The New Rasputins
The Atlantic, January 7, 2025
Abstract
The rise of anti-science mysticism is enabling and strengthening autocratic movements worldwide, as exemplified by recent political developments in Romania. The unexpected first-round victory of Călin Georgescu in Romania’s 2024 presidential election demonstrates how social media platforms, particularly TikTok, can amplify mysticist messaging that combines New Age spirituality with authoritarian politics. While presenting himself as a gentle spiritual figure who swims in cold lakes and espouses pseudoscientific theories about water memory and nanochips in carbonated drinks, Georgescu simultaneously promotes far-right ideology, praising Romanian fascist leaders and maintaining connections with Russian nationalist figures. This combination of mysticism and authoritarianism represents a broader pattern of anti-rational, anti-scientific thinking being used to undermine democratic institutions and promote autocratic governance. - AI-generated abstract.
