Where Are You on the Woo Spectrum?

Now, as a neuroscientist with a tech background, I always look for empirical evidence before accepting any claims. This creates an interesting tension whenever I discover some practices that help me personally but lack robust research.

Looking at my friends, I also notice fascinating patterns in how they approach “woo woo” beliefs. Some are deeply scientific about certain phenomena while accepting paranormal explanations for others without question. I know clinicians who believe in reincarnation, highly analytical entrepreneurs who pull a tarot card each morning, and engineers who consult astrology but reject the existence of spirits.

My own relationship to woo stuff is complex, and I wanted to create a simple framework to discuss these differences with friends. I call it the Woo Spectrum. I hope it will resonate with those of you who, like me, feel both spiritually and scientifically minded, and who want to have more generative conversations.

Based on both personal experience and scientific evidence, I’m convinced about practices that might be considered “woo” such as plant medicine, breathwork, meditation, and somatic movement. I find myself aligned with debated philosophical ideas such as panpsychism, which to me offers the most parsimonious explanation for consciousness.

My stance has evolved in other areas. I’ve become curious about tarot and I-Ching, viewing them as tools for self-reflection rather than divination. Sound healing intrigues me not for mystical reasons, but for its potential effects on the nervous system.

I’m also cautious-curious about manifestation from a psychological perspective – such as how visualization and self-belief might influence behavior and thus outcomes, rather than any supernatural mechanism. So I’m happy to let friends say they’re manifesting something without having to start a debate.

We all navigate the strange territory between science and spirituality in our own way. The Woo Spectrum offers a map for this journey – not to judge where others stand, but to better understand your own path and have richer conversations along the way.

Conversations can become binary and polarized when we lack language to describe our beliefs. The Woo Spectrum helps us understand and describe our relationship with debated practices and philosophies. It consists of four levels: