The tyranny of institutionalised faith: how spirituality became a system of control
Yesterday, I reflected on the beauty and connection possible through genuine spiritual or religious practices. Today, however, I'm going to address a darker truth—the ways spirituality has been systematically distorted, manipulated, and exploited by institutions and even individuals promising liberation, only to recreate oppressive, cult-like environments.
It leaves me deeply frustrated to witness how, upon discovering something beautiful and profound, our first impulse is often to commodify or control it, warping its original purpose beyond recognition. In doing so, we lose sight of the very essence that drew us in initially.
Through this post, I aim to highlight the power and importance of self-awareness and personal discernment—far more valuable than blindly following a prescribed path or charismatic figure.
What is faith?
Faith is profoundly personal, fluid, and ever-evolving; religious and spiritual beliefs should serve as expressions of individual experience, not rigid dogmas imposed by external authorities. Releasing the fear of judgement around our spiritual explorations allows us greater clarity and autonomy.
I'll also delve into what happens in the brain when we're influenced by controlling belief systems—why it becomes neurologically challenging to break free, and why keeping our decision-making centres activated and critical is essential for maintaining spiritual sovereignty.
Throughout history, powerful institutions—religious, political, and economic—have sought to shape and control spiritual narratives. Direct spiritual experience often threatens these institutions precisely because it is anti-authoritarian: when individuals discover inner enlightenment, they naturally become less dependent on external authority. Personal spirituality, therefore, becomes an existential threat to hierarchical institutions that thrive on obedience, dogma, and exclusivity.
Specifically, this post will explore:
How institutional religions (e.g., the Church) have historically suppressed mystical traditions
The roles Freemasonry, Hermeticism, and secret societies have played in safeguarding or gatekeeping spiritual knowledge
The psychological dynamics behind cults and high-control belief systems
The commodification and commercial exploitation of spirituality in the modern era
By understanding these mechanisms of control and influence, we become equipped to recognise patterns of suppression, reclaim autonomy in our spiritual journeys, and ultimately restore authenticity to our personal paths.
Gatekeepers of the Divine: Institutional Religion's War on Mysticism
Historically, dominant religious institutions have often functioned as gatekeepers of mystical and spiritual experiences. Mainstream Christianity, particularly the medieval Catholic Church, significantly shaped and controlled spiritual narratives by emphasising dogmatic obedience over direct mystical experience. Mystics such as Meister Eckhart, St. Teresa of Ávila, and the Desert Fathers, who advocated direct personal experiences of the divine, frequently faced persecution or condemnation. Their teachings directly challenged the hierarchical authority by suggesting individuals could experience the divine independently, bypassing institutional mediation (McGinn, 2001).
A prime historical example of institutional control was the Catholic Church’s practice of forbidding laypeople from accessing sacred texts in their native languages - effectively making priests the sole interpreters of scripture (Ozment, 1980). This practice consolidated spiritual authority within the Church, marginalising alternative interpretations and personal spiritual exploration.
The Protestant Reformation, while breaking from Catholicism, also maintained a sceptical stance towards mystical practices, favouring strict scriptural adherence and rational interpretations. As such, many contemplative or mystical practices, including meditation, contemplative prayer, and energy healing, remained discouraged, labelled as heretical or "New Age" by mainstream Christian authorities (King, 2009).
Even today, practices like meditation, energy healing, or the ceremonial use of plant medicines are often met with resistance or condemnation within mainstream religious circles. Such practices are frequently categorised as ‘New Age’ or even demonic, illustrating an enduring fear of spiritual autonomy that challenges hierarchical religious authority (Hanegraaff, 1996).
Hidden Knowledge, Secret Power: Freemasonry, Hermeticism, and Esoteric Societies
As mainstream religious institutions suppressed mystical exploration, esoteric groups such as Freemasonry, Hermeticism, and Kabbalah played crucial roles in preserving and transmitting mystical and spiritual knowledge. Freemasonry, drawing from Hermetic and Kabbalistic traditions, conceptualises spiritual growth as an initiatory journey symbolised by rituals and allegorical teachings. Symbols like the Temple, the Light, and the Staircase represent ascending levels of moral and spiritual consciousness (Waite, 2007).
Hermetic philosophy, attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, teaches a fundamental principle—“All is Mind”—asserting that the universe itself is a mental construct. This aligns with modern interpretations from quantum physics and Eastern philosophies that perceive reality as interconnected and shaped by consciousness (Hanegraaff, 1996).
During my exploration seeking truth, joining the Freemasons provided me with an unexpectedly liberating experience. Their inclusive philosophy and openness to various religious traditions profoundly influenced my own spiritual autonomy. This highlighted to me how certain esoteric societies genuinely preserve and protect ancient wisdom, creating environments conducive to authentic personal growth.
However, the history of secret societies also includes controversy and suspicion. Organisations such as Freemasonry have historically been accused of elitism or exclusivity, controlling access to spiritual or mystical knowledge and maintaining secrecy around their teachings. This perceived secrecy has often sparked suspicion, conspiracy theories, and allegations of hoarding esoteric knowledge for power or economic gain (Goodrick-Clarke, 2008).
This duality prompts critical reflection:
Is hidden knowledge safeguarded to protect its integrity, or is it selectively withheld to maintain power and influence?
Recognising this complexity helps individuals discern authentic paths to spiritual autonomy from those replicating institutional control mechanisms.
Inside the Spiritual Prison: The Psychology and Neuroscience of Cult Control
My personal journey into deeper spiritual exploration began at an extremely young age. Unfortunately, I found myself idolising certain practices and charismatic individuals, surrendering myself completely to them in the hope that I would one day become worthy of receiving ultimate truths and knowledge. Reflecting now, it deeply pains me that my vulnerability was exploited, reinforcing damaging beliefs about my self-worth and spiritual capabilities. At only 14, I was guided towards extreme practices such as coffee enemas and prolonged fasting rituals, severely alienating me from family and friends. The psychological manipulation left lasting impacts on my emotional health, embedding feelings of resentment and isolation during a critical phase of neurological development.
From a neuroscientific perspective, adolescence is a crucial developmental period, especially for the brain's prefrontal cortex, which regulates decision-making, impulse control, and emotional stability (Casey, Jones, & Hare, 2008). Excessive exposure to stress and manipulation at this critical age can alter brain structure and function, particularly impairing the prefrontal cortex and amplifying the activity of the amygdala, the brain's fear centre (Arnsten, 2009).
Control Groups
High-control groups, including religious sects and cults, often leverage psychological techniques such as fear induction, guilt, and cognitive dissonance to manipulate their followers. Cognitive dissonance, a psychological discomfort arising from holding conflicting beliefs, encourages rationalisation rather than critical examination, driving deeper commitment and reducing the likelihood of escape (Festinger, 1957). When followers encounter contradictory evidence, rather than critically evaluating it, they instinctively rationalise inconsistencies to maintain their internal coherence and emotional stability.
The brain on the cult highs
Neuroscience research highlights how cult-like environments deliberately activate the amygdala, heightening emotional reactions and significantly impairing rational, critical thinking capabilities. Chronic stress, fear, and guilt weaken prefrontal cortex functions, further reducing the individual's cognitive flexibility, decision-making, and autonomy—thereby increasing susceptibility to indoctrination (Sapolsky, 2007). Additionally, ecstatic group experiences such as chanting, collective rituals, or psychedelic ceremonies stimulate powerful emotional bonding via elevated oxytocin release, reinforcing group cohesion and making individuals psychologically dependent on leaders or the group's ideology (Yaden et al., 2017).
However, such psychological and neurological dynamics are not limited solely to overt cults. More subtle manipulations exist widely, including mainstream religious organisations, political movements, and even personal-development and self-help groups.
The underlying pattern remains the same:
Fostering dependency on an institution or individual while systematically discouraging independent thought or external exploration.
Understanding these neural mechanisms is key to reclaiming personal autonomy. The recognition that spirituality does not require submission to external authority but thrives through independent exploration can protect us from manipulation and help restore healthy neurological functioning.
By nurturing self-awareness and engaging in reflective, critical thinking, we strengthen our ability to identify manipulation, maintain cognitive flexibility, and pursue authentic spiritual growth
Final Thoughts
The struggle between institutional control and personal spiritual autonomy is ongoing. While institutions have preserved and transmitted spiritual knowledge, they have also suppressed, distorted, and commodified it. Recognising these patterns empowers individuals to reclaim their spiritual sovereignty.
Key takeaways
Institutional religion has historically restricted direct mystical experience, favouring hierarchical control.
Esoteric societies have preserved hidden knowledge but have also been accused of elitism.
High-control belief systems utilise psychological manipulation (fear, guilt, cognitive dissonance) to impair independent thinking and promote dependency.
Modern commercialisation of spirituality risks diluting genuine practices, turning profound traditions into superficial marketable commodities.
True spirituality remains deeply personal, fluid, and free from dogmatic constraints; practices and beliefs are expressions that can evolve, and no institution or ideology should hold a monopoly on your inner journey.
Ask yourself this
Are your beliefs genuinely yours, or have they been subtly shaped by institutions or charismatic individuals?
Consider carefully who benefits from your spiritual dependency, and envision how your life would transform if you reclaimed full autonomy over your spiritual journey.
Take a stand now—question authority, release conformity, and rediscover your authentic spiritual freedom.
Explore more insights and practical tools to reclaim your autonomy by rewiring with me!
References
Casey, B. J., Jones, R. M., & Hare, T. A. (2008). The adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124(1), 111–126. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1440.010
Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press.
Goodrick-Clarke, N. (2008). The Western esoteric traditions: A historical introduction. Oxford University Press.
Hanegraaff, W. J. (1996). New Age religion and Western culture: Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought. SUNY Press.
King, R. (2009). Selling spirituality: The silent takeover of religion. Routledge.
McGinn, B. (2001). The mystical thought of Meister Eckhart: The man from whom God hid nothing. Crossroad Publishing.
Ozment, S. (1980). The age of reform, 1250–1550: An intellectual and religious history of late medieval and reformation Europe. Yale University Press.
Sapolsky, R. M. (2007). Stress, stress-related disease, and emotional regulation. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (pp. 606–615). Guilford Press.
Waite, A. E. (2007). The secret tradition in Freemasonry: And an analysis of the inter-relation between the Craft and the high grades. Kessinger Publishing.
Yaden, D. B., Haidt, J., Hood, R. W., Vago, D. R., & Newberg, A. B. (2017). The neuroscience of spiritual and religious experience. In M. E. Miller & S. R. Cook-Greuter (Eds.), Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (pp. 343–358). Wiley-Blackwell.
