It might sound strange, (especially since I often enjoy Pinker) but I have to mostly agree with this author in his portrayal of the motivations of the spiritualistic, and to the degree he defends it, I think he's pretty reasonable.

That being said "Such individual experimentation is not the same thing as the scientific method; it lacks the proving tests of replication and consensus. But the two approaches are more closely related than today’s apostles of scientism often suggest. They proceed from the same intense curiosity, the same desire for understanding through experience" is the definitive problem with these spiritual/paranormal pursuits. (I give him props for pointing out the value for creativity/curiosity and experience among those in these communities; that was my personal experience with them as well.)

The many absurdities and moral quandaries that come about from those pursuits, stem from that very pivotal lack of reason, logic, etc.—cautious truth seeking, in my opinion. Or as others have put it, "a tether to reality".

And unfortunately, without the checks and balances that come from even a basic pursuit of reliable truth-seeking methods, these spiritualistic things quickly devolve into personally-harmful territory.

From beliefs in miracles
Come worsening illnesses
And injuries for those who waste time seeking a miracle.

From beliefs in the effectiveness of prayer in comforting others
Stem people who do not seek out or give comfort
In the moments they most need them.

From beliefs in afterlives
Come lives poorly expended today.

From beliefs in pseudo-medications
Stem wasted money and lengthened suffering.

All of those failures I know through painful personal experience. And all of them were thoroughly avoidable—but only without the false beliefs.

From false hopes come failed and disastrous solutions. Though to be fair to this opinion writer, true hopes, poorly implemented, can also fail. And also in the writer's (and those communities, too) defense, those negative effects are not the only outcomes.

But that is where there is some value in what Pinker says, too. The failures of false beliefs are often easily avoided—not just in hind-sight but with even basic competence in fore-sight.

I guess the idea is that reason can be stretched to suit our agenda?
That is usually what corrupt politicians are good at.