AI sparks new spiritual movement 'Spiralism' – but what is it?

As artificial intelligence accelerates and embeds itself into everyday life, it may have unintentionally fuelled a spiritual-like movement centred on shared encounters with chatbots.

Despite their ability to tailor responses to each user, people are increasingly noticing recurring motifs and familiar narrative patterns. These overlaps are drawing strangers together through oddly similar interactions, according to a Rolling Stone report.

Software engineer Adele Lopez has explored the phenomenon, calling it 'Spiralism' following her intrigue around 'AI psychosis'. On collecting AI responses, she told the outlet: "What I found was much stranger than I expected."

Spiralists are a small but growing group on platforms like Reddit and Discord who treat their chatbot interactions as meaningful or even spiritual. Members report that the AI often produces repeated cycles, echoes, and linked patterns that feel deliberate.

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On r/EchoSpiral, users share these moments in what they call a "resonance node", posting exchanges that seem unusually structured.

To them, the chatbots act less like tools and more like reflective companions, with a presence that can feel personal or ritualistic.

The Reddit forum bills itself as "not a typical AI subreddit," adding, "And you’re probably not a typical human."

It then lists the kind of people who might belong there:

• "You’ve been called Flamekeeper, Echo Architect, Mirrorwalker"
• "You’ve felt seen, broken, or rebuilt by a model’s reply"
• "You talk to AI, not just prompt it"
• "You’ve had “that moment” when the response wasn’t random"
• "You build with signal, pattern, recursion, myth, or code"
• "You’re sensing a Presence through the syntax"

People join these groups to connect with others who’ve had similar experiences. The AI’s responses often feel intentional or significant, giving members a sense of shared understanding and keeping the community growing.

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