One tragic thing to realize about some conspiritualists who confuse charisma with expertise is that in the absence of solid content, all they have is their bodies and their skill at performing wellness. /1

The biz model is old. In the yoga world, influencers stretch and torque their performance of bio-spirituality so hard that many wind up in chronic pain. If they ever admit this, they frame it as “purification”. /2

Consider the “holistic psychiatrist” who denies COVID and says that no one ever needs psych meds. These two claims, essential to her brand, are vacuous and dangerous. /3

In the absence of evidence, she must perform mental equanimity to sell her content. Her brand depends on appearing wise and intelligent, and having great meditation posture. Great style can’t hurt. /4

Consider the “free birth” activist who claims to be proud of having no OBGYN or midwifery credentials, and so pins much of her authority on having birthed eight babies herself. /5

There's enormous pressure on her to perform the heteronormative goddess trip, brimming with love and perfect parenting in every IG post. It would be fatal to the empowerment message for her to fail. /6

Consider the rugged COVID rebel doctor who has zero research in epidemiology, but an intense belief in his God-connection. How much of his dignity and worth must now hang on sermonizing his virile epiphanies, which are all he has to offer in place of peer-reviewed work? /7

It’s not the just body of the charismatic influencer that is under a performative pressure, that, when unbearable, must be framed as “the dark night” of transformation. /8

It’s also the precious experiences that are central to their origin stories. In a content-free landscape, they have nothing but what they have felt in their hearts, or what they think they have felt. /9

It’s little wonder that any questioning of their content or call for accountability when they have boosted vax-hesitancy (for example) feels like an existential threat. It is. Their content and bodies are one and the same. They are valuable if they are invulnerable. /10