top of page
Search

A Guide to Demonic Forces in Troubled Times 1-29-25

Writer's picture: Steven OrrSteven Orr

Wetiko: The Mind Virus of Insatiable Greed and Spiritual Cannibalism


Wetiko (also spelled Wihtikow or Windigo) is a concept from Cree, Algonquin, and other Indigenous North American traditions, describing a spirit, mindset, or sickness that drives people toward insatiable greed, destruction, and self-centeredness at the cost of others. It is often linked to spiritual cannibalism—a hunger so consuming that it devours everything in its path, including its own host.


Origins and Meaning

• In Ojibwe and Cree lore, the Wendigo is a mythical being that embodies greed and excess. Traditionally, it was seen as a spirit that could possess humans, causing them to consume beyond necessity, even turning them toward acts of violence or cannibalism.

• The mind virus version of Wetiko refers to a psychological and cultural phenomenon where people, societies, or entire civilizations become consumed by greed, competition, and an inability to recognize their interconnectedness with others and nature.


How Wetiko Manifests in Society


Wetiko isn’t just about individual greed—it’s a systemic force that infects entire cultures. Here’s how it shows up:

Endless Consumption: The need to take, own, and extract resources without regard for sustainability. This applies to corporations, economies, and even personal behaviors.

Disconnection from Nature and Others: It makes people view the world through hierarchies of power and exploitation, rather than through relationships of reciprocity and care.

Perpetual Conflict & Division: Wetiko thrives on blame, shame, judgment, and polarization—keeping people fighting instead of uniting to heal and build a better world.

Exploitation of the Vulnerable: It feeds on inequality and oppression, making some people justify harming others for personal or economic gain.

Loss of Soul & Meaning: Individuals and societies trapped in Wetiko often feel spiritually empty, searching for fulfillment in materialism, status, and external validation.

How to Break Free from Wetiko

The antidote to Wetiko is awareness, connection, and a return to indigenous wisdom and holistic ways of living. Here are ways to resist it:

Cultivate Reciprocity → Shift from a mindset of “owning” and “taking” to one of giving, sharing, and coexisting with people and the Earth.

 Practice Radical Empathy → Recognize how Wetiko divides us. Move beyond shame and blame and find ways to heal collectively.

Deepen Spiritual & Ancestral Connection → Reconnect with practices that ground you in the reality that everything is interconnected—from nature to human relationships.

Question the System → Wetiko thrives when people accept the world as it is. Challenge narratives that encourage greed, exploitation, and competition over cooperation.

Live with Purpose & Integrity → The more people choose to live with love, responsibility, and care, the harder it is for Wetiko to spread.


Final Thought

Wetiko is a real and present force in the world. It’s in capitalism, politics, social media, systemic oppression, and even our personal habits when we act out of fear, greed, or selfishness. But awareness is power. When we recognize it, we can resist it. Instead of feeding the virus, we can build communities rooted in care, reciprocity, and genuine connection.

The world doesn’t need more division—it needs people willing to unlearn Wetiko and embody a different way of being.

2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Massage for Photo (swap) 1-23-25

I'm in need of updated photos (for my massage business and acting side-gigs) and would gladly consider doing a work-for-print (or better...

Comentarios


Subscribe to Our Site

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page