A “me, me, me” spirituality

Although recent reports tell us that the decline of Christianity in America appears to have stalled, the landscape remains quite challenging. That’s because, in recent times, the rise of spirituality has been exponential, and with this rise comes a fundamental shift that few have reckoned with. What was once a movement away from faith has become something more insidious—not atheism, not even agnosticism, but a shapeless, self-directed spirituality that demands nothing and promises everything.

The numbers tell a rather troubling story. While institutional religion has plateaued, vague forms of spirituality—unmoored from doctrine, discipline, and shared belief—has surged. Roughly three-quarters of Americans now describe themselves as “spiritual,” and nearly a third claim to be “very spiritual,” despite fewer identifying with organized faith. What we are witnessing is the dawn of something entirely new and, I propose, very dark: a belief system that is profoundly personal, subjective, and, at times, commercially repackaged for mass consumption.

On the surface, this shift may seem harmless, merely a reflection of personal enlightenment. After all, people seek meaning in nature, in kindness, in the idea of a greater force that defies definition. But what millions of Americans are embracing is not spirituality in the traditional sense; it is spirituality without structure, without accountability, and, critically, without the moral foundation that religion once provided.

The consequences of this shift are not yet fully realized, but the cracks are already forming. Where institutional religion once imposed moral boundaries, modern spirituality bends to individual desires. Where faith once instilled sacrifice, humility, and communal responsibility, the new spiritualism often centers on self-fulfillment. The language of faith has been commodified—“mindfulness” is marketed as a wellness trend, “karma” is rebranded as a cosmic balancing act to justify personal grudges, and “manifestation” is sold as a shortcut to material success. In this new, somewhat perverse paradigm, spirituality is not about discipline or devotion but about consumption—curated, packaged, and sold to those seeking meaning without obligation.

This is where figures like Jay Shetty and others in the self-help and spiritual arena come into play. While their rise may be hailed as a cultural trend, this view misses the mark. Their success is not simply a passing fad but a direct response to a far more significant spiritual void in modern society. It’s no coincidence that their popularity has grown hand-in-hand with the growing trend of secularism. They spotted a gap in the market—one could even call it a god-shaped gap—ripe for exploitation. And exploit it they have. The wellness retreat industry is thriving, as is the market for self-help and spiritually infused books, each promising to fill the void left by a waning connection to traditional faith.

These self-styled gurus and influencers tap into the void with ruthless precision. With no historical or doctrinal foundation to challenge them, spirituality has become just another product—one that’s sold to consumers as a lifestyle, complete with expensive yoga retreats promising transcendence and algorithm-generated affirmations.

The inherent flaw in this modern spiritualism is that it is fundamentally self-centered. Traditional religious belief, in its finest form, was about community, sacrifice, and service—an individual’s faith was not just about their own salvation or enlightenment but about how they contributed to something greater than themselves. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples provided social cohesion, charitable efforts, and generational continuity. They fostered bonds that extended beyond personal belief, creating a framework in which individuals were accountable to others. The concept of shared morality—rules that applied regardless of personal preference—formed the foundation of societies for centuries.

By contrast, modern spirituality often requires nothing beyond individual satisfaction. It demands no commitment, no discipline, no responsibility. This rejection of the communal in favor of the isolated individual creates a worldview that is easily tailored to one's desires. It is a belief system that feeds the modern obsession with the self, failing to address the deeper, shared struggles that bind humanity together.

Whether it’s through solo pilgrimages to distant lands or the endless pursuit of material success through the law of attraction, the quest for spiritual fulfillment has become synonymous with personal advancement. It’s a “me, me, me” culture dressed up as a metaphysical quest, where the focus is not on spiritual sustenance, but on the individual’s own journey toward success, recognition, and material gain. Rather than fostering a sense of collective responsibility, the new spiritualism has pushed us toward atomization, where every person is his own guru. In other words, why look to God, why look to a higher power, when you can look to yourself?

A society with no shared moral foundation, no agreed-upon sense of right and wrong, and no higher calling beyond personal satisfaction is a society primed for fragmentation, manipulation, and ultimate decline.