Selling the sacred: The rise of the Gurupreneur
This piece was inspired by a question from
while I was travelling to India. She asked:“I don’t know if you already wrote about this but I would be interested in your observations about the differences in how the two societies see the concept of the sacred. I’ve been thinking a lot about that and about the tensions between the individual and collective in my own self because of having Indian parents.”
I’m about to share my own experiences as a non-religious Ashkephardic Jewish woman raised in North America and now residing in Australia to partially answer her question.
On a side note, her Substack is fantastic as she shares about her deconstruction of progressive culture, truth bombs about (toxic) feminism and analyses of US culture. If you’re into these topics, I recommend subscribing to her feed.
I’ve just returned from another trip to South India to recharge in sacred temples for ten days. I love how the region is rich in spirituality and culture. Every sense awakened by the vibrant sights, smells, sounds and tastes that I don’t have in my life here in Australia.
One of the great aspects of coming to these temples is that you don’t have to be Hindu or religious at all to receive the benefits. Some of these benefits include feeling energised, having insights that answer a question or solve a problem, and a sense of peace. In my case, I feel completely recharged, I look rested and younger, and my mind is clear and quiet. Some of the prerequisites to having these experiences include reverence, respect and openness to new experiences. None of them include subscribing to one religion, one god or a set of beliefs, though having any or all of these things influences the experiences you will have and the meaning you ascribe to those experiences.
A stand out of this and every trip there is the feeling of sacredness in everything. A desire to treat others and sacred objects (ie. stone deities) with reverence. From the way we greet each other when passing by, with eye contact and smiles to the awe I feel sitting in front of sacred fires and priests conducting the same purification rituals that have been performed for thousands of years.
Experiencing the sacred in my daily life takes a lot more effort. In Judaism, everyday actions can be sanctified by saying a blessing before performing the act. You can bless different foods before eating them, pray when you wake up, and bless your commute before leaving the house. That’s great but unless you’re living within a community of practice, you’re on your own. It’s much harder to stay motivated and connected especially in a secular society that neglects sacredness in favour of material consumption and information obsession. It’s also challenging to find a community of practice that isn’t a religious or spiritual cult trying to control your thoughts and behaviours in an age when even belonging is for sale.
It’s unsurprising then that many Westerners like me flock to temples in India and throughout Asia to have tangible experiences of the sacred, recharge, and embed new practices in their everyday life to keep sacredness alive.
There are other reasons for going to these sacred places. Some seek out these places to take refuge from a harsh world, to heal, to learn ancient rituals and languages, to have mystical experiences and to uncover secrets of attaining enlightenment. Immersing in a foreign culture and familiarising to it can make some people comfortable enough to take liberties that accompanies a loss reverence for the sacred and respect for locals who preserve the culture, except when the right people are watching.
This dark side of spiritual seeking gone unchecked can slowly transform the earnest seeker into an obsessive, proselytizing, narcissistic and opportunistic wannabe guru. These power and status seekers make meaning out of their own spiritual and mystical experiences and start to see themselves as divine emissaries and mediators of divine connection. Instead of sharing what they’re coming to understand about themselves and life, they interpret their experiences as a form of cosmic clout to become a spiritual influencer selling sacred content.
The rise of the Gurupreneur
A Gurupreneur is someone who uses a (self-) perceived spiritual status to sell sacred knowledge, ancient practices and content of mystical experiences to people in vulnerable and desperate states looking for answers, hope and knowledge about existence to navigate life more effectively. This concept was developed by my friend and colleague
when we sat down to unpack this concept a few years ago after witnessing spiritual opportunists online during peak plandemic. He also has a Substack filled with content on narcissists from biopsychosocial and evolutionary biology perspectives that are definitely worth checking out.
The rise of the Gurupreneur is no different to the birth of the Social Injustice Warrior. Their origin stories are similar, beginning with a change that leads to a loss of status, followed by loss of identity producing a void that needs to be filled by a superior replacement. This process of change can be seen as psychological stages of a paradigm shift that can happen to each of us following a loss. A person who is ego-driven in a competitive, status-seeking community or society tends to construct a new identity that enables them to override the pain of shame and grief following a loss of status and prestige.
When that person is also a spiritual seeker, their new identity will be informed by spiritual teachings and experiences that affirm their self-perception of benevolence, similar to those who express communal narcissism. For example, they might have a mystical experience whereby they are shown a vision of their holy mission to spread love and wisdom teachings. Or, someone they view as a spiritual authority blesses them with a spiritual promotion granting them greater authority to take on greater responsibility within their community of practice. This is not uncommon among some religious and spiritual communities and is not necessarily associated with conning or exploiting others.
However, when authority is assumed by a person because of how they interpreted a vision or what another authority told them to believe without critical examination or sufficient verification of this claim, they are suffering from confirmation bias, tricked by their own desire for importance and status. Instead of working on themselves to cultivate spiritual and character strength, they will do anything to hold onto their own and other’s perceptions of their authority and to the belief that others need them to progress in their own spiritual and personal development. This perceived authority and narcissistic self-importance is the gateway to authorising themselves as exclusive purveyors of specific sacred teachings and practices that have already been made available to the world for free (or low cost).
The Gurupreneur brands the sacred practice, process or teachings so that it appears as if it’s partially their intellectual property so that they can sell it as courses and retreats at market value. Their intellectual property is the unique meaning and interpretations of their mystical experiences, sacred texts and teachings intertwined with the practice they are teaching to make it palatable for their audience. You can argue that something that provides benefit to others by divorcing it from its original intent and purpose can’t be that bad. Except, that divorcing it from its spiritual essence and wisdom ensures that those who have adverse reactions to the practices won’t know why or how to resolve it.
This is exemplified by Kabat-Zinn’s benevolent attempt to bring Buddhist-style meditation to the masses. It’s a seemingly harmless practice of mindfulness devoid of its spiritual roots and purpose that became used as the key tool of the Wellness Industrial Complex to gaslight people into believing they can mindfulness their distress and workplace abuses away. His 8 week MBSR™ course begat an industry of opportunists that has brought calm to many alongside distress and denial of abuses to others. The sacred in this case, has been discarded, branded and monetized under the guise of benevolence, fuelled by the communal narcissistic needs of a well-meaning spiritual entrepreneur. I wonder if the Buddhists get a kickback each time someone buys the course.
What the Gurupreneur sells
What do they sell exactly if these spiritual teachings or practices are already available? They are selling spiritual prowess and power that is required to progress on the spiritual path to enlightenment and inner peace. They are also selling the idea that life can be easier with their methods and that as a conduit of divine wisdom and mystery teachings, you can only access those things through them. In this case, they are commercialising sacredness and reinforcing their perceived authority and importance, which is the opposite intent of spiritual development.
You would have already been convinced through their grooming methods that you want and need what they offer. They are selling you the following beliefs about yourself:
You are special. You are unique because of the gifts that you bring to the community - healing prowess, spiritual advancement, expertise on sacred teachings, languages, methods or advantageous connections.
You are superior. Belonging to a community that so few can access, gaining esoteric and exclusive knowledge makes you feel important and on a higher plane of consciousness than most of humanity.
You are powerful. You get to do things to help others with the advanced spiritual technologies and connections that other communities lack.
You have an important purpose. You have very important work to do to save the planet/awaken humanity/heal humanity/save lives that can best (only) be accomplished here.
You are chosen. It’s no accident you encountered the individual/community. You were hand-picked from many candidates who didn’t have what you have to truly benefit from the community’s offerings. Only those who embody the desired attributes are chosen and a select few advance further.
The Gurupreneur is selling the following beliefs about them:
They are a special conduit of divine intelligence, wisdom, love and power.
They have exclusive access to mystery teachings that blessed few can access.
Their mission is to spread their teachings in order to raise the consciousness of humanity. That you get to play a part in that is a blessing and unique privilege.
They’ve solved the problems caused by their ego and sell their exclusive process that will liberate adherents in the same way.
They had a profound spiritual awakening that involved being shown a vision of their holy mission and healing for humanity.
They found God and they can help you cultivate your connection to god (through them - for a fee).
They form a cult following around a spiritual leader or teacher. Their association with the teacher gives them legitimacy to make claims about their spiritual prowess and competence to liberate others from their suffering.
Their mystical experiences or private experiences with spiritual masters are indicators of their spiritual status. They share these mystery teachings to those who are ‘ready’ to receive them (for a fee).
They have knowledge of ancient methods and spiritual technologies that they learned over a short time, and the perceived authority to share them widely without supervision for a large fee.
The Gurupreneur might also be a social media influencer. Their posts cycle through the roles of Karpman’s Drama Triangle using this formula:
I worked hard nearly to exhaustion doing something divine/sacred/with a higher purpose (victim) only to have a hard thing happen (persecutor).
I feel sad/outrage/disappointed about it (victim).
In the past, this is how I would have responded (as the victim).
As I am now empowered, I used my sacred process to overcome the hard thing (as the Saviour).
I’m grateful for problem so that I could apply this transformative sacred process and appreciate how far I’ve come (Hero/Saviour).
You (victim) can do it too with my 5 step sacred process/course (Let me be your Saviour!).
Call to action with a time limit.
Who can you trust?
As a spiritual seeker interested in spiritual development, enlightenment or as someone who wants to deal with your troubles and stressors more effectively in a Cluster B, secular, materialistic and godless society, you’re in a minefield.
It’s hard to know who to trust especially since we’ve all been conditioned to varying degrees to seek out confident, intelligent and charismatic people because we associate them with competence and trustworthiness.
Over the years, I’ve learned to discern real support and comrades on the spiritual path over the Gurupreneur with a few simple rules:
Avoid shiny objects. Conventionally beautiful, well put together, charming people who use spiritual speak are very attractive and magnetic. Unassuming, ordinary folk who keep things simple, speak clearly and directly, are easy to overlook but can embody character traits of enlightened people.
Be skeptical of anyone charging for a course or training to learn spiritual practices that are not of their culture or lineage, nor cite specific sources or influences of their methods. It’s helpful if a person can link back to a lineage or a teacher with a body of work. If they charge, it’s a small fee.
Don’t trust the spiritual and energy healers who use techniques that make you feel good before they start to show the other things you can do with them to end your suffering. Their intent is to make you believe you need them for your advancement. Creating long-term dependence on them and their tools is part of the scam. People who want to help you as a spiritual seeker, will equip you with what you need to help yourself. Whether it’s repeating a vedic mantra, a visualisation, reading specific scriptures, or performing a short ritual, they know you will receive what you need and will be guided to work it out for yourself…like they did.
Beware of people who use vague terminology to explain and oversimplify your experiences, as if they know better than you. Feeling shitty? You must be processing or releasing toxins. Feeling at peace? You must have integrated your latest breakthrough. People painting a picture of your experience before you’ve been able to are telltale signs of control tactics and their perceived spiritual superiority. This also includes use of esoteric word salad with toxic positivity thrown in.
Trust those who are tight-lipped about their own personal and sacred journeys into the mysteries. They don’t advertise or discuss them, let alone use them as status symbols. They don’t use their experiences to influence how you view yours, though they might share a story or a passage of a wisdom teaching that helped them make sense of or accept their own experience.
Seek out people who don’t try analyse or describe a mystical/spiritual experience they had during a sacred ceremony or practice. They’re grateful for what they’ve received and accept that as enough. They don’t pry or proselytise about any spiritual beliefs they think you should have because it’s worked for them.
They acknowledge that you have your own unique connection to God/Divine/Higher Intelligence/cosmic wisdom/virtues that’s neither lesser nor greater than theirs. They respect how you perceive higher guidance (or not), experience the sacred and the way you choose to implement that knowledge without trying to intervene or control what you think, see and do with it.
I’m certain there are other indicators of trustworthiness and Gurupreneur red flags and I trust that you, dear reader, will add them below.
I also anticipate that this piece, or your interpretation of what you’ve read will challenge, trigger and delight some of you. Talking about spirituality and God is a sensitive topic for many but we shouldn’t shy away from exposing the dark side of the human condition, including its role in spiritual endeavours.
I’ve seen enough troubling things along this path that I felt the need to say something about it here. We each have weaknesses and desires to belong and feel important. This is our nature and also our Achilles heel that can take us further into narcissism instead of liberating us from it.
May your quest toward enlightenment and a life of ease be Gurupreneur-free.
Nathalie
Hack narcissism and support my work
I believe that a common threat to our individual and collective thriving is an addiction to power and control. This addiction fuels and is fuelled by greed - the desire to accumulate and control resources in social, information (and attention), economic, ecological, geographical and political systems.
While activists focus on fighting macro issues, I believe that activism also needs to focus on the micro issues - the narcissistic traits that pollute relationships between you and I, and between each other, without contributing to existing injustice. It’s not as exciting as fighting the Big Baddies yet hacking, resisting, overriding and deprogramming our tendencies to control others that also manifest as our macro issues is my full-time job.
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I deeply appreciated this like many other essays of yours, and thank you for the shout out. First, gurupreneur is so good I’m mad at myself for not seeing it as a portmanteau before. You got me thinking of all the Indians who have come to the US selling a specific interpretation of the spirituality of their homeland. This got me thinking about whether there is a distinction between guru and cult leader, because I grew up in the Hare Krishna community. It was led by a gurupreneur but he brought so many people to a place they’d never have gotten spiritually. At the same time, it was a cult. And is that different from the snake oil Jay Shetty is selling? Ironically Shetty got his qualifications by interning with the Hare Krishnas who themselves are separate from the way most other Indians practice.
This made me want to do a pilgrimage trip. My parents are going to Kailash this summer and I can’t get the time off to do it, but if my parents hadn’t dragged me to a million other pilgrimage sites as a kid I wouldn’t be who I am today. I also am very proud to be born of a culture that gives so many others meaning even if they aren’t born of it. I’ve been ruminating for some time on why Westerners gets so much from India, and I think it’s because there’s something you can’t pinpoint in all aspects of society. Almost like you can feel cosmic force of Shakti.
👏👏 you are dead on here Nathalie 🙌 I love your term gurupreneur. It is fitting and I've met many. One was the head pastor ( I use that term loosely here) at a church. I was so stunned at her behavior and her sales-pitchy attitude 🙄 It was an eye-opening experience for sure.
Selling packages of 'help' is what tells me the person is trying to make someone their employer. I see that a lot.
You are also correct that people will exploit even the desire to belong. Great piece!