Opening of the "Quantum" Field: Poetics of Legitimacy in High-Commitment Spiritual Entrepreneur Communities

When some poets, such as Charles Olson, issued poetics statements, they tended to borrow from prestige discourses, like physics, to explain and legitimize new artistic practices in “the field." This comparative paper argues that charismatic leaders of high-commitment spiritual entrepreneurial communities deploy similar moves to bolster membership and legitimize emerging economic and spiritual practices. I take a closer look at how this phenomenon attracts digital nomads who feel a vacuum of place-based belonging, and how a renewed sense of belonging can override the capacity for “moral address” when practices of extreme spiritual seeking and wealth creation become misaligned with core values.