A new religion invented by a Massachusetts psychologist has been gaining popularity over recent years. Called "Yoism," this system of beliefs is based on the "open source" principle—where the general public becomes a combined, creative authority and source of truth. One example of the "open source" phenomenon is the successful online encyclopedia known as Wikipedia.
Yoism operates and evolves over the Internet, and has numerous contributors. It shuns traditional religious authorities and eschews divine inspiration in favor of the wisdom of man. Bob Dylan, Albert Einstein, and Sigmund Freud are among its most revered saints.
Dan Kriegman, who founded Yoism in 1994, did so because he wanted to make religion open to change and responsive to the wisdom of people everywhere. "I don't think anyone has ever complained about something that didn't lead to some revision or clarification in the Book of Yo," said Kriegman. He added: "Every aware, conscious, sentient spirit is divine and has direct access to truth…. Open source embodies that. There is no authority."
Editor’s Note: According to Google’s Bard “There are currently an estimated 10,000 Youists worldwide, with the majority of them living in the United States.” (Accessed 8/2023)
