The Spiritual Bait-and-Switch: When “Alignment” Becomes a Marketing Hook

Once upon a time, “alignment” was not a buzzword or a product, but a state of internal coherence where thoughts, actions, and values translated as you moving steadily - if not effortlessly - through life.

Then came the era of hashtags and algorithms.

Suddenly, any difficulty you experienced was rebranded as a lack of alignment - and the cure was consuming the right content, buying the right course, repeating the right affirmations. “Aligned” began to mean unbothered, algorithmically blessed, and performative.