Yoga and meditation were once seen by Americans "as weird and culty," Nicole Daedone tells Reason. "Any new, profoundly healing protocol is seen as dark."
Daedone is the founder of OneTaste, an "orgasmic meditation" group that's come under fire from federal authorities. She and OneTaste's former head of sales, Rachel Cherwitz, are currently being prosecuted on a conspiracy to commit forced labor charge—a situation you can read all about here, in my new deep dive into OneTaste and the weird, weak case against it.
Daedone's comments sent me down an archival rabbit hole, seeking out past examples of people freaking out about yoga and associated philosophies. What I found is so absurd, hilarious, and relevant to modern moral panics about sex that I'm devoting today's newsletter to exploring this wild little slice of history.
