Marianne Williamson spent her twenties lost, living in a geodesic dome, singing in cabarets, and battling profound depression before a self-study curriculum called A Course in Miracles gave her a new philosophy. She went on to found major charities, sell millions of books as Oprah's go-to spiritual advisor, and run for president.

This deep dive tracks her wild evolution as a case study in how the American self-help movement merged with modern political activism, following the consistent thread that connects the cabaret singer to the presidential candidate.

• Her activist upbringing, including her father taking the family to Vietnam to show the war's cost
• Her wasted decade, nervous breakdown, and discovery of A Course in Miracles as spiritual psychotherapy
• Her AIDS-era charity work with the Center for Living and Proj ...