QAnon, authoritarianism, and conspiracy within American alternative spiritual spaces

Abstract

IntroductionQAnon, in the United States, has become something of household name due to its role in the January 6th insurrection, and because of the relatively high degree of media attention it has received. While such coverage has been useful in understanding this conspiracy movement, it has also painted a picture of QAnon that is incomplete.MethodsUsing a qualitative ethnographic approach I analyzed 1,000 hours of QAnon content produced by 100 QAnon influencers. I created a database of 4,104 images (tweets, screenshots, and other static forms of communication) and 122 videos.ResultsWe found three separate cultural entry points not typically associated with the movement—Yoga and Wellness Groups, Neo-Shamanistic circles, and Psychics. By colonizing these spaces QAnon was able to embed itself, disguise its abrasive features, and go largely unnoticed by the general public.DiscussionThis study reminds us of studies of authoritarianism from the 1950s that found the movement can take root in a variety of spaces, and that within each of us lie potentially fascistic tendencies—even those seeking enlightenment, through alternative practices.

When belief becomes research: conspiracist communities on the social web

“…The overlap between yoga and fitness industries, alternative health philosophies, and conspiracy theories has been welldocumented in both news media and scholarly literature. For example, Conner (2023) analyzed the overlap between wellness, fitness and yoga instructors, finding that a "'soft[er]' version of QAnon helped draw in those. .…”

“…Influencers promoting yoga, CrossFit, and alternative health have interwoven posts about child trafficking, for example, or used a hashtag associated with QAnon (e.g., #greatawakening). Indeed, the idea of an "awakening" can be deployed for New Age spirituality just as readily as it can for QAnon or Christianity (Meltzer, 2021;Conner, 2023). A casual user of social media, dabbling in New Ageism, yoga, or alternative health may receive targeted advertising or see pretty Instagram posts promoting QAnon and other conspiracy theories, thereby drawing them in (Chang, 2021;Baker, 2022;Hermanová, 2022).…”