The New Age Movement is a Failure, but Hope Remains

Out of the long list of things covered over the years- haven't really said anything about the New Age Movement or the conscious community. There’s been some small criticisms here and there about commoditization of Burning Man, crystal mining and slave labor, or the pharmaceuticalization of psychedelics- but never really a deep dive.

I guess I’ve always considered myself semi-adjacent and knowing people in the space, it’s always felt maybe too personal, or unfair, or an outsider's critique- but at this point, feels more unaligned to NOT say anything.

Even the name “Esoteric”- its affiliations and connotations, synonymous with the occult, hidden wisdom/knowledge- but the principal endeavor has been trying to stay grounded in the practical, the material, and (mostly) observable. It’s easy for this domain to become too abstract and irrelevant as you comb through the minutiae and excreta of things that fit into this category- sacred geometry, ancient civilizations, endless conspiracy theories, energy field manipulation, galactic federation bs- just whatever. Endless dark rabbit holes and wasted time. None of it matters if knowledge becomes detached from the day to day, the political, the profound, or affecting change at the societal level.

The notion of transcendence, enlightenment, meaning, healing- words that are now shaped and defined by modern thought and spiritualism- but whether in an individualistic or communal sense- they still must be tethered to destinations, outcomes, measurable results.. with emphasis on results. Otherwise these words come to hold no more power than the endless list of spiritual, religious, and social movements that have either disappeared, been assimilated or whitewashed in their application.

This might seem lofty or unrealistic- but the movement, at its core, is that of change- to change the self, society, the future, to alter the way in which we think, interact and see.. To transcend the usual superficialities that govern our relationships and ways of being. So when the movement falters, we must have the courage to inspect, evaluate, overhaul, and hold each other accountable in order to move forward. Or in some scenarios, cast things aside for something more relevant and real. Its failures serving as a guide or warning to future movements. 

Is the current movement salvageable? Maybe.

The obvious difference between this and previous movements- is its birth in the age of technology along with its meta-theology already predefined. Theories and ideas laid by previous gurus, shamans, yogis, true believers- combined with charlatans, CIA ops, the insane and malicious. Now built upon highly sophisticated systems that enable connection, information, and sharing in real time. This mix gave birth to online communities that made the jump into hybrid communities- both physical and virtual. Building, diverging, and converging towards new and old points of thought and previous movements.

But even these ideas are a funnel for something older, obscure and forgotten- but more on that later.

The current movement had immense potential- coordination, a clear runway, resources, and a predefined framework to affect change. It also had the advantage of learning from the mistakes of its predecessors but despite this, not much has happened. 

The 60s and 70s, with its many missteps, chaos, resistance, limitations, along with being consumed by the vibe, drug, and party culture- still had monumental, landmark social achievements: The Civil Rights Act, creation of the EPA, The Clean Air/Water Act, Roe vs. Wade, Voting Rights Act, Fair Housing- and so on. 

This all required immense coordination and political will. So while the previous movements accomplished this without technology, it challenges the notion that we’re better informed, or coordinated, or motivated than those that came before us. If anything, it points to technology being a negative for the development of society and spiritual awakening. These information distribution systems normalize and encourage commodification. They homogenize aesthetics and force its users to focus on algorithm optimization- which in turn drives self-censorship and self-filtration. Instead of infinite potential- a finite world begins to appear, shaped by our corporate overlords. 

While yes, the digital world reflects the intrinsic ideal- hopes, aspirations, avatars and apparitions, as well as providing externalized extensions of individuals and their communities for better and worse. But this separation from the ideal and the physical- is in itself a warning, a stratification, a fractured disembodiment. An energetic and spiritual caste system starts to emerge in a digital sense that also reflects the historic continuity of this condition across global society. 

As is the case in many areas, we are governed by the eroding frameworks built by previous generations. Trying to salvage the ruins of decaying ideologies. Our collective wealth- both material and sacred- centralized in the hands of a few. 

Clearly, the movement has yet to transcend this in any meaningful way and here’s why:

Spiritualism is Just Another Vertical in the Global Wellness Economy

The Global Wellness Economy is massive- a multi trillion dollar industry. Mindfulness, Meditation Apps. Yoga and Fitness Apparel. Wellness Tech. Wellness Surveillance. Supplements. Functional Food. Spiritual Retreats. Digital Spirituality. Psychedelics. Life Extension.

While these all seem like different domains- they are heavily owned by Nestle. Unilever. P&G. LVMH. Massive corporations dominate other areas like: Goop. Alo, Lululemon, and Tech VC’s. These brands are further rolled up into PE conglomerates: Interluxe. Carlyle. Catterton, Thrive. TSG.

The bastardization of spirituality is well represented in just the segment naming: ‘digital spirituality,’ ‘spiritual commerce’, ‘wellness surveillance’. The knowledge dimension is heavily corporatized as well: Astrology, Human Design, Gene Keys, Tarot/Psychic apps like Co-Star and Sanctuary- all repackaged into digital subscription models and VC owned. I mean even the brand "Spiritual Gangster” is PE owned ffs.

For the most part, what's presented as a grassroots, awakening economy- is just top-down financialization and another mechanism of extraction economics- capitalizing on people’s jaded perspectives of society and associated wellness chasing. The irony insulting. People pointing to this condition as a positive or the world ‘waking up’- is just effective marketing and propaganda.

“But Cainan, this is just the natural progression of a maturing market.” Ok. Maybe. But the perversion doesn't stop there. Psychedelics have always been one of the core tenets of spiritualism. A sacred substance to doors unopened and worlds unseen- both internal and external. This has been gate-kept for millennia- for only the initiated. The worthy. The deserving. The ready.

The Psychedelic Renaissance is owned by Big Pharma, Grifters and worse

Already a multi-billion dollar industry. The space is dominated by MindMed, Atai Life Sciences and Compass Pathways (Thiel owned). All publicly traded entities and profit driven. Even MAPS PBC is shifting towards commercialization and a profit driven model. MDMA, LSD, Ketamine, all sterilized, mass produced, profit focused. Synthetic and side effects removed, with tailored dosing from the comfort of your own home or earth-toned office setting. 

The worst part of this is Compass and their ongoing attempts to patent therapy protocols. To take publicly available information or the selfless work done by others and control it. Not only did they attempt to patent the process- they’re also trying to patent the natural compounds themselves. They’ve also invested heavily in FDA lobbying and pay-to-play schemes to allow fast-tracking so they can get initial rollout. Clinical access will be gate-kept and tightly controlled. Why bother leading a market when you have a monopoly on how it runs?

This all rolls up to big business viewing this as just another market opportunity to profit from- capitalizing on the well-wishers and true believers- with no intention of being stewards of the spiritual or sacred. 

The retreat and recreation market is not much better- while the smaller markets and state level programs are designed more for equality and safe natural access- they are still too small and fractured to become a driving force. Additionally, the pharma model is specifically lobbying against this- since natural therapies or protocols that run outside the pharmaceutical framework steal from their market capitalization efforts. 

So a two prong strategy emerges: while attempting to stifle growth there- whatever models are successful- will likely be acquired at some point by the portfolio companies specializing in the space. Antagonize. Delay. Acquire. 

This is just market dynamics- let’s talk about some of the other people that mirror this behavior in the space- especially on the retreat side.

Dark Luxury and Healing on Stolen Land

The luxury spaces starting to emerge tie into the psychedelic market as well- all inclusive packages, ocean side resorts, spas and functional foods- run anywhere from 3k-20k a week- which make them a part of a luxury segment that focuses heavily on Western and international audiences. ‘Undesirables’ and locals both priced out. 

The space is completely unregulated. Consumer safety is optional. Preparation is rarely monitored, tested, validated. The ultimate sin however. Is that in many of these scenarios- the indigenous population- largely hispanic, and south american- are not the ones facilitating these retreats- they are the ones preparing the food, cleaning the beds and disgusting bathrooms, the after effects of the purge ceremonies.. cleaning up the piss, bile and shit of the privileged. 

An obvious metaphor on the extractive economics that exist here. It’s their land, their culture, their heritage, their belief systems- being co-opted by the dysfunctional, exploitative colonial mindsets- well intentioned? Maybe. But it's a level of cultural theft and appropriation that extends beyond the norm. 

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Ayahuasca ceremonies, sweat lodges, cacao rituals, and vision quests are often stripped from their cultural context and repackaged for Western consumption. The original epistemologies- cosmology, land ethics, community responsibilities- are rarely honored or supported materially outside of the superficial.

Large scale sacred substance commodification- San pedro, Bufo, Iboga- exacerbates existing ecological stress and extraction without reciprocity. The previously esteemed and respected community positions of traditional healers, elders, and medicine holders, now in some cases are just mascots or charity cases for these Western programs and excluded from meaningful revenue share.

The two historical analogies that apply here are how Americans have this fond perspective (or fetishization) of the Native American holism they wiped out. And even with this modern perspective- we continue to erode the land, with no major action as indigenous communities struggle with basic infrastructure and profound addiction, exploitation, incarceration, sickness, and suicide rates.

The second being Cortez- with his decimation of the indigenous population that laid the groundwork for the Eurocentric ideologies to take root in Anahuac and Tawantinsuyu- or the lands that would eventually be referred to as “Latin America.”

Is healing even possible in these environments? Will these proximate indigenous communities fall into similar conditions? The violence less obvious as the drive West eased centuries ago- but no less profound in its application of spiritual warfare.

Gender Dynamics, Cultic Structures and Repression of the Feminine

This invader and exploitation mindset is apparent and manifests itself in another way as well:

1. The Ayahuasca Community in Peru was investigated by the Guardian and reported dozens of reports of sexual harassment and assault at multiple centers, mostly involving Western women.
2. New Age Retreats in Costa Rica (Soltara) point to inappropriate touch, coercion framed as energetic healing, or blurred boundaries under ayahuasca or kambo ceremonies.
3. James Arthur Ray & Sedona (2009) 3 people died, but also numerous allegations of psychological and sexual coercion in his self-help/spiritual retreats. 
4. Synthesis Institute (Netherlands) Collapsed in 2023. While most issues were around financial mismanagement and training quality, anonymous reports from trainees reference uncomfortable dynamics with male facilitators and a lack of protective policies.
5. Multiple teachers and trainers in tantra circles (ISTA, OneTaste, and independent practitioners) have faced allegations or lawsuits. OneTaste being the most infamous: it presented itself as spiritual-sexual therapy but was later investigated by the FBI for sex trafficking and labor exploitation. Founder Nicole Daedone was charged in 2023.

These may seem like cherry-picking individual instances from all over the world- but there is a case to be made it's far worse. In 2022, MAPS did a survey of 500+ psychedelic users, over 7% reported sexual harassment or assault during a psychedelic experience with a guide or facilitator.

Chacruna Institute (one of the bright lights in the space) acknowledged that cases are "likely in the hundreds, if not thousands" globally, many never disclosed. There is a fear of reporting- since victims fear harassment or ostracization. Or worse, that this type of behavior has been normalized as healthy boundary-crossing under the guise of ‘healing.’

This leads us to the conclusion that abuse is systemic, not incidental: many retreats lack third-party accountability, grievance processes, or trauma-informed structures. There is no psychedelic or influencer #MeToo equivalent yet and most cases live in whispers, online threads, and academic footnotes. Also who do you call? Across global jurisdictions? The local cops? Ok. 

While this outright exploitation is obvious- there is something more subtle, but equally sinister that either subconsciously or consciously exists in these spaces that facilitates and perpetuates this dynamic.

The patriarchal structures long normalized in corporate, political and everyday life- CEO, chairman, senator, president, provider, father- don’t disappear in spiritual spaces. They just get rebranded.

In the New Age Movement, traditional masculine archetypes are repackaged as "visionary", "conscious leader", "generator", or "divine masculine". The spiritual man becomes the awakened provider- not of material goods, but of insight, energy, protection, and purpose. But the structure remains hierarchical. Power is still consolidated. The masculine still dominates the spotlight.

Meanwhile, feminine labor is ritualized into supportive emotional infrastructure. Women are tasked with being empaths, space holders, nurturers- roles that are sometimes invisible, less recognized, and underpaid. Their contributions are spiritualized into service, while men rise into roles of authorship, influence, and ceremonial authority.

This dynamic mirrors familiar power structures. Many New Age spaces, particularly tantra and plant medicine circles, reproduce cult-like hierarchies. Charismatic male figures- shamans, channelers, breathwork coaches, sacred sexuality gurus- hold unchecked influence, under the guise of divine ordination or energetic authority, yet have no institutional oversight or accountability. 

When abuse happens, it is often gaslit into invisibility. Abuse in organizations like OneTaste (orgasmic meditation), NXIVM, and various tantra circles where coercion was disguised as spiritual growth. Survivors face gaslighting disguised as elevated counsel: “You manifested this into being,” “This was part of your healing,” “That's your trauma talking” or “You’re not opening yourself to the medicine.” 

Violations are now recast as spiritual initiations. The result is a double trauma: the initial violation, and the spiritual betrayal that follows. Hurt people not knowing anything different- survivor guilt, repression- and having to trauma heal from your trauma healing- is something all too real. 

The New Age Movement for all its talk of balance and transformation, has yet to reckon with the masculine-coded pathways to power that remain entrenched and its symptoms. The divine feminine is spoken of frequently- but rarely structurally empowered and far too often, a victim.

Sanitized Spirituality: Yoga, Capitalism, and the Feminine Aesthetic

Let’s keep piling on :) 

The West’s cultural virus of exploitation for profit has been done before as well, with yoga being a prime example. Western yoga’s evolution from spiritual praxis to commercialized wellness aesthetic reflects a broader trend of cultural appropriation fused with neoliberal consumerism.

In traditional Indian contexts, yoga was a multidimensional discipline- physical, yes, but deeply embedded in metaphysical, ethical, and revolutionary frameworks. It functioned as a means of transcending material illusion (maya), aligning with universal consciousness (Brahman), and confronting ego and worldly attachment. The original practice demanded austerity (tapas), inward reflection (svādhyāya), and often rebellion against established structures of caste, state, or orthodoxy. Yogic renunciates (sannyasins) were viewed as social outliers- revolutionaries in spirit and practice.

The Western adaptation, however, largely strips this context, reducing yoga to physical postures (asana), aestheticized athleticism, and digestible pop-spirituality. The transformation is not accidental; it reflects capitalism’s drive to commodify both identity and spirituality into accessible, repeat-purchase formats- lululemon leggings, $25 drop-in classes, branded yoga retreats. The body is recast not as a temple for inner awakening but as a site of sculpted discipline and performative empowerment- translating into buying power, rather than systemic transformation.

By a wide margin- this dynamic disproportionately targets women, selling a vision of empowerment that is heavily aestheticized, non-threatening, and consumable. It’s hierarchies, surface ethics, and sexualization- mirroring the issues we touched on previously.

The industry, unsurprisingly, has also had multiple high-profile sexual abuse cases- from Bikram Choudhury to Pattabhi Jois- and underscores how misappropriation without accountability becomes fertile ground for abuse and further exploitation.

Carl Jung discussed his fears of the West’s adoption of profound Eastern mythologies- the colonization of the sacred, turning liberation into fantasy or neurosis. The West’s fetishization of the East- in an attempt to fill its spiritual vacuum with the conquered remnants of ancient tools and beliefs- stripped of their deeper meanings to hide the guilt of its exploited origins. 

We now sell empowerment without rebellion, spirituality without subversion. We teach pacification, rather than liberation. Practices that should dismantle ego are now used to sculpt it.

The Myth of the Awakening Economy

Much of this is driven and amplified by the Spiritual Commerce and Influencer Economy- a specific aesthetic and form of branding that uses precise language to position and target specific audiences. 

While the exploitation of the sacred, women, or indigenous cultures has been covered- it preys on itself as well. Like some cancerous Ouroboros, many New Age entrepreneurs have to engage in constant attention mining, emotional farming, clout chasing. Similar to indigenous land theft, this is a form of subtle spiritual colonialism- extracting sacred meaning as quickly as possible to repackage for views, likes and impressions. 

This has resulted in a veritable crockpot of influencers and entrepreneurs- all competing against each other in some way or another for attention, money, and influence.

Flat-earthers, Anti-vaxxers, QAnon, Sovereign Citizens, Hoteps, Doomers, Tradwives, Starseeds, Galactic Federation, (which is just repackaged Race Theory btw) Spiritual Financial Influencers. Divine Life Coaches, Conscious Girlbosses, Manifestation Gurus, and Crypto-Shamans. Tantric providers, Spiritual Sex Workers, Weed and Shroomfluencers, Psychedelic Bros, Witchtok, Wooks, Technomystics, Spiritual Musicians, and on and on. 

An endless number of larps. The gifted, knowledgeable or real intuitives- Talented Psychics, Tarot Readers, Reiki/Energy healers, sometimes unnoticed in a sea of imposters. 

There’s more here than just the masquerade of energy vampires though: Our post-deconstructive era has facilitated the deeply neurotic condition of hyper-individualism. Further fed by our dysfunctional views on success and celebrity. 

Hyper-capitalism’s commodification attempts to eat everything it touches- but in this case, it’s perpetrated as slogans such as “Monetize your community”, “Develop your brand”, "Monetize your brand" or "Turn your passion into a career” or ”Learn how to hustle consciously.”

Like some perverted pyramid scheme, freedom can be yours if you just sell or perform enough. 

But in reality, many New Age practitioners are often underpaid, underinsured, and unsupported. They exist primarily in the freelance and gig-based economies which are highly extractive and platform dependent. Slaves to algorithms and forced to work the digital mines of content creation. The illusion of “sovereignty” masks its dependence on Big Tech. 

Another dimension here is the focus on consumption-driven euphoria: breathwork highs, ecstatic dance, cold plunges, sexual liberation, drugs, festivals and retreat hopping. All feeding short attention spans and reward cycles that demand  “more” -with the idea of ‘just being’ becoming secondary if it's not marketable and monetizable. 

Burning Man and the festival/destination circuit being a prime example of this evolution. Once the countercultural representative- it now showcases this hyper-individualism, tech libertarianism, and escapism. There is little policy engagement or activist infrastructure generated beyond temporary desert utopia rising and luxury commodification (glamping, helicopter arrivals, “plug-n-play” camps.)  

Tulum, Bali, Ibiza have also been transformed into digital nomad and psychedelic tourism enclaves, catering to bourgeois layabouts and turning locals into an underpaid workforce. Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, Boom Festival. All blending music, wellness and branded spirituality. Party culture and bliss chasing now deeply intertwined- run by for-profit LLCs or “conscious” entrepreneurs backed by tech wealth or real estate investors. 

Lastly, and arguably the most damning, the space relies heavily on exploitative supply chains.

Crystals, incense, sacred herbs, the talismans, totems, symbols, idols, and decor- reflect its surface level aesthetics and meaning. Apparel, yoga wear, mats, jewelry, beads, candles, essential oils- in many cases, are built on a foundation of dark economics. 

Poisonous chemicals. Deforestation. Corporate resource extraction. Abuse. Slave labor. Underpaid Labor. Poverty.

A gross contradiction of the presented principals of sustainability and compassion. Many conscious or “ethical” apparel companies use the same outsourced, low-wage, mass-produced garment factories as fast fashion. Crystal mining in Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Brazil involves child labor, violence, toxic working conditions, and severe ecological damage. 

In summary, while New Age rhetoric emphasizes oneness, healing, and abundance, the market that supports it is:

• Financialized: Dominated by extractive capital, IP fencing, and PE roll-ups.
• Hierarchical: Gatekept through price, platform access, and cultural capital + gender dynamics.
• Commodified: Spirituality has become an aesthetic filter and pay-to-win subscription model.
• Non-Impactful: No large-scale political or social impacts outside of monetization.
• Exploitative: Extracts spiritual, cultural, historical, and energetic capital into centralized, non-community based forms- individuals, corporations.

A Timeline of Our Cultural and Spiritual Inheritance 

It’s not fair to place the blame solely on the individuals, groups or entities running the show- we don't exist in a vacuum- we’re not separate from the conditions that gave rise to it. But let's look at how we got here- from a generational standpoint. 

1. The Greatest Generation (1910s–1930s)

Defining Conditions:

• Depression, war, genocide, and scarcity
• Trauma processed through duty, sacrifice, nationalism, and institutional allegiance (military, church, government)

Legacy:

• Built durable structures (eg unions, GI Bill, public institutions), but repressed personal and emotional complexity
• Prioritized survival, order, and conformity over introspection or individualism

2. The Baby Boomers (1946–1964)

Defining Conditions:

• Inherited unprecedented material prosperity
• Encountered civil rights, counterculture, and feminist movements

Paradox:

• While exposed to spiritual liberation and psychedelic exploration, their worldview remained constrained by the previous generation’s materialist and hierarchical frameworks
• Created institutional wealth (real estate, pensions, academia) but often failed to reform those institutions for wider equity

Result:

• Appropriated spirituality without structural critique (eg EST, TM, early self-help), commodifying “awakening” while retreating from collective struggle post-Reagan

3. Generation X (1965–1980)

Defining Conditions:

• Raised in neoliberal aftermath: broken unions, rising divorce, decaying civic institutions
• Cultural mood: cynicism, irony, distrust of authority

Response:

• Sought authenticity and freedom via subcultures (grunge, rave, zine culture) and early alternative spirituality
• Yet often lacked intergenerational support, institutional access, or cohesive ideologies

Spiritual Outcome:

• Leaned toward fragmented spiritual exploration—DIY Buddhism, techno-paganism, neo-shamanism—without coherent movement-building or shared ethics

4. Millennials (1981–1996)

Defining Conditions:

• Crushed by student debt, wage stagnation, climate anxiety, gig economy precarity
• Deeply networked, yet disillusioned with mainstream politics and capitalism

Spiritual Response:

• Revival of “spiritual but not religious,” wellness economy, and online mysticism
• Dominant themes: trauma processing, reparenting, nervous system regulation

Contradiction:

• Reaches for healing while embedded in hyperindividualism, hustle culture, and content commodification
• High spiritual literacy, but low institutional or material leverage

5. Gen Z (1997–2012)

Emerging Traits:

• Raised entirely in digital era, post-truth and surveillance capitalism
• Simultaneously skeptical and surrealist, blending meme culture with esoteric spirituality
• Show signs of post-individualist leanings: mutual aid, neurodivergence awareness, fluid identities

Potential:

• Could evolve the movement into networked spiritual collectivism, but risks deep nihilism or burnout without tangible institutions, resources or ideological cohesion

Alienation, Myths and Linguistic Capture 

In Ernst Jünger’s “The Forest Passage” he touches on this social condition:

 “We killed God, and replaced Him with the gods of technology, efficiency, and security.”

In removing spiritual order, we enthroned inhuman machinery as our new temples. The New Gods or Titans that have arisen are now tracked on the Forbes Billionaire List- those that embrace their technocratic masters and their beliefs- can fill whatever void and find purpose in their lives. 

Looking back, this age began of course, with the French Revolution and the subsequent Reign of Terror,  the violent dismantling of the clergy, the church, and sacred institutions, to be replaced with burgeoning liberal democracy and the cult of reason. 

A few decades later, Nietzsche referred to this event as a defining cultural shift: the decline of belief in an absolute moral order- further perpetuated and adopted by the educated and influential societies in Europe. For Nietzsche, the “death of God” signified the collapse of traditional society and warned of rising nihilism in its place.

In totality, and despite its many benefits, liberal democracy has facilitated the removal of supernatural authority from governance. It has eroded a shared or universal moral order. It has made the Self and its relationship to the Machine- the only avenue for meaning and power.

Projecting this meta-framework forward, we arrive at our current condition: a fragmented culture, adrift in hyper-individuation, technocratic exploitation, and spiritual malaise- haunted by the absence of what was. 

As covered in previous post- language is a technology as well (interlinked.) Language and its meaning gets shaped and redefined by the forces mentioned above. The commodification of modern spiritual language has detached it from collective meaning. Individually, these words are fine- but grouped together, a theme starts to emerge. 

Ascension. Alignment. Integration. Enlightenment. Liberation. Transcendence. Frequency. Source.

These meanings are now subjective, obscure, and universalist. Definitions that only exist in individual contexts. Its subjectivity a core focus and purposeful, feeding personal transformation phrases like:

“Don’t outsource your power” or “Be your own guru” or “Be your own boss”. You no longer need anyone. You're self-monetized. Self-policed. No Gods. No Masters. 

But still, a master remains:

The Self.

This glorification of personal sovereignty is a purely modern condition and an uncharted one. It’s also an outlier for much of human history. We question why alienation, loneliness, mental illness are now large scale phenomena, its rise correlating with the collapse of community, religion, and class solidarity.

It brazenly places the value of ancestral wisdom, mentorship, or community guidance as secondary. Collective struggle. Interdependence. Accountability. Are all now seen as weakness- a fatal character flaw. 

This in turn feeds the general distrust of institutions (some warranted) and the aimless, post-ideology that rejects science, education, and infrastructure, for some intangible ideal- demonizing those that don't buy into this as “still plugged into the matrix.”

We’re pretty much current now.

On the bright side, we can see New Age Movements as an attempt to recapture deeper meaning that existed for millennia and is likely woven deep in our genetic memory. So as we attempt to heal, reframe, reshape- it can largely be defined as a midway checkpoint, a transitional, confused phase in the West’s attempt to reconcile materialist decline with spiritual yearning.. Its excesses reflect the psychological coping strategies of alienation in the midst of so much abundance and interconnectedness.

A more jaded perspective however, is that these conditions are less causal and highly intentional. Coping mechanisms instead of revolution. Psychedelics to make you more pliant and impressionable, no different from anti-depressants or anti-anxieties. Perpetuation of “healing culture” that forces you to believe that you need to heal yourself before doing anything else- a liminal state of eternal imperfection with vague destinations that evolves into permanent neurosis. 

Your inner work is done to ‘perform better’ at your email job. You speedrun therapy for self-optimization. Your trauma healing is a hustle upgrade. Ignore the conditions of exploitative labor, social and ecological decline. Ignore the burning world and focus instead on positive vibes and yourself. 

In closing, without shared myths, the anchors of shared ideology and community roots, the sacred becomes nothing more than a floating spiritual consumerism that lacks collective memory or a future for that matter. It blows whichever way the winds of capital blow. Its language and actions detached from the material- instead becoming hollow marketing speak and a never-ending wheel of coping strategies.

The Absence of Death, Grief, and Collective Praxis

This postmodern condition is not unique to the space- it manifests itself everywhere in society and reflects our civilizational denial of decline. While there are plenty of groups that outright ignore this, there are other movements and ideologies that dwell too much on the root causes, the people to blame, abstract alternatives, or the mechanisms.

But rather than outright avoidance, the New Age Movement attempts to synthesize these into something more coherent. But it makes one major mistake:

It blindly chases perfection. It obsesses over vibrancy. It fixates on beginnings. 

The notion of collapse, decay, entropy, are largely ignored. There’s no mature ideology of failure, loss, or death. This aversion to discomfort and conflict results in superficial emotional frameworks, where anger, grief, or social critique are seen as “toxic” rather than valid emotional states needing processing and expression.

The origin of this can be traced to the stupid Law of Attraction book and its acceptance by “Feel Good” culture. A central tenet being “negative thoughts create negative realities”, placing blame on victims for their own suffering. Or the "abundance mindset” being used to rationalize inequality and stratification. “You’re only poor because you think small” or “You only struggle because you believe in scarcity.”

This wholesale rejection of suffering gets woven into the healing modalities as well- where you should reframe trauma as blessings- but without material support or political awareness. This further feeds the toxic belief that “spirituality transcends politics” an idea that you can effectively address structural oppression by just meditating, or “raising the vibration with your thoughts and actions.”

The problem with this inaction and cowardice is that it attempts to flatten power structures and inequality. Equating the oppressed and oppressor as the same. It chooses status-quo neutrality with its phrases of “just love” or “peace or healing on both sides”- skipping over the complexities of difficult situations or the need to take sides in moments where it is just or necessary.

The further irony is that it then attempts to demonize this invisible boundary- where the social activism dimension of enlightenment is framed as “low vibration”, or another use of “trapped in the matrix”. 

The New Age Movement is fundamentally conflict avoidant- no language exists for solidarity beyond vague compassion. It willfully chooses to ignore the violence that occurs around the concepts of race, class, inequality, ableism, indigenous rights, Palestine, global conflicts, abolition, freedom fighters, climate justice, labor rights and so on. 

(No wonder the Elite are so invested in the movement and its aesthetics- it effectively neutralizes political engagement from one of the groups that could be the biggest threats to the status quo.)

Also fuck Gwyneth Paltrow.

This specific approach of sanitized feel goodism is immensely profitable, with Goop being representative of this extraction technique. A white, privileged woman, selling billions of dollars worth of products, while giving nothing back.

Additionally, Goop has settled multiple lawsuits for its unverified health claims, misleading language, and pseudoscientific product promotion. Yet still pushes its elite aspirational marketing, under the guise of spiritual empowerment. Questionable products, with questionable sourcing, being sold by questionable people.

No activism. No foundation. No charitable causes. No civic engagement. No reciprocity. No public record of substantial philanthropic giving. 

This is hardly an isolated case- despite the massive financial circulation in brands, retreats, courses, coaching, and festivals, New Age communities rarely build enduring charitable networks, public goods, or mutual aid systems which reflect its lack of movement building. 

For all the talk of post-religion and doing away with old frameworks and old systems- (just lazy Accelerationism imo) the movement gets absolutely lapped by the Church-based organizing traditions: liberation theology, Shriners, the black church, Jesuits, Catholic Worker Movement, Sikh, Zakat- where the actions of giving- whether it be investment, healthcare, resources, education, necessities, are foundational to its belief system. Its civic engagement efforts extending beyond this area as well. 

This stark absence of cross-pollination between New Age practitioners and frontline movements, highlight its deficiencies for building collaborative and alternative institutions. But is this intentional? An excuse to continue its trend of ignorance, of spiritual and political bypassing, of avoiding and selective focusing- because escapism and non-action has become really, really profitable.

Synthesis and Looking Forward

*deep breath*

This is not intended as a blanket indictment. I’ve met some wonderful people in the space, there are true-believers, some incredible selfless people and hard workers, super cool brands, movements, communities, and tech that exist here. But we can't ignore the fact that this doesn’t reflect the entirety of the movement, or the overall market dynamics.

And moreover, despite meeting people from all over the world- I continue to be shocked by the greed, darkness, and ignorance that exists in the space. From my perspective, in its current form- the movement is just another flavor of coping with late-stage capitalism.

It’s just better at hiding its emptiness. Selling performative transcendence and sedation. Vapid identities. Aesthetics and vibes replace truth. No sacrifice. Energy work without energetic justice.

Worse, its embraced highbrow universalist metaphors and anti-political stances- rather than true political or moral revolution. 

It’s lost the respect, potential and trust of a lot of people- instead, a trail of wreckage left behind- spiritual, emotional and physical. Lives ruined, hollowness and superficiality abounds.

All of this is unsustainable. So I’m not calling for a revival. I’m calling for a reckoning- if nothing endures, cool. 

However, hope remains because failure clarifies. The movement failed not because it aimed too high- but because it settled too low. It exists at a threshold between collapse and renaissance, vulnerable to both synthesis and redemption. 

Maybe I’m taking all this too seriously- and it's just the adolescent Geist of maturing Gen X and Millennials trying to find their way. Nobody gets it right the first time, or the second, so maybe the third? Or fourth? Or is the entire New Age Movement just a spiritual detour and dead-end? The movement hit its peak long ago and is now corporatized. The same way Gangster Rap became in the 2000’s.. where liberation became spectacle. 

The larger pressing question I can't get past- is this really the best we can do? Is this the apex of community based cultural emergence and change? Or are there other movements waiting to be created that are more impactful- that weave the political, the civic, the ethereal, community, meaning and purpose into singular ideals and practical implications. The birth of a new moral philosophy- deeply aware and invested in aesthetics beyond the visual- seeking opportunities to do something larger, grander, and visionary. 

Sustained Philanthropy. Community Advancement. Spiritual Politics. Shared Mythologies. Entropy Rituals. 

These are just some of the components that are lacking in everyday life and deserve integration on a much larger scale. The strategic macro implementation of which, a different conversation for another day.

It also boils down to courage as well. The courage to care. To do things that are inconvenient, unmarketable, or unbearably human. Weaving integrity, humility, engagement, redemption, health, and reciprocity into a shared vision of the future. 

Building sacredness into our communities, beliefs, and institutions is not easy. Expanding our values beyond profit. Anchoring spirit in global civic life, community repair, and ecological abundance- will be exceptionally difficult. 

However, our corporate overlords have decided nothing is sacred. That everything is for sale. That silence is profitable. That marketing to the Self reinforces existing power structures. We should know by now that personal transcendence is not collective transformation. Whether the movement fails or fulfills its purpose, the responsibility remains ours- whether to be the generation that answers a world hungry for change, or to plant the seeds for the next to deliver what is so desperately needed.