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Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat
Conspirituality takes a deep dive into the troubling phenomenon of influencers who have curdled New Age spirituality and wellness with the politics of paranoia—peddling vaccine misinformation, tales of child trafficking, and wild conspiracy theories.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a disturbing social media trend a large number of yoga instructors and alt-health influencers were posting stories about a secretive global cabal bent on controlling the world’s population with a genocidal vaccine. Instagram feeds that had been serving up green smoothie recipes and Mary Oliver poems became firehoses of Fox News links, memes from 4chan, and prophecies of global transformation.
Since May 2020, Derek Beres, Matthew Remski and Julian Walker have used their Conspirituality podcast to expose countless facets of the intersection of alt-health practitioners with far-right conspiracy trolls. Now this expansive and revelatory book unpacks the follies, frauds, cons and cults that dominate the New Age and wellness spheres and betray the trust of people who seek genuine relief in this uncertain age.
With analytical rigor and irreverent humor, Conspirituality offers an antidote to our times, helping readers recognize wellness grifts, engage with loved ones who've fallen under the influence, and counter lies and distortions with insight and empathy.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a disturbing social media trend a large number of yoga instructors and alt-health influencers were posting stories about a secretive global cabal bent on controlling the world’s population with a genocidal vaccine. Instagram feeds that had been serving up green smoothie recipes and Mary Oliver poems became firehoses of Fox News links, memes from 4chan, and prophecies of global transformation.
Since May 2020, Derek Beres, Matthew Remski and Julian Walker have used their Conspirituality podcast to expose countless facets of the intersection of alt-health practitioners with far-right conspiracy trolls. Now this expansive and revelatory book unpacks the follies, frauds, cons and cults that dominate the New Age and wellness spheres and betray the trust of people who seek genuine relief in this uncertain age.
With analytical rigor and irreverent humor, Conspirituality offers an antidote to our times, helping readers recognize wellness grifts, engage with loved ones who've fallen under the influence, and counter lies and distortions with insight and empathy.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published June 13, 2023
About the author
Derek Beres
12 books33 followersDerek Beres is a multi-faceted author, speaker, and media expert based in Portland, Oregon. He has served in senior editorial positions at a number of tech companies and has years of experience in health, science, and music writing. He regularly speaks on science and media literacy. Derek is the co-host of the Conspirituality podcast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
September 24, 2023
Really fascinating book - but that fits with all the QAnon investigative books - it’s good storytelling and tells the story through good writing, but leaves me wanting more analysis. Perhaps these are the biases I’m bringing as reader, wanting more philosophical musings about society, niche and all-consuming. This book does that a few times, but I wish it would’ve been more prominent and regular.
Regardless, if this is a topic that interests you, you’ll enjoy it. I’m not a listener of their podcast, but I did enjoy this. This would be a great book to read with a friend
Regardless, if this is a topic that interests you, you’ll enjoy it. I’m not a listener of their podcast, but I did enjoy this. This would be a great book to read with a friend
January 9, 2023
I will preface my review with the fact that I am not a listener of the podcast produced by the authors and had absolutely no awareness of their existence until I read this book so my review is based solely on the content of this book.
I really enjoyed the perspectives offered in this book, the authors have unique experiences with cults and cult adjacent groups which confers them a particular understanding of how people end up falling for ideas that might seem ludicrous and of how insidiously these ideas are often presented (often side by side with actually valid information). The book is very humane in its approach, and I really appreciated that (especially as I have family members who fall/fell at various places on the conspirituality spectrum without being lacking in intellectual capacities or humanity but maybe in media literacy).
There is a section about influencers and media people who peddle "conspirituality" ideas and it was really interesting for me to read what happened with JP Sears after I stopped following him (I was a fairly early YouTube followed but at some point his brand of humor stopped feeling a bit self-deprecating and started feeling mean spirited so I dipped and didn't keep up with him at all). They resist the urge to simply demonize people at every turn so even when discussing figures such as Teal Swan and Joe Rogan (which they describe as an enabler more than an active peddler) their tone is one of understanding.
I was especially fond of how they described the clash between vaccination being one size fits all and the need to be unique, to have things be bespoke, I had never thought of it that way and they expressed it succinctly and eloquently.
Extensive sources are listed at the end of the book and the style made for an agreeable reading experience even for someone who never listened to the podcast.
I received an eARC of this book from PublicAffairs through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the perspectives offered in this book, the authors have unique experiences with cults and cult adjacent groups which confers them a particular understanding of how people end up falling for ideas that might seem ludicrous and of how insidiously these ideas are often presented (often side by side with actually valid information). The book is very humane in its approach, and I really appreciated that (especially as I have family members who fall/fell at various places on the conspirituality spectrum without being lacking in intellectual capacities or humanity but maybe in media literacy).
There is a section about influencers and media people who peddle "conspirituality" ideas and it was really interesting for me to read what happened with JP Sears after I stopped following him (I was a fairly early YouTube followed but at some point his brand of humor stopped feeling a bit self-deprecating and started feeling mean spirited so I dipped and didn't keep up with him at all). They resist the urge to simply demonize people at every turn so even when discussing figures such as Teal Swan and Joe Rogan (which they describe as an enabler more than an active peddler) their tone is one of understanding.
I was especially fond of how they described the clash between vaccination being one size fits all and the need to be unique, to have things be bespoke, I had never thought of it that way and they expressed it succinctly and eloquently.
Extensive sources are listed at the end of the book and the style made for an agreeable reading experience even for someone who never listened to the podcast.
I received an eARC of this book from PublicAffairs through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2023
I have been listening to the podcast Conspirituality for a couple of years. But you don't have to in order to read the book. It is a look into the world of New Age Alt-Med grifters. People say "oh what's the harm?" These so-called leaders physically and financially abuse lots of people, that's the harm. When they scare parents into not vaccinating their kids, that's the harm. And don't even get me started on Q.
I just reviewed Conspirituality by Derek Beres; Matthew Remski; Julian Walker. #NetGalley
I just reviewed Conspirituality by Derek Beres; Matthew Remski; Julian Walker. #NetGalley
May 2, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of "Conspirituality" in exchange for an honest review!
I want to start by saying-- I have never listened to their podcast before and have no knowledge about the authors and their experiences in life. I'm a bad person and wanted to read the book purely because the cover interested me.
I also want to preface this review by saying-- I am an averagely educated person in a small town in the South. 2020-late 2021 was a very stressful time to be in my area, as it was everywhere (obviously by this book), but I frequently deleted people I had known for years because of the conspiracy theories posted on Facebook. I worked retail throughout the pandemic, and I was just mentally exhausted at the--excuse my french-- bullshit. The first chapter or so of this, I was reading it and was like "YES YES YES! All of this" because I truly felt like my worries and annoyances were put into words. It was almost triggering to read, and gave me flashbacks to when my blood pressure began to raise as an adult.
Although, as the book went on, I got... well, unfortunately, bored. The writing is SO well thought out and researched, but for me, it just felt...dry. I don't know if my location in the country affected some of my feelings-- as there is NOT a ton of yoga studios in my town, and the book talks a LOT about yoga. And a lot of the people referenced in the book were just really unfamiliar to me. One thought I also had as a reader (as a democrat too) was that I wished this book didn't feel like it was aimed towards a particular political party. I think a lot of people who may lean towards the right, if they pick up the book, will just completely shut off. Do I think they'll pick up the book? No idea, but it was just a thought.
Overall, if you kept up with the hubub more than me during COVID, I think you will enjoy this book. The writing is really well done, I just don't think it was the best for me as a reader personally.
I want to start by saying-- I have never listened to their podcast before and have no knowledge about the authors and their experiences in life. I'm a bad person and wanted to read the book purely because the cover interested me.
I also want to preface this review by saying-- I am an averagely educated person in a small town in the South. 2020-late 2021 was a very stressful time to be in my area, as it was everywhere (obviously by this book), but I frequently deleted people I had known for years because of the conspiracy theories posted on Facebook. I worked retail throughout the pandemic, and I was just mentally exhausted at the--excuse my french-- bullshit. The first chapter or so of this, I was reading it and was like "YES YES YES! All of this" because I truly felt like my worries and annoyances were put into words. It was almost triggering to read, and gave me flashbacks to when my blood pressure began to raise as an adult.
Although, as the book went on, I got... well, unfortunately, bored. The writing is SO well thought out and researched, but for me, it just felt...dry. I don't know if my location in the country affected some of my feelings-- as there is NOT a ton of yoga studios in my town, and the book talks a LOT about yoga. And a lot of the people referenced in the book were just really unfamiliar to me. One thought I also had as a reader (as a democrat too) was that I wished this book didn't feel like it was aimed towards a particular political party. I think a lot of people who may lean towards the right, if they pick up the book, will just completely shut off. Do I think they'll pick up the book? No idea, but it was just a thought.
Overall, if you kept up with the hubub more than me during COVID, I think you will enjoy this book. The writing is really well done, I just don't think it was the best for me as a reader personally.
September 19, 2023
Alright, but felt like there was a huge gap around antisemitism's connection to conspiracy theories. It felt weird that there was almost a whole chapter breaking down conspirituality's ties to Hindu nationalism in a very helpful way, but to not do the same with antisemitism, instead constantly mentioning it in passing without actually explaining it. I'm not sure if it's because they assumed the reader already had a baseline understanding of how antisemitism function (I can guarantee you most don't), or because they don't actually understand themselves, but I'm inclined to believe it's the latter.
Like, given how many people ask Jewish people if they're hiding a tail or scales, it felt weird to mention David Icke's antisemitism and lizard people conspiracies SO often without mentioning that in it, Jews are the lizard people. And that they were constantly talking about references to "global elite" and "Cabal" without explaining that those are dogwhistles for "Jewish people." Or explaining the origin of the blood libel conspiracy.
Given how frequently and prominently these specific conspiracies were mentioned in the book, along with things like Nazis and eugenics, it felt like a big piece of missing context to never actually explain antisemitism as a conspiracy theory.
Like, given how many people ask Jewish people if they're hiding a tail or scales, it felt weird to mention David Icke's antisemitism and lizard people conspiracies SO often without mentioning that in it, Jews are the lizard people. And that they were constantly talking about references to "global elite" and "Cabal" without explaining that those are dogwhistles for "Jewish people." Or explaining the origin of the blood libel conspiracy.
Given how frequently and prominently these specific conspiracies were mentioned in the book, along with things like Nazis and eugenics, it felt like a big piece of missing context to never actually explain antisemitism as a conspiracy theory.
July 3, 2023
An excellently comprehensive exploration of the rise of pastel Q new-age-to-conspiracy theory neo-fascist beliefs and policies that have absolutely erupted in the past few years.
Like the authors, I too had experiences with new-age cults in my youth. My mom, a trained RN nurse experienced chronic, debilitating migraines (likely due to workplace stress and unexplored mental illness), While I was in high school, she tool 6 months off work to focus on her health and in that period, found a group in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that was teaching westernized elements of Ayurvedic nutrition and medicine. The group, unsurprisingly, was made up mostly of white women and had, in retrospect, vague elements of cultish behaviors that I now recognize. My mother began enforcing Ayurvedic principles of nutrition in our home, getting rid of all plastic, the microwave, any non-organic food, etc. and I became, along with her, a proponent of Ayurveda in spite of having no prior interest in Indian culture or beliefs. I would follow these practices while pursuing an undergraduate and later graduate degree in science - plant biology. It took me quite a while to unlearn and deprogram myself from the woo that had consumed me and my core family for nearly a decade.
As a researcher, working in cell and structural biology, I now look back at that time with a bit of embarassment and increasing mortification as I see so many people have now been subsumed into the new-age/conspirituality trend. I've been an avid listener to the Conspirituality podcast as it has helped guide me in navigating through the often bizarre new hellish marriage between pseudo-spiritualism, anti-woke, ultra-right wing, libertarian sociopathy that has gripped so many people.
I've watched my own sister fall prey to these attitudes. During the early days of the pandemic, our family Whatsapp group turned into a dumping ground for her copy-pasta'd conspiritual beliefs that I now understand are transmitted via the all-mighty algorithms of instagram, twitter, telegram, and YouTube. As a scientist, I've tried interpreting the actions and statements made by Fauci and others during the various stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in a may that might be more palatable to non-scientists, to no avail. She's been lost to the bombastic voices of Russell Brand, Mercola, and so many other voices of deceit in the war on facts, sanity, and basic human decency.
Truly, the podcast and the book have provided a source of commiseration and therapy for those of us who have existed and escaped the clutches of cultish personalities, and who have to navigate the new world discord-er of the subsequent sociopathic-pseudospiritual hellscape dumpsterfire that has spawned from the shear everything-everywhere-all-at-onceness of je-ne-sais-quoi internet brainrot doomscrolling. Thank you for holding my hand through all of this.
Like the authors, I too had experiences with new-age cults in my youth. My mom, a trained RN nurse experienced chronic, debilitating migraines (likely due to workplace stress and unexplored mental illness), While I was in high school, she tool 6 months off work to focus on her health and in that period, found a group in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that was teaching westernized elements of Ayurvedic nutrition and medicine. The group, unsurprisingly, was made up mostly of white women and had, in retrospect, vague elements of cultish behaviors that I now recognize. My mother began enforcing Ayurvedic principles of nutrition in our home, getting rid of all plastic, the microwave, any non-organic food, etc. and I became, along with her, a proponent of Ayurveda in spite of having no prior interest in Indian culture or beliefs. I would follow these practices while pursuing an undergraduate and later graduate degree in science - plant biology. It took me quite a while to unlearn and deprogram myself from the woo that had consumed me and my core family for nearly a decade.
As a researcher, working in cell and structural biology, I now look back at that time with a bit of embarassment and increasing mortification as I see so many people have now been subsumed into the new-age/conspirituality trend. I've been an avid listener to the Conspirituality podcast as it has helped guide me in navigating through the often bizarre new hellish marriage between pseudo-spiritualism, anti-woke, ultra-right wing, libertarian sociopathy that has gripped so many people.
I've watched my own sister fall prey to these attitudes. During the early days of the pandemic, our family Whatsapp group turned into a dumping ground for her copy-pasta'd conspiritual beliefs that I now understand are transmitted via the all-mighty algorithms of instagram, twitter, telegram, and YouTube. As a scientist, I've tried interpreting the actions and statements made by Fauci and others during the various stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in a may that might be more palatable to non-scientists, to no avail. She's been lost to the bombastic voices of Russell Brand, Mercola, and so many other voices of deceit in the war on facts, sanity, and basic human decency.
Truly, the podcast and the book have provided a source of commiseration and therapy for those of us who have existed and escaped the clutches of cultish personalities, and who have to navigate the new world discord-er of the subsequent sociopathic-pseudospiritual hellscape dumpsterfire that has spawned from the shear everything-everywhere-all-at-onceness of je-ne-sais-quoi internet brainrot doomscrolling. Thank you for holding my hand through all of this.
June 15, 2023
I got to the end of the first section and found myself bored. The premise is sound and interesting enough but it's one of those "everything but the kitchen sink" books, where the authors include every single thing they know rather than paring it down to the most essential and deliver the clearest message. (Perhaps with three authors, they thought it needed to be three times as long?) Consequently, I decided to listen to the podcast and I found that to be a lot of pointless chatter in between relevant points (as many podcasts are, imo) but, frankly, it was more engaging. So, in conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this book but the podcast is interesting enough that I will be listening to it occasionally.
Thank you to whatever publisher it was that sent me this advance copy for review.
Thank you to whatever publisher it was that sent me this advance copy for review.
August 21, 2023
Cards on the table, I know these guys to three varying degrees. Derek Beres and I have had a few Facebook Messenger exchanges but outside of those, I have never met nor spoken with him. I met Julian Walker several months after the release of 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, and Practice which contained essays from both of us. His chapter in that book revealed to me a kindred spirit in its emphases on critiquing the dualism in Patanjali that places Classical Yoga in compete dissonance with contemporary body and sex positivity. His valuation of Western intellectual history and values was also refreshing as Western Enlightenment values are often ignored or rejected by so many in the new-age/yoga industrial complex. The one time we met was a lovely evening meal somewhere in Los Angeles squeezed into our busy schedules while I was in town lecturing on Buddhist philosophy and the conversation was lively. Matthew Remski also had an essay in 21st Century Yoga and for the life of me I cannot remember if we had met before that or not, but certainly since 2012 we have tilted back more than a few pints when I was visiting Toronto and we’ve shared time when our teaching schedule overlapped in Costa Rica and Montreal, and a year or two before Covid I hosted Matthew when he offered a series of talks at Tucson Yoga, but it's been some years since we've had any contact. All this said, I think I’m unbiased in saying this is a good book, an important book, and one that I would wish those who need it most would take the time to read and ponder. Cards still on the table, I may be too much of a curmudgeon skeptic to hope for that ever happening.
For those totally in the dark as to this phenomenon referred to as “conspirituality” the authors offer the following definition in Chapter One, “Charlotte’s Web” based upon the paper containing the first modern-day definition, “The Emergence of Conspirituality” referring to it as “a synthesis of the ‘female-dominated New Age (with its positive focus on self) and the male-dominated realm of conspiracy theory (with its negative focus on global politics.”’ They then go to quote more fully from that defining paper:
offers a broad politico-spiritual philosophy based on two core convictions, the first traditional to conspiracy theory, the second rooted in the New Age:
1. a secret group covertly controls, or is trying to control, the political and social order, and
2. humanity is undergoing a ‘paradigm shift’ in consciousness.
Their book goes on to show how so many generally progressive members of the new age wellness yoga complex have ended up allies with, and sometimes completely merged into, the QAnon cult to the absurd point that they could come to think a morally corrupt narcissist like Donald Trump is a “lightworker” guiding the planet into a “great awakening.” Importantly, they also show how this isn’t a contemporary aberration given modern yoga’s fascination with body fascism and eugenics. If you're a yoga practitioner unaware of this history brace yourself before diving into this book!
The book is presented in four parts, with Part One: Conspirituality 101 laying out the three theoretical motifs laid out by political scientist, Michael Barkun, that are shared by those who consider themselves “spiritual” and those prone to conspiracy theorizing and how these three motifs shape their shared paranoid vision: Nothing happens by accident. Nothing is as it seems. Everything is connected.
Each author presents their own background stories: Derek’s experience with the hyperbole and disinformation promulgated by the wellness industry; Julian’s with the cult around Ana Forest’s trauma theory; and Matthew’s with the cults of the nefarious Michael Roach and then with the Endeavor Academy founded on the bullshit bible of “manifestation” known as A Course In Miracles. Some of the internal contradictions embedded in conspiritual thinking are also presented.
Part Two: Strange Attractors focuses on the historical tensions and perennial themes that arise again and again to distort ancient wisdom teachings and undermine clear thinking in the wellness and yoga worlds. For those who have swallowed yoga propaganda it may provoke some dissonance and chagrin to learn that Nazis and eugenicists were right there at the genesis of contemporary yoga and wellness ideology. Reading about this and how the current nationalist government utilizes yoga for its own nefarious reasons for the first time might provoke some to re-think the idolization of yoga, the presumption that it is synonymous with Hinduism, and participating in International Yoga Day. While I’ve long known about the bullshit racism promulgated by Rudolf Steiner, I can’t help but think of those parents unknowingly thinking Waldorf Schools are so progressive. Here they unpack the notion of the body’s “impurity” behind the cleansing ideology that makes big bucks for the charlatans selling their various cleanses. But it's important here too to point out so-called indigenous medicine traditions from China and India are the seedbed for such ideas. Much of the rest of this part exposes the pseudoscience behind S.C.A.M. or so-called “alternative medicine”.
Part Three: Gallery of Rogues offers a chapter each on the following “influencers” who “fetishize science, philosophy, and community, and make a mess of all three.” These include asshats who reject germ theory, for instance, and promulgate a mess of quantum woo that would make Niels Bohr turn over in his grave. These rogues? Kelly Brogan and Sayer Ji (two I thankfully had never heard of before following the podcast that spawned this book but sound absolutely despicable); Charles Eisenstein (whose name comes up in FB posts from some I number as friends) who pontificates on nutrition, economics, anthropology, and environmental science with his BA in math and philosophy and has even been hosted by Oprah Winfrey. As an aside, that woman is responsible for promoting more bullshit than just about any celebrity I can think of, giving credence to a shit load of stink over the years.
Then there’s Christiane Northrup who went full-on QAnon during the pandemic she denied actually existed. (Yet again we can “thank” Winfrey for making her a well-known household name among those in the wellness/yoga world.) The other rogues include Mikki Willis, purveyor of junk pseudoscience via film; J. P. Sears who once did some funny videos making fun of new-age/yoga people as well as conspiracy mongers before getting red-pilled by big anti-science conspiracy theories and becoming what seems to be a rabid bigot supporting Trump’s “big lie” and calling the Jan 6th riot “a false flag” Antifa setup; Dr. Zach Bush who pontificated about Covid while never actually working on the front lines (hail, by the way, to those doctors and nurses who bore the brunt of that work); Robert Kennedy Jr, the less said about this arse the better; Katie Griggs who, under the alias of Guru Jagat created a cult (a meta-cult?) based upon the cult of rapist Yogi Bhagan’s pseudo-Kundalini Yoga; supposed channelers and “lightworkers” (is there a more ironic name possible for these dark-agers?) and Joe Dispenza, a freaking chiropractor who likes to pass himself off as a neuroscientist! It should be enough for any clear-headed, rational-minded individual to know what we can make of someone who was affiliated with the (oh my god I have to laugh) “Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment” headed by the antisemitic, racist JZ Knight who believes (or more accurately performs) that she’s a channeler for a 35,000 year old guy with a bad somewhat Scottish sounding accent named Ramtha.
Reading about these people, I remain flummoxed at how so many are bulldozed into swallowing this bullshit and following these asses, charlatans, and deluded people. And then I’m reminded that Julian and Matthew, two guys much smarter and more educated than me fell for the charlatans leading three cults among the two of them. So, if anything, a work such as this (and the on-going work they do in their Conspirituality Podcase) can help break down the notion that only fools are fooled by these quacks. And that is something those who do not fall for this shit need to understand, because among the skeptic community, there are many who assume that falling for this shit is a sign of low intelligence. It's not that. But why they fall for this shite still remains somewhat of a mystery to me.
The concluding Part Four: Beyond Conspiritualality overall seems to want to leave us with – if not a happy ending – with some hope and good vibes. I’m not sure how successful the writers are with that. There are chapters about people who managed to break free of cults and communities of new-age disinformation. In the last chapter, “What We’ve Been Given” the lads admit “This is definitely not a self-help book, and we’re a long way out from the days in which, as yoga and wellness gig workers, we presumed to give advice.” They add that they are also “painfully aware that conspirituality has strong roots in the cringey instinct to tell people what to think from a morally superior position.” That acknowledged, they try to find some silver lining in the fog of disinformation. “Spirituality – at any level of integrity – speaks to deep human needs for meaning, purpose, and community.” And it is just that exactly that I criticized in my essay, “Religious But Not Spiritual.” As Nick Cave points out, “spirituality” or what passes for it, tends to be shallow and self-satisfyingly placating. These charlatans earn their position because none of them are actually challenging what people want to believe. “Meaning, purpose, and community” and the need for them is not anything other than human. Why the impulse to make something spiritual out of the best impulses of humanity? Why the need to feel special by identifying oneself as “spiritual” in the first place?
The authors do constructively point out that “ungrounded spirituality can engender a fetish for transcendence that devalues everyday life and worldly concerns.” Thinking we are “spiritual beings having a human experience” already distances oneself from nature, from reality. Interpreting ecstatic experiences as anything more than natural phenomena ( as in “shakti”, “chi”, “meridians”, “chakras”, “auras”, etc) opens people up to being highly suggestible and thus amenable to anti-scientific s.c.a.m. (so called alternative medicine) and outlandish global conspiracies.
In conclusion, they write: “It does seem inevitable that if what we call ‘spirituality’ continues to be colonized by an absence of critical thinking and the politics of bodily purity, spiritual tourism, and the self project – toxic dynamics will result.” Given that humans be human, I don’t think we can expect such colonization to simply stop. What does that leave for those of us with respect for evidentiary, empirical, falsifiable truths and who prize critical thinking and scientific skepticism? To answer this question, I recall a professor I had years ago who said that skeptical, critical inquiry itself is a creative and potentially spiritual endeavor. These guys are doing just that.
I’m still not sure if their message will land on any ears other than those of us already critical and skeptical, but hey, perhaps…..?
For those totally in the dark as to this phenomenon referred to as “conspirituality” the authors offer the following definition in Chapter One, “Charlotte’s Web” based upon the paper containing the first modern-day definition, “The Emergence of Conspirituality” referring to it as “a synthesis of the ‘female-dominated New Age (with its positive focus on self) and the male-dominated realm of conspiracy theory (with its negative focus on global politics.”’ They then go to quote more fully from that defining paper:
offers a broad politico-spiritual philosophy based on two core convictions, the first traditional to conspiracy theory, the second rooted in the New Age:
1. a secret group covertly controls, or is trying to control, the political and social order, and
2. humanity is undergoing a ‘paradigm shift’ in consciousness.
Their book goes on to show how so many generally progressive members of the new age wellness yoga complex have ended up allies with, and sometimes completely merged into, the QAnon cult to the absurd point that they could come to think a morally corrupt narcissist like Donald Trump is a “lightworker” guiding the planet into a “great awakening.” Importantly, they also show how this isn’t a contemporary aberration given modern yoga’s fascination with body fascism and eugenics. If you're a yoga practitioner unaware of this history brace yourself before diving into this book!
The book is presented in four parts, with Part One: Conspirituality 101 laying out the three theoretical motifs laid out by political scientist, Michael Barkun, that are shared by those who consider themselves “spiritual” and those prone to conspiracy theorizing and how these three motifs shape their shared paranoid vision: Nothing happens by accident. Nothing is as it seems. Everything is connected.
Each author presents their own background stories: Derek’s experience with the hyperbole and disinformation promulgated by the wellness industry; Julian’s with the cult around Ana Forest’s trauma theory; and Matthew’s with the cults of the nefarious Michael Roach and then with the Endeavor Academy founded on the bullshit bible of “manifestation” known as A Course In Miracles. Some of the internal contradictions embedded in conspiritual thinking are also presented.
Part Two: Strange Attractors focuses on the historical tensions and perennial themes that arise again and again to distort ancient wisdom teachings and undermine clear thinking in the wellness and yoga worlds. For those who have swallowed yoga propaganda it may provoke some dissonance and chagrin to learn that Nazis and eugenicists were right there at the genesis of contemporary yoga and wellness ideology. Reading about this and how the current nationalist government utilizes yoga for its own nefarious reasons for the first time might provoke some to re-think the idolization of yoga, the presumption that it is synonymous with Hinduism, and participating in International Yoga Day. While I’ve long known about the bullshit racism promulgated by Rudolf Steiner, I can’t help but think of those parents unknowingly thinking Waldorf Schools are so progressive. Here they unpack the notion of the body’s “impurity” behind the cleansing ideology that makes big bucks for the charlatans selling their various cleanses. But it's important here too to point out so-called indigenous medicine traditions from China and India are the seedbed for such ideas. Much of the rest of this part exposes the pseudoscience behind S.C.A.M. or so-called “alternative medicine”.
Part Three: Gallery of Rogues offers a chapter each on the following “influencers” who “fetishize science, philosophy, and community, and make a mess of all three.” These include asshats who reject germ theory, for instance, and promulgate a mess of quantum woo that would make Niels Bohr turn over in his grave. These rogues? Kelly Brogan and Sayer Ji (two I thankfully had never heard of before following the podcast that spawned this book but sound absolutely despicable); Charles Eisenstein (whose name comes up in FB posts from some I number as friends) who pontificates on nutrition, economics, anthropology, and environmental science with his BA in math and philosophy and has even been hosted by Oprah Winfrey. As an aside, that woman is responsible for promoting more bullshit than just about any celebrity I can think of, giving credence to a shit load of stink over the years.
Then there’s Christiane Northrup who went full-on QAnon during the pandemic she denied actually existed. (Yet again we can “thank” Winfrey for making her a well-known household name among those in the wellness/yoga world.) The other rogues include Mikki Willis, purveyor of junk pseudoscience via film; J. P. Sears who once did some funny videos making fun of new-age/yoga people as well as conspiracy mongers before getting red-pilled by big anti-science conspiracy theories and becoming what seems to be a rabid bigot supporting Trump’s “big lie” and calling the Jan 6th riot “a false flag” Antifa setup; Dr. Zach Bush who pontificated about Covid while never actually working on the front lines (hail, by the way, to those doctors and nurses who bore the brunt of that work); Robert Kennedy Jr, the less said about this arse the better; Katie Griggs who, under the alias of Guru Jagat created a cult (a meta-cult?) based upon the cult of rapist Yogi Bhagan’s pseudo-Kundalini Yoga; supposed channelers and “lightworkers” (is there a more ironic name possible for these dark-agers?) and Joe Dispenza, a freaking chiropractor who likes to pass himself off as a neuroscientist! It should be enough for any clear-headed, rational-minded individual to know what we can make of someone who was affiliated with the (oh my god I have to laugh) “Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment” headed by the antisemitic, racist JZ Knight who believes (or more accurately performs) that she’s a channeler for a 35,000 year old guy with a bad somewhat Scottish sounding accent named Ramtha.
Reading about these people, I remain flummoxed at how so many are bulldozed into swallowing this bullshit and following these asses, charlatans, and deluded people. And then I’m reminded that Julian and Matthew, two guys much smarter and more educated than me fell for the charlatans leading three cults among the two of them. So, if anything, a work such as this (and the on-going work they do in their Conspirituality Podcase) can help break down the notion that only fools are fooled by these quacks. And that is something those who do not fall for this shit need to understand, because among the skeptic community, there are many who assume that falling for this shit is a sign of low intelligence. It's not that. But why they fall for this shite still remains somewhat of a mystery to me.
The concluding Part Four: Beyond Conspiritualality overall seems to want to leave us with – if not a happy ending – with some hope and good vibes. I’m not sure how successful the writers are with that. There are chapters about people who managed to break free of cults and communities of new-age disinformation. In the last chapter, “What We’ve Been Given” the lads admit “This is definitely not a self-help book, and we’re a long way out from the days in which, as yoga and wellness gig workers, we presumed to give advice.” They add that they are also “painfully aware that conspirituality has strong roots in the cringey instinct to tell people what to think from a morally superior position.” That acknowledged, they try to find some silver lining in the fog of disinformation. “Spirituality – at any level of integrity – speaks to deep human needs for meaning, purpose, and community.” And it is just that exactly that I criticized in my essay, “Religious But Not Spiritual.” As Nick Cave points out, “spirituality” or what passes for it, tends to be shallow and self-satisfyingly placating. These charlatans earn their position because none of them are actually challenging what people want to believe. “Meaning, purpose, and community” and the need for them is not anything other than human. Why the impulse to make something spiritual out of the best impulses of humanity? Why the need to feel special by identifying oneself as “spiritual” in the first place?
The authors do constructively point out that “ungrounded spirituality can engender a fetish for transcendence that devalues everyday life and worldly concerns.” Thinking we are “spiritual beings having a human experience” already distances oneself from nature, from reality. Interpreting ecstatic experiences as anything more than natural phenomena ( as in “shakti”, “chi”, “meridians”, “chakras”, “auras”, etc) opens people up to being highly suggestible and thus amenable to anti-scientific s.c.a.m. (so called alternative medicine) and outlandish global conspiracies.
In conclusion, they write: “It does seem inevitable that if what we call ‘spirituality’ continues to be colonized by an absence of critical thinking and the politics of bodily purity, spiritual tourism, and the self project – toxic dynamics will result.” Given that humans be human, I don’t think we can expect such colonization to simply stop. What does that leave for those of us with respect for evidentiary, empirical, falsifiable truths and who prize critical thinking and scientific skepticism? To answer this question, I recall a professor I had years ago who said that skeptical, critical inquiry itself is a creative and potentially spiritual endeavor. These guys are doing just that.
I’m still not sure if their message will land on any ears other than those of us already critical and skeptical, but hey, perhaps…..?
October 2, 2023
What a phenomenal book, and I’m not just saying that because Derek had me a guest on the Conspirituality podcast a while back. Derek, Matthew and Julian run the Conspirituality podcast, and this is legit one of the most interesting topics that I don’t think enough people talk about. The new age spiritual movement is often something that leftists get into, but the conspiratory thinking and cult-like behavior from these groups is just as bad (if not worse) than the far right. When you understand this, people like Russell Brand rising in popularity aren’t nearly as surprising.
This book is a deep dive into this topic and teaches you about a ton of different spiritual cults and conspiracy theories that have been harming people around the world. Not only are there many stories of manipulation and abuse but there’s also sexual assault in these communities and the spreading of misinformation that led to quite a few deaths during the height of the COVID pandemic.
This book is phenomenal, and I couldn’t put it down.
This book is a deep dive into this topic and teaches you about a ton of different spiritual cults and conspiracy theories that have been harming people around the world. Not only are there many stories of manipulation and abuse but there’s also sexual assault in these communities and the spreading of misinformation that led to quite a few deaths during the height of the COVID pandemic.
This book is phenomenal, and I couldn’t put it down.
January 25, 2023
I live on a very specific corner of the internet where I consume a lot (questionably too much) conspiracy theory, cult, anti-MLM, etc. content. This book feels like it was written for me and my unique interests. The concepts are definitely complex, and it is safe to say that this book is not for everyone. I am fascinated by the exploration of the connection between wellness/conspiracy theory/anti-vax/fascism. I am looking forward to more discourse surrounding this book and to fully immersing myself in the associated podcast.
July 28, 2023
Conspirituality dives into the world of new age wellness where it meets conspiracies. Beres, Remski, and Walker explain how a large amount new age influencers have started openly embracing conspiracies like QAnon, COVID denial, and antivax. As a listener, I found this an easy read while still learning a fair amount. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in learning about how spirituality and conspiracy theories can entangle itself.
February 23, 2024
Dense and thought-provoking. Listening to this on the heels of Naomi Klein’s ‘Doppelganger’ was probably a bit too much immersion into the miasma of anti-vax and conspiracy influencers.
This is the second book of Remski’s that I’ve read and he can be tough. Reading this probably would have been a better choice as his syntax and analysis require a lot of effort on the part of the listener/reader.
The strong point of this book is the empathy for the people whose lives have been permanently altered by their intersection with conspirituality grifters and cultivating understanding for their or their loved one’s choices. He points out over and over the hypocrisy of those grifters who are simply the 21st century version of snake oil sellers.
Capitalism is failing everyone except the super wealthy, Western medicine does not have all the answers, public services have been gutted and privatized. People look for answers and don’t always have the bandwidth to engage critical thinking, especially in a crisis. There are far too many opportunistic charlatans out there who dupe people into thinking that they have the answer.
This is the second book of Remski’s that I’ve read and he can be tough. Reading this probably would have been a better choice as his syntax and analysis require a lot of effort on the part of the listener/reader.
The strong point of this book is the empathy for the people whose lives have been permanently altered by their intersection with conspirituality grifters and cultivating understanding for their or their loved one’s choices. He points out over and over the hypocrisy of those grifters who are simply the 21st century version of snake oil sellers.
Capitalism is failing everyone except the super wealthy, Western medicine does not have all the answers, public services have been gutted and privatized. People look for answers and don’t always have the bandwidth to engage critical thinking, especially in a crisis. There are far too many opportunistic charlatans out there who dupe people into thinking that they have the answer.
July 1, 2023
This is a book for right now! So timely. So needed. Conspirituality takes us on a fascinating, engaging, and empathetic journey through the many ways in which harmful pseudoscience and misinformation has seeped into our world — including into a host of unexpected places like alternative schools and, yep, yoga studios. The authors provide a compelling argument as to why the toleration of conspiratorial rhetoric closes minds and erodes critical thinking. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is curious — and we all should be! — about the history and the social and cultural forces behind our current pseudoscience-filled mess.
“Finally, wherever XX is now, and whatever her(his)current views, her(his) story reminds us that conspirituality, like much of the internet, is an unforgiving, delusional world that entraps highly creative and empathetic people. Everyone deserves to be welcomed back from it, should they manage to leave.”
“Finally, wherever XX is now, and whatever her(his)current views, her(his) story reminds us that conspirituality, like much of the internet, is an unforgiving, delusional world that entraps highly creative and empathetic people. Everyone deserves to be welcomed back from it, should they manage to leave.”
December 6, 2023
A really important book. Fascinating and maddening all at once.
February 23, 2024
After listening to several minutes of the political donation history of Christiane Northrup (on 1.6x speed on the audiobook), I’m done. Why do I care? What does her political donation history tell me other than that she donates to political action committees? How does this information even remotely relate to new age conspiracy theories’ impact on public health?
This book spends a great deal of time talking about COVID-19 from an explicitly Democrat (not liberal, not leftist, but Democrat) perspective. Anyone who did not get the vaccine is an anti-vaxxer, including people who did not want to get the J&J vaccine due to the highly publicized potential negative side effect of a clotting disorder that mostly affected women of childbearing age. Comments such as these make the authors come across as priviliged, self-centered, and misogynistic (because if a problem doesn’t affect them, it is clearly not a problem and everyone else is wrong). Ideas and perspectives like these make the authors come across as little better (ethically) than the QAnon and other conspiracists they criticize. (It also makes it hard to take them seriously.)
This book does have interesting elements. I got through the part about the connections of modern day yoga to Hindu nationalism which is in turn connected to racially based fascism, which makes me want to avoid yoga even more than my personal faith already believes (see the book The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios). There are very real connections between the yoga/wellness world, the MLM world, and the anti-western medicine world that are incredibly damaging to people’s finances, health, and even spirituality. The Internet and social media is absolutely a driving force behind the spreading of these ideas and other types of misinformation that is also damaging to people in sometimes extremely subtle ways.
I’m sure there are resources that exist which one can use to learn more about these topics, but this book is not it.
1.75 stars, rounding up. DNF at approximately 54%.
This book spends a great deal of time talking about COVID-19 from an explicitly Democrat (not liberal, not leftist, but Democrat) perspective. Anyone who did not get the vaccine is an anti-vaxxer, including people who did not want to get the J&J vaccine due to the highly publicized potential negative side effect of a clotting disorder that mostly affected women of childbearing age. Comments such as these make the authors come across as priviliged, self-centered, and misogynistic (because if a problem doesn’t affect them, it is clearly not a problem and everyone else is wrong). Ideas and perspectives like these make the authors come across as little better (ethically) than the QAnon and other conspiracists they criticize. (It also makes it hard to take them seriously.)
This book does have interesting elements. I got through the part about the connections of modern day yoga to Hindu nationalism which is in turn connected to racially based fascism, which makes me want to avoid yoga even more than my personal faith already believes (see the book The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios). There are very real connections between the yoga/wellness world, the MLM world, and the anti-western medicine world that are incredibly damaging to people’s finances, health, and even spirituality. The Internet and social media is absolutely a driving force behind the spreading of these ideas and other types of misinformation that is also damaging to people in sometimes extremely subtle ways.
I’m sure there are resources that exist which one can use to learn more about these topics, but this book is not it.
1.75 stars, rounding up. DNF at approximately 54%.
January 18, 2024
2.5/3 stars
"Conspirituality has strong roots in the cringey instinct to tell people what to think from a morally superior position."
I howled at this. Bitch you mean just like progressives!?? Pot calling the kettle black. DEI is HEAVILY stepped in this exact same impulse and practice. And honestly a lot of Black liberals/"progressives" wield race in this way - to chastise people for not thinking correctly about race or having the right emotional reaction to whatever topic or issue they want.
This whole book felt like propaganda for white people. The only time Black people make an appearance is when the author cites the Southern Poverty Law Center that calls the Nation of Islam a "Black Supremacist" group that promotes anti-semitism and homophobia. Ted Kennedy had partnered with anti-vax Black leaders which the author counters with vague examples of pro vaccine Black people. The author also uses this time to mention how Black Panthers offered vaccines at their health centers.
Essentially, the author ends the book with this white liberal idea that the best way to counter the sorts of white people he details in the book is basically through white liberialism and being super nice and listening to them.
The author doesnt talk about how, in reality, the government and big pharma actually did collude with social media to suppress vaccine scepticism/hesitancy, anti lockdown opinions or just anyone who wouldn't just go along.
Leftists, or whatever they are, arent somehow morality correct. The author author makes it seem like these ideas are bad primarily because it makes people conservative (first and foremost). This was also the general vibe from Hey Hun, another book about white women gone MAGA due to isolation because they stay home or whatever.
And, as always, I don't take white people's concerns about fascism seriously.
The author says over and over that these people are just sad and disaffected. But that calls into question - what about the rest of us? Why is the sadness of white people so relevant? Why should I care about white people who take horse medicine to fight covid?
The author doesnt actually argue for why anyone should be invested or interested in social justice ideology. It's positioned as better than whatever these other white people believe.
The new age space is so white. During George Floyd, there were some demands being made on white people to talk about it. I didn't agree with this. White women are racist. What they have to say isn't relevant. And how does it help exactly? Especially if she never mentions race or racism ever again?
Anyway. I thought the book was interesting but it's too white. I have been in and out of the new age space and there simply arent very many Black people.
This reminds me of when the press kept interviewing people at Trump rallies and Black people online complained about how racist/annoying this was.
Cults are created by and for whites. Conspirituality is created by and for whites.
White leftism/progressivism is created by and for whites.
This book was created by and for white liberals/progressives.
White people aren't moral arbiters of our world. This book is a good example of how we are just living in a white lunatic's world.
I will say that the narrator was pleasant to listen to!
"Conspirituality has strong roots in the cringey instinct to tell people what to think from a morally superior position."
I howled at this. Bitch you mean just like progressives!?? Pot calling the kettle black. DEI is HEAVILY stepped in this exact same impulse and practice. And honestly a lot of Black liberals/"progressives" wield race in this way - to chastise people for not thinking correctly about race or having the right emotional reaction to whatever topic or issue they want.
This whole book felt like propaganda for white people. The only time Black people make an appearance is when the author cites the Southern Poverty Law Center that calls the Nation of Islam a "Black Supremacist" group that promotes anti-semitism and homophobia. Ted Kennedy had partnered with anti-vax Black leaders which the author counters with vague examples of pro vaccine Black people. The author also uses this time to mention how Black Panthers offered vaccines at their health centers.
Essentially, the author ends the book with this white liberal idea that the best way to counter the sorts of white people he details in the book is basically through white liberialism and being super nice and listening to them.
The author doesnt talk about how, in reality, the government and big pharma actually did collude with social media to suppress vaccine scepticism/hesitancy, anti lockdown opinions or just anyone who wouldn't just go along.
Leftists, or whatever they are, arent somehow morality correct. The author author makes it seem like these ideas are bad primarily because it makes people conservative (first and foremost). This was also the general vibe from Hey Hun, another book about white women gone MAGA due to isolation because they stay home or whatever.
And, as always, I don't take white people's concerns about fascism seriously.
The author says over and over that these people are just sad and disaffected. But that calls into question - what about the rest of us? Why is the sadness of white people so relevant? Why should I care about white people who take horse medicine to fight covid?
The author doesnt actually argue for why anyone should be invested or interested in social justice ideology. It's positioned as better than whatever these other white people believe.
The new age space is so white. During George Floyd, there were some demands being made on white people to talk about it. I didn't agree with this. White women are racist. What they have to say isn't relevant. And how does it help exactly? Especially if she never mentions race or racism ever again?
Anyway. I thought the book was interesting but it's too white. I have been in and out of the new age space and there simply arent very many Black people.
This reminds me of when the press kept interviewing people at Trump rallies and Black people online complained about how racist/annoying this was.
Cults are created by and for whites. Conspirituality is created by and for whites.
White leftism/progressivism is created by and for whites.
This book was created by and for white liberals/progressives.
White people aren't moral arbiters of our world. This book is a good example of how we are just living in a white lunatic's world.
I will say that the narrator was pleasant to listen to!
June 11, 2023
This book was my most anticipated non-fiction new arrival of 2023.
Also, so far it has been my absolute favorite non-fiction read of 2023.
I had so much hope for this book, and it did deliver. It delivered even more than I expected and hoped it would deliver.
I know the concept for this book was born from a podcast – as I am not a listener of anything much, I had not listened to even a single episode of the podcast. But I did read their posts. Most of the things I read made me nod in agreement. Most of the things I read made me think I want more like this, way more.
The book is a mix of personal experiences, references (by the way, all are clearly disclosed – if you are like me and want to see the source, it is all there!), very well-worded opinions, lots of research, and lots of common sense.
There is a lot of yoga in the book. I would even say that yoga makes up more than half of all the conspiritualists in the book. That was a surprise for me. Yes, I did know that there are lots of yoga people out there who live in some made-up reality, but I had no idea that there were so many of those, and honestly, I did not know that much about the yoga world at all. So that was a huge WOW moment for me.
There are chapters covering Waldorf, lots of talk about alternative woo/energy health care, lots and lots of covering covid misinformation and anti-vax movements, many cult mentions, many influencer mentions, lots of talk about self-help gurus and self-proclaimed Instagram coaches, and most of all – lots of explaining of why those are so appealing to many and how they draw people in, what makes them like magnets for most, and how they make sense to so many.
Yes, this book is not a quick read and most likely you will not be able to devour it in one go. For me, it was a “background read” of sorts for two weeks. I would read other books, and then I would read some of this, and then go back to other reads.
Overall, I wish there were more than 5 stars to give to this book. It. Was. Just. So. Good. I feel like the world really, really needs this book right now (and has needed it for the past 3 years at least), and finally, it is here. I feel like everyone should be screaming from the rooftops about it. It was just the best, a very well-written, well-researched, and powerful book.
Also, so far it has been my absolute favorite non-fiction read of 2023.
I had so much hope for this book, and it did deliver. It delivered even more than I expected and hoped it would deliver.
I know the concept for this book was born from a podcast – as I am not a listener of anything much, I had not listened to even a single episode of the podcast. But I did read their posts. Most of the things I read made me nod in agreement. Most of the things I read made me think I want more like this, way more.
The book is a mix of personal experiences, references (by the way, all are clearly disclosed – if you are like me and want to see the source, it is all there!), very well-worded opinions, lots of research, and lots of common sense.
There is a lot of yoga in the book. I would even say that yoga makes up more than half of all the conspiritualists in the book. That was a surprise for me. Yes, I did know that there are lots of yoga people out there who live in some made-up reality, but I had no idea that there were so many of those, and honestly, I did not know that much about the yoga world at all. So that was a huge WOW moment for me.
There are chapters covering Waldorf, lots of talk about alternative woo/energy health care, lots and lots of covering covid misinformation and anti-vax movements, many cult mentions, many influencer mentions, lots of talk about self-help gurus and self-proclaimed Instagram coaches, and most of all – lots of explaining of why those are so appealing to many and how they draw people in, what makes them like magnets for most, and how they make sense to so many.
Yes, this book is not a quick read and most likely you will not be able to devour it in one go. For me, it was a “background read” of sorts for two weeks. I would read other books, and then I would read some of this, and then go back to other reads.
Overall, I wish there were more than 5 stars to give to this book. It. Was. Just. So. Good. I feel like the world really, really needs this book right now (and has needed it for the past 3 years at least), and finally, it is here. I feel like everyone should be screaming from the rooftops about it. It was just the best, a very well-written, well-researched, and powerful book.
August 6, 2023
A fascinating, albeit not entirely objective account of how mindsets created and cultivated by certain New Age beliefs can led to adjacent conspiracy theories on public health and politics. Compelling, if dry at times, the authors (who also run a similar podcast) do an admirable and comprehensive job of exploring and explaining this unlikely Venn diagram intersection of New Age yoga practitioners and QAnon. Very interesting reading, if not 100% proven via scientific method. The anecdotes are chilling and infuriating.
July 20, 2023
Well written! A great guide for the confusing work of conspiritualists and how their misinformation, disinformation, and lies have cooked the brains of a sizeable proportion of the population, turning them against medical science and making the COVID response that much more difficult. Tragically, their confusion and propaganda hinder acting to improve actual shortfalls in our medical systems. I also recommend their podcast of the same name highly.
January 28, 2024
This is a book written by three authors who also have a podcast and have lived through some scary experiences (one survived getting out of a cult). This was a truly fascinating and at times horrifying read. The internet has truly not been a good thing especially for people who are vulnerable and lonely. These people in particular become desperate for happiness and meaning in their lives and can sadly fall down rabbit holes that if they weren't lonely or vulnerable they would not fall down in. The pandemic obviously exacerbated these things as well. The saddest thing I found was regarding people whom other people follow for advice and yet those conspiracists are in it simply for their own financial gain; are charlatans who may not even believe it themselves. It made me think about Russell Brand (not mentioned in this novel) but who has seemingly taken a hard right turn in recent years for more viewers and money. I myself am someone who definitely has yoga and meditation in my life, but I was well aware prior to this novel about the dark side of that industry; just watch the Bikram documentary, which is truly eye opening. One must be very cautious when exploring alternative medicines or spiritualities to not endanger their own physical or mental health. As a true believer in science and medicine, I believe I can incorporate meditation, yoga, and acupuncture without harming myself or others. Overall, this book made me sad that we have to navigate this world with people who truly believe in things that are truly fantastical (and in prior times would have been committed, like believing forest fires are started by lasers or "lizard people"). I hope we can move past conspiracies one day, but with the internet, I fear they are here to stay.
October 16, 2023
Written by three hosts of the podcast of the same name, which I had never listened to, this book brings together people whose backgrounds are in the wellness space — spirituality, yoga, alternative medicine — as they examine the problems that have plagued their industry. It has a particular eye on the COVID-19 pandemic, for obvious reasons, and notes that many influencers in the space saw the public health emergency "as prelude to spiritual awakening." Its lens is definitively liberal and there are times at which I wonder what exactly these authors believe, since they so brazenly attack many of the core beliefs of alternative medicine that they have previously championed, but their arguments are always fact-based and I appreciate their public candor.
The book also traces the entire history of bigotry, abuse, and problems in wellness: many types of pseudoscience are examined and dozens of spiritual gurus who promote conspiracy theories are called out by name in the process. Among other things, one example of a fascinating takeaway from the book for me was learning that hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars have gone to studying alternative medicine methods, which unsurprisingly have largely failed. This is a book for fans of nonfiction and especially for skeptics, since those who oppose the pseudoscience of the spiritual sphere will find themselves validated and even better informed than before.
The book also traces the entire history of bigotry, abuse, and problems in wellness: many types of pseudoscience are examined and dozens of spiritual gurus who promote conspiracy theories are called out by name in the process. Among other things, one example of a fascinating takeaway from the book for me was learning that hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars have gone to studying alternative medicine methods, which unsurprisingly have largely failed. This is a book for fans of nonfiction and especially for skeptics, since those who oppose the pseudoscience of the spiritual sphere will find themselves validated and even better informed than before.
January 10, 2024
since the pandemic hit, i've been trying to make sense of the rise in conspiracy theories, alternative wellness and distrust in the medical system, and this book has helped me sort through the chaos. it's written by three people with personal experiences in health cults and does a great job at explaining the connection between seemingly innocent yoga/wellness communities and far-right conspiracy theories.
the featured stories focus exclusively in on the US, but that makes sense in this context since it's where the cult of health and the QAnon movement, both originating there, became dangerously connected. i particularly appreciated the empathetic approach to understanding the rise of alternative health among women in america as a backlash against a privatized and unaffordable healthcare system that often dismisses female symptoms. also, the book still gives good historical context with its historical critique of yoga, tracing its popularization in the west to colonial eugenicists and fascists (apparently nazis loved yoga?)
the featured stories focus exclusively in on the US, but that makes sense in this context since it's where the cult of health and the QAnon movement, both originating there, became dangerously connected. i particularly appreciated the empathetic approach to understanding the rise of alternative health among women in america as a backlash against a privatized and unaffordable healthcare system that often dismisses female symptoms. also, the book still gives good historical context with its historical critique of yoga, tracing its popularization in the west to colonial eugenicists and fascists (apparently nazis loved yoga?)
June 16, 2023
I came into the Conspirituality podcast from a longstanding interest in anti-vaxxers and alternative medicine skepticism. The marriage of this world with Covid conspiracies is something I'd noticed.
The Conspirituality authors, with their roots in the yoga/wellness world, have taken this thesis a step further: that these politics have deeper roots in wellness, and that this merger is only the culmination of a longer process.
The book is essentially an overview of the process, some of its roots, and a rogues' gallery of some of the worst offenders, which they use as a springboard not only for a potted history, but to relate how they express the general theme. The pace is brisk--an exhaustive catalogue of conspirituality with deep dives into every topic would be 3x as long--but it's well written and suffices to make its point. There are several excellent recurring themes that are worth paying attention to: One, that conspiritualists use nuggets of truth (for example, that our medical system is flawed) to boost the false parts of their argument (therefore, their wellness practice is valid). Two, "see what they say, then see what they sell": While many conspiritualists are true believers, this does not mean they are not also grifters--and many of them are very successful ones. Three: Wellness practices offer a fundamentally individualistic view of the world and of health--you are in control, by doing these things you are improving your health. This individualistic philosophy fits right into right wing "freedom" rhetoric. I've noted for years that while alternative medicine, though it has plenty of racism, sexism, and ableism, claims to offer treatments for disease--wellness does not. Wellness is a nebulous concept sold to the worried well, and ableism is baked into its core. As many examples point out, many wellness promoters explicitly blame sick or disabled people for their condition. (Seeing you, Marianne Williamson!)
If you're a hardcore listener of Conspirituality (which I am), a majority of the material is going to be familiar to you. I enjoyed it anyway because it was nice seeing it all put together. This book will probably appeal most to people who don't want to consume hundreds of hours of podcast content. It also provides plenty of springboards to delve deeper into various topics.
The Conspirituality authors, with their roots in the yoga/wellness world, have taken this thesis a step further: that these politics have deeper roots in wellness, and that this merger is only the culmination of a longer process.
The book is essentially an overview of the process, some of its roots, and a rogues' gallery of some of the worst offenders, which they use as a springboard not only for a potted history, but to relate how they express the general theme. The pace is brisk--an exhaustive catalogue of conspirituality with deep dives into every topic would be 3x as long--but it's well written and suffices to make its point. There are several excellent recurring themes that are worth paying attention to: One, that conspiritualists use nuggets of truth (for example, that our medical system is flawed) to boost the false parts of their argument (therefore, their wellness practice is valid). Two, "see what they say, then see what they sell": While many conspiritualists are true believers, this does not mean they are not also grifters--and many of them are very successful ones. Three: Wellness practices offer a fundamentally individualistic view of the world and of health--you are in control, by doing these things you are improving your health. This individualistic philosophy fits right into right wing "freedom" rhetoric. I've noted for years that while alternative medicine, though it has plenty of racism, sexism, and ableism, claims to offer treatments for disease--wellness does not. Wellness is a nebulous concept sold to the worried well, and ableism is baked into its core. As many examples point out, many wellness promoters explicitly blame sick or disabled people for their condition. (Seeing you, Marianne Williamson!)
If you're a hardcore listener of Conspirituality (which I am), a majority of the material is going to be familiar to you. I enjoyed it anyway because it was nice seeing it all put together. This book will probably appeal most to people who don't want to consume hundreds of hours of podcast content. It also provides plenty of springboards to delve deeper into various topics.
August 2, 2023
Recommended by a friend who has been a long time listener of the podcast. Enjoyed the deep dive into the spirituality/far-right conspiracies, despite this overlap being quite worrisome (imo). And the internet & influencer culture… 😬
February 11, 2024
Really interesting read. Not attempting to give a very sympathetic read of the different new age leaders. If you read this, I would read it alongside other literature as well. A fast paced and wide sweeping narrative. You can tell these folks had a podcast and made it from that.
March 9, 2024
This book touches on all of my niche interests, so I had a great time. I do wish that it went even deeper beyond the surface and dug into more analysis. But still one of the better books I’ve read on the subject.
July 31, 2023
Super interesting and important book. A little too much general bashing of natural medicine and spirituality to be entirely credible imo.
January 11, 2024
biased bc this is my special interest :^) but so well-researched and fascinating!
February 20, 2024
I'm a big fan of the podcast and appreciate their work. Put all together in book format ended up being a bit bleak/depressing for me.
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