Weekly Cult Roundup
Here's what I read & watched this week.
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Read
When I came across the article, “YouTuber Michelle Phan Taught a Man In A Wheelchair To Walk” I expected something ridiculous. I did not anticipate that Phan sincerely believed that after a weekend “spiritual retreat” she would have healing abilities. But alas, she shared with her millions of followers that Joe Dispenza (an alleged medical doctor) was providing her the tools to heal the sick and transform herself. I am not especially familiar with many YouTubers, so I had no idea how that Phan and her spiritual guide were so popular. According to the article, Dispenza is “ a chiropractor, inspirational speaker, and fellow YouTuber who is also the author of a book called Becoming Supernatural.” You should certainly expect a deep dive into the Dispenza and his teachings.
Watched
I started The Deep End on Teal Swan, a self-described “expert on human suffering.” I have not finished the series yet, but I am completely fascinated. As always, I cannot believe that some people would agree to be the subject of a documentary. It makes me wonder whether or not they truly believe what they teach their followers, or if they just believe in their ability to be convincing. I certainly cannot give my full opinion on the documentary as I haven’t finished it. However, I can say with complete certainty that Teal’s “Completion Process” retreat gave Nine Perfect Strangers, which we talked about on Tuesday.
P.S.
Paid subscribers read my thoughts about the complicated relationship between cults and drug use in the 1960s-1970s. In that essay, discussed the Hippie Mafia and how they transitioned from free love to dodging the FBI. Here’s an interesting interview with William Kirkley, director of Orange Sunshine, a documentary about the “hippies” that tried to build a new nation.
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