It is not an original observation to point out that at the heart of the technological and scientific culture of the West smolders – more than ever in recent decades – a vibrant interest in the metaphysical, that is, in the sphere of human spirituality that escapes the analyses and experiments of applied science.

One does not need to make a tremendous effort to substantiate this observation: the revival of Christian faith in former communist countries, the infiltration of religious rhetoric into the political program as well as in the political practice of the planet's sole superpower, the flourishing of pseudoscience (astrology, magic, etc.) are just a few of the evidences that a simple glance at the contemporary world can provide.