Conspirituality

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Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
Spirituality Religion & Spirituality Science Social Sciences
4.1 rating 2491 reviews 523 episodes
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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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Pitches
Template - Tried and true

Subject: Loving Conspirituality

Hi [name],

I'm loving Conspirituality! I just listened to your episode with [guest] about [topic] and found it super interesting - thanks for putting it out there.

I have a guest for you who I think would be really relevant to your listeners. [His/her] name is [client name] and [he’s/she’s] the [title] at [company]. [He/she] could talk at length about any of these topics:

  • [Topic idea 1]
  • [Topic idea 2]
  • [Topic idea 3]

Would your audience find value in these topics? Let me know if you’d like me to send their media kit.

Thanks,

[Your name]

Template - You were recommended

Subject: Podcast guest?

Hi [name],

Your podcast was recommended to me so I have a few episodes of Conspirituality queued up – I’m excited!

Are you open to a guest slot / interview on your podcast in the next month or so?

If so, I’d love to come on and do an episode aimed at [topic]

Here’s a real quick overview of why it’d be a great fit for your audience / podcast…

  • [Why you're credible]
  • [Why your topic of choice would fill a gap for them]
  • [How you can promote their podcast for them]

Let me know what you think.

Happy to answer any questions you may have and look forward to meeting you!

Here to help,

[Your name]

Template - If you have a big name, drop it (and be cool)

Subject: Can [Big Name] appear on Conspirituality?

Hi [name],

I’m representing [Big Name] and they’re interested in being a guest on your podcast. Would you consider having them on the show?

He/she’s just written a new book on the topic of [topic] and could discuss any of the ideas in there that your audience would find valuable. Topics include:

  • [Topic idea 1]
  • [Topic idea 2]
  • [Topic idea 3]

Let me know if you’d like to set up or if you need more information.

Thanks,

[Your name]

Ratings
🌎 Global: 4.1 rating 2491 reviews
🇺🇸 USA: 4.0 ratings 1700 reviews
🇨🇦 Canada: 4.2 ratings 401 reviews
🇦🇺 Australia: 4.3 ratings 180 reviews
🇬🇧 UK: 4.3 ratings 151 reviews
🇳🇿 New Zealand: 4.7 ratings 40 reviews
🇮🇪 Ireland: 4.6 ratings 12 reviews
🇿🇦 South Africa: 5.0 ratings 5 reviews
🇸🇬 Singapore: 5.0 ratings 2 reviews
Episodes
0:00 30:18

Relief Project #1: Jivana Heyman

Here’s the first installment of a regular timeline cleanser featuring interviews with folks reflecting on hope, faith, resilience and building community in hard times.  You know—all the things that conspirituality itself can’t offer. These are short, personal visits in which Matthew asks each guest the same five questions about their life wisdom—at least as it’s coming together in this moment. To start this series, Matthew hearkens back to the roots of Conspirituality Podcast in the yoga world with guest Jivana Heyman. Jivana is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body.  BTW: here are the five questions. You can think about them too.

What terrifies you most in these times?

What is the most meaningful and supportive idea or story you return to for reliable wisdom and relief?

What is the greatest obstacle you face in forming community relationships, and how do you work to overcome it?

If you were responsible for comforting and guiding a child terrified of climate catastrophe, how would you do it? What would you say? 

If your wisest ancestor came in a dream to offer you one piece of advice about living in difficult times, what would it be?

Show Notes jivanaheyman.com 9: Ableism in Conspiracy Theories (w/Jivana Heyman) — Conspirituality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
0:00 06:11

Bonus Sample: Imaginary Children # 3: Mole Children vs. Gazan Children

What does it mean to spill ink on dispelling conspiracy theories about non-existent children being murdered, while actual children are being murdered? At what point does the labour of debunking right wing wackjobs also do the shadow-work of supporting the liberal-center orthodoxy? Matthew looks at how with QAnon, the liberal-center press criticized irrational responses to imaginary traumas, with a great sense of urgency. But on Gaza, they criticize rational responses to actual traumas, and imply that protesters are asking for too much, too fast.  What happens downstream of denials, minimizations, and contradictions? What are the social and mental health implications of moral injury? Are these not some of the same social conditions that generate conspiracism? Content warning: discussion of children, genocide Show Notes Is Israel Committing Genocide in Gaza? New Report from BU School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic Lays Out Case  Rights expert finds ‘reasonable grounds’ genocide is being committed in Gaza | UN News  Dems Gave the 'Uncommitted Movement' Space to Talk About Gaza — Just Not on TV First-Ever DNC Panel on Palestinian Rights: We Need to “Restore the Soul of the Democratic Party”   “Stop Arming Israel”: Meet the DNC Delegates Who Unfurled Banner During Biden Speech  201: Librarians Are Not Groomers (w/Heath Umbreit) — Conspirituality  What I Saw Was “Unfathomable”: Doctor Who Worked in Gaza Speaks Out Against U.S. Arming of Israel  Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential - The Lancet  Clearing Gaza of almost 40m tonnes of war rubble will take years, says UN  Israel Has Killed 2,100 Babies Under 2 Years Old in Gaza, Rights Group Says | Truthout  NYU barricades benches  College Administrators Spent Summer Break Dreaming Up Ways to Squash Gaza Protests  The Black Mark on the Democrats’ Big Party | The New Republic  Amnesty International Warns of U.S. Complicity in War Crimes in Gaza  Christian Wiman | Yale Divinity School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
0:00 21:07

Brief: Ultra-processed Pseudoscience

Calley Means is the cofounder of TrueMed, a company that helps businesses qualify products and services like supplements and ice baths for HSA and FSA money. Casey Means is the founder of Levels, a continuous glucose monitor subscription service aimed at the biohacking community. The brother and sister recently appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast to rage against seed oils, as well as the food and pharma industries' focus on profits over people. Derek dug into their business models, finding them guilty of the same "crimes" they accuse others of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
0:00 1:13:43

222: RFK Jr: As the Worm Turns

RFK Jr has dropped out of the presidential race and thrown his weight behind Trump. In our 10th episode on the man in the last year-and-a-half, we look at the potential dangers of this unholy alliance, and what it means for America. Show notes are extensive, visit patreon.com/conspirituality or conspirituality.net for more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
0:00 05:58

Bonus Sample: The OG New Age Grifter: Madame Blavatsky

Born in 1831, Helena “Madame” Blavatsky pioneered the New Age grift. The Russian aristocrat plagiarized her books while claiming to be channeling the “Masters of Ancient Wisdom” to tell a dodgy heroic back-story. She founded the Theosophical Society in New York, claimed to have learned a secret Tibetan language, and laid the foundation for alien channelers and Woo-Anon. She also inspired the Nazis. In this debut episode from a series on the pseudoscience New Age roots of today’s conspirituality phenomenon, Julian pins Blavatsky on the cork-board map. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices