What’s Wrong with Believing?

‘The world is going through a spiritual awakening.’ ‘He’s coming back to you. Expect a text by tonight.’ ‘I see abundance in your near future.’ ‘Geminis and Virgos should brace themselves for this upcoming Mercury retrograde.’ All these are common phrases for anyone who’s ever been on the spiritual side of social media. While to many these may seem like nothing more than clickbait material, this type of discourse is central to a new sort of spirituality that has been taking shape in the online environment. But what exactly is this form of spirituality and where did it come from? And more importantly, what’s wrong with believing?

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Tarot, astrology, numerology, yoga, meditation, and manifestation are all part of this new spiritual practice, which resembles New Age practices. The New Age movement emerged in the latter part of the 20th century and it was a turning point for modern spirituality. Combining both Eastern and Western traditions, this movement approached spirituality in a holistic way, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all aspects of existence. Other key components that link the two practices are working with crystals and with energies (e.g. aura cleansing or other energy manipulation techniques which promote healing and balance) or channeling one’s ‘guides’ or ‘higher-self’ in order to receive guidance under the form of intuitive messages. What internet spirituality adds to this is a revival of polytheism, a return of the old Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons, among others. Some practitioners believe they are being called by a certain god(dess) to work with them so that they would receive their wisdom and help. While some do indeed work with these ancient gods, others feel more connected to nature spirits or traditionally Christian entities, such as archangels. In short, even though there is a common goal, that of enlightenment and interior peace, everyone can pick and choose how they want to shape their own personal spiritual journeys and what they want to believe in.

And that is exactly the point. Being able to choose gives one a sense of control. The very fact that this spiritual practice has largely taken shape and been promoted through social media platforms is essential because, unlike in other religions and spiritual beliefs, there is no higher authority to set a standard for the practitioners. People relate to each other’s lived experiences as shared in short videos online. From the massive number of videos shared in the spiritual community, each member takes what they feel most connected to, what best works for them in that particular moment and that is how the practice is built. The need to feel in control of your own life is natural, although paradoxical when combined with the very human need to believe in something greater than oneself. What this translates into is a need to relinquish control, to put the weight of your life in the hands of the universe or a deity or fate (whatever you choose to call it), albeit in a controlled manner. You trust a bigger power to determine the path of your life, but you read tarot, look towards the stars or analyse signs for hints of where that path will take you; you manifest a desired future, believing that the only reason why you desire it in the first place is because a future version of you already has it; you practice yoga, meditation, breathwork to give you structure in your freedom. All this makes sense especially in difficult moments, when you feel the ground slipping from under your feet. It is not at all coincidental then, that this internet spirituality became immensely popular around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when everyone’s future seemed to be called into question. After all, like all forms of religion, it is a response to fear and insecurity.

Since I asked the question, I'll also venture to answer it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with believing. As I explained before, it is perfectly natural and, as long as it doesn’t become extreme in any way, what harm does it really cause? With that being said, there still are issues to be discussed and taken into consideration. To begin with, one thing that doesn’t sit right with me is the way in which the influencers on this side of social media claim their message to be spread. For example, most, if not all, tarot readings begin with a person stating that there are no coincidences and therefore their video has reached you because it contains a message for you. What does this imply? That the algorithm is a manifestation of the divine. This is an extremely problematic assertion, especially when thinking about TikTok’s infamous lack of transparency, not to mention just how closely it resembles the type of discourse through which propaganda is spread.

One other thing that cannot be ignored is the money aspect. One of the reasons people have been turning away from institutional religion is its corruption, its dealings with money. Money and religion shouldn’t mix. However, these influencers, who sometimes act like mini-prophets, make careers out of promoting this new spirituality. What’s more, they ask their viewers to buy their tarot decks, crystals etc. and to invest in subscriptions, for platforms such as Patreon, that would give them access to more content, more information and thus, to higher knowledge. Is consumerism also a manifestation of the divine? It seems to me that there is something highly unethical about exploiting people’s beliefs in this way.

When all is said and done, people’s relationship with God, however they choose to define this concept, should be a personal one. This new spiritual movement may, for some, be harmless fun, while for others, it may be a way of dealing with hardships or of making sense of the world. After all, believing in something bigger than yourself, whatever you call it, doesn’t automatically make you a better or a worse person. What matters is what you choose to do with that system of beliefs, what values you promote and how they shape your lifestyle and your relationships with others.