Spirit Tech
The Brave New World of Consciousness Hacking and Engineering Enlightenment
Spirit Tech leads the reader on journey surveying some the most exciting technological advancements in brain science being harnessed for spiritual growth and wellness. Along the way, we hear from the research scientists, tech entrepreneurs, and everyday tech users whose lives have been transformed by the quest to reimagine humanity’s relationship with technology. Readers will encounter seven different realms of technology: neurofeedback-guided meditation; several different types of brain stimulation; technologically-mediated rituals that can generate intimate connection and collective effervescence; virtual reality (VR) “technodelics” that can stimulate altered states of consciousness; the performance of Christian sacraments in VR; psychedelic substances employed to enhance mystical experiences; forms of shamanic tourism which center around spiritual experiences with psychotropic plants; and finally, the harnessing of artificial intelligence for providing spiritual guidance. Since Spirit Tech focuses on the cutting edge, many of these technologies are still new and in development, but they are already making their way into people’s lives and spiritual meaning-making processes, gradually revolutionizing the contemporary spiritual landscape.
Media Coverage
Vox Conversations podcast with Sigal Samuel, “Is there a hack for enlightenment?”
Interview with Ken Chitwood: “God in the Brain: PW Talks with Kate J. Stockly,” Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2021.
Spirit Tech featured with a few other new books: Cathy Lynn Grossman, “Don’t Fence Me In: Religion and Spirituality Books for 2021,” Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2021.
Publishers Weekly Review of Spirit Tech
Interview with Cathy Lynn Grossman: “STEM Meets Religion,” Publishers Weekly, November 6, 2020.
Future Tense podcast with Antony Funnell, “The atomization of religious belief.”
Podcast episode, The Phil Drysdale Show, episode 124.
Praise for Spirit Tech
“Prepare for lift-off. Spirit Tech is a critical look at the cutting-edge intersection of science and consciousness, where experiences once called “mystical” are now being reproduced in the lab, with technology, and all bets are off as to what the future holds.” — Steven Kotler, New York Times bestselling author and Executive Chairman of the Flow Research Collective
"Spirit Tech is a marvelously readable and often mind-blowing introduction to new frontiers in spiritual exploration. We find science fiction made flesh, here among us, now. Prepare to have your brain rewired." — David Voas, Social Research Institute, University College of London
“Wesley J. Wildman and Kate J. Stockly make it clear that a brave new world is upon us, as high tech entrepreneurs develop "God helmets," virtual reality landscapes and churches, and concoct high-tech drugs and other technologies to induce spiritual states and heightened consciousness. Wildman and Stockly offer a fascinating exploration of this emerging high-tech spirituality and its ethical implications.” — Fred Nadis, author of Star Settlers: the Billionaires, Geniuses, and Crazed Visionaries out to Conquer the Universe
“This fascinating book takes a fresh look at religion and spirituality, through a closer examination of “spirit tech” — e.g., technologies that enhance spiritual experiences, ranging from those trying to “hack” spirituality through traditional shamanistic substances like ayahuasca, to others using cutting edge technologies like magnetic brain stimulation to simulate ecstatic experiences. We suddenly find ourselves in this Brave New World of spirituality which warrants a closer examination of both its impacts and ethics. This well-researched and well-written tome is a necessary guidebook for readers seeking spirituality in the digital era, as well as for religious leaders contemplating ways to attract digital natives whose interest in “church” has waned, as glittering cell phones and social media enchant them instead.” — Julie M. Albright, Digital Sociologist and Author of Left to Their Own Devices: How Digital Natives Are Reshaping the American Dream
"Spirituality, technology, neuroscience, data, values, culture — every time you think you could not throw more complex ideas into a conversation, in walk Kate and Wesley. They bring a fresh voice to the examination of an emerging industry that mixes high tech science with ancient wisdom. Look to Spirit Tech to challenge all your assumptions about the future of spirituality as well as the consciousness and wellness movements." — Kippy Rudy, Chief Development Officer, Center for Mind and Culture