“Thought-as-power” as a route to happiness. The shift from positive thinking to toxic positvity in the context of conspiritual discourse in the U.S

The ideology of positive thinking is rooted in the history of New Thought, a spiritual and secular movement dating back to 19th-century transcendentalism in the U.S., with profound implications in the religious, cultural, economical, and political aspects of American history. Nowadays, positive thinking is also a worldwide industry making millions through self-help literature, motivational speakers, and coaching specialists. Such “marketing of happiness” requires to be analyzed and understood from a multi-layered perspective, not only as an evolution of the American Dream ideology based on the “pursuit of happiness” belief, but as a complex global phenomenon influencing millions of people in the private and public spheres. This article explores the radicalization of positive thinking that can grow into a tribalization of society and eventually into toxic positivity. The phenomenon is investigated in its emergence and development within the context of conspiritual discourse, which in turn originated in conspiracism.