A friend of mine sent me another video of a celebrity who has had an existential crisis and has emerged from it spouting spiritual maxims, defining how we need to let go and let God take over because the whole world of ego and identity is over. Wonderful. Another asshole is on a quest to share their visions of the world to come according to their perceptions, and the best part, he’s telling YOU what you need to do. I share my visions too, but most certainly don’t tell people how to live their lives. I applaud this man for making some intrepid choices, working hard, possibly getting a lucky break, and running with it, ultimately making his millions in an industry where you’re always in character (Hollywood is the ultimate method acting school on the planet), for if you’re not, you won’t last long. Authentic people tend to find themselves quickly leaving that cesspit (especially if they have seen its sordid underbelly or heaven-forbid been a part of it) and finding meaning and purpose in their lives that isn’t aggrandising, or they are turned upon and crucified, tarred and feathered and then ostracised, blackmailed or compromised so that they are malleable for those who wish to control them. The facts remain, this new entrant into the wellness industry is a multimillionaire who will never have to work another day in his life (if he chooses not to), has a beautiful home (maybe a few of them) where he and his family flourish, never having to be concerned with aspects of life that challenge folks who made different choices or were conditioned to express limitation (from peers and family, or it is their karma due to their actions in life). This talking head will never have to wonder where the money is coming from to pay the mortgage and bills, put food on the table for their kids, or be able to afford to clothe them, keep his vehicles on the road (mechanically) so he can get to and from work, or pick up their kids from school and get groceries. Yet he trumpets from on high saying the days of striving to make a living are over, you have to surrender to God and let God take over. I won’t post this gentleman’s name on my blog. I’ll call him K.R.
I’ve seen a lot of celebrities who have become spiritual or who have had consciousness expansion because they are like Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder, tormented in their childhoods, so they strive for validation, love, and recognition on the most prestigious and public stage of them all and then live out their worst selves in public because they’re fracturing, the lines between character, fame and the trappings of it all only causing their wounds to become pustulant. Or they’ve seen the ghastly occult practices that prop up the entertainment industry and even partaken in them. When they get to a place where everything they ever wanted is theirs. The houses, the lovers, wives, husbands, affairs, sex, drugs, the red carpets they gain the wisdom that comes with excess. It’s all FAKE. Shock fucking horror. Then comes the inevitable existential crisis. Ben Stiller’s masterpiece of writing and parody of the Hollywood world, Tropic Thunder, and his character Kirk Lazarus, an Australian method actor who Robert Downey Jnr plays with Oscar-worthy nomination (at the very least, but it bites too close to the bone) gives us the mantra that many of these people say to themselves in their self-induced shock, ‘I think I might be nobody.’ That is GENIUS. It’s also true, but their need for relevance and to remain relevant is an addiction that they MUST share with the world to remain en vogue.
Josh Wilson writing for Forbes quotes Nina Verkoeyen, a trained Psychologist, and the founder of the spiritual movement; Meta Spirituality,
“As a trained psychologist, I have studied the human mind and why we deal with frustrations, why every change in our state, like childbirth or loss, distorts our internal balance so much. I spent years practicing mindfulness, Yoga, and all forms of new-age wellness therapy, but there was always something missing, a piece of the puzzle, while I did find some comfort in these practices, they didn’t give me the ultimate peace that I sought. The problem with new-age spirituality is that it often thrives in novelty, but it begins to have less impact after a while. This is because it is only a stage in our ultimate pursuit for truth, it is not the ultimate.”
This is where the rubber meets the road. New-age spirituality thrives in novelty. When another Hollywood talking head comes out onto their social media pulpit and then waxes lyrical as only they can (makes you wonder who wrote their scripts) about how ‘heaven is in the present moment’ and that ‘God is asking you to get out of the way of yourself so you no longer have to struggle to live’, you have to wonder who the fuck they are talking to, and how fucken narcissistic can you be? These people like so many businessmen/women on social media who have made their fortunes through the wellness/spirituality industry (often exploiting the most vulnerable people in society), never need to charge for a course, workshop, or seminar ever again for they have persuaded countless millions to hand over their energy (currency) for a promise that is often never fulfilled (that’s another story to write about another day) are about as genuine as Bill Gates is as a philanthropist. Would it not be more prescient to keep your own experience to yourself? Who stands to gain from the knowledge that you have suddenly discovered since you now know that you’re nothing but a cog in a machine that at some point will replace you with a new part (actor) here is where you find some relevance. Look at me. I’m just like you. I’m searching for truth too, but hey! I’ve found it! Listen to me! Subscribe to my channel! Podcast! Buy my book! It doesn’t help that these people can afford to advertise themselves endlessly on every social media platform you can ever imagine. They’re like whack-a-moles popping up everywhere, a ubiquitous nuisance.
We live in an age of discernment. That is a given. I for one don’t let an actor tell me anything. I enjoy their interviews when they talk about their roles, character development, performances and the directors they worked with, yes. However, if they have a spiritual awakening and begin parroting out maxims that are to them new and fresh, and have the hubris to then tell people how to live their lives from their mansions in the Hollywood canyons, or beachfront properties I’ve lost all respect for them, they’re unhinged, out of touch with the reality of the people who have elevated them into the positions of wealth, fame and fortune they experience. It’s a sickness to believe they can tell people how to find peace, let go of struggle, and surrender to God. These are all valid spiritual maxims, but there is a lot of work involved not just to intellectualise the maxims but to put them into practice. Very easy to do when you live in an ivory tower. Assholes.
Bill Murray. Nails it.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2023/03/14/the-cliche-of-spirituality-and-its-position-in-hollywood – It’s rare, but there are some celebrities who can keep their spiritual practices, beliefs and attitudes to themselves, I applaud the ones that do.
https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/fine-line-between-spirituality-and-narcissism-spiritual-self – ‘I’m more spiritual than you are…just so you know… or forgotten.’