Since the Beatles' flirtation with Hindu Gurus like Mahareshi Yogi and Prabhupada in the late '60s, the presence and popularity of Indian spiritual teachers or Gurus has made a small but significant contribution to the religious consciousness of the West.

One of the main appeals that Indian philosophies and spiritualities have for the intelligent and spiritually-minded Westerner is their more "mystical", "esoteric", and Monistic understanding of reality.  For searchers after truth previously only allowed the sterile choice between Sceptical Materialism on the one hand, and dogmatic religious (theistic) Dualism on the other, this is a welcome draft indeed..

Eastern monism has thus come to represent a third alternative for those who find Materialism and Monotheistic dualism options that are two shallow and limiting