It’s been quite a week.
The NY Times and Gizmodo mentioned Conspirituality, which created quite a bump in traffic. I also chatted with Mother Jones and the Sydney Morning Herald about conspirituality land; those pieces should be coming out soon.
The timing was perfect. We launched our Instagram on Monday, and on this week’s pod, we had two heavy-hitting guests: Seane Corn and Jared Yates Sexton came on to discuss QAnon and conspiracy theories in the wellness space and throughout American history, respectively. We were also featured on Commune with Jeff Krasno, where we had a wonderful discussion about QAnon’s infiltration into the wellness and yoga space.
The week kicked off with Seane posting about the dangers of QAnon, which set off the chain reaction. What struck me most about her interview with Matthew is her willingness to admit to being vulnerable during this moment. With so much online posturing and bravado going on, it was refreshing to hear someone admit their ignorance and uncertainty and her decision to push forward in spite of any fears.
It was a pleasure chatting with Jared, whose new book, American Rule, is a must-read. I explore our conversation in-depth here, but suffice to say his goal is to eradicate the myth of American exceptionalism. Only then does he believe we can come terms with who we are and move forward in a way that actually builds something new.
As he said,
"This idea that America is ordained by some sort of Christian god or all-mighty being, or even if we're just carrying out the will of the Universe, that myth was used from the very beginning of this country to paper over a lot of terrible mistakes, terrible treatment, and manipulations that ran counter to our espoused principles. From the very beginning, this has been a weaponized mythology."
For our segments, Matthew, Julian, and I all tackle the anniversary of 9/11 from different angles. Matthew was indoctrinated in a cult at the time, and his story is wild; Julian discusses viewing fear through his daughter’s eyes; and I talk about my experiences inside of the World Trade Center an hour before the first plane hit, and the following few months in New York City.
I also mention my apartment. This is from Winter, 2001.
All of this and much more on this week’s podcast.
I’m always embarking on new adventures in media, and recently I’ve been working as the social media manager for a great app called Centered. It combines everything I love: music, neuroscience, productivity, and mindfulness. If you want to stay up-to-date, follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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Amanda Palmer and Rhiannon Giddens covering Portishead? Can’t stop listening.