So, the long-awaited film "Twisted Yoga" was released on the AppleTV streaming platform, which brought
the MISA/ATMAN sectarian phenomenon back to the attention of the entire world. This comes after over
a decade of "drought" in the field of visual productions about the sect (after the two Finnish television
documentaries entitled ”The dark side of a tantric cult” and ”The call of tantric guru” (link), respectively
the two-part Danish documentary, entitled ”Sekten?” (”Cult?”), also from 2013 (link). In this interval of absence
of video productions, the documentary (Un)wel - Tantric Sex (2020, Netflix) stands out, about Swami Vivekananda
Saraswati aka Narcis Tarcău, Bivolaru's former disciple who copied both his guru's habbits and his organization.
The release of this documentary is a welcome event, something like this was really needed because the
quantity and quality of visual productions with a global impact about the sect are insufficient in relation to its
expansion, external propaganda, but also the secrecy within it. For someone who does not know the subject,
Twisted Yoga is a documentary full of information and at the same time a welcome warning. It is true, however,
that for a connoisseur, especially if he is a former student, it does not bring many new things. It is a documentary
for the general public, but necessary.
Next, I will highlight some main ideas of the documentary, with pluses and minuses.
➤ EXTERNAL APPEARANCES: ALARM SIGNALS
From the outside, for someone who comes into contact with the MISA/ATMAN school for the first time,
it does not have the appearance of a structure or a sect. The courses include regular yoga lessons in the gym,
which take place weekly, taught by teachers who seem to be on their own and nothing suggests that they
have a pyramidal structure behind them, with a leader at the top. This is contributed by the fact that, lately,
the pages of the MISA/ATMAN branches have started to eliminate references to Gregorian Bivolaru and his
two agents, the Stoian couple, all of them being currently detained in France. For example, here is what the page
of the Esoteric Tantra Yoga course in Romania (About Us) looked like on December 13, 2025 (archive) and here
is what it looked like on March 1, 2026 (link), when the three leaders of ATMAN had disappeared from the page.
The film shows that the MISA/ATMAN school is distinguished from others by the amount and consistency
of new information presented in the courses, which makes the techniques have immediate and powerful effects.
This is what causes most people to join and then continue to take courses at this school.
The documentary shows that these courses offer teachings from almost all existing systems, according to the
principle "we have everything, you can find anything here and only here". This is one of the attractions, but it
should also be the first alarm signal. The all-encompassing offer is tempting at the supermarket, but it is bizarre
in spirituality. How does it sound for a martial arts instructor to give lessons in kung fu, aiki-do, capoeira, judo,
Greco-Roman wrestling and boxing in the same course? Each spiritual master comes from a certain system,
in which he was initiated by one master, he did not suck from several cows simultaneously.
It was understandable for a school that brings together several systems, each yoga system being taught by
a specialized teacher, and each student choosing his system and master. But for all the systems to be present
within the same course, taught by a single master or teacher, this is abnormal. MISA even boasts that its courses
are "a creative synthesis of all spiritual traditions" (source), saying that this is one of the aspects that "gives it
uniqueness and authenticity".
Unfortunately, the filmmakers of this documentary do not notice the contradiction between uniqueness and
tradition. This was also the right moment to include in the documentary an imperative appeal to those looking
for yoga courses: "Be very circumspect, do not be tempted by offers, check the course or school, check
the teachers and accreditations!" If it is a school, network of schools or federation, be very careful, it is
a structure with a management that is not visible! Be very careful with the title of ”spiritual or esoteric school”.
If it is also integral, then it is definitely from ATMAN! The safest is an independent course, with few teachers,
where the accreditations and responsibilities are clear, which may have joined a professional association or
federation in the field, but the essential thing is that it is independent. Even so, check the competence and reviews!
If a certain and rapid evolution is promised, leave immediately, it is definitely false advertising!
The consistency and efficiency of the MISA doctrine come from the fact that it is a compilation, a synthesis
of quality sources. It is plagiarism without citing the sources! If the creators had researched and shown the sources
of Bivolaru's courses (link), perhaps someone from the schools whose teachings are shamelessly plagiarized
(Bihar School of Yoga, van Lysebeth's school, publishing houses, etc.) would have noticed. An international
lawsuit against the MISA/ATMAN schools, through which they would be legally prohibited from using these
plagiarized materials, would be a necessary and effective measure to reduce their attractiveness.
Finally, one of the former female students who appears in the documentary (Ashleigh) says that when she
enrolled at Tara Yoga UK, the course had reached its 20th year. And the countdown continues, with no sign
of ending. Where else has a 20-year course been heard of? The one in Romania has reached its 37th year!
Again, MISA boasts that the school was nominated for the World Records Book (link) and this fact does not
catch anyone's eye, and what remains is that it is a cool school where you can find everything you could want.
All that was missing was to say "let's go too!"
➤ INSIDE: THE ALARM SCREAMS!
Once inside, attracted by the multicolored MISA poster, the novice finds that there are also things inside that
do not appear on the poster at the entrance, for example what the film calls “extracurricular activities”.
Of these, the most famous are yoga camps where, in order to be accepted, students are asked to take recent
photos in a swimsuit, “to visualize the aura”. The documentary highlights the strangeness of this request,
which claims that the aura cannot be seen if the body is covered with clothes, and at the same time highlights
the feeling of discomfort produced by entrusting intimate photos to strangers, in a world that proclaims
the protection of personal data, yet the students comply without complaining.
But there are also activities that not all students have access to, where participation is conditional on taking
vows on their own health and spiritual evolution, and students are asked to swear that they will not reveal
anything they see or learn, before knowing what they are about to take part in. Moreover, what happens there
cannot be revealed even to other fellow students, who do not participate in these secret activities. These are
Shakti groups, sexual and urinary orgies, retreats, secret rituals. The film shows staged sequences (although
there are also real images), from rituals of worship of deities and the guru. A meeting from women's groups
is described, where sex between women and drinking urine collected from all participants is practiced.
Such a ritual described in the film is called "integration", which is just a collective orgy of women, in which
the "spiritual connection" is achieved at the level of instinctual manifestations and the mutual consumption
of bodily fluids:
[ep.1 min32:sec34] Ashleigh: And then they started talking about the technique which is using the urine,
which they called the Golden Elixir. Which is where you're exchanging the Golden Elixir. You're exchanging
the urine. After at least 45 minutes of lovemaking or "charging", so that it's then "charged." And that's how
you supposedly integrate the qualities of the partner. It's like the ultimate kind of connection and closeness
because you are then drinking and embodying these qualities of your partner. I… I didn't want to. So, I… I sat
in the room for it. And we went into the room, they had all the… It was all kind of ritualized. And then it was
just an orgy. It was just a massive orgy of all these women. No men. And I just sat there, watching, in a kind
of a meditative posture. And just kind of observed. And then they start passing a bowl around and they're
all collectively peeing into the bowl. And then they're bottling it afterwards into these little vials so that they
can put a couple of drops in their water so that they can keep embodying the qualities. I seemed like I was
the only one that didn't want to. But I rationalized it as, "Well, I'm not evolved enough. Maybe one day, I'll be
more evolved. I'm just not there."
Miranda: When I first did it myself, it grossed me out. And I had a moment of being like, ”what am I doing?”
You know, it felt weird, but there was also this sense of… like, love and acceptance at a very deep level.
Ashleigh: It was certainly intriguing. But I think I was also just nursing or holding onto all the shame that
I couldn't bring myself to be involved.
reporter: So you would've liked to have been able to?
Ashleigh: I would've liked to have wanted to. I wanted to want to.
[ep.2 min00:sec27]
Andrea: It was so beautiful to be part of the sisterhood. I promised not to share any of it.
The filmmakers claim that they aimed not to fall into the trap of cheap sensationalism and kept the brakes on
when it comes to sexual orgies and urophilia. However, that's what MISA is about: debauched and perverted
sexuality, on a level never seen elsewhere, that is forced down the throats of its followers until they refuse!
(article)
The Miss Shakti contest is presented, which is the activity of maximum interest within the summer camps,
through which the students come into contact with the essential teaching of MISA, tantric sexuality with
continence (which is however very little exposed in the courses and to a certain extent on the MISA pages,
in terms of the basic principles). However, the concrete ways of putting it into practice are found only in the
secret groups, which thus exert a great attraction on the students and determine them to want to participate.
Through the Miss Shakti shows and contests, the students are shown what the “correct” attitude should be
from a spiritual point of view: “boundless eroticism”. However, the scenes of simulated sex on stage are not
broadcast, although there are press photos available (link), and there is no talk of the "secret test" (which is
the so-called ”urinary orgasm”) although there are films produced and sold on webstore by MISA (link).
If only diluted aspects are presented, the risk is ridicule ("come on, it's no big deal, just exaggerations").
These "productions" specific to MISA should also have been presented, as a warning to those who, possibly,
flirt with the idea of seeing what it's like at the sect's classes, attracted by the "immediate effects" and tantra.
"Extracurricular activities" are the real problem at MISA/ATMAN, where women are drawn into the abyss
of debauchery and sexual exploitation. In this regard, another shortcoming of the documentary appears: the lack
of any reference to the "crossing the boundaries" retreats, that is, the surprise activities at the secret meetings
of the sect, which were so well captured in a BBC podcast ("Bad Guru" link), in a Danish podcast ("Road
to Paradise" link) and in a Swedish podcast ("The Yoga Sect" link) and for which there is also video evidence
(link). Because, if in the case of the other actions, those who participate know in advance what they are taking
part in, in the case of the "crossing the boundaries" meetings the activities are intended to "take the ego by surprise",
and some participants experience states of discomfort, which they consider even abusive.
However, it is welcome that the film exposes to the general public this alarm signal of MISA's actions,
represented by the vows of silence that precede the abusive activities, before it is known what it is about,
which means that participation can be avoided at the last moment by those who are warned. Another plus
for this documentary is the exposure of the sect's porn video chat activities. A question that naturally arises
in the minds of those who watch it is what drives these women to accept to take part in such abusive actions
for them and in which they would not normally participate.
➤ COLLECTIVE PRESSURE
At MISA, the indoctrination of followers by sect leaders is only one aspect of the problem. Because human
beings tend to reject pressure from any kind of authority, sectarian indoctrination would not be effective without
the contribution of other members who are on the same level. It is more difficult to accept someone who
seeks to impose their will on others in their personal interest, but it is much easier to accept the same imposition
when others around them accept it, because then it seems that the imposition comes from them and seems
to be in the general interest and, besides, it's harder to oppose a group than an individual. Along the same lines
is the idea presented in the film that many people end up joining sects being attracted to them by friends or by
people they know.
Collective pressure does not always manifest itself in the hard version, as an intervention of the group against
the one who is "different", but often in the soft version, that is, the acceptance that comes from a member
of the group who does not want to seem different from the group and does not want to self-exclude rather
than be excluded. That is why the collective pressure that comes from the individual's aspiration to be accepted
by the group ("herd spirit") is so effective. And at MISA, the student's concern to be in step with the "spiritual
group", to be "open" and not to seem "blocked and closed", is "macrocosmic".
In this regard, the students are instilled with the idea that they must participate in all the school's activities,
but especially in those outside the regular yoga classes (”extracurricular activities”), in the secret groups where
"true knowledge and initiations" are given. Participation in the main camps is very important, where collective
indoctrination is most strongly and obviously manifested, and the students are instilled with the idea that they
must make sacrifices in order to participate in the camps. In the film, Ashleigh shows that, not having the financial
means to participate in the summer camp on her own, she made a request to the guru to be accepted at the Villa,
where accommodation was free. Thus, without knowing it, she fell into his trap. Without that letter, she might
not have come to his attention so early. On the other hand, the fact that she was a novice and had not been
indoctrinated enough made her not accept his sexual initiation.
Also, a fact that is suggested in the film, but which is not emphasized enough, although it is an important
conclusion, is that the victims decided to speak out publicly and take legal action after Ashleigh came out
publicly for the first time. Once the first one had the courage to take the first step, it was much easier for the
others. Why her? Because she refused the meeting and, therefore, was not sexually abused, so the feeling
of shame did not exist for her, although she was seriously shaken mentally and needed psychological help.
She was supported by the thought that she did what was right and, as soon as she recovers and strengthens
herself mentally, she still has to do something: to stop this horror, to save the other girls and especially so that
the other girls, who have not yet fallen prey to the monster with the face of a saint, are warned.
Ashleigh is the one who started it all. Of course, Agnes had spoken about all of this twenty years earlier, but
the fact that her testimony appeared in a trial that ended without convictions, in a corrupt country dominated
by carelessness and indolence, sensitive only to gossip, scandal, and sensationalism, covered her over time
with a wave of oblivion. It turns out that the feeling of shame that abused women experience, especially because
they think they were weak and gave in, stops women from taking action and exposing the horrors they experienced
(see the #MeToo case). The deranged abuser knows this and amplifies this feeling of shame, forcing the girls
to give that standard post-"initiation" video statement in which they have to say that "if I forget these feelings,
I will show that I belong to the category of superficial, shifting and stupid women."
Of course, what further stops women from publicly exposing the system of abuse is the fear of the consequences
of breaking the vows of silence, which is induced in followers by uttering that self-curse like "to receive all
the bad things I deserve within a maximum of 7 calendar years from the moment I break the vow".
Although the aspect of the vows of silence is illustrated in the documentary, the fact that it only aims to narrate
the facts and not debate them, leaving everything up to the viewer, means that many do not understand these
mechanisms because they have not had these experiences. Of course, many viewers wonder how followers
can be so naive as to fall prey to this sect and think that it can't happen to them, but until you've dealt with
such a ”boiled frog”-like brainwashing process, amplified by the pressure to conform to the collective, you
can't know how you would actually act.
Another aspect that always appears in the film is the frequent use of collective rituals. The use of rituals is one
of the oddities of MISA, because it contrasts with the idea of spontaneity that Tantra implies. Ritual is an aspect
that does not appear from the first yoga courses for beginners, but is gradually introduced during the sessions
of the basic yoga course (consecration, entering the state of subtle communion with the spiritual guide, phasing
of techniques and expressing thanks and gratitude to God at the end of the session).
However, all the "extracurricular activities" are super-ritualized. That is where the indoctrination and brainwashing
really take place, which remains little known to the students who do not "engage" in such activities. The collective
emotion induced by the ritual is a surrogate for spiritual experience, and the direction that accompanies these
artificial collective ceremonies is a subtle means of determining the followers to adopt all kinds of mechanical
attitudes.
Participating in the Miss Shakti contest, both as a competitor and as a simple spectator, also acts in this regard.
Belonging to a community makes many people accept what they would never normally accept. When you see
so many people, from all countries, doing certain things, the desire to overcome "seclusion" and to be "in line
with the others" becomes great and it is harder to resist the group than a single individual. Collective pressure
facilitates and, at the same time, greatly amplifies the indoctrination process. In fact, the film presents all
the victims as being very happy at first, in the middle of the group, until the moment they get to know the guru.
One form of collective pressure at MISA is the fear of “demonic doubts”, fear inoculated by the guru and
assimilated by the followers. By accepting to doubts about the guru, the follower ”can be diverted from
the spiritual path and thus permanently lose the only chance of spiritual liberation”. The fear of losing
“divine grace and the only chance of spiritual liberation” plays an essential role in keeping MISA students
captive within the school and its doctrine. The idea appears only fleetingly in the film, exposed by Ashleigh.
The documentary highlights that the indoctrination and collective pressure at MISA/ATMAN seem to be directed
in two main directions: to accept sexual initiation by the guru and to accept exploitation for his benefit.
Accepting sexual initiation by the guru is facilitated by transfiguration. In theory, this means seeing beyond
the face. But Tantra draws attention to the trap of self-illusion, so you must aim to see the real nature, not
the imaginary one. Transfiguration is spontaneous when there is true love. But in the case of the invitation
to the guru by the students, some of whom were seeing him for the first time, “transfiguration” meant going
beyond the nausea caused at first sight by his appearance and imagining that you were in the presence of
a god, like Shiva.
Exploitation at MISA - including and especially in the form of sexual exploitation - is disguised as the activity
of "karma yoga", one of the two pillars of the MISA doctrine, in addition to the doctrine of eroticism boundless.
For if the idea of being Shakti is intended to fulfill the perverse desires of the guru, it would have been a waste
if this "talent" had not been "valued" financially. And women are urged to ”deliver” for the guru - not only
sensually, but also financially - through the concept of "volunteering", as karma yoga is more recently translated.
➤ ”SURRENDER!”
At MISA, karma yoga was introduced as the attitude of abandonment before the Will of God, as a state of
"God's relay" (integrated action, sanctified by God's affirmative response to consecration), and in general
as a selfless action for good, for charity, for helping those in need and suffering. But later, imperceptibly (and with
imperceptibility) it became "selfless action for the good of God's messenger and the school". Currently, the danger
of sexual abuse by gurus is - at least for the moment - suspended and anyway the warning was widely spread
"on a planetary scale", but as for exploitation on porn video chats or in erotic massage parlors "for the good
of the school and the success of its spiritual mission - the "tantric temples"), the danger still exists and
this documentary represents a warning and a kind of prevention guide.
➤ MEETING the GURU
The “crowning” of the spiritual training of the women of MISA/ATMAN, as embodiments of the goddess
of femininity Shakti, is the meeting with the guru. This moment is intense and well captured in the film, although
not many intimate details are given. Significantly, the one who had spent the least time in the sect, Ashleigh,
refuses sexual initiation with the guru and the meeting with him. Instead of acting like a true master and telling
her that ”she is not ready”, the guru scolds her that she is ”demonic” and has a huge ego, then insists and
pushes her to accept, telling her that sexual initiation with him would exorcise her (like in the film “Bliss”,
so praised at MISA). However, the girl does not give in and refuses him.
But the advanced students accepted him. The longer indoctrination had its say. However, their experiences
were not at all ecstatic. Paula, the Argentinian girlfriend of Ziggy (Ashleigh's Australian friend) reports that
she was awakened from her sleep by the guru, with a tender whisper of love: "It's your turn!" When, during
the sexual act, she wanted to change her position and moved ("she failed the spiritual test"), he immobilized
her by her hands and told her "be quiet!". This is the real face - disfigured, not transfigured - of the one who
calls himself "the channel of divine love":
[ep.3, min36:sec17] Paula:
The fourth and last visit was in October of 2019. I wanted to move, to kind of, leave from this position I was,
and he grabbed both my wrists and put them on the bed. Like, "Be quiet." And then, eventually, a little bit
more after that, he didn't keep them, but he put them, you know, and then took his hands off. And then a few
minutes afterwards I started crying so that he will just get off me. And then he was screaming at me for, like
three hours. Saying that I was never gonna be invited there again. 'Cause I didn't deserve it, 'cause I didn't
love him. Then after I left his room and I went to a room with the girls, he came into the room and he continued
saying horrible things to me. He just repeated everything he said in his room to me alone, in front of the girls.
At that point I said, I'm never again coming here. I had a really clear, like, "This is just… This is the opposite
of what I ever thought it would be." You know? Like, this is super traumatic, like, it's not enjoyable at all.
Like, I'm being forced to pretend that I wanna do something I don't want to. And I'm being humiliated because
I don't want to. You know? That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I just… I couldn't take any more
at that point. Just felt like, "I gotta get outta here. I can't do this anymore."
➤ The GURU
Every sect has a central figure - the guru, and MISA/ATMAN is no exception. The difference is that, unlike
most sects, which start from the guru, grow through the direct manifestation and permanent presence of
the guru and revolve exclusively around the guru and his teaching, in this case, the guru Bivolaru was
absent from the scene for a large part of the time. A unique aspect is that, when the sect was founded,
there ALREADY WAS a strong CORE of it, consisting of the first devoted disciples of Bivolaru, and the
doctrine was also established. MISA courses began in March 1990, immediately after the fall of communism,
simultaneously in the major cities of Romania. Bivolaru could not be in all places at once and there were
no technical means to directly carry his message. In reality, those who made MISA like like in fairy tales
growing in one year as others do in ten, were precisely the first disciples, like Swami Vivekananda Saraswati
aka Narcis Tarcău. Some of them also took it outside the country, like a spreading fire.
Bivolaru aimed for his school to expand as much and as quickly as possible and that is why he created
a university-type system, with courses structured by years, with a fixed curriculum and printed materials.
The way a lesson is conducted, with the theoretical part supported by the guru, presented on audio or video CDs,
followed by the practical part and meditations, means that these courses at MISA/ATMAN can be taught
by many instructors trained from among the students, after a short training period, and who remain within
the school, being controlled by the guru, because they receive the lessons as they are developed. This system
is very effective for the expansion of the school and, in addition, is specially designed to function without
requiring the physical presence of the guru, but allowing him to maintain permanent control. Instructor credentials
are only recognized within the organization, and if one of them leaves, they cannot teach yoga on their own
unless they have a credential from another recognized organization. Unlike MISA/ATMAN, at Narcis Tarcău's
"sister school" AGAMA in Thailand, the guru often participates in the theoretical part and is often present
among the students, since the school has only one location.
Bivolaru has been hiding from the authorities in Europe for a long time. Who has been working for him all
this time? As is said and seen in the documentary, Bivolaru is not the height of charisma, nor of spiritual strength,
as evidenced by his cowardice in the face of his "enemies" and the fact that he hides behind followers.
He could not have brought the sect to the size it has reached, on his own. The message was carried to him
by others, and they also brought him the money with which he kept his system running. Many of the followers
abroad do not even know him. Who brought them into the sect and keeps them there? Devoted followers
of the guru! The aspects presented above are essential because, even though the leaders have been arrested,
the school operates normally and continues to recruit followers. Of course, the documentary's narrative, focused
on the few former female students who agreed to speak, is presented from their point of view, and they did not
meet those first disciples who built Bivolaru's statue. But then how did they reach the little-known guru who
hides in secret locations? Who ensures the functioning of this recruitment and transportation system?
The invitations didn't reach the girls by themselves, nor did their personal data reach the guru!
As the documentary's attention is focused exclusively on the guru, his devoted and servile followers
"remain under the radar" and can act at will, perpetuating the sect, its activities and teachings.
Even without the guru, the sect continues unabated and, worse, unsuspected!
Bivolaru is portrayed as a psychopathic sex addict - which he is - but the problem is that such a specimen
does not convince so many people to be his followers! He must deliver an IDEAL, for which followers will
end up leaving their lives aside. And the ideal delivered by Bivolaru is liberation within a spiritual school
that has the mission of spiritually elevating humanity, under the leadership of the New MESSIAH, the Savior
of the World, the Macrocosmic Master and the one who brings the Golden Age! This aspect is missing from
the documentary. MEGALOMANIA and the messianic complex are essential aspects of Bivolaru's character.
Such a group cannot be created only through the temptation of sexual pleasure. And Osho accompanied his
promotion of sexual liberation with the ideal of spiritual liberation. The documentary says that the promise
of the sect is personal development, but that is what all the yoga studios on the street corner promise.
What Bivolaru's followers have come to believe and do is determined by their blind trust, not in a strange,
bizarre-looking sex-obsessed man, but in the Messiah Himself. Bivolaru's megalomania, the fact that he believes
himself to be God's messenger, the greatest master of all time, something the planet has never seen, does not
appear at all in the report, although there is countless evidence of this very blog. The absence of this essential
aspect of the guru is perhaps the documentary's greatest flaw.
How do the filmmakers explain the adoration of the followers towards the guru, which is captured in the images
of rituals that worship him? They suggest that this adoration is due to his image as a spiritual hero who is persecuted,
and the film says at one point that the followers see him as Jesus. But this is not the only way to understand
the comparison with Jesus. Of course, the guru compares his situation to the persecution of Jesus, but it is more
than that, he also compares himself to Jesus from the point of view of spiritual mission, in which he even
surpasses HIM. Those who started the course at MISA from the beginning, of course, remember that in the early
years, when the guru was not persecuted but only slandered in the press, the "adoration" towards him was based
on the belief, inoculated by his first disciples, that he is an accomplished master from a previous life and he
is the greatest master of the planet after Jesus, God's messenger for the spiritual awakening of humanity (link).
The fact that this character is portrayed only as a simple deranged and sexually obsessed person and is not shown
in all his grandiosity, makes him seem like just another perverted charlatan, not worth taking into account,
and the danger he represents is minimized, while the sect he created continues to operate.
➤ ”The EMPIRE STRIKES BACK”
The usual tactic of MISA is denial, followed by self-victimization, and this aspect is captured in the documentary.
However, in the case of the trial in France, due to the evidence gathered by the police in over a year of continuous
surveillance of the sect's locations, Bivolaru and his defenders could no longer deny bringing the women
and having sexual intercourse with them, and the only thing left for them was to claim that everything was done
with their consent. Therefore, Ashleigh declared at one point:
[ep.3, min43:sec31] Ashleigh:
I do worry about the fact that I ultimately resisted, and I ultimately did say no. And I left and I wasn't initiated.
I didn't endure the same horrors that others did. Therefore is that an indication that their consent was valid,
because I was able to say no? They're not going to say that this didn't happen, they're going to say that everybody
consented. And therefore no crime occurred.
Rodolphe Bosselut, victims' lawyer: That's the whole debate in this case. That is what the accused maintain:
that everybody was free.
Of course, Bivolaru and the defenders claim that Ashleigh's refusal would prove that the girls were free to choose,
but their thinking, distorted by the goals they pursue, does not allow them to see that the girl's refusal on the spot
also shows that SHE DIDN'T KNOW why she was invited (because, otherwise, she would not have made
the trip, since she did not accept the idea of sexual initiation), from which it follows that she was attracted,
invited and brought without knowing why, that is, she was trafficked, and this proves the trafficking of women.
Moreover, she does not make the accusations from the position of being sexually abused, as the others do,
so she cannot be suspected of seeking damages or revenge. Of all the accusations against the guru, the one
of rape is the lesser, the accusations of abuse of weakness, manipulation and human trafficking being the truly
serious ones. What the defense can hope for with this attitude is to reduce a few years from the possible sentence
of 30, and to get rid of compensation for rape. But with the evidence of manipulation and psychological pressure
(the template statements filmed by women after their sexual initiation), the rape accusations become credible,
so... bad luck.
Along with denial and self-victimization, those in MISA "choose" to fight back and counterattack, obviously
when they have the impression that they are in control of the situation. At the beginning of episode three,
we watch the story of an activist and author in the spiritual field, a female shaman from the UK, Uma Dinsmore
Tuli, who lives in the spirit of communion with nature and is of great simplicity, respecting moral principles
and practicing what she affirms. When she wrote a book about feminine energy as described in tantra, she posted
a footnote about the Natha school in Denmark, which seemed to share these teachings. A former student pointed out
that the situation was completely different, that it was actually a cult, and the author found other similar stories,
which led her to the ATMAN global network. Publishing Ashleigh's testimony, but keeping her identity hidden,
she found herself with a subpoena from the cult:
[ep.3 min07:sec02] Uma:
In April of 2021, I got a letter of claim, a legal letter. It basically says that all the allegations that I've made
are false, defamatory and it's going to cause their client, "Loss of potential students. Serious financial losses."
Is their main concern. Initially, I think I felt disbelief, and then I was just terrified. They want me to tell them,
"the identity and whereabouts of all the parties who provided me with the information for you to make the
defamatory allegations." They wanna go after the survivors. That's what this is about, isn't it?
The whole process ended up with me going to court three times, and it took about two years to complete.
And in the end, the judge decided that they had been out of time, and that there were so many procedural
errors that I won the court… to get it thrown out of court, and it couldn't go any further. It was a disaster.
Financially disastrous, yeah. But I kept thinking, you know? The stress I was under was nothing compared
to the deep suffering that those young women had gone through. What I felt was a kind of sickening sense
that these really, essentially good teachings had been twisted up to serve… the greed for power…
of the person who was in charge, who was teaching them.
With admiration for this woman's moral sense and her option for defending justice (which MISA does not have
and has never had, behaving like a mafia clan), it is noteworthy that MISA acted exactly the same way, a few
months later, in November 2021, at the CNCD (National Council for Combating Discrimination in Romania),
against a former student who exposed them on the former ExMISA forum and whom they tried to link to the
current blog ExMISA, in an attempt to get him to denounce the blog's authors, the Admin and its owner.
Later, in court, MISA would state the following about this fact, I quote from the MISA statement:
"It is undeniable that it is not the defendant M.C. who is indicated as the author of the discriminatory statements
made in the years 2011-2018, but rather he is mentioned as being "currently" the author of the blog, his name
being communicated to the CNCD exclusively for the purpose of being heard to provide information regarding
the owner of the blog, in order to hold him accountable" (source).
Do you see the similarity with the case in this film? It is the same mode of action: "give us the name of the one
who had the audacity to speak against us, to come after her!” But now the wheel has turned, and now the time
has come for others to come after them.
In conclusion, although the documentary's appearance in the international media space is welcome, being
a warning addressed to those who could fall into the group's trap, the film is missing some things.
Partly, this comes from the almost exclusive focus on the relationship between victims and abuser.
Although this focus is natural up to a point, the risk is to give the impression that it is a subjective approach.
The guru is described through the prism of the statements of his victims and from the files of the Romanian
Communist Secret Police that supervised him, and this gives those in MISA the opportunity to reply again
that only the point of view of their enemies is exposed. However, this tactic of permanent self-victimization
of the guru and his followers has succeeded many times so far, in fact it was their only strategy, as they were
unable to provide evidence to support their innocence. Here we see a poor documentation by the series' producers,
who also turned to a journalist from Romania, whose work did not break the bank. In the words of a blog
commenter: "a bit thin!"
On this blog, it has been pointed out that "the victims' word against cult's word" does not solve anything,
the camps remain divided and on positions, the followers mobilize even more tightly around the guru,
so this battle cannot be won this way, and it even gives him the opportunity to self-victimize himself!
The cult's voice can be silenced by confronting its various claims and facts that contradict and cancel each
other out. Given that there is now so much evidence available about the guru's lies, coming from him and
from MISA, it is still a sign of wonder that this kind of sterile controversy is persisting. This probably brings
more ratings than resolving the issue. It seems that no one is interested in a clarifying and edifying exposition,
instead gossip and scandal sell. This has been the media's approach so far and it has had no effect on MISA!
Of course, it is not the fault of the victims featured in the film, in fact they have the merit of having found
the courage to speak out and this brought the guru to justice. Without them, this documentary would not have
happened. But documentary and podcast makers, as well as investigative journalists, have a professional
and moral duty to document themselves more deeply and to make known to the world the evidence about
the true face of the guru and his sect, evidence provided by themselves, often without realizing it. Every time
the guru and the sect are accused, but without legal consequences, they come out strengthened.
On this blog there is much evidence through which the guru and his acolytes expose themselves: the guru
himself admits to practicing group sex (audio 1, audio 2), urine orgies (audio, movie), evidence of guru's
megalomania and messianic claims (New Messiah, The New World Religion), pathological liar (article 1,
article 2), large sums of money of illegal origin (source), but it seems that no one seems to understand this
(or doesn't want to). The guru and his acolytes understood and tried to silence this blog.
As I said, the exclusive focus on Bivolaru leaves the impression that, with his arrest, there is no longer any
danger, but obviously this is not the case at all, since the sect continues unhindered. The pages of the MISA
branches and courses have removed references to Bivolaru and are changing their appearance, so as not to be
linked to the past. Thus, the uninformed can no longer sense the danger. I quote Miranda, at the end of the film:
[ep.3, min44:sec24] Miranda: Every branch that was open when I left is still open. They target students
particularly. So it's really upsetting to think that a young impressionable person, but potentially anyone, could just
walk into that yoga studio and have a yoga class, just like I did. Without knowing that it's connected to Bivolaru,
and MISA and that man.
It will not end, even after the guru is eventually sentenced to prison for many years. The exposure of the disguised
sect will have to continue. It will be necessary, at least from time to time, to bring the subject back to the
attention of public opinion, to remind those who have forgotten or to warn the very young, who have not yet
found about the existence of this mess. From this point of view, this film was necessary and, even if its appearance
was determined by the investigation in France, it will remain a warning for the future, after the trial is over.
We also hope that by drawing the attention of the whole world to this subject now, the trial that will follow
in France will be in the attention of the whole planet, as both the guru and the followers have been dreaming
of for decades, of course in a different sense. Gregorian Bivolaru, this Epstein of Ferentari!
A commenter points out a review of this documentary:
I quote: Its focus on the voices of the survivors is possibly its strongest suit – they are emotional and unsettling,
and no one beats around the bush.
Of course, the stories of former students are - and it is natural that they should be - the central point of this
documentary, but, as I have shown previously, the viewer who has not experienced such a thing tends to
minimize the facts presented, considering that the victims were far too naive and that something like this
cannot happen normally, at least not to them. It would have been good if, at certain moments, a psychologist
had appeared to explain why, although they are hard to believe, these situations are not only very
possible, but are actually very common and even facilitated in the age of social networks.
But the filmmakers "chose" to leave this to the discretion of the viewers. They would have thought not to
(pre)pronounce, as long as the actions of the accused have not yet been debated and proven in court.
The accused party appears only at the end of the documentary, with some dry statements, seemingly
generated by AI, which suggest both denial and evasion of responsibility.
quote: These are people from all walks of life who are left destroyed by a power-hungry person’s twisted fetishes.
No matter how thirsty for power a person may be - and Bivolaru has a thirst for cosmic power, believing
himself to be a god like Shiva or Krishna (which is why he wants to imitate them sexually) - he cannot do it
by his own, without "apostles" to convince others and through whom his power is exercised. The guru, who is
always in the midst of his followers, ends up becoming "theirs", because the followers see that he is "like them".
In order to create an aura of mystery, the guru also needs a separate, invisible existence, which is filled by
the followers with imagination and myths. But an existence separate from the followers needs an intermediary
circle of power - especially in the case of a community scattered all over the world - aspect which does not appear
in this documentary. Notice that usually in media reports, intermediaries do not appear, the attention being
focused only on the leader, who, however, would be powerless without his servants. This is because, for the public,
which has a narrow and not distributive attention, the servants do not matter, only the leader. And this documentary
is a production for the general public.
quote: The extent to which Gregorian Bivolaru took his sick fantasies is honestly mind-boggling.
You constantly ask yourself what kind of sick person would even come up with such a shockingly
exploitative “business” as the victims continue to tell us one harrowing story after another.
Again, the problem is not only about the sick Bivolaru. Sick people appear all the time and everywhere,
the problem is how they get into people's minds. The problem is also with the followers, with the mentality
of people in general (group spirit) and even with the society that allows such situations! The red line between
freedom of choice and manipulation is not clearly drawn and it would be difficult to make it so.
Therefore, the individual also has his decisive role.
quote: Twisted Yoga is intense, as it highlights how easily a random, charismatic man can just bring vulnerable
people under his control with the promise of showing them something beyond this world.
Like beauty, charisma is in the eye of the beholder. Bivolaru is not charismatic, on the contrary, he is detested
by most of society! He is charismatic only for those who resonate with his promises. Unfortunately, there are
no people who can put him in his true light, because the press and society are only interested in the sensational.
quote: Further reading into the matter will shed light on just what the documentary might have missed.
That's what we're trying to do here, without claiming to have covered the topic. That's why others need
to participate as well.
➤ The blog exmisa.blogspot.com is mentioned in the documentary
At one point, in episode 3 (min33:sec47), when talking about how she came to wake up, Miranda mentions
this blog and even images of the main page and the article about Ashleigh appear. (link), whom she knew.
We are glad that the blog was helpful to Miranda. When will the media wake up? Maybe the reference to the blog
in this film will direct some people to the evidence contained in these pages, and the image of Bivolaru as a
“messianic hero, unjustly accused and innocent victim of #MeToo” will also dissipate from the minds of those
who still believe in him. We are very curious to see if and how MISA will retaliate, because it would mean
mentioning this blog and directing followers here, which it always avoids.
Hey, you guys from MISA, be at least once spiritual heroes, as you claim to be, and go out to a fair battle
of ideas! Do you have the courage to do this? No, because you only like the "others' word against your staged
words", "accusation-denial" type of confrontation, but here it's "your word against your word" and you know
that's how you lose, because you lie constantly, you can't deny your words, you allways accuse yourself and
expose yourself!
Alternative Link:
ReplyDeleteYoga, Twisted... and Misted (English)
alternative articles links
ExMISA channel