Claim OwnershipThe Gateway: Teal Swan
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The Gateway is a six-part series about Teal Swan, a new brand of spiritual guru, who draws in followers with her hypnotic self-help YouTube videos aimed at people who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Some followers move to Teal’s healing center, a spiritual startup where they produce content and manage social media accounts. Teal insists her therapy saves lives, but her critics say Teal’s death-focused dogma is dangerous. Gizmodo reporter Jennings Brown traveled to rural Utah and to the forests of Costa Rica, with extensive access to Teal and her inner circle, to understand Teal's teachings and investigate the deaths of some of her followers.
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9Follow Gizmodo reporter Jennings Brown as he investigates an internet spiritual guru, named Teal Swan, and the deaths of some of her followers. The Gateway premieres on May 30th. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.
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In April 2017 YouTube recommended reporter Jennings Brown watch a self-help video from Teal Swan, a spiritual guru with a global online following. He’d spend the next year trying to understand whether or not she’s dangerous.
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Jennings travels to Utah, where Teal grew up and began her spiritual career. He learns more about the upbringing that shaped her teachings on suicide, and he meets the people who were closest to a Teal follower who took her own life.
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Jennings meets Teal at her retreat center in Costa Rica. He spends a week there, observing her therapy methods and getting to know some of the people who leave their lives behind to live with Teal and run her spiritual startup. It all starts with a death meditation, and it only gets stranger from there.
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In this exploration of Teal’s online empire, we’ll meet some of the people whose lives have changed because of her teachings.
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A look back at a strange chapter of American history known as the Satanic Panic—and how it connects to Teal.
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After months of reporting, Jennings goes to Utah for one final interview with Teal.
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while I agree that teal swan's methods are absolutely NOT great, I kind of agree with her about the meek and neutered methods of the national suicide prevention hotline in the US.(Not sure how it is structured in other countries, compared to say, Good Samaritans in the UK) I have struggled with suicidal ideation periodically in my life. Both times I have called them I felt I did not get the care or relief I was hoping to get-- they were not helpful. I'm lucky to be alive despite their methods.
I beg to differ on ine thing... Teal Swan is not "classically pretty". Lol. Based on his description, Teal Swan is eurocentrically pretty.
Wait. She claims to have a photographic memory not long after saying she can't remember what Leslie talks to her about.
Wow. What a dangerous, malignant narcissist. She belongs in jail. And just hearing her talk it's obvious that she's seriously mentally ill.
the "universal consciousness" bit from just before 23 minutes mark is the most narcissistic nonsense I've ever heard. she's so full of crap... utterly delusional
listening to Teal makes me think of Ron L Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. He eventually started believing in what he was selling also.
I'm kind of liking her...
To quote Jennings Brown, "It's easier than ever to distort narratives, to create revisionist histories, and twist our understanding of current events.” After listening to this podcast, I'm convinced that he is right. He has done a magnificent job of doing just that. For me, that's the major takeaway. Thank you, Jennings! 😊
my girlfriend was on paxil, getting off of it was absolutely the worst. She couldn't get out of bed for a week.
"you can think of me as a mini universe "..this woman is incredibly narcissistic..blinded by her own light, a dangerous characteristic in a "healer"
Really very good podcast
Excellent podcast. It goes at this issue from multiple angles
Is the host a bot?
she's kind of right about suicide. I've suffered with depression and other mental illness since age 11. I find comfort knowing I always have a way out and I get strength each day I get through. Excellent podcast
very entertaining,