Non-dualism content has spread like incense smoke through the algorithm, and here’s why.

So what is non-dualism?

Non-dualism (from the Sanskrit Advaita) is the philosophical idea that there is no true separation between subject and object, self and other, observer and observed. Everything is ultimately one — not “one” as in a big happy blob, but “not-two,” meaning the perceived boundaries are illusions propped up by the mind.

Your ego? A persistent hallucination.
Your thoughts? Not “yours” — just weather patterns in consciousness.
That guy on YouTube talking slowly about it for 3 hours? Also an illusion, but somehow still monetized.

Why is it all over YouTube now?

1. Low production costs: Just film yourself vaguely glowing in a forest or on a beige couch. Bonus points for wind chimes. These videos practically make themselves.

2. The algorithm loves watch time: Non-dualism videos are meandering, hypnotic, and occasionally pretend to answer the Big Questions. Perfect bait for viewers to zone out for 45 minutes while doing nothing and feel like they're becoming enlightened.

3. Pandemic existentialism hangover: Millions of people stared into the void in 2020, and the void stared back, with subtitles and background music. Non-dualism offered a cozy little metaphysical blanket to wrap around the feeling that your job, your name, and your plans are all imaginary.

4. It’s influencer-proof philosophy: Unlike most spiritual trends, non-dualism discourages identity and achievement. Which means everyone online immediately decided to create a branded version of it. Nothing says "I am not the body, I am not the mind" like a Patreon tier list.

5. Western burnout meets Eastern mysticism: After people get tired of hustle culture and self-help books with words like "grindset," they start craving stillness. Enter: the YouTube guru in a linen shirt telling you “you are already home.” He’s just helping you realize it, for the low cost of 12 affiliate links.

So yes, the spate of non-dualism videos is real, and deeply ironic. A bunch of individual people making content to teach you that individual people don’t exist. Welcome to the mind palace. Try not to trip on the ego on your way out.

LLM