Americans are scrambling into the New Age, seeking moral guidance from aura readers, angels and aliens. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the race to enlightenment: a travel writer visits California's spiritual fringe; the archangel Gabriel introduces us to angel sex; and we'll visit a permanent camp meeting on the Jersey shore.

Travel writer and novelist Mary Morris tells Judith Strasser about some of her experiences with unusual religious groups in California, and why so many of them find the state a congenial home. Her book is "Angels and Aliens: A Journey West. Also, Troy Messenger, Director of Worship at Union Theological Seminary and author of "Holy Leisure: Recreation and Religion in God's Square Mile," tells Jim Fleming about the permanent camp meeting established by the Methodists at Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

Robert Thurman, the pre-eminent Tibetan Buddhist scholar in America and author of "Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Real Happiness," tells Steve Paulson what the Eastern notion of enlightenment has in common with the Western Age of Enlightenment, and makes the case for enlightenment factories in our society. Also, Bible scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell tells Steve about his new book, "Meetings with the Archangel: A Comedy of the Spirit." Mitchell posits an angelic host that plays games and has sex, and talks about his own Buddhist spiritual practice.

Peter Nichols tells Jim Fleming about his solo sail across the Atlantic aboard "Toad" - the wooden boat he restored with his wife. Both the boat and the marriage sank. Nichols' book about the journey is "Sea Change."

Distribution dates:

• week of 02/28/99 - hour 3