The choice for Oxford ‘Word of the Year’, 2025 , ‘rage bait’ is closely followed by ‘bio hack’ and ‘aura farming’. These words act as cultural mirrors, reflecting the anxieties, aspirations, and contradictions of the times we live in. Of the three, ‘aura farming’ immediately caught my attention. Oxford defines it as “the cultivation of an impressive or attractive persona by behaving in ways that subtly convey confidence, coolness, or mystique.”
In ancient times, seekers went to forests to lose their ego. In our times, they go online to boost a sagging self-belief—preferably with filters on. Welcome, to the Age of Aura Farming, where inner silence fades before outer signalling, and enlightenment must be posted before it is experienced.
Aura farming, for the uninitiated, is the noble art of appearing conscious without the inconvenience of actually being conscious. One collects spiritual vocabulary the way others collect loyalty points: “grounded,” “aligned,” “high-vibe,” and the ever-popular “holding space.” Sadly, most are holding space the way a leaky bucket holds water—enthusiastically, but quite idiotically.
Spirituality is not a costume to be worn but a clarity to be lived. Yet today, many wear presence like impressive clothing—only when guests arrive. Alone, the mind runs wild, scrolling, comparing, judging, and occasionally pretending to meditate while mentally composing a social media headline about it.
Presence is not a dramatic event. It does not announce itself with background music. It is astonishingly simple. That is why the complex mind avoids it. To be present is to be where you are, as you are, without demanding that the moment be more Instagrammable. The ego hates this because it cannot monetise or get people to like stillness.
Observe the modern seeker sitting cross-legged, spine erect, eyes closed—yet the mind is calculating how serene or presentable they look. This is not meditation; this is inner photography. The camera is always on, and chasing the mind is its favourite subject.
True presence, however, is a quiet rebellion. It refuses performance. It does not ask, “How am I coming across?” It asks, “What is true right now?” When eating, eat. When listening, listen. When irritated, know irritation without justifying it or spiritualising it. Awareness does not need filters.
Aura farming thrives on the future: “Soon I will be billionaire ” “Soon I will manifest,” “Soon I will be my highest self.” Presence lives now, where no branding is possible. You cannot hashtag authenticity. You cannot outsource awareness.
The irony is delicious: the more one tries to look awakened, the more asleep one becomes. Like a man polishing the mirror instead of washing the dust on his face, we curate appearances while neglecting reality.
So what is the practice? Simple, but not easy. Withdraw attention from the circus of self-image and place it gently on what is. Breath. Sensation. Thought. Silence between thoughts. Do not improve them. Do not post them. Just know them.
A cultivated aura may impress others, but a growing presence liberates you. And liberation, inconveniently, does not come with followers—it is just freedom to be.
Be present. Just be. The art of being without wanting to be this or that is the core of spiritual culture. The rest, as they say, is just aura farming!