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Conspirituality

Bonus Sample: The OG New Age Grifter: Madame Blavatsky

Sep 2, 2024
Helena Blavatsky, a Russian aristocrat and pioneering figure of the New Age movement, delves into her controversial legacy. She claimed to channel ancient wisdom, yet much of her work was heavily plagiarized. The discussion reveals how she founded the Theosophical Society and adopted a dubious backstory. Blavatsky's influence extends even into the rise of alien channelers and extremist ideologies, including unsettling connections to Nazism. The episode cautions about the seductive nature of New Age beliefs and their potential dangers in today's culture.
05:58

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Helena Blavatsky's pioneering efforts in theosophy laid the groundwork for contemporary New Age beliefs which incorporated themes of channeling and extraterrestrial communication.
  • The troubling ties between Blavatsky's ideologies and Nazi occult practices illustrate how New Age beliefs can be distorted for extremist agendas.

Deep dives

The Roots of New Age Spirituality

The origins of New Age spiritual beliefs are traced back to the ancient and mystical concepts of living in harmony with the Earth and awakening to hidden paranormal abilities. Key figures like Helena Blavatsky, who popularized the ideas of theosophy in the 19th century, played a significant role in shaping these beliefs, which later proliferated in the 1980s and 1990s. This period saw a fusion of holistic wellness practices with science fiction elements, leading to a surge in interest in concepts such as channeling and extraterrestrial messages. Such ideas gave rise to notable figures who claimed to communicate with beings from other realms, impacting various movements that embraced spiritual and New Age ideologies.

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