Conspirituality

The market for esoteric promises of healing is booming. There is a suitable ritual or magical healing stone for every ailment. Cancer patients are promised that tumors will disappear through the power of thought alone. Essential oils and room sprays are said to cure depression. Esotericism and conspiracy beliefs often merge (thus the term conspirituality): Fears are stirred up, scientific find- ings are ignored, and critics are dismissed as part of a supposed conspiracy. Conventional medicine is defamed as a profit-seeking accomplice of the pharmaceutical industry, whose drugs are not ‚really‘ supposed to heal but are useless or even make people ill. Such beliefs become dangerous when, in an emergency, people prefer to trust dubious healers rather than adequate treatments.