CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/10/2025

Podcast, Wellness Industry, Church of the Last Testament, Russia, Legal, Twin Flames Universe

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RNZ: Wellness industry's dark side: Experts warn of dangers in RNZ podcast The Lodge

"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."

Russia’s ‘Jesus Christ’ Arrested: How Ex-Traffic Cop Turned Messiah Built A Cult After Soviet Fall

Hindustan Times

July 9, 2025

The end of the USSR in 1991 was one of the most cataclysmic events in history, with its aftereffects still being felt three decades on. But there was one such moment triggered at the same time, that was unforeseen. It was the rise of a new religious order in a remote corner of Russia, powered by the 'spiritual awakening' of a man. Meet Sergei Torop, or as he is popularly known, the 'Vissarion'. In the 1990s, Torop claimed he was the reincarnation of Jesus of Nazareth. A new Church was established, Torop amassed thousands of followers but then came his fall from grace, he was subjected to thorough investigation leading to a severe directive from the Russian state.

In this episode of HT In-Depth, we look at the history of Sergei Torop's cult, from his 'divine revelation', to the establishment of his new 'Church', and the perceived end of his massive cult. Watch this video for full details on the Vissarion."

‘Jesus of Siberia’ Cult Leader Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

The Moscow Times

June 30, 2025

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.

Prosecutors accused Torop of using psychological manipulation to exert control over and exploit followers for labor and money between 1991 and 2020.

His actions, they said, caused 16 people “moral harm,” left six with “serious health problems” and one with “moderate” harm.

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Torop, 64, was arrested in a helicopter raid on his Krasnoyarsk region commune in 2020. His associates — Vadim Redkin and Vladimir Vedyornikov — were sentenced to 11 and 12 years in prison, respectively.

All three men denied wrongdoing. It was not immediately clear if they planned to appeal their sentences.

The court also awarded 45 million rubles ($572,000) in damages to the victims and state prosecutors.

Vissarion’s movement grew in popularity during the post-Soviet ideological vacuum of the 1990s and further isolated itself after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, shutting its communes to outsiders.

AFP contributed reporting.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/30/jesus-of-siberia-cult-leader-sentenced-to-12-years-in-prison-a89618

CultNEWS101 Articles: 9/28/2020

  

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Korea, Church of the Last Testament, Legal, Russia, QAnon

RNS: Shincheonji's latest plasma donation raises questions on treatment from South Korean government

"... Over 1,100 congregants of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus donated their blood plasma in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Their contribution was so significant that the Korea Center for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) wrote the organization a letter of thanks, addressed to chairman Lee Man Hee.

This donation continues a string of events where the Shincheonji church has attempted to make the best of its unfortunate involvement in the March outbreak. Immediately after the outbreak took place, Shincheonji stopped all gatherings to prevent the further spread of the virus. Chairman Man Hee Lee bowed to the floor in a public apology, and 4,000 members expressed their willingness to donate their convalescent plasma. A $10 Million donation was offered to the Community Chest of Korea as well.

Yet none of Shincheonji's attempts to reconcile with the Korean government were reciprocated. The $10 Million donation was flatly rejected due to negative public opinion about Shincheonji. Lee Man Hee's apology attracted conspiracy theories about his affiliation with the jailed former president Park Geun-hye. And the attempts to donate plasma were met with tepid responses until now. What Shincheonji has received in return is a series of investigations and the Chairman Lee Man Hee being put into jail for falsifying records and embezzlement."

BBC: Sergei Torop: Russian religious sect leader arrested over allegations of harm

"The leader of a prominent religious sect has been arrested in a remote part of Siberia by the Russian security forces, police say.

Sergei Torop, who is known to his followers as Vissarion, founded the Church of the Last Testament in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region in 1991.

He was arrested along with two other leaders of the group.

They stand accused of extorting money and causing physical and psychological harm to their followers.

Mr Torop, Vadim Redkin and Vladimir Vedernikov are suspected of "establishing a religious association whose activities involve violence against individuals and of inflicting grievous bodily harm to two or more people," a spokeswoman for Russia's Investigations Committee said.

"They used the money of [their followers] and also used psychological violence against them," she is quoted as saying by state media."

The Guardian: The QAnon orphans: people who have lost loved ones to conspiracy theories

"For some Republicans, QAnon is an opportunity to garner support. But for those who have lost loved ones to it, QAnon is a destroyer of families and relationships

"I lay awake at night and worry if my brother's going to shoot a bunch of protesters," said Daniel, 36.

Daniel, whose name has been changed to protect his family, always had a close relationship with his twin brother, Greg. They had "that twin thing, that twin bond", Daniel said.

The brothers had visited each other often when they both lived in Wichita, Kansas, usually spent holidays together, and continued to talk at least once a week, even when Daniel moved overseas. They disagreed on politics – Daniel is a centrist Democrat, and Greg had espoused libertarianism – but their political differences had never come in the way of their relationship.

In early June, however, they had a major fight. Daniel had heard from their mother that Greg was posting on social media about the Boogaloo Boys, an armed far-right movement in the US that seeks to incite civil war. When Daniel called to confront his brother about the extent of his involvement with them, Greg had insisted that the Boogaloo movement was just an internet joke – but he also said that he hoped the country would, indeed, descend into civil war. The brothers argued and hung up on each other.

On 1 July, Daniel called to apologize. Greg said he was busy, as he was on his way to a counter-protest to a Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in Lawrence, Kansas. He had packed his guns in the car, and was intent on helping local police identify BLM protesters. According to Greg, protesters and antifascist activists were "looting and rioting", and he intended to do his part to stop them. "He said that antifa was lynching people and sending them to re-education camps," said Daniel.

The demonstration was not without violence, though not on the protesters' part: two cars attempted to plow through the crowd; no injuries were reported. There was no truth to what Greg had said. The brothers have not spoken since."

Rolling Stone: Former QAnon Followers Explain What Drew Them In — And Got Them Out

"Like those leaving cults, some people who believe in conspiracy theories like QAnon and Pizzagate can break free from their beliefs

Recently, QAnon has gotten a great deal of attention in the media due to QAnon-promoting congressional candidates such as Republican nominees Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, thus bringing the theory mainstream. It has also been linked to violence, such as the 2019 shooting of a Staten Island mob boss by a QAnon supporter and a Texas woman attacking two strangers with her car earlier this year because she believed them to be child traffickers. President Trump has refused to overtly discredit or reject QAnon ideology, to the delight of believers, whose primary goal is to win Trump's attention.

"They desperately need a place to put their anger and a way to make sense of the world. Us versus them, the horrible bad guys, is something they all seem to cling to," says cult expert Diane Benscoter, who has spoken to numerous people whose loved ones are involved in QAnon. 'The doctrine makes it easy to say, 'Clearly we have to make a stand against this,' and it feels really good to believe you're on the side of righteousness and saving children.'"

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For This Russian Messianic Cult, Coronavirus Isolation Is a 'Blessing'

As the pandemic sows fear and uncertainty, some are looking to a Siberian mystic for answers.

Pjotr Sauer
The Moscow Times
May 21, 2020

In the depths of the Siberian taiga a group of around a hundred people in white robes stand around a statue of an angel topped with a cross inside a circle. They sing and clasp each other's hands, an unnerving scene in a world where millions are being forced to practice social distancing and self-isolation to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The worshippers are members of the Church of the Last Testament, a movement founded by Vissarion Christ the Teacher, whose thousands of followers believe he is the reincarnation of Jesus of Nazareth. In these uncertain times his disciples say they are seeing a new wave of interest in their way of living from around the world.

“People are searching for something and have become attracted to our lifestyle. They are looking for a way out of isolation and loneliness. Requests to join us have tripled since the start of the virus,” said Vadim Redkin, who used to be the drummer for a popular Russian rock band and now acts as Vissarion's right-hand man and the group's spokesperson.

“We get emails from Europe, South America and North America,” he added.

Former policeman Vissarion has just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his commune, making him one of the mystics who emerged in the early 90s after the fall of the Soviet Union to fill an ideological vacuum to have stood the test of time.

About 4,000 so-called “Vissarionites” live in 20 rural settlements in southern Siberia, with the most devoted group of around 300 on top of a remote hill they call Abode of Dawn.

The cult’s physical isolation from the rest of Russia means they are perhaps some of the only human settlements in the country whose lives have not changed during the pandemic, as they closed off their commune to outsiders when lockdown began.

Vissariontes’ lives are governed by rituals, prayers and strict rules, demanding prolonged physical contact and personal interactions.

However, members of the Church of the Last Testament do not fear the kind of Covid-19 outbreak seen in other tight-knit religious communes — most notably South Korea where hundreds of members of the secretive sect Shincheonji Church fell ill and became infection vectors for the rest of the country.

“Local police know that it is basically impossible to get to us, so they let us do our thing,” said Redkin.
“Nature is healing”

While coronavirus-sparked existential crisis is playing a big role in attracting people to the commune, its members say talk about the pandemic being a way for nature to heal itself is also playing a part.

The Covid-19 outbreak has provoked debate about the impact of human activity on the planet. Over the past three months people, including celebrities, have shared fake images of animals returning to cities, under the caption “nature is healing,” arguing that there are some positives to the Covid-19 outbreak. Critics have warned against celebrating the environmental upsides of a pandemic that has already killed over 325,000 people.

“What people are saying now is something we all believed in 20 years ago when we moved here,” said Adrian Leon, a Cuban national who has been with the commune from its early days after he left a “pointless” existence as a teacher in Sweden.

“They are realizing that nature is sick and needs healing. Our lifestyle resonates with this,” Leon added.

The group's core belief is a desire to live in self-sufficient harmony with nature, while adhering to traditional gender norms. It rejects most modern technology, alcohol and predicts worldwide disaster in the near future.

Benjamin Kaufmann, an Austrian whose life in Europe has been “rocked” by the coronavirus first came across Vissarion in a Vice News documentary. He told The Moscow Times that the cult’s environmentally friendly and community-based message attracts him.

“First I thought ‘ah ... the next guy, who believes he's Jesus’ ... but I was curious and watched it. Then I was really surprised and thought ‘wow, that looks like the ideal style of living’,” Kaufmann said via Facebook.

Mariam, a 27-year-old accountant from New Jersey echoed this sentiment and said she is planning to move to Siberia “once the borders open.”

Phillips Stevens, a retired anthropology professor at the University of Buffalo who specializes in cults and alternative religions, expects the coronavirus to prompt a rise in fringe ideas and religions.

“Cults develop all the time, but far more frequently — and far more visibly — during times of general uncertainty and anxiety like the pandemic. In times of social stress people want certainty, hope, promise and some sense of control in a time of apparent unpredictability and personal loss,” he said.

"Skepticism declines and people are more willing to accept unusual claims without evidence,” he added.

The pandemic has already led to an increase in recruitment activity among cults and healers in Russia, said anti-cult activist and Professor at St. Tikhon's Orthodox University Aleksandr Dvorkin, with many offering protection and salvation from the coronavirus.

One example is the return of Anatoly Kashpirovsky, a self-styled psychic healer who enjoyed popularity in the late 80s and is back on YouTube offering guidance as the coronavirus spreads.

Dvorkin isn’t therefore surprised that Vissarions are reporting of gaining new steam.

“In times when confusion reigns people are vulnerable to manipulation, for some the idea of running away and hiding in the forest might seem like a reasonable option” Dvorkin said.
Left alone

Russia has seen a rise in crackdowns against non-Orthodox Christian denominations across the country, with over 300 Jehovah’s Witnesses charged or convicted since Russian officials branded the group as “extremist.”

Authorities have mostly ignored the homegrown and secluded Church of the Last Testament over the past decade. However, changed in February of this year, when police searched the Abode of Dawn, reportedly searching for evidence of corruption and sexual assault in the commune.

Lockdown, however, has put a temporary stop to these searches, Redkin said.

“Quarantine and isolation have been a blessing for us.”



https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/05/21/for-this-russian-messianic-cult-coronavirus-isolation-is-a-blessing-a70330