Religion on the Mind “Sexual Wellness” or Spiritual Abuse? (#361)
Nov 17, 2025
Ellen Hewitt, an investigative journalist and author of Empire of Orgasm, dives into the controversial rise and fall of OneTaste, a wellness startup promising enlightenment through orgasmic meditation. She shares the dual role of founder Nicole Daydon, examining how spiritual language veiled exploitation. The conversation explores how implicit manipulation kept members engaged, the blend of ancient spiritual practices with modern marketing, and reveals the alarming connections between startup culture and cult dynamics.
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What Orgasmic Meditation Is
- Orgasmic Meditation (OM) is a 15-minute, partner sexual-meditation focused on clitoral stroking and bodily sensation.
- Ellen Hewitt stresses the practice itself isn't inherently harmful; problems arose from the company's culture and structure.
Wellness Commercialized The Practice
- OneTaste launched during the wellness industry's commercial boom and deliberately branded OM as a spiritual/wellness practice.
- That marketing blended spiritual language with consumer-friendly messaging to make a sexual practice feel like mainstream self-care.
Journalist Invitation That Triggered Scrutiny
- Ellen Hewitt recounts being pitched by OneTaste in 2017 to write a piece when she covered startups for Bloomberg.
- Her reporting then uncovered allegations that triggered an FBI investigation and later federal charges.
