How Health Scams and Conspiracism Create “Conspirituality”

When the pandemic hit, the wellness world retreated into the internet. It was already there, of course, in the countless Lululemon-sporting YouTube yoga influencers, the numerous self-empowerment podcasters, and the endless Instagram accounts hawking supplements, vitamins, and healing crystals. However, in the spring of 2020, those online spaces were suddenly brimming with new faces, voices, and content, and they had an audience of millions who were trapped at home with new anxieties about health and nothing else to do.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://spectrummagazine.org/arts-essays/2023/how-health-scams-and-conspiracism-create-conspirituality
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Fabulous review. I’m getting the book tomorrow. We are grateful for your work, Isabella.

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Another book for my list. Have’t finished all that I have already!!

An insightful and excellent review. I’ve gotten those types of ads by e-mail and know some (not church members) who believe them. I think Adventists that I know may not be so conned, since they are suspicious of new age and non-church entities. Perhaps are own theories protect us.

Wow, I would love to know what the conspiracy referred to here is. Were the vaccine mandates effective? Was the government and the big pharma statements true for the vaccine? The answer to both of those is no. Which is why hardly anyone is getting boosters anymore. Less than 20% in the US last I heard. Pretty much all the things Spectrum published about covid vaccinations and masks has now been shown to be incorrect. This is not conspiracy this is the action of people who found that the experts were not very expert at all.

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Simply repeating falsehoods does not support your position. You are free to choose your beliefs or make health decisions…for yourself!!

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Falsehoods? Not conspiracies…you are so generous! But as for the masks see the Cockrane review Featured Review: Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses | Cochrane Key point: “We are uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses.” So if you are uncertain after the studies that is pretty good evidence they are not doing any good.

As for my other apparent falsehood: “Each time a new shot is authorized, fewer Americans are willing to roll up their sleeves for it. Just 20% of adults, for example, have taken the latest updated booster shot. That’s a significant drop from the 92% of adults who got the first shot.” https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-06-16/how-many-americans-will-take-a-fall-covid-19-booster-shot

Of course, lots of people lost their jobs with the mandate or were forced to take the shots so maybe the health decisions were not so much deciding for yourself situations. John MacArthur’s church which refused to shut down did win their lawsuit with California though, so maybe when the idiots…I mean experts will do better next time. California, LA County both to pay $400,000 settlement to John MacArthur's church

Unless of course, no one learns anything because there is a political movement that sees most things they don’t like as conspiracy theories.

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As I understand it you are an Adventist and have had a deep connection to its mission for many years yet in this matter you completely contradict its message. It is strange that you and others have given yourself over so completely to play the role of opposite-man and use your political beliefs to guide you in health practices in a way unlike any other. Your so called secret knowledge of biology that contradicts more than a century of progress brings shame to the cause of the Adventist church and Christ. Willful defiance and active encouragement to others to eschew basic health practices proven to reduce death and suffering makes folks like yourself in the church an active agent of the enemy of souls with blood on their hands.

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Just because people choose not to get a booster does not mean the booster is ineffective. That is a choice, not an outcome.

The reason why masking appears to be ineffective is because authorities took too long to mandate the wearing. It has to be done in the early stages. And, too many states and people decided it wasn’t necessary. It was a partial measure at best because of the haphazard way it was applied and enforced.

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It is ironic that this describes your own political views. You constantly repeat American rightwing extremist ideology in your comments.

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That has to be the most accurate example of conspirituality there is. And that was followed by robelle saying:

Talk about secret knowledge! It would be helpful if people actually read something about the Cochrane review. Then they would know it is about respiratory virus and not specific to covid as that was not available in the studies.

Not really ironic when dealing with a website that is politically progressive, if anyone wants some balance then giving the other side seems necessary. That you find it ironic is really kind of sad. By the way why do you say" rightwing extremist"…you I am sure think all things of the rightwing are extremists. Maybe just a thought…deal with the facts instead.

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Using all the same talking points that right wing extremists do kinda makes you one of them. It is obvious to everyone but you it seems. Why are you ashamed of that since everything you say comes from these sources?

In any case, the next thing you know you’ll be telling us that regular handwashing and bathing are useless.

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Moved from just conspiracy to making predictions based on your conspiracy theory. We will see how well you do with that. Not well likely.

LOL, you are making about as much sense as a 80’s Japanese VRC manual.

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“It would be helpful if people actually read something about the Cochrane review”

I am not commenting on the report. My comments are about COVID specifically.

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