Two weeks ago, I landed in Miami.
I didn’t expect to be greeted by two FBI agents with the politeness of yoga instructors and the curiosity of philosophers… but here we are.
I’ve recorded what happened and posted it to the world—the video you’re about to see got 1.3 million views on Instagram.
Here’s what happened.
The FBI agents asked me about my recent travels—Brazil, Istanbul, Dubai.
Brazil?
Rock in Rio.
Istanbul?
Gates of Agartha Festival. Satori was playing; the only thing I was conspiring with was great music.
Dubai?
Well, Dubai is the global center of capitalism and one of the most innovative cities in the world (of course I go there).
Then came the question:
“Have you consorted with any politicians?”
I said yes—last year I was at a dinner in Mar-a-Lago.
They nodded, handed back my passport, and welcomed me to the U.S.
No drama. No hostility. The agents were doing their job.
The real issue isn’t the FBI.
The real issue is the culture of fear America has fallen into.
Fear: the last refuge of leaders with no vision
Tourism to the U.S. is down 15%.
International students are down 20%.
Immigration demonized.
The world’s most iconic “nation of immigrants” now treats newcomers like threats.
Why?
Because fear is the cheapest political drug.
Pushing the fear button is the last refuge of leaders who have no talent, no vision, and no solutions.
And nowhere is this more obvious than in the stories being sold to Americans daily.
The night at Mar-a-Lago that explained everything
I was invited to Mar-a-Lago by a Mindvalley member.
I was truly honored and grateful for the invite.
And I want to say that the people there were genuinely nice to me.
While we disagreed on policy, we got along as friends.
But I’d like to share with you some of the things I heard.
I sat next to a Christian woman who believed abortion should be banned nationwide.
I disagreed—but I respected her conviction.
Then a senator told me:
“There are 300,000 Chinese migrants at the southern border waiting to be activated by China.”
I asked for evidence.
He admitted he heard it as a rumor.
Fair enough.
Another person told me that there are 2 million potential terrorists in America after what happened in Israel.
Of course, there was no supporting evidence for this.
Now let me tell you what I did not hear.
No one was talking about:
- Healthcare
- Lifespan
- Cost of living
- Education
- Economic mobility
There were no ideas. No policies. No strategies.
Just fear.
And yet fear won votes. Millions of them.
But let’s look at the hard proof: The Republican Party is actually bailing on business
Now, let’s step away from fear, rumor, and political superstition… and look at actual numbers.
Because when you examine the last seven decades of U.S. economic performance, a very uncomfortable truth emerges:
The U.S. economy performs dramatically better under Democrats than Republicans.
Take these five core indicators that economists use to measure national performance:
Real GDP growth
Since World War II, America’s GDP has grown at about 4.3% under Democratic presidents versus 2.5% under Republicans.
Job creation
Job growth averages 2.6% per year under Democrats and 1.1% under Republicans, tens of millions of additional jobs.
Unemployment
Under Democrats, unemployment usually falls by about 0.8 percentage points. Under Republicans, it typically rises by about 1.1 points.
Stock market performance
The S&P 500 returns roughly 8.3% per year under Democrats and only 2.7% under Republicans. If you invested based on party alone, you’d retire in a hammock on a beach.
Recessions
Ten of the last eleven recessions began under Republican presidents. That’s not ideology. That’s math.
You can fact-check them by asking AI in regards to what I’m talking about. Feel free to research them.
Most American entrepreneur friends of mine still believe the myth that when Republicans are in power, business is better.
That myth is the exact opposite of actual facts and data as stated above.
Democrats do better and business. And they do so without having to blame immigrants and others.
Republicans do the opposite.
And here’s where MAGA makes it even worse
It’s not just that Republican economic myths don’t hold up. Trump’s current strategy is actively harming America’s economy and global brand.
Trump’s vilification of immigrants—and the violent ICE raids flooding Instagram and TikTok—are already hitting the U.S. economy like a slow-motion avalanche.
Obama deported 3M people. But he did it without harming America’s image.
Here’s what we’re seeing:
- Tourism to America has fallen by roughly 15%. That’s billions of dollars lost annually because visitors no longer feel welcome—or safe.
- Foreign graduate student applications have dropped by about 17%. This is catastrophic. These students often stay, innovate, start companies, and build the industries of tomorrow. They’re the future builders of Silicon Valley, healthcare breakthroughs, AI labs, and biotech.
- Forty-four percent of American unicorn companies were created by immigrants. Nearly half of the most valuable companies in America exist because of immigrant founders.
- Every ICE raid you see on Instagram isn’t just traumatizing undocumented families—it is damaging America’s global brand, driving talent away, shrinking innovation, and weakening long-term competitiveness.
Fearmongering may get votes. But it is a horrible economic strategy. You cannot build a future-ready nation by scaring away the very people who create the future.
If we agree that diversity is beneficial, that unity matters, and that racism is something that belongs in the garbage bin of history.
When we stop falling for these myths, we stop allowing politicians to use them as weapons.
I created the video to dismantle many of these myths.
Darwin and the diffusion of sympathy
Let’s zoom out to science.
Charles Darwin wrote:
“As man advances in civilization, he extends his sympathies to all members of the nation, and then to all nations.”
He called this the diffusion of sympathy—the expansion of empathy.
This is evolution.
This is progress.
This is how civilizations rise.
Shrinking empathy? That’s regression.
Fear shrinks empathy.
Unity expands it.
Darwin knew this.
Walsch knew this.
Wilber mapped it.
And the world desperately needs to remember it.
The spiritual perspective: why unity matters the most right now
Neale Donald Walsch wrote:
“The highest virtue of highly evolved beings is unity.”
And another:
“In advanced civilizations, unity is not a dream—it is their natural state.”
This is the future of humanity.
From egocentric to ethnocentric to world-centric to cosmocentric.
And that’s the work we’re doing at Mindvalley.
The Mindvalley Spiritual Summit: a leap beyond fear
Our upcoming Spiritual Summit is a gathering of the world’s nine top spiritual teachers committed to unity consciousness:
Regan Hillyer (#1 Manifestation Coach), Lee Holden (Medical Qi Gong Master), Marie Diamond (Feng Shui Master), Dawn Hong (Kundalini Master), Shi Heng Yi (35th-generation Shaolin Master), Dr. Peter Levine (Psychologist and Founder of Somatic Experiencing®), Sensei Zen Takai (16th-generation Samurai), Dr. Tara Schwartz (Neuroscientist), and myself.
Get your spot at the Spiritual Summit here
Happening this weekend, November 22–23
I’ll talk about a powerful and interesting idea by Ken Wilber (the world’s most cited academic)—called Stages and States—which helps you understand how we can bring unity consciousness within ourselves and the world. We will go deeper into why unity is important for the progression of humanity.
This isn’t just an event. It’s an energetic consciousness activation.
If fear is the virus, unity is the medicine.
My declaration
People have asked whether speaking openly like this on my Instagram might jeopardize my O-1 visa.
I’m not afraid.
I’ve done nothing wrong.
I’ve built companies, created jobs, supported communities, and obeyed the law.
And America’s greatness lies in its protection of honest speech—especially speech meant to heal, unite, and uplift.
I love America. I want it to thrive.
And because I care, I will not stay silent when this country is being misled.
Not by rumor, fear, propaganda, or leaders who cannot govern, cannot unify, and cannot offer real solutions—especially Donald Trump.
It’s time for something higher. Something wiser. Something rooted in unity consciousness, not fear consciousness.
P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Unity, fear, immigration, evolution—what part of this message resonated with you most? Share it in the comments below. I’ll be reading every single one.
Vote for pragmatism. Vote for unity. Vote for evolution.
Humanity is ready for its next leap.
With love,
Vishen
REFERENCES AND SOURCES OF DATA MENTIONED IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
Presidents and the U.S. Economy: An Econometric Exploration (July 2014)
U.S. economic performance by presidential party
Presidents and the U.S. Economy: An Econometric Exploration (July 2015)
Presidents as Economic Managers (article in the National Affairs magazine)
76 Responses
Evil exists when good men do nothing.
Much respect for you for sharing your experience and insights and inspiring others.
America is NOT a true democracy. An ideal democracy would treat every person/vote equally no matter where they reside; eliminate geographic/demographic manipulation. Also there would be no need for parties or electoral. We the people should be able to vote directly on policies; not politicians that hardly ever follow through on their campaign promises.
It is my hope that AI will help the democratic process and eliminate any chance of corruption so the true sentiments of the American people are known/expressed.
Well that took courage. I think the partisan flavor of your message was triggered by the obviously partisan FBI agents (instantly placated by your mention of Maralago). I am a long-time off-and-on member of Mind Valley who is suspicious of spirituality after walking resolutely away from my 4 decades in religious leadership. I am an American, not affiliated with any party. I agree with the sentiment of other commenters that the two major parties in the U. S. are two sides of the same coin. Having said that, I have been voting exclusively blue in the face of what I see as a conservative attack on the separation of church and state. While I think you will pay a price for the partisan facet of your message, it was my determination to walk away from fear that led me over a 40-year journey to exit religion entirely. We have nothing to fear except fear itself. Don’t stop demonstrating that fearlessness.
I am an American citizen, I love my country, and I am not a fan of politicians. I have been very disturbed by the mis information campaigns on the mainstream media. I do not agree with your views on Trump. The democratic party has been corrupt and very anti-American for a very long time. I do not trust any of your stated facts, and I completely understand how you have been swayed by the main-stream. America is doing very well under Trumps actual leadership and this Administration loves immigrants, when they come in the correct way. I support everything my President is doing. He does what he says he will do and that is more than the democratic party has ever done. The hatred that spews from the liberals is very concerning. The Republican party is not perfect, but they are level headed and not filled with rage and lunacy.
I could not have said it better and agree with you 100%.
You speaking about unity consciousness resonates most with me. As I have healed conditioned beliefs, it natural removed that which veiled conscious awareness of unity. Not in an abstract way, but in a way that it is seen, felt, and known. The implicit recognition is already blossoming in everything; the recognition of interconnectedness in ecosystems, empathy for all people, the natural pull into harmony, and the recognizing and healing our own suffering. This is the emergence of unity consciousness. This is something happening naturally, and rapidly.
Thank you. It takes true courage to speak up and speak out.
IMO this was not a Democrat vs Republican piece. To me…it’s your observations backed a few facts that you use to support your observations.
Once again, this whole I’m going to unsubscribe because you brought up politics is BS.
Before Trump, I was more of a Democratic Republican. I don’t vote party. I vote for whichever candidate I believe would help the people. Help this country based on the constitution and balance of power.
And, all the principles that this country was built on.
You and everyone else should be allowed to have the conversation without fear of persecution. It’s a conversation. Geeesh-
I pray that more spiritual leaders get into the conversation. Everyone needs to raise the vibration of this world from hate to love. If we did that, it would be a completely different conversation.
Sticking your head in the sand, and saying you don’t want to hear or see about politics is not going to help create the vibration that we are trying to create in the world. It’s not just America. It’s not as simple as Democrats vs Republicans. There should not be a separation. We are NOT enemies. We are a collective. We should be ONE nation. Praying together, meditating together, raising our vibration together is the only way create true change.
Is there a way to never get these types of emails from Mindvalley? I like the courses but don’t appreciate this messaging. My renewal is soon and I am considering not continuing, which saddens me, as you have some outstanding programs.
Hi, Vishen. Have you thought about the traumatizing effect of the pandemic on people? I feel like the 72 percent of the world currently living in authoritarianism shows something in that regard. Work with trauma release should help with that, I believe. Thank you. 🙂
Thank you yet again…not because I agree with you, which I do, but because you are a shining and inspiring example of one person being the change they want to see.
I appreciate Vishen’s views, and in many areas I agree. Fear, anger, hatred are running rampant and are used by politicians of all sides to further stoke fear, anger, and hate against those who oppose them in any way. Labels of bias, bigotry, hate, etc. are thrown at those who dare to voice any kind of opposition, often under the guise of acceptance and tolerance, all while those who cast such blame are showing the same kind of disrespect, intolerance, and hate they accuse others of. It is rare to see any politician, or even any public figure, who exhibits true respect, tolerance, and civility towards others.
That said, throwing around numbers and statistics only shows results from the past. One party points to bad numbers and blames the other, but did factors that resulted in those numbers begin under the other party’s rule?
And on the other side, good economic numbers may be the result of the party who is no longer in power having put things into place that turns the economic wheel into positive territory.
It’d be nice if the economy could fit into simple numbers, but it’s too complex to neatly do that.
While my personal ethics and beliefs align more with the moderates of one political side, it has become my opinion that the major political parties are more like two sides of the same coin and real change will only happen when we stop playing their game.
You are so right about the numbers for economics being too complex to know what & at what point a policy or policies affected change for better or worse… and when we as individuals make progress with new methods sometimes we take 1 step backwards to make 2 steps forward… also AI is not as objective as you may think. Whatever slant or views already in the web world puts out the info. So when we look at info on AI, take it with a grain of salt. The info evolves with what is given it – who is feeding the info, what, why, what is the motives of those feeding the info?.… don’t let what u find on social media or ai or the web, be your “truth”, your truth is only in your heart and spirit
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I 100% agree.
Vishen,
Truly, your hypocrisy is startling. Another political post with pages of divisive writing and AI-generated ‘facts’ about democrats being better than republicans, all within a context of America-bashing. Then a final page about ‘unity’. And all this just as you are about to speak in Los Angeles about ‘spirituality’. Truly sad. Mind Valley has lost its way. Many of us no longer trust or respect you as you show your true colors of spiritual self-aggrandizement and political division.
Thank you! My thoughts exactly. So so so disappointing. Why must he put his political bashing’s in a place we’re invited to learn and grow? I heard the last one and here it is again.
I’m very sorry you were treated poorly when you came to visit the states recently…
As an African American woman, I’ve long wondered how a country with the word “United” embedded in its name could so consistently stand in opposition to actual unity. We literally abbreviate it as “US” so you would think its highest priority would be what’s best for all of “us”, but that couldn’t be further from the actual reality. It’s flabbergasting how a nation formed by & built up by immigrants (willing & unwilling), now rejects its own roots by condemning immigrants & immigration. The hypocrisy & inhumanity are obscene. Suppose that’s how it’s been from the start though.
If this land had remained in the care & leadership of Native Americans, I fully believe unity would’ve been the natural state of order here. I cannot be surprised that a nation built by genocidal thieves has never been able to attain true unity (only thinly veiled lip service) but is completely committed to trying to thrive on fear.
So, I sincerely appreciate what you & your partners at Mindvalley are doing to bring the embodiment of true unity to the forefront of our species again. I love how you all focus on building bridges, not barriers.
I am German and I am watching the developments in the US with horror. Everything reminds me of the time before and during Hitler’s rise to power.
The fear of foreigners (Jews), the fear of diversity, and the fear that the state can only rule with an iron fist and therefore has to take harsh measures.
I don’t want to imagine what the US will look like in three years if there is a lack of intelligentsia because foreign students are too afraid to study in the US.
Or if foreign IT professionals aren’t bringing new ideas to Silicon Valley.
There is a climate of fear and hiding, and the worst part is that 50% of Americans support it.
Unity conciousness resonated with me 🙏 I am going to share a story about unity. Last weekend, a dear friend of mine organised a festival – Nauo Festival, to celebrate the aboriginal people in the lower Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia. When I was chatting to this friend earlier in the day prior to the event kicking off, he told me allegedly people in the town (where there are only a few aboriginal people residing) were worried about “1700 blackfellas descending on the town, causing trouble.” In reality, there were only a couple of hundred attending and not trouble makers. So anyway, I absorb this information, I try to understand why that fear would exist, I also look at my friends side and the fears that could be governing my friends perspective. Anyway, I choose to embody unity conciousness, so the energy I took to the festival was of love and unity and no fear and that is the energy of the night. Friends of mine on “both sides” commented on how amazing it was everyone getting along having a great time. I could sense some tensions, but I would chat to anyone feeling any tension to alleviate it and reassure them and all was well.
The more of us that can truly embody unity conciousness and bring that reassuring energy to any situation and work to bring understanding and compassion to both sides, the more fear and paranoia will lessen and these issues will naturally resolve. The more we can use the power of manifestation to envision and really trust that all will work out for the best in any situation despite the fears trying to tell us otherwise, the more this will show up in the world 🌎🙏💕
Thank you for expressing your opinion. I agree with all of it with the exception that I think both sides of politics are corrupt and ‘bad’ here in the US. I think both sides use fear. During covid this was very clear along with during 9/11. It is sad. I think it all needs to crumble down so we can rebuild something better hopefully.
These are unusual times and you are spot on about the fear that is dominating the US. That fear is so far from who we are as a country and to say nothing or ignore it, is to acquiesce. In part because of guidance and inspiration from Mindvalley, I have launched a movement with my neighbors https://promiseofamerica.info If this resonates with you and others, I hope you will join us and pass it on!
Beautifull mind! The power of unity resonates! No problem you are adressing politics, because it’s the world where we are living in. Good to zoom out and see better what is happening. I agree Fear is a strong card, but not helpfull for a better world. I appreciate your honesty and standing for human values!
Like you, Vishen:
I love America.
I want unity.
I want consciousness and evolution.
I want fear to dissolve.
I want leaders with vision and heart.
But part of unity is embracing the truth that:
Millions of conservatives are not regressive—they are spiritually grounded, generous, patriotic, and deeply loving people who simply see the world through a different set of values.
Not fear.
Not hatred.
Not ignorance.
Values.
And those values—responsibility, stewardship, security, family, freedom—are noble ones.
May we learn to:
listen without judgment
challenge without attacking
protect without fearing
welcome without losing who we are; and
evolve without condemning those who see differently
Unity consciousness is not achieved by agreeing on everything.
It is achieved by seeing with compassion and honoring the heart behind each worldview.
May we feel safe, healthy, happy and deeply loved. May we find purpose and connectedness as a global humanity. May we continue to ask ourselves how we can improve and clarify the vision of a harmonious future. May we use boundaries to create peace and resolve conflicts through understanding. May we honor the unique light and strengths in diversity.
I see this message as not the absence of fear or the denial of its existence but rather the flexible and integration to hear the monkey brain when it is afraid and to seek love and understanding anyway. Not to deny our individuality but to seek how it can contribute to a unified culture.
Ahhh the Left vs right paradigm. Sad to see that you are stuck in the box of Democrats vs Republicans. The truly awake know they are different sides of the same coin. Extremely disappointed that you are falling for the trap of division, which is exactly what they want. Your arguments are surface level democrat talking points and fails to address the true root cause of why the world is currently in darkness…and that is corruption and tyranny in most of the world’s government structures. You talk about immigrants like the right thinks they are the problem and fearful of legal immigration, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Your argument is insinuating that illegal immigration is not actually illegal and we must take in as many people as the globalist elites tell us we have to. This will collapse our country and our way of life in America. Very unfortunate, and you will lose many subscribers because of your ill-informed world view. I would think you of all people would be able to see through the simulation but apparently that is not true. I’ve been a subscriber for two years and I’ve been grateful to learn everything that I have from Mindvalley, but I will now be cancelling my renewal. I would implore you to dig deeper than surface level democrat talking points, or any side government talking points for that matter. I have very little faith that anything will improve at this point, especially if leaders such as yourself are spouting their talking points, very sad. If you would be open to it, we can do a live discussion on this topic and I will show you the truth of the topics you brought up today. Feel free to email me and we can set it up, rcraig@nmu.edu.
I totally agree!
I am truly sorry to disagree with you Vishen and I still love “all things Mindvalley”. I voted for Trump…not because I’m in love with the man…or his politics. I voted for him because IMO he was the best option out of very limited options. Since I pulled the lever for that vote, I have lost both friends and family that while on “the democrat and inclusive” side of perspectives have chosen to label me a White, Racist, Bigot. I have virtually no social presence, and always keep me perpective and opinions to myself. Sadly both parties use Fear for manipulation, but I only see you calling that out as a “Republican” thing. Why?
I think most of us, particularly outside USA, see Trump as a dangerous tyrant. We wonder why you cant see through the lies, such gross lies and exagerations of Trump and of the people around him.