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Somewhere between a lifestyle choice and a religious belief, Western buddhism and other alternative spiritualities with origins in the East are slowly displacing traditional religion within Western societies. Is the idea of inner peace which they offer a way of immunising ourselves from the apparently relentless change around us? Is the solace which they offer from the modern world real, or just another illusion? Speakers: Jeffery Paine, author of Re-enchantment and Adventures with the Buddha; Richard King, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Vanderbilt University and co-author of Selling Spirituality, Mick Brown, author of The Spiritual Tourist; Indra Adnan, Director of New Integrity. Chair: Marion Bowman, senior lecturer in religious studies at The Open University and co-editor of Beyond New Age.