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.
- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 48 minutes
- Episodes
- 686
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Deep Cut: Leonard Leo, Judicial Kingmaker
A Deep Cut from January's Patreon.
Control the Court. Overturn Roe. Funnel anonymous donations and shady gifts. Deregulate for Jesus. Roll back the cultural clock. Celebrate. Rinse and Repeat.
Leonar…
00:47:36 |
Sat 22 Jun 2024
211: Terrence Howard Solves Science
Acclaimed actor Terrence Howard has a new role playing a heroic Galileo-like character on the YouTube and podcast stage, where he fearlessly points out the flaws in mainstream math and science.
Howar…
01:09:52 |
Thu 20 Jun 2024
Bonus Sample: 6 Chapters on Prospirituality
Six chapters on approaches to prospirituality, now that we know (or think we know) what the hell conspirtuality is. This is a long episode, but there are evenly-placed breaks for you all to pause on!…
00:06:21 |
Mon 17 Jun 2024
Brief: Math Class with Terrence Howard & Eric Weinstein
Terrence Howard recently made waves (again) when appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast to discuss “Terryology,” a language of logic which he claims proves one times one equals two. Since he announced his …
00:34:19 |
Sat 15 Jun 2024
210: Bioquacking Bro Science (feat Mallory DeMille)
Are you ready to “live beyond 180? That’s the tagline of the 10th Annual Biohacking Conference, which went down in Dallas two weeks ago. The brainchild of Dave Asprey, the conference focused on numer…
01:06:46 |
Thu 13 Jun 2024
Bonus Sample: Speak Through Me
QAnon’s “Great Awakening,” influencers claiming to channel spirits or aliens, prophecies of a glorious Christian apocalypse—all aspects of the modern phenomenon that we call “conspirituality.” A sign…
00:05:55 |
Mon 10 Jun 2024
Brief: The Theatre of Trump (w/Hank Willenbrink)
It’s all just a show, and sometimes that makes it all the more real. Playwright and theater scholar Hank Willenbrink joins Matthew to look at the spectacle of Trump through the lens of performance st…
00:43:51 |
Sat 08 Jun 2024
209: The Right’s Fantasy Super-Villain (w/Renee Diresta)
We talked to Renee Diresta, when she in the middle of a life-changing crisis. Elon Musk’s hand-picked "journalists" were testifying in front of Congress as part of the “Twitter Files.” Matt Taibbi an…
01:25:11 |
Thu 06 Jun 2024
Bonus Sample: Nicole Shanahan Talks DEI with Scott Adams
Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr's VP pick, has recently started her own podcast. Dilbert creator Scott Adams joined. The conversation quickly turned into a conspiracy free-for-all, starting with DEI, then sw…
00:06:00 |
Mon 03 Jun 2024
Brief: Dancing for the Devil (w/Derek Doneen)
When young TikTok dance stars joined 7M Films, they got access to big production budgets, luxurious locations, and exciting career opportunities. There was a problem, however. Their boss, Robert Shin…
00:25:40 |
Sat 01 Jun 2024
208: Dirty Dozen Disinformation (w/Drs Andrea Love & Michelle Wong)
Every year, the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, DC-based lobbying group, publishes its “Dirty Dozen” report, which supposedly informs consumers about the 12 “dirtiest” fruits and vegetable…
01:05:31 |
Thu 30 May 2024
Bonus Sample: Public Theology and Hospice Care (w/Jude Mills)
In this Listener Stories episode, Matthew sits down with Jude Mills, an old friend from the yoga world, to hear her story about growing up in an anti-theist home in hyper-sectarian Scotland, but feel…
00:06:09 |
Mon 27 May 2024
Brief: Is God Necessary in Spiritual Practices?
There’s been a growing acceptance of religious belief from the previously religious-averse, especially in the Covid contrarian space. This comes in the wake of a number of recent high-profile convers…
00:47:36 |
Sat 25 May 2024
207: Gaming Realities (w/Thi Nguyen)
Philosopher Thi Nguyen first visited us 150 episodes ago (!!) to discuss how social media gamification exploded online conspiracy theories and audience capture drags content producers toward the sedu…
01:08:26 |
Thu 23 May 2024
Bonus Sample: Russell Brand Is Christian Now?
Russell Brand has accepted Jesus into his heart and been baptized in the spirit. But does his conversion to Christianity make sense along the New Age rebel to right-wing, conspiracy-theorist radicali…
00:07:07 |
Mon 20 May 2024
Brief: The Outside Agitator Conspiracy Trope (w/Dr. Peniel Joseph)
Two weeks ago, several university administrators asked militarized police units to smash pro-Palestinian encampment protests on quads and in occupied buildings. It happened at places like Columbia an…
00:37:24 |
Sat 18 May 2024
206: Surviving Modern Yoga (w/ Matthew Remski)
Matthew is in the guest seat today! Why? Because in 2019—just months before the pandemic and this podcast kicked off—he published a book titled Practice and All is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics and He…
01:02:50 |
Thu 16 May 2024
Bonus Sample: The Force That Divides Us All
In 2020, former NY Times journalist Isabel Wilkerson published Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. The book tells a compelling story: that the root of our social divisions is the invented hierarch…
00:06:43 |
Mon 13 May 2024
Brief: An Honest Discussion About Food (w/Dr Sarah Ballantyne)
Dr Sarah Ballantyne forged a career in science communication and health education advocating for autoimmune solutions in food and the paleo diet. In 2014, she began questioning her approach. Shortly …
00:44:59 |
Sat 11 May 2024
205: Dismantling Movement Dogmas (w/Laurel Beversdorf & Sarah Court)
We have a real treat today for listeners who love all forms of movement, especially yoga and strength training.
Derek and Julian talk to Movement Logic hosts, Laurel Beversdorf and Sarah Court, who n…
01:16:21 |
Thu 09 May 2024
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