Through the ages, many people have turned to religion to search for wisdom about their life's meaning and purpose. Even the ancients understood that knowledge is equated with power. During the Middle Ages, some who sought spiritual insight joined religious orders where higher learning was accessible. In the last century, seekers increasingly turned to Eastern philosophies. The 1970s witnessed people's use of mind-expanding drugs to enter alternative states of consciousness where they believed the secrets of the universe would be revealed. Today's wisdom-seekers mine ancient traditions, science, and other sources.