Capitalist Mysticism: When Spirituality Becomes Commodified
Manifestation, self-help, and idolized billionaires
“There is enough room for everybody to manifest their dreams because we don’t all want the same things! Not everybody wants a yacht!”
I still remember the words spoken by the Rhonda Byrne, author of incredibly popular early 2000s manifestation book The Secret, when she appeared on the Oprah Show. Even as a teenager I thought to myself, but how many people would turn down a yacht and a life of luxury, if they really believed they could manifest it? How many yachts can our finite planet accommodate? Who will build them if everybody is rich?
The premise of Byrne’s self-help book is simple: we can manifest everything that we want, if we try hard enough. Follow her steps, and just like all of the most successful people, you too can have a house, a fancy car, your soulmate, your dream job, and anything your heart desires! Filled with quotes from historical religious thinkers and successful modern business people like Jack Campbell (creator of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series), Byrne builds a case for changing your life through the power of manifestation.
This is just one of the practices and beliefs that many of us have used to cope with the realities of living in a lower or…
