Since the Age of the Enlightenment in the 18th century, many observers have viewed spirituality to be in conflict with science. Certainly, some folk views of spiritual life, which dealt with the supernatural in the form of witches, ghosts and the paranormal, have been debunked by scientific research – in many people's eyes, at least. And yet, science has never offered much of a spiritual alternative to the world's major religions largely because faith in them is a matter of inner belief rather than something that might be observable or provable in nature, the central plank of empirical scientific endeavour. In the 20th century, the increased scientific understanding of the world around us has led to some diminution in religious forms of spirituality, certainly in the West. However, this has also led to some seeking a more spiritual life by adopting certain Eastern belief systems, for example, such as in the take up of a New Age spiritual life.