Human beings have always had a fundamental need to find meaning and purpose in their existence. This search responds to a deep longing to feel safe, even if that safety is an illusion. We need to believe that there is an invisible, intelligent order underlying the apparent randomness of life, an order that we can call upon to receive guidance in our decisions.
Traditionally, monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have met this need by offering strong dogmas, rituals, and community structures. However, in recent decades a notable phenomenon has emerged: the rise of alternative spiritual practices and what we could call non-religious spirituality. This movement reflects a growing disaffection toward traditional religions and a desire to find a more personal and less dogmatic spiritual connection.
Among these trends, ietsism stands out, a concept that arises from the Dutch term “iets” (which means “something”). Ietsism refers to the belief in “something” transcendent, without defining it or being tied to the structures of organized religions. This position embodies an evolution of spiritual thought in our digital and globalized age, marked by the decline of absolute certainties.
We live in a post-secular and hypermodern era, in which traditional religions have lost influence, but the need for transcendence remains intact. Ietsism responds to this void: “I do not believe in the god of religions, but there must be something else.” This belief allows people to indulge their natural inclination toward seeking patterns and meaning in life without doctrinal restrictions.
Practices such as the Christmas spirit, oracles, pagan rites or magic have become everyday among those who seek this free spirituality, without experiencing contradictions. For many, ietsism is an alternative to a god that has characterized institutional religions and perceived as infantile, fear-mongering, sectarian and blaming.
Furthermore, the information age and globalization have increased spiritual consumerism. People have access to a vast repertoire of beliefs and rituals that they can mix in an eclectic manner, generating a polymorphic and consumerist individualistic syncretism. This explains cases such as that of a Catholic who, in addition to occasionally attending mass, practices mindfulness, experiments with Ayurvedic fasting, studies Kabbalah, consults a tarot reader and attends psycho-shamanic therapies with ayahuasca. Just a few decades ago, this combination would have been unthinkable.
However, this mix also carries risks. Many so-called “alternative” techniques have validity and transformative potential, but spiritual consumerism assimilates them and distorts them, turning them into fashionable, “use and discard” products.
ietsism also reflects deep cultural tensions. For centuries, monotheistic religions have fought fiercely against each other and against polytheistic cultural syncretisms, such as Santeria. Now, however, consumerism is reconfiguring all of these practices, transforming them into something interchangeable, marketable and consumable.
But in this perspective it is important not to dismiss ietsism as a less valid form of thought than structured religions. It seems a genuine adaptation to a plural and changing world, where absolute answers are in crisis. Against this, the flexibility of ietsism allows people to maintain a connection with the transcendent while navigating contemporary uncertainty.
In this context, traditional religions face a major challenge. Trying to stop the spread of ietsism would be like trying to contain the course of a river: free spirituality will continue its path. It’s like trying to stop laughing.
Ietsism is not simply a diluted form of religiosity, but a phenomenon that reflects the tensions and needs of our time. It represents an honest attempt to connect with the transcendent in a world that has put traditional certainties in crisis. Its existence underscores that the search for meaning is a human constant, even as the forms of this search evolve over time.
Furthermore, the persistence of ietsism suggests that, despite scientific and technological advances, human beings continue to yearn for answers to the big questions about the meaning of life. This longing for connection with the sacred, understood as respect, reverence and balance towards the systems that sustain life, is no longer the monopoly of institutional religions.
The sacred is everywhere if we stop to observe: in living beings, in nature, in the miracle of our atmosphere, in our own body.
Perhaps the true strength of ietsism lies in its humility: in recognizing that there is “something” beyond our understanding, without attempting to fully define it.
