Conspirituality podcast

Conspirituality

Dismantling New Age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy-mad yogis. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon. As the alt-right and New Age horseshoe toward each other in a blur of disinformation, clear discourse, and good intentions get smothered. Charismatic influencers exploit their followers by co-opting conspiracy theories on a spectrum of intensity ranging from vaccines to child trafficking. In the process, spiritual beliefs that have nurtured creativity and meaning are transforming into memes of a quickly-globalizing paranoia. Conspirituality Podcast attempts to bring understanding to this landscape. A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds. Mainstream outlets have noticed the problem. We crowd-source, research, analyze, and dream answers to it.

Dismantling New Age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy-mad yogis. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon. As the alt-right and New Age horseshoe toward each other in a blur of disinformation, clear discourse, and good intentions get smothered. Charismatic influencers exploit their followers by co-opting conspiracy theories on a spectrum of intensity ranging from vaccines to child trafficking. In the process, spiritual beliefs that have nurtured creativity and meaning are transforming into memes of a quickly-globalizing paranoia. Conspirituality Podcast attempts to bring understanding to this landscape. A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds. Mainstream outlets have noticed the problem. We crowd-source, research, analyze, and dream answers to it.

 

#800

Bonus Sample: Journalism In An Age of Fascism

Derek reports on the role of journalism after attending the News and Documentary Emmy Awar... more

Yesterday

07 MINS

07:09

Yesterday


#799

Brief: My Neighbourhood Data Center Conspiracy

Matthew investigates the under-construction STACK data centre at 3650 Danforth Avenue in S... more

30 May 2026

38 MINS

38:05

30 May 2026


#798

310: The Bait & Switch Complex

In the early 20th century, some retailers would advertise a product at an attractively low... more

28 May 2026

1 HR 06 MINS

1:06:01

28 May 2026


#797

Bonus Sample: Poetry As Resistance & Embodied Spirituality

Across continents and centuries outsider poets have made a bold stand for the life of the ... more

25 May 2026

05 MINS

05:49

25 May 2026


#796

Brief: Living with Prediabetes

In February, Derek and his wife, Callan, were surprised to discover she was diagnosed with... more

23 May 2026

24 MINS

24:48

23 May 2026


#795

309: Crybully Christians in the White House

The Trump DOJ's 565-page report from the Task Force for Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias is... more

21 May 2026

56 MINS

56:46

21 May 2026


#794

Bonus Sample: Liberals Punching Left

[Listen to the full episode] (patreon.com/conspirituality) In this contribution to an ong... more

18 May 2026

05 MINS

05:25

18 May 2026


#793

Brief: Spirituality After Atheism?

It’s normal to feel lost after leaving a cult, transitioning out of fundamentalist religio... more

16 May 2026

43 MINS

43:08

16 May 2026


#792

308: The AI Slop Machine is Worse Than You Think [feat Mallory DeMille]

Two months ago, we recorded Episode 291: My Chinese Buddhist Israeli AI Guru, surveying th... more

14 May 2026

58 MINS

58:23

14 May 2026


#791

Bonus Sample: What's Left?

[Listen to the full episode] (https://www.patreon.com/c/conspirituality) Derek considers ... more

11 May 2026

07 MINS

07:38

11 May 2026


#790

Brief: Antifascist Dad (Audiobook Excerpt)

Matthew reads the Introduction from [Antifascist Dad: Urgent Conversations with Young Peop... more

09 May 2026

42 MINS

42:44

09 May 2026


#789

307: Conspiracy Reflex Syndrome

As Cole Allen sprinted into the news cycle, social media accelerated to cover the story—an... more

07 May 2026

57 MINS

57:39

07 May 2026


#788

Bonus Sample: Hasan, Contrapoints, Ezra Klein, & The Dem Civil War

[Listen to the full episode] (https://www.patreon.com/c/conspirituality) The Democratic P... more

04 May 2026

06 MINS

06:23

04 May 2026


#787

Brief: Women 3, Manosphere 0

On the Whatever Podcast livestreams, alpha debate bros browbeat insecure betas and deride ... more

02 May 2026

27 MINS

27:55

02 May 2026


#786

306: Antifascist Wellness

Two-thirds of the Conspirituality staff have new books out: Matthew's AntiFascist Dad: Urg... more

30 Apr 2026

1 HR 10 MINS

1:10:57

30 Apr 2026


#785

Bonus Sample: Leo and Restless Hearts in Algeria

In April 2026, Pope Leo XIV, deep in a public feud with President Trump over the Iran war,... more

27 Apr 2026

05 MINS

05:46

27 Apr 2026


#784

Brief: Well Enough (Book Excerpt)

Derek reads two chapters from his recently published memoir, Well Enough: Finding Health D... more

25 Apr 2026

22 MINS

22:07

25 Apr 2026


#783

305: AI’s Cultish Leader

Ronan Farrow is at it again. The reporter has a new feature in The New Yorker, written alo... more

23 Apr 2026

1 HR 21 MINS

1:21:56

23 Apr 2026


#782

Bonus Sample: How the Self is Made...and Unmade

Derek looks into behavioral economics to better understand the fluidity of the "self," fin... more

20 Apr 2026

05 MINS

05:12

20 Apr 2026


#781

Brief: Pope Leo vs AI Slop Jesus Trump

Donald Trump's shitpost attack on Pope Leo XIV, followed within the hour by an AI slop ico... more

18 Apr 2026

28 MINS

28:16

18 Apr 2026