Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat

By Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker

Book Overview

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 book 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 readers recognize wellness grifts, engage with loved ones who've fallen under the influence, and counter lies and distortions with insight and empathy.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1541702980
• ISBN13: 9781541702981
• Release Date: June 2023
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Unmasking the Wellness Illusion

Conspirituality is a razor-sharp, poetic, and profoundly timely exploration of the modern wellness world. If you haven’t listened to the podcast, this book stands powerfully on its own as a guide through the ambiguity, misinformation, and manipulation that so often fuel today’s wellness and spiritual industries. With clarity and depth, the authors dissect the language used by influencers—vague, suggestive, and often unscientific—designed to let followers project their hopes, fears, and beliefs into a moldable concept of “wellness.” The result is a culture where anything can mean everything, and where social media algorithms, grifters, and pseudo-science thrive. We live in an upside-down world, and Conspirituality doesn’t just name the madness—it helps you make sense of it. It’s essential reading for anyone navigating wellness culture with a desire for truth, integrity, and grounded clarity.