We fundamentally do need religion. By that I don't mean organized religion but rather that we do need some way to integrate and interface with magical and superstitious thinking. Why? Because, fundamentally a very large part of our psyche works that way. For example love and sex are entirely irrational - they do not follow from a conscious rational decision but are rather instinct driven. To make an attempt at purely rational living is a form of denial and naivety. If we are going to ever be able to come to terms with the irrational parts of our psyches then finding a way to relate to that is imperative for humanity as a whole.
I don't necessarily mean that we must adopt superstitious thinking but that perhaps it needs to be re-framed in such a way that it can be harmonized with rational thinking. For example, from time to time I will use hallucinogenic shamanic substances or meditative techniques to induce a temporary psychosis during which I will have the opportunity to deal with "evil spirits". Do these "evil spirits" have an independent reality to them? I have no idea. I practice skepticism about the absolute nature of reality so perhaps they are merely irrational representations of neurological phenomena, perhaps not. Either way, it doesn't matter because the methods I use produce results for my psychological well-being in a way that rational thinking will never be able to. In fact a large part of the "source" of such "evil spirits" is an over-reliance on rational thinking - a kind of denial and "disembodiment" from the instincts. The idea that there is an entropy between unconscious (instinctive) drives and the conscious mind is well established and accepted in psychodynamic theory and psychology. It's only when we are able to have some relatedness to those instinctual aspects of ourselves that we are able to have some autonomy from them, otherwise we are subject to "obsession" and "possession" by them.
For me, the first step is to absolutely engage honestly in materialism, skepticism and rationality - to pull ourselves completely out of the irrational. The second step is to re-engage and integrate with it. If the first step isn't performed there is a danger in taking things too seriously and getting swept up in the ensuing chaos. In the sense of Greek philosophy, the Logos must first be well established. Our myths describe the psychological process very well - from Christ's journey into hell to redeem the lost souls to Theseus and his slaying of the Minotaur. Of course, one has to see these as psychological metaphor rather than literal truth, otherwise it's likely one will be driven to insanity (fall prey to the "sirens" or "be taken by the fairies").
Psychologically speaking the whole theist-atheist, skeptic vs superstitious debate is really an externalized projection of the ongoing struggle between the rational and irrational functions of an individual's psyche to establish dominion over it's opposite. I think one would do well to withdraw the projection and look at the internal motivations and this is why we need some form of "religiosity" or some engagement with the irrational function.
