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.

 

#682

Bonus Sample: Antifascist Christianity: Bonhoeffer (Pt 2)

Matthew recounts the story of a young, hoity-toity soft-nationalist German theologian name... more

01 Sep 2025

05 MINS

05:34

01 Sep 2025


#681

Brief: Antifascist Christianity: Bonhoeffer (Pt 1)

Matthew recounts the story of a young, hoity-toity soft-nationalist German theologian name... more

30 Aug 2025

37 MINS

37:39

30 Aug 2025


#680

272: Jillian Michaels is the Biggest Loser

The unavoidable question of the week: why is Jillian Michaels on CNN commenting on slavery... more

28 Aug 2025

58 MINS

58:36

28 Aug 2025


#679

Bonus Sample: The Beatles’ Billionaire Yogi

Levitation, world peace, and blissful enlightenment were all essential to the hippie count... more

25 Aug 2025

06 MINS

06:09

25 Aug 2025


#678

Brief: Ground Zero Grifting

Plandemic creator Mikki Willis recently hosted an hour-long webinar to promote his supplem... more

23 Aug 2025

37 MINS

37:44

23 Aug 2025


#677

271: The Miseducation of PragerU

The right has waged a war on “woke” Sesame Street for generations. When the party passed t... more

21 Aug 2025

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:50

21 Aug 2025


#676

Bonus Sample: The Naturopaths Are At It Again

In preparation for this Thursday's episode on PragerU, Derek looks at one of the propagand... more

18 Aug 2025

05 MINS

05:53

18 Aug 2025


#675

Brief: Olympics for Dopers

The Enhanced Games promises to display the "true potential" of athletes by letting them us... more

16 Aug 2025

34 MINS

34:59

16 Aug 2025


#674

270: Kennedy's Bloodbath

The implications of awarding Robert F Kennedy, Jr with a position he’s completely unqualif... more

14 Aug 2025

59 MINS

59:41

14 Aug 2025


#673

Bonus Sample: Nair, Mamdani, and Culture against the Culture War (Pt 1)

Well, I seem to always be inspired by the person who is considered marginal. Firstly, thei... more

11 Aug 2025

05 MINS

05:22

11 Aug 2025


#672

Brief: Nair, Mamdani, and Culture against the Culture War (Pt 1)

Well, I seem to always be inspired by the person who is considered marginal. Firstly, thei... more

09 Aug 2025

43 MINS

43:05

09 Aug 2025


#671

269: The Book of Gwyneth

In her new biography of Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Odell calls Goop “a powerful platform for spr... more

07 Aug 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:29

07 Aug 2025


#670

Bonus Sample: The '80s Zen Master Con Man

Everything about Zen Master Rama was fake—except for the piles of money he made. His black... more

04 Aug 2025

06 MINS

06:03

04 Aug 2025


#669

Brief: DJ Khaled of Pseudoscience

Strange billboards have been popping up all over Los Angeles featuring disgraced Theranos ... more

02 Aug 2025

23 MINS

23:21

02 Aug 2025


#668

268: Rogan’s Christian President

We catch up on three figures this week. First is Bari Weiss, who's trying to sell her ups... more

31 Jul 2025

1 HR 14 MINS

1:14:18

31 Jul 2025


#667

Bonus Sample: "Natural" Snake Oil?

MAHA hates petroleum-based food dyes. Yet, as Derek unpacks, many of the main influencers ... more

28 Jul 2025

05 MINS

05:58

28 Jul 2025


#666

Brief: Mehdi Hasan vs Jordan Peterson

Mehdi Hasan's recent Jubilee appearance has blown up—and so has criticism of the entire me... more

26 Jul 2025

39 MINS

39:17

26 Jul 2025


#665

267: Epstein Never Died

Jeffrey Epstein’s name is being screamed into the headlines again. The late and former sel... more

24 Jul 2025

58 MINS

58:51

24 Jul 2025


#664

Bonus Sample: Galloway and the Mooch: The Lost Boys of Capitalism (Pt 2)

On the horizon: a new liberal-center manosphere, yearning to reach out to the young men po... more

21 Jul 2025

05 MINS

05:23

21 Jul 2025


#663

Brief: Galloway and the Mooch: The Lost Boys of Capitalism (Pt 1)

On the horizon: a new liberal-center manosphere, yearning to reach out to the young men po... more

19 Jul 2025

46 MINS

46:13

19 Jul 2025


#662

266: Jubilee’s Body Image Debates

Body image is a phenomenon that has long simmered below the surface of the wellness indust... more

17 Jul 2025

1 HR 15 MINS

1:15:09

17 Jul 2025


#661

Bonus Sample: Globalize The Intifada?

Protest slogans are designed to pack a punch. They communicate potent emotions and persuas... more

14 Jul 2025

06 MINS

06:06

14 Jul 2025