Spirituality does not always have to be riddled with positivity and linearity. It is a journey full of reflection and self-discovery. It is a path that makes one question everything in an attempt to grasp not only a better understanding of the universe but of themselves. Just like humans, spirituality is diverse and does not have a set image. Brandon Handley, creator, and host of the podcast Spiritual Dope, has curated a space dedicated to individuals who are “underserved in the spiritual community.”

“Most stuff that you see in spirituality is people wearing sheer, a bunch of headbands, and it’s very back to nature but you don’t have to do all that in order to be spiritual.”

Growing up, Brandon was surrounded by hip-hop, dance, and rave scenes. Beyond chakras and crystals, he believes people can connect spiritually through music, art, and city life. These are things people may not consider when starting or overlook while on their spiritual journey. As he puts it, spirituality has a “grittiness” to it. He came to realize this when he experienced a Buddhist Reverend give a few speeches where he was consistently dropping “f-bombs.” At that moment Brandon felt at peace, he found it refreshing as it made the Reverend seem so human. This event was only just the beginning of Brandon’s spiritual awakening, it was the seed being planted that would later bloom to become Spiritual Dope. 

In 2020, Brandon found himself listening to a lot of Hinduism teachings through the Vedanta Society of New York. One day a junior monk described the next speaker’s message as “spiritual dope” which perfectly described the fulfillment Brandon received from them. 

“That feeling you get when you have been drinking or doing drugs is a lesser version of a spiritual high. It’s your spiritual dope, your spiritual hit.”

Spiritual Dope came to fruition in May of 2021. It was a combination of itself and two previous podcasts he hosted, one being on the topic of fatherhood and the other being called Prosperity Practice. What was Prosperity Practice? Brandon describes it as, “The idea of focusing on your abundance, the idea of focusing on the things that are good for you in your life, and the idea of the universe working with you.” Through these podcasts, he witnessed the universe open up and it was in alignment with what he had been manifesting. At this point, the phrase “you can not serve two masters” was on his mind. Spiritual Dope was organic, he did not want to split his energy when he could instead invest it all into what felt right. 

Now, Spiritual Dope has become an environment where people can not only learn how to intertwine their spirituality with everyday life but also learn to be successful with it. The podcast remains a platform that continues to provide Brandon with growth, he takes something he learns from each guest he interviews. 

Brandon hopes that through his work with Spiritual Dope, he will be able to light up at least one person. In addition to the podcast, he has created a course called the D.I.V.I.N.E Framework which is an acronym for decision, initiation, vision, integration, numinous, and expression. He created this course when he heard the phrase “making the leap from humanity to divinity” which led to him wondering what occurs when you have a divinity mindset. This free course, the Spiritual Dope podcast, and more can be found on the Spiritual Dope website. 

Written by Jennifer Sierra