One thing that the vast majority of channels clearly do not associate with community is anything that resembles a formal religion, with regular meetings and a stable organizational structure.» — el hallazgo negativo con que Brown empieza a responderlas: lo que no es comunidad para ellos es la religión formal.

«For them, and for most of those drawn to New Age practices, the term “religion” is freighted with negative meanings: empty rituals, inflexible rules, and struggles for power. These stand opposed to spirituality, “the process of connecting with all that is inside,”» — el deslinde de vocabulario que Brown levanta del campo, con religión cargada de sentidos negativos frente a espiritualidad, y la fórmula de un informante que no nombra.

«Diane, a channel from western Massachusetts, framed the issue this way: “My personal feeling is that when you keep questioning, keep growing, there comes a point where you’ll be up against the outer limits of any religion. At that moment, the religion says, ‘That’s it, no more questioning.’”» — la objeción de una canalizadora, con nombre inventado, a toda religión: al final llega el límite exterior donde se prohíbe preguntar.

«Not only do religions fail to offer authentic spirituality, channels argue, they are obsolete vestiges of an earlier historical era.» — la segunda objeción que Brown recoge, de índole histórica: las religiones como vestigios obsoletos.

«Most people concede that the world’s major religions began with a genuine spiritual core, but in their view this was eventually corrupted by power.» — y el matiz que él mide en el campo, y que no es rechazo total: se les concede un núcleo espiritual genuino corrompido después por el poder.

«Ted Bernstein, a channel from Arizona, dismissed religion with this well-practiced slogan: “Religions are spiritual movements that stopped moving.”» — la fórmula con que un canalizador, de nombre inventado, resume ese rechazo.

«Susan, a woman attending a channeling session in New Mexico, expressed this idea in the starkest possible terms. “All religions were founded out ot a desire to control people or to keep a group of people subservient, she said. Every religion I’ve ever studied or known about evolved into one group controlling another.”» — la versión más dura de ese rechazo, en boca de una asistente cuyo nombre es de los inventados: toda religión fundada para controlar; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«For Rebecca, a Massachusetts channel and self-identified feminist, the choice is clear: “The major religions are based on the exclusion of women. Channeling isn’t organized—it has no group aspect_so women have a better position in it.”» — y el argumento que una canalizadora feminista hace del mismo punto: la falta de organización como ventaja para las mujeres; el troceo pega dos palabras con guion bajo.

«Such negative views are challenged by a few who speak fondly of the religious traditions of their upbringing, yet even these apologists admit» — el matiz que Brown añade para no dejar el retrato en un bloque, con los pocos que hablan con cariño de la tradición en que se criaron; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde añade que aun esos declaran que les faltó hondura espiritual.

«Several channels mentioned that they had joined an organized congregation for a while, often the Unitarian Church or the Church of Religious Science. They justified their choice in purely pragmatic terms—a desire to expose their children to organized worship, perhaps, or their need for a reliable support group.» — lo que Brown mide del paso de sus informantes por congregaciones establecidas, con los motivos pragmáticos que declaran.

«Usually they left the congregation after a year or two because they had “outgrown” its theology or decided that it was time to “get more deeply into my own issues.” Like other therapeutic resources, church allegiance shifted as their needs evolved.» — y cómo salieron de ellas, con la fórmula que Brown usa para nombrar esa relación: lealtad de iglesia tratada como recurso terapéutico.

«New Age complaints about mainstream churches echo with remarkable fidelity the protests of spiritualists in the 1850s. Spiritualist magazines of the period railed against the “dead formalism” of Christianity. Spiritualism encouraged people to consider all religious ideas, as a result of which they were “receiving and practicing the profoundest and holiest truths.”» — el eco que Brown le encuentra a esas quejas en las revistas espiritualistas de los años cincuenta del diecinueve, con el formalismo muerto del cristianismo.

«Nineteenth-century critics of mainstream churches were more preoccupied with the churches’ wealth than are their counterparts today, and their rhetoric was far more likely to emphasize the link between spiritualism and true Christianity.» — y las dos diferencias que fija entre aquellas quejas y las de hoy, la riqueza de las iglesias y el vínculo con el cristianismo verdadero.

«But today’s channels share with yesterday’s spiritualists the belief that American freedoms include the right, perhaps even the duty, to pursue growth beyond the arbitrary limits set by institutions.» — y lo que sí comparten unos y otros según él: la libertad estadounidense como derecho y hasta deber de crecer más allá de la institución.

«since the 1970s are the informal self-help group, in which several people agree to form a temporary alliance, and the professional counseling session or group workshop, in which a channel provides information to clients for a fee.» — los dos modelos de compañía que Brown identifica desde los años setenta, el grupo de autoayuda y la sesión profesional de pago; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«Take the case of Mary Selmer, a 45-year-old housewife from western New England. Some years ago, she began to meet regularly with friends to listen to audio tapes made by J. Z. Knight. Mary described her circle of seekers as a bunch of “beer-drinking and cigarette-smoking New Agers” who sat for hours on her porch discussing metaphysical questions.» — el caso de grupo de autoayuda con que Brown documenta el primer modelo, con nombre inventado y con la autodescripción del círculo.

«They experimented with group meditation, and during one session, Jim, a chiropractor by training, began to channel spontaneously.» — cómo nace un canalizador dentro de uno de esos círculos según ese relato.

«“What happened is that we ran out of questions as a group,” she said. Wd needed new faces. The circle disbanded, and Jim went on to establish a successful channeling practice in a neighboring state.» — y cómo muere el círculo, con el canalizador pasando a la práctica profesional, que es el tránsito entre los dos modelos.

«Informal channeling groups are, almost by definition, ephemeral and private. Channeling’s public face is the lecture or workshop that lasts from several hours to a week or more.» — el deslinde que Brown fija entre las dos caras del asunto, la privada y efímera y la pública de conferencia o taller.

«Several admitted that they like to give public lectures because the broad, philosophical content of the talks is a refreshing change from the sometimes tedious work of helping clients wrestle with personal problems.» — lo que los propios canalizadores declaran ganar con la conferencia pública frente al trabajo con clientes.

«tential clients a sense of a channel’s style, possibly leading to a request for private counseling.» — el fin comercial que Brown le añade a la conferencia pública y que anticipa el capítulo séptimo: dar a probar el estilo del canalizador; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«In June 1990 a typical channeling session took place in the house of Bryan Wood, who has a lively practice as a psychic and spiritual teacher in New Mexico. Bryan channels the Clan, which his resume describes as a “non-hierarchical, non-authoritarian, genderless information source.”» — la sesión de 1990 con que Brown documenta el segundo modelo, con la autodescripción que el canalizador imprime en su currículo para la entidad colectiva; el nombre es de los inventados.

«A stocky man with long graying hair, Bryan is articulate, broadly educated, and flamboyantly opinionated, the latter trait contrasting sharply with the nonjudgmental quality of most channels.» — el retrato de ese canalizador, con el rasgo que Brown declara excepcional en el campo, la opinión declarada.

«(As a handout distributed by Bryan explained: “The Clan projects no personality. It’s not very entertaining. It has identified itself as a group of energies focused on various levels of reality.”)» — y lo que el volante del acto declara de esa entidad, incluida la advertencia de que no es entretenida.

«“And we welcome you this evening. Understand that our topic for discussion is the utopian neighborhood and how it can be created in reality given your present limitations and mindset. The entire purpose for this series of lectures has been to bring through metaphysical, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional tools for individual humans to tap into their divinity so that peace is possible, not only on a global level but on the local level and personal level from which the global level springs as a mirror.”» — el dictado con que abre esa sesión, con el vecindario utópico como tema y el nivel personal declarado espejo del global; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«First it was asserted that the world can only be improved by working on ourselves. All humans are divine beings— ”autonomous, selfdirective, immortal, and perfect,” in the words of the Clan—but we must discover our true passions in order to focus personal energies in constructive ways.» — el primer punto de esa enseñanza según Brown: el mundo solo mejora trabajando sobre uno mismo.

«Bad things happen in the world because people try to change others rather than themselves. To create a utopian neighborhood, in other words, we must first take responsibility for our own happiness.» — y la consecuencia comunitaria que de ahí se saca, que es la tesis que Brown discute en el capítulo entero.

«power to change the world, to be precisely the world you want.» — el dictado con que cierra esa sesión, con el poder de cambiar el mundo declarado propio; el tramo arranca al pie de la plana anterior y se corta donde el troceo reemite la marca de plana a media plana, en el renglón que niega que ese cambio venga de cambiar a otros.

«He mentioned that audio tapes of previous sessions could be purchased for $10 each and that he and the Clan were available for personal counseling. A donation of $5 was welcome for this session, he added, but by no means required.» — el dato económico con que Brown cierra la escena, con el precio de las cintas y el donativo sugerido.

«It is not easy to establish intimacy at public channeling events, for those who attend are likely to be complete strangers. Bryan solved this problem by organizing a lecture series, during which some of the participants came to know one another fairly well.» — el problema de trato que Brown identifica en el modelo público y la solución que uno de sus informantes le dio, la serie de conferencias.

«To break the ice in small gatherings, channels often ask participants to introduce themselves and talk about their reasons for attending. Invitations to form a hand-holding circle also foster a sense of shared experience.» — y los recursos menores que censa para el mismo problema, la presentación de cada quien y el círculo de manos tomadas.

«one client may doggedly pursue personal issues to the point that others, anxious to move on to broader themes, become restless.» — el reverso del trato íntimo que Brown observa, con el cliente que acapara la sesión con lo suyo; el verbatim arranca después del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, las sesiones de preguntas y respuestas.

«At most channeling sessions, the prevailing emotional tone is similar to that of the event at Bryan’s house: philosophical, gently humorous, and relatively impersonal.» — el tono que Brown mide como predominante en las sesiones, contra lo que se esperaría.

«This is surprising in light of the widespread belief that people experiment with new religions as part of a search for emotional catharsis.» — y contra qué expectativa lo mide, que es la creencia corriente de que se ensayan religiones nuevas por catarsis.

«Yet channeling sessions also suggest an intellectual hunger as well, a desire to explore complex philosophical issues such as the nature of time and the links between the spiritual and physical worlds.» — lo que Brown mide en cambio en esas sesiones, un hambre intelectual por la índole del tiempo y el enlace de los dos mundos.

«Nevertheless, compared to the intensely emotional self-help workshops and support-group meetings taking place across the nation today, most channeling sessions are reserved and meditative affairs.» — y la comparación con que lo fija contra el retrato de catarsis: frente a los talleres de autoayuda, estas sesiones son reservadas.

«From the point of view of participants, workshops and channeled lectures offer an ideal balance of group engagement and individual autonomy. The level of personal commitment is low, and one need attend only as often as seems rewarding.» — el equilibrio que Brown dice que el taller ofrece a quien asiste: compromiso bajo y asistencia a discreción.

«Although the channel directs the events that take place in a workshop, the hierarchy implicit to the situation is only temporary.» — y el límite que le pone a la jerarquía del taller, que es lo que lo distingue de la iglesia según el campo.

«The attitudes of channels and their clients toward established churches, and to society as a whole, reveal a deep mistrust ot structure, which they see as inherently hostile to personal growth and to an awareness of the sacred.» — la desconfianza de la estructura que Brown declara rasgo de fondo del campo; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«Most channels proved skeptical even of utopian communes that try to integrate sacred principles into everyday life.» — y hasta dónde llega esa desconfianza: alcanza incluso a las comunas utópicas de principios sagrados.

«Although New Age settlements such as the Findhorn Community in Scotland and Sparrow Hawk Village in Oklahoma are important symbols of the dawning of a new era, they attract only a tiny fraction of people interested in channeling and related spiritual practices» — la medida que Brown le pone a los asentamientos de la New Age, nombrados los dos: símbolos importantes que atraen a una fracción mínima.

«Channels often assert that government on all levels is so morally bankrupt that it might as well be abandoned.» — el extremo al que llega esa desconfianza según Brown, y que él llama rozar el nihilismo.

«Mimi Atkinson-Jones, whose book of channeled insight was published by a major commercial press, insisted that without inner healing, the processes of making and sustaining a community are hopelessly flawed.» — la fórmula de una canalizadora con libro publicado en editorial comercial, cuyo nombre es de los inventados: sin sanación interior no hay comunidad posible.

«Others insist that they are passionately committed to the idea of community—but a universal community, not a local, sectarian one. “Look,” one channel said, “we are really trying to become global citizens.”» — la salida que Brown recoge del campo para el problema de la comunidad: compromiso apasionado con una comunidad universal y no local.

«In this view, the local becomes intrinsically parochial and negative, whereas a global perspective offers a high enough level of abstraction to transcend petty interests based on race, class, or nationality.» — y cómo funciona esa salida según él: lo local vuelto parroquial y lo global una abstracción bastante alta para trascender intereses.

«Channeling’s key metaphor, connection to the universal All-That-Is, finds a perfect match in the utopian language of the Internet’s many poets, who celebrate its role in “wiring human and artificial minds into one planetary soul» — la convergencia que Brown traza entre la metáfora central del campo y la retórica utópica de internet; la frase cruza de plana.

«shared by many in the overlapping worlds of New Age thought and computer-mediated communication, that the Internet is the first step toward communion with universal mind.» — la creencia que de esa convergencia resulta, internet como primer paso hacia la comunión con la mente universal; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«The problem with Internet-based community, however, is that it is both specialized and diluted.» — la objeción que Brown hace a esa comunidad electrónica, y que es suya y va firmada.

«Here community consists of a shared identity rather than an enduring commitment to a circle ol neighbors and km.» — la definición con que fija esa objeción: identidad compartida en vez de compromiso duradero con vecinos y parientes; el troceo imprime ol y km por of y kin.

«From the New Age perspective, electronic communications provide a perfect way to apply the Hundredth Monkey principle by creating a critical mass of people whose collective thought will change the world.» — y cómo lee el campo esa misma red, como aplicación del principio del mono centésimo para crear masa crítica.

«Unanswered is the question of how the new global village will build schools, repair streets, collect garbage, and keep the peace.» — la pregunta que Brown deja abierta contra esa utopía, con la lista entera de lo que una comunidad real hace.

«Self-described cybershamans propose that the Net’s virtual space can be manipulated much as a tribal shaman controls the visionary space of trance.» — el término del campo que Brown recoge para esa convergencia, y la equivalencia que sus portadores proponen.

«Participants in one online discussion group that I tracked for about a year even proposed that the Net could serve as an electronic Ouija board that would allow them to reestablish contact with the entity Seth.» — el caso que Brown documenta de esa mezcla, con el tablero ouija electrónico propuesto para recobrar contacto con la entidad de Jane Roberts.

«By limiting interpersonal contacts to those who share identical interests and goals, New Age workshops and Internet discussion groups create a sense of connection, of virtual community, that is often experienced far more vividly than the increasingly ambiguous and conflicted relations typical of the everyday world.» — la tesis con que Brown empareja el taller y el grupo de internet: la comunidad virtual se vive más vívidamente que la ambigua del mundo diario.

«As Sherry Turkle observes in her book Life on the Screen, the participants in multi-user domains (MUDs), computer discussion groups in which participants take on new identities and invent entire social worlds, often report that they like the safe virtual streets and safe virtual sex better than the real thing.» — el apoyo que Brown toma de una estudiosa a la que nombra con su libro, sobre los dominios multiusuario y sus calles y su sexo virtuales.

«Despite the diffuse and sporadic group activities that characterize the work of most channels, many Americans associate channeling with cults, mostly because of a few highly publicized groups led by charismatic channels.» — el problema que Brown aborda en el resto del capítulo, la asociación pública del asunto con las sectas.

«J. Z. Knight is sometimes identified as a cult leader because she has gathered a loose-knit group of clients and supporters near her estate in Yelm, Washington.» — el primer caso de esa asociación, con la canalizadora que el libro nombra sin seudónimo por ser figura pública.

«Far more controversial is Elizabeth Clare Prophet, known to her followers as Guru Ma, who heads the Church Universal and Triumphant.» — el segundo caso, más cargado, con la dirigente nombrada por ser figura pública y su iglesia.

«Prophet inherited the title of Messenger of the Great White Brotherhood from her husband, Mark Prophet, after his death in 1973. Two decades earlier, he had formed a splinter group of the “I AM” Activity that gradually evolved into the» — la filiación que Brown traza para esa iglesia, con el título heredado del marido y la escisión de la enseñanza del I AM; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«Elizabeth Prophet continues to channel information from Saint Germain and other Ascended Masters as her primary source of revelation. In contrast to most New Age practice, however, CUT’s principles are authoritarian and puritanical.» — y el contraste que Brown fija entre esa iglesia y el resto del campo: autoritaria y puritana.

«Acting on revelations that a nuclear Armageddon would take place in 1990, Prophet organized the construction of a massive underground complex designed to accommodate the estimated two thousand followers who relocated to the ranch and surrounding communities.» — la profecía y la obra que Brown data en ese caso, con el refugio subterráneo y el número de seguidores que se mudaron.

«The date on which Prophet had predicted nuclear disaster passed without incident, but stories that CUT was warehousing assault rifles, armored personnel carriers, and cases of ammunition on church property alarmed law-enforcement officials and led to the indictment of Prophet’s husband, Edward Francis, on charges of using false names to acquire firearms.» — y lo que siguió según él: la fecha pasó sin incidente, y el arsenal reportado llevó a la acusación contra el marido de la dirigente.

«Eventually, federal authorities and CUT leaders entered into a series ol negotiations that led to the voluntary removal of arms from CUT property in exchange for partial restoration of the group s tax-exempt status.» — el desenlace negociado que Brown consigna, con el retiro voluntario de las armas a cambio de la exención fiscal; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«Peter Goldman, a compact man in his early forties with intense blue eyes, describes himself as a “cult survivor” who for five years was deeply involved in the Chuich Universal and Tn umphant’s activities in California, prior to the group’s relocation» — el informante que Brown toma como testigo de aquella iglesia, y que se describe a sí mismo como sobreviviente de secta; el nombre es de los inventados y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«He was especially impressed by Elizabeth Prophet’s dramatic channeling sessions. “She’s very powerful, very hypnotic, very charismatic,” he said.» — lo que ese informante recuerda de las sesiones de aquella dirigente.

«Before Prophet’s public channeling sessions, the audience would engage in several hours of “decreeing,” a form of chanting that Prophet insisted could literally change the world.» — el procedimiento que Brown describe de aquellos actos, con el decretar y lo que se le atribuía.

«“She’ll have people decreeing for hours, and then she’ll come onto the platform. By then you’re in a trance and ready for an imprint. So she comes out looking like the Messenger and talking like the Messenger and having followers like the Messenger. So you think that she’s the Messenger.”» — la lectura que ese informante hace hoy de aquel procedimiento, con el público llevado al trance y listo para la impronta.

«Peter was drawn to Prophet in part because she was a woman.» — el motivo que Brown pone detrás de la atracción de ese informante por aquella dirigente, y que cruza el capítulo del género con el de la comunidad; el troceo corta el tramo antes de la cita en que él se declara feminista.

«Eventually he concluded that decreeing and other techniques used by CUT were designed to make people psychologically malleable.» — la lectura con que ese informante explica hoy su salida de aquel grupo.

«Peter described an incident in which Prophet rebuked him severely for simply greeting her; she then sent him a note explaining that the reprimand had come from a spirit who wanted to put him into “alignment.”» — el episodio que él cuenta, con la reprimenda atribuida después a un espíritu.

«Today he sees alignment as a code-word for “breaking me, breaking my spirit, my sense of self.”» — y cómo lee hoy ese término, que es donde el testimonio invierte el vocabulario del campo.

«Despite his disillusionment with Elizabeth Clare Prophet and her church, Peter still believes that some channels have important, truthful messages to convey.» — el matiz que Brown consigna en ese mismo testimonio, y que impide leerlo como renuncia al campo entero.

«He lavished praise on the teachings of Lazaris, the entity channeled by Jach Pursel, one of the most successful mediums in the country.» — la entidad y el canalizador que ese informante exceptúa, nombrados sin seudónimo por ser figuras públicas.

«For Peter, practicality is the ultimate test of spirituality: “Human transcendence is nice, but if it’s not making your life better, if it’s not making you happier, more free to do what you really want to do, more free of compulsions and neurosis or whatever—then it’s not worth doing.”» — el criterio con que ese informante juzga hoy toda espiritualidad, y que es el pragmatismo del campo en su forma más nítida.

«The channel, whom I’ll call Richard Fletcher, was part New Age guru, part New York hustler, yet someone with an intuitive grasp of human character and an ability to channel strikingly accurate information.» — el segundo caso de comunidad cerrada, con el seudónimo declarado en el propio renglón, que es donde Brown hace visible su regla de nombres.

«With funds provided by a wealthy disciple, Fletcher bought an abandoned summer camp that he planned to turn into a school for spiritual studies. Susan and about thiity ol Fletcher s followers purchased homes and small businesses nearby.» — la obra que ese canalizador emprendió según la informante, con el campamento comprado y los seguidores mudados alrededor.

«His behavior became increasingly erratic, perhaps because of the responsibility of guiding so many people. “I think that his role got too big for him,” she said.» — cómo acabó aquel intento según la informante, con la explicación que ella misma ofrece; la frase cruza de plana.

«Despite this failure, Susan looks back on the experiment with as much affection as disappointment. She holds fond memories of the group’s energy and idealism, the sense of building something important.» — y el balance que esa informante hace del intento, con tanto afecto como desencanto.

«Susan concluded her story by quoting the words of a Sufi sage: “The best teacher to have is a dead one.» — la moraleja que ella saca, atribuida por Brown a un sabio sufí que no nombra.

«On close inspection, channeling proves largely peripheral to the use of power in the two groups with which Susan and Peter were involved. Like the happy families in Tolstoy’s famous dictum, authoritarian sects are all the same.» — la tesis con que Brown resuelve la asociación entre canalización y secta: el mecanismo del poder es el de siempre y el channeling queda al margen.

«Under the watchful eye of a charismatic leader, believers cut their ties to friends and kin, the reference-points of their prior lives. The group substitutes a new map, redefining the terrain of belief and turning disciples into social children exquisitely sensitive to praise or reproach.» — y el mecanismo que describe, con los discípulos vueltos niños sociales sensibles al elogio y al reproche.

«Channeling, however, has a democratic undercurrent that subverts centralized power. Peter Goldman, the ex-CUT member, reported that CUT persecuted anyone else in the church who claimed contacts with spirits, denouncing them as “false hierarchy impostors.”» — la corriente contraria que Brown encuentra en el asunto, con el caso de la iglesia que perseguía a todo el que declarara contactos propios.

«This is ironic in view of the fact that the founder of CUT, Mark Prophet, had broken away from the “I AM” Activity so that he could become a Messenger of the Ascended Masters over the objections of the group’s leadership, which claimed monopolistic control over channeled informa» — la ironía que Brown señala en esa persecución, dado que el fundador de esa iglesia había hecho lo mismo con la enseñanza anterior; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«In the Oneida Community of the nineteenth century, the leadership ofJohn Humphrey Noyes was undermined by the involvement ofcommunity members in spiritualism, which provided them with information that sometimes contradicted Noyes’s prophetic visions» — el antecedente histórico con que Brown apoya esa corriente democrática, con el liderazgo de la comunidad utópica minado por el espiritualismo de sus miembros; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«Most people involved in channeling are reluctant to express judgments about cult-like groups such as CUT. In response to a question about authoritarian gurus, a Florida man said, “Well, guru is spelled G-U-R-U. You know, ‘Gee, you are you.» — lo que Brown mide en el campo ante los grupos autoritarios, con el juego de palabras de un informante de Florida.

«Pamela, a New Mexico channel who earlier in life had suffered under the reign of authoritarian spiritual teachers, put it this way: “They weren’t right for me, but they were right for others. People go where they need to go to get what they need to get.’’» — la fórmula de una canalizadora que dice haber sufrido maestros autoritarios, y que aun así no los condena; el nombre es de los inventados.

«Nevertheless, most channels are quick to distance themselves from what they see as the pathological power dynamics of authoritarian groups.» — y el deslinde que la mayoría sí hace, según Brown, de la dinámica de poder de esos grupos.

«On balance, channeling as practiced in the United States today, defined as it is by individualism and radical relativism, offers a weak foundation for tightly-knit charismatic organizations.» — la conclusión que Brown saca del asunto: individualismo y relativismo radical dan mal cimiento a una organización carismática cerrada.

«Even if a charismatic leader claims direct access to powerful spirits, there is little to keep someone else from contacting the same beings.» — y la razón estructural que le pone, que es la más citable del capítulo: nada impide que otro contacte a las mismas entidades.

«A visit to any New Age bookstore reveals that the arena of channeled entities is today so crowded that none can establish a» — el dato de mercado que ofrece de esa razón; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde cierra que ninguna entidad puede establecer monopolio sobre la verdad cósmica.

«As if designed by Adam Smith, channeling offers a world of perfect competition.» — la figura con que Brown cierra ese argumento, y que anticipa el capítulo del comercio.

«To understand how New Age ideas might be integrated into conventional religious life, I attended the weekly services of two congregations that make use of channeling and related New Age practices.» — el segundo frente del capítulo que Brown declara: dos congregaciones estables que sí integran el asunto a una vida religiosa convencional.

«Once a month, the Archangel Gabriel holds forth in the Temple of Light Ascendant, a modest shingled chapel in upstate New York. The archangel’s channel, and the pastor of the Temple of Light Ascendant, is the Reverend Sally Mclntire, who founded the church thirty years ago.» — la primera de esas congregaciones, con la pastora que canaliza y la fecha de fundación; los nombres son de los inventados por Brown.

«In keeping with its mission as a Christian metaphysical church, the Temple’s weekly services count on the participation of several mediums from within the congregation, who share inspirational messages from the spirit world.» — la forma de culto de esa iglesia, con varios médiums de la propia congregación compartiendo mensajes.

«After a recitation of the Metaphysician’s Creed, which asserts belief “in the continuity of Life proved by communication with those in the spirit realm,”» — el credo que esa congregación recita, con la continuidad de la vida probada por la comunicación con los del reino espiritual.

«Before beginning the song, he announced a change ol lyrics: rather than “I am weak but thou art strong,’ he invited the congregation to sing “I am light and thou art strong. 7 his was the first of several impromptu revisions that removed all references to weakness, guilt, or inadequacy from traditional hymns.» — la enmienda de himnos que Brown observa en ese culto, con toda mención de flaqueza, culpa o insuficiencia retirada; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«The meditation leader encouraged people to let go of their concerns about personal limitations or failings. “We are perfect; we are God,” she said. “We are reaching for the highest part of ourselves, the highest good, the most perfect acceptance of ourselves.”» — la meditación de ese culto, con la fórmula que Brown ha venido llamando primer postulado de la teología del campo.

«Gabriel’s words were spiced by an accent reminiscent of New Delhi or Bombay, and his sentences sometimes tumbled over themselves as if English were not his first tongue.» — cómo suena la entidad en ese culto según Brown, con el acento y la sintaxis trastocada.

«Everyone can achieve perfection, limitlessness, and completeness, he said. Illness and death are illusions that we create for ourselves. If we embrace the idea of old age and death, Gabriel insisted, we trick the body into believing in their reality» — el sermón de esa entidad según Brown, con la enfermedad y la muerte declaradas ilusiones que uno mismo crea.

«“You can live your life in total freedom from limitations. There is nothing that is greater than you. Nothing. Go forth and be whatever you want. But don’t track mud on the clouds!’’» — la fórmula entera de ese sermón, con la broma final que Brown conserva como dato del tono.

«The upbeat news transmitted by Gabriel, which at points was delivered with an almost rhythmic insistence, is typical of the kind of statement known as an “affirmation”—that is, a declaration believed to bring about a desired outcome through repeated performance.» — el término del campo que Brown analiza a propósito de ese sermón, la afirmación, con su definición.

«Affirmations are rooted in the New Thought movement of the nineteenth century, which asserted the power of positive thinking to heal illness and create prosperity» — y la genealogía que le traza, otra vez el Nuevo Pensamiento del diecinueve con su poder del pensamiento positivo.

«A young black woman took the microphone and, her voice shaking with emotion, asked Gabriel whether he really knew how difficult it was for humans to apply his teachings to everyday life.» — la objeción que una asistente hace a la entidad desde el propio culto, sobre la dificultad de aplicar esa enseñanza.

«As each one came forward, she laced her fingers around the back of the supplicant’s neck and bowed her head in silence for half a minute. Then looking the person in the eye, she said quietly, “Go in peace.”» — el rito de imposición con que ese culto cierra, descrito paso a paso por Brown.

«The emotional intensity in the room spiralled steadily upward. There was sniffling and soft weeping, and tears streamed down the faces of those standing in the aisle. Others sat with their eyes closed and their hands resting on their knees, palms upward. An eerie, barely audible humming blossomed into an alleluia.» — y la catarsis colectiva que Brown mide en esa congregación, con el llanto y el aleluya.

«By combining the institutional strength of spiritualist tradition with judicious innovations originating in New Age thought, the Temple of Light» — la explicación que Brown da de la estabilidad de esa congregación: fuerza institucional del espiritualismo con innovaciones medidas de la New Age; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«Ascendant has achieved a remarkable degree of stability—one which fosters a level of group catharsis that far outstrips anything I witnessed in other channeling workshops and lectures.» — y la medida que le pone, comparada con todo lo demás que observó; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«A different approach to the creation of community is taken by the Festival, a nondenominational fellowship in New Mexico that honors all spiritual traditions.» — la segunda congregación que Brown visita, sin denominación y declarada respetuosa de todas las tradiciones; el nombre es de los inventados.

«The welcoming brochure identifies the Festival as “a group of people who are committed to each other’s growth, in particular to the realization that each of us is in fact a sacred part of the Oneness of Everything, which is to say part of God.”» — lo que el folleto de esa congregación declara de sí, con cada uno vuelto parte sagrada de la Unidad de Todo.

«“Beyond this,” the document states, “we endorse no particular creed or dogma.”» — y el límite que esa misma congregación se pone, sin credo ni dogma particulares.

«“I engage in work that is well paid, completely fulfilling, and provides me with an opportunity to express myself freely while making the world a better place.» — una de las afirmaciones que se recitan en ese culto, y que Brown reproduce entera como muestra del género; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«Before the collection, the congregation was reminded that giving generously creates a vacuum that can be filled by even greater abundance—an example of something known in New Age circles as “prosperity consciousness.”» — el término del campo que Brown levanta de la colecta de ese culto, con la doctrina del vacío que se llena de abundancia.

«A version of the Lord’s Prayer recited regularly at the Festival removes references to hierarchy and patriarchy. Instead of asking God to “forgive us our trespasses,” the Festival’s version states that we are already forgiven. And rather than being led from temptation, the modified prayer asks that we be led out of separation.» — la enmienda del padrenuestro que esa congregación recita, con el perdón dado por hecho y la tentación sustituida por la separación.

«ure and introduce a truly embodied form of spirituality. Directing his comments to men, Tom insisted that they are obliged to provide women with an unconditional sense of security.» — la charla improvisada sobre el tantra que Brown presencia en ese culto, con el flujo de energías masculina y femenina y la obligación que el expositor adjudica a los varones; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«There are inevitable tensions rippling beneath the Festival’s atmosphere of good fellowship. In a region famous for its spiritual entrepreneurs, the time for “personal sharing" in the weekly service is a tempting platform for members who wish to advertise their services.» — la tensión que Brown observa en esa congregación, con el tiempo de compartir vuelto plataforma de anuncio comercial.

«Practical matters occasionally intrude on the flow of healing energy: parking problems, a request for help in cleaning up the auditorium alter the service—in short, the small change of communal action.» — y la fórmula con que la cierra, con el estacionamiento y la limpieza del auditorio vueltos moneda chica de la acción comunal.

«Although conservative evangelical ministers frequently lament the decline of American religiosity, actual rates of religious adherence in the United States have increased nearly 300 percent since 1776.» — el dato con que Brown objeta el lamento por el declive religioso estadounidense.

«Many Americans, especially members of the Baby Boom generation, are now “religious shoppers” who affiliate with congregations not out of a sense of loyalty or family tradition but because they judge a religious group to be most effective in meeting their personal needs.» — el cambio de motivación que Brown declara escondido en las cifras de asistencia, con el término del comprador religioso.

«This utilitarian focus on the kinds of support that congregations offer to the individual reflects the rise of therapeutic values throughout American society.» — y la causa que le adjudica, que es la tesis de fondo del libro: el alza de los valores terapéuticos en toda la sociedad.

«Although the therapeutic perspective is liberating on one level, on another it destabilizes key institutions—family, work, marriage, congregation, neighborhood—which by their nature are incapable of meeting all the needs of everyone who participates in them.» — la objeción que Brown hace a esa perspectiva terapéutica, y que es suya y va firmada: desestabiliza instituciones que no pueden satisfacer a todos.

«The difficulty of reconciling therapeutic contractualism with enduring commitments to others has led to handwringing about the future of community and civic life in the United States.» — y el debate nacional en que Brown inscribe su objeto, sobre el porvenir de la comunidad y la vida cívica.

«At a moment when the nation is pondering its collective commitment to community, both religious and secular, the majority of channels and their clients check» — la conclusión del capítulo, cuyo desenlace queda en la plana siguiente: los del campo se inclinan decididamente por la fe privatizada y el trato mutuamente terapéutico.

«Even a community of worship as flexible as the Festival, essentially a fellowship designed for people who have abandoned churches, imposes too many restrictions for most of those drawn to channeling.» — y la medida que le pone: hasta la congregación más flexible que visitó impone demasiado para la mayoría del campo.

«Whether channels represent a deviant group on the margins of society or the leading edge of a social trend is still unclear, although I am inclined to believe the latter.» — la conjetura que Brown arriesga sobre el lugar de su objeto, declarada como inclinación propia.

«More interesting than this antipathy toward institutions is their conviction that governments and churches are artificial social forms, largely perpetuated to gratify the egos of those who run them.» — lo que Brown declara más interesante que la antipatía institucional: la convicción de que gobiernos e iglesias son formas artificiales sostenidas por el ego de quien manda.

«“People are threatened by the light,’' Sandy Randolph explained. “That’s part of the explanation for the unrest in the cities—the gangs, the violence. Those people aren’t ready for the dimensional shift.”» — la explicación que una canalizadora da del desorden urbano, con las energías espirituales por causa; el nombre es de los inventados y el troceo cierra la comilla con una recta.

«“If you wish a society that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual while supporting each individual’s right not to be controlled by the choices of others, then your society must be restructured,” the Clan insisted. “But the restructuring of your society must begin with the restructuring of your personal life. Focus on changing your own life to celebrate your own uniqueness in a way that makes you happy, and society will follow suit.”» — el dictado con que Brown cierra el capítulo, y que devuelve la reestructuración social a la vida personal de cada quien.

«The tendency of channels and their clients to leap from the individual to the cosmic leaves an immense void in the space usually occupied by the social.» — la fórmula con que Brown abre el capítulo séptimo y enlaza con el anterior: el salto de lo individual a lo cósmico deja vacío el lugar de lo social.

«In contrast, they think of direct expert-client relations as transparently natural because they link parties through mutually beneficial exchange. The market, in other words, fills much of the moral space created by the perceived bankruptcy of family, church, and government.» — y lo que ocupa ese vacío según él, que es la tesis del capítulo: el mercado llenando el espacio moral de la familia, la iglesia y el gobierno.

«The ubiquity of fee-for-service relationships among practitioners of New Age spirituality has long been a lightning rod for skeptics, who rarely miss an opportunity to deride those who seek money for enlightenment.» — la acusación corriente contra el campo que Brown va a examinar, con el pago por servicio como pararrayos de los escépticos.

«Money changes hands in the most dignified of churches, of course, but institutions discreetly hide the movement of funds from collection plate to pastor.» — la asimetría que Brown señala en esa acusación: en las iglesias el dinero también se mueve, solo que a cubierto.

«Channels, most of whom are individual entrepreneurs, have no institutional facade behind which to conceal the economic aspect of their relations with clients, hence their vulnerability to the accusation that their motives are primarily financial.» — y la razón estructural que le pone: sin fachada institucional, el canalizador queda expuesto a la acusación.

«The comments of Deborah Root and other critics of the New Age ignore the intimate ties between religion and business throughout American history.» — la objeción que Brown hace a esos críticos, y que es suya y va firmada: ignoran el lazo histórico entre religión y negocio en su país.

«Despite the warnings of Puritan clergymen such as Cotton Mather, who held that material gain would tempt faithful Christians to lose sight of God, the nation grew steadily more comfortable with the belief that abundance reflected divine favor and, more important, that piety led to prosperity.» — la genealogía que Brown traza para esa alianza, con la advertencia del clérigo puritano y el desenlace contrario que el país tomó.

«The marketplace itself came to be seen as a vital moral arena, a place where discipline and worthiness were continually put to the test.» — y la figura con que la cierra: el mercado vuelto arena moral donde se prueban la disciplina y el mérito.

«As freelance technicians of the sacred, working channels face the challenges of a volatile market that offers clients a constantly expanding array of therapeutic and spiritual options.» — la fórmula con que Brown nombra el oficio de sus informantes, técnicos independientes de lo sagrado en un mercado volátil.

«To survive and prosper in such an environment, professional channels must learn to broaden their practice, to deal successfully with fickle clients, and to protect their intellectual property within the constraints of New Age values that are hostile to modernity.» — las tres tareas de mercado que Brown les adjudica, incluida la de proteger su propiedad intelectual con valores hostiles a la modernidad.

«The first is that of an artificial human invention responsible tor much of the spiritual emptiness and ecological malaise of our times.» — la primera de las dos caras que el dinero tiene en ese pensamiento según Brown, invención humana culpable del vacío espiritual; el troceo imprime tor por for.

«Ferguson proposes that whenever possible, we should return to bartering, which nourishes cooperation and focuses attention on the quality of the things we produce» — lo que la autora de ese manifiesto propone en su lugar, el trueque como alimento de la cooperación.

«peoples, gifts embody the soul of the giver. Others believe that gifts radiate spiritual power. Above all, gifts bind together individuals and groups in a web of exchange.» — lo que Brown recoge de la antropología del don para situar esa idea: el alma del donante dentro del regalo y el don atando a individuos y grupos en una red de intercambio; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«The invention of money undermined this system by replacing the distinctive gift with an abstract measure of value.» — y el efecto que la moneda tuvo sobre ese sistema según él: el don distintivo sustituido por una medida abstracta.

«Tribal peoples are often deeply disturbed by money when they first encounter it, so deeply does it threaten the meaning implicit in gifts. Many view the impersonal, equalizing power of money as unnatural, even obscene.» — el dato comparativo con que Brown apoya esa lectura, con el dinero tenido por antinatural e incluso obsceno.

«Among channels and, for that matter, among the majority of people attracted to New Age spirituality, money’s sinister face is ignored in favor of a benevolent one.» — la partición que Brown fija para su propio objeto: de las dos caras del dinero, el campo se queda con la benévola.

«Money is viewed simply as an energy—“accumulated human and planetary creative energy,” to be precise—and therefore as a force of nature analogous to gravity, light, or sound waves.» — cómo se lee el dinero en ese campo según Brown, como energía creativa humana y planetaria y por tanto como fuerza de la naturaleza.

«By focusing our psychic energies, we can attract the force we call money and think our way to prosperity.» — y la consecuencia práctica de esa lectura.

«Influenced by the founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, who preached that God had given human minds the power to triumph over illness and death, New Thought went a step further by proposing that the material world is regulated by spiritual laws.» — la genealogía que Brown traza para esa doctrina del dinero, con la fundadora de la Christian Science y el paso que el Nuevo Pensamiento dio más allá.

«Knowing these laws, the mind can banish false images of scarcity to create abundance.» — y la fórmula operativa de aquella enseñanza: conocidas las leyes espirituales, la mente destierra las imágenes falsas de escasez.

«So influential is the idea that attitudes create prosperity that it now plays a central role in American management consulting and in the quasi-religious marketing philosophies of companies such as Amway and Mary Kay Cosmetics.» — el alcance que Brown le mide a esa idea hoy, hasta la consultoría de gestión y el mercadeo de dos empresas que nombra; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«One of the important legacies of the New Thought movement is a set of techniques called “prosperity consciousness” essentially, spiritual strategies for attracting wealth.» — el término del campo que Brown define, la consciencia de prosperidad, con su genealogía declarada.

«The advertising flier for a prosperity consciousness workshop in Santa Fe, for instance, promised to teach participants how to “magnetize themselves to money” and “reprogram at a cellular level for greater abundance.”» — el volante con que lo documenta, con el vocabulario de magnetizarse al dinero y reprogramarse a nivel celular.

«A New Age newspaper published in New England recently announced the services of a spiritual counselor who uses shamanistic techniques to provide “non-legal bankruptcy counseling” so that her clients can explore the metaphysical dimensions of their financial distress.» — el caso extremo que Brown consigna, con la consejería de bancarrota por vía chamánica.

«The laws of money and other forms of abundance were outlined in 1993 for an audience of nine people in a half-day workshop led by David and Sasha Johnson. Like many channels, the Johnsons diversify their services by regularly offering classes that call on other areas of expertise. The workshop, entitled “Transforming Lack into Abundance,”» — el taller de 1993 con que Brown documenta esa doctrina, conducido por la pareja de canalizadores conscientes; la frase cruza de plana.

«Sasha Johnson began the class by emphasizing that the system she and David were about to describe applies to all forms of abundance, including money, health, free time, and satisfying relationships.» — el alcance que la conductora declara para su sistema, que va más allá del dinero.

«David carefully explained the difference between cravings, which are unhealthy obsessions that lead to suffering, and desires, which he said are perfectly compatible with spiritual growth.» — el deslinde doctrinal con que el conductor abre el taller, entre ansia y deseo.

«“You know,’ David said, “the paradoxical thing about prosperity is that in order to keep it, you have to give it away.” Sasha added, “Think of prosperity as energy. You can’t stop energy.”» — la paradoja que ese conductor enuncia y la fórmula con que ella la traduce a energía.

«Elaborating on this theme, they explained that the best way to bring money into your life is to create a space for it. This could mean something as simple as putting extra pocket change in a parking meter—in essence, donating money to the next person who comes along. The same process works for relationships: an occasional kind word to a stranger makes room for friendship in one’s own life.» — la técnica práctica que esa pareja enseña, con el parquímetro ajeno como ejemplo de crear espacio para el dinero.

«David and Sasha presented these assertions less as moral principles than as neutral laws of the universe.» — el registro en que esa pareja pone su enseñanza, y que Brown subraya: leyes neutrales del universo y no principios morales.

«“Poverty doesn’t exist in the universe,” he emphasized. “We’ve created it. It’s a nightmare, an illusion, a sleep-state. It’s our separation from nature that has produced poverty.”» — la fórmula más fuerte de esa enseñanza, con la pobreza declarada ilusión nacida de la separación de la naturaleza.

«Although it isn’t fair, they said, the rich get richer because of their faith that wealth will always find them. Conversely, the poor live with scarcity because of their self-doubt and negativity.» — y la consecuencia que esa pareja saca, con el rico enriquecido por su fe y el pobre atado a su duda.

«But the lessons imparted by Sasha and Davici also stressed the cooperative nature of abundance. One of the laws of prosperity is that it must be spread around.» — el contrapeso cooperativo que Brown consigna en esa misma enseñanza, sin armonizarlo con lo anterior; el troceo deforma el nombre.

«“This thing about being a rugged individualist and clawing your way to the top is bullshit,” David insisted. “It’s a Western notion that’s simply untrue. Everyone relies on others to get what they want.”» — la objeción que ese conductor hace al individualismo áspero, y que es donde el campo se aparta del retrato que se le hace.

«By denying that abundance and scarcity are caused by specific social and political arrangements, advocates of prosperity consciousness appear to blame poverty on the failings of the poor.» — la objeción que Brown formula contra esa doctrina, y que enseguida acota.

«But workshops such as the Johnsons’ suggest that they are less» — y la acotación, que es lo que impide leer el capítulo como denuncia; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde dice que les interesa menos repartir culpa que hallar tácticas para escapar de la pobreza.

«When pushed, most acknowledge that the planet s material resources are by no means inexhaustible. Some even doubt that it would be a good idea for everyone to have all the material things they could possibly want.» — el matiz que Brown mide en ellos cuando se les aprieta: reconocen que los recursos no son inagotables.

«With the river of prosperity already above flood stage in the land of America’s super-rich, it is easy to understand why the less fortunate would hope that some of the backwash can, with a few well-placed sandbags here and there, be diverted in their direction.» — la explicación con que Brown cierra ese tramo, y que es suya y va firmada: con la riqueza desbordada arriba, se entiende que abajo se espere desviar algo.

«The links between money, spirituality, and contemporary American disquiet emerged more clearly during a personal-growth workshop that I attended in Los Angeles in 1993. The event was run by a popular psychologist who has since become a fixture in the world of infomercials, slickly produced television programs that market self-help tapes and videos in the hours before dawn.» — el tercer caso del capítulo, un taller de crecimiento personal en Los Ángeles conducido por un psicólogo que Brown no nombra.

«It was a high-performance machine: two hundred paying customers, a dozen facilitators, an administrative team, a sound crew.» — la escala industrial de ese taller que Brown mide, con el público de pago y el personal.

«So emotional were some of the exercises that several staff members did nothing but circulate through the room distributing kleenex.» — y el dato con que mide su efecto emocional, sin comentar la eficacia.

«The workshop’s facilitators were identified as “angels” in the registration kit distributed to participants.» — el vocabulario religioso que Brown levanta de ese taller comercial, con los facilitadores llamados ángeles.

«The workshop also made use of repeated declarations» — la segunda técnica religiosa que Brown levanta del taller comercial de Los Ángeles; el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, las declaraciones repetidas de amor a uno mismo, emparejadas por él a las afirmaciones del campo.

«Despite the workshop’s focus on the challenges of relationships, it was soon obvious from personal testimonials that much ol the anxiety in the room was occupational.» — el hallazgo que Brown subraya de ese taller, y que es la clave económica del libro entero: la ansiedad del público era laboral; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«Some participants were marshalling their emotional resources to recover from layoffs in the computer and aerospace industries. Others vented their frustration with corporations that had “downsized” them with no consideration for their commitment and years of service.» — y de qué clase, con los despidos de la industria de cómputo y aeroespacial nombrados.

«The fear generated by such an economic sea-change was palpable, especially among the Baby Boomers in the group: at the precise historical moment when they had expected to reap the material fruits of middle age, their economic world is collapsing around them.» — la lectura generacional con que Brown lo explica: justo cuando esperaban cosechar, el mundo económico se les viene abajo.

«the emotional skills needed to move from a corporate setting to the entrepreneurial world: self-confidence, clear personal goals, deftness in making connections to others, and a willingness to sever quickly any ties—to people, to institutions, to communities—that no longer satisfy one’s changing needs.» — lo que ese taller enseñaba según Brown, y que él empareja con el contractualismo terapéutico: las destrezas para pasar de la empresa al trabajo por cuenta propia y cortar rápido todo lazo que ya no satisfaga; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«Because the American economy has shifted sharply in the direction of service industries, middle-class people such as those who attended the California seminar are increasingly expected to tailor their feelings to a set of emotional rules imposed by a job.» — el marco económico con que Brown explica esa demanda, el giro del país hacia los servicios.

«Positions in sales, public relations, advertising, and management consulting demand emotional work because workers sell themselves and their attitudes as much as they promote a product; in many cases, their attitude is the product.» — y la fórmula con que lo cierra: en esos oficios la actitud misma es el producto.

«Emotional work creates a sense of inner estrangement as people become uncertain about whether their feelings are their own or those demanded by their job.» — el efecto que Brown le adjudica a ese trabajo emocional, y que enlaza con la multiplicidad del yo del último capítulo.

«In slightly different ways, the two workshops advanced the idea that without genuine enthusiasm, it is impossible to remain successful in jobs that demand emotional work.» — lo que Brown encuentra común a los dos talleres, el de la abundancia y el de crecimiento personal.

«In the California seminar, for instance, people were coaxed to stand on their chairs and shout, “I’m taking my power back.”» — el ejercicio con que lo documenta, con la consigna que el público gritaba de pie.

«Because a free-enterprise culture attributes reversals of fortune to the failings of autonomous individuals rather than to social institutions or groups, the present predicament of the middle class is experienced as a profound challenge to the self.» — la explicación estructural que Brown da del asunto: en una cultura de libre empresa el revés se vive como desafío al yo; la frase cruza de plana.

«Hence the tendency of prosperity seminars to weave together techniques for retooling attitudes and a philosophical stance that restores the sanctity of the self by casting its struggle for wealth, or even just satisfying work, as a spiritual quest» — y la consecuencia que saca para los seminarios de prosperidad, con la busca de riqueza vuelta busca espiritual.

«One, Sarah Denham, identified herself as a former manager at a large computer firm in California’s Silicon Valley. Unhappy with her work and anxious to achieve financial independence, she began to apply the teachings of a well-known channel.» — el caso de éxito económico que Brown documenta, con nombre de los inventados por él.

«“I read all the books, and I put a plan into place,” she said. “The plan entailed gaining freedom from the computer industry, bringing freedom into my life. I went through conscious creation.”» — lo que esa informante declara haber hecho, con el término del campo para el procedimiento.

«This conscious creation brought her a vice presidency in another firm and, shortly thereafter, a million-dollar stock windfall—enough, she felt, to make her financially independent.» — y el resultado que ella le atribuye, que Brown consigna sin arbitrar la causa.

«Sarah’s story is more dramatic than most, but it reflects a widespread New Age belief that financial success has a spiritual basis» — la generalización que Brown saca de ese caso; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde añade que la espiritualidad no distingue moralmente el dinero de las demás energías del universo.

«Few working channels have become millionaires before dedicating themselves to the cause of spirit communication, so they must confront the harsh realities of self-employment in a borderline profession.» — la realidad económica del oficio que Brown fija contra el retrato de riqueza, con la fórmula de profesión fronteriza.

«Perhaps the most successful is Jach Pursel, who speaks for the being named Lazaris. A journalist who attended a Lazaris workshop in Philadelphia estimated that Pursel grossed as much as $180,000 for a weekend workshop in which 300 people enrolled.» — el caso de éxito mayor que Brown documenta, con la cifra que un periodista estimó para un solo taller; los dos nombres son públicos y van sin seudónimo.

«For every Jach Pursel, however, there are scores, possibly hundreds, of channels who hold meetings that draw only a small crowd for a modest fee—$10 to $20 per person is typical—or an unspecified “love offering.”» — y la proporción que Brown le pone a ese caso, con las tarifas corrientes de la mayoría.

«Although private counseling sessions (often referred to as “readings”) may bring in $40 to $100 an hour, few of the channels whom I interviewed had enough clients to eke out more than a frugal living, and most also held part-time jobs to support themselves.» — la medida entera del ingreso del oficio según su muestra, con el trabajo de medio tiempo que casi todos conservan.

«Jill Parsons, a channel from Santa Fe, described an average private session. “When the client arrives,” she said, “we chat for about fifteen minutes until I get a sense of what the person wants to know. Then I put in a blank tape and channel until the tape recorder clicks off. By then my spirit guides are usually winding down and doing a summation.”» — el procedimiento de una sesión privada descrito por una canalizadora, con la cinta como reloj de la sesión; el nombre es de los inventados.

«“It’s really important,” she explained, “that when people leave they feel they’ve gotten specific tools to work with. They should go away feeling that they have a larger perspective on what’s happening in their lives.”» — y el producto que ella declara vender, herramientas concretas y una perspectiva más amplia.

«Because clients cannot always come in person for counseling, channeled readings are often conducted over the telephone.» — el canal de trabajo que Brown consigna como corriente en el oficio; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«A telephone practice, she noted, attracts timid clients who are reluctant to deal with face-to-face counseling.» — y la ventaja de mercado que esa canalizadora le encuentra.

«A Florida channel who had worked for one of the nationally advertised psychic telephone services claimed that it wasn’t difficult to do phone work. “Time and space are illusions anyhow,” he said. “From the phone contact I get colors, images, or symbols that allow me to help callers.”» — lo que otro canalizador, que trabajó en una línea telefónica anunciada a nivel nacional, dice del asunto, con el argumento doctrinal de que tiempo y espacio son ilusiones.

«When asked about the ethics of taking money for spiritual guidance, channels typically say that compensation allows them to make their gift available to the world.» — la respuesta corriente del campo a la cuestión ética del cobro, según Brown.

«Mary Ann Chase, who has a lively practice in telephone channeling, said, “In the best of all possible worlds, people would give me gifts, like in tribal cultures, where they give gifts of food or whatever. But our world operates by the exchange of money. I’ve had to make my peace with» — la fórmula de una canalizadora sobre el mundo de los dones y el del dinero, con la reconciliación que declara haber hecho; el nombre es de los inventados y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«Deborah O’Neill formulated this view differently. She came to recognize her own channeling ability through her friends’ repeated requests for readings.» — la segunda fórmula que Brown recoge sobre lo mismo, con el oficio declarado decidido por los demás.

«For Deborah, the stages of preparing for a reading—scheduling an appointment, saving money to pay the fee, organizing one’s thoughts—promote the process of self-discovery that her channeling work is designed to facilitate.» — y el argumento con que esa canalizadora integra el pago a la doctrina: agendar, ahorrar y ordenar las ideas ya son parte del autodescubrimiento.

«Professional channels explained that money helps to set boundaries for emotionally needy clients.» — la segunda función que el campo le adjudica al dinero, poner límites al cliente necesitado.

«“When you do something for free, people feel that you’re universally accessible. People would call at 2 A.M. and ask tor channeling because they were having an emergency. There was no sense of boundaries because no one knew what the boundaries were.”» — la fórmula entera de una consejera de tiempo completo sobre ese punto, con la llamada de las dos de la mañana.

«For their part, clients use the power of money to vote for or against specific channels and the information they convey. Channels whose spiritual sources provide useful information will attract clients and keep them; better information commands higher fees.» — el reverso de esa relación según Brown: el cliente vota con el dinero y la mejor información cobra más.

«The unspoken assumption is that market competition fosters spiritual quality control while giving clients maximum freedom to seek the best available guidance.» — y el supuesto que Brown saca a la luz, y que es la tesis del capítulo: la competencia como control de calidad espiritual.

«Professional channels have a heavy emotional and economic investment in the spirits who provide them with a livelihood.» — la fórmula con que Brown abre la cuestión de la propiedad intelectual en el campo, con la inversión económica del canalizador en su propia entidad.

«Some entities, especially biblical figures or beings identified in the late nineteenth century by Theosophists such as Madame Blavatsky, have attained the status of» — la categoría que Brown acuña para las entidades más antiguas, los espíritus de dominio público, con los teósofos del fin del diecinueve nombrados por su parte; el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón.

«Spirits ofmore recent origin tend to be identified with the channel who first brought their message to the world, and it is over these beings that disputes are most likely to arise.» — y el reverso, que es donde nace el litigio: la entidad reciente queda identificada con quien la trajo primero; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«Channels often maintain that a given spirit has declared its preference to speak exclusively through them, but such proprietary assertions are notoriously hard to sustain over time, in part because the autonomy of spirits is one of the core beliefs that underlie the worldview of channels and their clients.» — la contradicción interna que Brown señala: la exclusividad choca con la autonomía de los espíritus, que es creencia central del propio campo.

«Some channels have tried to establish their propriety control over spirits by placing a service-mark symbol over the name of their entity and in rare cases by obtaining a legal trademark.» — y los recursos legales que algunos usan de todos modos, con la marca de servicio y hasta el registro.

«Manning speaks for a witty, slightly scandalous spirit named Daniel, whose popularity helped to launch Manning’s career.» — el caso con que Brown documenta ese litigio, con el canalizador y la entidad nombrados con seudónimo.

«“You know, Daniel is not a copyrighted character,” Manning told me. “Whatever I publish is copyrighted in my name, but Daniel himself is a spirit. So what am I going to do, copyright a personality?”» — la pregunta con que ese informante plantea el problema entero, y que Brown deja sin responder.

«“I felt that he was getting Daniel at an early phase of his life, when he was more boisterous and more opinionated and a little less mature spiritually than when he speaks through me.”» — la salida que ese canalizador le da al conflicto: el rival tendría una versión más temprana y menos madura de la misma entidad.

«“Since 1 don’t have Daniel under exclusive contract, he can appear through other agencies,” he said. “You accept it. It broadens the context in which you explore the phenomenon.”» — y el desenlace que declara, con la exclusividad expresamente negada; el troceo imprime un 1 por la I.

«Seth, who was hrst channeled by Jane Roberts in the 1960s and subsequently became the centerpiece of her best-selling books, began to speak through other channels in the 1970s.» — el segundo caso de ese litigio, con la entidad de Jane Roberts hablando por otros desde los años setenta; el troceo imprime hrst por first.

«explained that Seth was a “composite energy” that began to provide her with information long before she was ever exposed to the books ofJane Roberts.» — el argumento de anterioridad con que una canalizadora, de nombre inventado por Brown, reclama a la misma entidad; el verbatim arranca después del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, la experiencia cercana a la muerte de 1975, y el troceo pega el nombre a la preposición.

«Her friends reassure her that “no one owns an energy,” and she continues to channel Seth as part of a successful counseling practice.» — y la fórmula del campo que ella repite para cerrar el punto, nadie es dueño de una energía.

«Two women who work for an organization that disseminates Jane Roberts’s teachings, however, expressed guardedly negative opinions about other Seth channels. First, they said, Seth was on record as insisting that he would communicate solely through Jane Roberts.» — la postura contraria que Brown consigna sin armonizar, de dos trabajadoras de la organización que difunde esa enseñanza.

«As one put it, “Seth said that only Roberts could maintain the material’s integrity.”» — el argumento de autoridad con que una de ellas lo sostiene; el troceo parte el apellido a fin de renglón.

«“Seth talked about how he used Jane’s vocabulary, Jane’s background, her beingness, to help form who he was,” she said.» — y el argumento de la otra, más elaborado: la entidad se habría formado con el vocabulario, el trasfondo y el ser de su canalizadora; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde añade que el sistema de creencias de cada persona afecta a la entidad.

«The being called Seth, then, was a unique alliance of spiritual energies and the personality of Jane Roberts. When Jane Roberts died, this one-of-a-kind collaboration ended» — la consecuencia que Brown saca de ese argumento: una alianza única terminada con la muerte de la canalizadora.

«Yet one can also infer that their organization serves to protect Seth doctrine against contamination by the ideas of outsiders.» — y la inferencia que añade, declarada como inferencia: esa organización protege la doctrina contra ideas ajenas.

«The Michael Teachings, a corpus of books that originate in a group of spirits contacted in the 1970s, have taken a different tack by defining themselves as an ongoing, collective venture.» — el tercer caso, con el cuerpo de enseñanzas que resuelve el problema definiéndose como empresa colectiva.

«According to Marianne Rose, a channel involved with the MEF, the organization once considered setting up formal certification procedures for Michael channels.» — lo que una canalizadora de esa red reporta sobre un intento de certificación formal; el nombre es de los inventados.

«This strategy produced something close to franchised channeling. Eventually, however, the Bay Area Michael channels urged the MEF to discontinue the program. They worried that the local market had become saturated, threatening their livelihood.» — y por qué se suspendió, según ella: los canalizadores locales temieron la saturación del mercado.

«truly in touch with Michael, they get very accurate, grounded information. They wind up being popular, and they’re able to make a living. If, on the other hand, they’re in touch with something or somebody else, it tends to be airy-fairy nonsense.”» — el criterio de autenticidad que esa informante propone, y que es de mercado: quien está en contacto real prospera y quien no da disparates; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«According to Rose, inexperienced channels often fall into the trap of sensationalism. “It’s easy to get a hint that a rainstorm’s coming and think that it’s a hurricane,” she said. People given to such excesses are, in her words, “self-eliminating.”» — y el defecto que ella atribuye a los inexpertos, con el símil de la tormenta tomada por huracán.

«She alleged that several psychotherapists had “grabbed big chunks” of the Michael Teachings and published them without identifying the source, in part because they feared losing professional standing if their colleagues found out that they were involved in channeling.» — lo que esa misma informante denuncia de algunos psicoterapeutas, que habrían publicado esa enseñanza sin citar la fuente por temor profesional.

«David agreed that what he referred to as “the Michael community” began with an idealistic notion of free exchange and collaborative effort. “But through harsh experience,” he said, “we found that information was misused. We had to protect ourselves so that nobody could come around later and say, ‘Well, Michael told me to kill someone.’”» — la postura contraria dentro de la misma red, con el canalizador que declara haber tenido que protegerse por riesgo legal; la frase cruza de plana.

«Sasha, his wife and collaborator, argued that since their writings on the Michael Teachings integrate knowledge from other areas in which she and David have expertise, these published works should be recognized as their intellectual property rather than as Michael’s.» — y el argumento de la otra mitad de esa pareja: lo publicado integra saber propio y por eso es propiedad suya y no de la entidad.

«David reported that some of his earlier written work on Michael had been plagiarized. “After a few experiences like that,” he admitted, “I felt ripped off. Even though the information is sourced in Michael, the hard work of getting it packaged isn’t Michael’s. It’s our time.”» — la fórmula con que ese canalizador separa la fuente del trabajo tras denunciar un plagio: la información viene de la entidad y el empaque es tiempo suyo.

«Marianne Rose mentioned that the MEF reminds members that “those who lie or slander or steal someone else’s written work will be creating negative karma for themselves that will have to be paid back later.”» — la sanción que esa red invoca contra el plagio, y que es karma y no ley.

«Yet the creation of a formal organization such as the MEF implicitly asserts control over the flow of information from the collective entity known as Michael, even if it justifies its existence in terms of an ethic of collaboration and exchange.» — la objeción que Brown hace a esa retórica de colaboración: la organización misma controla el flujo de información.

«Claims of owning a spirit are virtually impossible to sustain. Nevertheless, most channels believe that the work of producing, transcribing, and publishing spirit messages earns them the privilege of asserting copyright.» — la partición con que Brown resuelve el asunto: la entidad no se posee y el trabajo de producirla y publicarla sí da derecho de autor.

«Because spirits cannot be claimed as property, disputes over spiritual ownership» — y el desplazamiento retórico que de ahí se sigue según él; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde dice que la disputa pasa a otro plano, el de la exactitud o la autenticidad.

«By concluding that the competitor was channeling a younger version of Daniel, Manning hit on a perfect solution to this potential conflict: he established the superiority of his more “mature” version of Daniel without directly attacking the integrity of his rival.» — la lectura que Brown da de la salida de uno de sus informantes, y que llama solución perfecta a ese conflicto.

«Lest such debates about spiritual authorship be dismissed as frivolous, it is worth noting that the Library of Congress recognizes spirits as independent authors.» — el dato documental con que Brown cierra el asunto, y que es de los más citables del libro.

«The library’s catalog has assigned primary authorship to Lazaris and several other spirits, while granting only a supporting role to their channels.» — y cómo lo hace ese catálogo, con la entidad de asiento principal y el canalizador de papel secundario.

«Bernstein reported that his attempt to secure a copyright in the name of his entity was politely rejected on the grounds that current law prevents the assignment of copyright to spirits.» — el límite de ese reconocimiento según el caso que reporta un canalizador de nombre inventado: el derecho de autor no se asigna a espíritus.

«More contentious than the question of spiritual ownership is controversy over the integration of Native American traditions into channeling and other New Age spiritual practices. The conflict pits New Age “wannabe” Indians against Native American traditionalists outraged that their most sacred symbols are being imitated and in some cases commercialized by whites.» — el segundo conflicto del capítulo, y el que Brown declara más cargado: el uso de tradiciones indias americanas dentro del campo.

«This cultural borrowing, one Indian writer charges, “is part of a very old story of white racism and genocide against the Indian people» — la acusación que Brown cita de un escritor indio al que no nombra en el cuerpo, con el préstamo cultural leído como racismo y genocidio.

«grounded in some undisputed facts. In western states, Indian sacred sites on public lands have been virtually taken over» — lo que Brown concede a esa acusación, que en el renglón anterior llama acalorada: los sitios sagrados indios de tierras públicas han sido tomados. El escaneo imprime cada palabra de ese renglón en su propia línea, de modo que el ancla arranca después.

«The Huichol of Mexico, for instance, are regularly visited by package tours of Americans who come to participate in the Huichol’s annual pilgrimage to collect peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus that plays a key role in native religion.» — el caso que documenta ese daño, con la peregrinación del peyote vuelta paquete turístico.

«The tours provide income for impoverished Huichols, but they also disrupt community life and subtly change traditional religious behavior.» — y el balance que Brown le hace a ese caso, sin arbitrarlo: ingreso para una comunidad pobre y trastorno de su vida religiosa.

«Closer to home, non-Indians claiming membership in such bogus organizations as the Woll Clan Teaching Lodge regularly offer sweat-lodge ceremonies and drum-making classes.» — el segundo caso, con las organizaciones que Brown llama falsas y sus ceremonias a la venta; el troceo imprime Woll por Wolf.

«A few Native American spiritual teachers believe that the world will be a better place if they can help whites to become more like Native Americans.» — el desacuerdo interno que Brown consigna del lado indio, con los maestros que sí quieren compartir.

«The spiritual elders of intact Indian communities, however, are more likely to conceal their knowledge from outsiders, who in the past have relentlessly suppressed native religions whenever they could.» — y la postura contraria de los ancianos de comunidades intactas, con la razón histórica que Brown les reconoce.

«Although the willingness ofwhites to perform Indian rituals or to present themselves as teachers of Indian religion may be a new development in the United States, a fascination with Native American spirituality is as old as the republic.» — el deslinde histórico con que Brown acota la novedad del fenómeno; el troceo pega dos palabras.

«In 1 842, for example, the Shaker community in Watervliet, New York, played host to 400 unidentified spirit-Indians from Canada, as well as a thousand members of the Chippewa Tribe, including a chief named Shackam and a “chiefess” named Lyda.» — el dato histórico con que lo documenta, con los espíritus indios recibidos por aquella comunidad y sus nombres; el troceo parte la cifra del año.

«The most prominent spiritualist of late nineteenth-century Boston, Lenora Piper, counted an Indian maiden with the unlikely» — el segundo dato histórico, con la médium de Boston nombrada y su guía india; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde se da el nombre de ese espíritu y se nombra entre sus visitantes al psicólogo William James.

«Native American culture appeals to channels, who see Indians as spiritual guides and prophets of ecological salvation.» — el atractivo que Brown le encuentra a esa cultura dentro del campo, con los indios vistos como guías y profetas ecológicos.

«To diversify their professional practice, many seek training in Native American spirituality so that they can add sweat lodges, medicine-wheel rituals, and pipe ceremonies to their list of services.» — y el motivo de mercado que le añade, con los ritos añadidos a la lista de servicios.

«These rites have mostly sprung from the Anglo-American imagination, although they sometimes draw loosely on anthropological accounts or Native American autobiographies.» — lo que Brown dice del origen de esos ritos, y que es una de sus afirmaciones más fuertes sobre el asunto.

«but professional diversification also assures an adequate flow of clients.» — el deslinde que Brown hace entre la razón que los canalizadores dan de su interés en el rito indio, las necesidades siempre cambiantes del camino espiritual, y la que él añade; el verbatim arranca después del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón.

«Everyone in the room agreed that it was wrong to become rich by performing Native American rituals and that some of the proceeds of books, lectures, and workshops should be returned to the Indian community.» — el consenso que Brown observa en un grupo de Santa Fe sobre el límite del negocio con ritos indios.

«Nevertheless, the group angrily rejected the idea that they must stop performing these rites.» — y el límite de ese consenso, que es donde el desacuerdo se vuelve visible.

«“Indians have maintained an aspect of being, maybe even at a cellular level, that makes them keepers of sacred knowledge that’s going to be very important to the planet now,”» — el argumento de una asistente que Brown no nombra, con los indios vueltos guardianes de un saber que salvaría la tierra.

«Steve, a middle-aged man who had just moved to New Mexico from California, captured the sentiments of the group when he declared, “Any spiritual essence is put here on the planet to be shared. It’s not to be hoarded. Indians have to realize the im» — la fórmula de otro asistente con que Brown resume el sentir del grupo: toda esencia espiritual está para compartirse; el nombre es de los inventados y el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«The group evidently felt free to exercise a New Age version of eminent domain over Indian religion.» — la figura jurídica con que Brown nombra esa actitud, y que es su juicio declarado.

«None seemed to recognize how much their rhetoric resembled the promises of a government that has repeatedly urged Indians to give up their lands and natural resources for the good of the nation.» — y el paralelo que les señala, con la retórica del gobierno que pidió a los indios ceder tierras y recursos.

«Some found it hard to understand why Indians would frame their objections in terms of theft. “How can you steal a religion?” one woman asked, genuinely baffled.» — la pregunta con que una asistente desecha la acusación de robo, y que Brown consigna sin responder.

«When Sandy went on a vision quest in 1983, the spiritual guidance that had long been a presence in her life resolved itself into an image of six elderly American Indian healers, who eventually identified themselves as the Medicine Women.» — el relato de primer contacto de una canalizadora que teje temas indios en su práctica; el nombre es de los inventados.

«“Sometimes it’s like the Medicine Women are rifling through my files, my memories, my experiences. They’re searching for words or experiences to describe whatever it is they need to say.”» — cómo describe esa canalizadora la mecánica del trato con sus entidades, con el símil del archivo hurgado; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«In 1990 the intensifying contacts with the Medicine Women had invigorated Sandy’s practice as a professional healer, although not enough to free her from part-time work as a sales clerk.» — el dato económico que Brown consigna de ese caso, con el empleo de medio tiempo que ella conservaba.

«“Initially I was really exhausted by phone readings, as though I were spread out over two thousand miles,” she said. “But there has been a shift. It’s like the Medicine Women are learning how to spread themselves out so that I’m not exhausted after doing a reading.”» — lo que esa canalizadora reporta del trabajo telefónico, con las entidades aprendiendo a repartirse.

«She had just returned from a tour of western Europe, where she presented workshops on Native American spirituality.» — el alcance internacional que Brown mide en ese caso, con los talleres dados en Europa.

«The gender of her spiritual guides was an added attraction, as many clients were seeking ratification of their power as women.» — y el factor de mercado que le añade, que enlaza con el capítulo del género.

«In Sandy’s innocent and well-meaning fascination with American Indians it is difficult to see the “racism and genocide” that Indian activists find in New Age practices.» — la objeción que Brown hace a la acusación de los activistas cuando la aplica a ese caso concreto, y que es suya y va firmada.

«But Sandy’s parasitizing of Native American culture seems no worse than that of the hundreds of non-Native artists, art dealers, and filmmakers whose livelihood depends on the retailing of Indian likenesses.» — y la comparación con que la acota, con los artistas, galeristas y cineastas que viven de la imagen india.

«To some extent, all contribute to the propagation of romanticized images of Native Americans that can have the pernicious effect of de-legitimizing real Indians, who are rarely as colorful and self-evidently “authentic” as their New Age counterparts.» — el daño que Brown sí les adjudica a todos: imágenes romantizadas que deslegitiman a los indios reales.

«Indians run the risk of becoming regarded as inauthentic or corrupted, which can subtly undermine their struggle for land rights and cultural survival in the North American political arena.» — y la consecuencia política que le ve, con la lucha por la tierra y la supervivencia cultural socavada.

«Thus far the controversy has tended to focus on the alleged “theft” of Indian spirituality—thus treating religion as a form of property—rather than on issues of desecration or disrespect.» — la observación con que Brown enmarca el debate entero: se discute el robo y no la profanación, con lo que la religión queda tratada como propiedad.

«In a curious case dating to the 1950s, the Zuni Indians of New Mexico formally protested the use of imitation Zuni masks by a group of Boy Scouts in Colorado. Besides insisting that the boys cease their imitation of Zuni dances, the Indians demanded that the masks be turned over to them on the grounds that anything made using Zuni knowledge is the property of the Zuni people, even it the maker is not an Indian.» — el caso con que lo documenta, con las máscaras imitadas por un grupo de scouts y la doctrina de propiedad que los zuñi invocaron; el troceo imprime it por if.

«The tendency of Indians to use the language of intellectual property to frame protests about the emulation of their spiritual traditions suggests the degree to which they themselves have been affected by the progressive commodification of ideas and images characteristic of late twentieth-century capitalism.» — la lectura que Brown da de esa doctrina: los propios indios afectados por la mercantilización de ideas e imágenes.

«When religion is reduced to a technology of personal empowerment something to be sold in workshops, counseling sessions, books, and videos—it risks becoming a commodity.» — la tesis con que cierra el capítulo, y que vale para su objeto y para el resto.

«This process is hardly unique to the New Age; even mainstream denominations now routinely hire marketing experts to help them develop sophisticated campaigns to attract and keep new members.» — y la advertencia con que no la hace exclusiva del campo: también las denominaciones establecidas contratan expertos en mercadeo.

«Nevertheless, the New Age case is suffused with an irony at once poignant and bitter: by turning to Native American traditions for models of more vibrant ways to live and to worship, Americans may simultaneously threaten the integrity of Indian spirituality and accelerate the cultural processes that make modern life so disenchanting.» — la ironía con que Brown cierra el asunto, y que es suya y va firmada: buscar en lo indio un modo de vivir más vivo amenazaría esa integridad y aceleraría lo que desencanta.

«Although most working channels try to cobble together a livelihood through a judicious combination of private readings, telephone sessions, and group workshops, a minority have been successful in combining overtly spiritual work with conventional psychotherapy.» — la minoría que Brown aparta dentro del oficio, la que combina el trabajo espiritual con psicoterapia convencional.

«This reflects a convergence of alternative spirituality and humanistic psychology that began in the 1960s and has accelerated ever since.» — la convergencia que Brown data en los años sesenta entre espiritualidad alternativa y psicología humanista.

«(Alternatively, one could read the shift as a renewal of psychology’s early links to mesmerism and spiritualism.)» — y la lectura alternativa que él mismo pone entre paréntesis, que devuelve el asunto a los primeros lazos de la psicología.

«Despite concerted efforts by university-educated psychologists and clinical social workers to impose rigorous certification procedures, rapid growth in the number of thera» — el dato institucional con que Brown explica el hueco por donde eso entra: pese a los esfuerzos de certificación, el crecimiento del número de terapeutas hizo difícil vigilar el oficio; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«Some therapists, especially those struggling for professional survival in a period when cost-conscious heath-maintenance organizations are reducing their counseling staffs, have begun to experiment discreetly with spiritually oriented treatments sought by clients dissatisfied with simple empathy or the healing powers of talk.» — y la presión económica que añade, con las organizaciones de salud recortando personal de consejería.

«In 1994, a group of licensed psychologists and clinical social workers from New England—all middle-aged, middle-class, and holding advanced degrees from major universities—met to talk about the role played by channeling and related “energy work” in their practice.» — el grupo de terapeutas titulados con que Brown documenta esa franja, fechado y descrito por sus grados.

«ideas and to help each other meet the challenges of working as outlaws in the borderlands of a regulated profession.» — la fórmula con que ese grupo se describe a sí mismo según Brown, forajidos en la frontera de una profesión regulada; el tramo arranca después del corte que el troceo mete a media plana al reemitir la marca.

«The members of the group met at a series of training seminars offered by a charismatic psychotherapist whose work focused on manipulation of the human aura» — el origen del grupo de terapeutas y el objeto de su técnica; el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, el campo de fuerza energético que el aura sería para algunos.

«Anita Sanderson, one of the group’s leaders, explained that her work with victims of childhood trauma had convinced her that talk therapy is not the most effective way to put clients in touch with their repressed memories.» — lo que una de sus dirigentes declara haber concluido sobre la terapia hablada; el nombre es de los inventados.

«While doing hypnotic inductions, she became sensitive to auras, which she began to visualize with steadily greater clarity. These energy fields, she discovered, could be manipulated to open up her clients to the memories and feelings locked within them.» — y cómo describe ella el paso a la manipulación de campos de energía.

«“The most profound thing for me,” she said, “is the realization that when a client comes into your office, you’re dealing with her energy. All we’re doing is trying to gain some mastery of what we’re putting out in that energy field. Any therapeutic interchange is energetic.”» — la doctrina entera de ese grupo en una fórmula suya: todo intercambio terapéutico es energético; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«the energy comes through and begins to shift. So we channeled the session. I work with Pleiadian energies as my home frequency. We worked half with my own energies and half with one of her own personal spirit guides.”» — cómo describe esa terapeuta una sesión canalizada con una clienta, con sus propias energías y las guías de la paciente; el arranque de la cita queda antes de la onomatopeya que el troceo deforma.

«Even after years of practice, she still finds the unorthodox nature of the therapy hard to reconcile with her formal training as a licensed clinical social worker.» — la tensión que Brown consigna en esa misma terapeuta entre su práctica y su formación titulada.

«Anita, who stood directly in front of the chair in which her patient was seated, began to produce eerie, high-pitched sounds. Katherine took up a posi» — la sesión de tonos que Brown presencia, con las dos terapeutas colocadas delante y detrás de la paciente; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana.

«Between bouts of shivering, the woman careened from laughter to sobbing and back again. But the two channels gradually lowered the intensity of their tones and brought the session to a serene conclusion.» — lo que Brown observa en la paciente durante esa sesión, sin comentar la eficacia.

«Katherine later explained that the tones were energy waves from the Pleiades. By directing these sounds at the woman’s aura, she said, she and Anita had rebalanced her energy.» — y la explicación que las terapeutas dan de lo que hicieron, con las ondas atribuidas a las Pléyades.

«Even in the 1990s, insurance companies and HMOs are not ready to endorse the use of energy from the Pleiades, for healing or anything else. They are even less inclined to pay for it.» — el límite institucional que Brown le pone a esa práctica, con la ironía puesta en el pago.

«But the members of the energy-work group have managed to dodge the malpractice bullet by billing for these unorthodox therapies only when clients specifically request them.» — y la táctica con que ese grupo lo sortea, facturando solo lo que el cliente pide expresamente.

«Maureen, another member of the group, asserted that she is now so committed to channeling and energy work that she wouldn’t care if her license were revoked. “It feels to me that a higher power intends for me to do this work," she said. “I’ll be provided with opportunities to support myself, whether it’s with a license or not.» — lo que una de ellas declara sobre su propia licencia, con la disposición a perderla; el nombre es de los inventados y el troceo cierra las comillas con rectas.

«Don, one of two men at the meeting, argued that graduate training serves an important gate-keeping function by preventing quacks from entering the profession.» — el desacuerdo interno de ese grupo que Brown consigna, con uno que defiende la formación de posgrado como filtro.

«Katherine and some of the others joked about what they called the “fruitcake scale,” an index of looniness that they applied to certain therapies promoted at alternative-health fairs. With good reason, they worried that their peers would assign them a high score on this scale.» — la autoironía de ese grupo que Brown levanta, con el índice de chifladura que ellos mismos aplican.

«Janies, a psychologist trained in Europe, admitted that it had been harder for him to come out publicly as a channel than as a gay man.» — lo que uno de ellos declara del costo de hacerse público, y que Brown consigna sin comentario; el troceo deforma el nombre.

«When asked how they determine the validity of what they’re doing once they’ve jettisoned the standards of science, they reply that the only standard worth upholding is whether clients heal.» — el criterio de validez de ese grupo una vez descartado el de la ciencia, que es la pregunta que Brown les pone de frente.

«Although the members of the group criticized the limiting nature of conventional treatment strategies, they were careful to emphasize that channeling and other forms of energy work are additions to traditional psychotherapy, not replacements for it.» — el deslinde que ese grupo hace de su propia práctica respecto de la terapia tradicional.

«Katherine said that although only about ten percent of her clients are ready to be treated with channeled tones, about eighty percent are willing to work with their energy fields.» — las dos cifras con que una de ellas mide la disposición de su clientela.

«They are articulate and enthusiastic proponents of the view that the most effective way to heal the injuries of this lifetime is to open ourselves to forces originating in other times, dimensions, and galaxies.» — la tesis de ese grupo tal como Brown la resume: sanar las heridas de esta vida abriéndose a fuerzas de otros tiempos y galaxias.

«The issues at the heart of their work dissociation, recovered memory, the treatment of fragmented selves—are part of a growth industry in spiritualized forms of health care and emotional therapy that attract the middle class» — y el mercado en que la inscribe, con la disociación y la memoria recuperada como industria en crecimiento.

«affluent demographic cohort in American history, begin to wrestle with their own mortality, channeling therapists and others like them will be well positioned to meet demand for» — la conjetura demográfica con que Brown cierra el capítulo séptimo; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior y el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, la exploración de sí entregada de modo organizado y empresarial.

«suggests that many survive by avoiding a direct confrontation with mainstream religions, occupying instead a different social niche: that of therapy.» — la tesis histórica con que Brown cierra el capítulo séptimo: los movimientos religiosos alternativos sobreviven ocupando el nicho de la terapia. El arranque de la frase, que data el asunto en los siglos diecinueve y veinte, queda fuera porque el troceo parte a fin de renglón el guion de suspensión.

«Ours is a moment in which virtually anything can become a valuable asset in a chain of market relations: life forms, brand names, memorable images, modes of healing, even the spiritual legacy of other cultures.» — y el rasgo de época con que lo acota, con la lista entera de lo que hoy se vuelve activo de mercado.

«When channels seek trademark protection for the spirits that provide them with a livelihood, or expect payment in return for services, they simply act like other professionals.» — la defensa que Brown hace de sus informantes contra el reproche de mercantilismo.

«The difference is that unlike their counterparts in law, finance, and medicine, channels cannot hide the commercial nature of their transactions behind the decorated pediments of a corporate headquarters or the burnished words of a publicist.» — y la única diferencia que les reconoce, que es la de no tener dónde esconder el trato comercial.

«If channeling sometimes looks more like a boutique in the shopping mall of the New Age than it does a religious movement grounded in shared commitment and a sharply defined moral vision, it is because it mirrors so perfectly the society in which it has arisen.» — la frase con que cierra el capítulo, y que es su juicio declarado sobre el asunto entero.

«Nancy Graham lives several miles from the center ot a picturesque village in western Connecticut. Her driveway, scarcely more than a logging trail that veers off a corrugated county road, descends a hundred yards to a fairy-tale cottage surrounded by rambling gardens and forest.» — la informante con que Brown abre el último capítulo, situada en una aldea de Connecticut; el nombre es de los inventados y el troceo imprime ot por of.

«Nancy served strong coffee in her living room as she shared her life history, a story of middle-class travail and ongoing redemption: a Roman Catholic upbringing, from which she is now distanced; marriage; a painful divorce fifteen years ago; the loss of her mother to cancer a few years later; the decision to reclaim a life of self-sufficiency and intimacy with nature by moving to the country.» — el relato de vida de esa informante tal como Brown lo resume, con el divorcio, la muerte de la madre y la mudanza al campo.

«a spiritual path is something that one walks alone. I want to access that part of myself,” she said.» — la fórmula con que esa informante declara su rumbo espiritual, con el camino declarado solitario; la cita arranca al pie de la plana anterior.

«During periods of meditation ten years ago, Nancy began to hear the voice of another being and to let it speak through her.» — cómo dice ella que empezó a canalizar, en la meditación.

«She first became aware of the voice, she said, while meditating on the word “open” and calling to her dead mother in her thoughts.» — y la circunstancia exacta del primer contacto que ella declara.

«Later she channeled other forms of consciousness: the spirits of rocks, trees, and animals, and occasionally the souls of the dead.» — el repertorio que ella reporta después, con los espíritus de rocas, árboles y animales.

«Her description of these experiences jumped haphazardly from one theme to another; unlike many professional channels, Nancy had not yet worn off the rough edges of her story through repeated telling.» — el apunte con que Brown distingue a esa informante de los profesionales: el relato aún sin pulir por la repetición.

«At first she thought that channeling put her in touch with external energies of some kind, but now she has come to think of it as an opening to her higher self.» — el desplazamiento doctrinal que ella declara, del exterior al yo superior, que es el que el libro entero viene midiendo.

«“I see myself as God,” she told me. “When I go to that altered state, I tap into a space where everything is—where it just is, where everything exists, where the energy begins.”» — la fórmula más fuerte de esa informante sobre sí misma, y que Brown va a desactivar en la plana siguiente.

«Lately, however, she has moved away from channeling toward the application of its insights to her daily life, a shift that parallels the decision to return to the high-pressure world of government service. “The message only lives if you embody it,”» — y el segundo desplazamiento que ella declara, de la canalización a su aplicación diaria.

«Nancy’s declaration that she is God will sound like megalomania to some, but for her, and for the many people involved in channeling who make similar statements, it expresses a sense of infinite personal possibilities, not a desire to rule the world.» — la lectura con que Brown desactiva esa fórmula, y que es de las más claras del libro sobre cómo se lee una afirmación del campo.

«For Nancy, the self has expanded to fill the space left by the evaporation of vital social bonds.» — y la tesis con que Brown explica el caso, que es la del libro entero: el yo crecido hasta llenar el hueco de los lazos sociales evaporados.

«Nancy’s view of persons as eternal, continually remaking and improving themselves in a world of unlimited possibilities, was observed by Alexis de Tocqueville during his travels through the young United States in the early nineteenth century.» — la genealogía que le traza a esa idea del yo, otra vez en Tocqueville y su viaje por el país joven.

«What de Tocqueville called the “philosophical approach of the Americans” included a strong desire to break free of established molds, to repudiate tradition, and “to seek by themselves and in themselves for the only reason for things» — y la fórmula de aquel viajero que Brown cita, con el deseo de romper moldes y buscar en uno mismo la razón de las cosas.

«In the twentieth century, this search has led the self to splinter like the shards of a broken mirror. The psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton refers to the fragmented self as protean, after the Greek sea god Proteus, who could magically assume different forms.» — el término que Brown toma del psiquiatra que nombra para el yo fragmentado, con el dios marino de donde sale.

«One of the paradoxes of the protean self is that it simultaneously seeks multidimensionality and unity.» — la paradoja que Brown declara de ese yo proteico, y que vale para su objeto entero; la frase cruza de plana.

«The underlying cultural currents that produced the protean self have given rise to diverse philosophical, therapeutic, and spiritual settings in which a preoccupation with self-fragmentation takes center stage.» — y el abanico de escenarios que esas corrientes abrieron según él, filosóficos, terapéuticos y espirituales.

«For many of those who flock to the Internet, the attraction of the online domain is less the possibility of boundless connection than it is the chance to take on new identities, thus reconnoitering exotic regions of the self.» — el primero de esos escenarios que Brown examina, con el atractivo de internet cifrado en tomar identidades nuevas.

«The postmodern self is fragmented, kaleidoscopic, a frail web of linguistic allusions; it is, in other words, whatever it pretends to be.» — la definición del yo posmoderno que Brown resume de esa corriente filosófica.

«They also share similar ideas about the emergent and multiplex nature of the sell. Channels speak frequently of the multidimensional aspects of identity, lor instance, or the possibility that we are simultaneously co-existing on different planes.» — la convergencia que Brown traza entre los profetas de internet y los canalizadores en cuanto al yo múltiple; el troceo imprime sell y lor.

«The person who succeeds in linking up to a “higher self’ experiences this as more real than the limited, bounded self of everyday life.» — lo que el campo declara del yo superior frente al cotidiano, y que Brown consigna como parte de esa convergencia.

«The overlap in self-concepts between two such apparently different groups—religious seekers expressing intense nostalgia for our tribal past and computer users scouting the cutting edge of capitalist technology suggests the pervasiveness of the cultural currents fostering a preoccupation with self-fragmentation and multiplicity» — y lo que Brown deriva de esa convergencia entre dos grupos tan distintos: la hondura de las corrientes culturales que la producen.

«Although channels are often playful in their approach to self-multiplicity, most are committed to the goal of connecting to a deeper reality.» — la diferencia que Brown fija entre el yo múltiple del canalizador y el del usuario de internet.

«Indeed, their quest is as much as anything a search for authenticity, by which they mean a primordial sense of wholeness and connection.» — y lo que declara busca última del campo, la autenticidad entendida como totalidad primordial.

«(Ironically, to find wholeness they first seek fragmentation, which leads to revelations about the multiple facets of an expanded self.)» — la ironía que Brown pone entre paréntesis, y que es el título del capítulo puesto al revés.

«Commitment to the idea of an ultimate reality is evident in the efforts by channels such as Kevin Ryerson to provide “objective'' proof that their spirit entities once existed on earth.» — el caso que ofrece de esa busca de realidad última, con el canalizador público tras una prueba objetiva.

«Nevertheless, many people involved in channeling are as pragmatic as their online counterparts. If a belief helps to make their lives happier, the question of whether it can be verified by secular truth standards is of little concern.» — y el matiz que añade enseguida, con el pragmatismo del campo otra vez puesto por delante de la verificación.

«One could protest that because channeling has affinities to American spiritualism and, more distantly, to techniques of spirit * possession and mediumship found elsewhere, its present renaissance cannot be attributed solely to contemporary social conditions.» — la objeción que Brown se hace a sí mismo sobre su propia explicación social del asunto.

«This objection has merit, as does the complaint that philosophers have overstated the distinction between an allegedly coherent modern self and a splintered postmodern one.» — y la segunda objeción que se hace, contra la partición misma entre yo moderno y yo posmoderno.

«Nevertheless, channeling s obsession with personal identity marks it as a significant departure from other versions of mediumship and possession.» — lo que sostiene pese a las dos objeciones: la obsesión por la identidad personal aparta a este asunto de la mediumnidad y la posesión.

«Nineteenth-century spiritualism, for example, was oriented to public edification, not personal growth.» — el deslinde que hace con el espiritualismo, y que es su formulación más nítida: aquel iba a la edificación pública.

«Spiritualists envisioned the afterlife as a celestial continuation of pastoral America, a quaint New England village in which the spirits of deceased children were taught to read and write by gentle nannies» — y el más allá que aquel movimiento imaginaba según Brown, una aldea de Nueva Inglaterra con niños difuntos aprendiendo a leer.

«In contrast, channels elaborate a vision of the spirit realm that bears little resemblance to America or even to Earth. Gone are the central features ofhuman life, including gender, class, and the key moral distinctions of the social world.» — el contraste con el más allá de hoy, donde faltan el género, la clase y las distinciones morales.

«If the spheres, dimensions, or planets occupied by spirit entities are described at all, they appear as featureless spaces presided over by an omnicompetent celestial bureaucracy.» — y la figura con que lo cierra, la burocracia celestial omnicompetente.

«Spiritualists were deeply committed to the distinctiveness of their spirit contacts, whereas many channels think of their entities as extensions of an expanding self.» — el último deslinde que Brown fija entre los dos movimientos, y que es el del estatuto de la entidad.

«Although artists, channels, and members of the online community apparently experience self-multiplication as profoundly liberating, for others it can be disorienting.» — la vuelta con que Brown abre la última parte del libro, del yo múltiple liberador al desorientador.

«Bewilderment over the boundaries of self veers into pathology in the condition known» — y el diagnóstico en que lo cifra, que es el asunto del resto del capítulo; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde se nombra el trastorno de personalidad múltiple.

«People diagnosed as multiples typically exhibit sharp changes in expressive behavior that segregate into distinct, consistent personalities or “alters.» — la descripción clínica que Brown da de ese diagnóstico, con el término del oficio.

«Before 1980 only about 200 cases of multiple personality had been documented in the world psychiatric literature.» — la medida histórica con que Brown sitúa ese diagnóstico.

«Reported cases began to proliferate in the 1980s, and by 1991 a clinician could propose in a respectable journal that one percent of North American adults may suffer from it, implying that undiagnosed cases number in the millions.» — y el alza que reporta, con la cifra que un clínico llegó a proponer.

«As the number of multiple-personality cases has increased, so has the number of alters expressed by the afflicted. Early cases in the literature reported two or three distinct personalities, but today victims routinely exhibit dozens; alter constellations, consisting of hundreds of separate personality fragments, are by no means unknown.» — el segundo alza que Brown mide, la del número de personalidades por caso.

«Although psychologists continue to debate the exact etiology of multiple personality, most believe that the condition arises from childhood abuse, often of a sexual nature.» — el desacuerdo profesional sobre la causa que Brown consigna, con la mayoría inclinada al abuso infantil.

«To an anthropologist, multiple personality looks suspiciously like a culture-bound syndrome, a condition created through subtle interactions between individuals and the institutions that shape their experience.» — la lectura que Brown propone desde su propio oficio, y que declara como sospecha: un síndrome ligado a la cultura.

«Widely diagnosed in the United States and Canada, multiple personality is virtually unknown in most» — el dato geográfico con que Brown apoya esa sospecha; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde nombra Europa y Asia.

«Even in the countries where it is most often found, it has mutated from a rare and exotic condition to a common one in less than two decades.» — y el dato temporal, con el diagnóstico mutado de raro a común en menos de dos décadas.

«Its demographic profile is markedly skewed: nearly 90 percent of multiples are women.» — el dato de sexo que Brown pone al lado del predominio femenino entre canalizadoras.

«Such an unusual epidemiology has led to heated debate among experts about whether multiple personality exists as a real malady or instead represents an iatrogenic condition that is, an illness created by therapists, who unconsciously encourage expressions of multiplicity in emotionally fragile clients.» — el desacuerdo profesional que consigna sin arbitrar, con la hipótesis de una enfermedad creada por los propios terapeutas.

«Channeling and multiple personality clearly have different emotional trajectories and implications for those who experience them, yet the idioms in which they are discussed reveal striking parallels.» — el paralelo que Brown propone y acota a la vez: trayectorias emocionales distintas y vocabularios semejantes.

«Clinicians urge therapists to treat each alter personality as if it were a separate being with distinct emotional problems, an approach that some trance channels take with their spirit entities.» — el primero de esos paralelos, con el trato a cada personalidad alterna como si fuera un ser aparte.

«The literature on multiple personality makes frequent reference to a key alter called the Inner Self-Helper, a wise personality who acts in the best interests of the whole person, much as guardian angels or spirit guides protect their human wards.» — el segundo, con la figura del auxiliar interior emparejada al guía espiritual.

«Braun’s language can be read as implying that self-fragmentation need not be cured, only domesticated.» — la lectura que Brown da del lenguaje de ese psiquiatra, declarada como lectura: la fragmentación no se cura sino que se domestica.

«This theme is picked up in self-help literature penned by multiples, many ofwhom reject the view that their condition is a disorder—the term is too “disempowering,” they insist—and instead celebrate the special qualities with which their multiplicity imbues them» — y el eco que le encuentra en la literatura de autoayuda escrita por los propios diagnosticados, que rechazan el término trastorno.

«As channels, women are free to assert religious authority and to experience a liberating androgyny, but few advantages accrue to multiple personality.» — la asimetría que Brown fija entre los dos fenómenos en cuanto a lo que dan a las mujeres.

«One can reasonably infer that the growing frequency with which multiple personality is diagnosed in North America is driven at least in part by the perception, amounting to a moral panic, that sexual abuse of children is now rampant in American society.» — la inferencia que Brown declara como inferencia razonable, con el pánico moral por el abuso infantil.

«Psychiatry has thus medicalized the protean self, giving it a special language, a symptomatology, a regime of therapy. Channels, in contrast, celebrate it.» — la partición con que Brown resume el capítulo: la psiquiatría medicaliza el yo proteico y el campo lo celebra.

«Baffled by the multitudes within themselves, channels and their clients reach into the depths of the unconscious for stories that explain their multiplicity. Explanations emerge as tales of past lives, parallel identities on other dimensions, or thrilling encounters with aliens.» — y el repertorio de explicaciones que el campo se da para esa multiplicidad.

«Not only does channeling provide satisfying explanations for our changeable selves, it allows channels to embody these selves, giving voice to their thoughts, flesh and bone to their gestures.» — lo que Brown declara propio del campo frente a las otras respuestas: encarnar esos yoes y darles voz y gesto.

«In any event, Anita and her colleagues enthusiastically embrace their own multiplex nature, seeing it as a resource tor healing.» — lo que el grupo de terapeutas hace con su propia multiplicidad, según Brown; el troceo imprime tor por for.

«These voices are not the alters of multiple personality, fragments of the self allegedly born in pain and helplessness, but instead hidden facets of a grander self whose reflections reach out to other places, times, and dimensions.» — y el deslinde que ese grupo hace entre sus voces y las personalidades alternas del diagnóstico.

«Like those who conquer a fear of heights by taking up skydiving, channels actively seek fragmentation of the» — la figura con que Brown explica la busca deliberada de fragmentación; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde añade que la buscan para redefinirla como algo bajo su control.

«Control is hardly an alien theme to middle-class Americans. We struggle to reshape our bodies through exercise and to cultivate the habits of highly effective people. We draft speech codes to protect ourselves from offensive ideas; gated housing developments shelter us from offensive persons. We talk constantly about “empowerment,” a codeword for greater mastery of the social world.» — el marco cultural en que Brown inscribe ese control, con la lista entera de sus formas corrientes.

«Channeling ratchets these sentiments up a notch by proposing that the indignities still lying beyond conscious control—notably, death, as well as life-threatening diseases and injuries—are hardships chosen by our “real” self as part of a process of spiritual education.» — y el paso más que el campo da, con la muerte y la enfermedad declaradas elegidas por el yo real.

«Tied to the idea that each of us authors our own text is the belief that we do it alone.» — la tesis que Brown declara central en el campo, y que es su objeción de fondo.

«In the worldview of channels and their clients, society serves no purpose other than to cripple us with a false sense of limitation. Ultimately, we are responsible only for ourselves, and we must create our own future individually.» — y cómo queda la sociedad en esa visión del mundo, según él.

«Like many Americans drawn to alternative spirituality, channels want to leap from the personal to the universal, bypassing society itself.» — la fórmula con que Brown resume esa operación: saltar de lo personal a lo universal salteándose la sociedad.

«It is only a slight exaggeration to say that many dream of community without society.» — y la frase con que la cierra, que es de las más citables del libro.

«Again, although channeling offers a radical version of this asocial view of human destiny, the sentiments that underlie it are shared by the millions of Americans who reject social explanations for unemployment, poverty, and crime, and who see individual advancement as the nation’s sole moral imperative.» — la advertencia con que Brown no hace de eso una rareza del campo: millones comparten esos sentimientos.

«The essayist Lewis Lapham has observed that for a democracy such as ours to survive, it needs face-to-J face encounters in which citizens iron out their differences through dialogue and compromise.» — el ensayista que Brown cita por su nombre para lo que la democracia necesita, encuentros cara a cara; la frase cruza de plana.

«Yet increasingly segmented communication technologies—cable television, for instance, or the thousands of specialized discussion groups on the» — y lo que esas tecnologías segmentadas permiten según la cita que Brown recoge; el verbatim se corta antes de la raya que el troceo convierte en guion de fin de renglón, y sigue diciendo que permiten retirarse a los santuarios del yo.

«This fosters the spread of self-referential groups that seem to inhabit a parallel universe: right-wing militias, apocalyptic cults, and single-issue enthusiasts of every description» — el censo de grupos autorreferenciales que de ahí resultan, con las milicias y los cultos apocalípticos nombrados.

«Channeling draws on this fragmenting Zeitgeist, although it is by no means its most alarming manifestation.» — y el sitio que Brown le da a su objeto dentro de ese espíritu de época, con el límite dicho.

«But they are hardly the first Americans to want their religion first-hand, untainted by clergy or creed.» — la advertencia histórica con que Brown acota la crítica del campo a la religión institucional.

«As a form of activity protected by the Constitution, religion is one of the last remaining frontiers of personal experimentation, a place where people can explore ideas and social arrangements that would be prohibited in other spheres of life» — la explicación institucional que Brown toma de los estudiosos de la religión: la religión como última frontera de experimentación personal protegida.

«The postmodern elements in channeling performances should not blind us to their powerful modernist premise. Channels and their clients believe passionately in the idea of progress, both personal and cosmic.» — la premisa modernista que Brown declara bajo lo posmoderno del asunto: la creencia apasionada en el progreso.

«Individual lives are tales of what the Archangel Gabriel, speaking at the Temple of Light Ascendant, called “evolvement," an inexorable, if sometimes arduous, journey to perfection.» — y el término del campo con que la nombra, tomado del culto que visitó; el arranque de la frase queda al pie de la plana anterior.

«Instead of seeing multidimensionality as a quality that shatters the self, channels cling to it as proof of their all-encom» — la inversión que Brown señala en el campo: la multidimensionalidad tomada como prueba de totalidad y no como fractura; el troceo parte la última palabra a fin de renglón.

«Although only a minority of those involved in channeling are attracted to prophecies of doom, most accept that we are undergoing a global transformation that will soon end life as we know it.» — la medida que le pone al milenarismo del campo, con la mayoría aceptando una transformación global.

«On balance, channels and their clients tend to be optimists for whom all things seem possible and all horizons limitless.» — el retrato con que Brown cierra su balance del campo, y que es suyo y va firmado.

«They are voracious readers of everything from theology to science fiction, with intermediate stops in the worlds of self-help, non-Western religions, mythology, evolutionary biology, the occult, and particle physics.» — y el censo de sus lecturas, que es donde Brown les reconoce curiosidad.

«Their restless curiosity calls into question the belief that middle-class Americans are interested only in the amusements that arrive through their television cables.» — la objeción que Brown hace, a partir de sus informantes, al retrato corriente de la clase media estadounidense.

«Over time, I came to admire their exuberance and creativity, precious commodities in a society that suddenly seems unsure of itself.» — la declaración de aprecio que Brown firma, y que es donde el etnógrafo dice desde dónde escribe.

«But channeling has a troubling side as well. Its relentless focus on human universals provides little guidance» — el reverso que Brown declara de su propio balance; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde dice que ese foco en los universales no orienta ante la diferencia cultural.

«Along with others involved in New Age spirituality, many channels are reluctant to make the critical judgments that help to discern whether one idea is better than another or even to propose a framework within which such necessary discriminations can be made.» — la objeción de fondo que Brown formula al relativismo del campo; la frase cruza de plana.

«An obsession with self raises questions about the prospects of a nation that desperately needs a sense of collective purpose; for all the talk about community, I witnessed few practical efforts to apply channeling s insights to the solution of social problems.» — y la medida negativa con que la apoya, que es dato de campo: casi ningún esfuerzo práctico por aplicar el asunto a problemas sociales.

«The anarchic quality of channeling s theology, with its ever proliferating ranks of spirits, can make» — la figura con que Brown describe la proliferación de entidades del campo; el tramo se corta donde el troceo reemite la marca de plana, y sigue con el símil del tumulto de estadio y la lista de nombres que el libro ha ido consignando.

«A prominent scholar of religious studies has identified channeling as the New Age practice with the best prospects of long-term survival. In his view, channels with large followings will seek greater stability by forming groups that resemble traditional churches» — la conjetura ajena que Brown recoge sobre el porvenir del asunto, con las congregaciones estables por desenlace.

«This strikes me as doubtful. Although the disciples of charismatic channels sometimes coalesce into reasonably stable groups, history has shown that channeling is by its nature too democratic» — su objeción a esa conjetura, declarada en primera persona; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde cierra que nadie puede controlarlo por mucho tiempo.

«A more likely prospect is that channeling will diffuse into the cultural mainstream, absorbed by the personal-growth movement and the rapid spread of alternative healing methods.» — la conjetura que Brown pone en su lugar, con la difusión en el movimiento de crecimiento personal.

«To some extent, this has already happened: as channels shift from trance to conscious channeling, it becomes more difficult to distinguish what they do from various forms of meditation or guided-imagery therapy.» — y la señal que le encuentra ya cumplida, con la canalización consciente indistinguible de la meditación guiada.

«Channels themselves are convinced that their gift will eventually be an ordinary part of human life. Some see this as the recovery of an ancient birthright, others as the next step in human evolution.» — lo que los propios canalizadores declaran del porvenir de su don, con las dos lecturas que le dan.

«“Sooner or later there won’t be any channels to consult,” one practitioner insisted, “because everybody will be channeling all the time.”» — la fórmula con que uno de ellos declara su propia obsolescencia.

«Toward the end of the event, Anita slipped into a different voice, the extravagant Southern accent of a spirit called Belle. Unlike the decorous Pleiadians, Belle spoke in an earthy vernacular.» — la última sesión que Brown presencia, con la entidad de acento sureño; los nombres son de los inventados.

«Her role, she said, is to prod humans out of their doubt or complacency. This is necessary because the earth and its inhabitants are facing a moment of great change when impossible things will become possible, perhaps even necessary.» — lo que esa entidad declara de su propio oficio y del momento del mundo.

«“We’re all hoping that you can be more open to what you know is really going on around you. Are you willing to listen to that voice telling you something important?» — y la pregunta con que esa entidad cierra, sobre escuchar la voz interior.

«Her words, which manage to evince both irony and a millenarian enthusiasm, illustrate channeling’s promise as well as its limitations.» — la lectura que Brown da de esas palabras, y que abre el balance final del libro.

«A notable feature of many channeling events is the prevalence of subtle meta-messages that say, in effect, “I am playing at being a spirit.”» — el hallazgo con que Brown apoya esa lectura del juego, con los metamensajes que el propio campo emite.

«Channels and their clients play with eternal what-ifs: What if I am part of a larger spiritual plan? How would it feel to be of a different gender? What might I learn by listening to the parts of my inner conversation silenced by the demands of daily liter' What will happen if I pretend, perhaps only for a moment, that I can perform miracles?» — la lista de preguntas con que Brown describe ese juego, y que resume los capítulos del libro; el troceo deforma la palabra life.

«Just as the inner logic of games can be immensely satisfying to players, so the play central to channeling, dependent as it is on the voluntary suspension of everyday rules, can yield pleasures, insights, occasionally even its own purifying catharsis.» — lo que Brown le concede a ese juego, con su catarsis incluida.

«Yet like all games, channeling’s improvisational vigor depends on a constraining structure, a social order against which it can exercise its inventive energy.» — y la condición que le pone, y que es su objeción final: el juego necesita una estructura contra la cual jugarse.

«Denied an oppositional framework, it quickly takes on the rigid authority of received truth or spins of} into self-important apocalyptic babble.» — lo que pasa sin esa estructura según él, con las dos derivas nombradas; el troceo imprime of} por off.

«Provided that such perils can be avoided, channeling and related techniques of self-expansion will continue to offer a lively arena for the free play of the religious imagination.» — la condición con que Brown cierra el libro, y el sitio que le concede al asunto si esos peligros se evitan.

«Committed rationalists will never find the channeling zone an attractive destination, except perhaps as a place to replenish their store of cautionary tales.» — la frase penúltima del libro, dirigida a los racionalistas declarados.

«For countless others, however, it is likely to remain a site of emotional and spiritual renewal in a culture that, perhaps more than any in human history, promotes the continuous reinvention of the self.» — y la última, con la reinvención continua del yo declarada rasgo de esta cultura por encima de cualquier otra.

«American Spirituality in an Anxious Age MICHAEL F. BROWN HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England» — la portada da el título entero, el autor y el pie de Harvard University Press con sus dos ciudades; la fecha, 1997, va en el renglón siguiente.

«Copyright © 1997 by Michael F. Brown All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America» — la página de derechos fecha el copyright en 1997 a nombre de Michael F. Brown y declara reserva de derechos e impresión en los Estados Unidos.

«The channeling zone : American spirituality in an anxious age / Michael F. Brown, p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.» — el asiento de la Library of Congress da el título con subtítulo y la mención de responsabilidad; el troceo imprime una coma donde el impreso lleva punto tras el apellido.

«1. Channeling (Spiritualism)—United States—History—20th century. 2. Brown, Michael F. (Michael Fobes), 1950— 3. United States—Religion—1960— I. Title. BF1286.B76 1997 133.9T0973—dc20» — los encabezamientos de materia con que la Library of Congress clasifica el libro ponen el channeling bajo espiritualismo y bajo religión de los Estados Unidos desde 1960; la clasificación decimal sale deformada por el troceo.

«Preface vii 1 Into the Channeling Zone 1 2 Linking Up 15 3 Channeled Theology 38 4 Mastering Self-Expansion 70 5 Toward Sacred Androgyny 93 6 Dreaming of Community 1 1 7 Spiritual Commerce 142 8 Being Multiple 174 Notes 193 Bibliography 215 Index 231» — el índice da los ocho capítulos con su folio impreso y cierra con notas, bibliografía e índice analítico; el troceo parte el folio del capítulo sexto en dos cifras sueltas.

«Start-up funding was provided by Francis C. Oakley, then president of Williams College, who as a distinguished medieval historian might take satisfaction in knowing that his patronage represented a form of celestial intervention.» — los agradecimientos declaran la primera financiación, del entonces presidente de Williams College, con la broma de Brown sobre la intervención celestial.

«In 1993, the School of American Research again offered me shelter in Santa Fe; I am especially grateful to the School’s president, Douglas W. Schwartz, for his backing and encouragement. The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc., provided financial support at a critical point in my field research.» — y el resto del sostén institucional que el libro declara: segunda estancia en la School of American Research en 1993 y apoyo de la Wenner-Gren Foundation.

«Those who assessed drafts of the entire book include Jean Bacon, Sylvia Kennick Brown, Donna Chenail, Kai Erikson, Jim Howe, Bob Jackall, Bill Merrill, Molly Mullin, Francesca Polletta, Daniel Taub, Mark Taylor, Robin Waterfield, and Bob Woodbury.» — la lista de quienes leyeron el libro entero, nombres que el aparato da sin seudónimo por no ser informantes.

«I am indebted to Joyce Seltzer, my editor at Harvard University Press, and to Gerard McCauley, my literary agent, for their support and wise counsel.» — el crédito a la editora de Harvard University Press y al agente literario del autor.

«My wife, Sylvia Kennick Brown, offered cheerful companionship on expeditions to channeling sessions» — el cierre de los agradecimientos, con la mujer del autor nombrada como acompañante de campo; el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, los sitios de poder del desierto.

«“Although the desire to acquire the good things of this world is the dominant passion among Americans, there are momentary respites when their souls seem suddenly to break the restraining bonds of matter and rush impetuously heavenward.” —Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835» — el epígrafe del libro, tomado de Tocqueville y fechado en 1835, que es donde la etnografía declara su parentesco.

«In his exhaustive study of channeling, the transpersonal psychologist Arthur Hastings warns without a trace of irony that channels should be careful not to enter into codependent relationships with their spirit guides, since this can lead to emotional abuse.» — Arthur Hastings, psicólogo transpersonal, citado por Brown como autor del estudio exhaustivo del asunto, advierte contra las relaciones codependientes con los guías espirituales.

«Hastings recommends that there be “negotiation between the entity and the person to respect the needs of each» — y la recomendación que Brown le atribuye, con sus palabras: negociar entre la entidad y la persona para respetar las necesidades de cada una.

«In the vanguard of this campaign is CSICOP, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, an organization whose journal, the Skeptical Inquirer, attempts to debunk everything from UFOs to astrology.» — el comité escéptico que Brown nombra con su revista como punta de lanza de la campaña contra la irracionalidad pública.

«The missionary zeal of CSICOP’s activities is driven by fear that our nation faces an “apocalypse of unreason,” a new Dark Age in which_gromng irrationality will prevent us from solving the urgent problems of our time.» — y el temor que Brown les atribuye con su propia fórmula, un apocalipsis de la sinrazón y una nueva Edad Oscura; el troceo corrompe una palabra.

«The Azande people of central Africa, whose attitude toward misfortune was famously described by the British anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard, are practical in outlook, yet they are likely to account for illness or mishaps by attributing them to witchcraft.» — E. E. Evans-Pritchard, antropólogo británico citado por Brown, es la referencia comparativa con que el libro plantea la desgracia y la brujería entre los azande.

«“What he attributed to witchcraft,” Evans-Pritchard explains, “was that on this particular occasion, when exercising his usual care, he struck his foot against a stump of wood, whereas on a hundred other occasions he did not do so, and that on this particular occasion the cut, which he expected to result from the knock, festered whereas he had had dozens of cuts which had not festered.» — y el pasaje de aquel etnógrafo que Brown reproduce, con el informante azande y el pie cortado e infectado.

«Channeling’s flexibility can be seen as the pinnacle of a mode of thought that the philosopher Charles Taylor has called subjectivist expressionism,’ an outlook that values above all else “self-expression, self-realization, self-fulfillment, [and] discovering authenticity» — Charles Taylor, filósofo citado por Brown, da el nombre de expresionismo subjetivista al modo de pensar en cuya cima Brown coloca al channeling; el corchete es del propio libro.

«heim, one of the founders of sociology, referred to as the “effervescence” of communal worship.» — Émile Durkheim, nombrado por Brown como uno de los fundadores de la sociología, aporta el término con que el libro nombra lo que el canalizador va a buscar cuando se junta con otros; el troceo parte el apellido en el cambio de renglón.

«In Habits of the Heart , an influential study of attitudes toward community in the United States, the sociologist Robert Bellah and his co-authors detail the rise of what they call “therapeutic contractualism.” Therapeutic contractualism replaces questions of right and wrong with a focus on personal growth.» — Robert Bellah, sociólogo citado por Brown con su libro y sus coautores, aporta el término de contractualismo terapéutico con que el libro explica el cambio de motivación religiosa.

«In the much-cited essay “Bowling Alone,” Robert D. Putnam, a political scientist, presents evidence showing an alarming de» — Robert D. Putnam, politólogo citado por Brown con su ensayo, aporta la medida del declive del espíritu cívico estadounidense; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde se enumeran la participación electoral, los sindicatos y hasta las ligas de boliche.

«Putnam is prominent among those who feel that America’s economic and political success over the past two centuries has been due in no small part to a high level of civic engagement among ordinary citizens. Our future prosperity and the integrity of our democratic institutions, he argues, might be threatened it Americans continue their current retreat from civic life» — y la tesis que Brown le atribuye a ese politólogo sobre el peso del compromiso cívico en la prosperidad del país; el troceo imprime it por if.

«Robert Wuthnow, a sociologist who has conducted exhaustive research on the small-group movement, finds that nearly halt ot the American population has or will have some involvement with a small group that offers “caring and support for its members.”» — Robert Wuthnow, sociólogo citado por Brown, mide el alcance del movimiento de grupos pequeños en la población estadounidense; el troceo imprime halt y ot.

«He argues that these groups, which he refers to as “modular communities,” serve the important purpose ot mediating between the individual and large, impersonal institutions.» — y el término de ese sociólogo, comunidades modulares, con la función mediadora que les atribuye; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«Nevertheless, since small groups usually define themselves by the high level of emotional support that they offer to participants, one can reasonably infer that they represent yet another expression of the therapeutic ethos, including its ambivalence about civic life» — la inferencia que Brown saca contra esa lectura, declarada como inferencia razonable y no como conclusión: esos grupos serían otra expresión del ethos terapéutico.

«“Generally speaking,” writes Deborah Root, an art historian and cultural critic, “the New Age movement has a blind spot about money, and people involved in these practices tend to see no problem with buying and selling spirituality» — Deborah Root, historiadora del arte y crítica cultural citada por Brown, es la voz con que el libro presenta el reproche de vender espiritualidad; la frase cruza de plana.

«According to the historian William G. McLoughlin, the origin of this alliance can be found in the economic gospel of Puritan settlers, which “dignified and sanctified trade and commerce» — William G. McLoughlin, historiador citado por Brown, pone el origen de la alianza entre religión y negocio en el evangelio económico de los colonos puritanos; el troceo parte el nombre en el cambio de renglón.

«In a perceptive analysis of the degree to which capitalism has led Americans to attribute moral qualities to market relations, Robert Wuthnow observes that democratic freedoms were increasingly identified with the right ot choice, the most common form of which occurs in the daily selection of goods and services.» — Robert Wuthnow, sociólogo citado otra vez por Brown, traza la identificación entre libertad democrática y derecho de elegir en el mercado; el troceo imprime ot por of.

«“In exercising that responsibility,” Wuthnow argues, “the person can take pride in knowing that he or she has acted as a moral self.”» — y la fórmula de ese sociólogo sobre la elección de consumo vivida como acto de un yo moral.

«A vigorous supporter of this view is Marilyn Ferguson, whose best-selling book The Aquarian Conspiracy is widely regarded as a manifesto of New Age thought.» — Marilyn Ferguson, autora citada por Brown con su libro de más venta, es la voz que sostiene la lectura negativa del dinero dentro del propio campo.

«In a few well-argued paragraphs, Ferguson asserts that money separates us from a grounded understanding of our own creative power while fueling a desire for things that we do not need.» — y el argumento que Brown le atribuye, con el dinero apartando al hombre de su propio poder creativo.

«As the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss pointed out in The Gift, a small classic first published in 1925, material goods have always been infused with spiritual and psychological meaning.» — Marcel Mauss, antropólogo francés citado por Brown con su libro y su fecha, es la referencia con que el libro sitúa el sentido moral del don.

«Writers from Karl Marx to Georg Simmel have commented on money’s moral emptiness and its capacity to make all things equal regardless of their intrinsic worth.» — y los dos autores que Brown pone en la misma línea sobre el vacío moral del dinero y su poder de igualarlo todo.

«Over time, New Thought percolated into popular philosophies of self-help—notably, the books of Napoleon Hill (author of Think ami Grow Rich, a best-seller of the 1930s) and Norman Vincent Peale (author of The Power of» — los dos autores de autoayuda en que Brown ve filtrado aquel Nuevo Pensamiento, nombrados con sus libros; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, donde se completa el segundo título.

«Sherry Turkle, a canny observer of on-line psychology, notes that the window-based interface that today plays a key role in most popular computer programs has become a central metaphor for the simultaneous representation of different identities by the same person.» — Sherry Turkle, estudiosa citada otra vez por Brown, aporta la metáfora de las ventanas del programa de cómputo para la representación simultánea de identidades.

«“The life practice of windows is that of a decentered self that exists in many worlds and plays many roles at the same time,” she writes.» — y la fórmula de esa estudiosa sobre el yo descentrado que vive en muchos mundos a la vez.

«For Turkle, online windowing is symptomatic of our collective movement in the direction of the postmodern psychology articulated by Jacques Lacan, Gilles Deleuze, and other mandarins of late twentieth-century French philosophy.» — la filiación filosófica que esa estudiosa le da a ese yo, con los dos nombres franceses que Brown reproduce.

«“In the culture ol simulation,” Turkle observes, “if it works for you, it has all the reality it needs» — y la fórmula con que esa estudiosa cierra el pragmatismo de la cultura de la simulación; el troceo imprime ol por of.

«The philosopher Ian Hacking proposes that the concept of multiple personality creates “a new way to be an unhappy person by offering a language in which the expression of unhappiness can take a concrete form.» — Ian Hacking, filósofo citado por Brown, propone que el diagnóstico de personalidad múltiple ofrece un modo nuevo de ser infeliz.

«Bennett G. Braun, a psychiatrist prominent in the field of multiple personality, argues that the therapist’s goal in treating the condition should not be the elimination of alters but instead the achievement of “co-consciousness and integration,”» — Bennett G. Braun, psiquiatra citado por Brown, fija como meta del tratamiento la coconsciencia y la integración en vez de eliminar las personalidades alternas; la frase cruza de plana.

«Janice Haaken, a feminist psychologist, suggests an alternative framework. While allowing that sexual trauma may be a factor in many cases of multiple personality, Haaken argues that women may be especially prone to dissociative disorders because of the social conditions that prevail throughout their life course.» — Janice Haaken, psicóloga feminista citada por Brown, propone explicar la disociación femenina por las condiciones sociales de toda una vida y no solo por el trauma.

«“Dissociation not only is a defense against trauma but also can be a defense against a world that holds one captive without providing sufficient integrative possibilities or pleasure,” she asserts.» — y la fórmula de esa psicóloga, con la disociación como defensa ante un mundo que retiene sin dar salida ni placer.

«ality is attractive to therapists and clients because it focuses on a specific evil instead of diffuse cultural forces that are far more j difficult to pinpoint and change» — la inferencia que Brown atribuye a esa psicóloga: el modelo del trauma atrae porque señala un mal concreto en vez de fuerzas culturales difusas; la frase arranca al pie de la plana anterior y el troceo mete una jota suelta a media línea.

«but something closer to Johan Huizinga’s definition of play as “voluntary activity . . . having its aim in itself and accompanied by a feeling of tension, joy and the consciousness that it is ‘different* from ‘ordinary life» — Johan Huizinga, citado por Brown con su definición del juego, es la referencia con que el libro cierra su balance; el troceo deforma las comillas de la cita.

«Play, Huizinga notes, is about freedom and indeterminacy.» — y la fórmula corta de ese autor que Brown usa para lo que el campo tiene de mejor.

«The history of human communication with spirits has been chronicled in many places. Notable among recent works are Klimo, Channeling ; Hastings, With the Tongues ofMen and Angels; and Riordan’s admirably concise entry under “Channeling” in Melton et al., New Age Encyclopedia.» — la nota bibliográfica que abre el aparato, donde Brown declara las tres obras de referencia sobre el asunto, entre ellas la de Klimo.

«Although these experts see channeling as a modern version of spirit possession, shamanism, and forms of divination practiced since ancient times, the increasingly generic quality of its theology and the commercial manner of its distribution reveal the degree to which channeling has been reshaped by urbanization and mass literacy.» — y el deslinde que Brown hace ahí de esos expertos, con la urbanización y la alfabetización masiva por causas de la forma actual.

«Probably the most prolific channel in American history is Edgar Cayce (1877—1945). Cayce, a photographer, dabbled in occult teachings and alternative healing methods until the early 1920s, when he began to give psychic readings» — la nota donde Brown presenta a Edgar Cayce, con sus fechas y su oficio anterior; la frase cruza de plana.

«The last three decades have seen an explosive growth in the amount of channeled material available in print, thus reversing the occult turn in spiritualism led by Theosophy.» — la nota donde Brown mide el crecimiento del material canalizado impreso y lo lee como reversión del giro ocultista que atribuye a la teosofía.

«(Bjorling’s comprehensive bibliography, Channeling, contains more than 2,700 entries, most of which have appeared since 1965.)» — y la medida bibliográfica con que lo documenta, con el número de asientos y su fecha.

«The 1200-page A Course in Miracles (1975), for example, maintains a biblical heft consistent with the identity of its celestial author, whom the text implies is Jesus of Nazareth, yet it is written in an unadorned, first-person prose style and includes a teaching manual and workbook that bring spiritual issues down to a practical level.» — la nota donde Brown describe la obra canalizada más difundida, con su extensión, su fecha y el autor celestial que el propio texto implica; tramo largo releído entero en el crudo, con el año entre paréntesis que la guarda anticosido marca.

«More typical of contemporary texts are the books ofJane Roberts (1929—1984), including The Seth Material (1970) and Seth Speaks (1972), which convey a sense of the lively, interactive quality of most channeling sessions.» — la nota donde Brown nombra por su título y su fecha los dos libros de Jane Roberts que cita, y dice qué le parece que transmiten; tramo con años entre paréntesis, releído entero en el crudo, y el troceo pega el nombre a la preposición.

«The Seth books, like other popular channeled works published since, have spawned an extensive secondary literature, as well as audio tapes, videos, online discussion groups, magazines, and regional conferences.» — y el aparato secundario que Brown le adjudica a esa serie, de las cintas a las conferencias regionales.

«The Internet provides a means of diffusing channeled texts at minimal cost to an audience currently numbering around 30 million and still growing exponentially.» — la nota donde Brown mide el público de internet en el momento de escribir.

«As one might expect, the spread of channeling has inspired a counter-literature critical of many forms of contemporary spiritualism.» — y la nota donde declara la existencia de una contraliteratura crítica, con tres títulos que nombra.

«As a social scientist, in contrast, I am interested in how people involved in channeling define what they do, regardless of whether their usage is consistent.» — la nota metodológica donde Brown se deslinda de la parapsicología y la psicología transpersonal: le interesa cómo definen los practicantes lo que hacen.

«This observation is flawed, however, because most practitioners of New Age spirituality reject altogether the concept of religious affiliation and often object to the term “New Age.”» — la nota donde Brown objeta la cifra baja de una encuesta telefónica sobre afiliación religiosa.

«Because the New Age is as much a sensibility as a social movement, research methods that attempt to measure its influence through such conventional indices as church membership will never grasp its full impact.» — y la razón metodológica con que cierra esa objeción, y que vale para el libro entero.

«For readers steadfastly committed to the idea that the United States consists of an increasingly centrifugal gathering of distinct cultures, I will specify that when I use the term “American” in this book I am principally talking about Euro-American or Anglo-American middle-class society, still the nation’s dominant cultural influence.» — la nota donde Brown especifica qué entiende por estadounidense en este libro, y que es de las más cargadas del aparato.

«The DSM-IV describes a related condition called “dissociative disorder not otherwise specified” encompassing altered states in which patients “describe external spirits or entities that have entered their bodies and taken control,” implying that channeling might qualify as a dissociative disorder.» — la nota donde Brown consigna que el manual psiquiátrico describe una categoría bajo la cual cabría el asunto que estudia.

«As Peters and Price-Williams point out in a comparative analysis of shamanic trance, it is difficult to assess the depth of trance even in societies that practice “classic” forms of shamanism.» — la nota donde Brown recoge de dos estudiosos la dificultad de medir la hondura del trance, incluso en el chamanismo clásico.

«As Ryerson is a public figure in the New Age movement, I have felt free to use his real name. In any event, his style of channeling and the entities for whom he speaks are so distinctive that it would be impossible to maintain his anonymity.» — la nota donde Brown declara por qué este informante conserva su nombre real, que es la regla de seudónimos dicha por su excepción.

«Thomason’s analysis is persuasive yet limited by her focus on debunking the truth-claims of channels. Using the same logic, one could also “debunk” the performances of spirit mediums in other societies without producing any insight into the cultural meaning of mediumship.» — la nota donde Brown objeta el enfoque desmitificador de la lingüista que estudió el habla canalizada, y de paso su propio método.

«A document distributed at his channeling session asserted that “the English language has evolved on this planet to support the male-dominant civilization that has existed here for thousands of years.» — la doctrina lingüística que un canalizador reparte por escrito, con el inglés declarado hecho para sostener una civilización de dominio masculino; el verbatim se corta antes del compuesto que el troceo parte a fin de renglón, el par de bien y mal.

«Writing about the social world of public-relations executives, the sociologist Robert Jackall quotes one executive to the effect that “Everyone out there is constructing reality.” In the world of public relations, Jackall concludes, truth is “an irrelevant concept or one that is wholly kaleidoscopic ... As long as a kind of plausibility is maintained, one perspective is as good as any other.» — la nota donde Brown cita a un sociólogo sobre la verdad caleidoscópica del mundo de las relaciones públicas.

«An exception can be found in the Michael Teachings, which develop a systematic vision of the progress of the soul through multiple reincarnations.» — la nota donde Brown exceptúa a una de las enseñanzas del campo por tener sí un sistema del progreso del alma.

«News reports mention that bewildered locals refer to the vortex tourists as “woo-woos” or “moon puppies.”» — la nota donde Brown consigna cómo llaman los vecinos a los turistas de vórtices.

«The principal sources consulted for this and subsequent discussions of American spiritualism are Braude, Radical Spirits; Hess, Science in the New Age; Moore, In Search of White Crows; Owen, The Darkened Room; and issues of two spiritualist publications, the Spiritual Telegraph and the Shekinah, both published in the 1850s.» — la nota donde Brown declara sus fuentes para el espiritualismo estadounidense, incluida la de Braude; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«I was accompanied to this event by David Hess» — la nota donde Brown declara que dos colegas lo acompañaron a un acto; el tramo se corta al cambiar de plana, y el nombre de la segunda y el reconocimiento de que sus comentarios influyeron en su interpretación siguen en la plana siguiente.

«An interesting exception to New Age moral relativism is the Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT), whose teachings are based on revelations channeled by Mark Prophet and, after his death in 1973, by Elizabeth Claire Prophet. Apparently CUT enforces strict rules of personal morality similar to those of some evangelical Christian denominations.» — la nota donde Brown exceptúa del relativismo moral del campo a la iglesia que estudió en el capítulo sexto.

«In Illness as Metaphor, Susan Sontag attempted to dispose of the argument that people somehow cause their own cancer, but it has now firmly established itself as orthodoxy in American alternative healing.» — la nota donde Brown consigna el intento de una ensayista contra la idea de que uno se causa su propio cáncer y lo que pasó con ella.

«In her discussion of shamanism, Deborah O’Neill specifically referred to Harner’s The Way of the Shaman, a work that has proved influential in the development of New Age shamanism, or as it is sometimes called, neo-shamanism.» — la nota donde Brown da el libro del que la canalizadora del taller tomó su chamanismo y nombra la corriente, el neochamanismo, que el cuerpo no nombra.

«In response to Lewis’s proposed redefinition, Erika Bourguignon has argued that there is a profound difference between actively seeking spiritual contact and passively receiving it.» — la nota donde Brown consigna la objeción de una antropóloga a la definición ancha de chamán que el cuerpo usa.

«A 1994 conference exploring women-centered theology caused an uproar among conservative Methodists and Presbyterians, who strongly objected to the involvement of their churches in a meeting that they characterized as a celebration of goddess-worship.» — la nota donde Brown documenta la reacción conservadora ante una conferencia de teología centrada en la mujer.

«My data on the sex ratio of channels differ from those of Dureen Hughes, who reports rough parity between men and women in her sample of trance channels in the Los Angeles area.» — la nota donde Brown consigna que su propia medida del sexo de los canalizadores discrepa de la de otra investigadora, y no la armoniza.

«A recent survey published in the Winter 1994 issue of Reality Change, a magazine devoted to material channeled by Jane Roberts, reported that 67 percent of its readers were female.» — y la encuesta de la revista dedicada al material de Jane Roberts con que la contrasta.

«Parallels between this outlook and that of some male transvestites, who hold that cross-dressing is a path to achieving “the unification of self, the complete human being,”» — la nota donde Brown empareja la androginia del campo con lo que declaran algunos travestis, con la fórmula de unificación del yo.

«Although there is far more skepticism about prospects for life in communes today than there was in the 1970s, small intentional communities—many organized according to New Age principles—still dot the landscape of the United States.» — la nota donde Brown mide el estado de las comunas intencionales al momento de escribir.

«Stories about other alleged channeling cults continue to appear in the local and national media. In 1993, for example, the Virginian-Pilot ol Norfolk, Virginia, published a page-one story about two channels who allegedly bilked thirty followers out of their personal savings and induced them to perform public sex acts» — la nota donde Brown consigna los casos de prensa sobre supuestas sectas de canalización, sin suscribir las acusaciones.

«For discussion of the tensions between authoritarianism and radical individualism in spiritualist communities, see Carroll, “Spiritualism and Community in Antebellum America.”» — la nota donde Brown remite a un estudio sobre la tensión entre autoritarismo e individualismo radical en las comunidades espiritualistas.

«Writing around 1900, the German sociologist Georg Simmel noted money’s “indifferent and empty character.» — la nota donde Brown cita al sociólogo alemán sobre el carácter indiferente y vacío del dinero; el troceo cierra la comilla con dos rectas.

«The workshops I document here seem to have been influenced in varying degrees by Erhard Seminars Training» — la nota donde Brown declara la filiación que les ve a los talleres que documenta.

«Encounters between Latin American Indians and New Age tourists are analyzed in Schaefer, “Huichols, the New Age Movement, and the Native American Church;”» — la nota donde Brown remite a los estudios sobre el encuentro entre indios latinoamericanos y turistas de la New Age; el troceo parte la primera palabra.

«For a medical assessment of the effectiveness of non-Western therapeutic practices in psychotherapeutic settings, see» — la nota donde Brown remite a la evaluación médica de las terapias no occidentales en ámbito psicoterapéutico.

«tion (FAQ) document from the UseNet newsgroup alt. support, dissociation, downloaded November 19, 1995.» — la nota donde Brown fecha la descarga de un documento de un grupo de discusión en línea, que es donde el aparato declara su fuente electrónica.

«Adams, Richard, and Janice Haaken. “Anticultural» — la bibliografía arranca por orden alfabético de apellido; primera entrada levantada como muestra del formato.

«Bednarowski, Mary Farrell. New Religions and the Theological Imagination» — muestra del formato de la bibliografía, con una de las obras que el cuerpo cita sobre las religiones nuevas.

«Gospel of Prosperity in America’s Religioeconomic Corporations.” In In Gods We Trust: New Patterns of Religious Pluralism in» — muestra de una entrada de capítulo en obra colectiva sobre el evangelio de la prosperidad, que sostiene el capítulo séptimo.

«Davie, Jody Shapiro. Women in the Presence: Constructing Community and Seeking» — muestra de la bibliografía sobre mujeres y religión, que sostiene el capítulo quinto.

«Fuller, Robert C. Alternative Medicine and American Religious Life. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.» — muestra de la bibliografía sobre medicina alternativa y vida religiosa estadounidense; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«Handelman, Don. Models and Mirrors: Towards an Anthropology of Public Events. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.» — muestra de la bibliografía antropológica del volumen; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«In Soul and Money, Proceedings of the 8th International Congress» — muestra de una entrada de actas de congreso dentro de la bibliografía.

«Kaminer, Wendy. I’m Dysfunctional, You’re Dysfunctional: The Recovery Movement and Other Self-Help Fashions. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1992.» — muestra de la bibliografía sobre el movimiento de recuperación, que sostiene el capítulo cuarto; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«Ecstatic Religion: An Anthropological Study of Spirit Possession and Shamanism.» — muestra de la bibliografía sobre posesión y chamanismo, que sostiene el capítulo cuarto.

«Melton, J. Gordon, Jerome Clark, and Aidan A. Kelly. New Age Encyclopedia. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, 1990.» — la enciclopedia de la New Age que el aparato cita una y otra vez, con sus tres compiladores; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«Susan Jean. Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh» — muestra de la obra comparativa sobre la condición de las mujeres en los movimientos religiosos nuevos.

«RiefF, Philip. The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith After Freud. New York: Harper & Row, 1966.» — la obra que da el marco del ethos terapéutico que el libro entero usa; el troceo deforma el apellido; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«Rupert, Glenn A. “Employing the New Age: Training Seminars.”» — muestra de la bibliografía sobre seminarios de capacitación, que sostiene el capítulo séptimo.

«Stacey, Judith. Brave New Families: Tales of Domestic Upheaval in Late Twentieth Century America. New York: Basic Books, 1991.» — muestra de la bibliografía sobre la familia estadounidense; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«W., Lynn, ed. Mending Ourselves: Expressions of Healing and Self- Integration. Cincinnati, Oh.: Many Voices Press, 1993.» — la entrada que la bibliografía asienta por una inicial, por ser literatura de autoayuda escrita por personas diagnosticadas con personalidad múltiple; bibliografía marcada, releída entera en el crudo.

«Altered states of consciousness, 6, 19-21, 175, 199n5; and mental illness, 19-20. See also Dissocia» — muestra del índice analítico, con la entrada de estados alterados de consciencia y su remisión.

«Christianity, 57, 59, 93; evangelical, 5, 54, 58, 93-94, 138, 212nl7; channels' attitudes to» — muestra del índice, con la entrada del cristianismo y sus subentradas, que es donde el volumen registra cuánto lo trata.

«“Higher self,” 21, 24, 75, Hill, Napoleon, 145» — muestra del índice, con el término del campo asentado entre comillas y el autor de autoayuda que el capítulo séptimo nombra; el verbatim se corta antes de la entrada siguiente, cuya localización con nota la guarda anticosido marca.

«Multiple-user domains (MUDs), 126, 177 Narcissism, 10» — muestra del índice, con la entrada de los dominios multiusuario de internet.

«Schucman, Helen, 6. See also Course in Miracles, A.» — muestra del índice, con la canalizadora asentada y remitida a la obra que se le atribuye.

«Wuthnow, Robert, 140, 143 Xavier, Chico, 81 Zuni Indians, 166-167, 212nl6» — el cierre del índice analítico, con las últimas entradas del volumen.

«Channelers claim to be possessed by angels, aliens, and "ascended masters" who speak through them, offering advice and solace. Intellectuals dismiss them as cranks and charlatans; evangelical Christians accuse them of trafficking with Satanic forces. Michael Brown explores the scope and substance of the practice called channeling as a window on the persistent New Age movement. Drawing on years of close involvement with New Age practitioners and their clients, Brown offers a lively, balanced first-hand assessment of the hopes, fears, and obsessions of the thousands of Americans who have abandoned mainstream religions in search of direct and» — la contracubierta del editor resume el libro y sus dos públicos adversos, los intelectuales y los cristianos evangélicos; no es voz del autor.

«He sees channeling, correctly, as utterly American in its individualism, commercialism and faith in progress» — y el elogio de prensa que la contracubierta cita, donde se declara al asunto enteramente estadounidense por su individualismo y su comercialismo.

Ocultismo (occultisme) — Brown lo usa como el rótulo de la enseñanza de la que el campo toma su jerarquía celestial: dice de la Sociedad Teosófica que es una organización cuyas enseñanzas ocultas han influido con fuerza en la New Age contemporánea, la cuenta entre los grupos ocultos a los que pasaron los interesados en la reencarnación cuando declinó el espiritualismo, atribuye a Edgar Cayce haber curioseado enseñanzas ocultas antes de sus lecturas psíquicas, y lo pone entre las lecturas de sus informantes, del autoayuda a la física de partículas. En las notas llama giro ocultista del espiritualismo al que atribuye a la teosofía.

Imaginación (phantasia) — Brown la trae como la técnica central de la enseñanza que documenta: los ejercicios del taller son de imaginería guiada, y también lo son las partes de mayor fuerza emocional del taller comercial de Los Ángeles, donde llevaban a los participantes a un templo interior. La declara además fuente de los ritos indios que el campo practica, que a su juicio salieron sobre todo de la imaginación angloamericana.

Evocación (llamar y constreñir espíritus) — La invocación es el procedimiento que se enseña en el taller que Brown recorre: cada aprendiz escribe la suya para fijar la disposición mental, la maestra declara que la propia se le desplazó de una entidad concreta a un campo de luz, y el acto público de la pareja de Santa Fe abre con una invocación larga antes del trance.

Prisca theologia (la teología antiquísima) — Brown fija en la imagen que el campo tiene de sí la busca de una sabiduría antigua: dice que el tumulto de la vida urbana no se concilia con la imagen del channeling como camino hacia la sabiduría antigua y hacia una intimidad renovada con la naturaleza, y atribuye a la Sociedad Teosófica haberse presentado como la fuente principal de la sabiduría oculta.