Digital landscape in 2024.

To understand why finding genuine spiritual development sources nowadays can be problematic we need to take a step back and look at the wider picture.

Ever since I’ve Shoshana Zuboff’s book “The age of surveillance capitalism” my distrust towards the media has increased significantly. I’m not talking about “the mainstream media”, or “the deep state” or any other conspiracy theory nonsense.

What I mean by the “media” here is the whole totality of our media ecosystem where information, counter-information, half-information, non-information or disinformation circulates as content in order to engage with the consumers, that is, us.

More specifically, this blog, Facebook pages, YouTube, X, TikTok, media news sites, influencers, clickbaits – everything that’s setup for us to spend more time online and to find content tailor suited just for us. Because in the end, every content is a product as well.

This is what Zuboff was talking about, or if you’d like something similar in a video form, take a look at Doctor K.’s video about it. The internet services use our personal data and create predictive models of (our) behavior. These models are then sold to marketing companies in order to influence our behavior, be it for commercial, political or ideological purposes. These suggestions are so subtle and pervasive you can’t even tell the difference if something was your choice or were you led into it by something external to yourself.

This is where the comparison between spirituality, manifestation, destiny and algorithmic content becomes really important.

Seeking the esoteric guidance: 5 advices

So how can we trust our intent for spiritual guidance in the ecosystem described above? Is the content we have served on a platter genuine or just something we want to hear? Is it helping us on our spiritual path or does it lead us to isolationism and hatred? Is, for example, Sadhguru a self-help influencer or a spiritual leader?

To check some of these points, below are five important questions that you should ask yourself to check for any spiritual red flags:

1. “Would I like to hear this?

Keep in mind that the predictive models of our behavior know information about you that you yourself might be unwilling to type in your browser. For example: you’re thinking about someone. You are listening to some love songs and you search for a love calculator. Suddenly a video “Manifest true love!” comes out.

This most likely isn’t by a divine chance or a synchronicity.

This is a well known feature of the algorithmic content recommendations. It provides a what you want to hear loop, in the effect known as “echo chamber”. An echo chamber is an environment, often in social media or group settings, where individuals are exposed primarily to opinions and information that reflect and reinforce their own beliefs, limiting exposure to diverse or opposing viewpoints.

This is heavily reliant on something known also as “confirmation bias”. Confirmation bias is how our brain operates: individuals tend to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. 

Echo chambers amplify confirmation bias by creating environments where individuals are only exposed to information that aligns with their existing beliefs, reinforcing and strengthening those views without challenge.

Saying what someone wants to hear is a lot easier than saying what someone needs to hear.

To summarize, the first step to check if something is a genuine spiritual guidance is to take a step back and not engage it just because you’d like it to be true at the time. Promises of easily attaining our dream life, soulmates or abundance are all something we want to hear to comfort ourselves but these can also be a spiritual red flag.

Just remember – not all content out there is spiritual, it just has a spiritual label to it for you to click on it.

2. “But what does it actually mean?”

Just for a moment, before you say you agree with something, think about what it fully means. 

Words like “higher self”, “the universe”, “collective unconscious”, “soul” are deep and wide in meaning so anyone can interpret it in any way they like. And if something can mean anything, most likely it means nothing. This leaves room for numerous clickbait and exaggerations that more often than not leave us disappointed. 

Firstly, you might feel disappointed in yourself because you cannot attain the higher spiritual state just so whimsically as a video suggests. And secondly, you might feel disappointed in spirituality itself, because you did everything you were told and… nothing happened.

For example, the same goes for monthly astrology – ever so often, so we’re told, is a HUGE shift; or a PARADIGM CHANGE; or DEEP KARMA RELEASE; I truly wonder if we ever have time for you know, just going to the market to buy bread or something.

So if you want something spiritually authentic think about it this way: are the mentioned topics well-defined or completely abstract? If you replace one word like “higher self” with any other of similar emotions, like “the universe”, the content is most likely just bullshit aimed to engage you.

And, like before, by answering this question you’ll be able to differentiate between what I want to hear, and what I need to hear. Because at times, what we need to hear, what will actually help us – is not what we want to hear.

3. “Who is the sage behind these wise words?”

For me, consistency is the first mark of someone’s integrity. Breaking of this consistency is a red flag, especially if you put your faith into someone.

Faith does not need rationality, it does not need proof; faith leaves the barriers open for anyone to enter. So it’s all the more important advice to protect our faith and ourselves by staying grounded in real life.

This consistency is found not just in what someone is saying, but also in their actions. If somebody is telling you to abstain from sex (for whatever the reason) but also has a highly dubiously gathered harem – you can consider it a red flag. 

This is not to say you should do a background check on everyone; nor does it mean that their words have no meaning if they are not authentic. But before proceeding believing in someone keep in mind that spirituality is an easily exploited market precisely because it relies on faith. Spiritual guidance should not be exploitative and should not rely on capitalizing on your week spots. 

4. “Can I be really honest with myself?”

This is a bit tricky to do.

What do you want from having faith is a difficult but important question. Is it just anxiety relief or a dedication?

Most commonly, we want health and love. Before proceeding with a spiritual shortcut I think the important thing is to set realistic expectations from yourself and the world around you. Keep in mind that spirituality, and especially dedicated spirituality, is really hard to do.

And if your spiritual content leads you to actively do more insightful activities like meditation, reading, prayers or charitable activities it can be useful. But if you’re passively standing by and hoping for a miracle, it’s most likely a sign you’re not honest with yourself.

Spirituality needs dedication, and it’s a part of your mundane life as well. Ignoring the real life and using spirituality as an excuse (“I’ll leave it to the universe to guide me”; “Trust the Higher Wisdom”; “Their vibration is not high enough to understand”) is harmful to yourself, your loved ones and is not a genuine spiritual practice. Passively scrolling, or doomscrolling is not the way to engage with the spirituality. In other words, prolonged passivity and lack of substantial action is a sign of a spiritual red flag.

And just to note – sometimes all we have is hope. But as they say, when there’s nothing else you can do – do what you can.

5. “But how much does it cost?

A lot of these practices do promise a lot at the start. But then you get more and more gated by economic factors to develop more.

It is completely fine to reward someone for their effort and guidance. The issue is if this spiritual path gets more and more expensive, and with the higher expenses, the more spiritual you become, it is quite likely that you are on the wrong path.

One of the most famous examples is transcendental meditation. This is fostered by a trusted source of David Lynch, and the technique itself is extremely valid.

The technique is valid because it has a long, long history behind it, and it certainly was not developed by the Transcendental meditation organization. It was developed and adjusted for the USA market, with its costs getting higher and higher as you start to develop. Paying hundreds of dollars just to get advice for something that can be learned relatively easily is not a transparent way to guide people. And you should not fall for it, as there are potential dangers lurking as well.

The same goes for astrologers, divinations, whatever – all of these can be useful, insightful, spiritually rich etc. But if someone promises you a shortcut, a divine intervention or a lifelong relief just by paying more, consider it a red flag.

Conclusion: Discerning true spirituality in a data-driven world

True spirituality is not about quick fixes or easy answers. It is a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and connection to something greater than ourselves.

Here are some additional tips for navigating the spiritual landscape in a data-driven world:

• Be critical of what you’re recommended or what you sought. Spirituality can be comforting, but ultimately, it should create a positive impact on your life. It should not isolate you or keep you stuck in the same position.
• Be selective about the spiritual content you consume. Not all content is created equal, and not all of it is beneficial to your spiritual growth. Choose sources that resonate with you and that offer a holistic and balanced approach to spirituality.
• Don’t let anything belittle your life or the value of human life. This is a critical spiritual red flag.
• Don’t be afraid to question authority. Just because someone claims to be a spiritual teacher or guru doesn’t mean you have to take their word for it. Do your own research and make sure their teachings align with your own values and beliefs.
• Most importantly, be patient and consistent in your spiritual practice. True transformation takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results overnight. Just keep practicing and you will eventually reach your goals.

By recognizing some of the red flags, you can learn to discern true spirituality from algorithmic manipulation and embark on a journey of genuine spiritual growth.