214: Aubrey Marcus is Totally Not a Cult Leader

Today we’re looking at a lavish infomercial put out by New Age oligarch and RFK Jr superfan Aubrey Marcus, in which he tries to show the world that his very expensive encounter group, Fit For Service, is definitely not a cult. And at how Matthew got quoted in the opening montage as though he endorsed FFS as an “anti-cult.” He hasn’t.
Marcus might be protesting too much. Because no one with any credibility has actually called FFS a cult, and they couldn’t, because no one has done the investigative work that would take. In a lot of ways, that question is beside the point. It’s not the ‘70s anymore. If you have 604K YouTube subscribers, and millions in the bank from oil money and supplement sales, you don’t need to coerce anyone into staying on your ashram compound and working on your spiritual ideas for free. You too can have an unlimited supply of well-heeled seekers cycling through your coaching encounter group.
So the real questions are: what is it really worth, and what does it really serve?
Show Notes
87: The Aubrey Marcus Spectacle
Brief: The New Age Origin Story of RFK Jr’s Campaign
107: An Open Letter to Aubrey Marcu
86: Charles Eisenstein, New Age Q
Why Kyle Kingsbury Quit The UFC
Myths That Make Us | Godsey Montana Summit talk
The music festival that wants to know your deepest secrets
[Annihilation] Can someone explain the shimmer from the movie scientifically?
Dharma Artist Collective—Godsey’s online community
The Poet Queen
'I Was 13 When Marc Gafni's Abuse Began'
Former Rabbi Accused of Improper Sexual Conduct Now Rising Star in U.S. Spiritual Movement
Gafni Faces Fallout From New Age Community
Marc Gafni Named In Latest Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Yeshiva University
Popular New Age author Marc Gafni molested 13-year-old girl in 1980, lawsuit says
Sara Kabakov lawsuit docket
Aaron Rogers in Marc Gafni’s library
Has Aaron Rodgers been learning Torah at his offseason retreat?
My Dad Died: The Blessings Of The Father Pt 1 w/ Dr. Marc Gafni
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Dismantling New Age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy-mad yogis. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon. As the alt-right and New Age horseshoe toward each other in a blur of disinformation, clear discourse, and good intentions get smothered. Charismatic influencers exploit their followers by co-opting conspiracy theories on a spectrum of intensity ranging from vaccines to child trafficking. In the process, spiritual beliefs that have nurtured creativity and meaning are transforming into memes of a quickly-globalizing paranoia. Conspirituality Podcast attempts to bring understanding to this landscape. A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds. Mainstream outlets have noticed the problem. We crowd-source, research, analyze, and dream answers to it.

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