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I'm firmly of the opinion that a lot of wellness fads spring up fields like tech because its a field where traditional religious views are rarer. People latch o

I'm firmly of the opinion that a lot of wellness fads spring up fields like tech because its a field where traditional religious views are rarer. People latch on to these new belief systems that are like religion in most ways beside name. They all have a set of rigid rules to follow and rituals to perform, and they all have some type of self-denial or sacrifice as one of their core values. Fasting, temperance, Whole30, gluten free, even modern fitness culture all share elements of denying yourself things you enjoy or putting yourself through unpleasant situations in search of some kind of enlightenment or transcendence. I often see the same people falling into fad after fad, first telling me how EMFs are poison and will be looked at like cigarettes in a decade, and how singing bowls realign my spirit, and trying to insist on the power of visualization can cure chronic pain. I'm curious what it is that causes this.

abakker 7y ago
this is kind of flippant, but I suspect that a big part of it is that remaining rational and skeptical, and trying to be belief-free is exhausting. Rituals - even things like having morning coffee or an after work walk are things that I can say calm me down because they require little mental effort. The more you aim for variety the more effort it takes. Beliefs are like the mental equivalent to acclimating to consistent and unvaried exercise. It stops requiring thought and no longer pushes you to improve. given the breadth of ideas we are always exposed to now, I'd say that these semi-religious tendencies are defense mechanisms.
- ajtulloch 7y ago
  This is very close to the argument Alain de Botton makes in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_for_Atheists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_for_Atheists.
fsagx 7y ago
I've also come to the same conclusion. Many people, if they are not attached to a traditional religion, will similarly attach to something else. The human mind may have a god-shaped or religion-shaped hole in it.
- stickfigure 7y ago
  Less romantically and probably more accurately, you could call it a "superstition-shaped" hole.
openasocket 7y ago
In my religious studies classes there was a point made about separating "high religion" and "low religion." High religion refers to the abstract, philosophical components of a religion: like the belief in a benevolent creator who became man. Low religion refers to the rituals and superstitions of the religion: like going to Church every Sunday, taking communion, etc. All religions consist of a both pieces, and it often makes sense to consider them separately. European pagan superstitions persisted for centuries after the population had converted to Christianity, for example. I think you could argue what you're describing are examples of the creation or transfer of low religion into atheism and agnosticism.

abakker 7y ago

this is kind of flippant, but I suspect that a big part of it is that remaining rational and skeptical, and trying to be belief-free is exhausting. Rituals - even things like having morning coffee or an after work walk are things that I can say calm me down because they require little mental effort. The more you aim for variety the more effort it takes. Beliefs are like the mental equivalent to acclimating to consistent and unvaried exercise. It stops requiring thought and no longer pushes you to improve. given the breadth of ideas we are always exposed to now, I'd say that these semi-religious tendencies are defense mechanisms.

ajtulloch 7y ago
This is very close to the argument Alain de Botton makes in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_for_Atheists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_for_Atheists.

fsagx 7y ago

I've also come to the same conclusion. Many people, if they are not attached to a traditional religion, will similarly attach to something else. The human mind may have a god-shaped or religion-shaped hole in it.

stickfigure 7y ago
Less romantically and probably more accurately, you could call it a "superstition-shaped" hole.

openasocket 7y ago

In my religious studies classes there was a point made about separating "high religion" and "low religion." High religion refers to the abstract, philosophical components of a religion: like the belief in a benevolent creator who became man. Low religion refers to the rituals and superstitions of the religion: like going to Church every Sunday, taking communion, etc. All religions consist of a both pieces, and it often makes sense to consider them separately. European pagan superstitions persisted for centuries after the population had converted to Christianity, for example. I think you could argue what you're describing are examples of the creation or transfer of low religion into atheism and agnosticism.