The hosts don’t often look at their own biases and I question their abilities at self-reflection. They act as if they’re experts and lack humility.

It’s sad you think this is helping people. All it is is fear and negativity.

Anybody making a podcast in 2020’s that feels their opinions must be firmly placed in one or the other side of the left-right paradigm, is in a cult themselves. If you yearn for a place for confirmation bias and cute buzz-words like “MAGA republicans” etc. as well as flowery language and self congratulatory attitudes, this is the podcast for you. Always be wary and avoid groups that offer to make your mind up for you , as well as those quick to dismiss ideas and persons, as opposed to admitting a lack of knowledge on the matter.

Disgustingly ignorant. Attacks and tries to to discredit *anyone* opposed to the agenda of the military industrial complex. Arrogant FOOLS!!!!

You are all awesome & informative in so many ways! Your podcast serves as quite useable information that I’ve found no where else. Conspirituality has been my favorite Apple podcast for several months, although it now appears your free content is disappearing into Subscribers only access. Extremely disappointing to us that cannot afford to add one more bill to our household income. Isn’t the money you’ve been paid for your book deal and certainly will increasing once it’s released enough?? Please rethink just how much is enough and allow free episodes to continue on Apple Podcast. I’m watching them sadly becoming less & less and I can not be forced to pay. Sincerely Disappointed~

These guys can be half decent when they interview experts, but on their own the know-it-all vibe has become hard to take. Great podcasters like Ezra Klein have a sense of curiosity and discovery, whereas the Conspirituality trio are doing less exploring and more expounding. They universalize their opinions, which are based mostly on their own very limited and narrow experiences in the yoga and new age communities, as thought they have the final truth on all the great mysteries of religion. Three failed pseudointellectuals who are all actually just yoga teachers, new agers, or lightweight reporters of some sort, pretend they have phds and pontificate insufferably. How does covering music festivals as a fluff reporter or experimenting with psychadelics give you license to cast judgements about world religions and complex political problems with such incandescent smugness? It’s ego run amok, and they fail to see how in many ways they have begun to resemble the dubious influencers and Joe Rogans they criticize.

I subscribe to several pods on patreon and haven’t done so with this one, though I do appreciate it. I recognize this puts me into the ad-hearing listener category but sheesh—the first sponsors were surprisingly disturbing for a program that’s so thoughtful and deliberative. Not interested in sensationalized interviews with psychopaths or detailed descriptions of violence and death, so please spare us these creepy excerpts from the other pods on your new network. Thank you.

I appreciate that others are writing negative reviews on this podcast. I love the topics. I’m interested in cultish behaviors and spiritual bents and what drives them. But the more I listen to this podcast, the more I hear two really white guys, who long to be the authority on different topics. It’s the same downfall that landed them in cults to begin with. The longing to be right about things. They seem to continue to walk through life speaking as if they’ve figured it out.

I enjoy the content, topics, research and insights you all offer. Older episodes were often very masculine-dominated or had that centricity/logos to the analysis (from a female aspiring academic’s perspective). And older episodes were very very fast - ya’ll spoke very quickly. So fast, I actually got migraines/headaches trying to listen to the episodes - I am unfortunately, not joking. Just to highlight how fast and hyper-analytical the speech was at the time. I think since, the speech and dialogue have become much slower, more accessible and more understandable as someone with a very feminine-creative-right brain centric way of thinking. Um this is just what came up for me. I really wanted to listen to the episodes bc the topics were very interesting to me - New age, conspiracies, yoga, hypocrisy/criticism of these spheres, I love those topics and learning more about them. But yes, if you all could please keep speaking slower and in a more accessible (both ada, and for neurodiverse and rightbrained thinkers), that’d be awesome. It seems to have improved listening to episode 150 versus 1-2 years ago when I was listening, so keep that up please. Thank you. Love the topics. May inspire me to be a cult researcher myself. Cheers.

Agree with others that the hosts can be condescending. Sometimes the editorials are overly flowery and hard to get through. Once you get to the meat of the content, it’s very informative.

Don’t understand the recent negative reviews (which seem to be penned by the same person). The discourse is well-researched and if you support via Patreon, there are opportunities to engage with the co-hosts and share your own experiences. Keep up the great work.

Take them with a grain of salt. Sometimes they have amazing guests, and open important conversations, but these are some white men, and you will occasionally hear some pretty shockingly ignorant statements. Still worth a listen on a regular basis.

There's no nuance or gray-area here- these are the effeminate, Prius-driving he/theys your dad warned you about. I like to listen to things that don't align with my own worldview or values; I think it's interesting and healthy. Don't get me wrong: these humans are good at talking at microphones. Pretty sure the studio is a place where a podcaster jizzes in his pants every time the South African says "late stage capitalism" or "epistemology." That guy loves to hear himself talk, and boy, is he always right (just ask him.) The takes are uniformly extremely far left; no surprises there, and the politics are left of Bernie Sanders. They know all the notable philosophers, but I doubt they can patch drywall or fix a broken garbage disposal. The cultier episodes can be interesting, mostly, because they lack the wild political commentary. The political episodes are interesting, because who even thinks like this? Lots of unpleasant accents, lots of "communism could work." Give them a listen, anyway. It will confirm your pre-existing biases if you're a victim of society, and make you a better debater if you're not.

I was initially thrilled with this podcast when it launched, devouring every episode immediately and being so impressed with the hosts’ insights, research, and compelling take on the problematic forms of influence in the wellness-sphere. Through the years however, the show has divulged into a mostly ego-centric, masterbatory-style long form in which the hosts mostly get off on their own voices and perpetually implied superiority. The points are still important, but of how many hours of our listening and attention these three cis, white, heterosexual men genuinely believe their takes deserve is pretty inflated. The past six months, I can barely hang into individual episodes through the end. Unfollowing, but do hope they’ll learn to edit themselves with the same critical ear they extend to those around them in the future.

How do you know you’re in a cult? You spend your time trying to prove that other people are in one.

I just found the Conspirituality podcast. As a retired biologist whose first degree was in the Philosophy of Religion and who at one time was a zen lay brother and who is a lifelong atheist and skeptic, this podcast hits on many themes I have chewed on for decades. I especially like the compassionate, empathetic tone that the skeptical community often lacks while still calling out the misinformation and pseudoscience so prevalent in our world.

Every sentence is so packed with information and valid, informed analysis that I sometimes need to back up to catch it again. Definitely one of the highest quality podcasts I’ve ever heard; must-listen for such an important topic.

I’ve listened to every episode, but was just turned on to the podcast in fall of 2022. Very funny, well researched and intelligent. As a black queer woman, a mother of a cis black boy, a yoga teacher(all 8 limbs), an artist and a human I just think this resource is so valuable. Ultimately it teaches me compassion and critical thinking, even when I just want to float away into a generalized cloud of Siddhis and Japa and Asana and whatever else. I wrote a review today, though, because episode #143 is one of the best podcast episodes I’ve ever heard. Ever. I just wish people in America (and beyond), but starting in America could sit, in silence, and just listen to Beau. His wisdom, his humor, his knowledge and the fierce compassion of the interviewer could change so much. He cares about liberation for ALL of us. All, even those who espouse hate towards him and other marginalized people. Thank you for this episode, and all of them really. 5 stars for sure.

As George Orwell said, “If you want to know who rules over you, look at who you are not allowed to criticize."

I never thought I was someone who played into dangerous misinformation before I listened to this podcast. I’d save an infographic on Pinterest about “herbs for women” and be redirected to a website promoting gender essentialism and EMF blockers, go to yoga classes claiming to “detox my organs” and even believed certain diets made me more “spiritually enlightened.” These beliefs were preached by people who were profiting off of my ignorance and not based in rigorously peer reviewed scientific evidence. The guys never make me feel stupid or judged for having bought into it, and I’m on my own mini de-radicalization journey! Keep up the good work, and thanks for keeping me company.

Unfortunately the host are extremely predictable.

Intelligent honest discussions-refreshing.

This is, hands down, my absolute favorite podcast of all time. I am eternally grateful to them for getting me through the pandemic less scathed than I may have otherwise been. I’ve listened to every single episode, I am a Patreon supporter, and I look forward to it every week. Pretty sure I’m their biggest fan ;)

I appreciate the information and some of the guests, but they have way too much bias and an excessive focus on promoting injections. They seem like up and coming cult leaders.

My intent in listening to this podcast has been additional perspectives to bring in to discussion with people I know -intelligent people I know-going down these horrifying rabbit holes. I am not willing to lose these people but, despite being a Psychotherapist- I am still left - mouth hanging open, slack with shock as they speak of outlandish conspiracies with fervor and seeming confidence. This podcast has continued to provide, while not enough answers, a feeling of shared experience and community within the Transpersonal community and the mutations arising there. I am working my way through all the episodes. I was raised from birth as Seventh-Day- Adventist, both grandfathers were pastors, dad was an Elder. We escaped this nightmare of a church/cult in the 80’s and after a stint with a pallet-cleansing atheism and agnosticism, I’ve journeyed back in to Spirituality. My way. I’ve become a consciousness geek, Energy Healer, and a Transpersonal EMDR Therapist. I walk the line of woo and evidence-based practices and ALWAYS expect effective outcomes. This group of guys does help bring the type of skepticism I can generally respect. I’m fascinated by cults and cult thinking and often assist others in processing religious trauma. I am processing my own- perhaps for the rest of my life. Thanks for taking on the grifters and the toxic aspects of the Spiritual communities! Growing deep critical thinking skills, in my opinion, should be taught and honed in conjunction with Transpersonal and Spiritual practices. Listening to Alyssia Caputo was incredibly supportive, as being intimately connected with folks as they might go down the wellness radicalism route. That’s the main reason I started listening! I want to have these conversations- stay out of a condemning stance.

If you want to hear three dudes breathlessly mansplain things, this is the show for you. They bray into the void with the sanctimony and certainty of bizarro world Jordan Paterson if he was far left. Misogynoir dressed up as woke bro cosplay.

Thank you so much for this podcast. As a disabled person, I appreciate how this podcast critically examines how the ideal of the body “working perfectly” is so dangerous. At the crossroads of cultural appropriation and racism is often the ableist obsessions about how bodies should be. Belief is so powerful, and we all have the right to heal. But I think chronically ill and disabled people are not only extremely susceptible to these more malicious myths, but are often disposed of (read eradicated) in this so-called impending dawn of consciousness. Here’s to our disobedient, strange and brilliant bodies.

They’re spot on wrt the conspirituality phenomenon, but they’re also raging Hinduphobes. When confronted with information that factually counters their Hinduphobic narrative they block people on social media.

Unfortunately this podcast is no an objective perspective on our current media paradigm, but a clear trump-derangement syndrome leftist take. No different than turning on CNN. If you’re even mildly woke, you hate trump, you love COVID lock downs, you’ll probably love with this guy.

Show is biased & brainwashed, don’t waste your time. They gargled the Kool-Aid and failed to recognize that the pendulum is shifting back in the favor of truth. The propaganda they’ve been spoon fed will no longer hold up, and shows like this will slowly dwindle away. Way to be on the wrong side of history.

I listened to this podcast for a couple of years and even subscribed for a stretch. Increasingly, I’ve found it hard to listen. They’ve become annoyingly smug and still fail to fully acknowledge how many of these folks are straight-up fascist propagandists.

Possibly the most important podcast in these strange days, examining conceptual, thematic, and strategic links between culty new-age grifters and the neo-fascist mindset threatening our stumbling and fumbling democracy.

Are we unable to embrace confident, articulate researchers? While I welcome greater diversity in such public voices, this podcast is compelling, well informed, and effectively presented.

Derek Beres is an Agenda Contributor at the “Own nothing and be happy”-World Economic Forum... He attempts to align true spiritual teachers with Qanon and the political right, it’s lazy. What a gaslighter.

High-level explorations of the burgeoning wellness industry, self-proclaimed gurus, and anything and everything that makes bold yet unsubstantiated claims. However, after continued listening, the hosts eventually come across as condescending. I get it; they are really smart. But eventually it just sounds like two or three guys trying to one-up each other with their knowledge and vocabulary. I still subscribe to the show, but am listening to fewer and fewer episodes

If you like a literate, well-researched and -documented discussion among scarily smart people who don’t take themselves too seriously, this podcast is for you. I’m hooked.

I’ve tried. These guys are clearly intelligent, clearly doing their research, and I respect the personal experiences that inform their work. But it’s too excitedly judgmental to feel balanced and relevant. I think they started with an excellent premise, given the insanity of the pandemic, but they are beating a dead horse. I’m no Teal Swan fan, and I’m all for investigative reporting on hidden crimes. But this podcast travels into prosecutorial waters with its judgment and condemnation of its subjects. Be careful.

Do you want to know what listening to a conference paper on clown studies, but with more swearing would sound like? Try this podcast.

Well researched, honest, diverse line-up of guests. This podcast helps me navigate the murky waters of spirituality in the 21st century!

As far as topic and genre, this podcast totally fits my listening preferences. But I’ve tried three times now, listening to a few episodes each time, and I just can’t like it. I wonder whether the hosts realize how much their conversation and interview style might exclude and alienate their listeners – from their references to conversations they’ve had off air to casual mentions of niche academia. I genuinely want to learn more about topics and groups they cover but quickly get lost in the deluge of under-explained jargon, theorists, etc. I’d encourage them to engage in more active listening with their interviewees (and with each other, too) – It gives me flashbacks to all the conversations I’ve tried to have with someone who seems to be constantly thinking of the next point they want to make, vs. actually listening to the person they’re talking to. As a result, the episodes feel long-winded, tangential, and pretentious.

This is such a great podcast — well researched and insightful. I look forward to listening to it every week!

🤡🎤

I was starting to listen because this was in my recommended list and was even enjoying it for a bit but stopped when i stared hearing incredibly pretentious “WHITE MALE ATHEIST TM”. Listen to Straight White American Jesus if you want an actual intelligent discussion exposing christian nationalism without the snarky douchebaggery.

Pretty surprised at how much I disliked this podcast, it sounds very up my alley. The vibe is very commercial and kind of sounds like an early satellite radio show or clear channel production. The hosts sound fake and the guests sound like they’re on the home shopping network. The guests are reliably pretty terrible (Aubrey Gordon notwithstanding obviously), and despite having credentials and published work, all come out sounding like people in their early 30s who just grew up a little more and resent the thing they used to like. I’m really surprised how bad this is. I listened to five episodes! I think maybe this is a podcast for, like, men? I don’t know. But it really really blows.

I would love the content if the hosts could get over themselves long enough to make a point. Also frustrating how they pick up in the middle of a conversation referencing their own interests as if they assume the audience is waiting with baited breath for their next original thought. Its one of those situations where I dont know exactly why I find them so frustrating and keep listening in hopes I will hear something new on one of my favorite topics.

I have enjoyed some of the episodes and learned some interesting things. I appreciate the perspectives of the hosts, but at the same time they come off as pretentious and fail to add nuance or open-mindedness to very important topics.

Love this podcast! I look forward to it every week.

Guys. Please quit coming down so hard on “naturopaths”. We are licensed in more than half the states and in many of those states, we are legally verifiable physicians. There are abhorrent practitioners in every discipline of medicine, and you come down WAY too hard on us as quacks. I have a dual bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin and both a masters and doctorate degree from Bastyr University. While I can certainly attest to the fact that some of my colleagues are so far out of their league with respect to evidence-informed medicine, oozing with religiosity, and reeking of belief-informed care (it’s become one of my most tightly held values for all people to DISMANTLE YOUR BELIEFS! - especially [!!!] in medicine), the majority of people educated at any of the top naturopathic medical universities are extremely scientifically competent and overflowing with the compassion that most patients desperately crave. It’s really unfair to mock and jest. Even the term “naturopath” is outdated and inaccurate. I am a doctor and an attending physician. I completed a two year oncology-focused and board-certifiable residency under the tutelage of both an MD/PhD and an ND/PhD. I work at a research institute on the cutting edge of medicine, engaging in complex chronic illness oriented patient care daily. I’ve been published and have spoken at oncology conferences. I was asked to speak at another MD’s clinic. I send chart notes to my cancer patients’ oncologists, my cardiometabolic patients’ cardiologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, gastroenterologists, nutritionists… need I continue? And I have the respect of many of the top conventional specialists in the Seattle area as a result. This “us vs them” attitude has to stop. We all need to be working together for the betterment of medicine as a whole, and especially collaborating on behalf of our patients’ health (and dare I say, HEALING). I would be *happy* to speak with y’all about all of my endless gripes about the predatory nature of alternative medicine when it comes to cancer and other complex chronic illness. It boils my blood. I would love to see the Liver King autocannibalize (did I just coin a new phrase?) on film. I’ve had it out for Dave Asprey and David Wolf for over a decade (and I’ve been *incredibly* vocal about it). Some of these charlatans have contributed to the death of my beloved patients, at least inadvertently. I fight against bias and belief every. single. day. I fight the good fight. AND I’m an expert in nutrition, vitamins, and minerals; herbal medicines; hormones; lifestyle medicine including exercise and weight loss; PHARMACOLOGY (!!!) including psychopharmacology and psychedelics/entheogens; and - yes - *appropriate, evidence-informed* supplementation. To cast off *all* supplements as unnecessary, dangerous, lacking any legitimate scientific evidence, and a waste of money, is simply misinformed, uneducated, and ignorant. The conversation is nuanced. One size does not fit all *in EVERY category*. That’s why I am employed… so I can help patients cut what isn’t necessary (or what is actually harming them) in favor of better treatment, whether naturopathic or conventional (I don’t like the term allopathic). It’s an uphill battle and it’s actually very exhausting. So please. Give us a little more credit. It’s unfair and so misinformed. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a more robust conversation… I would be happy to share more for *everyone’s* education (and, most of all, benefit!). Blessings to you all. PS: Derek, we met in Madison, WI, way back in 2012 or 2013, so hi again 🙋🏼‍♀️

The hosts make a yeoman’s effort to debunk the toxic ecosystem of conspiracy theories, wellness grifts and pseudoscience.

Can’t even get beyond the intro. So full of themselves and their “save the world from conspiracies “ complex. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. How about real depth of understanding and nuanced opinion. Yes, there are malignant narcissists leading cults…and some fool you guys too. You insult critical thinking and anyone willing to check whatever your particular bias is . Yup, you are no better than any other “theorists”.