<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2054585812&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

From the high costs of insurance and issues of quality of care, the US’s healthcare system leaves a lot to be desired. Here in Wisconsin, the maternal mortality rate is higher for Black women than white women. And about one third of hospitals in the state are run by Catholic groups who can select which reproductive procedures they’ll provide based on the Catholic Church’s directives. 

But instead of coming to the conclusion that we need more and better healthcare, too many folks seem to be eagerly abandoning evidence-based medicine for the lavender haze of soul astrology and cod liver oil. Social media hucksters, grifters, and cons have a track record of funneling real fears about the world into health conspiracies, some even becoming a gateway to the far-right QAnon realm.

Host Sara Gabler is joined by Julian Walker to talk about the world of conspirituality, where New Age spirituality and QAnon meet. Conspirituality is also the name of Walker’s podcast and book co-hosted and co-authored by Derek Beres and Matthew Remksi. On today’s show, Gabler and Walker discuss the history of yogaworld and its connection to eugenics, the Make America Healthy Again plan, metaphysics verses materialism, and “health libertarianism.”

Julian Walker grew up in Zimbabwe and South Africa and has lived in LA since 1990. He has written extensively on cults and gurus, spiritual bypass and quantum woo in New Age circles, trauma and the body, and neuroscience and somatic psychology informing the practice and teaching of yoga. He teaches yoga and is the ecstatic dance DJ/facilitator for his Dance Tribe events.

Featured image: remix of the cover of Conspirituality by Sara Gabler/WORT.

The post A Crisis of Conspirituality appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.