Brief: Marianne Williamson’s Spiritual Therapy Schtick

Marianne Williamson? Inexperienced? Not at all.

In fact, she does have a ton of experience… in New Age, on-stage pseudotherapy, where she solves the problems of the troubled with memorized lines from A Course in Miracles. She’s been doing these sessions at workshops and retreats for decades, and the schtick is always the same: if only the person would change their minds about their problem, the world would be healed. 

While this may fly on the workshop circuit, if you listen carefully you’ll hear that she gives the same answer on the stump.

It comes through most clearly when she’s pressed on questions of strategy. She will instantly pivot to talking about the spirit and the soul. The effect is a disarming oscillation between the political and the personal. Are we talking about defeating fascists? No, no, that’s too worldly! We’re talking about opening our hearts. And if that feels good during a politically tense exchange, it’s because she changed the subject.

To see how this sleight-of-hand works, Matthew examines two classic Williamson encounters to show that the answers she gives on the stump aren’t much different from the answers she gives on her New Age retreats. 

Show Notes

That Time Byron Katie Gaslit a Follower about Trump | by Matthew Remski 

I'm Afraid of Trump—The Work of Byron Katie

Being Rejected for Your Spiritual Beliefs | Q&A With Marianne Williamson 

Mindfulness can make you selfish: A pioneering new study examines the social effects of mindfulness 

Marianne Williamson with TYT's John Iadarola & Francesca Fiorentini

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