Profile: Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), formerly Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI).

Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), formerly Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI).

The **Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC)**—formerly known as **Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI)**—is a controversial religious organization founded and led by David E. Taylor and Michelle Brannon, currently facing significant media attention and legal challenges for alleged forced labor, money laundering, and abuse[1][2][3][4].

## Origins and Mission

KOGGC began as Joshua Media Ministries International, a self-described global, multicultural Christian outreach led by David E. Taylor[5][6][7]. The ministry claimed a "fivefold" mission centered around evangelism, prophecy, and humanitarian projects such as feeding programs, water well construction, and homes for victims of trafficking[8][5].

## Leadership and Beliefs

David E. Taylor styles himself as an "Apostle" and "face-to-face prophet," claiming direct, ongoing revelations from Jesus Christ[5][3][6]. Michelle Brannon acts as Executive Director. The church's messages focused on conversion and the "demonstration of God's glory" through Taylor's asserted encounters with God and Jesus[6].

## Charitable Activities and Expansion

The group claims to have established mission stations feeding the poor and helping victims, with ambitious plans like building "Refuge Homes" for children escaping trafficking[5]. Their reach expanded well beyond Michigan, with alleged operations in several states across the U.S., including call centers in Florida, Texas, and Missouri[8][3].

## Recent Legal Controversies

KOGGC recently garnered national headlines following federal indictments of Taylor and Brannon, who are accused of running a forced labor scheme, coercing unpaid workers (often members) to staff call centers, work as personal attendants ("armor bearers"), and live under tight control[1][2][3][9]. Prosecutors allege the organization raised upwards of $50 million in donations through these efforts, maintaining strict control over workers' lives, including sleep, food, dress, speech, and privacy[2][3].

## Public Response and Impact

Investigations have included FBI raids on properties in Florida and Texas, and widespread media scrutiny about the group's practices and treatment of members[10][11][12]. Some former members and critics describe KOGGC/JMMI as manipulative and cult-like, raising serious concerns about abuse and financial exploitation[13].

## Conclusion

**Kingdom of God Global Church's recent history is deeply entangled in allegations of coercion and fraud, overshadowing its humanitarian claims and evangelistic mission**[1][2][3]. The ongoing legal proceedings are likely to shape public perceptions and the future of the organization in the coming months.

Citations:

[1] David Taylor, Michelle Brannon | Religious leaders of KOGGC charged with forced labor, money laundering in North Carolina https://abc11.com/post/david-taylor-michelle-brannon-religious-leaders-koggc-charged-forced-labor-money-laundering-north-carolina/17663065/

[2] Tampa and Ocala mansions searched in forced-labor case against ... https://www.wusf.org/courts-law/2025-08-27/tampa-and-ocala-mansions-searched-in-forced-labor-case-against-church-leaders

[3] "Kingdom of God Global Church" leaders indicted for alleged forced ... https://www.michiganpublic.org/criminal-justice-legal-system/2025-08-27/kingdom-of-god-global-church-leaders-indicted-for-alleged-forced-labor-money-laundering

[4] Joshua Media Ministries - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Media_Ministries

[5] Joshua Media Ministries Int'l. - Apostle David E. Taylor [Official Site] https://kingdomofgodglobalchurch.org/feature-presentation/about-apostle-david-e-taylor/the-ministry/

[6] THE RAPTURE PREPARATION— “READINESS" - Apostle David E ... https://joshuamediaministries.org/feature-presentation/about-apostle-david-e-taylor/man-biography-david-e-taylor/

[7] Evangelist David E Taylor| JMMI - Joshua Media Ministries, Intl ... https://joshuamediaministries.org

[8] Joshua Media Ministries - MinistryWatch https://db.ministrywatch.com/ministry.php?ein=331174241

[9] Two Self-Professed Religious Leaders Who Used Physical and Psychological Abuse to Coerce Victims to Solicit Tens of Millions in Donations Federally Charged and Arrested https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-self-professed-religious-leaders-who-used-physical-and-psychological-abuse-coerce

[10] FBI search of Tampa mansion linked to church leaders' forced labor ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRcxD8eKRm0

[11] Church leaders arrested in multi-state money laundering, forced labor investigation https://www.fox13news.com/news/fbi-investigation-underway-church-owned-mansion-avila-neighborhood

[12] Leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church arrested - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGhgrbg6-jo

[13] Man speaks out against 2 ministry leaders accused of money laundering scheme in Michigan https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/what-we-know-about-ministry-leaders-alleged-money-laundering/

[14] Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Church_of_the_Kingdom_of_God

[15] JMMI Global - Welcome All Nations - Apostle David E. Taylor [Official ... https://joshuamediaministries.org/welcomeallnations/

Two Self-Professed Religious Leaders Who Used Physical and Psychological Abuse to Coerce Victims to Solicit Tens of Millions in Donations Federally Charged and Arrested

Office of Public Affairs

U.S. Department of Justice

Press Release

August 27, 2025

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a ten-count indictment against two defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that victimized individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

The two defendants, David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, were arrested today in North Carolina and Florida in a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims.”

“We will use every lawful tool against human traffickers and seek justice for their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “A case like this is only possible through a concerted effort with our federal partners across the country and the non-governmental agencies who provide victim support. We thank them all.”

“The indictment of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast efforts to protect the American people from human exploitation and financial crimes, including forced labor and money laundering,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged actions are deeply troubling. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, with strong support from our federal and agency partners in the FBI Tampa Field Office, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, FBI Charlotte Field Office, FBI Houston Field Office, and the Detroit IRS-CI Field Office, in addition to several local, county and state law enforcement partners, for their role in executing this multi-state operation. The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal law and remain focused on ensuring the protection and safety of our nation.”

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress, and in this case, the proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “IRS-CI stands committed to fighting human trafficking and labor exploitation, and pursuing those who hide their profits gained from the extreme victimization of the vulnerable.”

The indictment alleges that Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), formerly Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI). Taylor refers to himself as “Apostle” and to Brannon as his Executive Director. Their organization ran a call center that solicited donations for KOGGC/JMMI every day. Taylor established his first call center in Taylor, Michigan, and then operated call centers in other locations in the United States including in Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Taylor and Brannon, according to the indictment, compelled their victims to work at their call centers and to work for Taylor as his “armor bearers.” Armor bearers were Taylors’s personal servants who fulfilled Taylor’s demands around the clock. Taylor and Brannon controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims. Victims slept in the call center facility or in a “ministry” house, and Taylor and Brannon did not permit them to leave without permission. Taylor demanded that his Armor Bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor’s location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

In addition, according to the indictment, Taylor and Brannon required victims to work in the call centers long hours without pay or perform other services for Taylor. Taylor set unobtainable daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly monetary donation goals for victims working in the call centers and required victims to follow the orders he created without question. If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation.

KOGGC/JMMI received millions of dollars in donations each year through its call centers. Taylor and Brannon used much of the money to purchase luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as a boat, jet skis, and ATVs. In total, Taylor received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

Defendant David Taylor will appear on the indictment today in Durham, North Carolina. Defendant Michelle Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, Florida.

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

Forced Labor: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.

This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Resnick Cohen for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll free at 1-888-373-7888, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Further information is available at www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-self-professed-religious-leaders-who-used-physical-and-psychological-abuse-coerce

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/28/2025

Good News International Church, Kenya, Legal, Jewish Agricultural Traditions, Colman Domingo

WFMZ: 5 bodies are exhumed from shallow graves in Kenya near a doomsday cult site

"Five bodies were exhumed from shallow graves in coastal Kenya, at a site near where more than 400 bodies of followers of a doomsday cult were recovered two years ago.

Government pathologist Dr. Richard Njoroge on Thursday said 10 human body parts were also recovered, scattered in nearby thickets at Kwa Binzaro area in Kilifi County, about 2 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the site of the Shakahola cult, and that the exhumation would continue on Friday.

The exhumation exercise, led by homicide detectives, forensic experts, and pathologists, also uncovered 27 suspected mass graves, raising fears that more bodies could be buried in the area as investigations into the cause of death begin."

Inform: Talia Chain, Sadeh Farm – Rooted in the Land: Jewish Agricultural Traditions for Sustainable Future

"As the UK's Jewish community farm, Sadeh integrates ecological practice with Jewish teaching drawing on texts and rituals to guide sustainable growing, seasonal eating, and ethical land use. Through farming, volunteering, and environmental education, Sadeh empowers people to reconnect with the land and their heritage while building a more just and sustainable future.

Talia Chain is the founder of Sadeh, the UK's Jewish community farm. Talia's role includes growing food, running education and volunteer sessions and fundraising for Sadeh's projects. Her passion is in exploring Judaism's deep agricultural roots both practically on the land and in Jewish text.

Presented at King's College London, 30th May 2025."

The Root: Colman Domingo Tells This Bone-Chilling Story About His Encounter With a Cult in Mexico

" ... Domingo sat down with Josh Scherer on an episode of "Mythical Kitchen" which came out Tuesday (August 19). While sharing a meal, the pair were discussing how some celebrities seem to live secluded lives, almost "cult-like," after finding success in Hollywood. Scherer asked Domingo in jest, "You haven't joined a cult yet now that you moved to Malibu?"

That's when the "Euphoria" star admitted: "I almost joined a cult in Mexico City, but that's another story."

He went on to explain exactly what almost went down. "It was just a group of nice people, and then I was like, 'Wait a minute. This is weird,'" he said. "I was like, 'What's up with you guys?' This is my first encounter, but as I did research and found out more about them, I'm like, 'Oh, that's a cult.'"

After Scherer joked that they still "should join" the cult, Domingo referenced the podcast itself, asking: "Is this a cult? It might be."

Historically, Black people have been both victims and leaders of cults. Groups like the multiracial organization Peoples Temple (led by Jim Jones, a white man, with a 80% – 90% Black membership by the 1970s) and the Black Hebrew Israelite group Nation of Yahweh (founded in the late 1970s by Hulon Mitchell Jr., who called himself Yahweh ben Yahweh, was classified as a Black supremacist cult by the Southern Poverty Law Center), offered an escape from poverty and racism.

Some cults, especially those with Black leaders, gave members a sense of power and control over their lives in a world that often made them feel powerless. We're glad Domingo didn't join one so we can enjoy his talent on the silver screen, especially his highly-anticipated portrayal of Joe Jackson in Michael Jackson's biopic in 2026."

Anti-Vaccination Collection

DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'

Andrea Chu

10 Tampa Bay 

August 27, 2025

Leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" are accused of using physical and psychological abuse to coerce victims into soliciting millions in donations.

"The FBI's response Wednesday at a mansion in the Avila neighborhood of Tampa is linked to the arrest of church leaders on federal forced labor and money laundering charges.

A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against 53-year-old David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" — for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that spanned Florida, Michigan, Texas and Missouri.

In addition to the response in Tampa, the FBI confirmed it conducted an operation early Wednesday morning at a property in Houston owned by Joshua Media Ministries International, the former name of Kingdom of God Global Church.

Taylor, who calls himself the church's "apostle," and Brannon, the church's "executive director," were arrested Wednesday in "a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization," according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.

The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses. 

"Taylor demanded that his Armor Bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor’s location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives," the document reads.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.

"If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation," the DOJ release says.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs. 

Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

Church donations used to fund lavish lifestyle, FBI says

Court documents emphasize that the millions in donations were collected “under the guise of a religious ministry.”

According to the indictment, here are some of the items purchased by Taylor and Brannon:

• Mercedes-Benz — $63,195.94

• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $70,000.00

• Crownline Boat — $105,595.00

• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $15,000.00

• Bentley Mulsanne — $50,000.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $14,908.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $13,695.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $12,485.00

• 5 ATVs — $31,805.00

• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,332.00

• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,962.20

• 125 lbs. of super colossal red king crab legs, 6 seafood shears, and 30 crab cutters — $10,353.44

• Rolls Royce Cullinan (lease signing payment) — $123,028.09

• Bulletproof automotive — $33,930.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $32,630.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $37,500.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $18,302.76

Charges for church leaders arrested after FBI search in Tampa

The charges Taylor and Brannon are facing include:

• Conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine

• Forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine

• Conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine

• 

Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, while Taylor will appear today on the indictment in Durham, North Carolina.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division wrote in the release. “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims.”

According to a 2022 article from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Kingdom of God Global Church in Taylor, Michigan, purchased the estate from Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband for $8.3 million. 

The sale reportedly included the 28,893-square-foot main house and a 2,620-square-foot guest house.

Avila is an affluent residential community in North Tampa.

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/fbi-presence-home-avila-tampa-kingdom-of-god-global-church/67-2d27ffb5-ac5e-4c3b-be1b-ae4fdc91be0f

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/27/2025

Nine O'Clock Service, Neuroscience of Religion, Peru, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, Legal, Sexual Abuse

BBC: Ex-priest found guilty of 17 indecent assaults

"A former priest accused of abusing members of a "cult-like" church group he led has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women.

Chris Brain, 68, was head of the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical movement based in Sheffield in the 1980s and 90s.

Brain, of Wilmslow, in Cheshire, was convicted of the charges following a trial at Inner London Crown Court.

He was found not guilty of another 15 charges of indecent assault, while jurors are continuing to deliberate on a further four counts of indecent assault and one charge of rape."

" ... The NOS began in Sheffield in 1986 and was initially celebrated by Church of England leaders for its nightclub-style services, which attracted hundreds of young people.

The Church fast-tracked Brain's ordination as a priest in 1991 due to the success of the NOS, with jurors told the group spent "large sums of money" to obtain robes worn by the actor Robert De Niro in the film The Mission for Brain to wear in his ordination ceremony.

In the early 1990s the NOS moved to the city's Ponds Forge leisure centre in order to accommodate the growing congregation.

But prosecutors told the jury NOS "became a cult" in which Brain abused his position to sexually assault "a staggering number" of women from his congregation.

The group was dissolved in 1995 when concerns about Brain's behaviour were first raised.

The jury heard Brain later admitted in a BBC documentary, aired the same year, to having "improper sexual conduct with a number of women".

He resigned his holy orders two days before the programme was broadcast."

Patheos: The Real Neuroscience of Religion – Doing Drugs in Church

" ... In the 1980s, Nancy Reagan encouraged us to say no to drugs, but some chemicals are produced inside our bodies, not ingested. When we get excited at concerts or we feel love and acceptance from our relationships, our bodies release pleasurable chemicals. Other chemicals occur naturally to protect us, like stress hormones. We often even experience these types of chemicals in church.[1]

Our cortisol levels tend to be lower when we pray, meditate, or even just breathe. Cortisol is the stress hormone often linked to belly fat. Elevated cortisol levels also contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, depression, and a weakened immune system. Chronic stress levels decline during certain church activities, though they can also be elevated during other parts of the experience. Prolonged high cortisol levels from chronic stress can harm the brain, raise the risk of heart problems, and weaken the immune system.

My main concern with religious practices and this chemical is that church services now seem designed to trigger this stress hormone intentionally.

We might call it conviction, accountability, or rebuke. Still, sometimes these practices increase our cortisol levels and then quickly lead us to use things like prayer to bring us back down, reducing the cortisol again. My issue is that these chemicals are meant to protect us from real danger and shouldn't be used as tools to dysregulate us, so we feel regulated shortly afterward. The damage is still done, even if we feel better after leaving the church.

It's almost like someone punches us in the arm, then rubs it to make it feel better, and afterward looks to us for approval.

What about serotonin and dopamine? Practices like group singing, prayer, and worship trigger the release of this "feel-good" hormone that creates feelings of happiness and well-being. The same neurotransmitters are also activated during other pleasurable experiences. They are released whenever we feel good, even from harmful activities like overeating, using drugs, and taking risks.

Chemicals motivate us to keep coming back because we want to feel that high. Even if it is just the high of righteousness from attending religious services, we experience these pleasurable hormones and crave them again, so we return, keep eating, or use more of what produces that feeling.

Someone once said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses." We rely on these chemicals to motivate us to get our next meal, seek safety, and enjoy life. However, in my opinion, religion often creates a high and a co-dependency where we feel like we are forever "chasing the dragon" of our learned co-dependence and our addiction to the chemical high."

RNS: Pope Leo abuse case in Peru muddled by language, cultural barriers

"A Peruvian woman who says she was sexually abused by two priests as a girl traveled to Pope Leo XIV's hometown of Chicago in late July to personally tell the media her claims of how the newly elected pope mishandled her case when he served as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.

Organized by The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the July 31 press conference was the first time Ana María Quispe Díaz, whose story has been amplified by advocates and rehashed in the media, spoke for herself since Leo's election.

Quispe Díaz told reporters she first met with Leo, then-Bishop Robert Prevost, in 2022 to report two priests that she and other Chiclayo women claimed abused them as girls. Initially, she said, Prevost encouraged her to report the abuse to civil authorities, but, according to Quispe Díaz, he later failed to properly investigate, remove the accused priests from ministry or provide adequate support for survivors.

Despite Prevost's initial posture of support, Quispe Díaz claimed he told her there was no way to carry out a church investigation and that they must rely on the civil system. She said Prevost and other diocesan leaders did not approach the situation with transparency and did not take sufficient actions against the accused priests, the Revs. Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles and Ricardo Yesquén Paiva.

SNAP, a survivor-run advocacy group based in the U.S., said they organized the conference to give Quispe Díaz a platform to tell her story to English-speaking media. However, a Spanish-to-English translator hired by SNAP for the press conference made several translation errors that altered the meaning of Quispe Díaz's words.

"We were listened to and encouraged to report what happened to us," said Quispe Díaz in Spanish at the press conference. "We reported exactly what happened to us," the translator incorrectly said in English.

"We were mistreated by those representatives of Christ who, by faith, we call fathers," she said in Spanish at the press conference. "We have been denied representation of Jesus Christ who through faith we call father," the interpreter mistranslated.

Sarah Pearson, spokesperson for SNAP, told RNS she had hired CBS translation for the first time based on Google reviews, something she would not do again. Pearson is now working with another translator to dub a correct translation over the video of the event to send to reporters.

The press conference, with its serious translation errors, indicated the difficulties Quispe Díaz has faced as her story is scrutinized on an international stage — and the challenge for the international Catholic community in understanding a Peruvian abuse case that now has global implications.

Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian investigative journalist who exposed sexual abuses by the powerful Peruvian Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, told RNS Prevost's handling of the case needs to be understood within a Latin American context.

Many Latin American bishops "persecute the messenger" with threats and wouldn't encourage women to go to civil authorities as Prevost did, according to Ugaz. Prevost also sent the case to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Ugaz believes showed he took it seriously and wanted the women to be protected. Sending the case to the Vatican is "a measure that Latin American bishops don't do because either they don't know or they want to protect priests," said Ugaz in Spanish.

Leo is credited by Sodalitium survivors as having an instrumental role in moving Pope Francis and the Vatican to suppress the group, and he has praised Ugaz's "unwavering pursuit of justice and commitment to truth" as she and another journalist have faced lawsuits, death threats, false accusations and judicial harassment.

"Unfortunately, in my country, Peru, most people who report cases of abuse do not find justice at the end of their story. The system is designed to favor the perpetrator and neglect the victim. It's a mistake to apply North American standards," said Ugaz.

The church's actions against Sodalitium, suppressing the group, only came 15 years after she began to investigate, Ugaz said, and despite over a decade of investigation into Sodalitium abuses, no perpetrators have been convicted in Peru courts.

SNAP has not reached out to Sodalitium survivors and has not included those survivors' praise for Leo in its communications. For Pearson, different global norms shouldn't mean an abuse case is dealt with any less expediently, thoroughly or safely."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/26/2025

Trafficking, Love Has Won, Baha'i

A Little Bit Culty: Protecting Kids from Cults and Traffickers with Robin Boyle-Laisure

"What happens when a street-corner "religious" pitch nearly ropes in a teenage girl—only for her to dodge the hook and spend the next three decades dismantling the playbook that tried to claim her? In Part 1 of our conversation with Professor Robin Boyle-Laisure—St. John's University School of Law faculty, board member of the International Cultic Studies Association, and author of the upcoming Taken No More: Protect Your Children Against Traffickers and Cults—we follow the twisted parallels between cult recruitment and human trafficking.

Robin breaks down how predators groom, coerce, and control—whether they're fishing for followers in a dorm lounge or luring teens through online games. We talk about NXIVM's "collateral" bombshell, the grooming-to-control pipeline, and why charisma is just the sugar coating on a rotten core. You'll never look at "just talking" to strangers online the same way again.

Catch Robin's new book, Taken No More, this fall, and keep an eye on robinboylelaisure.com for free downloadable articles and updates."

Ladbible: Why the cult leader's face turned blue before she was found mummified in a jaw-dropping documentary

Her body was found in a sleeping bag covered in fairy lights and glitter two weeks after her death.

"Documentaries can often leave us shocked and full of questions, but the recent coverage of cult leader Amy Carlson is likely one of the craziest things you might ever see.

The Kansas-born mum-of-three quit her job at McDonald's and left her third husband after a man called Amerith WhiteEagle convinced her she was 'ethereal', and in 2007, they moved to Colorado to become Mother and Father God for the cult that would come to be known as Love Has Won.

Her controversial journey was covered in the 2023 HBO documentary Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, which showed how the cult convinced its followers that they were led by 'Galactics', which mostly included deceased celebrities such as Carrie Fisher, Robin Williams and the very-much-not-dead Donald Trump.

While viewers were no doubt left confused by the cult's beliefs, which included a wide range of conspiracy theories - one of which suggested that Carlson was a reincarnation of Jesus Christ, or Joan of Arc - it was the 45-year-old's extraordinary death which posed the most questions.

While viewers were no doubt left confused by the cult's beliefs, which included a wide range of conspiracy theories - one of which suggested that Carlson was a reincarnation of Jesus Christ, or Joan of Arc - it was the 45-year-old's extraordinary death which posed the most questions."

AP News: Qatar sentences the country's Baha'i leader to 5 years for social media posts

"The leader of the small Baha'i community in Qatar was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for social media posts that allegedly 'cast doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion,' according to court documents obtained by an international Baha'i organization monitoring the case.

A three-judge panel of Qatar's Supreme Judiciary Council issued the verdict against Remy Rowhani, 71, who has been detained since April, according to documents provided to The Associated Press by the Baha'i International Community office in Geneva, Switzerland.

The judges rejected a defense request for leniency on the grounds that Rowhani suffered from a heart condition, according to the documentation.

Saba Haddad, the Geneva office's representative to the United Nations, depicted the verdict as 'a serious breach and grave violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief and an attack on Remy Rowhani and the Baha'i community in Qatar.'"

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

Alaskan Individual Charged with Possessing Firearms and Ammunition as a Fugitive from Justice

June 18, 2025

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland  – Today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Jack Amadeus LaSota, 34, of Fairbanks, Alaska — aka Andrea Phelps; Ann Grimes; Anne Grimes; Canaris; Julia LaSota; Ziz — with being a fugitive from justice in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

According to the indictment, LaSota possessed several firearms, including a GM6 Lynx .50 caliber rifle, a black HS Produkt, model Hellcat, 9x19mm handgun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. At the time, LaSota was knowingly a fugitive from justice and therefore was not permitted by law to possess a firearm or ammunition.

If convicted, LaSota faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is merely an allegation.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, the Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Beim who is prosecuting the federal case.  

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #

Contact

Kevin Nash

USAMD.Press@usdoj.gov

410-209-4946

https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/alaskan-individual-charged-possessing-firearms-and-ammunition-fugitive-justice

Prosecutors seek death penalty against cult member linked to Chatham County raid, border agent's death

HOLLY RAMER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

Associated Press

August 14, 2925

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Thursday it will seek the death penalty against a member of the cultlike Zizians group accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont in the latest Trump administration push for more federal executions.

Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, is among a group of radical computer scientists focused on veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence who have been linked to six killings in three states. She rented a house in rural Chatham County raided in February by FBI agents.

She’s accused of fatally shooting agent David Maland on Jan. 20, the same day President Donald Trump was inaugurated and signed a sweeping executive order lifting the moratorium on federal executions.

Youngblut initially was charged with using a deadly weapon against law enforcement and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. But the Trump administration signaled early on that more serious charges were coming, and a new indictment released Thursday charged her with murder of a federal law enforcement agent, assaulting other agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses.

“We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and borders,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said in a press release.

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned Maland as an example when saying she expects federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of law enforcement officers. And Youngblut’s attorneys recently said they had been given a July 28 deadline to offer preliminary evidence about why she should be spared such a punishment. Her attorneys, who declined to comment Thursday, asked a judge last month to delay that deadline until January, but the judge declined.

At the time of the shooting, authorities had been watching Youngblut and her companion, Felix Bauckholt, for several days after a Vermont hotel employee reported seeing them carrying guns and wearing black tactical gear. She’s accused of opening fire on border agents who pulled the car over on Interstate 91. An agent fired back, killing Bauckholt and wounding Youngblut.

The pair were among the followers of Jack LaSota, a transgender woman also known as Ziz whose online writing attracted young, highly intelligent computer scientists who shared anarchist beliefs. Members of the group have been tied to the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord in 2022, the landlord’s subsequent killing earlier this year, and the deaths of one of the members’ parents in Pennsylvania.

LaSota and two others face weapons and drug charges in Maryland, where they were arrested in February, while LaSota faces additional federal charges of being an armed fugitive. Another member of the group who is charged with killing the landlord in California had applied for a marriage license with Youngblut. Michelle Zajko, whose parents were killed in Pennsylvania, was arrested with LaSota in Maryland, and has been charged with providing weapons to Youngblut in Vermont.

Vermont abolished its state death penalty in 1972. The last person sentenced to death in the state on federal charges was Donald Fell, who was convicted in 2005 of abducting and killing a supermarket worker five years earlier. But the conviction and sentence were later thrown out because of juror misconduct, and in 2018, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

____

Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wral.com/amp/22118836/

Zizians

Based on news reports from early 2025, the FBI raided a property in Chatham County, North Carolina, linked to a small, cult-like group known as the "Zizians," which is connected to multiple killings. The group's leader is identified as a figure who goes by the online alias "Ziz". 

About the FBI raid:

Location: The raid took place on February 5, 2025, at a property in a wooded area near the intersection of Bell Circle and Woodbridge Road, outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Context: The search was related to a series of violent crimes in multiple states that authorities have connected to the Zizian group.

Investigation: The FBI has been investigating the group for its links to at least six deaths in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. 

About the Zizian group

Leader: The group is reportedly led by a transgender woman named Jack LaSota, who published a blog under the name "Ziz." The writings included discussions of artificial intelligence, veganism, and radical rationalist philosophy.

Members: Followers of "Ziz" are sometimes referred to as "Zizians" and are described as being comprised of young, highly intelligent computer scientists. Some members are also transgender or have rejected binary sexuality.

Crimes and connections:

February 2025: The group gained public attention when two members, one of whom was later killed in a shootout, were involved in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont.

Arrests: The Zizians' leader, Jack LaSota, and another member, Michelle Zajko, were arrested in Maryland shortly after the raid, though Zajko was later accused of providing weapons related to the Vermont incident. LaSota has also been indicted on federal firearms and ammunition charges.

Earlier incidents: Zizians have been connected to earlier violent incidents, including the deaths of a landlord in California and the parents of a group member in Pennsylvania. 

Outcome of the raids: 

The FBI's investigation and raids resulted in the apprehension of several group members and revealed the group's alleged connection to multiple deaths. However, some members of the group, including a figure known as "Ziz," were initially missing following the raid. LaSota was later arrested in Maryland. 

Cult followers prevented from ‘sacrificing their lives’ in Belagavi district

The Hindu Bureau

August 23, 2025

Four members of a family in Ananthpur village of Belagavi district and five others from different States who had announced “sacrificing their lives” reportedly under the influence of a “cult guru” have been convinced by another seer and officials to withdraw their decision.

The announcement was made by Tukaram Irakar, his wife Savitri, son Ramesh and daughter-in-law Vaishnavi from Ananthpur in Athani taluk of Belagavi district and five others that they would sacrifice their lives on September 8. They were reportedly followers of a cult guru named “Baba Rampal” of Haryana and inspired by his discourse, wanted to end their lives as they believed that “Baba” would help them get salvation.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/cult-followers-prevented-from-sacrificing-their-lives/article69969233.ece

Healing from Emotional, Anger, and Relational Trauma

The Healing from Emotional, Anger, and Relational Trauma educational support group is resuming on Wednesdays on September 10 at 7:30 pm EDT and Mondays, September 15 at 12:30 PM EDT on Zoom. 

 

The focus is on coping more effectively with anger, other emotions, coercive control, traumatic narcissism and gaslighting.  

Grief, forgiveness and releasing ourselves from pain are also part of the ongoing discussion offered by the Queens Long Island Community Services & FamilyKind, facilitated by Dr. Paul Engel DHL, LCSW.  

 

Gather with others to find support and learn to develop strength and strategies for coping while integrating change in your lives. 

This group is for former cult members and others.  Please contact 516-547-4318 or paul.engel@flushingjcc.net with any questions and to get the link to register and join.

Colman Domingo Tells This Bone-Chilling Story About His Encounter With a Cult in Mexico

Colman Domingo opened up about a bizarre encounter with a “group of nice people,” but after researching, he noticed something was off.

Angela Wilson

The Root
August 20, 2025

In a recent interview, actor Colman Domingo discussed everything from Hollywood’s elite habits to the importance of community. But it was his recollection of a run-in he says he had while in Mexico that has folks shook.

Domingo sat down with Josh Scherer on an episode of “Mythical Kitchen” which came out Tuesday (August 19). While sharing a meal, the pair were discussing how some celebrities seem to live secluded lives, almost “cult-like,” after finding success in Hollywood. Scherer asked Domingo in jest, “You haven’t joined a cult yet now that you moved to Malibu?”

That’s when the “Euphoria” star admitted: “I almost joined a cult in Mexico City, but that’s another story.”

He went on to explain exactly what almost went down. “It was just a group of nice people, and then I was like, ‘Wait a minute. This is weird,’” he said. “I was like, ‘What’s up with you guys?’ This is my first encounter, but as I did research and found out more about them, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a cult.’”

After Scherer joked that they still “should join” the cult, Domingo referenced the podcast itself, asking: “Is this a cult? It might be.”

Historically, Black people have been both victims and leaders of cults. Groups like the multiracial organization Peoples Temple (led by Jim Jones, a white man, with a 80% – 90% Black membership by the 1970s) and the Black Hebrew Israelite group Nation of Yahweh (founded in the late 1970s by Hulon Mitchell Jr., who called himself Yahweh ben Yahweh, was classified as a Black supremacist cult by the Southern Poverty Law Center), offered an escape from poverty and racism.

Some cults, especially those with Black leaders, gave members a sense of power and control over their lives in a world that often made them feel powerless. We’re glad Domingo didn’t join one so we can enjoy his talent on the silver screen, especially his highly-anticipated portrayal of Joe Jackson in Michael Jackson’s biopic in 2026.

https://www.theroot.com/colman-domingo-tells-this-bone-chilling-story-about-his-2000057204

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/21/2025

Gloriavale Christian School, New Zealand, Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, Community of Jesus, Legal, Meditation

RNZ: Children's Commissioner calls for closure of Gloriavale primary school

"The Children's Commissioner is calling for the urgent closure of Gloriavale Christian School, saying she has zero confidence that students are safe. Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad spoke to Corin Dann."

HuffPost: My Husband Said God Wanted Him To Spank Me. Then He Made A Chilling Request That Had Me Gasping For Air.

"If this sounds familiar to you, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is part of the same denomination."

" ... Wilson is a Christian patriarch who teaches, among other puritanical and high-control doctrines regarding family government, that women are to submit to their husbands and shouldn't be allowed to vote. My family was part of Wilson's congregation, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), until 2007, when I narrowly escaped what I now call church-sanctioned domestic abuse. The scene above is an excerpt from my bestselling memoir about that life and escape, "A Well-Trained Wife."

My husband believed Wilson's teaching held the key to the Christian Golden Age, a shining millennium where Christian ethics and white men rule without resistance or room for anyone else. It goes by several names. Dominion theology. Federalism. Calvinism. New Calvinism. Fundamentalism."

Rock Harbor Truth: Former Member Alleges Forced Labor, Trafficking by Community of Jesus

"A recent court case has brought serious allegations against the Community of Jesus, a religious group on Cape Cod, from a former child member who claims he was forced into unpaid labor and trafficked. The testimony describes exploitation during his time in the group, framing the Community as an abusive environment masked by religious practice. The case is drawing attention to long-standing concerns about the organization's treatment of members, with court proceedings now putting those claims under public and legal scrutiny."

PubMed: Relaxation-induced anxiety: mechanisms and theoretical implications

"Literature evidence documenting the occurrence of relaxation-induced anxiety is reviewed, and several hypothesized mechanisms to explain the phenomenon are discussed. Possible avenues for circumventing the problem in therapy are offered. Finally, a theoretical model is presented wherein the phenomenon is viewed with a broader framework designed to explain the development and maintenance of the more generalized anxiety disorders. That framework emphasizes the emergence of fear of somatic anxiety cues and fear of loss of control from more fundamental interpersonal anxieties."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

In the name of God? The secretive Christian sect under FBI investigation

A shadowy Christian sect known as the Two by Twos (2x2s) — also called The Truth, The Way, or the No-Name Church — is at the center of a shocking global child sexual abuse scandal. A Daily Maverick investigation reveals that South African members have also come forward with disturbing allegations. The FBI and SAPS have confirmed an active investigation into historic sexual abuse within the church. Marianne Thamm explains. 

Reporting by: Marianne Thamm & Jeannette Wang

Edited by: Malibongwe Tyilo

Filmed by: Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa

Produced by: Emilie Gambade

Sub-edited by: Ian Wolstenholme

Marianne Thamm is a South African journalist, author and stand-up comedian. She is the assistant editor of the Daily Maverick and has written several books. In 2016, she released the memoir, Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela and me.

Read the full story on Daily Maverick: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-06-22-saps-and-fbi-investigate-child-sexual-abuse-by-secretive-two-by-twos-christian-cult/

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/20/2025

MLM, FLDS, Conspiracies, Geelong Revival Centre, Australia

The Guru: A Crypto MLM Scam is Taking Over a Mormon Town—It May Be Run by the Chinese Mafia

A crypto scam has inundated the once polygamous town of Short Creek. A man named Harvey Dockstader has roped hundreds of people into it, including one local who invested $200,000. A man in Sebastopol who invested 1 million dollars was found dead last December

CBC: Young people more prone to believe in conspiracies, research shows

" ... [P]eople younger than 35 are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than other age groups, according to a recent study by Stockemer and co-author Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau that surveyed more than 380,000 people internationally.

The research was recently published in the journal Political Psychology.

"Conspiracy theories are now for everyone," Stockemer told CBC Radio's All In A Day, noting that between 20 and 25 per cent of the population believes in one.

"But the young are slightly more likely to believe in them."

For example, their research suggests a slight year-over-year drop in conspiracies to the point where an 80-year-old is about 10 per cent less likely to believe one than an 18-year-old."

The Age: I escaped a cult - for years I didn't even realise I was in one

"A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across the livestream for the Victorian parliament's inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups. It was launched after recent claims by former cult members, including from the Geelong Revival Centre, and as I looked at the inquiry's terms of reference I felt an unexpected fear escaping. I read about the coercive practices organised religious groups can use, their methods to recruit and retain members, and the significant psychological harm they can cause and found myself nodding along in recognition.

The next day these feelings came flooding back when I read a news story about a child in Queensland who died within a secretive cult, and the efforts of churches to expose coercion with their ranks.

"Good," I thought, surprised but pleased at this attention being drawn to a reality that has thus far remained largely hidden.

For five years, from late adolescence into my early 20s, I was in a cult. And for decades, I have carried and hidden this early part of my life, feeling great shame that I was gullible enough to be lured into such a group, and even more ashamed of the grievous mental health struggles I experienced upon leaving, as I tried to rebuild my life from scratch.

There is a perception that someone who finds themselves in a cult is different to the rest of us – perhaps more naive or vulnerable. While to some extent this is true, as it was my own early trauma history and psychological vulnerability that made me responsive to the recruitment tactics used, I have also spoken to numerous people who had healthy and safe lives, but still found themselves in these groups.

Many highly intelligent professionals have spoken to me of their time in organised high-control religious groups, and I have come to realise how common some of these groups are. But broadly, societal awareness of their existence is sorely lacking, perhaps led by misconceptions that cults demonstrate their strangest behaviours and beliefs openly for all to see.

In reality, most such groups will have a seemingly normal front, with stranger beliefs and coercion only appearing once you are embedded within the structure of the organisation and have bought in to some of their beliefs. That's when they warn you that changing your mind now would cause distress.

The word cult is often used unthinkingly. Cults are social groups that have extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Devotion to a particular person is another characteristic, and they are set apart from religious groups by the coercion and secrecy which characterises their actions. However, normal religious groups too can have these elements of coercion. Due to their secretive nature, it's difficult to determine how many cults operate in Australia, though estimates suggest approximately 3000, including some well-known ones such as The Family.

The hardest part of leaving a cult is the recognition that you are in a cult, and for me, this early stage took the longest. I was only able to make my way to this conclusion through anti-cult education resources, which allowed me to see the common patterns across high-control groups."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

How to deal with shame in cult survivors

How to deal with shame in cult survivors? Join the Webinar on August 28 at. 12.00 Psyflix Scandinavia Host: Anne Hilde Vassbø Hagen @aboutemotions

Shame can be crippling - especially for those who have lived under psychological control in sects, extreme groups or other unhealthy communities.

28. In August, psychologist, author and cult-survivor, Cathrine Moestue, will hold a webinar on Psyflix Scandinavia where she shares her own experiences and valuable knowledge on what it takes to regain mental health and working power after a manipulative community.

In this webinar, you will gain insight into:

• The dynamics of sects and controlling relationships

• Moral injury and common challenges for survivors

• Therapeutic approaches that strengthen security and alliance

• Tools for psycho education and support for increased autonomy

👉 Sign up for free here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qdB0trP0TRG7ES9XmFggNQ#/registration

Please share with colleagues and professionals working with trauma and radicalization.

 

Suicide in Fairfield: Iowa town struggles with mental health awareness

Donna Cleveland

Little Village

September 26, 2014

When you live in a small town, you have a connection to just about everyone. With a recent string of suicides in my community in Fairfield, Iowa, it has felt personal every time, whether it was a classmate, childhood friend, neighbor or someone I saw out for a drink the weekend before.

Since mid-2008, 20 people have died by suicide in the greater Fairfield area, according to the county medical examiner. Four of the suicides have occurred since May of this year. Statewide, suicide rates are on the rise, going from 11.7 to 14.4 cases per 100,000 people from 2010 to 2013, surpassing the national average, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

At a recent event held by community organization Fairfield Cares, I listened as a woman with a calm but carrying voice recounted one of several suicide attempts from her past.

“Every time I hear of another suicide, I briefly relive that paralyzing darkness,” said Janet McDonald to a hushed room of about 150 people at the library early this month. “I have momentary but frequent flashbacks, of what it feels like to be gripped in the clutches of hopelessness and despair, and to then act on it.”

As McDonald speaks, my thoughts go to my cousin, whom I never had the chance to meet. John, a former football player at the University Iowa and a new father, was 21 years old when he took his own life, months after being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1982. I imagine the fear he must have felt. I have a big family, and each member is an important presence in my life. I have a sudden feeling that there’s a place missing. I wonder what he was like; and if he had lived, what would our relationship be?

During National Suicide Prevention Month and just weeks after the universally loved comedian Robin Williams took his own life, groups like Fairfield Cares and the media have been drawing attention to the underreported threat suicide poses in the U.S., an epidemic that claims a life every 13.1 minutes according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. And while it doesn’t have one root cause, we now know that mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety or schizophrenia is present in more than 90 percent of cases, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The stigma that still surrounds mental illness in the U.S. is a burden to those already struggling. Yet in Fairfield, there’s an added layer of complexity to the issue. I grew up in the town’s Transcendental Meditation (TM) community, of which McDonald is a part. My parents were among thousands of baby boomers who moved to town in the late ‘70s to attend Maharishi’s university, to raise their children and to meditate in groups in golden domes. As young adults, my parents were inspired by Maharishi’s vision: “The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness,” he had said.

Growing up in Fairfield, I enjoyed the caring community and the freedom a small town opens up to a child. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I gained a real appreciation for meditation. I experienced chronic anxiety while studying in graduate school and coping with a serious illness in the family, and I found meditating, along with counseling, helped me stay calm.

Yet the recent suicides and the town’s response has driven home a suspicion I have felt for a while: that people’s determination to attain a perfect life, or enlightenment, has led to a culture of idealism and often a lack of acknowledgement of what’s really happening.

Many people in pursuit of Maharishi’s vision of peace, bliss and enlightenment have felt shame when dealing with mental and physical problems.

Many people in pursuit of Maharishi’s vision of peace, bliss and enlightenment have felt shame when dealing with mental and physical problems. In a tight-knit community that offers a sense of purpose and belonging, those with experiences outside of that picture ultimately face a fear of being cast out. I’ve heard people make offhand comments, such as “You only get cancer if you want cancer,” or “modern medicine is poison,” with little notion of how harmful and personally offensive I, and likely others, find them to be.

Social work professor Brené Brown explores the high correlation between shame and suicide in her famed TED talk, “Listening to Shame.” Perfectionism, she says, is a form of shame, in which we do everything in our power to prove our worth so we can avoid pain, shame and vulnerability. “Shame is the gremlin who says, you’re not good enough,” said Brown.

In my experience, people who come to Fairfield to learn to meditate are often looking for answers in life. Here, they find a comforting vision of what a perfect world could look like where these difficult feelings don’t exist. However, this belief can backfire. As Brown explains, “shame flourishes with secrecy, silence and judgment.”

A Voice in a Void

Psychologist Dr. Scott Terry is on a mission to open the community’s eyes. Terry, who moved to Fairfield two years ago after founding counseling centers throughout the Midwest, both condemns and supports the TM movement.

“Meditation is not a panacea to life’s problems,” he said. “I tell my clients to meditate like I tell them to exercise: it’s a tool, and it’s about what you do with it. If you misuse a tool, it can be more destructive than helpful.”

Terry learned to meditate when he was 12 years old, which he said helped him overcome hyperactivity, where he would sit in class for hours, rocking and ripping out chunks of his hair.

“I was literally freaking out,” he said. “I started to meditate, and my ADD didn’t go away, but my hyperactivity did.”

Since taking up his practice in Fairfield, Terry has many patients in the meditating community. In the past year, he said, he’s become increasingly disturbed by trends he’s seen emerging in town.

“There’s a huge amount of suicidal behavior in Fairfield,” he said.

Terry said he’s run across a variety of troubling attitudes regarding suicide. He’s seen people mistake manic behavior — sometimes characterized by a person thinking he or she is acting as god — as enlightenment. When such situations result in a suicide, he said families often won’t acknowledge the death as a suicide but as an act of an enlightened being.

“People are in complete denial about what’s going on,” he said. “It’s so fucked up.”

As someone who knows several grieving families, I see this as a coping mechanism for an otherwise unbearable situation. But clearly, the precedent is dangerous. Terry said he’s seen patients contemplating suicide because they’d seen other enlightened community members make that choice.

Suicides are also underreported in Fairfield, said Terry. This summer, Terry said he spoke to a woman who has kept her sister’s suicide a secret out of fear of losing her job. “The stigma is so dramatic here, people are afraid,” he said.

He’s also seen individuals, families and even counselors recommend meditation or herbal remedies in place of medication to treat serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder. “This is extremely dangerous,” he said.

In June, after three people in the community died by suicide within three weeks of each other, Terry reached a boiling point. He drafted an open letter titled “Mental Health issues that urgently need to be explored now in our community.” Within the 10-page letter, he outlined all of the unhealthy stigmas unique to Fairfield, as well as pointed out the inadequacies of Maharishi University of Management’s (MUM) mental health services and how they could be corrected. The letter, he said, “went viral” on campus, winning him allies as well as enemies.

A Gradual Transformation

In the past year, a dialogue has opened up in the community that I didn’t think possible in the past. When a former student killed herself in July 2013 after struggling with depression, a few friends and community members started a Facebook group in hopes of starting a discussion about depression. There, people I’ve known for years began opening up for the first time about their depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders and even suicide attempts.

It also served as a place to debate the value of modern medicine. When one woman posted an article claiming turmeric extract cured depression, it started a confrontational conversation thread about people’s judgment regarding medications.

In the forum, Minca Borg, a founding member of Fairfield Cares, also discussed MUM’s subjective policies. While attending MUM from 2008 to 2012, she said administrators prohibited students from playing a film about bullying and suicide because of strict criteria for events hosted on campus. “The idea was to create a safe space for discussing LGBTQ issues and bullying,” said Borg. “The policy wording was very subjective: ‘to protect the consciousness of the students.’”

But according to Terry, “MUM is seriously changing. They’re hearing the wake-up call.” He and the executive vice president of MUM, Craig Pearson, began the Fairfield Mental Health Alliance, a working group that’s hosting a free seminar on campus in October, where a panel of psychology experts (including Terry) will discuss proper treatment of mental illness and suicide prevention. The group is also working on a website, which will act as a central hub for all mental health services in town.

Among MUM faculty, Pearson is spearheading the effort to open a dialogue about mental health. “We want to empower people to reach out and seek professional help,” he said.

He’s helping to draft a campus-wide statement, which he said the administration will print and disburse to students this fall. “It’s basically emphasizing a common-sense approach,” he said.

In a pre-release draft Pearson shared with me, the statement encourages people to seek help from a licensed professional when experiencing mental health issues. It does, however, include language favoring natural medicine and acknowledges the value of modern drugs for potentially “serious or life-threatening” conditions.

He said the university, which currently has only one psychologist on campus running student support services, is also considering offering therapy at the campus’s new wellness clinic that currently offers basic services such as flu treatment.

The most powerful part of the statement in my mind, addressed the need for authenticity and openness in the community, saying, “We want people to feel free to talk about themselves as they really are, not just the ideals they aspire to.”

This is a significant departure from the values I grew up with, where idealism often boxed out any room for honest discussions. At the Fairfield Cares event, this newfound openness was tangible as suicide survivor Tom Allen shared his story. “I don’t care about the stigma of going to a psychiatrist and taking medication,” said Allen. “I can’t afford to care.”

Allen says stigma and isolation are what keep people from getting help, whether they meditate or not. “Isolation is part of the boundary we can break.”

While Fairfield’s issues with treating depression and other serious mental illnesses are unique, the stigmas surrounding diseases such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are prevalent in all communities. Clearly, the ‘ideal’ approach is to talk these issues through, and find the right mix between healthy, holistic living, and modern psychiatric medicines.

I for one, am happy to see Fairfield setting the record straight: Meditation can do many things, but curing cancer, schizophrenia, severe depression or Parkinson’s isn’t one of them.

Donna Schill Cleveland is the editor in chief of iPhone Life magazine. She likes to write about tech, health and women’s issues. She holds a masters degree from the University of Iowa School of Journalism & Mass Communication.

https://littlevillagemag.com/suicide-in-fairfield-iowa-town-struggles-with-mental-health-awareness/