Islamic Forms of New Age Belief in Syncretic Hyperreality

Although the era of secularism, which promised that human beings could build the truth, was not over, the trend towards mystical and paranormal beliefs grew, as did the spread of new forms of religion and the dominance of postmodernity-specific confusion. Augury, magic, ancient secrets, the texts of Abrahamic Religions, and the mystical beliefs of the Far East have been blended and commodified, particularly transforming into commercial fields of interest for educated masses. In the study, examples of hyperreality presented as religion through syncretic forms were examined on YouTube, the most followed digital platform worldwide; 50 videos from five different YouTube channels were evaluated using thematic content analysis, and the findings were discussed within the framework of Baudrillard's Postmodern Media Theory. In the analyzed videos, promises of healing, weight loss, happiness, strengthening faith, etc., were made, and it was observed that Islamic content was added to Buddhist practices and indicators in an effort to engage a Muslim audience. The findings of the study exemplify post-truth practices in terms of the syncretization of different belief systems, providing detailed data especially for researchers working on New Age cults.