1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,880 Speaker 1: If you have your own story of being in a 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: cult or a high control group. 3 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 2: Or if you've had experience with manipulation or abusive power 4 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 2: that you'd like to share. 5 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: Leave us a message on our hotline number at three 6 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: four seven eight six trust. 7 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: That's three four seven eight six eight seven eight seven eight. 8 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Or shoot us an email at trust Me pod at 9 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: gmail dot com. 10 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 2: Trust me. 11 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 3: Trust Me. 12 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 1: I'm like a swat person. 13 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 2: I've never lied to you. 14 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: If you think. 15 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 2: That one person has all the answers, don't. 16 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to trust Me. The podcast about cults, extreme belief 17 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: and manipulation from a girl who actually experienced it. I'm 18 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: Megan Elizabeth and this week Lola's out of town, so 19 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: I'm joined with producer Steve for the intro. 20 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 4: Hi, Megan, Hi, Steve. 21 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: Lola joins us for the interview. But you and I 22 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: are going to do the intro talk about some cultsiest things. 23 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, you have one, I do. 24 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: Okay, great, Well, let's talk about the interview this week. 25 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: This week is heart two of a fascinating discussion with 26 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: Joel Tamra's, author of the book The Secret Practice, Eighteen 27 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: Years on the Dark Side of Yoga. This week, the 28 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: story gets even more wild as Joel talks to us 29 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: about how her spiritual mentor a room became her husband, 30 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: the strange visions he introduced her to, and how he 31 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: drug her deeper into a world she would have never 32 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: normally entered. 33 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 4: Also, Lolo and Megan discussed the financial abuse, the cheating, 34 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 4: and the isolation from her family that further broke her. 35 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: I think I really emphasize it in this episode like 36 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: a broken record, but I love that she went to Harvard, yep, 37 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: because it's just one of the building blocks of the 38 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: show is that anyone can get kind of sucked into 39 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: these worlds if they're primed in the right way, and 40 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: she certainly was. This story is. 41 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 4: Wow, yep, it is. And I can just take a 42 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 4: second to compliment you and Lola for the work that 43 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 4: you two have done for the last three years. 44 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: Oh, Steve, thank you. I didn't know you were going 45 00:01:57,520 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: to do that. That's sweet. 46 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm from off the top of the tone right here. 47 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: You seb what is your cultiest thing in the week? See, 48 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: because rumor has. 49 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 4: That you have fun Wow, I get to share one 50 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 4: of them. Yeah yeah, okay, well it's yoga related, so topical. 51 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 4: I got this from a friend of mine who might 52 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 4: or might not be listening to this episode. 53 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: I hope you are. 54 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 4: I hope they are. A friend of mine is taking 55 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 4: a yoga class. Now, I don't know. Do you take yoga? 56 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: Maybe not as normally as one shut? 57 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 4: Okay? Is it normal to take a single class throughout 58 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 4: the course of the week or several classes? 59 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: It all depends. 60 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 4: Okay. So this this friend of mine is very thoughtful, kind, cheery, intentional, 61 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 4: all of the positive adjectives that you can think is 62 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 4: associated with your friends. They take a single yoga class 63 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 4: throughout the course of the week, okay, and I Over 64 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 4: the course of the conversation with them, I was just 65 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 4: catching up with them. They mentioned the length of the class. Megan, 66 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 4: how long is a typical yoga class that you've been to? 67 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: An hour and thirty minutes is the longest? 68 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 4: Okay? All right, that's even for me in my remedial 69 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 4: understanding of yoga, I would say maybe just a touch 70 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 4: long for my own comfort. My friend is currently taking 71 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 4: a three hour yoga. 72 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: Clt Wow, yes, what kind? 73 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 4: I don't know all the nuances as you get into 74 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 4: in this episode with Joelle. I just know that it's 75 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 4: dark in the room and there are people who tend 76 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 4: to fall asleep during the actual class. 77 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: Okay, well, this yoga's for me. Okay, this is not 78 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: movement yoga. I wonder if this is yen yoga where 79 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: you relax as part of the yoga. Yeah, I would 80 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: join that. I'm not calling it a cult, but let's 81 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: say somebody had caltic intentions. Sure if I would join it. 82 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 4: Absolutely a nap cult. Yeah, nap cult. Who doesn't love 83 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 4: a nap cult? And again, I don't want to be 84 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 4: very narrow minded in my understanding. 85 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: Some yogas could just last that long. 86 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's that's fine. I'm just bringing it up. 87 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: Is a topic of curiosity, and that's another thing we 88 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: get into in the episode, like what are the red 89 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: flags and what are just normalize things to do for yourself. 90 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: It's a fine line. Love an app, love an. 91 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 4: App, love a nap, love a nap, but I also 92 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 4: love the apps on my phone. 93 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: I was like, how does it relate? 94 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 4: Okay, let's pivot over to you, Megan, what is your 95 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 4: cultiest thing of the week. 96 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: Sure, I'll tell you, well, my cultist thing. Yes, did 97 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 1: you see that? Sean Diddy Combs has been officially arrested. 98 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 4: I did see that. 99 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, he tried to put fifty million dollars on bail. 100 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: They said, nope, no, what a gel. 101 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 4: Nope. 102 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: I've been reading a lot about it, very curious as 103 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: to who is going to be indicted with him, who's 104 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: going to get in trouble, and just that fine line 105 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: that we see in these kind of groups, a lot 106 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 1: of like who's a victim and who is somebody who 107 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: was helping him, because it's such a when you have 108 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: that much power, it's such a complicated thing to figure out, 109 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: you know, even with Epstein, like one of his higher 110 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: up girls her family, I remember saying, and we talked 111 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: about this once on the podcast. They were Jehovah's witnesses, 112 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: and they were like, she was a stranger from her 113 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: family because they cut her off. She didn't know blah 114 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: blah blah blah blah, and she got sucked into his web. 115 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: And yes, she like technically helped him, but she was 116 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,799 Speaker 1: a victim of his And it's just complicated to figure 117 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: out who is responsible, who has intention, who has agency, 118 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: who's helping him, and who are just people who are 119 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: getting sucked into this world and are terrified of him. Gotcha. 120 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 4: So you think in the coming months and maybe years, 121 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 4: will be parceling out who was kind of coaxed into 122 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 4: the operations the things. 123 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm assuming that what we'll find is that most 124 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: people with money and power were problematic and the scheme, 125 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: and people without it we're not. So let's see. Apparently, 126 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: from what I'm reading, he had a lot of guns, 127 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: he had a lot of bodyguards, he had a lot 128 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: of scary shit. So let's see what happens, because the 129 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: cult of Ditty is certainly falling, and we shall see 130 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: what that brings. But for now, shall we talk to 131 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: jo out Let's do it all right, So before we 132 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: get into the next part of your story, can you 133 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: just tell a little bit about what was disillusioning to 134 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: you about your life beforehand, because, as we said, you 135 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: had everything, Park Avenue, apartment, nanny's chauffeur driving you to school. 136 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: What was unfulfilling? 137 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that that happened for quite a few years, 138 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 3: but there was in when I would turn when I 139 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 3: turned sixteen, that kind of all broke apart, and my 140 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 3: mom and well my dad was you know, arrested and 141 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 3: kidnapped in Lebanon, and it was a huge upheap in 142 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 3: my family. My mom was very stressed at the time 143 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 3: and she had to reorganize her finances and all along. 144 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 3: I had not really liked that high flying lifestyle because 145 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 3: it had been I'd been very lonely in that lifestyle. 146 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 3: I didn't I was raised by a governess in France 147 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 3: who was, you know, very overbearing, very strict, uh slapping kids, 148 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 3: you know when they misbehaved, and I think came from 149 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 3: a place of educating, you know, the young brat now 150 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 3: educating the young child, but you know, was very harsh 151 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 3: and overbearing. But she was also who I clung to 152 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 3: in childhood because she was every day with me. I 153 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 3: was an only child and I had a government. But 154 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: when I came to New York, then I had a 155 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 3: baby sister and the nanny was you know, for the 156 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 3: baby sister, and so all all that kind of wealth, 157 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 3: it didn't really fulfill me. And it's probably part of 158 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 3: the reason why early on I wanted to forge a 159 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 3: different path for myself. Not only was I attracted to spirituality, 160 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 3: but I was attracted to social activism from a young age, 161 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 3: and that's you know, I studied social studies at Harvard. 162 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 3: So I didn't like study religion nor philosophy initially, but 163 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 3: I wanted to do something in the world, be that 164 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 3: through psychology or anthropology or activism. That was what I 165 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 3: originally wanted to do. 166 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 2: It sounds like you were hungry for meaning and depth 167 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 2: and socializing and beings. 168 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 3: I mean, and I made it. I mean, I really 169 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 3: enjoyed my school years. So you know, school was a 170 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 3: place where I felt happy and comfortable and I could excel, 171 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 3: so it kind of and provide a friends and so 172 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 3: there was an adults who were, you know, particularly interested 173 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 3: in me. So that was very nice, uh, you know, 174 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 3: in the school years. But yeah, so when I went 175 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 3: back to New York, it was like how to make 176 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 3: that transition? But then I think a room stepped into 177 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 3: that void of the young person. Most young people, I mean, 178 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 3: some of them know what they want to do, but 179 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 3: I think that's relatively rare. When people are out of 180 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 3: college or around that age, whether or not they even 181 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 3: go to college, they're wondering what path will I take, 182 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 3: or you know, you go into a particular field of 183 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 3: studies and don't love it, and then you know you 184 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,079 Speaker 3: want to do something else. But there's a lot of 185 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,079 Speaker 3: questions and I think are and stepped into that space totally. 186 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, it could have just been a normal young person 187 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 2: being like, what am I going to do with my life? 188 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 2: Should I be on this spiritual path? Should I be 189 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 2: in this spiritual path? And then of course instead somebody 190 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 2: kind of intercepted that and directed the path for you. 191 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I hadn't appreciated at the time as well. 192 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 3: We can mention just how much he played on the 193 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 3: fact that he could step in in you there wasn't 194 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 3: a father really in the picture, or that the father 195 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 3: was behaving very different from how a father should behave 196 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 3: because I did tell my dad about Aroun on a 197 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 3: couple of different times, and his approach was just to 198 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 3: treat it like a friend had spoken to him, because 199 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 3: that's really how we related. He didn't take an authoritative 200 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 3: role in my life, just even to guide me. 201 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: So, yeah, he was a businessman and like in and 202 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: out of your life, mostly out, and so yeah, I 203 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: could see how he would take advantage. Right. 204 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 2: You said he was arrested and kidnapped, but he came back. 205 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 3: He came back, but it was a very traumatic time 206 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 3: because his whole life changed and he then had to 207 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 3: find different businesses and then things were quite tumultuous in 208 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 3: his life since then. And my mom just you know, 209 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 3: that's when she actually divorced. So they were separated seven 210 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 3: years older, seven years earlier, but they divorced in eighty nine, 211 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 3: and then she just really drew a very firm line 212 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 3: between him and us. So I think that, you know, 213 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 3: was part of the chaos as well that we lived through. 214 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 2: Right, So you said you got back to New York 215 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 2: and you missed him. You life in New York City 216 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 2: is very very different from the life that you've been living. 217 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: So what happened next? 218 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 3: So, yeah, it only takes a few days for me 219 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 3: to realize I want to go back to be with him. 220 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 3: I think we've probably had maybe a phone conversation. I'm 221 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 3: guessing I've been starting to teach the physical exercises that 222 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 3: he taught me to my mom. You know, I'm I'm 223 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 3: fully in his world, so to speak. And so I 224 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 3: tell my mom that I want to go back, and 225 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 3: she's surprised, but she says, you know, she takes me 226 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 3: at face value and says, if you're going to go back, 227 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 3: then we're going to go visit you in India when 228 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 3: your sister's on vacation in February. And so I make 229 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 3: this plan. And once I've made the plan, I feel 230 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 3: better because I know that I'll have, you know, more, 231 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 3: a whole other half what I think will be a 232 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 3: half year with him. It turns out to be shorter. 233 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 3: But and then I even have this dream at one 234 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 3: point where you know, in my dream, I see him 235 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 3: sitting in lotus position, like peacefully above my bed, like 236 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 3: looking in a benign way, and I thinking, and I 237 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 3: just feel better like when I wake up. So even 238 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 3: having these you know, these these dreams about him, and 239 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 3: then yeah, I do, I do go back by the 240 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 3: end of January. 241 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: I took that to mean that maybe you felt like 242 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: his spirit was with you and this deep loneliness you'd 243 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: always carried was maybe a little I don't know lessons. 244 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, that's addicting. 245 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 2: So what is life it's with him look like now 246 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 2: that it's actual life and not this sort of temporary 247 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 2: thing that had been happening. 248 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 3: He maintains that spiritual or very well while we're in Rishikesh, 249 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 3: which is where I'm going to end up going back 250 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 3: to see him, not just that one time but over 251 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,679 Speaker 3: the next couple of years. But if we just stay 252 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 3: with the first time that I go back. Oh, there 253 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 3: was this other interlude where he actually says, no, we're 254 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 3: going to be in Delhi, so that takes me by surprise. 255 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 3: So he's rented this apartment in Delhi for us. It's 256 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 3: a very nice place, but it's totally different from Richikesh. 257 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 3: Without explanation, you know that the prophet is allowed to 258 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 3: do that, or the girls allowed to do that. And 259 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 3: that's where I meet one of his daughters as well. 260 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 3: So we actually visit one of his daughters, and I 261 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 3: guess he's maybe trying to see whether he can pull 262 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 3: off living in Delhi closer to his family and straight. 263 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 3: I think living with him initially, that's the first time 264 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 3: I see a dark side of his personality, where at 265 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,959 Speaker 3: the end of one of the meditations, I suddenly get 266 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 3: this thought that I want to ask him, and I'm like, 267 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 3: you know, what, what about James, Why didn't you teach 268 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 3: him rather than me? And you know, as soon as 269 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,319 Speaker 3: I say it, he gets very angry and says, you know, 270 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 3: how could you ask me such a question? I thought 271 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 3: you knew And then immediately I realized that the question 272 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 3: makes no sense, and you know, I feel terrible. I 273 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 3: think I've blown the whole thing. And he lets me 274 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 3: wallow in that fear and panic that I've lost him 275 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 3: and lost everything that he's taught me. He steps out 276 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 3: of the room and then comes back, literally like ten 277 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 3: minutes later and says, I'm really sorry. I overreacted. The 278 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 3: elders told me not to speak with you. 279 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: That way, and that's the beginning of a trauma bond 280 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: m h. 281 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 3: And I'm like, oh, okay, I haven't blown it. I 282 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,079 Speaker 3: get this like this reprieve and he takes me that 283 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 3: come with me. He takes my hand, takes me to 284 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 3: the living room. I've been meditating in the bedroom, and 285 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 3: he know, puts blood on my you know where the 286 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 3: third eye is supposed to be between your eyebrows, and 287 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 3: he's like, you're bonded to us. You will never the 288 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 3: bond will never break between us, connects us. 289 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: What blood, Yeah, who's blood? 290 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 3: He pretends that he's drawn the blood from thin air, 291 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 3: whereas he must have pricked himself. I'm not even that 292 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 3: it's weird, because at the time, I'm not even I'm 293 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 3: so happy that he's not angry at me. But I'm 294 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 3: not really that worried about blood coming out of thin air. 295 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 3: I think on some level I know it's not possible, right, 296 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 3: I'm not now thinking there's blood around us all the time. 297 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 3: You know, it's not that literal, you know these things 298 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 3: You're kind of like it is symbolic in a way. 299 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: Totally. 300 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, Megan, you were about to ask about who us meant? 301 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 2: I assume that meant the elders. 302 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, the elders, because being part of the Elders and 303 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 3: Baba Jee's families was the highly desirable place to be 304 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 3: in a place that I I was afraid to be 305 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 3: kicked out of through bad behavior. Yes, if I didn't, 306 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 3: if I wasn't worthy, if I wasn't loyal enough to 307 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 3: him and whatever he might be doing on this earthly 308 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 3: plane that he need not be judged for, then I 309 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 3: would be kicked out of the group. 310 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 2: This is just so classic because he has now established 311 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 2: himself as having special access to something that nobody else 312 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 2: can access, and he is the gatekeeper of that access. 313 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 2: So now you are in a position where you have 314 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 2: to please quotation marks the elders, which only he is 315 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 2: able to translate their opinions It just puts you in 316 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 2: a position where the power that he now is wielding 317 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 2: over you is immense, I mean, otherworldly, Yeah, I mean, 318 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 2: And you know what's interesting. 319 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 3: He gives me the positive reinforcement that I'm liked by 320 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 3: the elders, that I'm special, that I'm better than him. 321 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 3: So he's not putting he's very sneakily not putting himself 322 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 3: above me, but just saying, if you do these meditations 323 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 3: long enough, you'll lack with them yourself. It's just a 324 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 3: matter of time. You'll remember your past life, just like 325 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 3: I did. It's just a matter of time you'll remember 326 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 3: that we were married when you do enough of these meditations. 327 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 3: So it's very sneaky because it's kind of putting himself. 328 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 3: He's not saying he's better than me. He's just saying, 329 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 3: you'll get there. Keep meditating. 330 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 2: Well, he's not saying he's better than you. But it's 331 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 2: implot I mean, because you can't talk to them yet, 332 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 2: so you have to rely on him and whatever he's 333 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 2: feeling or saying or translating in that moment, you like, 334 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: he's the one who gets to tell you. And then, 335 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 2: of course that goalpost is an eternally moving goalpost, which 336 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 2: is just another hallmark that we see like, oh, you'll 337 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 2: get there. You just have to keep working. No, I 338 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 2: promise you you're going to be the moment the power. Eventually. 339 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 2: You got to do it perfectly though forever exactly. 340 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: Can you tell us about the first time you saw 341 00:16:58,720 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: him in the channel? 342 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, So the first time I saw him channel was 343 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 3: just before we were going to move together to France 344 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 3: and we were in this house that he rented in 345 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 3: Rishikesh and this crate of wine gets delivered and Richie 346 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 3: kesh I said, say, for our listeners, do not You're 347 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 3: not allowed to bring alcohol or eat meats one of 348 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 3: these pure towns. So it's hard. So this crate of 349 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 3: wine is delivered and I see it, and then I 350 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 3: asked him, I say, what what is it? Uh? And 351 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 3: he then you know, drops his head and just changes 352 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 3: his voice. And when he lifts his head again and 353 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 3: changes his expression, he says that he's someone. 354 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: Else, someone who likes alcohol. Right, so it's not him drinking, 355 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: it's one of the elders who has taken over his 356 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,479 Speaker 1: body to indulge in this practice that he normally wouldn't. 357 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 3: And at some point he does say that Arun now 358 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 3: so not him, but the original Arun wanted to be 359 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 3: an actor. 360 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, wow, So he gets to play all these 361 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 2: different characters with you. That's so good for him. 362 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: Wow. 363 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 3: A lot of acting goes into these roles. He really 364 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 3: work the towel part. 365 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: You know, this is one of the other the other 366 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: Elder's towel. 367 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, the one who the first one who came and 368 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 3: drank and you know, as you know, not not then 369 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 3: that first time. But eventually he reveals the Taw was 370 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 3: my brother in a past life, so cementing another emotional bond. 371 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 3: But also when he's Tao, he's more reasonable interesting, So 372 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 3: that persona is different. That persona critiques the root persona 373 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 3: for being you know, like headstrong and not thinking things 374 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 3: through carefully, and how has to come in and just 375 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 3: kind of re establish reason and the piece. 376 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 2: How many were there that would inhabit his body. 377 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 3: So there was Taw, there was this very different one 378 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:01,239 Speaker 3: called Udo who was like this elemental very and that 379 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 3: had never had a body child. So wasn't someone who 380 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 3: died and then just became a spiritual being. It was 381 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 3: just someone who was always had been created as a spirit. 382 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 3: On the other side, and in a quite eerie way. 383 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 3: Udo's function was supposedly only to give and to take life. 384 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 3: Oh this plant. Oh so he could be deployed obviously 385 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 3: to kill someone. 386 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 2: Okay, that's scary. 387 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 3: But Udo was like he when he played Udo is 388 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 3: like this very childlike not childlike that sounds too sweet, 389 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 3: but almost just just very basic, just said a few words, right, 390 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 3: But Udo was around to protect a room. 391 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: I mean this was in the movie Split. Remember Lula the. 392 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 2: Child Yeah, not Tamela. 393 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 3: Wow. 394 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 2: It's just so fascinating, And I want to just come 395 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 2: back to the fact that at this point and kind 396 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 2: of threw out, like he is getting something from you, right, 397 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 2: what is happening financially between Like, what is he getting 398 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 2: out of this Besides obviously the power and the presumably 399 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:04,399 Speaker 2: the sex. 400 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 3: He is from the very beginning, he's extracting everything that 401 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 3: I have financially, he asks, and I give, you know, 402 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 3: first the money that I brought to India, then some 403 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 3: of my savings to learn the complete course, and then 404 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 3: he asks for twenty five thousand dollars to invest into 405 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,439 Speaker 3: business in India. And that's I do have that in 406 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 3: savings at the time. That's when I'm about twenty three 407 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 3: or so, and I've been given it gradually over the 408 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 3: years by by my parents. And I say, well, we're married, right, 409 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 3: so why don't I invest with you in this business. 410 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 3: So he said, no, no, no, no, I will definitely 411 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 3: pay you back leave it with me. But in my mind, 412 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 3: if i'm his wife, returning dude, no, I don't think 413 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 3: of him as an old dude then, but you know, 414 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 3: right your. 415 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 5: Past like parage, I see, you know, I'm wed to 416 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,880 Speaker 5: him in my mind, just on the base of him 417 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 5: saying that we are reunited, because that seems so incredible, 418 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 5: So it's meant so yeah. 419 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 3: So anything I have in savings he takes. He always 420 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 3: has things to buy. And then when I start working, 421 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 3: so now we are skipping ahead. When we do move 422 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 3: together and uh move to France together, we move ahead 423 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 3: of my being admitted to the NBA program at INSEAD 424 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 3: and I guess it's just a gamble. And then obviously 425 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,439 Speaker 3: when I get admitted at the eleventh hour again because 426 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm not one of the original uh people 427 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,959 Speaker 3: who are chosen. But someone I get a call from 428 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 3: the university literally like two weeks before classes starts, saying 429 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 3: someone you know can't come, they're sick. Do you want 430 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 3: to take their place? And I'm like yeah, And Aaron 431 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 3: is like I told you the elders delivered this. So 432 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 3: every time he can, he'll pick up on something and 433 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 3: I'm going, this is incredible. Like so I joined, you know, 434 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 3: I start the NBA. It's not the kind of studies 435 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 3: that I that I ever thought i'd be doing. It's 436 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 3: not something that I'm drawn to. And then I've got 437 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 3: this man at home who's behaving very, very erratically and 438 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 3: in a way that's really destabilizing. We can get into 439 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 3: that separately, but yeah, he's getting money all along once 440 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 3: just to complete on the money part. As soon as 441 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 3: I'm working. He's getting money there as soon as he can. 442 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 3: He wants to invest in India, so we take these 443 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 3: large loans. So definitely financially every step of the way, 444 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 3: it's a financial gain. But you know, as you know 445 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 3: from the story, it's a little bit more complex than that. 446 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 3: I think the sex works as control, it works as 447 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 3: emotional connection, it works you know on different levels. Maybe 448 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 3: is you know, just a way to keep somebody under 449 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,120 Speaker 3: your control as well. 450 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a total vampire. I mean, it's extracting everything 451 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 2: from you. He gets energy from having power over you. 452 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 2: He's taking your money, he's dominating your romantic life. I mean, 453 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 2: he's just has complete control. 454 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: And on the sexual side, he's putting you first. He's like, 455 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: I don't even care about my unsatisfaction. Let's take care 456 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: of you. So he's just like manipulating you mind, body 457 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: and soult. 458 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,879 Speaker 3: Absolutely yeah, and I'm going this is great, but until 459 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 3: it's not. So we lived together in France and the drinking, 460 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 3: you know, just really takes off, and me thinking I'm 461 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 3: with this. You know, he who doesn't drink, and he's 462 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,880 Speaker 3: drinking a lot every single day. You know, the fights 463 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 3: pick up, the trauma bonds as you called it, you know, 464 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 3: they just really kick in and he just becomes essentially insufferable. 465 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 3: But I'm not understanding. I'm thinking, something gone wrong in 466 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 3: the plant, and how can we set it right? Oh 467 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 3: he's far from Rishike. She probably is not happy here 468 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 3: in Europe. 469 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 2: Did he have a drinking problem from the beginning, you think, 470 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 2: or did that sort of come on over time? Like 471 00:23:57,119 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 2: was he hiding he certainly. 472 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 3: Hit it well if he did, I don't think he did. 473 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 3: I think he was probably using you know, either marijuana 474 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 3: or hashish the whole time, and he liked to use 475 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 3: either marijuan or hashish or alcohol or booth, so like, 476 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:16,119 Speaker 3: he definitely liked to be of some kind of assistance. 477 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 3: But then he had returned to India after serving jail 478 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 3: time in California for three years, so I'm assuming he'd 479 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:27,680 Speaker 3: dried out. 480 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: Right, So you hear about this, he can't travel to 481 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: the US, and he finally tells you why. It's because 482 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 1: he was falsely accused of taking advantage of two young girls. 483 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 1: And you kind of tried to help him with that, 484 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: because in your mind, this is completely and just, and 485 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: like there's just some red flags kind of popping up. 486 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: What were some of those red flags and how did 487 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 1: you quell them? 488 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, And as you say, I'm justin also out of character. 489 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 3: I'm thinking this man has all these women and surrounding him. 490 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 3: In my young mind, I'm thinking he would never hurt 491 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 3: or be interested in being sexually involved with teens. So 492 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,639 Speaker 3: it's just. But equally I still think that. So the 493 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 3: way I interpret it is that just a lack of 494 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 3: judgment on his part. So even though that should have 495 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 3: been a red flag that he was he was potentially lying. 496 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 3: I just thought, okay, you don't let teens into your house. 497 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 3: But okay, so you've made a terrible mistake. I do 498 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 3: get the court files. I do read through it, and 499 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,479 Speaker 3: there's so much detail that I'm going that's a red flags. 500 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 3: I'm like, why would these girls explain in a great 501 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 3: amount of detail if nothing had happened? And part of 502 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 3: me just just just doesn't like stops reading wow, But 503 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 3: I do. He does say in the court files that 504 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 3: he was married to a woman in the US, and 505 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 3: that really alarms me because that doesn't fit at all. 506 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 3: So I ask him. I asked him about that, and 507 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 3: he says, oh, no, I told you about it. 508 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: Ah, does fucking rounder. 509 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 2: That's the worst, the worst manipulation. Oh no, no, no, I 510 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 2: told you about it. 511 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,400 Speaker 1: It's no big blind by the gaslight. 512 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:13,199 Speaker 3: Gaslighting, right, And I'm like, no, you didn't and because no, 513 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 3: you did not, And he's like, oh, well, that marriage 514 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 3: was a note. 515 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 1: It was for a green card, no big deal. 516 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, just to orient ourselves here a little bit. 517 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 2: At what point do you find that out? How deep 518 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 2: in are you? 519 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 3: I've known him for about a year. He's visiting in France, 520 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,679 Speaker 3: we've rented a place together that summer, I'm already working 521 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 3: with my dad, and my family's aware from my dad's 522 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 3: aware of him. He tells the story to my dad 523 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 3: as well. Oh he does, and he sounds very honorable 524 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 3: by saying, I need to tell your dad about this. 525 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: What are your parents' impressions of him? 526 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 3: You know, my mom came on really strong, and she 527 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 3: found out we were together and was just like you. 528 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 3: He just basically was like you can't be with him, 529 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 3: but in a very severe tone, not as I'm saying 530 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 3: it now. She was like, all he cares about it 531 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,880 Speaker 3: sex and money. He's a terrible He's a bad, bad man, 532 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 3: and you know, so so that I didn't respond to 533 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 3: well and just assume that she didn't know him or 534 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 3: understand him. 535 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: He'd prepped you for that a little, but like she'll 536 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: probably be jealous, and so you're like, okay, hater, like 537 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: move it along. 538 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, he had. And then my dad tries to 539 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 3: take a more subtle approach and not come down hard, 540 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 3: but then at some point does come down hard, and 541 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 3: then it makes no sense either kind of you know, 542 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 3: blows up one day and says, you know what he 543 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 3: is and I'm so confused because I'm like, I don't know, like, 544 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 3: are you saying that he's a criminal? Dad? Like I'm thinking, 545 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 3: but I'm like, then why did you agree to help 546 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 3: him on his case? So so all of that was 547 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 3: very confusing. 548 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: Behavior would be lost. 549 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it. And you know, no one 550 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 3: came and said, like, let's talk about this, but you know, 551 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 3: hindsight being twenty twenty, you know, I you know, I 552 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 3: just didn't have anyone to really unpick what was happening. 553 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 3: Plus I was having such a strong pull on the 554 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,199 Speaker 3: arun side that it there was that as well to 555 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 3: contend with. 556 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, what made your family reach out to cult interventionists? 557 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we were together, So we've been We married 558 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 3: in France and I was probably a couple two three 559 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 3: years into my work life and Aaron found out that 560 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 3: I actually had property in my name in France that 561 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 3: I had never had access to. So he doesn't say 562 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 3: this right away, but he's like, hey, like you should 563 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 3: actually get hold of this apartment. And I'm going no, no, no, 564 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 3: like it's my mom's and he kind of you know, 565 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 3: builds up the case like, no, it's in your name, 566 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 3: it should be yours. I'm like, no, my mom needs 567 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 3: it to live, and he's like, your mom does not 568 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 3: need it. Do you see how she lives, Like she 569 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 3: lives a luxurious life. She doesn't need it. You need it. 570 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 3: So it's like that little devil on your shoulder bringing 571 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 3: like it's yours, it's yours. Meanwhile, he's like no, no, no, 572 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 3: like you're entitled to it. So I follow his advice, 573 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 3: and Tao intervened. 574 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: His elder Yeah, elder, why says you know what. 575 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 3: Like, I'm setting this up for you to get hold 576 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 3: of this apartment. Are you going to reject it? 577 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: I'm doing all this work on the other side, like 578 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: when I got you into your MBA program, like hello. 579 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 3: I make this apartment available to you, Like all this 580 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 3: stuff hasn't happened before me. So I'm going, hmmm, that's interesting. 581 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 3: So then I'm still very worried about doing this to 582 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 3: my mom, even though I can legally do it, but 583 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 3: I'm very worried about that. But I tell her, I'm like, mom, 584 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 3: I'm going to be the next person who takes the apartment. 585 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 3: And she's like oh, And so she is not happy, 586 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 3: but she doesn't make a fuss about it. But then 587 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 3: she and my dad together then say he's taken things 588 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 3: too far and tried to do a cult intervention. 589 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 1: You caught onto that. They're kind of seeing it in 590 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 1: their email. What do you think would have happened if 591 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: they actually went through with that? 592 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 3: You know, I don't know. My mom says to me. 593 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 3: My mom's pretty open about what was going on there, 594 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 3: and she says that the person that they spoke to 595 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 3: said to them, we need to be very careful because 596 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 3: if this doesn't work, we'll push her more towards him. 597 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 3: I'm just seeing it very much at face value, as 598 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 3: like a war, like you didn't care until it started 599 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 3: to hit your pocket. That's how I read it, And 600 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 3: especially with my dad, I'm like, this has been your story, 601 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 3: your whole life, Like I have different values, and I 602 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 3: can't believe you're doing this to me. You're going to 603 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 3: hurt me, because I just thought purely as you're going 604 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 3: to ruin my life at that point. Also to say, 605 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 3: I was in a high paying job, I was managing 606 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 3: a team, I was leading a normal life on the 607 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 3: outside while being controlled inside and so and then I 608 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 3: just I called a lawyer myself and I said, look, 609 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 3: they're trying to say I'm not in their right mind 610 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 3: just to get the apartment back, and that's when the 611 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 3: French door was like, you know, that's going to be 612 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 3: hard to prove. I wouldn't worry about it, and so 613 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 3: I feel kind of strong. I feel like, oh, well, 614 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 3: you know, I'm calling their bluff. 615 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: Right right, No cult intervention for me. 616 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 2: I had a job, which obviously he wanted you to 617 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 2: have a job because you were making him money. But 618 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 2: were there other aspects of your life that in retrospect 619 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 2: you feel we're very controlled by him that should not 620 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 2: have been. 621 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 3: Oh that's interesting. I mean, yeah, like I think he 622 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 3: wanted to have a hand in every aspect of my life, 623 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 3: my friendships. So it was very hard to make friendships 624 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 3: with someone like that. Where he had an opportunity to 625 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 3: challenge childhood friendships and say they're not on board with 626 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,719 Speaker 3: your current life, he did it, so I had. You know, 627 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 3: this part is not in the book, but I had 628 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 3: a very close friend from the US and for we 629 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 3: had a ten year break in our friendship over something minor, 630 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 3: but that came from him around you know, she questioned 631 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 3: my taking his surname and he said, you see, she 632 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:47,760 Speaker 3: doesn't respect you. I don't know. We kind of broke 633 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 3: up and luckily got that our friendship you know, reignited. 634 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 3: So I think he tried to play his hand into 635 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 3: every aspect family to some degree. He always said that, 636 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 3: you know, my mom might be problematic. Cheat. We stayed connected, 637 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 3: you know, throughout all these these years. 638 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: I mean this man even wrote your boss at one point, yeah, 639 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: like yeah, when behind your back and was like we 640 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: need this, like he wow, I yeah. Every every layer 641 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: of life, he would just swoop it yep. 642 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 3: Yeah. In terms of looks as well, Like I think 643 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 3: I don't remember him saying I had to dress demurely, 644 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 3: but I certainly felt like that was the right thing 645 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,719 Speaker 3: to do, both by Indian culture and for him, so 646 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 3: that he would be the only one to look at me. 647 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 3: I would never wear my hair down like this. It 648 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 3: would need to be either in a bun or in 649 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 3: a single braid, or at least half up. So there 650 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 3: was all about self effacing, you know. Behavior. Food, he 651 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 3: would control kind of what we ate, were we allowed 652 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 3: to eat. At first, he said he was a vegetarian. 653 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 3: Some years down the line he brought in chicken laid 654 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 3: our pork, so he would control every aspect, also what 655 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 3: time we went to bed, what time we went what 656 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 3: time we woke up, and all. So one thing I 657 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 3: do say in the book is he insisted on sleeping 658 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 3: hugging the entire night. Yeah, which is really And it 659 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 3: was like, I can't believe I was I mean, I 660 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 3: was young. My sleep cycle back then was okay, probably 661 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 3: ruined it, but back then, you know, you're young, and 662 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 3: you just so so like if anybody turned in the night, 663 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 3: the other person had to kind of reverse the hug. 664 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 2: Oh my god, that is a nightmare. 665 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 3: It's weird how he demanded that. And he even at 666 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 3: some point he was sleeping, you know, without a T 667 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 3: shirt on, and obviously if I'm hugging it, and he's like, oh, 668 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 3: I can feel you breathe. This is so uncomfortable. Now 669 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 3: I'm gonna have to sleep with a T shirt because 670 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 3: you're breathing. 671 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. 672 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 3: Talk about And I was like, what do you expect 673 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 3: me to do? Oh, you're not you know, so, But 674 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 3: I think he was like he implied that we were 675 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 3: connected during the night and that we would travel together probably. 676 00:33:57,640 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: Oh. 677 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 3: And the thing is, if you sleep that way with someone, 678 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,479 Speaker 3: you get very warm and so you have very straight 679 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 3: I'm linking it, very strange dreams, very vivid dreams. So 680 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 3: I would then interpret my own vivid dreams as travels. 681 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:18,480 Speaker 2: Like astral projection or like traveling yeah. 682 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 3: Whatever he was doing, yeah exactly, or like messages or 683 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,560 Speaker 3: you know, because because I mean, I think when you 684 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,280 Speaker 3: have a very vivid dream, sometimes you do think without 685 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 3: any spiritual like what's that dream about or what's telling me? 686 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 3: Or what's going on with my own feelings or unconscious 687 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 3: So there was some of that, but definitely there was 688 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 3: just this very active dreaming. 689 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 2: I want to hear about Angela. Would it be skipping 690 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: too far ahead to start getting into really no. 691 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 3: In the sense that it's kind of sequentially where we 692 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 3: are where I've been with him at this point. For 693 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,880 Speaker 3: I want to say, we've been together about seven years, 694 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 3: and he after a difficult period in the UK, which 695 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 3: was around this whole apartment thing and the cult intervention, 696 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 3: but he's still really unhappy in the UK, and just 697 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 3: you know, our household is like for me, feels like 698 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,799 Speaker 3: this pit of despair. I don't understand why. I don't 699 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 3: understand the psychology behind why. It's just such a hard 700 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 3: place to live. But for him, it's because he's depressed 701 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 3: and he hates it there, and he's almost suicidal. He 702 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 3: doesn't use that word, but he says, if we stay 703 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 3: in the UK, I'm going to die. So he gets 704 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 3: me to get my job transferred to France, which is 705 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 3: not what the company wants, but to negotiate, you know, 706 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,279 Speaker 3: with an HR director. Long story short, We make it 707 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:42,040 Speaker 3: back to Paris and he tells me everything's going to 708 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 3: be fine, and I do feel again this wave of 709 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 3: you know, relief. I say, Okay, We've gotten through that 710 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:52,359 Speaker 3: terrible period. And I'm having these spiritual explanations at this 711 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,240 Speaker 3: point in my mind all the time. I'm like, okay, 712 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 3: really bad patch. The dark forces. The light forces are back, 713 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 3: you know. And so he meets this young yoga teacher 714 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,720 Speaker 3: who teaches a shanga yoga, who's learned a shanga yoga, 715 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 3: and they hit it off, kind of protege to master relationship. 716 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,799 Speaker 3: Young man who's just several years younger than me, who 717 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,239 Speaker 3: is also incidentally, I don't say this in the book, 718 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 3: but who's missing it, who doesn't have a father figure 719 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,359 Speaker 3: and his life very close to his mom, latches onto 720 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 3: a room who's also a yoga master who is a 721 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 3: yoga master in his mind. And I see them really 722 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 3: hitting it off, and Gabriel that the young man takes 723 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 3: a room to teach his buddy. So I'm like, wow, 724 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 3: we've made a friend. Like we've lived in Europe for 725 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 3: several years, we're not able to connect and you know, 726 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 3: make friends, but here we've met Gabriel. I start to say, 727 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 3: why don't you start a yoga school with Gabriel, And 728 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 3: that's how it starts off. And then I say, at 729 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 3: some point, let's start our own school, and a room 730 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 3: you know says no, the elders don't allow it. Finally, 731 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 3: the elders, you know, I keep badgering him because I'm thinking, 732 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 3: this man without an activity, this isn't sustainable. He's going 733 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 3: to be depressed again. So we do end up getting 734 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 3: a yoga school, which puts a lot of financial burden 735 00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:10,799 Speaker 3: on us both I'm thinking, but really on me. And 736 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,799 Speaker 3: then several just about a month or so into the 737 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 3: yoga school, Gabriel introduces us to a young woman called 738 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 3: Angel who's the same aide. So I'm thirty at that point, 739 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,839 Speaker 3: they're both twenty five, and yeah, that's how angela comes 740 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 3: into our life. 741 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,840 Speaker 1: She comes storming on in. You immediately have a negative reaction, 742 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: but kind of push it down or just decide to 743 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: extend your kindness anyway. And she quickly becomes a staple 744 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 1: in this yoga studio as a massage therapist and kind 745 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:48,320 Speaker 1: of third wheel Tiaal's relationship. How does this start going away? 746 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 3: So one day She's probably probably known her a couple 747 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 3: of months, and so a Arun's been preparing it that 748 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 3: she's like our long lost family member, that there's a 749 00:37:57,680 --> 00:37:59,840 Speaker 3: reason she was drawn to us. Never mind that she 750 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,640 Speaker 3: did a job and was getting a job and housing 751 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 3: from us and that was reason enough. No, Like, he 752 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,279 Speaker 3: creates the whole same narrative that he's trying to do 753 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 3: with me of creating a special link with her. First 754 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 3: he asked me whether I want her to live with us, 755 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 3: and I don't understand that because I'm like, no, I 756 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 3: don't want anyone to live with my husband and me let. 757 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: Me think no that comes out quickly, I'm like no, no. 758 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 3: But then so after he tried the different tech, then 759 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 3: he tries to encourage us to like have a sleepover 760 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 3: once a week, and again I'm like okay, Well, I'll 761 00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 3: do it if you really want me to. I don't 762 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 3: really want that again. You know, that was to teach 763 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 3: her meditation. So that goes on. So the finally he 764 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:47,319 Speaker 3: says she's housed white from a past life, and I 765 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 3: immediately know what he's talking about at that point. Yeah, 766 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:55,879 Speaker 3: but I'm thinking, this is terrible news. This shattered what 767 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 3: I'm assuming was a safe world. It wasn't, but I 768 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 3: felt it was a safe world with him. And then 769 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,400 Speaker 3: I'm thinking, well, how is my brother. So they're going 770 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:06,400 Speaker 3: to keep platonic, there's no way anything would happen, and 771 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:08,920 Speaker 3: then when it does, then my world does shatter. 772 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: H one of the hardest things I've ever read. 773 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 2: So ostensibly you are married to him when he's one 774 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 2: person in his body and she is with a different 775 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:26,880 Speaker 2: person in his same body. Is how Angela? Yeah, what 776 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 2: did you think? 777 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 3: I think My first reaction was just like like it 778 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,880 Speaker 3: felt like dying, Like it was just like it felt 779 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,760 Speaker 3: like I'd been erased, you know. So the shame, the 780 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:40,480 Speaker 3: shame that I had let it happen, even once, that 781 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 3: I hadn't just said no to tell an Angela, the 782 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:46,800 Speaker 3: you know, just just being I felt like I felt 783 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:50,440 Speaker 3: it was this terrible feeling. But then the next morning, 784 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:54,240 Speaker 3: when sort of my more conscious mind came back, I thought, well, 785 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 3: we're going to work through this. Like so I asked him, 786 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,520 Speaker 3: I'm like, what's going to happen? I can't what if 787 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 3: I can't take it? And he says, well, then it 788 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:08,240 Speaker 3: will end, and he implies that then Tao will never return. 789 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: And now quote unquote killed an elder before, so he 790 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 1: that's implying that he's going to kill your brother Tao 791 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 1: and the other realm, which obviously you've been talking to 792 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 1: Tao almost like commiserating with him about his other sides behavior. 793 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: So this is like your buddy, you don't want him 794 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: to die, but he's also having sex with your friends, 795 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: so it's weird exactly. 796 00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 3: And then the other problem we've had now is that Angela. 797 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 3: Because Arun had no intention of working in the yoga school, 798 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 3: like of working at all, like his intentions were never 799 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 3: to work, Angela stepped up, and Angela's like willing to 800 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 3: work and willing to contribute to the yoga school. So 801 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 3: now I'm kind of relying on her as well, and 802 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:01,239 Speaker 3: Gabriel and her, So the whole thing would have had 803 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:04,520 Speaker 3: to unravel, and I'm thinking, how do we bring this up? 804 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 3: And when a room senses my discomfort, I think he 805 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:13,719 Speaker 3: keeps saying, look, maybe there'll be a solution or maybe, 806 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 3: And in my mind, I'm like, there will be, but 807 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 3: I'm just waiting when and how we break this up. 808 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 3: I'm not going to live my whole life with her there. 809 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:25,839 Speaker 2: Practically speaking, how did that work? Like did she come 810 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 2: over certain days? Like how did that work? 811 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 3: So? No, so Tao? So he would transform into Tao 812 00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:37,000 Speaker 3: on certain days and then go be with her. But 813 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,040 Speaker 3: she was also like a family member. We saw her 814 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:43,799 Speaker 3: every day, she would go to lunch, like every Saturday. 815 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 3: It was implied that we were very good friends. And 816 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 3: at some point and in a way she I felt look, 817 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 3: she had reached into my hit of despair. So like 818 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:57,719 Speaker 3: I was on some level deeply unhappy with the ruin, 819 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:01,719 Speaker 3: although I couldn't like consciously admit that, but she'd come 820 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:04,239 Speaker 3: into it, and she was getting in my mind a 821 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,799 Speaker 3: raw deal because I'm like, wait, I'm with this guy. Now, 822 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 3: you're this young woman, talented young woman. Yeah, I know 823 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:13,880 Speaker 3: you need the job and everything, but you want to 824 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 3: be his spirits lover. Like I guess I felt like 825 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:19,799 Speaker 3: glad to have a friend in a way in that 826 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:22,040 Speaker 3: terrible place that I was in on some level. But 827 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:23,880 Speaker 3: then what I think what was hard for me is 828 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 3: when I tried to speak with her about run and 829 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 3: the problematic aspects, I felt she'd just shut that down 830 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:32,799 Speaker 3: real quick. However, it was not a great friendship in 831 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:33,120 Speaker 3: a way. 832 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:35,960 Speaker 1: I have a really quick aside on that. Like you 833 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,040 Speaker 1: when you first get the building that you guys start 834 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:42,680 Speaker 1: citity yoga and he calls Gabriel, and Gabriel is very 835 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 1: short about it. And then Gabriel is the one who 836 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,280 Speaker 1: brings Angela in and she already enters with this bizarre energy. 837 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 1: And Gabriel later on we learn we won't give away 838 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:56,839 Speaker 1: the book, but some unbecoming things about him. Were they 839 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:00,720 Speaker 1: colluding on something? Like did she come in? She says 840 00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:03,120 Speaker 1: to one point, I knew what I was getting myself into, 841 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 1: Like at. 842 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:07,440 Speaker 3: The very end, Yeah, you know what I know. I 843 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 3: don't think they were colluding. I think the I mean, 844 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,920 Speaker 3: at least I have no evidence to suggest that. But 845 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 3: what I would say is they were both seekers in 846 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:18,960 Speaker 3: their own way and both needed to work. Like there 847 00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 3: was that element of she was not in a great 848 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:24,719 Speaker 3: place when we met her in Paris. She probably would 849 00:43:24,719 --> 00:43:27,840 Speaker 3: have been fine in Portugal, where she came from, but 850 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,520 Speaker 3: she was struggling to get a footing in Paris and 851 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 3: her work, so she was vulnerable that way, you know, 852 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:38,000 Speaker 3: and maybe other ways that you know that are private 853 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:40,120 Speaker 3: to her that I didn't put into the book, but 854 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:42,920 Speaker 3: like psychological things, you know, that people come with. And 855 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 3: then Gabriel also I think, looked up to a room, 856 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 3: so I think they were just friends. And then later on, yeah, 857 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,640 Speaker 3: later on, I don't know, it kind of all fell apart, 858 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 3: but I don't think they were colluding. I think they 859 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:02,719 Speaker 3: were just both. They both we're drawn to spirituality as 860 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:04,760 Speaker 3: a way to solve psychological issues. 861 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:10,560 Speaker 1: My suspicious mind going, yeah, I want to start talking 862 00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:13,960 Speaker 1: about how you kind of emerged from the situation and 863 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:15,640 Speaker 1: what happened after. 864 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:18,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, so it took a while. I mean, the 865 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:23,040 Speaker 3: one big breaking point was when at some point I 866 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:26,359 Speaker 3: decide that because we live in this studio apartment, uh 867 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 3: that's just one room for four years while we're building 868 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 3: the school to save money, and at some point I 869 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,080 Speaker 3: get into my mind that I want to buy our 870 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:37,400 Speaker 3: own place, so I want to sell my property and 871 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,600 Speaker 3: buy my own place, and the Ruin's not very open 872 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:42,640 Speaker 3: to that because he wants to like just keep a 873 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 3: keep Angela closer and all these kinds of things I say, 874 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:47,759 Speaker 3: and I and that's at that point, I'm like, no, 875 00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 3: I want my own a permit. I don't. I Actually 876 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:51,880 Speaker 3: the fact that don't mean we'll be further from Angela 877 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 3: is a plus for me. 878 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:54,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we do that. 879 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:58,000 Speaker 3: But shortly after that, he goes back to India to 880 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 3: his cave in the Himalayas, and he comes back with 881 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 3: like a with a neurological accident. It doesn't happen right away, 882 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,399 Speaker 3: but he has this carbon monoxide poisoning and that does 883 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:11,719 Speaker 3: change things a lot. So, I mean, I won't go 884 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:13,879 Speaker 3: into all that detail, but it does mean that he's 885 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:17,160 Speaker 3: a weak in personality compared to who he was. Whether 886 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:19,200 Speaker 3: that was really what happened to him, I don't know, 887 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:21,080 Speaker 3: but I can tell you that he did have very 888 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:27,080 Speaker 3: obvious neurological changes. He wasn't no because because it wasn't 889 00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:30,240 Speaker 3: as in his interest, it actually made his mask fall 890 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:34,719 Speaker 3: more readily and he became a much less charismatic, we 891 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 3: can say, version of himself. But really what started to 892 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:39,120 Speaker 3: bring it to a head is at some point I'm 893 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 3: in I'm in my mid thirties and I'm about to 894 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 3: lose my corporate job. And everything else is sustained by 895 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:48,319 Speaker 3: this job, like our French residency depends on it. All 896 00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:52,200 Speaker 3: our income. The yoga school barely breaks even. Sometimes I 897 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:55,080 Speaker 3: even have to supplant with savings. Like it's these are 898 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:59,080 Speaker 3: all places where money is being drawn out, not that 899 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:02,200 Speaker 3: are not giving money. So when I'm about to lose 900 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:04,920 Speaker 3: that job, I say to myself, that's when I realize, actually, 901 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,000 Speaker 3: a room's not been working for all the years we've 902 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:10,520 Speaker 3: been together. And that's when I think I have an 903 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 3: awakening of my own power. I'm like, actually, I've been 904 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:16,520 Speaker 3: doing all the work, and I start to step back 905 00:46:16,560 --> 00:46:19,120 Speaker 3: and say, yeah, he recommended the MBA, but that's where 906 00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:22,680 Speaker 3: it stopped. And the other thing I realize is if 907 00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:24,480 Speaker 3: I lose this job, I really don't know what's going 908 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:26,600 Speaker 3: to happen. I tell him about it, and he doesn't 909 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:30,319 Speaker 3: seem concerned at all. And then I find another job 910 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:33,960 Speaker 3: in an acquiring company, which I wasn't expecting. And then 911 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:37,640 Speaker 3: I commit to myself that that is actually a blessing, 912 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,360 Speaker 3: a gift, and I need to make this new job work, 913 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:43,440 Speaker 3: because there's every possibility that when you're acquired as an employee, 914 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:45,880 Speaker 3: you may not be kept. Maybe your job already exists. 915 00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:47,440 Speaker 3: So I'm like, no, I'm going to make this work. 916 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 3: And I do change, and I start to become open 917 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:53,719 Speaker 3: to things outside of the yoga world. I start to 918 00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:56,080 Speaker 3: realize that the yoga world and the world of meditation 919 00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:59,160 Speaker 3: has not sustained me. There is a world outside, and 920 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:02,680 Speaker 3: I need to show up in that world by smiling 921 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:05,480 Speaker 3: and by talking to people and by you know, putting 922 00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:08,440 Speaker 3: my best foot forward. And that starts to change things. 923 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:11,880 Speaker 3: I start to make friends at work. That's where I 924 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:16,080 Speaker 3: meet Trevor, and it really is a mindset shift. But 925 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:18,840 Speaker 3: for me, when I look back, it was lifting myself 926 00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:21,520 Speaker 3: up from the cult aspect of what I was living 927 00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:24,560 Speaker 3: because literally before that moment, I didn't believe that people 928 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:30,040 Speaker 3: outside the yoga world were really at the same level people. Well, 929 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:32,400 Speaker 3: that's how embedded I was in it. 930 00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:35,719 Speaker 1: It reminds me of Moses Storm's story Lolo, when he 931 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,480 Speaker 1: met the girl at the grocery store and realized that, 932 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:40,480 Speaker 1: you know, he kind of had a crush you kind 933 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:42,440 Speaker 1: of had a crush on Trevor, not at first, but 934 00:47:42,600 --> 00:47:46,600 Speaker 1: you realize that you did, and you start dedicating yourself 935 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:51,960 Speaker 1: to a more physical reality than kind of the esoteric 936 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:54,879 Speaker 1: mentality you've been inhibiting till then. 937 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you've been so deprived of outside connection that 938 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:02,120 Speaker 2: whole time. I mean, we see very commonly when people 939 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:05,520 Speaker 2: begin to make connections outside of their little small world, 940 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:07,719 Speaker 2: that is when the mind could kind of start to 941 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 2: open up and allow them to think beyond the leader 942 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:14,319 Speaker 2: or the guru or the husband or whatever. So when 943 00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:18,160 Speaker 2: you started to feel more empowered as an individual, what 944 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,239 Speaker 2: happened with a root or do not want to give 945 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:20,560 Speaker 2: it away? 946 00:48:21,640 --> 00:48:23,640 Speaker 3: No, I know, I don't mind. I mean, one thing 947 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 3: I will say as well is that it is gradual. 948 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:29,560 Speaker 3: I think changing my mindset was the first step, and 949 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:32,120 Speaker 3: I began to feel differently and have different values. But 950 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:37,320 Speaker 3: when Trevor and I do start to develop a closer 951 00:48:37,360 --> 00:48:40,160 Speaker 3: relationship and I started telling them what's happening at home, 952 00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:45,279 Speaker 3: he actually listens and doesn't immediately say none of that 953 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:47,439 Speaker 3: can be true. So I think that is the one 954 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:49,839 Speaker 3: thing I would say as well, that I was quite 955 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:51,840 Speaker 3: lucky that someone was willing to listen to some of 956 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:55,040 Speaker 3: these stories. And he came in with his own mindset 957 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:58,160 Speaker 3: thinking this isn't right, but not it's not true. So 958 00:48:58,200 --> 00:49:00,359 Speaker 3: it's two different things. Like he was quite worried and 959 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:03,359 Speaker 3: just like alerting me to this is not, you know, 960 00:49:03,719 --> 00:49:06,319 Speaker 3: a right way to behave. Arun is kind of in 961 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 3: his own world. I don't think he notices I'm changing, 962 00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 3: So he kind of needs to be hit over the 963 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:16,239 Speaker 3: head with it like he is, because if you think 964 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:19,439 Speaker 3: about it, Arun didn't really want to invest that much 965 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:21,080 Speaker 3: in the relationship with me. I mean he did and 966 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,399 Speaker 3: he didn't, but we know in the end, I don't 967 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:24,759 Speaker 3: think this is giving it away. I think people will 968 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:26,839 Speaker 3: know from the beginning that he doesn't love me. So 969 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:30,520 Speaker 3: he's not noticing that I'm pulling away. I'm doing it gradually. 970 00:49:30,640 --> 00:49:33,520 Speaker 3: He's also his health issues are starting to be more 971 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:37,719 Speaker 3: and more prohibitive, so like it's affecting his sex life 972 00:49:37,719 --> 00:49:41,160 Speaker 3: and that really worries him. Yeah, I'm like yes, but 973 00:49:41,239 --> 00:49:44,399 Speaker 3: he's like at that point, I'm really you know, out 974 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:46,880 Speaker 3: of love with him at some point. I'm delighted that 975 00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:49,719 Speaker 3: you know that part is falling away. But he's very 976 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:52,279 Speaker 3: concerned because again the hook, right, how is he going 977 00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:54,920 Speaker 3: to hook these young women if he's not performing. 978 00:49:55,520 --> 00:49:58,600 Speaker 1: Actually, do you think he was sleeping with more women 979 00:49:58,680 --> 00:49:59,720 Speaker 1: than just you and Angela? 980 00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:05,040 Speaker 3: It's possible. It's possible. I think that he might have been. 981 00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:09,239 Speaker 3: You know, I hint about the widow in Rishikesho who 982 00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:11,840 Speaker 3: you know, wants to be married to him, and he 983 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:15,000 Speaker 3: certainly was on the lookout for other vulnerable women. And 984 00:50:15,080 --> 00:50:18,000 Speaker 3: when around the same time, when he gets Angela as 985 00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:21,799 Speaker 3: Tao's white, he then identifies to other women as other 986 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:24,640 Speaker 3: wives of Tao. And that's where I'm like, no, no, no, no, 987 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:27,200 Speaker 3: like there's. 988 00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:28,040 Speaker 1: There's one life for a doubt, thank you. 989 00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:33,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm trying to but no, he and then there's 990 00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:37,799 Speaker 3: this other young client that shows up later on and 991 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:41,640 Speaker 3: where he says, if we ask her, shall lift for us. 992 00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:46,080 Speaker 3: So he tries tries to slip in. But definitely I 993 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:49,360 Speaker 3: think a sex ring or a harem type situation is 994 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 3: I think what he wanted to have. 995 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:56,440 Speaker 2: Wow, my mom, when she believed in our cult leader, 996 00:50:56,719 --> 00:51:01,200 Speaker 2: he sprang a second wife upon her as a revelation 997 00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:04,280 Speaker 2: as well. It's so funny how I mean, it's not funny, 998 00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:08,640 Speaker 2: but no, it's just like incredible, how you know, such 999 00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:12,560 Speaker 2: completely different worlds, completely different communities, completely different belief systems. 1000 00:51:12,920 --> 00:51:17,680 Speaker 2: Everything you're describing sounds so similar to this other situation, 1001 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:21,000 Speaker 2: and it's just like impressive how much they are all 1002 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 2: the same, you know, like and how. 1003 00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:26,319 Speaker 1: They're depending on that fallacy that you've already put so 1004 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:30,560 Speaker 1: much in that you're like, unconsciously, Okay, there's another past 1005 00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:33,400 Speaker 1: life wife, got it, or in your case, Lola, your 1006 00:51:33,400 --> 00:51:36,359 Speaker 1: mom's case, like, there's another prophesized wife. 1007 00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:40,239 Speaker 3: And they keep you running, like the cults keep you 1008 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:43,320 Speaker 3: working and running. And one of the things that really 1009 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:46,080 Speaker 3: helped my self esteem after I started to come out 1010 00:51:46,120 --> 00:51:48,640 Speaker 3: of it, and even after, you know, having written the 1011 00:51:48,640 --> 00:51:51,480 Speaker 3: book and everything is like, they're not you know, you're 1012 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:55,319 Speaker 3: not necessarily weak for having been a target. They need, 1013 00:51:55,440 --> 00:51:57,759 Speaker 3: you know, they want people who work hard, they want 1014 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:00,279 Speaker 3: people who will keep up this sort of so it 1015 00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:03,920 Speaker 3: really felt like running in place there. Definitely, Financially, I 1016 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:06,880 Speaker 3: was not able to save anything the whole time that 1017 00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:09,160 Speaker 3: I was with him, and that makes no sense. We 1018 00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:11,920 Speaker 3: should have been saving money. I was on a top salary. 1019 00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:16,080 Speaker 3: Yes I was the only earner, but still yeah, and 1020 00:52:16,120 --> 00:52:19,439 Speaker 3: I used to feel so proud of that. It really 1021 00:52:19,480 --> 00:52:24,040 Speaker 3: fed into my feminist ideology that I did not want 1022 00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:27,600 Speaker 3: to be, uh you know, uh dependent on a man's salary. 1023 00:52:28,120 --> 00:52:30,920 Speaker 3: And I used to would even have challenged someone and 1024 00:52:30,920 --> 00:52:32,879 Speaker 3: I would have said, well, if if it was him 1025 00:52:32,920 --> 00:52:35,400 Speaker 3: earning and me not, you know, so what's wrong with this? 1026 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:36,680 Speaker 1: Right? Right? 1027 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:39,120 Speaker 3: So it really fed into that and I felt very 1028 00:52:39,160 --> 00:52:41,600 Speaker 3: proud of it. So it kept me working, and it 1029 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:45,080 Speaker 3: kept me like just scrounging, and I, you know, hardly 1030 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:47,920 Speaker 3: could buy any clothes, not that I wanted to, because 1031 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:52,880 Speaker 3: like that's like physical and materialistic. So but meanwhile he 1032 00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:55,920 Speaker 3: needed to have like everything he wanted, jewelry, clothes, and 1033 00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:58,799 Speaker 3: I think looking back, he's probably just taking money back 1034 00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:02,480 Speaker 3: to India, taking cat I wasn't watching, you know what 1035 00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:03,880 Speaker 3: he was spending. 1036 00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:07,360 Speaker 2: So, yeah, that guy targeted my mom when she like 1037 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:11,759 Speaker 2: had a show in development that had big people involved, 1038 00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:14,600 Speaker 2: and we ended up being very poor. She didn't have 1039 00:53:14,680 --> 00:53:16,920 Speaker 2: a lot of money, but it seemed like she was 1040 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:19,239 Speaker 2: going to have a lot of money, and then we 1041 00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,440 Speaker 2: ended up like selling our stuff to fund whatever his 1042 00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:25,720 Speaker 2: things were. Yeah, it's it's a very specific like type 1043 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:28,600 Speaker 2: of sort of cult leader. I don't know what the 1044 00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:31,399 Speaker 2: spiritual leader, I guess is maybe a more appropriate term 1045 00:53:31,719 --> 00:53:32,719 Speaker 2: spiritual con man. 1046 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:34,280 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1047 00:53:34,360 --> 00:53:37,480 Speaker 6: Yeah, but you know when I read about Keith Ranieri 1048 00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:39,880 Speaker 6: and next him again, it was there were so many 1049 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:44,120 Speaker 6: the arc and what he how he operated was so similar, 1050 00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:47,920 Speaker 6: and even the origin stories. 1051 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 3: So in the beginning, when Keith Raniery was saying that 1052 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:52,000 Speaker 3: he had like the highest IQ in. 1053 00:53:51,960 --> 00:53:54,960 Speaker 1: The world or Australia and Guinness Book of World Records 1054 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:56,640 Speaker 1: that he created for himself. 1055 00:53:56,360 --> 00:53:59,560 Speaker 3: Yeah right, that he completely made up. But that was 1056 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:01,919 Speaker 3: the same thing with the room claiming that his heir 1057 00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:06,200 Speaker 3: was Bobbagie or whoever other illustrious leader is equivalent in 1058 00:54:06,239 --> 00:54:10,000 Speaker 3: that narrative that I come from the best, and I 1059 00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:11,000 Speaker 3: am the best. 1060 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:14,320 Speaker 2: I am special, I have a privileged, unique access. 1061 00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1062 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:16,680 Speaker 2: And by the way, our listeners know this, but my 1063 00:54:16,719 --> 00:54:18,759 Speaker 2: mom also I knew Keith Vniary as a child, and 1064 00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:20,279 Speaker 2: he was targeting my mom at the same time as 1065 00:54:20,320 --> 00:54:22,360 Speaker 2: she was trying to extricate herself from the. 1066 00:54:22,239 --> 00:54:25,840 Speaker 1: Other lots a cult. That's a cult. 1067 00:54:26,760 --> 00:54:29,239 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, and they were very similar. And it was 1068 00:54:29,280 --> 00:54:32,480 Speaker 2: so funny because he was critiquing the other guy while 1069 00:54:32,600 --> 00:54:35,799 Speaker 2: he was doing the exact same thing. And again ten 1070 00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:37,399 Speaker 2: years later he started exiom. 1071 00:54:37,440 --> 00:54:38,359 Speaker 1: Not funny at all. 1072 00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:42,200 Speaker 2: Not funny at all, but also just like impress it like. 1073 00:54:42,200 --> 00:54:43,920 Speaker 1: It's just like crazy. 1074 00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:47,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, and so now looking back, how did you 1075 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:50,240 Speaker 2: officially move on with your life? 1076 00:54:50,600 --> 00:54:53,840 Speaker 3: So the breakup? So I eventually I separated from a 1077 00:54:53,960 --> 00:54:56,680 Speaker 3: room seventeen years after we met, and then a year 1078 00:54:56,760 --> 00:55:00,000 Speaker 3: later we were divorced. Luckily, we were able to divorce, 1079 00:55:00,440 --> 00:55:03,920 Speaker 3: as you know, without a big legal case, in other words, 1080 00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:10,799 Speaker 3: mutual consent. And where I realized what had happened is 1081 00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:14,360 Speaker 3: after we were divorced. So throughout our year of separation, 1082 00:55:14,560 --> 00:55:16,960 Speaker 3: used to call me and whine and ask for money 1083 00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:20,160 Speaker 3: and ask for different things, and you know, negotiate the 1084 00:55:20,239 --> 00:55:23,719 Speaker 3: terms of the divorce. And then when that was all over, 1085 00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:27,440 Speaker 3: he stopped calling. You know, at some point I had 1086 00:55:27,480 --> 00:55:29,040 Speaker 3: to say there is no more money coming. You know, 1087 00:55:29,040 --> 00:55:30,880 Speaker 3: we had a final conversation than I never heard from 1088 00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:33,200 Speaker 3: him again. And that's when I realized. I was like, oh, 1089 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:35,239 Speaker 3: so I said to Trevor, I'm like, I kind of 1090 00:55:35,320 --> 00:55:36,879 Speaker 3: let the words drop going do you think he ever 1091 00:55:36,920 --> 00:55:39,440 Speaker 3: loved me? And that's it's one of those questions you 1092 00:55:39,480 --> 00:55:44,280 Speaker 3: ask out loud and then you in like in a second, 1093 00:55:44,360 --> 00:55:48,960 Speaker 3: I just saw the whole scheme. I was targeted in 1094 00:55:49,040 --> 00:55:51,480 Speaker 3: Rishikesh and then all the other you know, you get 1095 00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:54,880 Speaker 3: these like flash image points of the different moments, like 1096 00:55:54,920 --> 00:55:57,520 Speaker 3: these cards, like these photographs, and you're like, ah, this 1097 00:55:57,640 --> 00:55:59,279 Speaker 3: is what he was doing along the way, and it's 1098 00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:02,919 Speaker 3: just longer. I mean, once it was over. In a way, 1099 00:56:02,960 --> 00:56:06,920 Speaker 3: it was it was liberating because I was perturbed with 1100 00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:11,239 Speaker 3: this idea that I betrayed my love, like I was 1101 00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:15,160 Speaker 3: really you know, he had he had his caws into me. Yeah, 1102 00:56:15,480 --> 00:56:18,200 Speaker 3: I was confident that I'd fall in love with someone 1103 00:56:18,200 --> 00:56:21,600 Speaker 3: else that I wanted to be with Trevor. You know, 1104 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:25,160 Speaker 3: I was delighted that Trevor and I are very similar ages. 1105 00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:27,040 Speaker 3: That was really important to me. So part of me 1106 00:56:27,120 --> 00:56:30,160 Speaker 3: knew that living with somebody much older is is not 1107 00:56:30,280 --> 00:56:33,280 Speaker 3: really what I wanted for myself. So I was making 1108 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:37,399 Speaker 3: changes that were positive. But deep inside, your mind does 1109 00:56:37,480 --> 00:56:40,400 Speaker 3: get warped by these experiences. And I remember in the 1110 00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:45,359 Speaker 3: years following, so it's been so that happened eleven years ago. 1111 00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:49,120 Speaker 3: We were divorced in twenty thirteen, and there were times 1112 00:56:49,120 --> 00:56:51,600 Speaker 3: in the years following where I'd get like these flashes 1113 00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:56,239 Speaker 3: of like a good room memory, and I was like, whoa, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, 1114 00:56:56,719 --> 00:56:59,960 Speaker 3: there's nothing good, you know, because like the brain gets 1115 00:57:00,200 --> 00:57:03,719 Speaker 3: jinx with like some times where they actually hooked you 1116 00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:05,880 Speaker 3: in a positive emotion and that. 1117 00:57:07,120 --> 00:57:09,759 Speaker 1: And that is like a very important point that I've 1118 00:57:09,760 --> 00:57:13,560 Speaker 1: been learning about recently, is that flashbacks are not always negative. 1119 00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:17,600 Speaker 1: They can also be positive, and those are very dangerous. 1120 00:57:18,160 --> 00:57:20,200 Speaker 3: They are dangerous because a part of me was like, 1121 00:57:20,320 --> 00:57:23,240 Speaker 3: what are you so yes, and those don't happen anymore, 1122 00:57:23,400 --> 00:57:25,320 Speaker 3: and I had to do the process and I'm catching 1123 00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:27,840 Speaker 3: myself being like, why am I having like a fond 1124 00:57:27,960 --> 00:57:29,840 Speaker 3: a room, you know, a fond memory of a room. 1125 00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:32,760 Speaker 3: And then the night terror started, which I think was 1126 00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:36,640 Speaker 3: the unconscious way of like reckoning with the fear and 1127 00:57:36,680 --> 00:57:40,240 Speaker 3: the danger I'd been in but not ever recognized all 1128 00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:45,080 Speaker 3: those years. Yeah, that's something apart from the exploitation of 1129 00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:47,840 Speaker 3: money and the sex. This these are very like dangerous 1130 00:57:48,040 --> 00:57:52,800 Speaker 3: and you know, evil nefarious personalities. There's there definitely is 1131 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:55,560 Speaker 3: this flip side of you know, partly we can people 1132 00:57:55,560 --> 00:57:58,439 Speaker 3: have asked what was his story, and yes, I'm sure 1133 00:57:58,440 --> 00:58:01,120 Speaker 3: he has a story. We all do, so I'm not 1134 00:58:01,360 --> 00:58:04,200 Speaker 3: belittling that. But by the time they get to be 1135 00:58:04,240 --> 00:58:07,240 Speaker 3: doing what they're doing, there, very far from the original 1136 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:10,520 Speaker 3: place that put them into that vulnerability, that made them 1137 00:58:10,520 --> 00:58:11,280 Speaker 3: create that mask. 1138 00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:14,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean your mom mentioned that she was afraid 1139 00:58:14,160 --> 00:58:17,000 Speaker 1: he might murder you, but knew that the gravy train 1140 00:58:17,040 --> 00:58:20,280 Speaker 1: would stop if he did, so, like just hoped that 1141 00:58:20,360 --> 00:58:22,600 Speaker 1: he wouldn't. And I mean he even told you if 1142 00:58:22,640 --> 00:58:25,400 Speaker 1: you sleep with another man, I'll kill you both. Like 1143 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:28,960 Speaker 1: he was a dangerous, dangerous person. And I can't even 1144 00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:32,360 Speaker 1: imagine what it feels like to look back in retrospect 1145 00:58:32,440 --> 00:58:37,360 Speaker 1: and know you were so close to such a dangerous man. 1146 00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:38,560 Speaker 1: That's really wild. 1147 00:58:39,160 --> 00:58:43,000 Speaker 3: I think the brain does some healing on its own, 1148 00:58:43,080 --> 00:58:46,080 Speaker 3: in the sense I'd never tried to linger back into 1149 00:58:46,120 --> 00:58:49,520 Speaker 3: the fear well or put myself back. I think my 1150 00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:51,960 Speaker 3: primary emotions when I left him were too They were 1151 00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:55,600 Speaker 3: gratitude and fear. So that was the first things I felt. 1152 00:58:55,640 --> 00:59:00,280 Speaker 3: Gratitude that I had left, so did feel It's like 1153 00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:02,840 Speaker 3: a huge load. It felt like something had been pressing 1154 00:59:02,880 --> 00:59:05,040 Speaker 3: in on me for years and that was off, so 1155 00:59:05,120 --> 00:59:08,720 Speaker 3: that was like a breath of could breathe again. But 1156 00:59:08,760 --> 00:59:13,720 Speaker 3: then also fear that I had been hooked and manipulated 1157 00:59:13,720 --> 00:59:16,120 Speaker 3: and deceived so badly, and like how on earth did 1158 00:59:16,160 --> 00:59:16,919 Speaker 3: I believe that? 1159 00:59:17,360 --> 00:59:19,160 Speaker 2: When did you stop believing in the elders? 1160 00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:21,320 Speaker 3: Pretty much when I realized he never loved me, And 1161 00:59:21,360 --> 00:59:24,040 Speaker 3: I realized in a flash that in that moment, yeah, 1162 00:59:24,080 --> 00:59:26,720 Speaker 3: in that moment, because because leading up to the so, 1163 00:59:27,440 --> 00:59:29,920 Speaker 3: there were just these weird things he would do, Like 1164 00:59:30,240 --> 00:59:33,400 Speaker 3: when we were when we first declared the separation or 1165 00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:35,400 Speaker 3: agreed that we would separate and he would go back 1166 00:59:35,440 --> 00:59:38,400 Speaker 3: to India. He said to me, Then I guess it 1167 00:59:38,800 --> 00:59:40,640 Speaker 3: toyed with my mind that I knew I knew were 1168 00:59:40,680 --> 00:59:42,840 Speaker 3: breaking up. But I said, this is a year before 1169 00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:45,560 Speaker 3: a divorce. I said to him, well, were we really 1170 00:59:45,600 --> 00:59:48,320 Speaker 3: married in a past life? He's like, yes, of course 1171 00:59:48,360 --> 00:59:51,200 Speaker 3: we were. And then he obviously picks it up as 1172 00:59:51,240 --> 00:59:53,400 Speaker 3: a way back in so he's like, actually, baba Ge 1173 00:59:53,400 --> 00:59:54,240 Speaker 3: wants to meet you. 1174 00:59:54,880 --> 00:59:58,080 Speaker 1: The random master of all of it. You've never met before. 1175 00:59:58,200 --> 01:00:01,240 Speaker 1: This is the personality, right. 1176 01:00:01,400 --> 01:00:03,840 Speaker 3: And when he comes, he's not someone you want to meet. 1177 01:00:03,880 --> 01:00:08,000 Speaker 3: And I'm shocked. I'm like, oh, he's awful, right, Really, 1178 01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:10,919 Speaker 3: I have a version of Babaji was like very disappointing, 1179 01:00:12,320 --> 01:00:15,800 Speaker 3: very greedy, like he like gobbled up these like little 1180 01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:21,240 Speaker 3: sweets that I put out and like drank all this alcohol. Okay, 1181 01:00:21,920 --> 01:00:26,360 Speaker 3: Grandmaster like and Grandmaster had only one question. Grandmaster was 1182 01:00:26,440 --> 01:00:31,000 Speaker 3: like will you go back to him? And I was 1183 01:00:31,040 --> 01:00:34,160 Speaker 3: like no, and He's like why not? And I was 1184 01:00:34,200 --> 01:00:37,320 Speaker 3: like I cannot. But like our station was very sulted. 1185 01:00:37,400 --> 01:00:40,000 Speaker 3: But like what a final moment. 1186 01:00:40,280 --> 01:00:43,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, he really did that. He really went for that one. 1187 01:00:43,760 --> 01:00:50,200 Speaker 1: He really did. He is terrible, but you know he 1188 01:00:50,200 --> 01:00:54,840 Speaker 1: he tried to do some interesting moves. I'll give him that. 1189 01:00:56,200 --> 01:01:01,720 Speaker 2: He really milked that acting talent. Yeah, I'm curious now, like, 1190 01:01:02,200 --> 01:01:06,680 Speaker 2: looking at the many spiritual communities that exist around yoga 1191 01:01:06,800 --> 01:01:11,920 Speaker 2: or meditation, are there things that you would advise someone 1192 01:01:12,000 --> 01:01:14,360 Speaker 2: to maybe look out for or be wary of. 1193 01:01:14,760 --> 01:01:17,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. I mean I would be very wary 1194 01:01:17,920 --> 01:01:21,680 Speaker 3: of any guru figures. They've all been discredited in one 1195 01:01:21,720 --> 01:01:24,760 Speaker 3: way or another, So this is a real pattern. I 1196 01:01:24,800 --> 01:01:28,600 Speaker 3: would be wary of giving anyone that power over you, 1197 01:01:29,680 --> 01:01:32,200 Speaker 3: that they have the knowledge. Coming back to what you said, Lola, 1198 01:01:32,240 --> 01:01:34,400 Speaker 3: but when you know, we're younger and we want someone 1199 01:01:34,480 --> 01:01:36,240 Speaker 3: else to have the knowledge, and we pursue that knowledge. 1200 01:01:36,280 --> 01:01:38,800 Speaker 3: But I think that comes out of a need and 1201 01:01:38,840 --> 01:01:41,480 Speaker 3: maybe a belief or lack of belief in ourselves and 1202 01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:46,080 Speaker 3: our own potential. So I would be very worried about 1203 01:01:46,080 --> 01:01:51,600 Speaker 3: anyone who put that spiritual leader above them in some way. Yeah, 1204 01:01:51,640 --> 01:01:55,640 Speaker 3: and then even in the practices themselves, people deify the 1205 01:01:55,720 --> 01:01:58,800 Speaker 3: practices like this is the practice that we must do 1206 01:01:59,040 --> 01:02:01,919 Speaker 3: to achieve this or this is the pose that will 1207 01:02:01,960 --> 01:02:05,360 Speaker 3: cure this ailment. And these things don't work that way, 1208 01:02:06,040 --> 01:02:07,720 Speaker 3: you know, the way I see it now, And I 1209 01:02:07,720 --> 01:02:09,960 Speaker 3: don't think a lot of people in the yoga community 1210 01:02:10,080 --> 01:02:13,000 Speaker 3: necessarily would see it this way. But to me, these 1211 01:02:13,000 --> 01:02:17,320 Speaker 3: are stretches, these are moves. Breathing exercises can be calming. 1212 01:02:17,800 --> 01:02:20,000 Speaker 3: You may choose to do them, you may not. You 1213 01:02:20,080 --> 01:02:23,240 Speaker 3: may also choose not to listen to that hypnotic voice 1214 01:02:23,800 --> 01:02:28,160 Speaker 3: while you're exercising. Because I had an experience with yoga Nidra, 1215 01:02:28,480 --> 01:02:31,200 Speaker 3: which is the yoga of sleep, and essentially we were 1216 01:02:31,280 --> 01:02:35,240 Speaker 3: hypnotized in a group, but it wasn't called hypnosis, so 1217 01:02:35,360 --> 01:02:40,560 Speaker 3: when it was called lucid sleeping and the yoga of sleep, 1218 01:02:40,600 --> 01:02:43,880 Speaker 3: and when and after that experience, I went with a 1219 01:02:43,920 --> 01:02:46,240 Speaker 3: friend of mine, you know, who also had worked at 1220 01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:48,840 Speaker 3: my yoga school, who became a friend, and we both 1221 01:02:49,240 --> 01:02:53,160 Speaker 3: said how next day we chatted about our hypnotic yoga nidra, 1222 01:02:53,560 --> 01:02:55,360 Speaker 3: and she said, you know, I didn't feel great after that. 1223 01:02:55,480 --> 01:02:57,440 Speaker 3: I was kind of on the couch and I said, 1224 01:02:57,800 --> 01:03:01,960 Speaker 3: neither did I. And we had been hypnotized without being told. 1225 01:03:02,040 --> 01:03:05,360 Speaker 3: So I would say be more careful than be more 1226 01:03:05,360 --> 01:03:08,160 Speaker 3: careful if you sense that people are going to promise 1227 01:03:08,240 --> 01:03:12,080 Speaker 3: things that sound, you know, really good, but how are 1228 01:03:12,120 --> 01:03:12,800 Speaker 3: they doing them? 1229 01:03:13,320 --> 01:03:15,960 Speaker 1: And I like what you said about like yoga's stretching 1230 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:18,320 Speaker 1: and breathing and you can definitely connect your mind and 1231 01:03:18,360 --> 01:03:22,120 Speaker 1: body and it's great, but it isn't this ancient thing 1232 01:03:22,200 --> 01:03:25,600 Speaker 1: that we've been taught. It's kind of a new can 1233 01:03:25,720 --> 01:03:27,800 Speaker 1: can you just say a little bit about what it 1234 01:03:27,840 --> 01:03:28,520 Speaker 1: actually is. 1235 01:03:29,480 --> 01:03:32,360 Speaker 3: I think the physical part that most people are doing 1236 01:03:32,440 --> 01:03:35,240 Speaker 3: is about one hundred years old, one hundred and fifty 1237 01:03:35,280 --> 01:03:38,320 Speaker 3: years old. These exercises were developed out of India through 1238 01:03:38,360 --> 01:03:43,640 Speaker 3: sort of an amalgamation of fitness was you know, rising 1239 01:03:43,760 --> 01:03:45,160 Speaker 3: up in the world. I think there was a time 1240 01:03:45,200 --> 01:03:48,520 Speaker 3: when people were not doing fitness exercises that was in 1241 01:03:48,560 --> 01:03:52,520 Speaker 3: a cultural exchange with things that people were doing in India, 1242 01:03:52,560 --> 01:03:56,160 Speaker 3: and so they created their own indigenous like fitness practices 1243 01:03:57,040 --> 01:04:00,280 Speaker 3: called yoga that and called you know, call them. They 1244 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:03,320 Speaker 3: use Sanskrit terms to give them, you know, an Indian flavor, 1245 01:04:03,520 --> 01:04:05,880 Speaker 3: and it was also linked up with Indian you know, 1246 01:04:05,920 --> 01:04:09,160 Speaker 3: independence and independence movements, so it is part of a 1247 01:04:09,160 --> 01:04:13,480 Speaker 3: whole cultural narrative. But no, it's not that ancient. And 1248 01:04:13,600 --> 01:04:16,479 Speaker 3: I think we just repeat that it's ancient, but those 1249 01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:19,400 Speaker 3: are you know, that's not what people are practicing today. 1250 01:04:19,920 --> 01:04:22,600 Speaker 3: I do think people can use say it's not above 1251 01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:26,600 Speaker 3: scrutiny and it's not above change. I've been to yoga 1252 01:04:26,600 --> 01:04:29,280 Speaker 3: classes taught by you know, physical therapists that are like, no, 1253 01:04:29,360 --> 01:04:31,360 Speaker 3: we're not going to do it that way because that's 1254 01:04:31,360 --> 01:04:34,240 Speaker 3: not great for your body. You don't have to you know, 1255 01:04:34,320 --> 01:04:36,240 Speaker 3: lock your knees or just different things. So the thing 1256 01:04:36,320 --> 01:04:40,320 Speaker 3: people make too much of it. And also I found 1257 01:04:40,360 --> 01:04:42,520 Speaker 3: that when I was done, I was done, I needed 1258 01:04:42,560 --> 01:04:45,120 Speaker 3: to like go on, you know, ride my bike and 1259 01:04:45,200 --> 01:04:48,360 Speaker 3: like dance and like I needed to do other forms 1260 01:04:48,400 --> 01:04:51,920 Speaker 3: of exercise and just express myself differently. You don't have 1261 01:04:51,960 --> 01:04:53,280 Speaker 3: to do yoga if you don't want. 1262 01:04:53,120 --> 01:04:56,080 Speaker 2: To, yeah, and if you want to, great, just do 1263 01:04:56,200 --> 01:05:02,520 Speaker 2: it in moderation and without handing control over to somebody else. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 1264 01:05:02,560 --> 01:05:06,800 Speaker 2: And the point about not about ancient. It's just I 1265 01:05:06,800 --> 01:05:09,560 Speaker 2: do feel like we can imbue this like sort of mysterious, 1266 01:05:10,360 --> 01:05:14,160 Speaker 2: unknowable magical quality to something if it's old when we 1267 01:05:14,280 --> 01:05:17,440 Speaker 2: use words like ancient, So making that distinction is really important. 1268 01:05:17,640 --> 01:05:19,720 Speaker 2: And even if they are ancient, that doesn't mean that 1269 01:05:19,760 --> 01:05:22,640 Speaker 2: they're good and correct and right for everyone or magical, 1270 01:05:22,760 --> 01:05:24,880 Speaker 2: you know, like it does mean that's old. 1271 01:05:26,080 --> 01:05:27,760 Speaker 3: And do you think that's part of and also the 1272 01:05:27,760 --> 01:05:29,800 Speaker 3: part that we think of it as coming from India 1273 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:31,400 Speaker 3: or the East. Do you think that's part of the 1274 01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:34,360 Speaker 3: reason that we talk just a little bit less about 1275 01:05:34,880 --> 01:05:37,919 Speaker 3: these kinds of cults maybe than the ones that are 1276 01:05:37,960 --> 01:05:38,720 Speaker 3: more homegrown. 1277 01:05:39,320 --> 01:05:43,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, well yeah, I mean I feel like people still 1278 01:05:43,520 --> 01:05:45,760 Speaker 2: I don't know. I feel like culturally yoga is still 1279 01:05:45,880 --> 01:05:49,280 Speaker 2: very much like we do kind of ascribe some magical 1280 01:05:49,400 --> 01:05:52,560 Speaker 2: qualities to it a little bit, and that is connected 1281 01:05:52,600 --> 01:05:55,120 Speaker 2: to this idea of this ancient Indian culture that we 1282 01:05:55,240 --> 01:05:58,919 Speaker 2: just don't understand. I feel like more so like there 1283 01:05:59,240 --> 01:06:01,560 Speaker 2: hasn't been a ton of acknowledgement I feel of the 1284 01:06:01,600 --> 01:06:05,440 Speaker 2: guru student culture. I mean, obviously some of our past 1285 01:06:05,480 --> 01:06:08,960 Speaker 2: guests have, but in the larger culture, yeah, it is 1286 01:06:09,080 --> 01:06:11,520 Speaker 2: really not viewed that way. It's viewed as like, oh, 1287 01:06:11,560 --> 01:06:15,040 Speaker 2: that's just another culture that's that's different from ours, and 1288 01:06:15,080 --> 01:06:17,760 Speaker 2: that can be true, but also that those relationships can 1289 01:06:17,760 --> 01:06:18,560 Speaker 2: become very abusive. 1290 01:06:18,600 --> 01:06:19,080 Speaker 1: Obviously. 1291 01:06:19,280 --> 01:06:20,680 Speaker 3: Now I was going to say, I'm seeing some of 1292 01:06:20,840 --> 01:06:23,240 Speaker 3: some people come out and talk about that more like 1293 01:06:23,320 --> 01:06:26,840 Speaker 3: even just admitting that it's not ancient, it's quite controversial. 1294 01:06:26,920 --> 01:06:29,760 Speaker 3: So you are seeing people speak about that. 1295 01:06:30,400 --> 01:06:33,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, Well, thank you for speaking about it and 1296 01:06:33,400 --> 01:06:37,160 Speaker 2: for sharing your story. And I mean, it's incredible that 1297 01:06:37,160 --> 01:06:39,360 Speaker 2: you're that you're sharing it and talking about it. I 1298 01:06:39,400 --> 01:06:42,640 Speaker 2: do think you have a very unique You've had a 1299 01:06:42,720 --> 01:06:48,320 Speaker 2: very uniquely yeah. So, and I think it will be 1300 01:06:48,480 --> 01:06:50,360 Speaker 2: helpful to a lot of people who are maybe in 1301 01:06:50,400 --> 01:06:53,320 Speaker 2: a similar situation or teetering on a similar situation, or 1302 01:06:53,400 --> 01:06:56,240 Speaker 2: have been in one and didn't necessarily have this language 1303 01:06:56,280 --> 01:06:58,720 Speaker 2: for it because it's not what we traditionally think of 1304 01:06:58,760 --> 01:06:59,400 Speaker 2: as a culture. 1305 01:06:59,480 --> 01:07:04,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, is unbelievable. We totally recommend that everybody get the 1306 01:07:04,800 --> 01:07:08,200 Speaker 1: secret practice eighteen years on the Dark Side of Yoga, 1307 01:07:08,800 --> 01:07:11,160 Speaker 1: and we just thank you so much for being with 1308 01:07:11,240 --> 01:07:11,840 Speaker 1: us today. 1309 01:07:12,160 --> 01:07:15,760 Speaker 3: Thank you both, thank you for having me with you. 1310 01:07:16,080 --> 01:07:19,240 Speaker 1: That is honestly one of the wildest stories I've ever heard. 1311 01:07:19,280 --> 01:07:21,520 Speaker 1: I said it in part one. I could get sucked 1312 01:07:21,560 --> 01:07:24,640 Speaker 1: into this quote unquote call today. 1313 01:07:24,520 --> 01:07:28,520 Speaker 4: You would go to India in pursuit of a spiritual 1314 01:07:29,120 --> 01:07:32,720 Speaker 4: leader and would just cancel your flight home. 1315 01:07:32,680 --> 01:07:37,680 Speaker 1: One hundred thousand million billion percon. Wow, this book is 1316 01:07:37,720 --> 01:07:40,600 Speaker 1: a must read. I read it in a night. I 1317 01:07:40,720 --> 01:07:43,560 Speaker 1: was completely fascinated. It's called The Secret Practice, The Dark 1318 01:07:43,600 --> 01:07:47,040 Speaker 1: Side of Yoga, and it is Oh, it is good. 1319 01:07:47,240 --> 01:07:52,160 Speaker 1: I guess my takeaway from this episode is that narcissists 1320 01:07:52,440 --> 01:07:55,440 Speaker 1: must just fall in one because yes, they will go 1321 01:07:55,480 --> 01:07:59,400 Speaker 1: to all lengths to get what they want from you. Yeah, 1322 01:07:59,640 --> 01:08:04,800 Speaker 1: and if that involves baking multiple personality disorder and dragging 1323 01:08:04,840 --> 01:08:09,520 Speaker 1: you across the world on a journey of pain and suffering, 1324 01:08:10,120 --> 01:08:13,640 Speaker 1: that is just fine with them. So keep your eyes 1325 01:08:13,680 --> 01:08:14,760 Speaker 1: out people. Yeah. 1326 01:08:14,840 --> 01:08:17,360 Speaker 4: It was nice to hear the moment towards the end 1327 01:08:17,560 --> 01:08:21,719 Speaker 4: of the interview, just her realization of what the world 1328 01:08:22,040 --> 01:08:26,000 Speaker 4: outside of her was like and the gradual establishment of boundaries, 1329 01:08:26,080 --> 01:08:29,720 Speaker 4: which I think is empowering and liberating and it can 1330 01:08:29,760 --> 01:08:33,559 Speaker 4: be a very gradual process, but it's just very meaningful, 1331 01:08:33,560 --> 01:08:34,640 Speaker 4: and it was nice to hear at the end of 1332 01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:35,120 Speaker 4: the story. 1333 01:08:35,280 --> 01:08:37,840 Speaker 1: I agree. Well, thank you so much. For listening to 1334 01:08:37,920 --> 01:08:40,800 Speaker 1: another week of trust Me. We can't wait to see 1335 01:08:40,800 --> 01:08:44,160 Speaker 1: you again next week, and as always, remember to follow 1336 01:08:44,200 --> 01:08:51,120 Speaker 1: your gut, watch out for our flax, and never ever trusting. Bye. 1337 01:08:52,960 --> 01:08:55,640 Speaker 2: Trust Me as produced by Kirsten Woodward, Gabby Rapp and 1338 01:08:55,680 --> 01:08:57,080 Speaker 2: Steve Delemator. 1339 01:08:56,640 --> 01:08:58,599 Speaker 1: With special thanks to Stacy Para. 1340 01:08:58,520 --> 01:09:00,920 Speaker 2: And our theme song was composed by Holly amber Church. 1341 01:09:01,160 --> 01:09:04,040 Speaker 1: You can find us on Instagram at trust Me Podcast, 1342 01:09:04,200 --> 01:09:08,000 Speaker 1: Twitter at trust Me Cultpod, or on TikTok at trust 1343 01:09:08,000 --> 01:09:09,280 Speaker 1: Me Cult Podcast. 1344 01:09:09,479 --> 01:09:12,840 Speaker 2: I'm Ula Lola on Instagram and Ola Lola on Twitter. 1345 01:09:12,560 --> 01:09:16,200 Speaker 1: And I am Megan Elizabeth eleven on Instagram and Bebraham 1346 01:09:16,280 --> 01:09:17,320 Speaker 1: Hicks on Twitter. 1347 01:09:17,479 --> 01:09:19,800 Speaker 2: Remember to rate and review and spread the word.