> e.g. into astrology, QAnon-style "theories", "General Artificial Intelligence", spiritualized ecology, etc.
Most of all: College. Not only does it share a lot of the practical value that the church historically provided (community, fellowship, teaching), but notably it carries a similar fear-based belief system whereby there is a lot of social pressure to attend and it is accepted that if you don't attend you will face the scorn of the economic deity; the modern day version of "you will go to hell".
The specific "higher power" may have changed with time, but the human behaviour certainly hasn't.
Most of all: College. Not only does it share a lot of the practical value that the church historically provided (community, fellowship, teaching), but notably it carries a similar fear-based belief system whereby there is a lot of social pressure to attend and it is accepted that if you don't attend you will face the scorn of the economic deity; the modern day version of "you will go to hell".
The specific "higher power" may have changed with time, but the human behaviour certainly hasn't.