Zuism

Domain XIV · Western esoteric, divinatory & new spiritual movements · 2010 · Iceland

What it is

Zuism is an organisation, not a therapy or a technique. It is a small Icelandic religious association that presents itself as a revival of ancient Sumerian religion; the name is said to derive from the Sumerian verb zu, "to know". It became publicly significant not as a devotional community but as…

Format

• The two brothers are named because a court (the Supreme Court of Iceland) and a major news organisation (The Reykjavík Grapevine) name them as convicted; founders and former leaders are named only in those roles. No member, client or private individual is named.
• A practising therapist will almost never encounter Zuism as a live spiritual practice in the consulting room. It is far more likely to appear in one of three forms: (a) a client who joined, often online and often for the refund or the political point, and now feels embarrassed, duped or financially…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Origins. A "Faith Fellowship of Zuism" (Zuism trúfélag) following Sumerian tradition was established in Iceland around 2010, initially linked to a mother church in Delaware, USA; the original founder left soon after. The Icelandic state registered it as a recognised religious organisation in 2013, with four members.
• State levy and the protest. Icelandic taxpayers over 16 pay an annual sóknargjald (parish/congregation fee) distributed to registered religious bodies by membership; unaffiliated people have historically had no opt-out. In 2015 a group led by Ísak Andri Ólafsson took control of the registration and pledged to redistribute each member's share of the sóknargjald back to them, while campaigning to end state funding of…
• Legal record (courts and major news). The public prosecutor completed a financial investigation into the organisation in June 2020. In a related matter, Einar Ágústsson was convicted of extensive embezzlement and currency offences connected to some 70 million ISK solicited into a holding company, and sentenced to three years and nine months by Reykjanes District Court, upheld on appeal. In the Zuism matter itself,…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Published beliefs. Zuism describes a Sumerian pantheon: An (heavens), Enlil (storm and wind), Enki (water and culture), Ninhursag (earth and fertility) and Utu (sun and justice); "Heaven" is cast as the creative force, the stars as gods, and the aim is to align human activity with them. Formal…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• The client takes up the referral and brings back what they learned. Watch for the therapist drifting into legal adviser or spiritual authority roles.
• Self-blame softens without the client feeling lectured. Watch for context being used to avoid the client's own regret, which still deserves attention.
• You can summarise the client's worldview in their own words and they confirm it. A formulation that still sounds like your categories means keep going.
• The client speaks about the episode with perspective and less heat. Watch for imposing a trauma frame the client does not endorse, which can itself invalidate.
• The client experiences you as neutral and safe. Watch for countertransference showing as subtle debunking, jokes about the case, or over-interest in the story.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.