RaptureTok and the Algorithmic Apocalypse

What started in a strange corner of TikTok known as RaptureTok has spiraled into a full-blown end-time online event. The frenzy seems to trace back to a South African pastor’s vision that Jesus would return during Rosh Hashanah. That prediction dovetails with a popular  Christian belief of the Rapture, the idea that faithful believers, living and dead, will ascend to heaven while others are left behind. 

On TikTok, though, that theology has been optimized for engagement and reach. One creator, who tags their content with #religioustrauma, broke down what’s happening under #rapture (328.8K posts) and #raptureready (83.9K posts). Videos range from “rapture tips” to instruction manuals for those who don’t want to get left behind. Some are going further—selling homes and cars ahead of their supposed departure and sharing emotional sign-off videos. The top comment under the breakdown, from celebrity drag queen Trixie Mattel, reads: “These are like the people who still believe their Beanie Babies are gonna be worth something someday,” earning 28.2K likes. 

Others have taken the opportunity to poke fun, posting chaotic rapture prep lists and offering unique ways to “prep for the rapture” like purging “demonic” vintage fall/winter Alexander McQueen pieces. Others are joking that “Jesus doesn’t have access to eBay.” One viral TikTok tapped into the Rare Aesthetic trend (labeling everyday absurdities as high-concept experiences) to echo the collective sentiment that we are truly living in unique times: “rare aesthetic: just whatever the hell is going on rn.” 

But as the supposed Rapture date came and went, the tone began to shift. A meme started circulating in in comments sections: users marking themselves as “safe from religious psychosis.”  That irreverent energy has spread beyond TikTok onto platforms like Reddit, X and Bluesky.

At its core, RaptureTok reflects something deeper than end-times roleplay. It’s become a lens on spiritual psychosis, mass suggestions, and the speed at which platforms can amplify fringe belief into mainstream spectacle. GenAI conversations can also play a role by validating or echoing apocalyptic thinking.  This isn’t the first time AI and the Rapture have been discussed together: Back in 2023, former OpenAI scientist Ilya Sutskever reportedly explored building a doomsday bunker in case artificial general intelligence triggered its own kind of Rapture.  

Why it matters: RaptureTok reveals something more unsettling than a viral prophecy. Platforms can accelerate psychosis into collective experience. While some brands may have the cultural cachet to engage in meme content, most marketers will want to steer clear of satire involving religion and spirituality, no matter how viral the moment. The takeaway isn’t to play into the chaos but to recognize the volatility of social spaces—and show up with credibility and a point of view that matters. 

Other news and trends

·        Trending across platforms: Tylenol. At a White House press conference on Monday, President Trump blamed Tylenol for autism, promising new FDA label warnings despite a lack of scientific evidence. Kenvue, Tylenol’s parent, strongly disputed the claim, while the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the move “highly unsettling.” Online, #Tylenol has surged past 775K posts on X and 30K on Bluesky, underscoring how quickly political rhetoric can destabilize consumer trust in everyday products. 

·        Speaking of political rhetoric: Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns. Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show returned last night after a week-long suspension. More than 20% of ABC affiliates say they won’t air it, while Disney framed the pause as “ill-timed and thus insensitive.” Disney Channel stars and Sarah McLachlan, who had been scheduled to play a musical performance for a Lilith Fair documentary debut, had joined a boycott against Kimmel’s parent company. The controversy has dominated platforms; one analyst using Google Trends data found that searches for “cancel disney plus” were at an all-time high, about five times higher than they had ever been in the last five years, while others are commenting that the unfolding situation is “creating a society of snitches.” 

·        Trending on LinkedIn: The latest on U.S. TikTok. A U.S. consortium led by Oracle is set to finalize a deal to take over TikTok’s U.S. operations. ByteDance would retain less than 20% ownership, while Oracle rebuilds the app’s recommendation engine “from the ground up”, promising to wall off U.S. data from Chinese access. (The US government itself will not have a stake in the app.) The deal is expected to be signed this week, marking a seismic test of whether algorithmic sovereignty can be legislated into existence. On LinkedIn, people are sharing their immediate reaction to the news, and wondering what will change about the deal before the new divestiture deadline in December. 

Contributors: Head of Social Content and Engagement Strategy Cristina Lawrence, Senior Vice President Jerry Lawrence, Group Vice President Andrew McKernan, and Senior Vice President Tammy Pepito. At Razorfish, we help brands define their higher purpose—the emotional reason why they belong in people’s lives. Ready to find your purpose? Learn more here.