“Eligio Bishop declared himself a God to a group of dedicated followers he led through Central America, Mexico, and the US before landing in the Atlanta area. Now he’s serving life in prison.”
new age
The Case of the Missing Chacmools
“Geoffrey Gray investigates the writer’s bizarre cult and finds himself entangled in a web of murky financial dealings, sex, possible foul play—and one death-defying supernatural being.”
Rebekah Neumann’s Search For Enlightenment Fueled WeWork’s Collapse
Moe Tkacik takes a close look at the ways in which wealthy, new-agey Rebekah Paltrow Neumann — Gwyneth Paltrow’s cousin, Adam Neumann’s wife — helped fuel WeWork’s rise and spectacular fall.
Group Therapy for the End of the World
A chronicle of a week spent in the Swedish countryside, at a workshop designed to help participants come to terms with impending environmental doom.
Why Do Millennials Love Horoscopes? (Hint: It’s Not Only Because They’re Free)
A new audience finds comfort and meme-ready material in an old pseudoscience.
The New Age of Astrology
What’s behind the recent surge of interest in astrology — especially among millennials?
Introducing the ‘Davos for Happiness,’ Powered by Coconut Water
Who needs fear and loathing in Las Vegas when you can have joy and harmony in Miami?
My Weekend at a Conference for the Super-Happy
In Miami, a motley crew of scientists, new-age gurus, and TED-flavored influencers join forces to help us all “choose happiness.”
How Wellness and Self-Care Became a Sinister Ideology
The gospel of yoga, mindfulness, and organic-everything didn’t come out of nowhere. In a world in which once-cherished social safety nets rapidly disappear, taking care of oneself has become an increasingly privatized—and increasingly expensive—endeavor. At The Baffler, Laurie Penny unpacks the ascendant ideology of self-care, and explains why it’s so hard to find an alternative […]
Cashing In On Tech’s Spiritual Awakening
Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that many tech workers in San Francisco turn to psychics for a glimpse of the future. Or that psychics, in turn, are rebranding themselves as spiritual therapists, executive coaches, and corporate counselors. The trend is common enough to be spoofed on HBO’s Silicon Valley, where the show’s fictional tech CEO confers […]
