Rina Raphael

I'm not defending necessarily organized religion. I'm not saying everyone should join an organized religion. But there are some drawbacks to a bit of these what I call sometimes self-serving spiritualities. in the sense that they're more inward-facing than outward-facing. And so they don't necessarily have more communal properties.

They don't teach as much about responsibility or community outreach or taking care of each other. They're really much more inward-focused and really about the self. And that's also because Americans are choosing more and more spiritual practices based on their feelings.

They don't teach as much about responsibility or community outreach or taking care of each other. They're really much more inward-focused and really about the self. And that's also because Americans are choosing more and more spiritual practices based on their feelings.

They don't teach as much about responsibility or community outreach or taking care of each other. They're really much more inward-focused and really about the self. And that's also because Americans are choosing more and more spiritual practices based on their feelings.

Yes, because a lot of these sort of spiritual alternatives are more about how you feel, about self-soothing, about comforting. Take manifestation. That's a perfect example. This idea that you put good vibes out into the universe and work really hard and you can gather all the abundance that is sort of promised to you, that's really, really comforting to people.

Yes, because a lot of these sort of spiritual alternatives are more about how you feel, about self-soothing, about comforting. Take manifestation. That's a perfect example. This idea that you put good vibes out into the universe and work really hard and you can gather all the abundance that is sort of promised to you, that's really, really comforting to people.

Yes, because a lot of these sort of spiritual alternatives are more about how you feel, about self-soothing, about comforting. Take manifestation. That's a perfect example. This idea that you put good vibes out into the universe and work really hard and you can gather all the abundance that is sort of promised to you, that's really, really comforting to people.

Yeah, what I think is so strange is that instead of batting together and demanding systemic solutions for maybe why we don't feel so good or why we feel unhealthy or even seeking communal support, we often retreat to the self, you know, the self-soothing, self-optimization or self-pampering of wellness issues.

Yeah, what I think is so strange is that instead of batting together and demanding systemic solutions for maybe why we don't feel so good or why we feel unhealthy or even seeking communal support, we often retreat to the self, you know, the self-soothing, self-optimization or self-pampering of wellness issues.

Yeah, what I think is so strange is that instead of batting together and demanding systemic solutions for maybe why we don't feel so good or why we feel unhealthy or even seeking communal support, we often retreat to the self, you know, the self-soothing, self-optimization or self-pampering of wellness issues.

You know, we clutch our healing crystals, we ride our Pelotons, we take our bubble baths. You know, me, myself, and my credit card are the answer. And then we wonder why America is so lonely.

You know, we clutch our healing crystals, we ride our Pelotons, we take our bubble baths. You know, me, myself, and my credit card are the answer. And then we wonder why America is so lonely.

You know, we clutch our healing crystals, we ride our Pelotons, we take our bubble baths. You know, me, myself, and my credit card are the answer. And then we wonder why America is so lonely.

I mean, businesses aren't set up to let people come when they fall in hard times. Organized religion has sort of figured out a way to really help people who have sort of lost their jobs or fallen on hard times. Or even if you think about, let's say, communal rights. If you don't have an organized, let's say, community and you have something like a death in the family,

I mean, businesses aren't set up to let people come when they fall in hard times. Organized religion has sort of figured out a way to really help people who have sort of lost their jobs or fallen on hard times. Or even if you think about, let's say, communal rights. If you don't have an organized, let's say, community and you have something like a death in the family,

I mean, businesses aren't set up to let people come when they fall in hard times. Organized religion has sort of figured out a way to really help people who have sort of lost their jobs or fallen on hard times. Or even if you think about, let's say, communal rights. If you don't have an organized, let's say, community and you have something like a death in the family,

your gym isn't going to organize the funeral and necessarily be there for you. In some instances, there are rare cases of that, but it's really sort of not the norm. So that's the thing. I think sometimes we need to figure out how to actually replicate what we have given up because we haven't really found that substitute yet.

your gym isn't going to organize the funeral and necessarily be there for you. In some instances, there are rare cases of that, but it's really sort of not the norm. So that's the thing. I think sometimes we need to figure out how to actually replicate what we have given up because we haven't really found that substitute yet.

your gym isn't going to organize the funeral and necessarily be there for you. In some instances, there are rare cases of that, but it's really sort of not the norm. So that's the thing. I think sometimes we need to figure out how to actually replicate what we have given up because we haven't really found that substitute yet.

The flip side of optimism is gullibility, which is why a lot of people who are very into wellness can sometimes fall for things that just have no evidence behind them.