Conspirituality

Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
  • 4.0 (2.1K)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Semiweekly

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.

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  1. 4h ago

    329: Does Claude Have Charisma?

    Listen ad-free and support the podcast When we started this show, the charismatic influencers we covered had identifiable tactics of hard-selling, finding pain points, using disorganized attachment strategies like cult leaders do, to scare followers with sometimes real, sometimes fictitious stories that only they could understand and help solve. Beyond the patterns shared by supplement hawkers, alien channelers, and New Age enema healers, each had something unique: a style, a manner of cadence, a particular intensity of intrusive eye contact. Are these not embodied, somatic skills that will outlast the AI jobs apocalypse? Can the chat bots really displace the guru economy? We explore how we may be losing this precious resource to the brutal extractivism of our tech overlords. Show Notes Popular Health Guru Sayer Ji Curates the Scientific Literature with His Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy A Dozen Misguided Influencers Spread Most of the Anti-Vaccination Content on Social Media Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart — Nicholas Carr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 3d ago

    When Men Lie: Listening to the MAHA Summit

    Listen to the full episode Last week, MAHA Action once again blurred the lines between activist organization and government entity, with RFK Jr, JD Vance, Dr Oz and other officials sharing the stage with dozens of corporate sponsors and private healthcare executives—and Russell Brand. Derek tunes in to this nine-hour fiasco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 5d ago

    Brief: Mark Carney, Davos Catholic

    Matthew examines how Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has paired an 18-month austerity rampage with approval ratings near 60%. Centralized power, new surveillance and protest laws, refugee restrictions, public-service cuts, a tripling of the military budget, climate rollbacks, a seeming refusal to protect the basics of Medicare. Why do so many people love him? Carney's appeal and ability to absorb critique rests on more than managerial competence. A devout Catholic, Carney manages to make many people feel like they should be respectful and polite and not make a fuss during the high mass of finance, in which crisis is transformed into eternal life.  Matthew traces Carney's low-key Catholicism through the Pope Francis parable that opens Value(s), his role in the Vatican-backed Council for Inclusive Capitalism, and his practice of the Ignatian daily examen, and how he appeals to medieval canonists as forerunners of stakeholder capitalism.  Show Notes Prime Minister of Canada – Statement on the passing of Pope Francis Open Canada – Book Review: Value(s) Vatican – Pope Francis to the Members of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism (11 November 2019) The Catholic Register – The Catholic or the Davos Man? The Catholic Register – Carney can confirm his Catholic credentials The Catholic Register – A little Catholic, a bit Davos APTN – Former day school students say Robert Carney was their principal Greenpeace Canada – Carney's bills explained: C-2, C-12, C-8 and C-9 The Hub – The Carney government's expanding power to identify Canadians online Littler – Bill C-39 and federal collective bargaining National Observer – Budget vows to cut 40,000 jobs from public service by 2029 Environmental Defence – Carbon pricing rollback undermines climate goals PBI USA – Canadian company equips ICE with armored vehicles CTV – Canada supports U.S. strikes on Iran "with regret" Religion News Service – Pope Leo calls just war theory "outdated" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 6d ago • Subscribers Only

    When Men Lie: Listening to the MAHA Summit

    Last week, MAHA Action once again blurred the lines between activist organization and government entity, with RFK Jr, JD Vance, Dr Oz and other officials sharing the stage with dozens of corporate sponsors and private healthcare executives—and Russell Brand. Derek tunes in to this nine-hour fiasco.

    When Men Lie: Listening to the MAHA Summit

  5. Oct 1

    328: Canadaland Platforms Antivax Grifter

    In 2013, businessman turned independent journalist Jesse Brown launched Canadaland as a podcast focused on media criticism. He grew the business to include many other podcasts, creating his own small media empire. Then October 7 happened and things took a turn. Recently, he hosted anti-vax contrarian doctor, Peter McCullough, in what he claims was a focus on media, but which really turned into a science-denying sh*t show.  We’ve covered McCullough for years, especially since becoming Chief Medical Officer of supplements grifters, The Wellness Company. There’s a lot to understand about his media tactics, which we’re going to dive into in segments two and three. But first, Matthew fills us in on the rise and stumble of his fellow Canadian’s media journey. Show Notes How a B.C. business scion flipped to hawking supplements and conspiracy theories Risk of Myocarditis after Vaccination Incidence of COVID-related Myocarditis Higher in Unvaccinated Clinical Outcomes Worse for Unvaccinated US Adverse COVID Vaccine Event Deaths 55 Adverse Reaction Deaths Worldwide, 13 Billion Doses Delivered Secret Life: The Jian Ghomeshi Investigation by Kevin Donovan Canadaland staff file to unionize Scott Martin, "What We Lost with Canadaland's Decline" HESEG Foundation Jesse Brown Destroyed Canadaland's Credibility  Justin Ling quits Canadaland hosting role Noor Azrieh and Cherise Seucharan, "A response to Canadaland's interview with Israel's ambassador to Canada" Jesse Brown Insists He's Done Nothing Wrong Avi Lewis, Yom Kippur post on X Olivia Chow opts out of antisemitism debate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Sep 28

    Bonus Sample: The Pope, the Playwright, & the Electrician

    Who was behind the gunman that shot Pope John Paul II in 1981? We know the man who pulled the trigger was a Turkish member of the Grey Wolves. We know he planned to flee via the Bulgarian Embassy. We know an Italian nun ensured he didn’t get away.  But had someone ordered the assassination? One possible clue is held in the answer to this next question: how did the Soviet Union collapse? We also know three unlikely heroic figures played pivotal roles: a Czechoslovakian playwright, a salt-of-the-earth electrician, and the Polish Pope. Even as the totalitarian Soviet empire cracked down against uprisings in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, the voices of people crying out for democratic freedoms, human rights, and equal opportunity became undeniable. In his latest historical narrative, Julian weaves together powerful stories of three people who risked everything to defy an authoritarian power. They exemplify the playwright’s ideal of “living in truth,” the electrician’s movement known as “Solidarity,” and John Paul II’s advice that his people “be not afraid.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Sep 28 • Subscribers Only

    The Pope, the Playwright, & the Electrician

    Who was behind the gunman that shot Pope John Paul II in 1981? We know the man who pulled the trigger was a Turkish member of the Grey Wolves. We know he planned to flee via the Bulgarian Embassy. We know an Italian nun ensured he didn’t get away. But had someone ordered the assassination? One possible clue is held in the answer to this next question: how did the Soviet Union collapse? We also know three unlikely heroic figures played pivotal roles: a Czechoslovakian playwright, a salt-of-the-earth electrician, and the Polish Pope. Even as the totalitarian Soviet empire cracked down against uprisings in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, the voices of people crying out for democratic freedoms, human rights, and equal opportunity became undeniable. In his latest historical narrative, Julian weaves together powerful stories of three people who risked everything to defy an authoritarian power. They exemplify the playwright’s ideal of “living in truth,” the electrician’s movement known as “Solidarity,” and John Paul II’s advice that his people “be not afraid.”

    The Pope, the Playwright, & the Electrician

  8. Sep 26

    Book Club: Man In The Mirror

    When the Black, 30-year-old Michael Jackson impersonator stepped onto the F train in Manhattan on May 1, 2023, he was ranting angrily about being hungry and thirsty, willing to kill, die, or go to jail for life. His name was Jordan Neely. He was clearly in distress. Daniel Penny, a white, 24-year-old former Marine put him in a chokehold and pulled him to the ground. Neely struggled for almost 6 minutes before dying. Julian reviews Anand Girirdhardas’ new book that places this event at its center. Man In The Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City is Anand’s fifth book. He appeared on Conspirituality in January 2022 to talk about The Persuaders. In his new book, he takes readers into a deep and rich background of the broken New York City system of social services for unhoused and mentally ill people. He tells the story of how these two very different lives collided, and the consequences that ensued. Show Notes Man in the Mirror:  Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City 135: The Persuaders (w/Anand Giridharadas) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Hosts & Guests

4
out of 5
2,085 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Conspirituality
  • Show Website
    Conspirituality
  • Provider
    Derek Beres

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