Preparing for Burning Man 2025
Summary of Interview and Ministry Reflections (Burning Man 2024)
Listen to the podcast or read the transcript on substack here
George Olson, a missionary-turned-security analyst, shares his journey and insights from his participation in Burning Man 2024 as part of a ministry initiative called Camp of the Unknown God. Originally trained as a nuclear engineer and having served as a missionary among the remote Palawano tribe in the Philippines, Olson’s first-hand experience with security threats—especially from terrorist groups like Abu Sayyaf—led him into the field of international security analysis for missions. His unique background positions him to explore intersections between global security, cultural worldview shifts, and Christian outreach.
Olson argues that Burning Man is far more than a desert festival; it is a significant cultural incubator where future ideologies, social norms, and governance ideas are tested and launched. He warns that many Christians overlook its influence, reducing it to a hedonistic party, when in reality it reflects deeper spiritual and philosophical shifts influencing Western policy, governance, and technology.
He highlights a 2018 Burning Man workshop that outlined four key pillars of a new civilization: psychedelic spirituality, experimental social structures, cryptocurrency-based economic systems, and AI-managed governance—trends now manifesting globally. Olson links these developments to a broader globalist vision, shared by influential institutions (e.g., Davos/WEF), but contested by powers like China, Russia, and Iran, creating significant geopolitical friction.
Olson critiques the romanticized Western version of shamanism promoted at events like Burning Man. He contrasts it with traditional shamanism, which often involves violence and spirit manipulation, as seen in tribal regions of South America and Southeast Asia. He warns that the West’s rebranding of shamanism into a sanitized spiritual experience serves a broader agenda—pushing a unifying global ideology under the guise of indigenous reverence and decolonization.
Rooted in a biblical worldview, Olson emphasizes that true peace and unity can only be found through Christ. He views the cultural and geopolitical chaos of today through the lens of The Fourth Turning, a generational theory predicting cyclical crises in Western civilization. He sees Burning Man as a barometer for where the culture is heading, while his security work focuses on how these worldview shifts affect missions, indigenous churches, and policy risks.
Ultimately, Olson’s mission is to equip the church to understand these deep shifts, while holding fast to the Great Commission: sharing the gospel amid a rapidly changing world.
