Podcast, Wellness Industry, Church of the Last Testament, Russia, Legal, Twin Flames Universe
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"The global wellness industry, valued at approximately $5 trillion, harbours a dangerous underbelly, according to a new RNZ podcast.
Unproven therapies and charismatic gurus can lead vulnerable individuals away from life-saving medical treatments, the investigation reveals.
"The Lodge", an eight-part series by journalist Phil Vine, examines the rise of wellness culture through the story of Aiping Wang.
Wang, a Chinese-born guru established a following first in Eastern Europe, then in New Zealand's remote Fiordland. She offered her followers the possibility of healing without medicine.
Several experts featured in the podcast warn that social media has supercharged problematic wellness claims, creating an environment where influencers can reach millions with unproven health advice.
"What's new is the rise of social media and many digital technologies that enable ordinary individuals to build a brand online and to reach a vast global audience," explains Dr Stephanie Baker from City University in London.
She's the author of Wellness Culture: How the Wellness Movement Has Been Used to Empower, Profit and Misinform."
Moscow Times: 'Jesus of Siberia' Cult Leader Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
"A court in Novosibirsk on Monday sentenced a Siberian cult leader who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ to 12 years in prison for harming the mental and physical health of his followers.
Sergei Torop, a former traffic officer who calls himself "Vissarion," founded the Church of the Last Testament in 1991 after what he described as a divine revelation. He attracted thousands of followers to remote settlements in Siberia, including a core group of about 300 living in isolation atop a hill they called the Abode of Dawn.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office said Monday that Torop and two of his associates were found guilty of creating a religious organization that violated the civil rights of its members and caused bodily harm."
Glen Arbor Sun: Police raid Twin Flames Universe home: Michigan AG announces investigation
"Tuesday morning, July 1, after 11 am, federal, state and local law enforcement officers raided the Leelanau County home of Jeff and Shaleia Divine, leaders of the Twin Flames Universe organization, which critics and multiple documentaries have described as a cult that manipulates its online followers.
A neighbor observed a police officer carrying out a box of papers from their residence near Suttons Bay. That neighbor texted a photo of the raid-in-progress to Keely Griffin, a Twin Flames survivor and leading advocate to hold the cult's leaders accountable. Griffin visited the National Writers Series in Traverse City in February 2024 and spoke about cults and her experience with the Divines. She climbed to the upper echelons of the Twin Flames Universe organization before leaving.
Early in the afternoon on July 1, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a press release that announced an ongoing investigation into the Twin Flames Universe as well as a second raid against people associated with the coercive group. According to Nessel's office, the search warrants were carried out by special agents from the Department of Attorney General, along with the U.S. Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, and law enforcement officers from Michigan State Police, the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office.
A blue Michigan State Police vehicle was seen outside the Divine residence, as well as several unmarked vehicles. A Leelanau County Sheriff's vehicle was seen leaving the neighborhood on M-22 following the raid.
"Today, my office executed multiple search warrants upon individuals atop the Twin Flames Universe (TFU) organization and its associated properties, under the authority of a judge finding probable cause that crimes have been committed by TFU and their leadership," said Nessel in her statement. "Anyone with information about potential criminal conduct regarding Twin Flames Universe, or their members, are encouraged to contact my office, and may do so anonymously."
In a YouTube video announcing the investigation, Nessel added that Christine and Jason Emerick were also targets of the investigation. Emerick has been listed as the TFU's chief operations officer and has a mailing address outside of Traverse City.
"Twin Flames allegedly uses coercive control over its members both in Michigan and across the United States," Nessel said in the video. "We believe that many of their actions may have been illegal, and we're asking for the general public's help in this investigation."
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