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Conspirituality

How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat

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Conspirituality

By: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
Narrated by: Matthew Remski
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About this listen

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 emerged: 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 audiobook 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 listeners recognize wellness grifts, engage with loved ones who've fallen under the influence, and counter lies and distortions with insight and empathy.

©2023 Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker (P)2023 PublicAffairs Media Studies Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Social Sciences Health Witty Mental Health
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A great book, a must read to look through and understand the shitshow that has been the 'wellness' spaces in the last 3 years.

Absolutely Brilliant!

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This fantastically written and superbly researched book both educates and inspires, its intelligent and soulful.

Please read, everyone should!

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I benefited immensely from this book and its insights. As someone in an evangelical Christian setting, those around me are not immune from similar spiritual deception. A good listen!

Fantastic insight into conspiracy theorists and new age grifting

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I grew up with parents deep into all things new age conspirituality; course in miracles, Sathya Sai Baba, channeling, aliens, fluoride conspiracy, the I AM, the indigo children, the book series Masters of the Far East was their bible. My Mum and Dad met in the Christian Science Church which they left but only to find even more buzzard ideas. I was labelled a star seed from birth and told I was special, here to stabilise the earths vibration so more people can ascend. They dragged me around from one group to another, most preached love and acceptance, yet even as a child I could see the hypocrisy, the arrogance, fear, racism and so much control. The child sexual abuse in these communities was rife yet no-one seemed to really do anything about it. My parents least of all.

I believed all the crazy stories as a child, but then I just stopped, and sometimes I wonder if I ever really did believe them.

As an adult, for the last 25 years I have watched people circle around the same ideas over and over. Watched friends convert, communities like my beloved queer community get seduced by astrology and visiting psychics and watched them be oblivious to the slow creep of superiority as it swept through them diminishing their courage and curiosity and making them blind to the real oppression and suffering all around.

Over the last decade I have felt more and more alone, and have wondered if I am crazy. I could feel the ‘wrongness’ but was always shut down, dismissed and pushed out of communities for not confirming their ideas.

And then, I found this book.
Smart, clear, well researched, academic, this book dives into all the things I have always felt, but didn’t have the education to back up. I have always seen the ideas for what they are and so many times I tried to explain to others why their ideas were racist, or supporting patriarchy and other oppressions; but I never had the fancy language. Didn’t really know how to back myself. I have felt mad.

Even with all the meticulously researched and beautifully written words in this book, I don’t think I will ever really be listened to by those in my community who are now deep into conspiruality.
But, I am grateful to these authors for helping me feel less alone and a little less insane. Thank you.

This book has helped me feel less mad

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This book is a fantastic continuation of the incredible work and output of the Conspirituality podcast guys. The podcast has helped me recover from some misinformed and poisonous ideas that had taken hold in my mind from my forrays in the yoga and wellness world, and I will forever be thankful for it's existence. I loved reading this book. It is engaging, funny, very well researched, compassionate and pulls no punches in its honesty. I think this book and the podcast are a public service and that the world is better for DB, MR & JW's contributions.

A public service and a must read!!

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This is such a great intro for everyone to the topic of Conspirituality. I recommend the podcast often but have to give the caveat that it’s a lot to just jump into - so I will be happy to recommend this book as a primer to the podcast!

Great overview of the topic

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I highly recommend this book. Well written, extensively researched. Very insightful & full of facts. For those who have lost loved ones to Conspirituality, it gives insight into why and how too deal with it all. Love Matthews calm voice.

A must read for all!

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An empathetic and meticulously researched deep dive into the colliding nether worlds of the alt right and the monetized wellness industry. Reading this book won't reverse the chaos these combined forces have let loose on the world but it will help you comprehend that chaos and those under it's spell. And that's not nothing.

A fever dream antidote

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I really was not taken with this book and struggled to finish it.

When I saw what it was about I thought 'Yes!' I saw so many people fall down the hole of conspiracy and it broke my heart. Here, I thought, was a book that analyses why that occurs. It failed, and it took a lot of the non-conspiracy yogis down with it.

I'm 67 and have been teaching yoga for over thirty years. To be fair, it seems that the yoga world in America is appalling, especially if we're to judge by this book. But the authors have a strange, over-reaching attitude to yoga teaching in general. There were so many things I found lacking or concerning that I can't possible go over them all here. I will point out, though, that it is not at all essential to bring politics into a yoga.. In fact in my training (initially four years of it) we were taught never to make political suggestions or comments during or after yoga classes. People are relaxed and susceptible and it's considered a 'very bad thing' in yoga circles. Just for the record, I am political and lean Left, but it does not come into my classes.

The fact that the authors are cult survivors is obvious.. a little too obvious in the tendency to snarkiness. I too am concerned about cults, but there is a way to present the information that is not patronising . At times there is an almost juvenile verbal presentation, with odd accents and manners of speaking when depicting a dubious character.

Then there's the words.. so many words. It's like the authors swallowed a thesaurus and were determined to use as many obscure and sometimes incorrect words as was possible. In one case they used a word and then gave its meaning!

Generally, this is an audiobook where the authors' distain and contempt is most definitely showing., and not just for the subject matter. I would rather an objective analysis.

Subjective and verbose

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Unfortunately, all the writers of this book tend to persecute one woman, which is obviously unfair. I have met many of the so called spiritual people, and many have been deluded by varied conspiracies.

the writers views

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