Truth seekers flashed Linda Goodman's "Sun Signs" book in the late '60s. Crystals, incense and jade Buddhas followed as emblems of enlightenment.

The accessory du jour: A red string bracelet to ward off the evil eye, a symbol of commitment to the spiritual science called Kabbalah. Devotees include Madonna, Britney Spears, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

Sorry, latter-day New Agers. The wisdom of ancient Jewish mysticism is accrued through hard-core study, not via magic, curses and $26 bangles.

Authentic Kabbalah (ka-ba-LAH) "is a science, pure science, that explains how we balance ourselves and nature. The more balanced we are, the better we feel," said Rav Michael Laitman, Ph.D., founder of the Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education & Research Institute in Israel (www.kabbalah.info).

The Kabbalah expert -- "Rav" means teacher in Hebrew -- Laitman will discuss the once-secret teachings 4 p.m. today at Oakton Community College in Skokie. The lecture, a stop on Laitman's nine-city U.S. tour, is free and open to the public and includes a Q&A segment.

Think of it as Kabbalah 101, an introduction to Jewish lore open to all cultures and faith.

That's an important point, said Laitman, whose 30 books on Kabbalah range from scholarly tomes to the just-published "Complete Idiot's Guide to Kabbalah" (Alpha Books, $16.95). The doctrine, one reserved for married Talmud scholars older than 40, is relevant to all, because it addresses universal questions like "What is the meaning of my life?"

"We're all connected, and we can't survive without being dependent on everyone else," said Laitman, speaking via interpreter in a phone conversation.

"On the other hand, we can't stand each other. Just like a family. It can do harm to nature. Here comes the wisdom of Kabbalah, to explain how -- despite it all -- we can get along."

Better to receive

Kabbalah -- the word means "to receive" -- seeks to describe and illuminate the laws of the spiritual world.

According to tradition, the hunger for self-knowledge is as old as man. Adam of Old Testament fame is regarded as the first Kabbalist. The second is Hebrew patriarch Abraham. The study of the Torah and other texts for enlightenment dates back more than 5,000 years to Babylon.

Early practitioners studied these writings and mystical books -- which allude to angels, the tree of life and the symbolism of letters -- in secret. The goal: To unlock the secrets to life, the universe and everything. The influential "Book of Zohar" dates from the 13th century.

A prevailing theory is that nature (i.e., The Creator) is a giving force, is complete, and can complete the individual. In turn, the individual must connect with the Creator and to live life to the fullest. Kabbalist teachings unlock and activate the potential to receive.

Devotees analyze all thoughts, actions and events according to the impact on their spiritual path.

After the fall of the second temple in 70 A.D., interest in Kabbalah faded. The practice revived in the late 20th century due to our increasingly fractured global society, Laitman said.

"Look at films from 50 years ago," said Laitman, a practicing Jew, Kabbalist and scientist with a degree in biocybernetics and a Ph.D. in philosophy and ontology.

"We see that people were simple people. They managed to get along with each other. They didn't do much damage to nature. The (collective) ego constantly increased and intensified from generation to generation. Today, it's at such a magnitude, that we hate even ourselves and our kids and everyone, the whole world. That's why we're so alienated."

Source of controversy

The Hadassic community urges the study of Kabbalah to refine their spirits. But many Jews in the Conservative and Reform movements reject the "science" as a too-liberal interpretation of Jewish law. Others maintain that a knowledge of the Hebrew language and Jewish history are crucial to interpreting the texts.

"To focus only on Kabbalah and not Jewish practices and general Jewish beliefs is counterintuitive," said Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov of Chabad of Northwest Indiana.

"It's like studying Shakespeare without a basic knowledge of English."

That said, Kabbalah is undeniably a major trend.

"All the movements have their pluses and minuses," said Rabbi Raphael Ostrovsky of Congregation Beth Israel in Hammond.

"As a conservative Jew, I'm not into it. But that doesn't mean I don't recognize its importance in the world of Jewish literature," he said.

"It's more than a movement. It a way of studying Jewish traditions, law, lore, customs and ceremonies. It has added a lot. But to each his own."

Like many aspects of Judaism, Kabbalah is open to wide interpretation.

The Los Angeles Kabbalah Centre, a magnet for A-list stars like Madonna and Demi Moore, hawk $26 boxes of red twine to ward off "negative influences." Other neo-Kabbalists strive to find inner harmony via crystals, magic spells and "visits" to spirit realms.

Study, not trinkets and hocus-pocus, leads to inner peace, Laitman said. Talismans are like placebos. "They are a psychological compensation," he said.