HBO's 'Guru' Exposes Dark Side of Wellness Culture

Directors Hayley Pappas and Smiley Stevens have created a timely investigation into how spiritual wellness environments became breeding grounds for conspiracy thinking. 'Guru: The Self-Help Movement and QAnon,' which premiered on HBO on October 23, 2024, examines the troubling intersection of kundalini yoga, self-help ideology, and the QAnon conspiracy movement.

The six-part series uses the RA MA Institute as its primary case study, tracing how the organization became intertwined with QAnon beliefs. At the center of this investigation is Guru Jagat, whose charismatic leadership and spiritual teachings became a vehicle for promoting conspiracy theories to vulnerable followers. The documentary illustrates how manipulation operates within wellness spaces that promise healing and enlightenment.

A significant focus of the series is understanding the legacy of Yogi Bhajan and his influence on modern kundalini yoga practice, particularly how that legacy connected to the spread of conspiracy ideologies. Rather than presenting a simple narrative of good versus evil, the filmmakers explore the complexity of how individuals become radicalized within trusted spiritual communities.

The timing of 'Guru' reflects a broader cultural reckoning with wellness culture's role during the pandemic era. As lockdowns drove millions online seeking community and meaning, spiritual spaces became unexpectedly politicized. The documentary reveals how self-help movements—often positioned as apolitical spaces focused on personal transformation—provided infrastructure for conspiracy theories to flourish.

Co-executive producer Hayley Phelan brings additional journalistic rigor to the project, helping ground the narrative in documented facts about how charismatic leaders exploit vulnerable populations. The series doesn't sensationalize these stories but instead examines the psychological and social mechanisms that make people susceptible to conspiratorial thinking, even when—or perhaps especially when—it's wrapped in spiritual language.