Derek Beres is a multi-faceted author and media expert based in Portland, Oregon. He has served in senior editorial positions at a number of tech companies and has years of experience in health, science, and music writing. He is the co-host of the Conspirituality podcast and co-author of Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat.

In this episode, Derek and I talk about his conspirituality, what it is, where it comes from and why it demands that all of us take the word of influencers and charismatics with a healthy sense of skepticism...especially when they are trying to sell you something.

We also explore the unlikely alignment between the alt right conspiracy theorists and left-wing hippies when it comes to vaccines, the origins of modern yoga, some big name podcasters and RFK Jr.

It might blow your mind. Or piss you off.

Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, you better watch out. Derek shows us what real journalism looks like.

Timeline:

3:53 - What is conspirituality?

8:36 - Who in the world is Charlotte Webb?

12:11 - Conspirituality through the modern age.

22:32 - Dave Asprey and the early days of the modern conspirituality.

26:22 - How indigenous practices are being co-opted by conspiritualists.

28:47 - a discussion of AI and intellectual property law.

30:35 - How even real scientists like Andrew Huberman can get caught stepping out of their lane.

31:55 - Russell Brand is NOT a journalist.

38:39 - Why charismatics and conspiritualists try to make you feel like you're on the right side of history.

40:45 - The roots of modern yoga are not what you think.

48:17 - How the rise of modern yoga predicted the conversation around transgendered people.

1:05:47 - a conversation about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

1:10:49 - RFK Jr. vs. ChatGPT in a battle for the truth.

If you'd like to order a copy of the book, Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat:

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/derek-beres/conspirituality/9781541702981/?lens=publicaffairs

If you're interested in learning more about Derek's work more generally, check out:

https://www.conspirituality.net/

https://twitter.com/derekberes

https://www.instagram.com/conspiripod/