In my
book A Dictionary of Thought Distortions I
claim that the Sophists used thought distortions as a way of getting on in the
world, while Socrates (the philosopher), used critical thinking. I
consider this book to be a kind of philosophical diary on how I, during my
spiritual crisis, used critical thinking (elenchos, the art of refutation) to
distinguish base magic (New Age), which leaves everything to chance, and may
lead its practitioners to consort with falsity and evil daemons, and higher
magic or theurgy.