The Seduction of the “Exotic”

Have You Ever Noticed How Christians Drool Over Tibetan Monks?

It’s almost comical. A guy in a robe sits cross-legged, murmuring something profound in a language no one understands, and suddenly—he's enlightened. Meanwhile, a Christian monk spends his entire life in deep, contemplative prayer, and he’s just... some old dude in a monastery. Why is that?

Why is it that so many Christians, the ones who grew up hearing the Gospel, suddenly lose their minds when they stumble across some mystical practice from a foreign land?
They hear about a breathing technique from an ancient Eastern tradition and think, Wow, this must be the key to deep spirituality! But if their pastor tells them to sit in silence before God? Meh. Sounds boring.

What’s actually happening here? That, my friends, is what I call Mystic Idealization Bias in full force.

Let’s break it down.

Mystic Idealization Bias is the tendency to overvalue and romanticize foreign spiritual ideas simply because they’re unfamiliar, ancient, or exotic—while simultaneously dismissing the wisdom in one’s own faith.

It’s a psychological trap, and we see it everywhere.

• A Christian rejects biblical meditation (which has been around for thousands of years) but gets into Buddhist mindfulness because it feels deeper.
• Someone dismisses the supernatural elements of Christianity but loves the concept of karma—because it’s “more universal.”
• People idolize Egyptian spirituality while ignoring the supernatural depth in their own Scriptures.

The core issue? We assume that foreign = better, even when it’s not.

There’s a reason our brains do this, and it’s not just because we’re spiritually lazy (although, let’s be honest, sometimes that’s part of it). This bias is driven by several powerful psychological forces:

The Allure of the Mysterious
Western Skepticism Toward Its Own Traditions
The Halo Effect
The Fear That We’re Missing Something

Spoiler alert: He didn’t.

Eastern Meditation vs. Biblical Meditation

• Christians hear about Buddhist meditation: “Wow, this is a deep spiritual practice.
• The Bible literally commands meditation: “That sounds too legalistic.”

Biblical meditation is about filling your mind with the Word of God, not emptying it. But because we’ve heard of Buddhist meditation more in pop culture, people assume it must be deeper.

Ancient Egyptian Spirituality vs. Christianity

• Egyptology and “spiritual awakenings” are booming in online circles. People are fascinated by their gods, rituals, and secret knowledge.
• The Bible? “Eh, that’s been around too long. Surely there’s something new.”

Christians are literally chasing the gods of ancient oppressors while ignoring the living God who delivered people from them. You can’t make this stuff up.

“Energy Healing” vs. The Power of the Holy Spirit

• Reiki? Crystals? Chakras? People say, “There must be some hidden power here.”
• The Holy Spirit’s power? “Sounds too churchy.”

People would rather believe they can “align their energy” with a rock than receive power from the actual Spirit of God. Think about that for a second.

Here’s the truth: Christianity has more depth than you will ever be able to explore in a lifetime. The problem isn’t that our faith is missing something. The problem is that we’ve stopped digging.

You don’t need to chase after foreign mysticism to find deep spirituality. You need to rediscover what’s already in front of you.

If Mystic Idealization Bias is so powerful, what’s the actual cost? What happens when Christians abandon discernment in the name of “open-minded spirituality”? What kind of spiritual drift happens when we start mixing and matching beliefs?

Spoiler: It’s more dangerous than you think.
That’s what we’re tackling next week. Trust me—you don’t want to miss it.

Is This You?
I’ll leave you with a question: Have you seen this bias in yourself or people around you? Drop a comment below—let’s talk about it.

And if this post punched you in the gut a little? Good. Now go read your Bible.