tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51196862024-03-13T06:04:30.422-04:00Reflections Journal"Do not try to bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead, try to realize the truth... There is no spoon... Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends; it is only yourself." -- The MatrixLaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comBlogger863125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-81054551189785964482023-07-16T20:05:00.001-04:002023-07-17T11:06:04.118-04:00Nature vs. Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/DG4njbAy4rc"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTpOoUY3yVfy3r50FXJwjJQG-cZlR-iiw00cBkTgmUTjCpYWOsQ1FbFibhIgW4eft6eLTZ9bVr_bGM6GrmAHKeYebMa2_TYe3dlkSlaig8R2Fh_ksaH2t0E2W2okizoUAXTYS67GXtLzhm4UbnXTjwxKAU9I8XLeroQXTFL-zISd-vy4ohX6Kdvs4kTY/s1600/orcavsrudder.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
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<p>In what some are calling the "<a href="https://jalopnik.com/watch-a-killer-whale-rip-the-rudder-off-a-sailboat-for-1850542925" target="_blank">feel-good story of the year</a>," killer whales — obviously sick of being cheap entertainment for Sea World voyeurs — seem to have declared <a href="https://jalopnik.com/killer-whale-orca-yacht-attack-20th-in-one-month-1850510399" target="_blank">war on yachts</a>.</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>The boat in question is an intensely fancy <a href="https://bali-catamarans.hr/en/models/bali-48" target="_blank">Bali 4.8 catamaran-style</a> sailboat run by the charter management company Catamaran Guru. Boasting six bedrooms and six bathrooms, the boat is nicer than most people’s homes. But orcas don’t care about your supersized interior or onboard ice maker—orcas care about their home, and other orcas.
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>An eerie portend of things to come, humanity! I particularly like when the orca returned for the last little bit of rudder and surfaced briefly as if to say “ha ha, who’s got the rudder now!”
</p><p>Researchers believe a whale nicknamed Gladis was traumatized by an illegal fishing boat and is seeking her revenge by <a href="https://jalopnik.com/killer-whales-attacking-boats-teaching-skill-to-others-1850456209" target="_blank">instructing other young orcas in how to attack rudders</a>. The attacks are disabling boats traversing through the Strait of Gibraltar, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic, with Spain on one side and Morocco on the other. While the attacks began in 2020, there <a href="https://jalopnik.com/killer-whale-orca-yacht-attack-20th-in-one-month-1850510399" target="_blank">have been 20 such attacks</a> in the last month alone.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>But the orca vs. man fracas is not an isolated example of a roiling collision of interests. Nature, it seems, is sick of our shit, and she's fighting back.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">An amazing video! <br />This video of the sea otter attacking a surfboard yesterday was shared me and is being posted with the photographers permission. The video must remain in this tweet to be shared. This is a dangerous sea otter, avoid it if at all possible! <a href="https://t.co/N7qPMFVRrt">pic.twitter.com/N7qPMFVRrt</a></p>— Native Santa Cruz (@NativeSantaCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/NativeSantaCruz/status/1678519671534809097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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<p>Consider the adorably vicious sea otter who has "<a href="https://jezebel.com/california-santa-cruz-otter-attack-surfer-orcas-1850632644" target="_blank">joined the ocean's battle against man</a>."</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>First the orcas <a href="https://jezebel.com/solidarity-orcas-are-sinking-the-rich-1850470136" target="_blank">came for the yachts</a> and I laughed. Then the depths of the ocean <a href="https://jezebel.com/submersible-billionaires-stepson-is-posting-through-it-1850561100" target="_blank">lured in</a> a throng of fate-tempting billionaires and I watched in bemused horror. Now, an otter off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, is stealing surfboards and kayaks and I am forced to ask, “What is the sea trying to tell us?”
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>I am no scientist but I believe that the ocean contains the Earth’s soul and the Earth’s soul is sullen and resentful. She (yes, she) is instructing the orcas to sink luxury sailboats on Spain’s coast. She’s commandeered the Titanic to entrance more people to their deaths. But now that she’s on the offense against one of mankind’s more gentle and harmless creatures—surfer dudes—she must be very, very angry. Ocean, this humble blogger hears you! I stand with you (or like, beside you). But I don’t think the surfers are the ones to attack. Stick with the yachts and those weird jet powered hoverboards Mark Zuckerberg <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qPVhr2Gd1M">likes to ride</a>. The people on those are your real enemies.</p></blockquote><p></p>
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<p>Did I mention that it's adorable? SO adorable!</p>
<p>Less cute are the the giant, swarming, jumping carp.</p>
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<p>From Arkansas to Minnesota, the unforced error of importing invasive Asian carp species has brought about the "<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/07/05/carp-ocalypse-now/" target="_blank">Carp-ocalypse</a>."
</p><p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Silver and bighead carp escaped into the Mississippi River in the 1970s after they were originally imported from Asia to Arkansas to control algal blooms in fish farms and sewage ponds (and widely touted as a green alternative to common chemical treatments).
</p><p>In the years since, they have relentlessly expanded their range. Along the way, the fish — voracious, fast growing filter feeders that hoover up the phytoplankton and plankton that is base of the food chain — have devastated native fisheries. In some stretches of the Illinois River, silvers and bigheads account for as much as 90% of the fish biomass.
</p><p>It’s not just anglers and fish biologists who are disturbed by this development. Silver carp, which can reach weights in excess of 90 pounds, have a strange habit of leaping high out of the water when startled. This has created a new hazard in many lakes and rivers, as schools of leaping carp, triggered by the sound of motors, occasionally collide with and injure people in passing boats.
</p><p>The unusual behavior has given rise to some novel fishing tactics. To kill silver carp, some people deliberately drive through pods and, when the fish leap from the water, they shoot them with bow and arrow. The made-for-YouTube spectacle serves as a gruesome comedic counterpoint to the dire environmental calamity the fish represent.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>They FLY!!! They effing fly! At your FACE!</p>
<p>So why is nature so mad that she seems to have gone on the attack? Why <i>wouldn't</i> she?! Some might call it self-defense against a certain bipedal, invasive species, that rips through ecosystems like a deadly virus.</p>
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<p>And so, it seems, nature is retaliating against weird incursions into even her deepest waters, <a href="https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/the-reasons-for-the-increase-in-global-shark-attacks/" target="_blank">unleashing terrors</a>.</p>
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<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>In recent years, we’ve seen an incredible upswing in <a href="https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/sharks/" target="_blank">shark</a> attacks worldwide. This alarming trend has stirred a wave of fear, yet it’s critical to step back, assess the situation and understand the complex factors contributing to this increase. Contrary to popular belief, the primary drivers aren’t rooted in <a href="https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/sharks/" target="_blank">shark</a> behavior but in human activities and environmental changes.
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>The most significant factor contributing to the rising number of shark attacks is the surge in human population and coastal development. More people than ever are swimming, surfing, and diving in oceanic habitats, pushing the boundaries between human and shark territories.
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>Another compelling factor is the ongoing climate change. Warmer oceans are causing some sharks to change their migration patterns and expand their territories. As a result, sharks are showing up in regions where they were previously <a href="https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/top-5-rarest-animals-around-the-globe/" target="_blank">rare</a>, leading to unexpected encounters.
</p><p>Ocean acidification and rising sea temperatures also affect the distribution and abundance of prey, pushing sharks closer to the shorelines in search of food. This displacement leads to an increased probability of sharks crossing paths with humans.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>And it's not just terrors emerging from the deep, but ghastly horrors, unnatural aquatic corpses littering the shoreline. The stench of <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/06/17/gross-climate-change-effects-soil-us-beaches-seaweed-dead-fish/70318332007/" target="_blank">rotting seaweed and dead fish is simply <i>ruining</i> beach holidays</a>, in places like Texas.</p>
<p>Warming water holds less and less oxygen, as Todd Crowl, director of the Institute of Environment at Florida International University, explains, accidentally creating the world's saddest haiku.</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>"The oxygen went to zero. Everything died," Crowl said. "It was very sad."</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>A warming ocean may also be to blame for <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mexico-says-mass-bird-die-234852407.html" target="_blank">bird die-offs.</a></p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Massive die-offs of birds on the coast of Mexico, following similar phenomena in Peru and Chile, are "most probably" due to a warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, authorities said Friday.
</p><p>Mexico's agriculture and environment ministries "excluded the presence" of the AH5N1 virus responsible for bird flu and determined that the birds had starved to death.
</p><p>"The most probable cause of this epidemiological event is the warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, due to the effects of the El Nino climate phenomenon," they said in a joint statement.
</p><p>According to the ministries, the warming of the surface of the Pacific is causing fish to dive deeper, preventing birds from hunting them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>And around the globe, "<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-fish-are-shrinking-as-the-climate-warms-were-trying-to-figure-out-why-207729" target="_blank">fish are shrinking as the climate warms</a>." You can hardly blame them for being annoyed.</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Fish are the most diverse group of vertebrates, ranging from tiny gobies and zebrafish to gigantic tunas and whale sharks. They provide vital sustenance to billions of people worldwide via fisheries and aquaculture, and are critical parts of aquatic ecosystems.
</p><p>But fish around the world are getting smaller as their habitats get warmer. For example, important commercial fish species in the North Sea have declined in size by around 16% in the 40 years to 2008, while the water temperature increased by 1–2℃. This “shrinking” trend is forecasted to significantly exacerbate the impacts of global warming on marine ecosystems.
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>The most popular current theories suggest the cause is due to a mismatch between how much oxygen a fish needs (to sustain its body’s metabolism) and how much it can get (via its gills).</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>The oceans are warming so much they're <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/12/world/climate-change-ocean-colors-scli-intl-scn/index.html" target="_blank">changing color</a>, as sparkling blue water gives way to algae-choked green.</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Ocean ecosystems are finely balanced and any change in the phytoplankton will send ripples across the food chain. “All changes are causing an imbalance in the natural organization of ecosystems. Such imbalance will only get worse over time if our oceans keep heating,” [Stephanie Dutkiewicz, senior research scientist in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and the Center for Global Change Science] told CNN.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>Worse, a lot of the algae clogging waterways is highly toxic, creating <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/11/1186747010/sea-lions-sick-dying-southern-california-coast-algal-bloom-algae" target="_blank">apocalyptic hellscapes</a> that inspire only <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/columns/2023/07/16/algae-blooms-high-temps-hot-ocean-climate-change-challenges-florida/70405223007/" target="_blank">deeper denial</a>.</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Living in <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/editorials/2023/07/13/rants-no-substitute-for-policies-in-fixing-florida-property-insurance-mess/70404481007/" target="_blank">Florida</a> these days is like being in a real-life version of the movie <i>Don’t Look Up</i>.
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>And we can feel it now in coastal temperatures that have elevated water temperatures of the ocean into the hot-tub-range mid-90s, and threaten to turn the treasured offshore coral reefs in the Florida Keys into bleached graveyards.
</p><p>You’d think these warning signs would be creating some new urgency among state leaders, and a growing resolve to do more to protect us from this steadily approaching peril.
</p><p>But that’s not what’s happening.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>Pride cometh before a fall — and the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deep-sea-submersibles-titan-alvin-safety_n_64b060b6e4b0dcb4cab1f806" target="_blank">occasional deadly implosion</a> — as man continues to "modify the world around us," with vainglorious technological adventurism. Titans and Titanics clash, killing a handful here, a thousand and a half there, and then entire habitats.</p>
<p>Man has won some battles and declared mastery over nature with each pyrrhic victory. Nature will win the war and we'll have nothing but our own arrogance to blame.</p>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i>
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-62679852718049523702023-03-15T15:21:00.015-04:002023-03-16T12:11:32.831-04:00From Deep End to Deepfake: Inside Teal Swan's Marketing Machine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2gk3sIk5xhCjGhAPR8xcWr2AECnBL75t5ZYnlwQsFH7Faik0abJmPzmF2mWEz1tdwt8pFyVDjQdhRoMVhCJneHcQclFT5Qfxy4yPvEPUWHjRadbTkGMU8vJpvJdt9fm0RlONnrnGmxILLQpeBQTfnmcJIffG7Rqp9RLpBAFZjQTGV50OyArhkulV/s1600/FakeNews.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></div>
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<p><b><a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2023/03/from-deep-end-to-deepfake-inside-teal.html#fake">Fake News</a><br /></b>
<b><a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2023/03/from-deep-end-to-deepfake-inside-teal.html#prices">Rising Prices and the Shrinking Tribe</a><br /></b>
<b><a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2023/03/from-deep-end-to-deepfake-inside-teal.html#cruelty">Breathtaking Cruelty</a></b></p>
<p>When Teal Bosworth Scott Swan got her long-sought break into "mainstream" <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html" target="_blank">media coverage</a>, it did not go well. Her quest for fame brought her infamy instead. By the fall of 2019, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50478821" target="_blank">attention from the BBC</a> had cost her the Teal Tribe group on Facebook and a number of YouTube videos, as both platforms cracked down on her suicide-friendly messaging. It was against this backdrop that teal presented another example of her bizarre understanding of how news media (or what she calls "mediums") operate. In this <a href="https://youtu.be/UWMuvl9s3hY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video</a>, she explains the following to her credulous followers:</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">[O]nce you get to a certain level of fame, let's say that there's a little under the carpet contract that occurs, though not in writing, it's understood in the business that once you get big enough to be of interest to people, what they will do is they'll write a negative article about you. At which point you are then welcome to spend a large amount of money to pay them to do a positive one. After which they will do a negative one, after which you will pay them again, to do a positive one.</blockquote>
<p>In the real world, most of us know that news coverage and advertising sales (or any other form of payment) are separate functions, and that their separation is crucial to the reputation of any news organization. One need look no further than the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-journos-sound-off-on-soul-crushing-dominion-legal-filings" target="_blank">unfolding scandal</a> at Fox News, with Rupert Murdoch's confession that Mike Lindell bought his way into guest spots on Fox with ad buys. Murdoch's <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/not-red-blue-green-testimony-013006710.html" target="_blank">admission</a> that the decision to let an obviously unhinged pillow magnate on the air "is not red or blue, it is green," is scandalous precisely because news coverage isn't meant to be pay-to-play. Trust in news organizations, and the viability of their business model, is dependent on the expectation that they cannot be bought.</p>
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<p>More recently teal's reputation hit its nadir after a high profile <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html" target="_blank">docuseries</a> that landed her in the "Deep End" of her own, dark pool. She got more press, when the doco aired, than I've seen her get, in my nearly 10 years of blogging about her, and it was all bad.</p>
<p><i>The Deep End</i> revealed an organization under financial strain, trying to fight back against critics by proving that it wasn't a cult responsible for stoking suicidality and causing deaths. After the doco, all those problems seem to have gotten much worse. She's been branded with the cult label and concerns about her practices permeate discussions of her in podcasts and other media. She's telegraphing her financial distress by repeatedly doubling the price for Premium membership, which has gone from $12.99 to $79.00 a month in two years. Her latest money-making scheme revolves around a "lifetime" Premium membership and the marketing of it has tealers questioning the integrity of her marketing team, and even of teal herself. Attempts to restrict critical discussion of these and other issues are creating a lot of tension in the tribe. And there are signs that she's stepping up her abusive control over her inner circle.</p>
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<h3 id="fake"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Fake News</span></h3>
<p>In recent months, teal seems to be hitting back at all that bad press, with a new PR agency and placements in various publications and news segments. Strangely, she is doing this in something approximating the manner she described in that video. She's apparently <i>paying</i> for a lot of this coverage, in a series of ad buys made to look like media coverage. She's getting the kind of softball interviews she expects, but it's no-kidding "fake news."</p>
<p>In January of this year, teal and her team quietly announced the exciting news that she was <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1361140/youtuber-and-author-teal-swan-a-leader-in-the-field-of-personal-development" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">featured</a> on the E!News website.</p>
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<p>Cropped out of her screenshot is a rather important detail, italicized fine print that says, "<i>Ad</i>." Because this "feature" is not so much an article as it is an "advertorial," a paid ad made to look like an article. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertorial" target="_blank">Advertorials</a> have long been controversial, in the world of print media, because their appearance can be misleading. Not disclosing that little detail in announcing the item to her followers certainly looks like a very deliberate attempt to mislead.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqEZbiAioDYI1poKVTxnyDXsTAckKjn23-z3b6dWUIRG6x9qyym2lw8Qa4elYfc4EG1hbp4rMp-eZBEWEfTdhtvk6umH2NDH_jWL5SCsC84I74yqlVlwte4ob_bjzPkvlr3yTkEgPNyABp7VH_gVjDHlgi8a2akgA5q0Vk5cpDPdC3aL8F5BzP_Fg/s1600/Enewstealadvertorial2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqEZbiAioDYI1poKVTxnyDXsTAckKjn23-z3b6dWUIRG6x9qyym2lw8Qa4elYfc4EG1hbp4rMp-eZBEWEfTdhtvk6umH2NDH_jWL5SCsC84I74yqlVlwte4ob_bjzPkvlr3yTkEgPNyABp7VH_gVjDHlgi8a2akgA5q0Vk5cpDPdC3aL8F5BzP_Fg/s1600/Enewstealadvertorial2.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<p>There are other indications that this is not a real article. For a start, it does not come up in a site search of her name. The only articles about teal that come up are two about the docuseries. They can be found <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1335268/inside-the-deep-end-the-rise-of-teal-swan-and-her-controversial-completion-process-program?query=teal%20swan" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1330655/the-first-trailer-for-the-deep-end-docuseries-has-big-nine-perfect-strangers-energy?query=teal%20swan" target="_blank">here</a>. I could find no instance of teal promoting either of those articles, no doubt because they are not terribly flattering. The only other items that appear in the search results are random articles that reference the color teal.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86_M0_VJuaK0cZauUiZt0jI_F0PXedZ0NG0fwFVSDo5do3hS0iqKuG5mjXSfLrA9dXfYPjFQF4_OlZ5BWpeSmS7wREu6qMJMOp7sA4IXlk-5qenHVjdsTedGluq4TascZM0EhoVSu8QKKXrSoNtej2W7hegvoom9gVvj6g2v0W4Jtz2bShxzW4LYU/s1600/Enewstealswansearch.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86_M0_VJuaK0cZauUiZt0jI_F0PXedZ0NG0fwFVSDo5do3hS0iqKuG5mjXSfLrA9dXfYPjFQF4_OlZ5BWpeSmS7wREu6qMJMOp7sA4IXlk-5qenHVjdsTedGluq4TascZM0EhoVSu8QKKXrSoNtej2W7hegvoom9gVvj6g2v0W4Jtz2bShxzW4LYU/s1600/Enewstealswansearch.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Another tell is that the byline doesn't name a reporter. It's attributed to something called the Feel Good News Agency. Not only are there no other articles on E! by this entity, a google search brings up only one item. This makes them even less successful than the infamous "free lance journalist" <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html" target="_blank">Jason Freedman</a>.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyB8xOLTdeOwBDCKhS5tq3pQm8ZxbW5gKXgXmbd-OcB6Vu8tEjZYpCY805biY6l6p02m8y1mwmK9NCHoRyzMGHw-YQbgTXRutARH3USoVvgsQCTgyy_mV9fh4TuQqoZg-DvChNxA1hdmE70Qued93u4FUoo9w9PrZgLqhqpn0TqEUQXtZRn9BU5tUW/s1600/googlesearchfeelgoodnewsagency.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyB8xOLTdeOwBDCKhS5tq3pQm8ZxbW5gKXgXmbd-OcB6Vu8tEjZYpCY805biY6l6p02m8y1mwmK9NCHoRyzMGHw-YQbgTXRutARH3USoVvgsQCTgyy_mV9fh4TuQqoZg-DvChNxA1hdmE70Qued93u4FUoo9w9PrZgLqhqpn0TqEUQXtZRn9BU5tUW/s1600/googlesearchfeelgoodnewsagency.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>In addition to passing off an advertorial on a legitimate entertainment network's site as an actual article, team teal has been scaring up features in a handful of questionable publications. She has appeared in a series of magazines and websites that exist to market wannabes who are willing to pay for puff pieces that look a little like actual media coverage.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGS6wbf7kcluQc_mZy8wMUiCceOqoLyyJvCn8CQkEX5eAOI5Tj8bz17c8ao4dPqqjYL7mmUSp5oMS9tIeYuM1hpuCwvCkltl2SD5uFM4InPWmMOkHL7ZfJuzV6atylYGvMmtVJ1zGCj8neonz3Vm2YqwM5uutvtE1zrVhPfxDuTKaVfJaTwF762zxr/s1600/WritersDigest_tealcover.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="955" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGS6wbf7kcluQc_mZy8wMUiCceOqoLyyJvCn8CQkEX5eAOI5Tj8bz17c8ao4dPqqjYL7mmUSp5oMS9tIeYuM1hpuCwvCkltl2SD5uFM4InPWmMOkHL7ZfJuzV6atylYGvMmtVJ1zGCj8neonz3Vm2YqwM5uutvtE1zrVhPfxDuTKaVfJaTwF762zxr/s1600/WritersDigest_tealcover.jpg" style="width: 80%;" /></a></div>
<p>Ever hear of <a href="https://www.writerslifemag.com/" target="_blank">Writer's Life</a>? Me neither, and I worked in book publishing. But teal got herself a glossy cover on a magazine that specializes in featuring aspiring writers you've never heard of. How do they come to be featured? They pay for it, as Writer's Digest explains on its Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/writerslifemag" target="_blank">profile</a>: "Our Business Is Promoting Yours!! DM Us For Rates/To Find Out How You Can Be FEATURED In Our NEXT ISSUE!!!"</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKKO0cx9jlBhNv5w_hOJW8tNYbmVkL1rFRbWhxtmVGf86KOBaLmpBUj5cHPQAfIJelSqy7V5Ztxfl6ktMx43g-qdHiwoc-yn8hq9Hp9eih4iDEbQAcbKeuEZx1zqmq7q_sxDhOZLhhnV0d_M3mro9lRfh__f_DCe2IQGOekNoC6CpCkczaFYMfJBd/s1600/WritersDigestTwitter.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKKO0cx9jlBhNv5w_hOJW8tNYbmVkL1rFRbWhxtmVGf86KOBaLmpBUj5cHPQAfIJelSqy7V5Ztxfl6ktMx43g-qdHiwoc-yn8hq9Hp9eih4iDEbQAcbKeuEZx1zqmq7q_sxDhOZLhhnV0d_M3mro9lRfh__f_DCe2IQGOekNoC6CpCkczaFYMfJBd/s1600/WritersDigestTwitter.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Similarly, the <a href="https://lawire.com/inside-the-deep-end-an-update-on-teal-swan-lawire/" rel="nofollow;" target="_blank">LA Wire</a> is not a thing. Take it from Angeleno Lord Falconis.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheLordFalconis/status/1611799278812540930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="So apparently there's an article on a website called LA Wire that wrote about Teal Swan and The Deep End. It basically tries to smear Kasbe and his documentary Team. Teal's team are spreading it everywhere. I live in Los Angeles. I've NEVER heard of this website or this news group. So I started digging around, and I found this" border="0" data-original-height="1999" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTtsnc9xrJiyAtkX5epEZHBKO1goXTsRW53HcQl9pRe0hxdyxextYN048EsER98lwLKzhC-AqK_2cjTnRDPcc1VK7xzr3IryKf1Kazj_Kqm-qyEvtR1GiHMyj4H_3Ds8w20HLoor6zmvNwRbuG_Jkn6sK2Z3xcybaayfsprRX46Nu_GzapZaY20-2/s1600/LordFalconis1.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheLordFalconis/status/1611799285972209664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="Although they tried to hide it, I found proof that LA Wire is one of their" border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="850" publications.="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEPWHbRL3Yh0bCOHgzLWs9FV0vHzerQSmg-cZdGPlzXxPUnFS7JQ4hDySt2huiVCt4glhD5Eo196FCKu1EnZbGar_J7Wgbj1UPBmTgG9M7fOtzHxHJcqzKptTorXlQitNje0A-EGsTGgOw54z4aX_IDtQ4q66Dw1Msh9UBpWsGkIl6XaZx_UT8-6M/s1600/LordFalconis2.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>None of this prevented teal from promoting her LA Wire piece as if it was a real article.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ujdeqhLe1nGsf54FFOe8eQ992d59fp8DADbcoUMU2iqCrW5anBR_s6FSexHXrlLU1rbGNz7YjEH2oU1kHq5GlLF8VeAtiRS-ROcWEVVhaAy8_vu1x4OTsrCX8rm69yuGsNSt1b97GL-RZytCaCIRs0KxzkDQqZ1VCgYAUMXVfYcu5yDb4xawlTe/s1600/tealpimpsLAWire2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0ujdeqhLe1nGsf54FFOe8eQ992d59fp8DADbcoUMU2iqCrW5anBR_s6FSexHXrlLU1rbGNz7YjEH2oU1kHq5GlLF8VeAtiRS-ROcWEVVhaAy8_vu1x4OTsrCX8rm69yuGsNSt1b97GL-RZytCaCIRs0KxzkDQqZ1VCgYAUMXVfYcu5yDb4xawlTe/s1600/tealpimpsLAWire2.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>I did a little digging into a fashion magazine calling itself "elucid" that, at first blush, looked credible, boasting features with a number of <a href="https://www.elucidmagazine.com/magazines#" target="_blank">big names</a>, names like <a href="https://www.elucidmagazine.com/magazines/6-2014" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emma Watson</a>.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZOmVM1MHVsJhbn5O06Ny7HyCc8JXrukbgFJW8-IzkCqA104USXNSMIcxKVC-0Q9rNiYkbr33fmd0U17j6-TkQOOXg5bVfKecT0oRZ4CgS14yX3_rFc0eBTFRni_wbpCU69uAqJTGgFnAcQWe7-PDFKIZq39EhIUGEFrnfjt0Op-gDSnfsq1jZL27/s1600/EmmaWatson_Elucid.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="772" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZOmVM1MHVsJhbn5O06Ny7HyCc8JXrukbgFJW8-IzkCqA104USXNSMIcxKVC-0Q9rNiYkbr33fmd0U17j6-TkQOOXg5bVfKecT0oRZ4CgS14yX3_rFc0eBTFRni_wbpCU69uAqJTGgFnAcQWe7-PDFKIZq39EhIUGEFrnfjt0Op-gDSnfsq1jZL27/s1600/EmmaWatson_Elucid.jpg" style="width: 80%;" /></a></div>
<p>Elucid published a <a href="https://www.elucidmagazine.com/spotlight/teal-swan" target="_blank">feature</a> on teal and her <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html" target="_blank">largely imaginary</a> modeling "career." Because I very much like Emma Watson, I dug into that issue. But despite her being on the cover, there was no interview with Watson, only quotes from previous interviews. The pictures of her, including the cover, were all from a cache of <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/emma-watson-2013" target="_blank">free Shutterstock images</a>.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimvBt9mv0XMwKB0DZsJwjjcRvErgHK-gGtgfm5ppGlqBpRpRlKV2Y-iDVx25vmWDmZrJnNM_mrRfyTA-x2_k4fRT71-uJdiqspnFcHWeADurGL6L8DhymqHF7YAAPLXNAstwQTd60n97t_ivUEiysx_AJoLUoF15317xEwVBqZthsbtrlyM3Oe80m/s1600/EmmaWatson_shutterstock.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimvBt9mv0XMwKB0DZsJwjjcRvErgHK-gGtgfm5ppGlqBpRpRlKV2Y-iDVx25vmWDmZrJnNM_mrRfyTA-x2_k4fRT71-uJdiqspnFcHWeADurGL6L8DhymqHF7YAAPLXNAstwQTd60n97t_ivUEiysx_AJoLUoF15317xEwVBqZthsbtrlyM3Oe80m/s1600/EmmaWatson_shutterstock.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<p>So where is this glossy, international fashion magazine produced? This is what it says in the footer.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RDh_ebGi5ni7oJqpybbokx28JZ3TlABvpCJwrdeu567vSqhk2WWobTZ7EQ4Z-Cg8N1meC9RQNfmndaRoAQn08NoGkb3wGYcqIGPa7dEUXfxvsGi8XuWzY60RBLl-Sk4QoTaVpRROM1BsB2M2HrsDYLdUK_DFzRncwUk_GrU_8tnKPsuMVaq-FJPv/s1600/elucidfooter.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="6 Iroquoi Dr Parlin NJ 08859" border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RDh_ebGi5ni7oJqpybbokx28JZ3TlABvpCJwrdeu567vSqhk2WWobTZ7EQ4Z-Cg8N1meC9RQNfmndaRoAQn08NoGkb3wGYcqIGPa7dEUXfxvsGi8XuWzY60RBLl-Sk4QoTaVpRROM1BsB2M2HrsDYLdUK_DFzRncwUk_GrU_8tnKPsuMVaq-FJPv/s1600/elucidfooter.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>That would be this.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zDFD3Vn4euyMbfIlcFFR_zquSt6iAn-_0QT-A_dE1a3HBqqJ0JFlsb1l03fDLB77txY6Z72rBNw5ZV3wdtCMxNgCEw_sRbuIGjTjhjUQPeSV-N2FC6G_8FNmUNGt262lhHKHTfa3Lt3KXMD88VchgG47qxbYdpVYSk5GEXxyxMG_ODcDMwK4CiNU/s1600/IriquooisDrive.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zDFD3Vn4euyMbfIlcFFR_zquSt6iAn-_0QT-A_dE1a3HBqqJ0JFlsb1l03fDLB77txY6Z72rBNw5ZV3wdtCMxNgCEw_sRbuIGjTjhjUQPeSV-N2FC6G_8FNmUNGt262lhHKHTfa3Lt3KXMD88VchgG47qxbYdpVYSk5GEXxyxMG_ODcDMwK4CiNU/s1600/IriquooisDrive.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<p>Glamorous!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-howQmPC8X1D50gEau0cZKX4aQfRFsXahflIjPnqMncoWe_Cg65xnX5YUl9AuIQKiNrCE-jTQZPuICe02I9kp7hlJ5TxuNIwaq7FQ1qx80WWDG1y019eLTDvmF3PsCyo8aM9xWk-nsblI7uKDKMnzsTeclYgCUUtpqarE5nQ1RAniXoIzby8e5rt/s1600/tealhypesUSAreformer.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-howQmPC8X1D50gEau0cZKX4aQfRFsXahflIjPnqMncoWe_Cg65xnX5YUl9AuIQKiNrCE-jTQZPuICe02I9kp7hlJ5TxuNIwaq7FQ1qx80WWDG1y019eLTDvmF3PsCyo8aM9xWk-nsblI7uKDKMnzsTeclYgCUUtpqarE5nQ1RAniXoIzby8e5rt/s1600/tealhypesUSAreformer.jpg" style="width: 80%;" /></a></div>
<p>Some of teal's press clippings are so obviously fake, even a few of her followers can see through them.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfRl10wjJMNLVgHYZUDI1skBPHcoqC0EGpBFXMMVW-l3iUiUAiualm3NuwtLdSS7hWP0jJifzWI9-_Zt20PuSx8kO9SIO_RuW_1R0It96mLxRQKFedkJrNxSmMX7y7Tmphl7AKaS6medAimRI5KwtRX_yRWJPgGXMQkbC1sFlZMM6VAKHHTm5KzXp/s1600/USAReformerUsesBots.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfRl10wjJMNLVgHYZUDI1skBPHcoqC0EGpBFXMMVW-l3iUiUAiualm3NuwtLdSS7hWP0jJifzWI9-_Zt20PuSx8kO9SIO_RuW_1R0It96mLxRQKFedkJrNxSmMX7y7Tmphl7AKaS6medAimRI5KwtRX_yRWJPgGXMQkbC1sFlZMM6VAKHHTm5KzXp/s1600/USAReformerUsesBots.jpg" style="width: 80%;" /></a></div>
<p>I'm no expert in spotting <a href="https://usareformer.com/our-team/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bot generated faces</a> (although, googling the names and images from that page makes for a fun diversion on a rainy, Saturday afternoon). I do, however, know what <a href="https://www.peopleperhour.com/hourlie/write-publish-one-article-on-usa-reformer/703899" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a> means.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKyHLnHzfnk57e2KDiSRTop6pwsbtZcfotfdZBmieiDJZzyTvbAwDEL-hf46t8B7rq9Xjo3Z_QQyn7GkRv4NMC7zM2FO6km0OVXzYLr4pZIcejDBVKIp_MpqD_FW5ohWl34ZxD8KMKVipkTBWv0F79KG7csM6Bx_0ciMCBPgki05mmr3tVdejVSOj/s1600/articlebuyonUSAReformer.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKyHLnHzfnk57e2KDiSRTop6pwsbtZcfotfdZBmieiDJZzyTvbAwDEL-hf46t8B7rq9Xjo3Z_QQyn7GkRv4NMC7zM2FO6km0OVXzYLr4pZIcejDBVKIp_MpqD_FW5ohWl34ZxD8KMKVipkTBWv0F79KG7csM6Bx_0ciMCBPgki05mmr3tVdejVSOj/s1600/articlebuyonUSAReformer.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<p>It seems pretty obvious that this is a pay-to-play "fake news" site, but just how fake it is becomes even more apparent when attempting to track down their business address. Their <a href="https://usareformer.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact</a> information shows them as located in Fort Drum in upstate New York.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46FxYAqMLArp8CqE6bu1s_-i6RFAwWCnLLiqhQyTbGttJTs1jkgfIYlcdFQUW4ZgPFi30OmXJe6LTGWRm9Xc1pocwxTWNEpBjL6w9EWa_8wgwBNkn0NuOaHwO0-WIwRLgI8ZbJUdF1elzyADG5DvzxtZzMjQHNRGvSmMUrKsUcmUJ8jsxASE80-oT/s1600/USAreformercontactinfo.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46FxYAqMLArp8CqE6bu1s_-i6RFAwWCnLLiqhQyTbGttJTs1jkgfIYlcdFQUW4ZgPFi30OmXJe6LTGWRm9Xc1pocwxTWNEpBjL6w9EWa_8wgwBNkn0NuOaHwO0-WIwRLgI8ZbJUdF1elzyADG5DvzxtZzMjQHNRGvSmMUrKsUcmUJ8jsxASE80-oT/s1600/USAreformercontactinfo.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Google maps has no record of that address. It's unclear whether even the street exists.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4xp7KrigIsh5to6XaF2gIq9tIPoFaLFPYqLQ7ncqGLJlJ-0pTrK9x3VvkcezB3dO4_w5fY3_yihBVM_uKM_werh-uMJnVLc6YFtuZC7fBpQ0vQK1o6ZjdavFHirY2yNZA4AZKfrMsQJYjYm3WjhSeyf5n62EJykG608T1v7jSwoIKZvrPCOCZqRx/s1600/FortDrumMap.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4xp7KrigIsh5to6XaF2gIq9tIPoFaLFPYqLQ7ncqGLJlJ-0pTrK9x3VvkcezB3dO4_w5fY3_yihBVM_uKM_werh-uMJnVLc6YFtuZC7fBpQ0vQK1o6ZjdavFHirY2yNZA4AZKfrMsQJYjYm3WjhSeyf5n62EJykG608T1v7jSwoIKZvrPCOCZqRx/s1600/FortDrumMap.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Fort Drum is a closed base and accessing it is <a href="https://home.army.mil/drum/index.php/about/visitor-information" target="_blank">no joke</a>. It would be an odd place to run a commercial business from. It would, however, be a great place to claim an address, if you never wanted anyone to locate your offices. It might even fool people who know nothing of military life into thinking it's associated with the military, an idea my Marine husband found hilarious. Stranger still, the <a href="https://www.numberguru.com/phone/870/209/9174/" target="_blank">phone number</a> they list is in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.</p>
<p>It goes on...</p>
<p>New York Weekly is not a thing.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBOEOTX2_sDeQYR8iF1q0x3WpRy4n1e0r-O8YDwvfkHyc6FrttVR6SW2RJjs1s3cZcjK9oqfgUaVHqyVGUpMTc5pExSrdXuoo50FL8iWlGBXntLEcsPle6qfWE9UWmMP6aBbtd-Zb3oBRH4KHvvIVVkf4tVePgCRrdEuVzQxxt4fX2x-eNNTfoj4R/s1600/NewYorkWeekly.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBOEOTX2_sDeQYR8iF1q0x3WpRy4n1e0r-O8YDwvfkHyc6FrttVR6SW2RJjs1s3cZcjK9oqfgUaVHqyVGUpMTc5pExSrdXuoo50FL8iWlGBXntLEcsPle6qfWE9UWmMP6aBbtd-Zb3oBRH4KHvvIVVkf4tVePgCRrdEuVzQxxt4fX2x-eNNTfoj4R/s1600/NewYorkWeekly.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>The Los Angeles Tribune hasn't been a thing since 1960.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLUDjwbRm8Ojn_sbNqWUxK5IZJ2deUL0VFh71K_PkjauvQ_EW7shqAgDId4bppyPV1ff2oV5LHCs6nnHZFqx32w4Ya9VPJNJaLehE96J0Db_pfxsXNxHNKzvFZWOErxLTUpfkay3DwLoBuWMOQKZ96Y2lux7POiZ4eAETxEdP5lud6YFmzia4ndpv/s1600/LosAngelesTribune_wiki.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLUDjwbRm8Ojn_sbNqWUxK5IZJ2deUL0VFh71K_PkjauvQ_EW7shqAgDId4bppyPV1ff2oV5LHCs6nnHZFqx32w4Ya9VPJNJaLehE96J0Db_pfxsXNxHNKzvFZWOErxLTUpfkay3DwLoBuWMOQKZ96Y2lux7POiZ4eAETxEdP5lud6YFmzia4ndpv/s1600/LosAngelesTribune_wiki.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>No, <a href="https://huffmag.com/teal-swan-reflects-on-the-perils-of-fame-in-2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HuffMag</a> is not the Huffington Post. It's another <a href="https://www.peopleperhour.com/hourlie/guest-post-on-huff-mag-huffmag-com/470411" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pay-to-play</a>, "fake news" site, trading on the HuffPo name.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQEyemmQorfDb_EBDs_iELG8QuSl08P7ywVnHe3wZXdu5jfYm8PgkYIhOyUdu_Bo4N9q2m_KngOaRbvJm0w-by14lC_NpWAyuDNV1sG3Qg3kg4XoXwFXYVzOUeSxm-eb6OfUkxsYL6bTnCMggOXFJhvBFFkmf4vDSU4mLnF3cb98mmUIQLJfuA3gq/s1600/Huffmag.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQEyemmQorfDb_EBDs_iELG8QuSl08P7ywVnHe3wZXdu5jfYm8PgkYIhOyUdu_Bo4N9q2m_KngOaRbvJm0w-by14lC_NpWAyuDNV1sG3Qg3kg4XoXwFXYVzOUeSxm-eb6OfUkxsYL6bTnCMggOXFJhvBFFkmf4vDSU4mLnF3cb98mmUIQLJfuA3gq/s1600/Huffmag.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>Don't feel bad if any of this confused you into thinking it was real press coverage. It was meant to. But teal's recent media coverage is all buyer beware. Dig a bit and see if the venue is part of a marketing/SEO business, google it and see if their "features" are for sale.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.wsmv.com/video/2023/01/18/best-selling-author-teal-swan-shares-some-inspiration-her-books/" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDHnWsleKJZKxU6lMciHddC8B2MDnCOUZ_CqsnLMTPNs5Nctu5VAiZAgFsSfnOSZrlL8W9C-mSqkwnLncFsGyK7vfgC9v5GFX3oZsw9OMjSQbudsMIHqZtmuXH7RYwj2V_zVLW0ZIQoptx40H7ulgcAw_5zrc_mXSRelpR8Jjq_fCOftGDEsA_0Ci/s1600/TodayinNashville.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Not every bit of coverage teal has boasted about in recent months is fake, only most of it. She recently appeared, for instance, on <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/video/2023/01/18/best-selling-author-teal-swan-shares-some-inspiration-her-books/" target="_blank">Today in Nashville</a>, on the NBC affiliate there. That was a real booking on an actual show. Good for her. But it's a strange booking for a few reasons, starting with the fact that Nashville isn't a book market. It's a strange place to promote your books, which is what she did. In my years working as a book publicist, I never once booked Nashville. It just isn't a city you'd include in a book tour. Also, none of the books she was there promoting are new, the most recent one is a year old. She's not doing a book tour and would almost definitely have had to pay for her own travel and lodging, just to appear on a show that might, at most, net her a handful of book sales and few minutes of exposure in a music city. So why Nashville of all places? It does happen to be the <a href="https://ztpr.net/contact/" target="_blank">location</a> of her new PR agency, ZTPR. (Well, he at least has a <a href="https://unitedvirtualoffice.com/tennessee/4235-hillsboro-pike" target="_blank">virtual office</a> there. There's also no phone number, which is, um, weird for a flack.) Here they are promoting a mention of teal's book on an LA affiliate.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ztprtweets/status/1631526967764828160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="Watch @ztprtweets client Teal Swan and her book being featured as a top gift idea this month on @CBSLA" border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1axcAlclEV6-JKk_NNytPvxGPxaM7X9OQFPFW6QoAJNO_iwyUKDqeu7hoKTkWQY_dlt71jXqyj9ppQgBf8h9u1z5r_ueKtBHzyX6zMVeMhSnNRJr59wWbLJpYVSaBgpabzuPlm57AOngs7G1PFmaiUIfyUuvK1x1VtK0UVYOB3h7MCIgQdbtBam4/s1600/CBSLA.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Their Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/ZTPRTweets" target="_blank">feed</a> promotes their promotion of a range of Z-list celebrities in venues you've never heard of.</p>
<p>The book that has had pride of place in her two recent TV spots is not new. Not only was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Love-Yourself-Adventures-Dominions/dp/1786787008/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678498763&sr=8-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Love Yourself</a> published last spring, it's a Watkins Publishing reprint of her 2015 book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Before-Dawn-Finding-Self-Love/dp/1401947190/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3O8R9HE09UIOL&keywords=teal+swan&qid=1678498763&sprefix=teal+swan%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shadows Before Dawn</a>, which was published by Hay House. So I find it kind of interesting that the new book cover bears a not so subtle resemblance to Louise Hay's breakout book You Can Heal Your Life.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1YPLvSoK5l4QPPJiVRYc47cadg32MXCkOAWoytlbPvij2Ecqus-kwiFDjeNl85CFkaqM5axLtrWptN5KiAgA6sZrLgHgC_lLt4zWnb2Fx_4OCUt93mJ1GNofgc0vfpAGEBVzeDa5d5c2TysDNKi1sr4jwrKb_lpa6T-4TsFBP25PJgNPOgaH9rFx/s1600/LouiseHayCovers.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1YPLvSoK5l4QPPJiVRYc47cadg32MXCkOAWoytlbPvij2Ecqus-kwiFDjeNl85CFkaqM5axLtrWptN5KiAgA6sZrLgHgC_lLt4zWnb2Fx_4OCUt93mJ1GNofgc0vfpAGEBVzeDa5d5c2TysDNKi1sr4jwrKb_lpa6T-4TsFBP25PJgNPOgaH9rFx/s1600/LouiseHayCovers.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Has she <i>ever</i> had an original idea? This is, after all, the woman who had the supreme chutzpah to plagiarize Louise Hay's <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html" target="_blank">obituary</a> from her then publisher Hay House, so derivative book cover art shouldn't come as a huge surprise. But what was Watkins thinking?! And where Hay's book covers were warm and vibrant, teal's is a cold, sterile brick wall.</p>
<br />
<h3 id="prices"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Rising Prices and the Shrinking Tribe</span></h3>
<p>Teal's plagiarism is one of a growing number of topics no one is allowed to discuss in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thetribe.tsfg" target="_blank">The Tribe</a>.</p>
<p>It seems some tribers have figured out that a lot of her original practices are not, in fact, original: that the "parts work" she developed was developed first by <a href="https://ifs-institute.com/nobadparts" target="_blank">Richard C. Schwartz</a>; that she's appropriated ideas like the monomyth and "follow your joy [bliss]" from Joseph Campbell; that many of her methods were developed in the field of psychology that she disparages. In other words, they've stumbled onto a fact some of us have known for some time, she has no original content and only very rarely cites her sources. That people independently stumble on her <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html" target="_blank">serial plagiarism</a> is inevitable, but her team ruthlessly suppresses all criticism of her tealness and inoculates them against "haters" like myself, the way Scientology warns its members to never look at <a href="https://www.xenu.net/" target="_blank">Operation Clambake</a> or any other critical media.</p>
<p>In December The Tribe went so far as to require approval on every single post. The backlash was serious enough that they reversed course.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMERpWPrALKyu2gNI9I8cVvxgIVTuBuNiz2y4jgkftynH-oQtrn42ueVDgSTzKS4vAsoiI8gqdJQHXcssy5LfkeZ34rGf0vtdbVZvtFMu3RokoYrfojBfjhIcHBw8H97bzQXs_Ru9YdxRI7pzUrb-n2tuhQ21i3uvDK06g_mTOvGaTDcDFfY-0eBW/s1600/TTNewRule_PostApproval.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMERpWPrALKyu2gNI9I8cVvxgIVTuBuNiz2y4jgkftynH-oQtrn42ueVDgSTzKS4vAsoiI8gqdJQHXcssy5LfkeZ34rGf0vtdbVZvtFMu3RokoYrfojBfjhIcHBw8H97bzQXs_Ru9YdxRI7pzUrb-n2tuhQ21i3uvDK06g_mTOvGaTDcDFfY-0eBW/s1600/TTNewRule_PostApproval.jpg" style="width: 30%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCs2899CqqZtdf_fV369dqA0QQtoao4fAeFJkZaogP_hCaMtH40YQ_x_-IvC5anKATp5WTTnmbh9cxOvLQWCWK1PibUo32pAFtfiHl6YFSPkXYSe6TQzBHAVsKP9B6sQhiaU5-9kkqLorVT9o8lm4PysoyMEYSv6G2PsgQmNS6BkgOaSLZfMvOAxED/s1600/TTDefeatsPurpose.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCs2899CqqZtdf_fV369dqA0QQtoao4fAeFJkZaogP_hCaMtH40YQ_x_-IvC5anKATp5WTTnmbh9cxOvLQWCWK1PibUo32pAFtfiHl6YFSPkXYSe6TQzBHAVsKP9B6sQhiaU5-9kkqLorVT9o8lm4PysoyMEYSv6G2PsgQmNS6BkgOaSLZfMvOAxED/s1600/TTDefeatsPurpose.jpg" style="width: 30%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAK1easCMM7UGmBPpUf-fBCOarzkMDmbzPkhPL8kYbK00tDtygEVsIGnaU1pGrQtTzmAVp8ubjz3h1GYVlMBJFKeX_U4PzW6f1YexfvvrHITLz7NOxJslc8I07XbAnCaxpNFX23sFgwB1SdU_ehvoCYN2dV47BfsZbbvje7tJc-3-ciW10FGZm4xq/s1600/TTLeavingGroup.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAK1easCMM7UGmBPpUf-fBCOarzkMDmbzPkhPL8kYbK00tDtygEVsIGnaU1pGrQtTzmAVp8ubjz3h1GYVlMBJFKeX_U4PzW6f1YexfvvrHITLz7NOxJslc8I07XbAnCaxpNFX23sFgwB1SdU_ehvoCYN2dV47BfsZbbvje7tJc-3-ciW10FGZm4xq/s1600/TTLeavingGroup.jpg" style="width: 30%;" /></a><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_4GgHsyoynLZwxkrhCnSnhc5nmnjrJCUIl_tImYsqdad2U8vvaFsGqyo51AlO28BBW28yLuOo6sH9_U_0cQWCxZOwTV0iXJ94KIhuSIpV9AUcMnwjCtwn_z83eLFnMX7PMr06xpYKRwAUDT3CSqpUiJk3-snGY9P1xMxaXTsWPt1wFLTH7AfWbF0/s1600/TTResistanceisFutile.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_4GgHsyoynLZwxkrhCnSnhc5nmnjrJCUIl_tImYsqdad2U8vvaFsGqyo51AlO28BBW28yLuOo6sH9_U_0cQWCxZOwTV0iXJ94KIhuSIpV9AUcMnwjCtwn_z83eLFnMX7PMr06xpYKRwAUDT3CSqpUiJk3-snGY9P1xMxaXTsWPt1wFLTH7AfWbF0/s1600/TTResistanceisFutile.jpg" style="width: 30%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtj-B1hSIGjk59BlkGY-CkRYSVnitZHixZqwghz6V-HMDMYs0_AQI8e0G0XA0LLNxX_IaTxxneX2i_lh6gBWL3KnJKRSMCpqoBCMXQUtTOuhyQq_YR_Q1hCLuyGlSPcNG8Vfi_Yn36RwlGKMXwWPI07ai2-7REIbzA5VdC57IJTythT73AvzMpZuMv/s1600/TTCensorship.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtj-B1hSIGjk59BlkGY-CkRYSVnitZHixZqwghz6V-HMDMYs0_AQI8e0G0XA0LLNxX_IaTxxneX2i_lh6gBWL3KnJKRSMCpqoBCMXQUtTOuhyQq_YR_Q1hCLuyGlSPcNG8Vfi_Yn36RwlGKMXwWPI07ai2-7REIbzA5VdC57IJTythT73AvzMpZuMv/s1600/TTCensorship.jpg" style="width: 30%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyg6bPxO4EaTv6sPf4-EtvTxYZcRI7fqkFWWhE0QGJKiu_LqCMSurGWnTbNq1HtPg4BclyByjanmR7x14hHRZM_DKSvxPqB5BJTDSuq9hp4kG8HQTNimv7yOTdUiOFgyJnBWdZH1aFThkW8Ut8bb__rXKGMRfBbewxuQMEQetKvDqhQWS83F66oTS/s1600/TTCaves.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyg6bPxO4EaTv6sPf4-EtvTxYZcRI7fqkFWWhE0QGJKiu_LqCMSurGWnTbNq1HtPg4BclyByjanmR7x14hHRZM_DKSvxPqB5BJTDSuq9hp4kG8HQTNimv7yOTdUiOFgyJnBWdZH1aFThkW8Ut8bb__rXKGMRfBbewxuQMEQetKvDqhQWS83F66oTS/s1600/TTCaves.jpg" style="width: 30%;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;">click images to enlarge</span></div>
<p>The damage was done for some group members, though, who created their own <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1017680702277362" target="_blank">Free Tribe</a>, where they could discuss teal's work without being censored. It's a small group, boasting 82 members at the time of this writing. But then, The Tribe's membership has hovered around 2.5k for some time. Teal Tribe boasted over <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50478821" target="_blank">27k members</a>, when Facebook pulled the plug. That raises another important question. Where did those 20k+ members go? They can't have been too concerned over the loss of her flagship group.</p>
<p>The biggest bone of contention, among her remaining tribe members, seems to be her rapidly increasing prices and aggressive sales methods, some of which appear to include some very persistent salesbots.</p>
<p>Team teal is getting what we call "price resistance." Her followers have been registering their distress at rapidly rising costs, price increases that are substantially greater than the spiking costs of eggs and petrol.</p>
<p>Premium membership started out at $9.99 a month. At some point, I'm not sure when, it went up to $12.99. That sort of increase was consistent with other memberships of the type, so it didn't really ruffle feathers. But then things started to get weird... and tealers noticed.</p>
<p>As recently as April of 2021, it was still $12.99 a month, as seen here.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4v-3nHyutI_zKlKXLRTaulLgf9TkBklPKS1d-PTCJTKXaph76tTQB9QRWUOPmX7NHRuJSVe2bnS9xZI_emGhPoWDB3kpdMsrhjWnzvmab-iVXuh0vSLmXJJCQCfhvdUOWhRGd_TtBefUcdhIoA2fjGAF24pkNYdhHxfJ_-xpfmt-BnhAgfVc6Im7/s1600/Premium0421.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4v-3nHyutI_zKlKXLRTaulLgf9TkBklPKS1d-PTCJTKXaph76tTQB9QRWUOPmX7NHRuJSVe2bnS9xZI_emGhPoWDB3kpdMsrhjWnzvmab-iVXuh0vSLmXJJCQCfhvdUOWhRGd_TtBefUcdhIoA2fjGAF24pkNYdhHxfJ_-xpfmt-BnhAgfVc6Im7/s1600/Premium0421.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>But in November of that same year, they ran a promotion that showed a pending price jump to $40 per month. And tealers were about as confused and upset as you might expect.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72RgvW7cjbFyP4TPTmhXUXN5INg4ad-c-TAC6o1ezBYgopuNjnghyGfqKMGs-XElvCNe3ivnayOhuLwgdtHnZpcFih8eFH07L-GUFGwhRr2D19CTIxt6QaLDvkhBh4KGXOLNaT1KuC1hRQmLGxIgY3rpkTtn1E0gQ7ERgsk7ny03bHwqRtbMSPxQ3/s1600/premiumpricejump1121.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72RgvW7cjbFyP4TPTmhXUXN5INg4ad-c-TAC6o1ezBYgopuNjnghyGfqKMGs-XElvCNe3ivnayOhuLwgdtHnZpcFih8eFH07L-GUFGwhRr2D19CTIxt6QaLDvkhBh4KGXOLNaT1KuC1hRQmLGxIgY3rpkTtn1E0gQ7ERgsk7ny03bHwqRtbMSPxQ3/s1600/premiumpricejump1121.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>Some quite reasonably assumed it was a marketing tactic known as artificial scarcity, and that the $40 price tag was a scare tactic meant to push $20 membership sales.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9g6o7GbswBsQHUhTLWwyBsyTm9u6oAZQ8c2y41UK1W5j7dC2wBzqlVUpo8ERqboJeAoyvQj4eH5dXAXtrqetcZzgc0cXjpReIcrMcurPbwC3ywxen-vX1M_Dh1JQn6-V7JGZID2LHkrbsHH0BTc-1__zDWDVzaRMgpBfU5n7Vzes2HNKOaM4Fjqk/s1600/scarcitysalestactics.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9g6o7GbswBsQHUhTLWwyBsyTm9u6oAZQ8c2y41UK1W5j7dC2wBzqlVUpo8ERqboJeAoyvQj4eH5dXAXtrqetcZzgc0cXjpReIcrMcurPbwC3ywxen-vX1M_Dh1JQn6-V7JGZID2LHkrbsHH0BTc-1__zDWDVzaRMgpBfU5n7Vzes2HNKOaM4Fjqk/s1600/scarcitysalestactics.jpg" style="width: 45%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYxGKKvaXrsktb7dofsjmihtniFRT9531EV0m2rYFgQVudafIUU3NlOLpabreEGVGZtmRW_a0wB19JuyDZP4m9ZJJXMU_2NTAb00iUoWTElmMoq_3ACXK-oe25xKHZSiuEuQ13nBqwUc4pbpMPQxpL6b5TPO1d836-bhTPpeELleSRUoD1-xhHxZA/s1600/thisfeelsslimy.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYxGKKvaXrsktb7dofsjmihtniFRT9531EV0m2rYFgQVudafIUU3NlOLpabreEGVGZtmRW_a0wB19JuyDZP4m9ZJJXMU_2NTAb00iUoWTElmMoq_3ACXK-oe25xKHZSiuEuQ13nBqwUc4pbpMPQxpL6b5TPO1d836-bhTPpeELleSRUoD1-xhHxZA/s1600/thisfeelsslimy.jpg" style="width: 45%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVyzUMGzHWvPgTRNewDb7YB3oAmJBA1jII2ueHbqT7sh5Gm1rH2rkcX91fgo1BEloYl_J8iH2h0iaJf2lEXsQ0ZG2zb9FHj4QA_1hDazBgIyEe62xKHwWbf8AcsWDT0GAfNU1SL6Op7NUebdtXn5L40u6uBhglO_kckHtvy99Yq8O1cPo5uMQvkOQ/s1600/whyareyoulying.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVyzUMGzHWvPgTRNewDb7YB3oAmJBA1jII2ueHbqT7sh5Gm1rH2rkcX91fgo1BEloYl_J8iH2h0iaJf2lEXsQ0ZG2zb9FHj4QA_1hDazBgIyEe62xKHwWbf8AcsWDT0GAfNU1SL6Op7NUebdtXn5L40u6uBhglO_kckHtvy99Yq8O1cPo5uMQvkOQ/s1600/whyareyoulying.jpg" style="width: 45%;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;">click images to enlarge</span></div>
<p>Not only was the price increase to $40 a month very real, about a year later, it doubled again.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocityPfj9FoyKHTE_6kWVudW7qNN2AT--gWX04mAEhjIT8G8akyaDiBFPALPfNKTpzslIOiY1xLWNkcvpCCxoQKZ7Su5vXdX8xd7WsTa0bFGRbAzb1G1lo-Y_3NtPgys4KR9jmfBTracdCujQbyrkNoypY3AK046_U2TDRIBTltX_3HLX0hxTKgc1/s1600/PremiumDoublesinaYear.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocityPfj9FoyKHTE_6kWVudW7qNN2AT--gWX04mAEhjIT8G8akyaDiBFPALPfNKTpzslIOiY1xLWNkcvpCCxoQKZ7Su5vXdX8xd7WsTa0bFGRbAzb1G1lo-Y_3NtPgys4KR9jmfBTracdCujQbyrkNoypY3AK046_U2TDRIBTltX_3HLX0hxTKgc1/s1600/PremiumDoublesinaYear.jpg" style="width: 90%;" /></a></div>
<p>But don't panic just yet, tealers. As you can see, you can now become a member for life (whatever lifetime means in this context) for just $1997, aka., $2000. Don't have two grand laying around? Has teal got an offer you!</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZB2d2M-j_4rXgXGpEjCDW6Cod3dEzsGlH_CjaOkwV4BQ_EbRH4AQVFPqi0W4Rm4ZuZBLZRtgT8VUhLVfKWljQUcfJQmMvuXvHHhVwu0SDVm2FEiX4W-SwftTTqWdQuzx38N8nNB02c1ALWSR08Q_k37aEETz1E85cONM_Vh9vHM6Q76DKT0mVjf-/s1600/whatsthisabout.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZB2d2M-j_4rXgXGpEjCDW6Cod3dEzsGlH_CjaOkwV4BQ_EbRH4AQVFPqi0W4Rm4ZuZBLZRtgT8VUhLVfKWljQUcfJQmMvuXvHHhVwu0SDVm2FEiX4W-SwftTTqWdQuzx38N8nNB02c1ALWSR08Q_k37aEETz1E85cONM_Vh9vHM6Q76DKT0mVjf-/s1600/whatsthisabout.jpg" style="width: 45%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVXoJkS9OP5OvZg3s0CliybLQ9C5gDvOeeT8yjcveh5hz4M1D5a5g7MewAjYKodj_eO69CXei5GfZZTsvTNyp_8QA13J16ftLAqdUgtCj38CgBKn4SssjT4mj7QVjzcDnC4VK_IiQuOZUE8x5zg8HpG9t7fIM9NIMXtMCUTdzKN5Mn5YGfhwcBYLf/s1600/doingthisagain.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVXoJkS9OP5OvZg3s0CliybLQ9C5gDvOeeT8yjcveh5hz4M1D5a5g7MewAjYKodj_eO69CXei5GfZZTsvTNyp_8QA13J16ftLAqdUgtCj38CgBKn4SssjT4mj7QVjzcDnC4VK_IiQuOZUE8x5zg8HpG9t7fIM9NIMXtMCUTdzKN5Mn5YGfhwcBYLf/s1600/doingthisagain.jpg" style="width: 45%;" /></a></div>
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<p>Confused? A lot of tribers are.</p>
<p>The Tribe has been awash in tales of hard sell tactics by what may have been bots, but were definitely not teal or members of her inner circle, that left them feeling used, tricked, and violated, only to have their feelings dismissed by teal's staunch defenders. It's been a contentious debate, that has roiled the comfort and safety of her tribe. So naturally, admin has made teal's marketing tactics another forbidden topic.</p>
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<p>But not before a slew of conversations about the smarminess of the tealbots had done some real damage and cost them more members.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCmVgkmQLjrSTYzriqvVz5CoPw_XCMd5l5RfeiL-EdDcWYEG1JRCQJH-KRUOhVHUHey-LEv8kSqSFdNBPc9boTWylaUrQxOx0k2K2P-_fvVS4O5q4CxsmoJMokRvVZXS_FF3cngUyd2O93NyyAXeZZiLTu1rwgFZnOd_sRSAx06IKFXdeh_QUkg49/s1600/Grace1.jpg" style="width: 22%;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCmVgkmQLjrSTYzriqvVz5CoPw_XCMd5l5RfeiL-EdDcWYEG1JRCQJH-KRUOhVHUHey-LEv8kSqSFdNBPc9boTWylaUrQxOx0k2K2P-_fvVS4O5q4CxsmoJMokRvVZXS_FF3cngUyd2O93NyyAXeZZiLTu1rwgFZnOd_sRSAx06IKFXdeh_QUkg49/s1600/Grace1.jpg" style="width: 22%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdoVuvKsC957n9mT6r4AqUm0LrfdPsVjaxXYMVVRP7bYmEJTxtRJfTn2YL_SL6xNVMpjDsqIX3BFHoivW5miknxHRwkdo_gEMp2HyOS5meJhzvFcn2N0QUHId0UDO26SHzFpBGxI4kDB13t7sfjuijt0eWe2EDGNPi9jos30mZ6kvT7zIZNCEAd3S/s1600/Grace2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdoVuvKsC957n9mT6r4AqUm0LrfdPsVjaxXYMVVRP7bYmEJTxtRJfTn2YL_SL6xNVMpjDsqIX3BFHoivW5miknxHRwkdo_gEMp2HyOS5meJhzvFcn2N0QUHId0UDO26SHzFpBGxI4kDB13t7sfjuijt0eWe2EDGNPi9jos30mZ6kvT7zIZNCEAd3S/s1600/Grace2.jpg" style="width: 22%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkull3JzDZXQzq7SaSb7N1TdZG3iL6Fa-4rIn0AHHEiI9T0EcjnRyeB5q_uTtgVXG-ko5xpUqCzWuEAeO-MxwNYHkFwbVb2bFYdDOKYzcUmaH11Jm5j9YG-DaGqpV5EoANRwvYYxWbMThbyYSQtMrxNZJ0yH078GHPUJQAN47OlqFSPUGkDcWOg1V/s1600/Grace3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkull3JzDZXQzq7SaSb7N1TdZG3iL6Fa-4rIn0AHHEiI9T0EcjnRyeB5q_uTtgVXG-ko5xpUqCzWuEAeO-MxwNYHkFwbVb2bFYdDOKYzcUmaH11Jm5j9YG-DaGqpV5EoANRwvYYxWbMThbyYSQtMrxNZJ0yH078GHPUJQAN47OlqFSPUGkDcWOg1V/s1600/Grace3.jpg" style="width: 22%;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRCROdq0Z3Q1XMd8hBRXMYgeAtLZ4DaWVlX9P7BnGlvYy_sBaBW-o8HrxGHsv8HXOLEoqbLb1M-wxA3Eqp-WKB2knScUeHpp1q9C1hCT50y4lty61F6_88WhrF8mINvNTG-d3FSngL-_S2v0Q1KacmdeMBfJUTFp7JZdzylqBJFWM0E5n6Q1gsJLH/s1600/isthisteal.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRCROdq0Z3Q1XMd8hBRXMYgeAtLZ4DaWVlX9P7BnGlvYy_sBaBW-o8HrxGHsv8HXOLEoqbLb1M-wxA3Eqp-WKB2knScUeHpp1q9C1hCT50y4lty61F6_88WhrF8mINvNTG-d3FSngL-_S2v0Q1KacmdeMBfJUTFp7JZdzylqBJFWM0E5n6Q1gsJLH/s1600/isthisteal.jpg" style="width: 22%;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;">click images to enlarge</span></div>
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<p>I can't decide what I like most from those exchanges, the prodigious use of heart emojis when they try to close the deal or the bot that is suddenly called away for a meeting, when the human starts to get really upset at having her vulnerability so ruthlessly exploited.</p>
<p>In this <a href="https://youtu.be/jl0GLy6NJyg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unlisted video</a>, teal explains her Premium "for life" special offer. In it we learn that because "you" have been specially selected to participate, you can pay her $997, aka., $1000, to be a guinea pig, testing the effectiveness of Premium access on personal growth. Because this is a special, reduced rate offer, you will also be her product, as she can use your story as part of her marketing. And bonus! She will also pit members of this "select" group against each other in a competition over who "grows" the most.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMANp94ww50VR5YeBQXbkLjtj-dma4wHCuaBe18XaGW4eOnhlRs8Dd6aRzwHSUPWZCJM9ARioT5CLb_LqpnLk5HY-k5vv6bKuxGEyb5-mqKhhlW0CT2J74IEOhL34tEuGuK-jYz7p8-x8_Q44Fo2Hp9cOGn6xlkIZBkBw1Ek_u7EzwM0vI4g2_XHY7/s1600/prizesforoutcome.jpg"><img alt="and I'm going to give a prize to whoever has the best outcome" border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMANp94ww50VR5YeBQXbkLjtj-dma4wHCuaBe18XaGW4eOnhlRs8Dd6aRzwHSUPWZCJM9ARioT5CLb_LqpnLk5HY-k5vv6bKuxGEyb5-mqKhhlW0CT2J74IEOhL34tEuGuK-jYz7p8-x8_Q44Fo2Hp9cOGn6xlkIZBkBw1Ek_u7EzwM0vI4g2_XHY7/s1600/prizesforoutcome.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovZVPFnI0kNKsLZeSdY7VabEjiG982LJgQgQB3p3768nE-Oqq26_SBnvm62g6sOipcJCAZSJ0gCf_MKAGAUZV_T3LQXWVxU6eUWoqQ22SFs4P_7scsJXUl3b2jobmagN9t8yXG3TXkJ5iEGsdzwVT9AEwtqf9g0OcvPP00mfebyP6h-go3zZCkP5W/s1600/funforus.jpg"><img alt="a little friendly competition that will be fun for us" border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovZVPFnI0kNKsLZeSdY7VabEjiG982LJgQgQB3p3768nE-Oqq26_SBnvm62g6sOipcJCAZSJ0gCf_MKAGAUZV_T3LQXWVxU6eUWoqQ22SFs4P_7scsJXUl3b2jobmagN9t8yXG3TXkJ5iEGsdzwVT9AEwtqf9g0OcvPP00mfebyP6h-go3zZCkP5W/s1600/funforus.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<p>Fun for whom, we ask ourselves. What is the audience for this thunderdome reality show, where the walking wounded square off against each other to see who achieves some capricious standard of emotional wellness best?! Only teal could turn a healing process into a competitive event.</p>
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<h3 id="cruelty"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Breathtaking Cruelty</span></h3>
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<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class="embed-container"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xqqkXgdkcBc"></iframe></div>
<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Are You Trying to be Loved for What You are NOT?</div>
<p>If teal's sales tactics seem deceptive and heartless, and they do, that is nothing compared to the way she treats the people closest to her. <i>The Deep End</i> exposed her behavior toward Blake and Juliana, treatment very much in keeping with her abuses of people like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxq5opj6GqOB-q9vT0mGvKzMS_0P7Ia5X" target="_blank">Jared "Fallon" Dobson</a>, <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/10/former-insider-teal-is-deluded-and.html" target="_blank">Cameron Clark</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY04M9tNEq0&t=12s&ab_channel=MormonStoriesPodcast" target="_blank">Diana Hansen Ribera</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@morgan_le_faye/video/7147021985321733418" target="_blank">Morgan le Faye</a>, and many, many others. In a recent Ask Teal video, teal did what she so often does with those videos, air her grievances against members of her inner circle, by creating thinly-veiled, fictional versions of them. She lets them know what they're doing wrong and how they can correct their offending behavior. Her followers know she's telegraphing these conflicts and that they can figure out who she's lambasting just makes them feel like flies on the wall, watching her daily soap opera of a life.</p>
<p>It's not hard to deduce that the main target in the above video (and <a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/articles/are-you-trying-to-be-loved-for-what-you-are-not-r545/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article</a>) is Graciela and the sheer cruelty of it is hard to stomach. Has she ever sounded more like the quintessential mean girl? She rattles off a litany of lookist judgments with the eye-rolling, exasperated derision of a queen bee just fed up with her hangers-on not doing what she wants, when she so obviously knows best for everybody. For god's sake, she didn't even bother to change the first letter of her name.</p>
<p></p><blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Gloria has struggled with weight all her life. She grew up in a family that ate almost exclusively junk food and meat cooked in lard. She struggled with cystic acne. She was prescribed a medication for acne that damaged her liver. Her hair has always been thin. And due to poor eyesight, she always wore coke bottle glasses. Gloria has never been considered a physically attractive woman. And this, has causes her pain all her life. Gloria has been taught by her family and by society that she will only be loved if she is pretty. Because of this, Gloria has struggled all her life to become physically attractive, so that she can be loved… Loved for what she is not.</p>
<p>. . .</p>
<p>For example, with Gloria, we might feel ourselves wanting to offer advice for how she could <i>actually</i> become physically attractive. Or come up with explanations as to why she has failed so far and what would have made her succeed before at becoming physically attractive. Things like “well… If she had just moved to Africa, where in some places, people do think that fat is physically attractive.” Or “she didn’t even do anything to learn about diet… come on. If she really wants to be attractive, she has to change her lifestyle.”</p>
<p>. . .</p>
<p>Instead, she looks at what she is. When she does this, she realizes that she is very stable emotionally. She also realizes that she is a very committed person in relationships. She is reliable and present with others. And she is cozy. She can be a safe space for someone because she is a safe space.</p></blockquote><p></p>
<p>Do you get it <strike>Graciela</strike> Gloria?! Don't even <i>think</i> about romance. It's not for you. You have a job as teal's comfort animal, and <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#safe">occasional footstool</a>. What more could you possibly want in life?! Don't even <i>think</i> about heading for the door again! Where ya gonna go? Africa? The only place on earth you might be considered fuckable?! (Dear GOD, she's racist!!!) Accept your lot in life. You're the fat friend, the second banana! You should be thrilled that someone as gorgeous and famous as teal is willing to keep you around!</p>
<p>It's not hard to figure out what's going on here. Blake, teal's original "<a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#safe">safe space</a>," is gone. He found real love and fled. She's convinced what's left of her inner circle to <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#adversary">renounce dating uncommitted tealers and having children</a>. Are some of them balking? Is Graci? Because this reeks of panic. God forbid that Graci figures out that she is, in fact, quite pretty and that not everyone is as lookist or sizist as teal. There's no reason on earth that she couldn't find a nice fella, or gal, and have a life.</p>
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<p>I started blogging about teal nearly 10 years ago, because I thought she was a budding cult leader who displayed her <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html" target="">shocking cruelty</a> in a very public way. Ten years later, several high profile cult researchers have a pegged her as a <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html" target="">cult leader</a>, and she is still displaying her shocking cruelty in a very public way.</p>
<p>In the final analysis, that's what <i>The Deep End</i> showed the world. Are there a few questions about their editing? After watching all of teal's response videos, as well as many other discussions and context, I came away with only one editing choice that concerned me, and it was the way a different woman appeared to be Sabrina after the "waterbreathing" incident. But I will give teal credit for muddying the waters substantially. She always does. <i>The Deep End</i> accomplished exactly what its creators intended. It conveys the experience of being in teal's orbit. If it failed at all — according to people I know who've lived it — it's only that the truth is even more horrible and emotionally scarring than the series could hope to portray.</p>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i>
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-58644257240921860402022-05-25T12:59:00.004-04:002023-03-16T12:17:02.174-04:00Off the Deep End with Teal Swan — UPDATED — Ep. 4
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NKtbJvL2xWI" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAFSAjI1Wi7wnN1dp_VSOPZ36nIdjrrwZuLdPyBIpr7K_U-k-F53CwhCkpsIIOnxvPfJT9WHYAb7ZLuXgVfG3WKz3KmVbEm4Lpno7lDtIGzfBN2dcrAoEgnjzU7kScpRM7mpC3UbW-zpETJPemSkHoiO020C_UUBasnYfOyrQtemfZsmJ_6tyC22E/s1600/DeepEnd_trailer.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">The Deep End | Official Trailer | Freeform</div>
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<p><a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#toys"><i>The Deep End</i>, S1E1, "The Lost Toys"</a><br />
<a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#vice"><i>True Believers</i>, S1E4, "Teal Swan and the Wellness Tribe"</a><br />
<a href="https://www.celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#safe"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E2 “The Safe Space”</a><br>
<a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#carousel"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E3 “The Carousel”</a><br />
<a href="https://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2022/05/off-deep-end-with-teal-swan.html#adversary"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E4 “The Adversary”</a> <span style="background-color: red;"><span style="color: white;">NEW</span></span></p>
<p>One of the first things I <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">learned</a> about Teal Bosworth Scott Swan — or teal, as I now <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">refer to her</a> — was that she was very, very famous. So famous that I wondered how it could be that I'd never heard of her. She reveled in her "fame" in a way that I'd never seen any "spiritual teacher" do. That was way back in 2013. In the years since, she's parlayed her social media popularity into some book deals and a smattering of regional interviews, but her path to mainstream success has not been a smooth one. As <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">discussed here</a>, it's been a bit rocky for the <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-kookaburra-r563/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">self-described</a> "celebrity" who wanted to reach people on "every single continent," and was designed pretty and white by an Arcturian panel for that very reason.</p>
<p>She was, <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E6">in her own words</a>, "completely duped" by Gizmodo and Jennings Brown, who created "The Gateway" podcast. An interview with OZY magazine had been "antagonistic," by daring to ask her standard journalistic questions about the criticism of her. Her foray into mainstream media was starting to look more like a collision.</p>
<p>And then it got worse. She was <a href="https://youtu.be/zKsPnKlZRS0" target="_blank">interviewed</a> by Lebo Diseko of the BBC, whose <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50478821" target="_blank">reportage</a> lead to some of her videos being pulled from her YouTube channel and the abrupt removal of Teal Tribe from Facebook.</p>
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<span><a name='more'></a></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8oz6RqLyNcYUk6FgZCPc9P0lqR9etLVWmOHaaQg3EN3sHOokYsatUyFSxuMfdHAGYHcEn9njlczq3qHl645Y5pWuEvceWM89uWeBoIzoIbA-mNYKvx29EEN_MbTE6lXDd3ofzhIENqrv9RZCAxoo7vgUSpTYSc_QMr8LVUGIdvqRmDbyEQQAfvuB/s1600/TealTribeDown_teal.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8oz6RqLyNcYUk6FgZCPc9P0lqR9etLVWmOHaaQg3EN3sHOokYsatUyFSxuMfdHAGYHcEn9njlczq3qHl645Y5pWuEvceWM89uWeBoIzoIbA-mNYKvx29EEN_MbTE6lXDd3ofzhIENqrv9RZCAxoo7vgUSpTYSc_QMr8LVUGIdvqRmDbyEQQAfvuB/s1600/TealTribeDown_teal.png" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<br />
<p>Now teal has been thrust into the media spotlight in a way I've never seen before. Over the past month, two documentaries have debuted. On May 2, she was featured in the fourth episode of Vice's <a href="https://video.vice.com/en_us/show/true-believers" target="_blank"><i>True Believers</i></a> series, "Teal Swan and the Wellness Tribe." And on May 18, the first of four scheduled episodes of <i>The Deep End</i> aired on FreeForm, then on Hulu. (Full disclosure: I had what I think were fruitful discussions with producers and reporters for all of the above.)</p>
<p><i>The Deep End</i> has generated a lot of buzz, so, for the first time ever, a news search for Teal Swan brings up a lot of articles and mentions. On the downside for teal, a lot of that reporting includes the c-word, cult: <a href="https://collider.com/the-deep-end-series-trailer-teal-swan/" target="_blank">'The Deep End' Trailer Reveals the Cult-Like Influence of Teal Swan</a>, <a href="https://www.distractify.com/p/teal-swan-now-the-deep-end" target="_blank">A New Freeform Documentary Looks Into How Possible Cult Leader Teal Swan Took Flight</a>, <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/what-teal-swan-s-real-name-all-cult-leader-ahead-freeform-s-the-deep-end-documentary" target="_blank">What is Teal Swan's real name? All about the cult leader ahead of Freeform's The Deep End documentary</a>.</p>
<p>And then there's the other c-word: con artist: <a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/05/19/is-teal-swan-the-controversial-spiritualist-or-scammer-in-the-deep-end/" target="_blank">Who is Teal Swan, the controversial spiritualist or scammer in “The Deep End”?</a>, <a href="https://landscapeinsight.com/controversy/teal-swan-controversy/6050/" target="_blank">Teal Swan, The Controversial Spiritualist Or Con Artist In “The Deep End,” Has A Name</a>.</p>
<p>Any <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/tv/2022/05/18/what-watch-wednesday-masked-singer-finale-airs-fox/" target="_blank">mention</a> in legacy media like the <i>Washington Post</i> should be considered great publicity, but it reads:</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><b>The Deep End</b> (Freeform at 10) A four-part docuseries — that will also stream on Hulu — about the wellness/spiritual influencer Teal Swan who has been accused of effectively running a cult.</blockquote>
<p>Worse, some articles <a href="https://decider.com/2022/05/20/the-deep-end-who-is-teal-swan/" target="_blank">have noted</a> her relative obscurity.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>When <a href="https://decider.com/platform/freeform/" target="_blank">Freeform</a> first announced <i><a href="https://decider.com/show/the-deep-end-2022" target="_blank">The Deep End</a></i>, it chose <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/freeform-announces-nonfiction-slate-docuseries/" target="_blank">not to mention</a> that its docuseries would be about Teal Swan. Instead it referred to her as a “controversial female spiritual leader.” In many ways, it’s an omission that makes sense. Though Teal Swan is far from a household name, she has an extraordinary amount of influence over her followers.</p>
<p><i>The Deep End</i> seeks to answer the question that has haunted many who have stumbled upon Swan’s videos. Is this woman just a popular alternative healer or is she a potentially dangerous cult leader?</p></blockquote>
<p>The biggest tip-off that this massive boost to her public profile is not flattering is teal's muted response to it. She and her team are not promoting <i>The Deep End</i>, despite their full participation in it. They've mentioned it only obliquely and apparently grudgingly. It all looks to me like damage control, not great damage control, but damage control.</p>
<p>Two days before it aired, she posted on her blog <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/an-explanation-for-my-non-response-approach-r590/" target="_blank">An Explanation For My Non-Response Approach</a> to bad press and "haters." There is much in this post that's nonsensical, but the biggest problem is that it's entirely false. None of us who've been on the receiving end of her ire could call it a non-response. She responded to my <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html" target="_blank">first blog post</a> about her by <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html" target="_blank">writing one about me</a> and siccing her flying monkeys on me. Beyond the swarms of vitriolic comments and emails, there've been mass reporting attacks on my Facebook page that have gotten my blog blocked repeatedly, and I've seen screenshots of her defamatory, if comical, attacks on me in Messenger threads. I've also seen the kind of venom and vicious defamation she's aimed at others, particularly former friends/followers and exes. She responds. She definitely responds.</p>
<p>Lest we forget, she put out a two hour video called <a href="https://youtu.be/ZhwcygYOxOc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teal Swan Answers To The Allegations</a>. I broke that down <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">here</a>. Did she forget that she did that? Is she ok?</p>
<p> She also put out a fresh, new <a href="https://youtu.be/VVdJ33EkCMM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">welcome message</a>. Even in those brief few minutes, she manages to shoehorn in a complaint about people misunderstanding, fearing, and twisting her meaning. I'm not sure if she's expecting an influx of new potential followers, courtesy of this surge of media, but she sure seems to think they'll need to be inoculated against having a bad impression of her.
</p><p>The night before the documentary aired, Blake Dyer intimated that there might be some reveals about his departure from Teal Eye, the company he founded with his long-time, mostly platonic companion. Blake announced last September that he was stepping back from his many roles and responsibilities as teal's second banana. From a safe distance, we could all see the outlines of this transition: engagement to fiance #1, teal unhappy over Blake's priorities, break-up, engangement to fiance #2, marriage, departure from teal's world. It seems that some of this drama has played out in front of the film crew, and having seen at least some of that footage in the first installment, leave say, this could get very interesting. Writes Blake:</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">I can't really explain the power, ferocity and magic that has lead my life to change in such a dramatic way in the past 2 years. In short, everything has changed in that time. My family, friends, career, place of living and relationship.... I won’t lie it has been a messy, painful, trying and often terrible road with moments of beauty and compassion in between. And in a mind bending staggering addition, an award winning documentary crew was there to capture some of those trials, giving me the precious opportunity to look back upon my actions to gain further awareness and reflection.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwRDISIcSCsnAFjWQdgQJIh27V6Z85xQS2iHtOAYCvzA0svPmQOW9CPGa5ibfmqgrbTpRImbRXm56ZbDgoySXjMlGEgUEhbfXpSI75o0SmKmMD1qUkuNu_RiqwEnoKaNQdVwHReC63OL_kLUuExJFboHq8ovCr1YjL-sR4hezlu-pR3pskkEEDJap/s1600/BlakeonDoco.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwRDISIcSCsnAFjWQdgQJIh27V6Z85xQS2iHtOAYCvzA0svPmQOW9CPGa5ibfmqgrbTpRImbRXm56ZbDgoySXjMlGEgUEhbfXpSI75o0SmKmMD1qUkuNu_RiqwEnoKaNQdVwHReC63OL_kLUuExJFboHq8ovCr1YjL-sR4hezlu-pR3pskkEEDJap/s1600/BlakeonDoco.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>At some point on Saturday, three days after the first episode aired, teal quietly slipped a video of her response to it on the main page of her <a href="https://tealswan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>, well below the fold. It's titled simply "Documentary Episode 1 Thoughts." What documentary? You'd have to listen to it to know. But I will save you the trouble. There are things she likes about the first episode of <i>The Deep End</i> and things she does not. She really likes the parts where her fans and supporters show their love and appreciation for her. She dislikes all the parts that made her look like a "very hard, harsh, cold, dismissive, unworkable, domineering, competitive, and angry" woman, with a "superiority complex," because all of that was taken way out of context.</p>
<p>The next day, she <a href="https://youtu.be/Z4Cl2sxcVFw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">posted the video</a> on her YouTube channel. If she's posted it anywhere else, I haven't seen it. It's not on her official <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tealswanofficial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, and I've been told by people who can see her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tealswan1984" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">profile page</a> — because, unlike me, they are not blocked — that it's not to be found there, either. The following image has been at the top of that page for a couple of days now.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXtTk7TBvZCdJQPiPaqtUMJqIEcn1LW3S_TPyCd-1UQfj5o1kgpszsuyiDhc6qp4v_kn2GyfpU_6pdzJnq16v2UMkJfQkxJOWz0p5dUhSmJ_reG-dUpeAHMxns17pNLroV7R2nSkyOru9_OViwFOiMg7ZfxvapZgFumg13O3Qlcif0zAK7jHCCOfu/s1600/tealtop.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXtTk7TBvZCdJQPiPaqtUMJqIEcn1LW3S_TPyCd-1UQfj5o1kgpszsuyiDhc6qp4v_kn2GyfpU_6pdzJnq16v2UMkJfQkxJOWz0p5dUhSmJ_reG-dUpeAHMxns17pNLroV7R2nSkyOru9_OViwFOiMg7ZfxvapZgFumg13O3Qlcif0zAK7jHCCOfu/s1600/tealtop.png" style="width: 75%;" /></a></div>
<p>She seems to be reacting and, dare I say, <i>responding</i> to media that she does not think is representing her in a way that makes her "look good," which, for some reason, she <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">thinks is their job</a>. It's all sort of veiled and indirect, but she is very much making her displeasure known.</p>
<br />
<h3 id="toys"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E1 "The Lost Toys"</span></h3>
<p>I think <i>The Deep End</i> is a much better title than what teal actually said.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">My rule is if you wanna come within 50 miles of me, you better be ready for the deepest end of the pool.</blockquote>
<p>How many ends does this pool have?! I can see where it might have many ends and quite a range of depths, because it covers 50 miles, minimum. So that's one very large, bizarrely shaped pool. I can't quite imagine it... and I don't think I want to.</p>
<p>I think it was very generous of the documentarians to edit her mass of mixed metaphors and weird imagery into such a pithy title.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/eroticacid/status/1527766484361089024" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;" target="_blank"><img alt="teal swan always sounds like she's paraphrasing the average of a dozen self-help books from the front table of a 90s-era borders" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1qblsGpf98XqKFQfud036igLD-19Fcwwh_aYVHZeseGwt5nAi8LuX0ns5RsCQUsew-r3DrgnxjvIPzCGuPA335JJBv0frb5bvCT7FZ2JMbYu410b_FkThxCRUogsIq8IOuqnVULzcTgVc_u8EtGIaeuw2zbbRtPQFzKxjPn0ufmZd7hGQb9-wsEh/s1600/90sborders.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<p>This is a very lush, cinematically beautiful production, so much so that I fear it risks glamorizing teal's world. And a glamour concealing a murky darkness is teal in a nutshell. The style is observational, with no narration, so it gives the viewer that fly on the wall feel. The access she granted them is incredible and surprising, after her previous brushes with mainstream media.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/tjenningsbrown/status/1527295907674324992" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="After the podcast came out we spoke to many production companies about adapting it for TV. The Documentary Group was the clear choice. I knew we could trust them to take a trauma-informed approach to an incredibly sensitive story. Everyone at TDG is brilliant and compassionate." border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCeeqItD0tzZQatR8CX7vrxUxinuL7cZpXfm20MQCDR6yjFIEbclLy8Zn550HTRsTO8KgA76m9agFByvMyxUCejkBzsu6Iv_Xla00my3e8dKPcmsCUCeRaxn7RB2y7ta9WazovedbyJz6i_C3fEUlUR0K54C0r6jm9YLs2jtDt4nfc31fkdU-G58j/s1600/JBExplainsDeepEnd.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>Jennings Brown, in a recently aired podcast interview, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/75BszQ2eXG0tEGw9eyzLjV" target="_blank">A Little Bit Culty</a>, explains that he reached out to teal's team, post-Gateway furor, and asked them if they'd be interested in working with The Documentary Group. Despite their chilly response to him, they said "sure." (He also mentions that they had sought to have him take down the articles he'd done for the podcast series, which he did not do. I expect he got the same toothless legal letter I did, practically begging me to take down my post. I didn't either.) So, yes, her willingness to let in cameras and microphones again, after a request from someone she thinks "duped" her is a little surprising. In the interview they ponder why she may have done that. My theory: She's an exhibitionist who loves to be filmed and photographed and believes wholeheartedly in the force of her own charisma.</p>
<p>Brown admits that he was "manipulated" and "controlled" by her, in their first sit-down interview. I've seen this with other media professionals as well. The reality, for which teal has been totally unprepared, is that professional journalists have editors, other sources, fact checkers, multiple processes in place to prevent any one source or subject from controlling the final edit. The fourth estate is by no means perfect and media professionals can and have been gamed, but these aren't the sycophantic YouTubers teal depended on during her ascent. These are professionals who answer to other professionals.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CaitDickey/status/1527447462633431052" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="Teal Swan is a real life version of Kristin Wigg’s “don’t make me sing” skit, except she’s terrifying and def a cult leader." border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioH3kAItWPQn1td9T2Fxceux50roqut_zt-j0B6kEaxLpgIgkie03lPu4xerulimsuYI0prLgcEQbubbTr1vpJswmhfv_pWT_0YSKFVsYboGde4Wyhif8Uc6EzE-1YgXZc1V9NVCCkljUid3kISiBwcEX2OtJx7g5dXlIzUd1G22eFeQKp_7n6MzNM/s1600/dontmakemesing.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>"I'm a mirror. What a mirror does is it shows you the reality," says teal to a workshop audience, a few minutes into the episode. The grandiosity of this statement should be a glaring red flag. She has been calling herself a mirror and a "universal reflector" for some time and I believe she took this notion from <a href="https://humandesign.net/basic-concepts.html#94" target="_blank">Human Design</a>. But if she truly believed in oneness and our holographic universe, as she claims to, she would know that everyone and everything is a reflection. We are all mirrors to each other. As my teacher, Cherokee Mystic Virginia Sandlin, always said, "I am not the source of your reality. From my perspective, you are my reflection, and from your perspective, I am your reflection." (I may be paraphrasing this slightly.)</p>
<p> But teal keeps positioning herself as speaking from "source perspective" as if, somehow, others are not. She <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-new-york-mirror-r561/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">claims to be</a> "a mirror of the universe within the mirror hologram that is our earth." In a hologram, every cell contains the entire image. Every one of us contains the entire universe, in every particle of our being. This mystical concept is a totally equalizing principle, but in her hands, it somehow becomes self-aggrandizing and further enshrines an alarming power over her followers.</p>
<p>From that vaunted pedestal she asks a woman, who is seeking to understand her lack of direction and motivation, "Why are you still here on the planet?" All roads lead to suicide, with teal. The woman seems stunned into silence, passively nodding. From there teal presses her to the same sort of binary, get off the fence, choice that she <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">presented</a> Leslie Wangsgaard with, <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">by her own admission</a>. "It's like part of you is trying to find an answer and stay alive and part of you is like 'I'm just gonna take us out.'... Like when we're really facing that decision point, play out both sides... go to the worst of the worst case scenarios and make your mind up. None of us are gonna get out of this thing alive..." It is certainly not the first time she has said something like this, one on one, and to a depressed, suicidal following that she has cultivated. If you want to know why many of us call her "the suicide catalyst," this is one more example.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/fascino_vic/status/1527108963942137856" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="Teal Swan really fixed her mouth to ask a woman(who clearly sounds suicidal) in front of a bunch of people “so why are you still here?”" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxA9X9ETTfMPCpjl9JJkApT3-JPpYalVaO6o9iYvDMimoVNLLB0YHuuTKjXiA0wDR3xDMrBr6HD1lnDxXNjvZKQyUMHD-FoGShA9TRKTfc8nwduegsaIn6P9p8WQfh3pA5eAckQKu87ZA39pveF6b04wa3ZkbVObvxrLDhRX_K3J8oxG9dfJ08iJg/s1600/fixedhermouth.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>Amazingly, teal manages to come off even worse than she does in that scene, as this thing goes along. There's a jawdropping exchange between her and a retreat participant who asks her if she has enough respect for anyone that they could challenge her, as she does with everyone else. "Why? I should have someone above me?" she says, implying that she is above everyone she calls out. "I don't look up to anyone." Someone <i>might</i> exist who has more "awareness" than she does, but she has never met them. Her anger at the suggestion that she should have mentors or even equals who can call her on her shit is staggering, but it's fully in keeping with her <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">escalating arrogance</a>.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/spirituallmilf/status/1528799758302646272" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="Watching the ‘Deep End’ on Hulu, the second Teal Swan said there is no one above her and she’s never met anyone as aware as her I knew this was a cult" border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUU6ZCGYbVcE23CLTKEGAVTuQBSpF26x48uCo3h2KPut3-oTb5e5bvthk0T7CfhHaIgYpWsX4xVS3smhfI-mrx4l5M8xfBbgeTh59FlpkkFRCDgoAC_2O_JN84v4APuuEtnQBrwqLCrTH-wZEDQIwJBn-22Hq9Nxwu32yB5j1d5HspQ5fCyivfIOJ/s1600/aboveher.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>We also learn that it's Blake who has been doing teal's henna treatments... for 17 years. So one of his many responsibilities has been unlicensed cosmetologist/colorist. Who is doing her hair now that he's gone? And he is gone, as discussed above.</p>
<p>I will have much more to say on the Blake resignation saga, but I will table that until we see how the backstory plays out in the coming episodes. This episode saw him in a heated exchange with teal over bringing Juliana into their intentional community. It is, again, an ugly side of teal playing out before an unflinching camera.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/_hylocichla/status/1527835069750075392" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="the most disturbing part about the teal swan doc so far, apart from the purposeful retraumatization, is the guy who says “same key everybody” before going into this little light of mine on mandolin" border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylnyRF2ATibK9TNJhEzIlyg2DWUlqIY1oKNHge_qTQuuXaTySahx3LTlm0GYieBB8qBuxTSg4oOdDQC_JAAfUYaCqOEEnCesiM4l1pQ25CiXQe7z3Rat0YSpBnZ46swr-waMP5Med2dibSPHKts91u12k7Hd_NvS7fSmGUVVQjRDjfRqEgDu45MC-/s1600/mandolin.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<br />
<h3 id="vice"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>True Believers</i> S1E4 "Teal Swan and the Wellness Tribe"</span></h3>
<p>Vice's <i><a href="https://video.vice.com/en_us/show/true-believers" target="_blank">True Believers</a></i> series runs six episodes, each focused on a different controversial spiritual or health and wellness organization, and teal's is the fourth. It opens with a gut-wrenching interview with the parents of teal follower McKenzie Faye Lazarz who killed herself at 18. They believe that teal’s messaging was pivotal in their daughter’s decision to end her life. As the episode unfolds, they demonstrate, through a montage of teal’s videos and interviews with key figures from teal’s inner circle, how her parents could have reached that conclusion.</p>
<p>I cannot listen to the story of how this teenage girl ended her life without weeping. And I can’t help but think about teal’s reaction when Lebo Diseko of the BBC <a href="https://youtu.be/zKsPnKlZRS0?t=439" target="_blank">asked her</a> about the two very young people from Teal Tribe who killed themselves on her watch. “I’m not aware of them,” she shrugs.</p>
<p>As teal’s ex-husband Sarbdeep Swan says in this documentary, “When you tell vulnerable people, who have nothing to live for, that you have all the answers, that suicide is a reset button, then people will kill themselves. She knows this, but she doesn’t care.”</p>
<p>Some of the most affecting moments come from the interview with teal's ex-boyfriend Jared Dobson, aka., Fallon. There's a certain poetry to that, for me. It was teal's disturbing, degrading, and classically culty treatment of Fallon that moved me to put pen to paper and write my very first <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">blog post</a> about teal. Here he opens up about the events that led up to her kicking him out of the house and out of the tribe. "And the last thing she told me is that if I were you, I'd just go kill myself. There's no help for you. There's nothing anyone can do."</p>
I'm reminded of what teal claimed about Leslie Wangsgaard's suicide during her <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">comedic riff</a> on the loss of her client:
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">So then we have to ask the question do we really want this to work. And what's interesting is that when she asked herself that question the answer was, "No. I'm done." There's nothing that any healer could ever do for that type of vibration, which is totally fine.</blockquote>
<p>It's seems like she gives up on those she deems suicidal very easily. If she can't fix them, no one can.</p>
<p>Besides, they're just hitting the reset button.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/YungKundalini/status/1527498126717620224" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="Watching this Vice documentary on cults and I just can’t believe the lack of personal accountability so many people have in destroying their own lives! Teal Swan, has BLOOD on her hands and yet her platform still exist? These cult leaders are truly deranged." border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-24kpZlgDo3M6MXlS9_RbpnKSu6zfduD7AABCPFoMfYx9O-mqLJEDLTXTiGGUeH9TEy1J8KjXiFZFwcuOz0tjw1oiNDaV7pIRngsIRZG4hssmWxlvPQZX-4IdvT6UBJlFaEtiW-lPddU8GDZhHb9tdxpFNH_b_nyR76-wyU3luB_xAUaPXrmFG54/s1600/bloodonherhands.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
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<h3 id="safe"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E2 “The Safe Space”</span></h3>
<p>I’m hearing from a number of people that they’re finding <i>The Deep End</i> too triggering to watch. Some feel that it is glamorizing and promoting a woman they consider dangerous and they can't stand to watch that unfold. I have my own concerns about that, as I said above, but I don’t think this docuseries is doing teal any favors, not if the media and public reception of it is any guide. She doesn't think so either and she's making her displeasure known.</p>
<p>Optics aside, I can see why watching it could be deeply unsettling. It’s very up close and personal with teal, and particularly for survivors of her “tribe,” being a fly on that particular wall can be hard on the eyes. Watching it is an immersive experience, no pun intended. The camera brings you very close to her face as she scowls, glares, smirks, and cocks her eyebrows at people. It’s an even more vivid experience of her mental chess matches than her streamed workshops.</p>
<p>The people I’m hearing this from are survivors of the tealverse, but I could see where anyone who’s experienced narcissistic abuse might feel uncomfortable during such a vivid enactment of these dynamics.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/isabellabc/status/1530585181341376512" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="Anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of living with someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder needs a trigger warning for watching Teal Swan in this documentary. She manipulates people through intimidation and fear. A horrible, dangerous person." border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlnLzQkzmHrlUK672QcK3CZAORQ-NozNuLC3jqJIyeCWs-clEUP39kDGPIULj4auQK73LU3e3d_lKBw1kG0JUeWuytGYU4pXWMQ-USzGbmLq3ZWGtC0sLNUH6fA2ouQRd0o_6cns_QyL1nQNkjnejpIXik4QuWg4yvjqlQDSAFp0PIMdhipBKPZEJ/s1600/NPDtriggerwarning.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>This episode is subtler and, at least on the surface, less dramatic than the first. But it has that feeling of the calm before the storm, like it’s setting the scene for major plot twists and revelations, some of which are teased in the preview for the next episode.</p>
<p>The Blake and Juliana saga is emerging as a central story arc. This episode explores Juliana’s attempts to merge into the community Blake calls home. And it seems much more challenging than meeting potential in-laws.</p>
<p>The title of this episode is “The Safe Place,” which given the subject matter, would seem to indicate a haven for seekers, or even a “safe space” for the many troubled souls who come to teal seeking healing. But, no, that’s not it. In fact, teal tells Juliana, “It’s not a real safe community.” The “safe place” is the bubble of protection that this community is expected to provide for teal. And most especially, she means Blake. “He’s my safe place,” she explains. “And, like, I need him in my life.”</p>
<p>Once again, the cult dynamics are on full display. Everything revolves around teal, her needs, her comfort level. She has to be “safe,” her community, not so much. They are her buffer against “attacks.” She uses the word “mission” a lot, which serves to justify the level of energy and devotion she expects from them. (See item 5 in the checklist, in <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html">this post</a>.)</p>
<p>And then she really puts Juliana on notice:</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">The problem comes whenever a girl that he’s with has a truth that opposes mine in any way. He acts like a little noodle and then it’s about her versus me.</blockquote>
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<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJwvNO6ktAp-_7wDtYdCngv0Stcxd1d0cPM-lETzOxiYjOVRQeE2z_2I8RkeiYnYSPQJxfzaguH0q_N3Mle1mZVpE-ksYu2hRR558NI1cdlK5i4OybFmswsp3PJ5r9lx4a21hSqqyNEbfLlEl9B712FzA5pJZ4Z0gcitJ7-4chL8in-x7V0rirjFv/s1600/MissingProposalVideo.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJwvNO6ktAp-_7wDtYdCngv0Stcxd1d0cPM-lETzOxiYjOVRQeE2z_2I8RkeiYnYSPQJxfzaguH0q_N3Mle1mZVpE-ksYu2hRR558NI1cdlK5i4OybFmswsp3PJ5r9lx4a21hSqqyNEbfLlEl9B712FzA5pJZ4Z0gcitJ7-4chL8in-x7V0rirjFv/s1600/MissingProposalVideo.png" style="color: #134f5c; width: 95%;" /></a></div>
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<p>The thing is, though, the Blake, Juliana, and teal show has a prequel. Not addressed here, Juliana is Blake’s second fiancée in a matter of a few years, which makes his comments about never having been committed to anyone before Juliana more than a little confusing. The <a href="https://youtu.be/TYn3lsDHyqE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video</a> is long gone, but in early January of 2017 (or maybe a little before) Blake and the entire intentional community, at their Costa Rica center, one by one, proposed to Lynn (because this is definitely not a cult). She accepted and their relationship certainly seemed to be moving forward. Note that Lynn describes them, <a href="https://youtu.be/8OpYA8uPGcM" target="_blank">in this video</a>, as "very committed to each other."</p>
<p>But cracks in Lynn’s relationship with teal <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb-SScUgrG3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">started to show</a>.</p>
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<p>Note that one of the hashtags is #narcissist. That would be fitting, if it was meant to point to teal's own behavior. But it appears to be aimed at Lynn, as if her failure to revolve her life around teal’s moods instead of her own means <i>she’s</i> the narcissist.</p>
<p>Apparently Blake was “a little noodle” in the midst of Lynn and teal’s collision of "truths," because teal put him in that “<a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">hot seat</a>” she loves so much, over his “codependency.”</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Codependency - Awareness of Codependent Patterns - Teal Swan Workshop</div>
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<p>And to cure him of this codependency, she tells him what he thinks and what to say.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">“Lynn, I have every intention of living in this community until the day I die. I do expect you to take my life as your own." That's your truth. That's your truth.</blockquote>
<p>So that put some starch in his spine, I’m sure.</p>
<p>Not long after that, “engaged” quietly disappeared from Lynn's and Blake's respective Facebook profiles.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Dingoes8MyRP/status/1530618829553995779" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="Wow. Teal Swan is an asshole. Just, the way she speaks to everyone. Yikes." border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Fa9ai1F6oJZHM9pIHw1Q3vvSoHo-qhBS9rSonNMBJyahhlkVY91BQYTlKPF6Gp2C8dzQwe5IhkvBwJiChsimTv4aICDajSJoqSTgfPc3QKqH2aiw0555BsO5fm9NeIODY4qw45bHclqy-lyYa3V0SPfV0OF3Km9ZzX7HY79MFYvF94gotRrjSXso/s1600/yikes.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>I don't know what to make of this investigator, Molly. I have concerns over the fact that she was hired by team teal, especially given that hers appears to be the only third-party, professional voice included in the documentary. She’s not a psychologist, let alone an expert in cults or the psychology of influence. And her bias toward the people who’ve employed her seems pretty plain.</p>
<p>Even as she starts encountering evidence of teal's misconduct, she doesn't seem to want to believe it. She describes knowing it as a "burden" and "the pandora's box you wish you'd left closed." But isn't this her job? To find the truth? Isn't that what she claimed she'd do?</p>
<p>I don’t love that she trotted out the “ur just jelly” defense, as if teal’s “attractiveness” is what’s making her a “target.” As I <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">wrote here</a>, that was the weapon of war that was wielded against me by teal’s “army” of followers. (And, yes, it is <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">teal herself</a> who uses that kind martial language to describe her "mission." In fact, she described her followers as an "army" again in this very episode.)</p>
<p>I loathe the sexism of this idea, as if all women care about is whether some other woman is prettier. If you’re criticizing a woman, it can’t possibly be about her words, her ideas, or how she uses her position. It must be about her looks. As I have repeatedly pointed out, teal is very focused on her appearance and how it <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E1">gives her an advantage</a> — over Black women, for instance — and I think that signaling may have something to do with why her flying monkeys always go there. I find this idea revolting. Can we please, please stop reducing women to their bodies like this. Please.</p>
<p>I am curious to see what this investigator who was hired to exonerate teal comes up with, but I have concerns. I do like her rolodex, though. Old school. Love it.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Documentary Episode 2 Thoughts</div>
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<p>Another person who seems very het up about Molly's partiality is, um, teal. Although her concerns are 180° out from mine:</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">This episode introduces Molly as the private investigator and in this episode she says that it is her job to find out if this is a cult or not. That is actually not her job, and she was hired by me. She is not an independent investigator.</blockquote>
<p>But in Molly's conversation with Matthias, she presented a very different picture:</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">You can say, well here, read this. This is the truth. This is a third party, independent, unedited investigation, that we have no influence over the content of.</blockquote>
<p>Yet it seems that teal was under the impression that she was paying this woman to give her and her business a clean bill of health, that her "third-party investigator" was bought and paid for. And I guess we'll see whether or not Molly's ethics square with her claims of truth seeking. As far as teal's ethics are concerned, she's just made that abundantly clear. She thinks she can buy a third-party expert's partiality.</p>
<p>In this, her response to part 2 of <i>The Deep End</i>, teal seems really angry. Her phrasing is clipped and strident, and she's not pulling her punches. It is "not a documentary," it is "tabloid," and is not focused on her work, but rather on her private life. (Was she not aware that film crews were recording all these intimate conversations? Were these hidden cameras?) And she really hates the music, I mean really hates it. The music makes her look like a "bad person" and a "cult leader." Pretty sure her on-camera behavior does that on its own, but then, I've thought that for many years.</p>
<p>Much of her criticism seems to be based on straw men. She complains about a scene that appears to show her "secretly watching" Blake and Juliana. I think I know what sequence she's talking about, and it did not read that way to me. There are obvious edits that shift between the happy couple and teal, but it does not look like she's watching them. Yes, they are telegraphing that a conflict is building, but then, as we already know the outcome, that's not a stretch.</p>
<p>As per teal, the "set" of this series makes it look like she and her followers are living in a "commune."</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">While I support intentional community, I myself, actually live in an ordinary house, with my son, partner and my personal assistant. In fact, Blake moved into his own apartment nearby, in preparation for Juliana's arrival, and so, surprise surprise... Juliana, Blake, and I never even lived together. And all the other people I consider part of my community, live in their own apartments in the same city.</blockquote>
<p>Of course, there is no statement from the documentarian that they live in an "intentional community." That phrasing comes from teal herself, as she explains things to Juliana.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">This community, obviously based on the fact that it’s oriented around this mission, with me at the spearhead of it, functions a lot differently than most intentional communities... So my only safety is this community. It’s all the people around me. I’m in the middle here and, like, my community forms this little circle.</blockquote>
<p>She really needs to stop blaming people who quote and document her, when it's her own words that make her look bad. These are not things that are being said about her. These are her actual words, from her actual mouth, in front of a rolling camera.</p>
<p>I did not assume Blake, Juliana, and teal were living under one roof, despite the fact that I know that Blake has been living with teal throughout her many marriages and relationships. She says herself that he only just moved out, to be with Juliana, despite the fact that she is currently living with an unnamed "partner."</p>
Says teal:
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">There was a carefully edited scene in this episode which makes it seem like Blake and I have some kind of immoral sexual relationship going on behind Juliana's back. And that we are trying to keep it a secret from Juliana. It makes it look like I'm saying that we have a "special relationship" behind closed doors.</blockquote>
<p>Wow! I didn't think anything like that from watching that scene. But now she's got me thinking... maybe... Was that her guilty mind spilling out its secrets?! Now I really have to wonder.</p>
<p>What I took from that scene was very different. To me it reads like she's testing Blake to see what control she still has over him. And it's a master class on manipulation. She seems jealous and threatened. And while that's troubling, the part that I find truly chilling is how controlled and controlling she is throughout that conversation.</p>
<p>It's teal who brings up Blake's relationship with Juliana and presses him on how it's going, because, "I don't think we're on the same page." (Being <a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/articles/get-on-the-same-page-the-secret-to-a-feel-good-relationship-r194/" target="_blank">on the same page</a> is very important to teal. She does not brook disagreement.) She's unhappy that they "haven't spent enough time together." And when he stammers out that his time is invested in Juliana and that he intends to propose, she exclaims, "Okay, well, thank you for telling me!" as if it's only natural that she should know before Juliana. The whole discussion reads like Blake needs to be accountable to her about his time, relationship, and intentions, and he sheepishly complies.</p>
<p>Then she changes tacks, and shows support for the pending nuptials, but not without mentioning Blake's romantic feelings towards her and commenting that she's watching and noting that Juliana doesn't react when Blake touches teal. The whole dynamic is creepy and enmeshed and seems to me to be about teal calculating what she can and can't control.</p>
<p>Surprising no one, teal really goes after Jared Dobson with venom. He's a "disgruntled" ex-boyfriend. The relationship failed, as per teal, "for reasons you can probably figure out by listening to what he says." Yes, telling someone he should kill himself puts a chill on things. Of course she denies ever saying this. But the reasons for their split are not clear from this documentary. The Vice doco (above) is much more informative on that front. His <i>Mormon Stories</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxq5opj6GqOB-q9vT0mGvKzMS_0P7Ia5X" target="_blank">interview</a> is also excellent.</p>
<p>As I said above, it was the Jared/Fallon story that made me <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html" target="_blank">start blogging about teal</a>. I saw her abuse of him play out in real time. So no, teal, it's not obvious from this documentary why your relationship ended. It had a little more to do with her branding him a psychopath, scapegoating him, whipping her followers into a frenzy against him, and kicking him to the curb.</p>
<p>Having read and listened to much of what Jared has said over the years, I think he's been very consistent as to how this went down. He's also remained incredibly kind and compassionate toward teal, despite her abject cruelty towards him. He's an incredibly sweet man.</p>
<p>It wouldn't be a teal video without grandiose, unfounded claims.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">Let me remind you that, based on statistics, the truth is that my methods are more effective at helping those who are potentially suicidal, than conventional methods.</blockquote>
<p>Do tell, where is the published, peer reviewed research that compared teal's approach to suicidality to "conventional methods?"</p>
<p>This whole video feels like one big gaslight.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">I Need YOU! Completion Process Training with Teal Swan!</div>
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<p>It's not just teal who's angry about the way <i>The Deep End</i> is unfolding. Members of her inner circle have also put out video messages registering their complaints. Those that I've seen really seem to boil down to their lack of screen time. It's called the cutting room floor, folks. They are very disappointed about how their incredible healing journeys have been reduced to a few short scenes that they're convinced make them look bad. It's almost like they're peripheral to the central issue that is teal. You'd think they'd be used to that.</p>
<p>I've located videos for three people who appeared in part 2. They did not feel the episode did them justice. They are: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/883810467/posts/10166242361515468/" target="_blank">Cyan</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1623924357/posts/10224380788180323/" target="_blank">Graciela</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tristen.tran.9/videos/1555258431535102" target="_blank">Tristen</a>.</p>
<p>Cyan, seen above, nearer to the beginning of his healing journey with teal, has put out a statement on part 2 that appears <a href="https://www.facebook.com/883810467/posts/10166242361515468/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeHVBJwAFlb/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/zBdqlp5hVXE" target="_blank">here</a>. He would like you to know that he didn't change his name from Matthew to Cyan because he's taken on a <a href="https://www.globalchristians.org/articles/cultexit.htm" target="_blank">cult personality</a>. I'm paraphrasing. Sure, it was teal who helped him decide on that name, but it was his choice and it felt right. I remember another follower who teal "helped" into a name, Jared Dobson who accepted the name Fallon because teal liked it much more than his first choice. Things went poorly for him. Just sayin.'</p>
<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="bluegreens" border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzogKf_XpmDJAbn0eXMkwCowQJx4gmu8d0nujR6x_ucP5iCM8Y7j-oPJGb8wSZGAjOUB9qFn8o-i0_CXp2gHVxwarTzis-oomvl05d2Kuuh9xFq6uYB6J_kqp-KQAFvsTpaOEfocFBF-l7-dqozDx6u2tBeyHE87eTaFHONIIgJeylW9zaL1rel8p/s1600/bluegreens.gif" style="width: 75%;" /></div>
<p>And can we talk about the fact that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyan" target="_blank">cyan</a> is a blue-green color a bit lighter than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teal" target="_blank">teal</a>? Or, more accurately, teal is a darker shade of cyan.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/8erGhYvcLK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D" rel="nofollow" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="Graci as Footstool" border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOchklgCNDgGRj1mtYbCNuDRFjYdGiZT61PDxEEbQaw4hZ8YDj73AuJHE03O6T-le5eC9ZMBh97sZZQRBYq5QYjq2aFekMUnWO5HsxUqljk0kGYgCxpSivykSeSeTKP0eANHDcyeoFLyzW-ebGzoQUFK7j7gmQOHNvIzmhQHFpwkm-KOI5rpfEXNx/s1600/GraciAsFootstool_IG.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<p>Graciela, seen above operating as teal's footstool, is also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1623924357/posts/10224380788180323/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">very unhappy</a> about how she comes across in part 2. She thinks the episode makes her look "retarded." Ignoring, for the moment, the insensitivity of that term, I'm not sure how the doco could possibly make her seem any less significant than she has through her years, on any of teal's platforms.</p>
<p>This video, in fact, is a much worse look for her — and for teal — than anything in the docuseries so far. We learn from her, for example, that she has "moved out of this house a few times... to see if I could make it on my own." It "created a rupture" with teal and her community. It was her own fault, though, because she didn't do it "in the best way."</p>
<p>Despite her botched attempts to live on her own, she has derived some independence, now that she has her own business as a Completion Process Practitioner, certified by teal. So she now drives a "pretty fancy car."</p>
<p>If she's trying to prove that this is not a cult and that it's made up of independent people who are there only by choice, what she says here is not helping her case.</p>
<p>She is very upset that they didn't include a "magic" moment when teal spoke to a man who happened by a workshop, as it was being filmed. As per Graciela, his chat with teal caused him to drop his drink and swear off alcohol. It was that life-changing. If they had included that footage, the only responsible way to present it would be to follow up with that man and see if he was still sober a year, or even six months later. People have all kinds of revelations — when they're doing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large-group_awareness_training" target="_blank">LGAT</a>'s, for example — get back to the day to day, and fall right back into old patterns. This man wasn't even a workshop participant. He was just wandering by... with a drink in his hand... for some reason. Knowing what I know of alcoholism, I'm doubtful that his declaration, in a moment of excitement, held for very long.</p>
<p>We also learn that she's a college dropout. Having gone to a "private university" to study psychology, she became disenchanted, because "no one had an answer for me." This is a very telling statement. In any academic setting, most of what you're learning is theoretical. You don't go to college to find answers, but rather how to ask better questions, to research, to evaluate information. This is one of the lures of any cult or dogmatic religion, and why they're particularly attractive to young people transitioning into a complex and confusing adult world. They offer an illusion of certitude.</p>
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<h3 id="carousel"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E3 “The Carousel”</span></h3>
<p>So... um... the <a href="https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Drowned_God" target="_blank">drowned god</a> scene near the end of this episode... was THAT the deepest end of the 50 mile pool? Are we there yet? Because if this gets worse... or wetter... or deeper... I don't know if I can take it.</p>
<p>I can't believe I need to say this, but holding people under water so that they cannot come up for air, as needed, is a bad idea. It could go very, very wrong.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/FreeformTV/status/1532142933763182592" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="The deeper you go, the darker it gets" border="0" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnOUy2eKDSeC0-VAWuUraUXtHGYbrO6njxuWzQU1dgr4FOBqXwjlIkKe9z51XefmsS7MOGUGqbxfSWa45J2YvO8_n4dV7kKIHa13D9tajk0h1lE9akmeGMNsWVjzOOJltkxlYWcenu-PwHMt2ZvL-mTOjPuoL6R4Dgq3xiu9BqHkLdGSoz4_7hlv8/s1600/deeperyougo.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>The trigger warning for these episodes now needs to include "<a href="https://www.wellandgood.com/trauma-bonding-relationship/" target="_blank">trauma bonding</a>" and "<a href="https://theworld.org/stories/2014-12-11/us-and-world-has-long-history-different-forms-water-torture" target="_blank">torture</a>."</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://twitter.com/le_BHP/status/1532449866085023766" target="_blank"style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="Teal swan drowning ppl and calling it spiritual work is BOOOOONKERS. Girl are you okay??!!" border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGBC5sK8ez0UMKW9oTemHJ-ayO3D5LboJSR9O6LGivCD615fwzmmSZElYiro-0xnYUqUnF6QK8K_tIZzgS-wtfvPGFsiAJt_6ngLwJVV6_kA-G3mGvH0BYW6MMXkg86iwXd56mykxOMMxP01KzVGvkeEU-nO11GbIHQdpEPBSs2nZg-X4XHFBe7l9/s1600/booonkers.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>Needless to say, this scene has really upset people. And needless to say, team teal has been doing damage control at about 90 miles an hour.</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/vKoVxF_mx-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This was posted</a> by another "Curveball" participant to show that this was no big deal. The cinematography is not nearly as vivid, but it still looks ghastly and dangerous.</p>
<p>The claim from teal and co. is that this "waterbreath" technique is "shamanic." Oh really. Hmmm...</p>
<p>I've been working with shamanic techniques for many years. I confess I've never come across this one. So I reached out to <a href="https://lastmaskcenter.org/" target="_blank">Christina Pratt</a>, because she's the most knowledgable person I know, when it comes to cross-cultural shamanism, having written the an exhaustive <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Shamanism-One-M/dp/1404211403/" target="_blank">Encyclopedia of Shamanism</a>. She was also unfamiliar with this "waterbreath" thing.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">Never heard of waterbreath in any time researching for the encyclopedia or since.... It's appropriation/erasure to use "shamanism" to make your crap sound legitimate to the uninformed and desperate.... There is no torture in shamanism. There are extremes in initiation, but without a coherent culture and actual adults, there is no initiation.</blockquote>
<p>In this case, as near as I can tell, the only culture teal's appropriating is <a href="https://classic.wowhead.com/spell=131/water-breathing" target="_blank">World of Warcraft</a>, or <a href="https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Water%20Breathing#content" target="_blank">Dungeons and Dragons</a>... maybe some other <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperNotDrowningSkills" target="_blank">pop culture tropes</a>. I just know I would never try this unless I could get my hands on some <a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Muggles%27_Guide_to_Harry_Potter/Magic/Gillyweed#:~:text=Gillyweed%20is%20a%20magical%20plant,webs%20to%20become%20effective%20fins." target="_blank">gillyweed</a>.</p>
<p>Neither Christina, nor myself, can prove a negative. Perhaps there is some indigenous culture that holds people underwater until they thrash about, gasping for air. If anyone wants to enlighten me as to the origins of this practice, and how exactly it's shamanic, please do. But it would not allay my larger concerns. <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/search/label/James%20Arthur%20Ray">James Arthur Ray</a> managed to kill three people through his twisted, idiotic appropriation of the very real indigenous practice of <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/search/label/Sweat%20Lodge%20Trial">sweat lodge</a> ceremony.</p>
<p>When did the word "shamanic" become the table-slapper?!</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><i>What you're doing looks really dangerous.</i><br />
<i>Yeah, well, it's shamanic! [drops mic]</i></blockquote>
<p>Not every indigenous practice is shamanism. Shamanism is an anthropology term and rubric taken from the Siberian, Tungusic word, <a href="http://saman.nextohm.com/" target="_blank">samān</a>, and expanded to encompass similar, cross-cultural practices. It describes certain mind-altering methods that allow people to pierce the veil and interact directly with the spirit world. It is not every death-defying, courage-building practice, or ceremony, practiced by indigenous people. Many of these practices, like the most extreme versions of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sun-Dance" target="_blank">Sun Dance</a> of the Plains Indians, should be filed under "do not try this at home."</p>
<p>So whether this is an indigenous or shamanic practice or not, and I have my doubts, without the safeguards and extensive training and preparation that would be part of that culture's practices, please, for the love of God, stop. You could kill people and go to jail like James Arthur Ray did.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Documentary Episode 3 Thoughts</div>
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<p>The title of this episode should be something like <i>Teal Cuts People Off From Their Families Because This is a Cult</i>, but I can see where that's a bit long. That is one of the elements that teal is most displeased about, as she explains in her response to the episode.</p>
<p>She is very angry about the suggestion that this is a cult. I'm not going to make this post any longer by picking apart her oft-repeated justifications, because I've already addressed most of these same defenses in <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html">this post here</a>.</p>
<p>I do need to address some of the specifics she argues regarding the documentary. </p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">There's another scene with Sabrina that was shown out of context and because of that presents a false narrative. In this scene she says that I told her that her parents don't love her. When I use the word love I use it in a specialized way, as a term of art, that Sabrina understood. It means that a person takes another person as a part of themselves. It is one of the most difficult things any person can do. Most people cannot do this, which is why they fail to act in the best interests of others. Most people do not love yet, but that is not to say that a parent is not filled with caring or affection for their child. I want people to have wonderful healthy relationships with not only their own family but with every person they meet in the world.</blockquote>
<p>So teal uses words, in this case "love," in an idiosyncratic way, that her followers understand as being different from the rest of the world's understanding. Most people in the world don't really love each other, because they don't have teal's special understanding of what love means. Most parents don't love their children, just feel affection and caring. And teal is all for family connection, as long as they understand and accept her idea of what a healthy family is.</p>
<p>Gosh. Why would anyone think this is a cult?! I mean just because even the word "love" is special, insider jargon... oh god...</p>
<p>For teal to claim that she doesn't turn people against their parents is risible. It's evident in her workshops, it's evident in her videos, parents are always the culprits. Some years ago, on a lark, I tried one of the "processes" available on her old website. I documented the entire thing in this <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/shadows-before-despair.html">blog post</a> with screenshots. There was no way to reach any conclusion other than that my life was not working and my horrible parents were to blame. It didn't matter how I answered the questions. It was a push poll into despair.</p>
<p>Likewise, for her to claim that she does not implant false memories doesn't pass the laugh test. Not only have multiple survivors talked about their experiences of her having done this, she's on tape doing it in workshops, like the one used in <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">The Gateway podcast</a>.</p>
<p>I don't think she addresses the "non-negotiables" document that she apparently makes her inner circle sign. She talks about the awkward conversation with Juliana regarding priorities. I'm not sure if her comparing Teal Eye to Apple, Google, and Burger King was an attempt to fairy-dust away the issue of this document that demands, for instance:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>"you can't put your own family first, teal has to come first, if she wants you there she gets you,"</li>
<li>"the priority of the entire community is whatever's in the best interests of teal, everything else is second to that,"</li>
<li>"you can't have personal boundaries that have in any way an effect on teal."</li></ul>
<p>It also restricts personal relationships, because they pose a potential blackmail threat to teal, because where "fame and money are concerned, people cannot be trusted." It goes on. It's horrible. Blake indicates that he was fine with this list, because teal compares it to "joining the military or something." Speaking as a military spouse, um, no. Molly tells Blake that "most of it is illegal."</p>
<p>It's looking more and more like Molly is going to determine this to be a cult. I say that for a couple of reasons. One is that she now says that she's seeing a lot of things that tick the boxes on cult checklists. But the greater indicator is that teal insisted in her previous response that Molly was <i>not</i> hired to determine whether or not she's running a cult. She already knows Molly's findings and it looks like she's trying to do a little damage control by getting ahead of the story.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tealswanofficial/posts/568576387957301" rel="nofollow" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="967" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1fNzmxlWX0IRsLDcp0Z2JEQMcgVS7Kz1UdJl7UaF4wOhqBMnZ9CFQmrUScAotFbuSRWNO1MeAOEZlvMptu5m4f7mcN4-RMump-_tIZslV4a3fDBVnPnUOogbptaxA-JZp2QnEaHQTwOgG5-Bt6xlZiVKt-YxcGxNQL9hxc_NwbMB3QDTG1FYrMd6/s1600/tealfinalsolution.jpg" style="width: 85%;" /></a></div>
<p>Her majesty's biggest complaint (I feel fully justified in calling her that, now that Matthias has compared them to the royal family) is still that the footage was edited and put together in a way that she thinks misrepresents her. As she says herself, this was filmed over three years. Out of that, four episodes of an hour, minus commercials, have been produced. So, yes, a lot of things are going to end up on the cutting room floor, and segments will be edited together in a way that doesn't exactly represent the actual sequence of events, but that is faithful to the way things played out overall. That's to be expected. For example, she complains that she did not tell Juliana that she had "crossed the line" at the point that it occurs in episode 3. But she's not denying that she said it.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">And you know that stare down that it looks like I gave Juliana in the green room at the event when we were all discussing Sabrina and my frustrations about the risk I am taking working with suicidal individuals? I never gave her that look. I gave that look to Matthias, my business manager, about an unrelated matter.</blockquote>
<p>I don't know how she can keep her withering looks that clear in her memory, but that she glares at people like that, she is not denying. It's a bad look, no matter who it's aimed at and when. This complaint is also a neat distraction from the sheer awfulness of that conversation and the fact that she was way more concerned about how a suicide could impact her business, than the potential loss of life. So she's nit-picking minor details to avoid much larger concerns.</p>
<p>She also announces a campaign to press the filmmakers to release all the raw footage. Because, sure, we'd all love to sit through three years worth of unedited recordings of tealworld. My eyes are starting to bleed just thinking about it. But you know what I would like to see? All the Shadow House episodes that have been memory-holed.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Shadow House Segment</div>
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<p>I've only ever caught a few of the duller episodes and currently the only Shadow House episode still standing is the one <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E4">excerpted here</a>, in which she tells Justin how to kill himself by stopping his heart with his thoughts or by procuring astronaut cyanide. Long gone are the episodes of legend: like her humiliations of people like Cameron and Jared/Fallon, or her infamous racist rant, or when she tried to help everyone "remember" that they were actually aliens and that they were also in the Satanic cult with her. I say prove to us that the Shadow House episodes weren't culty, abusive, and weird.</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">#ReleaseShadowHouse</span></h1>
<p>And while you're at it:</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">#ExplaintheNonNegotiables</span></h1>
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<p>Graciela also did a response video for episode 3. It was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/graciela.hg/posts/10224438104773202" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, but don't bother looking for it. It's gone. I'm a little disappointed over that. But I'm hoping that if she redoes it, she explains some things that I was really curious about, but that weren't addressed in the now missing video.</p>
<p>For instance, she did not explain why she was in bathtub, fully clothed, and with makeup on her face. She's wearing no makeup in any other scene, but to soak in a tub, full makeup and a dress. Make it make sense. I was half expecting her to come out with something like,<i> I was not fully dressed and decked out in a bathtub. Editing! They CGI'd me into that tub.</i> Nope. That part was real, apperently.</p>
<p>So it wasn't terribly informative, left us with more questions than answers, and now it's gone. I have to say, though, she looked smashing in that red top. It's a good color for her.</p>
<p>She was a little more forthcoming in comments in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TealTribeIntentionalCommunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teal Tribe - Intentional Community - World</a>. As Graci is an employee of Teal Eye and an insider, not a rank and file member of that group, I'm going to post some of this without redaction, aside from length. Leave say, her version of events is a bit different from Jennings Brown's (see above). And honestly, it's the clearest statement I've seen yet, as to why they might all feel so betrayed by the filmmakers.</p>
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<p>So, um, poachers? Does she realize that she's basically saying they trusted Kasbe because he can make criminals look better?</p>
<p>But here's a question. Even if they were extorted into doing this doco by the diabolical Jennings Brown and then manipulated for three years by Jon Kasbe, how did teal not see this? She told Jennings Brown she could tell what he <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E6">ate for breakfast</a>, because of her x-ray vision into his intestines. She claims that she can see everyone's "shadows" so clearly that she feels like she's <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">being gaslighted</a>, if they're not honest. Reading people's energy is her <i>job</i>. How did she miss that all these producers, directors, and journalists were playing her? How does she keep getting "duped?" I'm a professional psychic myself. I would never make the kinds of grandiose claims she does. But I would absolutely know if this many people, that I was meeting with face to face, were fucking with me.</p>
<p>It's very obvious that teal's "army" has been in the war room mapping out a strategy. The enemies aren't just the documentarians. They're going after Blake and Juliana. And teal is keeping her hands clean when it comes to her oldest friend and his new bride. But her lieutenants clearly have their marching orders.</p>
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<p>The official story seems to be that Blake admitted to Juliana that he still had feelings for teal and that this made Juliana jealous, which created tensions, as it certainly would, if true. This was the nut of Graciela's now deleted video and the story is being amplified in the tribe, such as this accounting by a CPP, the entirety of which is too long to share here.
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<p>I've seen the word "scapegoat" kicked around quite a bit, in fact I think Graciela used it twice in her now deleted video, so I guess we're dispensing with any pretense that the Ask Teal video on scapegoating the ex-girlfriend was about anything either than Blake and Juliana, not that it was subtle.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Do You Need a Scapegoat to Make Your Relationship Work?</div>
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<p>Here are two of my favorite moments in that video. I think they say way more about teal's self-concept than they do about Blake and Juliana.</p>
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<p>She looms large!</p>
<p>I think it goes without saying that all hell is breaking loose in the tealverse, over <i>The Deep End</i>. They're going to the mattresses. And now another battlefront has opened up, as if they needed one more PR disaster. A childhood friend from teal's past has told her tale of woe on Mormon Stories. And what a story it is.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">1607: Growing up with Teal Swan - Diana Hansen Ribera</div>
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<p>Her story corroborates Doc, the accused <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">Mormon Satanist</a>, pretty completely, from teal's performative cutting and manipulation of her family to the fact that she spent very little time with him. She pulls the rug out from under teal's modeling claims and makes it very clear that teal was a fabulist from a very early age. I have said from the beginning that the logistics of teal's story, alone, make it wildly implausible, and this story makes that painfully clear. There is so much here that I'm still processing and I may have more to say later, but the bottom line is that teal abused this woman, starting when Diana was the slightly younger child, and caused her incredible heartache. My heart goes out to Diana and I applaud her remarkable courage.</p>
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<p></p>
<h3 id="adversary"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>The Deep End</i> S1E4 “The Adversary”</span></h3>
<p>The fourth and final episode was, as expected, a doozy. The major story arcs come to fitting conclusions. And we see teal in all her abusive glory, totally unable to take responsibility for her own bad decisions, and turning on her inner circle in ways that are downright terrifying.</p>
<p>It opens with teal leading a workshop "meditation" that steers people straight into pain, forcing them to drudge up trauma. I've said it many times, her guided meditations over-direct people, cue specific emotional states, and show no respect for them having any sort of independent experience. And they can lead people to very dark places, real and imagined. This is potentially dangerous.</p>
<p>We learned, in general terms, where Molly's investigation led her and that was: cult. Her attempt to engage teal in a conversation about her concerns... well... it does not go well. And as it sinks in that the report she paid for did not go her way, that she can't use it to shut down all the bad press she's been getting — and I find it hilarious that she thought she could take down the <i>Vice</i> article I <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html">discussed here</a> — she does what she always does. She hurls blame, turning on Blake and Matthias, telling them they've lost her trust.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">I did not say what she said I said, "You can't have relationships and be part of this." I don't understand what these people want my answers to be. <i>No I'm not actually very dedicated to this. No I don't expect people around me to be dedicated to this. No I don't think it's a problem if they have partners who are completely incompatible to this.</i></blockquote>
<p>So they can have relationships, but not if their partners are not in line with teal's "vision." So, yeah, she is saying what Molly said she said.</p>
<p>Case in point, Blake's new partner Juliana, has become such a problem for teal, that she fires up the "hot seat" for her. In a scene reminiscent of her Shadow House humiliations of Jared/Fallon and Cameron, she induces the rest of her inner circle to pile on for a collective verbal beat-down. And, of course, it's all about how Juliana doesn't love teal enough.</p>
<p>How does teal know this? Juliana's "insults" are "all over [her] energy field."</p>
<p>"I'm afraid, actually," says Juliana.</p>
<p>"You should be," says teal.</p>
<p>Wow.</p>
<p>In a surreal game of mind-reading, everyone tells Juliana what she <i>really</i> thinks, because when Juliana speaks for herself, that's just not good enough. Where Juliana had been very diplomatic and tried to focus on teal's positive traits, the rest of the group insists that Juliana has very harsh judgments of teal. Their assessments really ring true and are probably concerns that they are harboring themselves, but have no license to say out loud, except as an exercise in projection. The most apt is a litany from teal that includes: attention whore, narcissist, controls others' perceptions, too masculine, too harsh, manipulates Blake, tyrannical, uses people, power hungry, wants everyone for herself, surrounds herself with enablers... These horrible traits are what Juliana is quietly daring to think of teal. Well, clutch the pearls!</p>
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<p>One of the creepiest statements comes from Matthias, who warns Juliana, "There is no resolution until you recognize authority." (!!!)</p>
<p>Yet even after teal's beat-down of Juliana, Blake chooses his wife over what teal seems to believe was a life-long commitment for him to be by her side, as her ever-platonic helpmate, while she cycles through a series of romances and is currently on her fifth husband.</p>
<p>I find it kind of interesting that one of the books Blake puts into a packing crate, on top of <i>The Completion Process</i>, is <i>Trapped in the Mirror: Adult Children of Narcissists in their Struggle for Self</i>. This is not to say that he's identified that teal is a narcissistic abuser, but teal <i>has</i> taken to calling herself a "universal mirror." (see above) So many layers of meaning.</p>
<p>Of course teal would have you know that none of this was as it seemed in the docuseries.</p>
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<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Episode 4 Thoughts</div>
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<p>Her explanation of the kitchen scene makes no sense at all. She claims that her tirade against Blake, calling him weak and a loser (and a series of synonyms for both), had nothing to do with him leaving. She claims that she was mad because he'd done something that sent both himself and Juliana to the ER. But the exchange starts with Matthias talking about paperwork to remove Blake from the corporation. And teal says she's heartbroken over the end of their eighteen-year collaboration. It was clear to me watching it that what she was mad about was Blake's decision to move on from Teal Eye. The packing and moving read to me as him closing out his office. It may well have been that it was B-roll footage from his earlier move out. But none of it had anything to do with what teal is claiming here. She's accusing the filmmakers of telling a "story that didn't happen," when her own story about that scene transparently "didn't happen."</p>
<p>She can claim that there are "no consequences" for leaving, but her rage at Blake for posting about his resignation in The Tribe gives the lie. She's furious about all the well-wishes from "men," when he's "abandoning" her over "high pressure." Get it? None of them are real men who take care of women properly. Weak!!!</p>
<p>The happiness for him and Juliana, though, sends her off the rails.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">All these people are like wishing him and his wife a wonderful life together and if they really knew what just happened here they'd be wanting her dead.</blockquote>
<p>And people wonder why teal's critics get death threats.</p>
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<p>Now that the documentary has exposed some of the hard truths about Blake's departure, teal's rage at him is also becoming public. She's being slippery and underhanded about it, deploying members of her inner circle to do the dirty work, like Tristen and Graciela shown above. But now many members of the larger community are stepping up to feed this ugly narrative: It was Juliana who was jealous, because Blake admitted that he was still in love with teal and found her to be the more attractive of the two. I doubt we'll ever know the truth about this, but we did all see how teal went right there when Blake said he was going to propose, testing his affection and attraction, cueing him to tell her she was sexy. Some version of the now official narrative probably played out, but it's being twisted into some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100015198012709/videos/1044179589807540/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">petty high school drama</a>.</p>
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<p>The war on Blake escalated when he released a non-statement about the documentary.</p>
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<p>Ya get it? <i>As long as you say what we want you to say and fully support teal, you're not violating the NDA you signed. Now post the comment we want you to post.</i></p>
<p>Can someone please explain to me why the leader of the "authenticity movement," the "open shadow" lady, the woman who just said she wanted all the footage released, because she has "nothing to hide" is requiring NDA's with non-disparagement clauses?</p>
<p>The bigger question: If Blake made a full, honest statement, would it be disparaging? Is that why he's biting his tongue?</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheLordFalconis/status/1535257243221774337" target="_blank" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; "><img alt="I have to admit, Blake Dyer being thrown under the bus by Teal and her tribe was not on my Bingo card. I knew SOMETHING must have happened last year when Blake suddenly announced his departure, but I didn't expect this." border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDp0Y_aVS8-JvH4RFl2JojXQhaWW__GyagKl67bOXQwrdrHxOx4IuiNHgm_0jb2X6vTh9f6ngo-ilVsFZW9XUS4zmgAgJDbICot1W4-xiULSovuizMugNu7SvGvdlzEmJJ2QohRGnRaALvuESlEjnmkJDsBUIJPutl6XapwsNHt541BAkt14jb7_gh/s1600/bingocard.jpg" style="width: 100%;"/></a></div>
<p>Within a couple of hours, teal made a rare personal appearance in some of her Facebook groups, and posted the following exercise. And before you ask, this is not about Blake and why would you think that it is?</p>
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<p>Some folks wrestled with the victim-blaming tone of the post and teal, predictably, doubled down.</p>
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<p>Am I the only one having visions of teal lobbing balls at a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic and yelling at him for not catching them?</p>
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<p>Yes. You read that right. The self-help author who specializes in healing abuse trauma and suicidality, whose latest grand vision is to end suffering, just called trauma survivors "weak" and says we shouldn't indulge them too much.</p>
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<p>The <i>shark</i> is the real victim! PITY THE SHARK!!!</p>
<p>Funny how she always <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html">relates to predators</a> and victim-blames the people they kill: Jim Jones, Elliott Rodger, Bundy, Hitler, sharks...</p>
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<p>Dear god, she's not even trying anymore.</p>
<p>What sickens me now is what sickened me nine years ago, the way teal mobilizes her followers into mercilessly attacking someone who isn't bending to her will. If you're "against teal" there is no limit to the frenzy she will whip up in her following. The attacks will be personal, cruel, relentless, and may involve death threats. Back then it was Jared/Fallon, whom she emotionally brutalized and encouraged her followers to attack. Later I learned she'd done the same to Cameron. And now, bizzarely enough, it's Blake and his lovely bride. The targets change, but her tactics are predictable as the weather.</p>
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<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class="embed-container"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6YdnWLN-jtc"></iframe></div>
<div style="color: #999999; text-align: center;">Can You Hold Dichotomy? Objective Thinking</div>
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<p>Right on cue, she's released an Ask Teal about the need to accept both light and dark aspects of people. It's transparently about the fact that her shadow is on display in this documentary in a way it's never been before.</p>
<p>She could have chosen any of a myriad of complicated heroes, with feet of clay, to make this point. But no, she'd like us to contemplate the dual natures of Mother Teresa and Ted Bundy, a <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/children-tied-to-beds-nuns-who-flogged-themselves-filthy-homes-was-mother-teresa-a-cult-leader-1.4573449" target="_blank">spiritual abuser</a> and a serial killer.</p>
<p>Fraud, hypocrisy, and the glib charm of a psychopath are not "dichotomy." It's <i>all</i> bad. And the relish with which she describes Bundy... Tell me you fantasize about being a serial killer, without telling me you fantasize about being a serial killer.</p>
<p>Another target of teal's ire, as she makes clear in her response video, is Molly, who is now also a Judas figure, I guess.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">I need to make something clear to you because some people are confused about this: Molly Monahan the Private Investigator did not work independently, and did not work for the film team. She wasn't connected to any law enforcement or governmental agency. She worked for me. We hired her so that we could improve our business practices and avoid false conclusions that we are a cult. She spoke with me once, that's it. Then she handed us the draft report and I've never spoken to her since. I'm not sure why she would betray me, her own client and play "tv personality" but, I'll find out.</blockquote>
<p>I more fully understand now what teal meant in her response to episode 2, when she said Molly was not an "independent investigator." Her report will never see the light of day. Matthias's immediate response was not to publish it. Molly compares it to the Lost Ark, as in Raider's of.</p>
<p>None of us would have ever known about Molly's report, had she not been in this documentary. And I'm quite sure that if she'd exonerated teal of cult accusations, teal would have been thrilled with her appearance in the documentary. She knew full well that cameras were rolling when she was discussing Molly and when they had their face to face. She's not mad that Molly was on TV. She's mad that her investigation turned up negative information about teal and that <i>that</i> was on TV.</p>
<p>And once again, I must point out the irony, nay, the hypocrisy, of teal demanding that The Documentary Group release three years of footage, when she's burying Molly's report.</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">#ReleaseMollysReport</span></h1>
<p>I find it remarkable that teal's response to all this was to make the non-negotiables, that Molly found so troubling, <i>more</i> restrictive. But there she is, spitballing ideas with her inner circle about curtailing their personal relationships... and their bodily autonomy.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;">I want you to be able to get partners, but I also, given what's previously happened, don't want you to have partners. 'Cause this has just been such a problem for me.</blockquote>
<p>And so it is agreed that partners must also agree to the non-negotiables and teal can fire people with mates who aren't in line with teal's work.</p>
<p>And then, goddess help me, they discuss whether or not they should be able to have children. Can't be waking teal up at 3:00 am with crying babies. Remind me. Where do these people live? I thought most of them had their own homes. Would they be leaving their baby monitors at teal's house? Once again, teal's responses to the documentary and the things she says on camera don't square.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><b>All the girls here are on board. We're not having kids</b>.</blockquote>
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<p>It goes without saying, at this point, that teal is very unhappy with <i>The Deep End</i>. She would very much appreciate your signature on this Change.org <a href="https://www.change.org/p/kasbe-films-release-the-raw-footage" target="_blank">petition</a> to press the filmmaker to release the raw footage. She also seems to have shut off comments on her Instagram posts, for some reason. There's a certain irony in that, as well.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CetoktBDQvt/" rel="nofollow" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TVO8Qa8AB8-bNK1CAiseNt07F3tea1rAa3xN70DZwhAj-geQiQ0lWoks5W8zniWkeeEtTfYVk4AzeNSxXcO1w2d7QETU4wkcMoigRsadiRzrHHW-GlgDETa6qmoI5DJgDk0axThkkEx1KGbLe1BGFX4gAzqqKHJsEyMuPtbLeQdZRy6jts95ugLK/s1600/ReleaseFootagePetition_tealIG.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<p>She has signed it and left public comment. Let me just say that "criminally edited" may be one of the funniest phrases I've ever read. Of course, I think like an American who believes in the First Amendment. She always seems to think like the leader of a totalitarian state. But then, given that mind control cults are like mini tyrannical governments, that isn't so surprising.</p>
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<p>Director Jon Kasbe has given a really compelling interview with "On Documentary," which can be <a href="https://www.kios.org/podcast/kios-at-the-movies/2022-06-08/katm-presents-on-documentary-the-deep-end-with-jon-kasbe" target="_blank">heard here</a>. He describes how the filmmakers' perspective shifted over three years of filming, a process that seems to have been reflected in Molly's experience of hard realization. He also describes teal's need for the camera to be on her and how "unapologetic" she is for who she is and how she operates in the world. I would use words more like "exhibitionism and lack of self-awareness," but potayto, potahto.</p>
<p>Overall, I loved this documentary. I know that it was like tearing the band-aid off for a lot of teal survivors and the reactions have been profound, emotional, and volatile. It's been a journey for me, as well, back down the bottomless rabbit hole that is the tealverse. I would have liked to hear more from her victims. Jared, who despite teal's claims, took up a very small sliver of the screen time, was as poignant a voice as he has ever been. I'm also left wondering if the filmmakers were editorializing just a little with repeated images of that purple-hued beverage teal's community shared and its resemblance to Jonestown's <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/5/23/8647095/kool-aid-jonestown-flavor-aid" target="_blank">grape Flavor Aid</a>, but I'm pretty sure I'll never know.</p>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i>
</p>LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-56376285545144423762022-02-10T14:03:00.002-05:002022-02-10T17:43:57.100-05:00Former Pope Offers Non-Apology Apology in Abuse Scandal<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQY-jtUVvm_niGgmCOBk3VZi1MK6dKK7T3vqkQZvJoqgzWbwQdCUzrUDDlc9F5aV-tEeeJhsEf_pAs-VaOojHE1j9LeYLwPZLpstV6iKWecwmALfFeiDtZCHisV7JTwvYjp3wwfAy8eBp7kcCj_DNJ_lwYl1pUduoXpFd2fLhDFQKOfq9Z9r6H_TKL" style="width: 95%;" /></div>
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<p>Pope Benedict XVI, retired, has penned a plea for forgiveness for things he did not do and does not apologize for. (!!!) Ya just can't make this stuff up. Here are some of the headlines for this bizarre news event:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-germany-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-sexual-abuse-3461ba1b9adfcfb884027361263f1706" target="_blank">Retired pope asks pardon for abuse, but admits no wrongdoing</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-benedict-xvi-acknowledges-churchs-past-failings-abuse" target="_blank">Pope Benedict concedes failings in new letter, but no apology for German abuse cases</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/08/europe/pope-benedict-forgiveness-abuse-wrongdoing-denial-intl/index.html" target="_blank">Pope Benedict asks for forgiveness but denies wrongdoing over child sex abuse cases</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/08/pope-benedict-munich-abuse-responsibility-vatican/" target="_blank">Benedict XVI apologizes for clerical abuse but admits no personal responsibility</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/former-pope-benedict-acknowledges-errors-occurred-handling-munich-abuse-2022-02-08/" target="_blank">Ex-Pope Benedict acknowledges 'errors' but no blame in abuse handling, seeks forgiveness</a></p></li></ul>
<p>The 94 year old retiree was pulled back into the spotlight last month, when a <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2022/01/esoterica.html">detailed report</a> on clerical abuse from 1945 to 2019, was presented by a German law firm, Westpfahl Spilker Wastl, which was commissioned by the archdiocese. The investigation found that then Cardinal Josef Ratzinger was among a number of senior clerics who had seriously mishandled abuse cases. They found that his handling of four cases rose to the level of misconduct.</p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span>
<p>Pope Benedict has continued to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/europe/pope-benedict-xvi-munich-abuse-report-catholic-church-intl/index.html" target="_blank">deny</a> any culpability, or even awareness.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>"He claims that he didn't know about certain facts, although we believe that this is not so, according to what we know," [lawyer Martin] Pusch said.
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>Lawyer Ulrich Wastl presented a copy of the minutes of a meeting of Munich church leaders on January 15, 1980, when a decision was made to take on an abuser the report refers to as "Priest X."
</p><p>Wastl said he was "surprised" that Benedict denied he was at the meeting, despite the minutes showing that he was. "This is something that is written down," said Wastl, later rejecting Benedict's denial as "hardly credible."</p></blockquote>
<p><i>Wait... minutes, you say? Oh... yeah... right. He WAS <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ex-pope-benedict-acknowledges-faulty-testimony-german-abuse-case-2022-01-24/" target="_blank">there</a>.</i></p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Former Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged on Monday he had been at a 1980 meeting over a sexual abuse case when archbishop of Munich, saying he mistakenly told German investigators he was not there.
</p><p>In a statement on Monday, the former pope's personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, said Benedict did attend the meeting but the omission "was the result of an oversight in the editing of the statement" and "not done out of bad faith."</p>
<p>. . .
</p><p>"He (the former pope) is very sorry for this mistake and asks to be excused," Ganswein said.</p></blockquote>
<p>His "<a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/02/08/220208b.html" target="_blank">apology</a>" for letting pedophile priests run amok continues in same vein. It is a full-throated, loquacious, and eloquent non-apology.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate. Each individual case of sexual abuse is appalling and irreparable. The victims of sexual abuse have my deepest sympathy and I feel great sorrow for each individual case.</p></blockquote>
<p>Mistakes were made, in and around and under his general purview. He's very sad that they occurred. He will be judged by God and God alone. But, as his lawyers explain, he, himself, did nothing wrong.
</p><p>If the buck is gonna stop somewhere, it will not be with him.</p>
<p>One could be forgiven for mistaking this pile of verbiage for an actual apology. It is rich in the liturgical language of the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/former-pope-benedict-acknowledges-errors-occurred-handling-munich-abuse-2022-02-08/" target="_blank">penitent</a>.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>In one section he openly wondered if he, as all Catholic do in a prayer known as the Confiteor at Mass, should ask for forgiveness for what they have done and what they have failed to do "by my fault, by my most grievous fault".
</p><p>He wrote: "It is clear to me that the words 'most grievous' do not apply each day and to every person in the same way. Yet every day they do cause me to question if today too I should speak of a most grievous fault."</p><p></p></blockquote>
But...
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Benedict does not answer his own question but says he is consoled that God forgives.</p></blockquote>
<p>If he <i>does</i> require forgiveness from God, for, say, some sin that shall remain nameless, he's fairly sure that he'll receive it, so that's nice.</p>
<p>It should come as no surprise that <a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/02/abuse-survivors-say-benedict-apology-falls-short" target="_blank">victims groups</a> have been left unsatisfied by the former pontiff's hairless shirt-rending.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Speaking to <i>Crux</i>, Irish clerical abuse survivor Marie Collins, a former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, noted that “The report commissioned by the Church found four cases of abusive priests being left in ministry during the tenure of Benedict in Munich.”
</p><p>“When a finding is made against a leader in the church the immediate response is recourse to lawyers, this case is no different,” she said, arguing that “Legal opinions are used to defend the indefensible and moral responsibility is ignored.”
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>[SNAP] criticized Benedict for failing to “do the simple thing and offer full accounting and apology” despite evidence of his mishandling in the Munich report, saying the opportunity the report provided for true accountability “has been squandered.”
</p><p>. . .
</p><p>The <i>Eckiger Tisch</i> group representing clerical abuse survivors in Germany said Benedict’s response was yet another example of the Catholic Church’s “permanent relativizing on matters of abuse – wrongdoing and mistakes took place, but no one takes concrete responsibility.”
</p><p>Benedict, the group said, “can’t bring himself simply to state that he is sorry not to have done more to protect the children entrusted to his church.”</p></blockquote>
<p>I don't know, maybe this was a real apology before it was vetted by legal. It seems carefully calibrated to sound as apologetic as possible, without risking liability. But then, parsing has always been one of Pope Benedict's greatest skills.</p>
<p><b>In other news:</b></p>
<p>Father Andres Arango has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/parish-pastor-resigns-after-two-decades-performing-invalid-baptisms-1677661" target="_blank">resigned</a> as pastor from his Phoenix parish after the horrible revelation that he said "we" instead of "I" in countless baptisms, rendering the salvation of thousands of the faithful "invalid." Many will have to be re-baptized. Those who are not, or cannot, may or may not <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250318/phoenix-priest-who-botched-baptisms-for-decades-apologizes-seeks-to-make-amends" target="_blank">go to hell</a>.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>“Baptism is a requirement for salvation,” the Phoenix diocese said, recounting Christ's institution of the sacrament and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.</p>
<p>At the same time, the diocese sought to explain that God’s grace still can work if the sacraments were not validly administered.</p>
<p>“It is important to note that, while God instituted the sacraments for us, He is not bound by them,” the diocese said, reiterating Catholic sacramental theology. “Though they are our surest access to grace, God can grant His grace in ways known only to Him.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Like the former pope, whose failure of responsibility allowed countless children to be raped, the improperly baptized will have to trust in God's mercy.</p>
<p>At least we can all rest assured that the Catholic Church has its priorities straight, and that scrupulous attention to language remains paramount.</p>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i>
</p>LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-2547861960218849102021-07-22T21:47:00.005-04:002021-07-23T03:29:38.294-04:00Sad Reflections on the Feast of Mary Magdalene<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAgvXvzWbP6SvnMmmtpy_bg66JimOTIT1isHcJgYCVi782F25Tkoz1vYMv9U8ikF_zy4FjQJz0xXwYZsxKfZrr3ewHkVrKtYXLRnheuOcwHjawu0A-NpqmemUybbgYEb3KdOT/s0/Andrea_Solario_-_Mary_Magdalen_-_Walters_37509.jpg" style="width: 75%;" /></div>
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<p>Today is the Feast of Mary Magdalene. It's been a very weird day.</p>
<p>I am not Catholic and I do not pay much attention to the Church's calendar. But I was reminded that it's the day the Church commemorates Mary Magdalene – a day <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/06/mary-magdalene-penitent-prostitute-or.html" target="_blank">elevated to a feast</a> by Pope Francis in 2016 – by a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/wayoftherose/posts/2479140758882839/?__cft__[0]=AZVNsOVuuFQD1f68TinKY_362ANyeThWqw6Wa2_7hJIXCYQYNnQe6NjFTm_0w9hSbjgYLEY_rF6ZHGWzwPcnuvV7ZYmYEY5-blXMkCVU8KYdjEGOsCarP-88wcXiwyaY-XZZXM2dw_lJbIJRB74X4oiMHI83rWAGLxaGudIaUpYVSF9OwFbDKnshVAWFtoKl6vA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-y-R" target="_blank">post</a> floating down my timeline. The exquisite artwork caught my eye.</p>
<p>That I have very strong feelings about depictions of Mary Magdalene is no secret. She has historically been an icon of misogyny, thanks to the way the Catholic Church has represented her down through the centuries. It was only 52 years ago that the Church <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mary-magdalene-feminism-metoo-jesus-disciples-apostle-christianity-judaism-pope-francis-vatican-a8281731.html" target="_blank">reversed course</a> and quietly retracted the charge of prostitution leveled at her by Pope Gregory in 591. Much of the Western world, and even <a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/08/we-are-legion-and-we-are-tactless.html" target="_blank">much of the Catholic Church</a>, never got that memo. Mary Magdalene is still perceived far and wide as the fallen women, the woman of ill repute, the whore half of the Madonna-Whore complex.</p>
<p>So what made this day of Catholic celebration so weird for my nominally Episcopalian self? Only that I have been awash in news stories today that make it hard for my female body to breathe.</p>
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<p>In a brief perusal of the news this morning I learned that female Olympians from Europe are <a href="https://scoop.upworthy.com/players-tell-me-they-are-uncomfortable-feel-naked-and-watched" target="_blank">compelled</a> to wear uniforms that reduce them to sex objects and make it harder for them to perform as athletes.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>The Norwegian women’s beach handball team wants to wear comfortable clothing while playing the sport instead of being forced to wear bikini bottoms that are uncomfortable and sexualizes them. The handball team said they are done with the degrading attire and called for a change in the rules that mandate they wear bikini bottoms that cover only 10 centimeters on the side. The incident happened when the Norwegian women’s beach handball played the European Championships in beach handball. The team's stance threw a spotlight on the reported sexism as men are allowed to wear shorts to their games. "We are forced to play with panties," Norwegian team captain Katinka Haltvik told NRK, reported Inside the games. "It is so embarrassing."</p>
<p>The regulations are very particular about what women wear, down to the measurements while it's relaxed for men. "Women should wear a bikini where the top should be a tight-fitting sports bra with deep openings at the arms," read the international regulations of beach handball. "The bottom must not be more than ten centimeters on the sides." The Norwegian Beach Handball Association has been fighting to have the rules changed. Even prior to the European Championships in Bulgaria, they had planned to protest against the regulations and play in thigh-length tights, reported <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/handball-team-bikini-bottoms-boy-shorts" target="_blank">Fox News</a>.</p></blockquote>
<p>I was also reminded, not that I'd exactly forgotten, that the "Karen" construct is more than a little <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/08/karen-meme-coronavirus/615355/?utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook" target="_blank">sexist</a>.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Sorry, but no. You can’t control a word, or an idea, once it’s been released into the wild. Epithets linked to women have a habit of becoming sexist insults; we don’t tend to describe men as bossy, ditzy, or nasty. They’re not called mean girls or prima donnas or drama queens, even when they <i>totally</i> are. And so <i>Karen</i> has followed the trajectory of dozens of words before it, becoming a cloak for casual sexism as well as a method of criticizing the perceived faux vulnerability of white women.</p></blockquote>
<p>Not saying there aren't some awful and racist white women out there who need to be called out, but the term is now hurled at any woman who draws a boundary. Heaven forfend that any white woman should complain when she gets poor service or when some random stranger breathes maskless in her face. Women should take every indignity in stride as stoically as the <i><a href="https://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/07/giving-tree-is-sap.html" target="_blank">Angel in the House</a></i>, lest we be labeled as odious Karens.</p>
<p>In a dark turn that I took in under an hour of news reading, I learned that yet another "incel" was preparing to go on a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/07/22/1019089834/police-foiled-an-ohio-incels-plot-to-kill-women-in-a-mass-shooting-prosecutors-s" target="_blank">bloody rampage</a>. Thankfully, his plan to punish women for not sleeping with him was foiled by police.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>In his posts, he sometimes expressed admiration for Elliot Rodger, who in May 2014, killed six people and injured 14 others. Some of Rodger's victims were shot outside a University of California, Santa Barbara sorority house.</p>
<p>Genco wrote a manifesto titled "A Hideous Symphony," by "Tres Genco, the socially exiled Incel." In it, he said he would "slaughter" women "out of hatred, jealousy and revenge..." and called death the "great equalizer." Investigators say they discovered another note, allegedly drafted by Genco, that said he hoped to "aim big" for a kill count of 3,000 people.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say that the same day he drafted his manifesto, Genco searched online for fraternities and sororities around Ohio.</p></blockquote>
<p>As much as I'd like to think this kind of misogyny is limited to the warped unfuckables who inhabit the darkest corners of the "manosphere," their special brand of entitlement to female bodies has been legitimized by pseudo-intellectuals like <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/davide-mastracci/jordan-peterson-incel-nice-guys-enforced-monogamy_a_23447825/" target="_blank">Jordan Peterson</a> and even <a href="https://theintellectualist.com/2021/07/14/the-national-review-maga-men-are-unfairly-discriminated-against-by-ivy-league-women/" target="_blank">echoed</a> in quasi-respectable journals like the <i>The National Review</i>.</p>
<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>When a sample of nearly 1,500 female Ivy League students was asked whether they would date a Trump supporter, only 6 percent said yes (after excluding the small minority of the sample who support him). So finds a survey of 20,000 university students that the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) conducted in 2020. While people are free to discriminate however they wish in dating, this attitude bleeds into problematic spheres such as hiring and social toleration.</p>
<p>This reveals the predilection among many young elite Americans for progressive authoritarianism, a belief system that justifies infringing rights to equal treatment or free speech in the name of the emotional “safety” of historically marginalized race, gender, and sexuality groups. In this left-modernist worldview, conservatives’ resistance to racial, gender, and sexual progressivism mark them as moral deviants. As Millennials take power, this generational earthquake is set to shake the foundations of the cultural elite to its core, leading to pervasive discrimination against, and censorship of, conservative views.</p></blockquote>
<p>That's right. Not throwing a man a shot because you find his world view horrifying is "discrimination" now. Saying "no" to men's advances infringes on their "rights."</p>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i>
</div>LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-27253974615684788662020-09-03T18:34:00.001-04:002020-09-04T11:26:38.179-04:00How the Moral Have Fallen<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3LJCLqmzqh11suQ-J8Aklya_guiwFJtPlq1eSUVtgcvDgHN2wONfqQu6oWdjcIE7itFIUE6aUC1GkDhmhyg9bXnXmW9wXz3amHLtnlNz0o0AB7BLwP-phI8bVDW7prtZ7dHL/s0/poolboy.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="796" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3LJCLqmzqh11suQ-J8Aklya_guiwFJtPlq1eSUVtgcvDgHN2wONfqQu6oWdjcIE7itFIUE6aUC1GkDhmhyg9bXnXmW9wXz3amHLtnlNz0o0AB7BLwP-phI8bVDW7prtZ7dHL/s0/poolboy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<p>The evangelical Christian college Liberty University <a href="https://www.liberty.edu/news/2020/08/31/liberty-university-board-pledges-full-commitment-to-spiritual-mission-and-launches-independent-investigation/" target="_blank">announced</a> on Monday that it is opening an independent investigation into its recently resigned president Jerry Falwell Jr., heir to its founder, Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell. It's been a long time in coming.</p>
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<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Some may say that all the signs were there for a long time before last week. It’s certainly fair to say that there were questionable comments made, worrying behavior, and inappropriate social media posts, but all the signs were not there until the start of last week. While we still didn’t know the full scope of the matter, we have learned enough about the past to know that we had no choice but to take the leadership of Liberty University in a new direction.</p></blockquote>
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<p>So now we know what it takes to push this bastion of moral rectitude into decisive action. Notably it's none of the issues specifically stated in the university's announcement, "financial, real estate, and legal matters." It wasn't the self-dealing and cronyism that have been raising serious, internal <a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/09/jerry-falwell-liberty-university-loans-227914" target="_blank">concerns</a> for some time. It wasn't even the "racy" photos that have appeared and disappeared from social media, or been handled by Donald Trump's former fixer, now convicted felon, Michael Cohen. No, what finally pushed the board of directors to act was a salacious sex scandal involving his wife, Becki. One even wonders if sexual indiscretions on his own part would have been enough. Falwell has been exposed, horror of horrors, as a cuckold.</p>
<p>Falwell Jr.'s problems started in earnest a few weeks ago when he bizarrely uploaded, then removed, an eyebrow raising <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/the-bizarre-vacation-photo-jerry-falwell-jr-posted-and-then-quickly-deleted/" target="_blank">photo</a> of himself with a young woman later <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/jerry-falwell-jr-has-apologized-to-everybody-for-bizarre-yacht-photo-and-says-mystery-women-is-his-wifes-assistant/" target="_blank">identified</a> as his wife's assistant.</p>
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<p>Even if this photo was as innocent as he claimed, merely a bit of playfulness with a pregnant employee, Falwell Jr. was giving himself license to engage in behavior strictly proscribed for <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/liberty-university-student-unloads-on-jerry-falwell-jrs-hypocrisy-after-bizarre-yacht-party-photos-emerge/" target="_blank">students</a> at the university he helmed.</p>
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<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>According to Liberty student Alexandra Green, the photo shows Falwell to be even more of a hypocrite than people realize.</p>
<p>The photo “should actively anger you on behalf of the students who have faced significant consequences on campus for the *same* actions,” Green <a href="https://twitter.com/Alex_andra_MG/status/1290338994081935361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1290339027086987267%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Frelevantmagazine.com%2Flife5%2Fthat-photo-of-jerry-falwell-jr-was-even-more-hypocritical-than-you-think%2F" target="_blank">wrote</a> in a series of tweets.</p>
<p>“Drinking? Smoking? Possession of cigarettes/alcohol? Against the rules regardless of age,” Green said, referring to Liberty’s rules for students. “Could result in a ‘$300 fine, 30 hours community service, and/or expulsion.’ Real people who could not afford the fines have been fined for this. Real people were kicked out for this.”</p>
<p>Green says that unbuttoning one’s pants could get someone “$150 and/or 15 hours or community service for being in ‘any state of undress with a member or the opposite sex.'”</p></blockquote>
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<p>It was also not the first <a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/10/jerry-falwell-nightclub-photos-miami-228054" target="_blank">compromising photo</a> to reach the public, but this was embarrassing enough to the school that they <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/why-that-falwell-jr-yacht-photo-was-the-final-straw/ar-BB17I3aJ?li=BBnbfcL" target="_blank">announced</a> a leave of absence for their president. It was the series of revelations about his wife that expedited drastic and decisive action.</p>
<p>Last Monday Falwell Jr. made the bizarre <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jerry-falwell-jr-says-pool-boy-tried-to-extort-him-after-affair-with-wife" target="_blank">disclosure</a> that his wife had the been the object of a "fatal attraction" threat, following a brief affair some years ago. He claimed the much younger man, Giancarlo Granda, was blackmailing them with threats of exposure. How any of this resembled <i>Fatal Attraction --</i> the iconic, if terrible, movie about an extramarital fling, with a dangerously obsessional stalker -- was the first problematic question about this announcement. Granda wasn't boiling any bunnies, he didn't want to keep Becki Falwell, he just wanted the money he thought he was owed from a real estate venture.</p>
<p>And then it got stranger. It was Becki who had aggressively <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/25/jerry-falwell-pool-attendant-401398" target="_blank">pursued</a> the 20 year old pool boy for sex. with her husband as a spectator.</p>
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<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>"During my work shift at the Fontainebleau Hotel in March 2012, I was chatting with some girls my age (20 at the time)," Granda told POLITICO. "Becki said, 'Those girls don’t know what they’re doing, you need someone with more experience.'"</p>
<p>After chatting, Granda said, Becki suggested they go to a hotel room.</p>
<p>"And then she goes, 'But one thing.' And I'm like, "Okay.' And she's like, 'My husband likes to watch.' And just then he comes out and he's wearing a Speedo."</p></blockquote>
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<p>Thus began a seven year entanglement with the powerful couple, in which Falwell Jr. enjoyed watching his wife have sex with Granda from a corner of the room or on video cameras. In Granda's telling, if anyone was "fatally attracted," it was the Falwells, who were very unwilling to let their boy toy go unscathed. And, unlike the Falwells, Granda can show <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/" target="_blank">receipts</a>.</p>
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<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Granda also shared an audio recording that he says captures a conversation he had with the Falwells in 2018. In it, Becki complained about Granda describing his relationships with other people: “He’s like telling me every time he hooks up with people. Like I don’t have feelings or something.” Jerry then chimed in: “You’re going to make her jealous.” “I’m not trying to do that,” Granda replied.</p>
<p>Earlier texts show a friendly and romantic dynamic between Granda and Becki Falwell. One 2012 text message, which Granda said came from Becki, read in part: “Right now I am just missing you like crazy .... Have you had this effect on all of your lady friends?”</p>
<p>. . .</p>
<p>Granda said that while he entered into the sexual relationship with the Falwells willingly, today he feels the couple preyed upon him. “Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades,” Granda said.</p></blockquote>
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<p>Granda's description of a predatory Becki Falwell is bolstered by the account of another young man, who described her as "the aggressor." The former Liberty University student, and bandmate of the Falwells' son Trey, spoke under the condition of anonymity to Politico. He reported multiple, escalating advances from the teen guitarist's mother. It started with flirtatious innuendo, but led inexorably to uninvited oral sex, when he was sleeping in the guest room.</p>
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<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>“I’m laying in the bed and I hear, like, giggling to the side of me on the floor. And, pardon my French, but I was like, ‘What the fuck is that?’ I look over and it’s Becki,” he said. “Just, you know, in my room. I’m like, ‘You can’t be in here. This can’t happen.’”</p>
<p>He was a 22-year-old student at Liberty. She was the wife of the president of the school. The Falwells were, effectively, the First Family of conservative evangelicalism in America.</p>
<p>After some prodding, he coaxed Falwell into leaving. He slept, woke up and acted like things were normal.</p>
<p>A few nights later, he stayed the night again. Again, Falwell came into the guestroom where the then-student was in bed.</p>
<p>This time, she was more aggressive. The former student remembers that Falwell climbed into bed with him, and quickly took down his pants.</p>
<p>“I was like, ‘uh, what are you doing?” the former student said. Falwell then proceeded to give him oral sex.</p></blockquote>
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<p>The young man was left with feelings of guilt, shame, and depression, over the adulterous relationship he'd been manipulated into.</p>
<p>The picture that emerges of Becki Falwell is more <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/" target="_blank">Mrs. Robinson</a> than <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093010/" target="_blank">Dan Gallagher</a>.</p>
<p>This sordid tale, though, includes the added element of a complicit, voyeuristic husband. The Falwells adamantly <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/becki-falwell-denies-with-the-pool-boy-in-front-of-husband-but-wishes-christians-would-be-forgiving/" target="_blank">deny</a> his involvement in her admitted affair, but the recorded conversation (see above) significantly undercuts that denial.</p>
<p>The Falwells, of course, have the right to whatever sex life they want to enjoy, with other consenting adults. The problem is not with their choice of lifestyle, but with their active, political involvement in denying sexual liberty to other Americans. They are the inheritors and stewards of a religio-poltical empire built on a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moral-Majority" target="_blank">culture war</a> against sexual permissiveness, homosexuality, and the reproductive choice that have allowed women both sexual agency and bodily autonomy.</p>
<p>Jerry Falwell Jr. was also instrumental in moving the religious right from the margins, into the very heart of the Republican Party. Michael Cohen didn't "fix" Falwell's shady activities out of kindness. It was part of a <i>quid pro quo</i> that ensured the Falwell stamp of approval on Trump's candidacy. Thus did a twice divorced adulterer and notorious, unrepentant playboy, become the darling of the Christian Right.</p>
<p>In our new Bizarro World reality, Trump's longtime associate Roger Stone -- who once crippled his career as a GOP operative and self-described "dirty trickster," by advertising openly as a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6640233/Inside-Roger-Stones-swinging-marriage-posted-ads-online-frequented-sex-clubs.html" target="_blank">swinger</a> -- is now on the Megachurch circuit.</p>
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<p>Stone's newfound <a href="https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/07/17/did-roger-stone-really-find-jesus/" target="_blank">religious conviction</a> does not seem to include any disavowal of either his shady political tactics or his sex club activities. Stone is a recently convicted felon, whose commutation by Trump raises startling ethical, even legal, <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/13/judge-demands-information-on-roger-stones-commutation/" target="_blank">concerns</a>. But his appeal to the evangelical base is light on atonement and heavy on victimhood.</p>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="254" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5IPyv4KgTAA" width="450"></iframe><br /><span style="color: #999999;"><i>
Get Me Roger Stone</i> -- Official Trailer</span></div>
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<p>The irony is that this ludicrous popinjay and disgraced libertine fits right in with the Christian Right of our times.</p><p>Falwell Jr. resigned amidst his own public denials that he was resigning, finally declaring that, yes, he had <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/25/905877534/jerry-falwell-jr-resigns-as-liberty-universitys-president" target="_blank">resigned</a>.</p>
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<blockquote style="color: #134f5c;"><p>Appropriating Martin Luther King Jr.'s final words from his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech, Falwell told NPR that he is stepping down from his role at the university in Lynchburg, Va., saying he is "free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, I am free at last!"</p>
<p>"That's the way, I feel," the 58-year-old added.</p></blockquote><br />
<p>There is something uniquely horrifying about hearing privileged white men co-opt the victim status and struggle of marginalized minorities. Martin Luther King's quotation of that old Negro spiritual was aspirational, part of a "dream" of liberty, in some distant future. King wasn't about to float away on a <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/513684-falwell-to-get-105-million-in-compensation-as-he-leaves-liberty" target="_blank">golden parachute</a> of $10.5 million. He was assassinated not long after uttering those words.</p>
<p>More to the point, what exactly is Falwell Jr. so joyously free from? Did he not like his job? Was he really so constrained, by the very strictures he imposed on others? Perhaps the bonds of moral expectations were more painful than we know and this was his way of declaring his joy that he and his wife will now be able to freely cruise young men in Miami clubs. No doubt they'll run into Roger and Nikki.</p>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i>
</div>LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-21262321839206585362020-07-05T12:49:00.000-04:002020-07-05T14:43:23.101-04:00Is James Arthur Ray Losin' It?<div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="420" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRO1iBDGhz32NrixlDjv-0tsLpxeVhyitUQfD-Efq9f-PevIVRDjWcsPAUxA_RQTtbECE08ecQGjy3q5s2nffETgSVus6rTe8agnp6JZvjyAALxP6Y6ua6Gu9LTqX-lnkStnV/s1600/JamesRayMeltdown_igiveup.jpg" /></div><br />
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I don't check James Ray's social media often, but when I do, I totally spin out on the colossal arrogance, the indulgent self-pity, the insensitivity -- nay, <i>cruelty</i> -- of his posts. That's probably why I don't check it often. But my darling husband keeps sticking these posts under my nose and insisting I register the sheer insanity of them.<br />
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Ray's post-prison marketing has long been either <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/02/james-ray-man-on-fire.html">tone deaf</a> or <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/11/james-arthur-ray-and-his-business-of.html">deliberately twisted</a> (my money's on the latter), but in recent months, it's taken a turn for the worse. He seems to be having some sort of meltdown. His "motivational" messages have gotten really angry and seem more like an excuse to vent his personal grudges. The weirdest part is that he seems to be really proud of these petulant rants disguised as advice and keeps putting them out across all of his platforms. In a recent set of postings, Ray set out to illustrate the common axiom "only hurt people hurt people," by whining about non-paying clients and how betrayed he was by friends who testified against him in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/p/blog-page.html">sweat lodge trial</a>. It can be found on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCBRj1nn17K/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialjamesarthurray/photos/a.10151895883720983/10157362780555983/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB8Jc6gPfL2yQ_M5ssAX4GDv5XlMNYeVD8I5XBMocS3guaPu7IL2umqzsvqEU3sFUv622-FPvKOdBHebsWa9BE2Gq8rKJ4RxyMHoD0ick0meWpjni7pT-r9wPAYV5RGKCru5heOo4wE0pg2pnw-Do-XTcBwJjDmG-DukIG_b1YHLlXOvc9h67PwgHz9XF-7bF9JhdcHcuEuOuZ-khRkYobo7G1Nqqyhx66sUMVx0BcJWEzWiLDTk7RfxzAh-giKyU5CbZvKSHdhvKt1aV6ZlhYtdukS5D7889PGau7WXKyCrmVfuajxo87QLyaeEBz3J-hkBMoF7Sj4sccKxzNX&__tn__=-R" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> pages, as well as in this <a href="http://podcastsjamesray.com/only-hurt-people-hurt-other-people?tdest_id=1113293" rel="nofollow">podcast</a> on his site. Note that he keeps moving from the general ("you") to the specific (his personal gripes and grudges).<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">Has any client made financial promises they don't keep?<br />
Have they ever gotten angry WITH YOU when you ask them to pay and keep the commitment THAT THEY made?<br />
Have they ever thought about the fact that YOU have expenses (both personally and professionally) that you have committed to, based upon THEIR commitment to you?<br />
Probably not.<br />
If you're in business I'm sure you KNOW what I mean.<br />
Here's a good one: Has anyone ever told you they love you and then turned around and stabbed you in the back hard?<br />
Like telling you "You've changed my life and I'll stand with you forever" and then testifying UNDER OATH in trial against you, telling absolute lies, when the state is attempting to send you to prison for 30 years?</blockquote><br />
I mean... haven't we all been prosecuted for killing people and had our friends testify against us? That's relatable, right? We've ALL been there!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjothrJTT5WnC-hjihk5mIK96PQQY9Ki_Vom3D-pgimwos28SflDawqaX7m4Ijk6b0bWib7czSuGH3jh6pxpHlTrjR-k47i_TQkI04bunHJY0HxybtfJURSmShARnANU411ct-iTA/s1600/HurtPeople_JamesRay.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjothrJTT5WnC-hjihk5mIK96PQQY9Ki_Vom3D-pgimwos28SflDawqaX7m4Ijk6b0bWib7czSuGH3jh6pxpHlTrjR-k47i_TQkI04bunHJY0HxybtfJURSmShARnANU411ct-iTA/s1600/HurtPeople_JamesRay.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br />
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A <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGDOQPFmjr/" rel="nofollow">post</a> (also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialjamesarthurray/photos/a.10151895883720983/10157301590995983/?type=3&theater" rel="nofollow">here</a>) from about a month ago just made me gasp.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">Look, NO ONE knows suffering better than me.<br />
You might know suffering as much as me, but there's NO WAY you know it better.</blockquote><br />
He killed people, but HE's the victim. Families lost their loved ones to the gruesome tragedy he caused, but they can't possibly be as good at suffering as he is. He's exceptional when it comes to suffering. The rest of us can only aspire to his mastery of the art of suffering.<br />
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And he goes on.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">Don't tell me about your money, your watches, houses and cars.<br />
Don't show me your fake painted on smiley face, your "perfect life," or how you "have it all."</blockquote><br />
I know he was in <i>The Secret</i>, but now I have wonder if he's seen it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnaldF5BenEz7p3gf_-chgCizI_cBJK7PxvHwYP6yQByLtJ4PJ9ybyVmEX4AEANnxar2Cvopy0E0pLUW4C_2JUbKy1ig3dVg802Cd0nITnS_b3tcQtCs8ojfPEbWhbBRexS_Kdg/s1600/Suffering_JamesRay.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnaldF5BenEz7p3gf_-chgCizI_cBJK7PxvHwYP6yQByLtJ4PJ9ybyVmEX4AEANnxar2Cvopy0E0pLUW4C_2JUbKy1ig3dVg802Cd0nITnS_b3tcQtCs8ojfPEbWhbBRexS_Kdg/s1600/Suffering_JamesRay.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br />
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So what has Ray so angry that he can't keep it out of even his most banal posts? If I had to guess, I'd say that he, like so many people, is taking a financial hit because of the pandemic. Why do I say that? Because he all but says so in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEd_-_HEWp/">this rant</a> against lockdowns, masks, social distancing, and people who don't want to pay him for his coaching. How dare they freeload on his social media?!<br />
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As we <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/cnn-ignores-victims-in-james-ray-doco.html">learned in <i>Enlighten Us</i></a>, Ray has long been frustrated that he can't make enough money teaching people how to get rich.<br />
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The irony is that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEd_-_HEWp/">this video</a> is promoting his seminar package <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/664242127451412/">Project Stay Home</a>, but it's mostly a rant against staying home. Not even two minutes in, he declares that new hotspots shutting things down again, because of dramatic spikes in COVID infections, is "lunacy."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">Without sounding too harsh, it's pure stupidity. Because we're looking at coronavirus cases rising, but the fact is if you talk to anybody in the know, all of us have been exposed to the coronavirus by now. </blockquote><br />
He reiterates this idea toward the end of the video, as he urges people not to be "bow down compliant" with mask and social distancing requirements.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">Media! Numbers on the rise, numbers on the rise! GOOD! And I'm not being cavalier and I'm not saying we shouldn't take, uh, pay attention to those who are truly ill. What I am saying is that the only way to beat a virus is to develop herd immunity. And the fact is most experts who actually think for themselves are saying we've all been exposed to it already.</blockquote><br />
So which is it? Are the numbers rising or have we all been exposed to it already? If we follow Ray's logic, it can't be both, because herd immunity would be kicking in and the infection and disease rates would be dropping. Needless to say, Ray doesn't name a single one of these experts. He makes many medical claims and spouts statistics, but the video is entirely citation free.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="420" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzWvKG9E6TZhUzyLanmlDWKgoPTprTlU7pn1ba4oMvbZcUFEsTkytUPWHNkXE0PkshpNmo6UI6FFXDHwlYHR-P7qidHyUNspZMa7zYjmsauCbIaTognF2uq142J-8DaA6ijzT/s1600/JamesRayMeltdown_dork.jpg" /></div><br />
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As it happens, there are many citable experts who say the opposite. Herd immunity is not a thing to be counted on with this virus and not just because the <a href="https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/07/01/understanding-herd-immunity-and-covid-19">death toll</a> would be astronomical. It appears that some people are being <a href="https://www.physiciansweekly.com/risk-for-covid-19-reinfection-remains-unknown/">re-infected</a> after recovery. And according to Harvard Medical professor William Haseltine, herd immunity to this virus is a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-06-23-20-intl/h_5994a02b5e0c50867ebdb04243cea7b9">pipe dream</a>, because humans don't develop lasting immunity to coronaviruses.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">"I call this virus the 'get it and then your body forgets it.' This is not a standard virus that you're going to get herd immunity. There is no evidence of herd immunity for coronaviruses. It does not exist... Every year, the same four coronaviruses come back to give us colds. ... If you have one of those coronaviruses, it can cause the exact same disease a year later..."</blockquote><br />
Ray, however, is convinced that this is just a good workout for the immune system. He seems to believe in germ theory, but not that people should protect themselves against infection from said germs. Lack of protection against rogue pathogens, of course, has worked out very well historically: the black death, cholera, ebola, the Spanish Flu... It's not like <a href="https://www.livescience.com/worst-epidemics-and-pandemics-in-history.html">epidemics and pandemics</a> have ever racked up massive death tolls or anything.<br />
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Ray is particularly disdainful of masks and mask requirements. He's very angry that the Nevada governor is mandating masks, but he'll have you know that it can't possibly be mandatory unless there's an "executive order" from the president. He's apparently never heard of states' rights or that governors can give executive orders, too.<br />
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He goes on to explain that businesses can require masks just like they can require shirt and shoes. Indeed. But, he insists they have to provide you with a mask, they can't make you go out and buy one. Right. Just like business have to provide you with shirt and shoes, I guess. Many businesses are providing masks, just as restaurants that require jackets have done for decades. But it has nothing to do with any legal requirement. They want your business and it's better than turning you away for not having the required apparel.<br />
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Masks are bad because you're breathing in "your own" and not getting enough oxygen, says the man who killed three people by creating a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/04/james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-trial-day_13.html">dangerously overheated, carbon dioxide heavy, oxygen deprived </a>death tent. Why anyone would take health and wellness advice from a man who cooked people to death -- after swearing to them that they'd <i>feel</i> like they were gonna die, but wouldn't -- I'm sure I don't know. But wearing masks <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/05/30/fact-check-wearing-face-mask-not-cause-hypoxia-hypercapnia/5260106002/">does not</a> put people at risk for hypercapnia.<br />
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According to Ray, "anyone who does their due diligence" knows that masks "make things worse." Breathing your "own toxins" back in is "not healthy." Spewing them into other people's faces, though, is apparently fine. Could there a more perfect example of self-centeredness?<br />
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It's "possible" that you could get mold spores from the moisture that came from your own mouth into the mask, he exclaims, and why, oh why is it that the "powers that be" from the WHO and the CDC don't KNOW this? I dunno, maybe because it's bullshit? (Um, you're supposed to wash/replace them.)<br />
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There are some precautions to wearing masks, but there's <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/stanford-scientists-contribute-to-who-mask-guidelines.html">more and more data</a> showing that wearing masks reduces the spread of respiratory diseases. In regions where masks are being worn, both <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2020/05/12/new-study-shows-80-percent-decrease-in-covid-19-cases/#cc4557cf59f6">infection</a> and <a href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2020/06/18/the-most-important-variable-that-you-can-control-vcu-research-shows-masks-can-dramatically-decrease-covid-19-deaths/">mortality</a> rates are significantly lower. Are they a little uncomfortable? Sure. But definitely preferable to a respirator.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDXLfgM4ZQ7Xwwzw8nJe86UeNz6CymcgAer5439PmbwqxyTd25kGBjpLzjVwbdGjQBSjGJo9NDKbNq9k8xijj8ymILpqQN2HSXk1YFb86ihWA9GqbnYfto94L4zB5CZ8YIo9K/s1600/surgeonmaskwarning.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDXLfgM4ZQ7Xwwzw8nJe86UeNz6CymcgAer5439PmbwqxyTd25kGBjpLzjVwbdGjQBSjGJo9NDKbNq9k8xijj8ymILpqQN2HSXk1YFb86ihWA9GqbnYfto94L4zB5CZ8YIo9K/s1600/surgeonmaskwarning.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br />
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Ray predicts -- he may be wrong, but he doesn't think he is -- that there will be a spike in flu cases in the fall, because of masks, and that they'll call it COVID. So it's not even entirely clear that he thinks COVID is a real thing. COVID is <i>not</i> the flu. I know too many people who've been physically brutalized by it to wish it on my worst enemy. People are having, not just lung damage, but blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, and other organ damage. Some of that damage may well be <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/21251899/coronavirus-long-term-effects-symptoms">permanent</a>. Loss of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadway-actor-nick-cordero-coma-leg-amputation-coronavirus-2020-5">limb</a> definitely is.<br />
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Ray says Instagram has removed a number of his posts on this topic, so this video may be gone by the time you read this post. I'm no fan of censorship, but invented statistics (Did you know that 50% of Americans haven't payed their rent in months? Neither did I!) and dangerous medical claims are very troubling, so it's kind of a hard call. IG would be doing Ray a favor, though, by removing it, because he seems to have lost any ability to self-monitor.<br />
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Throughout the video he spits out names of viewers like some sort of verbal tic. He praises people who are paying him and scolds people who are not. His harshest criticism is directed toward a Mr. Perrymel... Perrymal... he's not sure which it is. But he is sure that this fellow is not being "serious." What does he mean by serious?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">Go to my website, James Ray dot com, and click on store, and <i>join</i> us at Project Stay Home... If you won't make an investment in yourself, then I'm sorry, I can't help you. You have to make an investment and we've made the investment ridiculously small.</blockquote><br />
Yes, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/664242127451412/">Project Stay Home</a> is just the Ultimate Performance Forum with a name change and a rate reduction to compete with Netflix and HBO (he references both specifically). Nothing says success like an 85% price cut.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="333" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFVCIkI2wWuVpA5rOeBjcubQuLm3NoEti2ETOC7Qr4BnuE9c1OMa6gL4c_Nw3mpZK0tGfkisHk1DkrQPDpDdCgbNNCs6m-ky_6qzoGFJbocgMrkUeZPKCPfPoU-8mwZpz2jGP/s1600/ProjectStayHome.jpg" /></div><br />
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Throughout the video, he praises other viewers, also by name, for having ponied up the pennies for this seminar package. It's like a really weird episode of <i>Romper Room</i>, where today's lesson is that paying customers are good and social media freeloaders are bad.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/td1KAgrYUGA" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Periodically, he diverges from his many complaints to spout platitudes, stare into the camera, and say, "Are you with me on this?!" So even in the midst of his outrage, the NLP training kicks in like a reflex.<br />
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Ray is certainly not alone in his frustration with the current pandemic and the disruption it's brought to our lives and economic prospects. But for Ray, it's only the most recent setback to his dreams of wealth and power. Even at the height of his career, he was living well <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/cnn-ignores-victims-in-james-ray-doco.html">beyond his means</a>. And maiming and killing people at his events turned out not to be a good business move. Between the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2010/02/harmonic-wealth-author-pleads-poverty.html">legal fees</a> and the business hiatus when he was in prison, he's been reduced to <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/03/james-ray-under-radar.html">shabby hotel</a> conference rooms and other low key events with a very diminished client base. But one thing that never changes with James Ray is his crass, hard sell tactics. From pitching the next high priced seminar in the midst of a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/07/tragedy-in-sedona.html">guided meditation</a>, when he was as successful as he'd ever be, to this pathetic attempt at low-rent social media shaming, the avarice is always evident. The other thing that never changes is that he doesn't care who gets hurt, or who gets killed.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="420" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25RpDFrqzHo-fgjIoXi0at8zxYSXAxAI-uUlfsPsiGdiWi2L00Vf0h5iZdKJz4o8cD5UxAym0XpBMzedJh_m0FYCupcWfxCu0XEjlvZU2gMN2OmgMV49E4i5pnsrnPzHQt5bu/s1600/JamesRayMeltdown_smirk.jpg" /></div><br />
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<div style="color: #990000;"><i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-66569726362293279852020-06-25T12:18:00.000-04:002020-07-05T13:14:38.573-04:00Retrogrades and the Atrological "Perfect Storm"<div style="text-align: center;">
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I don't think I'm exactly breaking news when I say that everything sucks right now. But, according to a number of astrological reports I've seen, our no good, very bad year is about to get worse. And this past weekend -- with the juxtaposition of the solstice and the solar eclipse, followed by more planets going retrograde for a total of six -- is not the greatest kick-off for summer... or the rest of the year.<br />
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I'm not an astrologer, so I can't speak with any authority on what this all means. So I'm posting the best such report I've seen thus far. Steve Judd has described this set of astronomical events as an astrological "perfect storm." On the retrogrades alone, he posits that "there's not going to be a lot of clarity and forward thinking." As the week has unfolded in my own little corner of the world, I would have to agree.<br />
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Judd says the problems do not stop there. He is describing 2020 as a real "stinker of a year." And, amazingly, it seems like the worst is yet to come. Highlights include major seismic activity around mid-July. In August Mars will be squaring Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto, which will likely bring significant conflict. October is also likely to bring global unrest. On the plus side, he doesn't foresee a global extinction event, but he does predict major economic fallout. He does not recommend playing the stock market or making home purchases over the next year and a half. The detailed report is below the fold.<br />
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Post Script: It brings me no joy to report the following. I have already shared this privately with a number of clients, as well as family and friends. I should begin by saying that when we first started hearing reports of the novel coronavirus, I did not get concerned immediately. I was, at the time, overwhelmed by what I thought were far graver concerns. I believed the CDC when they assured us that it would not be a major problem in the US. I believed them when they said all we needed to do was wash our hands more. I will freely admit that years of living in a flawed, but functional government has made me complacent. I hadn't grokked that the CDC had been gutted, just like our more high-profile governmental agencies. But as the reports grew more concerning, I sought the comfort of a conversation with the trees. What the trees told me, however, was not comforting or reassuring at all. The trees conveyed a sense of urgency and told me explicitly, "Be afraid." I have NEVER gotten a message like that from nature. I count on these communions to help me center and ground. So I was rattled. What I heard next was more alarming still. "The earth is cleansing herself." We haven't seen the worst of this yet.<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-26622465555962522722019-08-13T13:43:00.000-04:002019-08-13T13:43:38.286-04:00Her Tealness Wants You To Respect Her Authoritah!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0705911/"><img alt="Respect my authoritah!!! Teal Swan and Eric Cartman" border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnuj5tC9sMEvKajCqOG-ccKc1RtWbMO7lo8ZZqNRHjWuUT_7osCHawqdxJDErsgLCkaKNzrpN8CkT6jGknE-vpgd_xCkxDTjXGTJKy7rUvxNi0v8BdPvWZKjspSGgos92JcjH/s1600/tealcartman.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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Several weeks ago Andey Fellowes <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2019/07/is-teal-swan-unravelling-teal-swan-cult.html">asked</a>, "Is Teal Swan Unravelling?" His concerns are well-founded. Her videos seem to be increasingly petulant, even hostile. And it's not just her critics she's angry with. We're used to that. Increasingly, it's her own followers she's not so subtly complaining about. In the "Ask Teal" <a href="https://youtu.be/aKAri232xFE" rel="nofollow">video</a> that sounded the alarm for Andey, teal huffed and pouted her way through a litany of grievances about the perils of being a "spiritual teacher" in the "information age."<br />
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According to teal, "teacher hopping" is all about the "ego" of those who dare to pick and choose from the YouTube smorgasbord of ideas. (A "spiritual teacher" complaining about sharing that stage is somehow not about ego at all.) Without a trace of irony, she complains about her followers <i>plagiarizing</i> from <i>her,</i> an odd complaint from a woman who's been caught <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html">lifting content word for word</a>, from a multitude of sources. But how dare her followers take the ideas she stole and go on to become teachers themselves!<br />
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<table align="center" bgcolor="#666633" border="0" cellpadding="12" cellspacing="1" style="width: 380px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="left" bgcolor="#cccc99" valign="center"><span style="color: #330033;"><i>“One does not repay a teacher well by remaining a pupil.”</i> ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, <i>Ecce Homo</i><br />
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<i>"Poor is the pupil who does not transcend his master."</i> ~ Leonardo da Vinci</span> </td> </tr>
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A mere two weeks later comes another "Ask Teal" <a href="https://youtu.be/tMFp5dmfYc4">gripe fest</a>. So what social ill has her so troubled that she must vent her spleen about it for a full half hour?<br />
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At this point in history hierarchy is one of those concepts that has been thrown into the waste bin of "bad things". Now, as we all know, if we throw something into the bin of "bad things", we tend to swing the pendulum all the way to the side where we won't acknowledge something, we won't look at it and we don't become conscious in the ways we need to around it. By swinging the pendulum, we also become out of alignment to the opposite extreme.</blockquote>
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It is an odd sort of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendulum">pendulum</a> that needs to be pushed from one side to the other, disappears from sight, and doesn't "align" opposite extremes. Odder still is the notion that the world has dispensed with hierarchical systems. But it doesn't take long to discern that the reason teal is so concerned about the end of hierarchy in the world, is that she's feeling threatened about her own position at the top of one.<br />
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I personally get a front-row seat to how deep this wound around hierarchy is with people. Why? Because I cannot attend a workshop and meet people, without somebody offering to give me a healing or without somebody offering to be my friend because of how good they'd be at seeing my shadows where other people don't. Because that simply makes them feel as if they're on equal ground or superior to me. Not a day goes by without someone telling me that they're definitely not a fan, you know, not like a "fan" fan, "but I do respect your work", because they want me to know that I should definitely not consider myself above them. Not a day goes by that I don't get an email or message that says: "You're not my god, I see you as a person just like the rest of us." So as to pull me off my pedestal. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't show up late or leave early in order to send the message that they have higher priorities than me. So I get the message that they do not regard me as a bigger deal than they are. And all of these comments are from people who really do like me.</blockquote>
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In other words, if anyone tells her that they see her as an equal, that is an <i>attack</i>, an attempt to belittle her. It's not the first time she's said something like this. As I noted <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">here</a>, she's expressed some ambivalence about "the sacrifice of the guru image" and revealed that her "ego" was tweaked when followers tried to give her "motherly advice." It seems her ambivalence has given way to certainty that she belongs on a "pedestal," with "fans" who see her as a "bigger deal" than they are, possibly even as their "god."<br />
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<b><span style="color: #999999;">Hierarchy, Should We Accept It?</span></b></div>
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According to teal, this video may be very "triggering." It's full of "dirty words" like "superiority" and "authority." So after years of posting graphic descriptions of infanticide, necrophilia, rape, and sex trafficking without trigger warnings, <i>this</i> is the video that gets one?! How is a discussion on hierarchy more triggering than stories about being chained in a pit or sewn into a corpse? Who could possibly find this subject triggering? Turns out, it's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0oEPnJFK6o/" rel="nofollow">Blake</a>. Now why would teal's right hand man be triggered by a video, in which she's slapping down anyone who thinks they're her equal?<br />
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Is teal pulling rank on the members of her inner circle? She sure is putting her followers in their places. She softens the hard edges of this message by claiming that everyone's place is on their own pedestal, just not in her field of endeavor, where she is <i>numero uno</i>.<br />
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Every person has a different pedestal waiting for them. For example, when it comes to the consciousness field, I may be on the top pedestal in that field.</blockquote>
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Oh, "may" she. Funny, because I would have placed a lot of other people above her, in that particular "hierarchy." A mere two weeks before, she was <a href="https://youtu.be/aKAri232xFE">complaining</a> that Oprah was the most "spiritually influential" person, other than the pope. Here she's doing her own impression of Oprah: <i>You get a new pedestal, you get a new pedestal, you get a new pedestal</i>...<br />
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Since posting this video, teal has been predictably <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0vhGjHlnVT/" rel="nofollow">memeing</a> the key <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0x_HtlhW2a/" rel="nofollow">phrases</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1EdvjPl--0/" rel="nofollow">ideas</a>, which has led to a number of inscrutable Instagram posts. Note that two of them use the same photograph, which shows her face prominently in the foreground and the much smaller audience members closest to her in the background facing in the opposite direction. No one is looking at her. They're focused on each other. The visual effect of that snapshot in time is that she is not so much "superior" as out of step and isolated.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B06Uo10lTNP/" rel="nofollow">This one</a> was my favorite, as one person after another confessed that they had no idea what she was talking about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pnm-9BaqYJnN9qhQdOd0h9GbxKj1nPmuCdlafiTmHSJ_0hzZI7pbLwRK29l6H9N5BQXHTsVKxd7QtEMeCpoK8I0M05_M2kMBC2eABe3NdNggAaIqy9LZlmvfbernMc1t5_Kc/s1600/whatdoesthatmean.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="932" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pnm-9BaqYJnN9qhQdOd0h9GbxKj1nPmuCdlafiTmHSJ_0hzZI7pbLwRK29l6H9N5BQXHTsVKxd7QtEMeCpoK8I0M05_M2kMBC2eABe3NdNggAaIqy9LZlmvfbernMc1t5_Kc/s1600/whatdoesthatmean.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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In teal's conception, it's not enough to love doing something and bring your own distinctive style to it, you must be "superior" at it, you must be venerated for it, and it must be on your turf, not hers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/"><img alt="If you ain't first, you're last." border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZuVT8ZwekFGaEVYTNveIz0ruhGONX9wHDhzHvRnMGj8ugoA2AiNaFSpCUaEKLJTR_eKDcL6PQABTYWFs0EbqFQLq1i4BkqEoDJvmrs_k_uWfkflXC7xxUSTmthhajT1yheq_/s1600/RickyBobby.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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A goodly chunk of this video is devoted the brain pretzeling idea that it is only those who do not accept subordination to their superiors, in their jobs and day to day lives, who are initiating all the "power plays." According to teal, if you're not willing to accept the superior position of your betters, it is <i>you</i> who's "obsessed" with power and your uppity behavior "makes you look like an idiot." (Insert derisive smirk here.)<br />
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Pity the poor clod who thinks he can give Laird Hamilton advice on wax for his board, says teal. (Full disclosure: I had no idea who Laird Hamilton was before watching this video, as I have no interest in the world of professional surfing. Good thing I never happened upon him and failed to give him the adulation he is due. I would have made such a fool of myself.)<br />
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It is thinly veiled, but the message teal is giving to her followers is clear. If you think you can give her advice or help her to heal, if you dare think that you are her equal in anything to do with spirituality or self-help, "you look like an idiot."<br />
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The problem with hierarchy is not inequality or power imbalance, according to teal. In fact, power imbalance is normal, and the pursuit of equality is just silly. The problem is that the people with all the power just aren't showing enough love for their lessers ("things"), you know, like black people. Yes. She really went there.<br />
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The thing that you've got to accept is that equality is not a reality in a physically manifested dimension. Anytime that there is separation that occurs, Power is not divided in the same way or equally. It is fragmented. We do not need to spend our life fighting for equality or fighting against hierarchy or against superiority or against authority. Instead we need to focus on three very distinctive things. The first is love. If somebody who is in a position of authority will focus on love, this means they will take all things as a part of them self. This means by definition, They cannot create pain in that other thing, without creating pain in themselves. For example, the whites were in a position of superiority in the world. And it was something that they took of course. However, if whites were able to take blacks as a part of themselves, slavery would never have occurred. So in this circumstance, superiority and authority were not actually the problem. The problem was the lack of capacity on behalf of the white race, to take the black race as a part of itself.</blockquote>
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Yes, among the many things that teal has not gotten the memo on, is that there is <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/04/race-genetics-science-africa/">no such thing</a> as "race" and that the only people who talk about the superiority of the "white race" are white supremacists. That she would reach for this example now, when tensions over racism are at a fever pitch, in this country, shows that she is either entirely tone-deaf or courting controversy and drama deliberately. Again.<br />
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In one of the strangest moments, in this video, teal describes the "dangers" of not recognizing superiority, by turning her attention to the animal kingdom. Now, I will admit that I thought I knew where she was going with this. I expected her to point out that in nature, deferring to the leader and moving with the pack (or herd, or school) could make the difference between being safe and getting killed by a predator. I was horribly, horribly wrong.<br />
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Imagine that there is a fish that's swimming around in the sea somewhere and he refuses to acknowledge that anyone could possibly be above him in any way. Could not be superior to him in any way, whether it's swimming or whether it's power or size or whatever... So he's in the water with a shark... If this fish is unwilling to accept that it's a fish and the shark is a shark and that implies certain superiority, this fish is going to end up dead. In the human world there are many painful consequences that will come as a result of refusing to see and acknowledged hierarchy.</blockquote>
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So here teal describes your "superior," not as a good leader who keeps you safe, but as an apex predator who can <i>kill</i> you. And then she compares that scenario to the dangers of not acknowledging superiority in the "human world." What kind of humans are we talking about? It's a chilling thought, when you consider that this whole video is transparently about the fact that she does not want her "superiority" challenged. So is teal admitting that she's a shark?<br />
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A few short weeks ago, she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Y4f9ZlPMq/?igshid=10dpoh2sm259r" rel="nofollow">described</a> herself as <i>poison</i>.<br />
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If I was a drug, what side effects would I have? The answer is disreality. Um, the closest that I think you can get to this is Datura, which is not a shamanic medicine, which, you know, hardly anybody should be doing at all.</blockquote>
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It is not strictly true that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura">Datura</a> (aka. jimsonweed, devil's weed, hell's bells...) is never used as a visionary plant, but it is known to be extremely dangerous and is used with tremendous caution, skill, and rarity. But consider that of all the psychotropic plants teal could have compared herself to, she picked the one that is best known for its ability to <i>kill</i> you.<br />
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She makes one statement, in this video, that is absolutely true. Those of us she calls "haters" don't see ourselves that way at all.<br />
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Well, they don't consider themselves a hater, they consider themselves to be saving everyone else for me...</blockquote>
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Yes, we see ourselves as sounding an alarm about a dangerous situation. As I've been saying since I first began blogging about teal, way back in 2013, someone had to bell the cat, so I did. And we may be entering a precarious time. She is signaling that she is very frustrated with the current trajectory of her "career" as a "spiritual teacher." Her followers are looking to other teachers, not solely focused on her for guidance. They're not acknowledging that she is superior to them.<br />
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When cult leaders, <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html">and she is one</a>, start to lose their grip on power, they typically turn on the followers. They blame them for their own failings, because <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/09/the-enemy-within-codependent-heart.html">pathologically narcissistic</a> people are incapable of taking personal responsibility for their failings. For instance, Warren Jeffs turned his anger at being incarcerated on the members of his FLDS sect, placing his own jailhouse restrictions on all but a handpicked few loyalists, disallowing sex and making them live on a diet of beans and toast. Jim Jones, whose final act teal has <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/05/shadows-before-suicide.html">defended</a> as an attempt at "helping people," helped them join him in death, with his infamous distribution of cyanide laced Flavor Aid.<br />
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It is particularly concerning when we consider that teal deliberately <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">targeted a "market"</a> of psychologically vulnerable and suicidal people. What happens if her frustration continues to grow and she increasingly turns her ire on them? I shudder to think. So, yes, this "hater" is sounding an alarm, once again.<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-37195537916695937392019-04-10T15:06:00.000-04:002019-04-10T21:58:02.943-04:00James Arthur Ray On How To Leverage Self-Pity<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.jamesray.com/crisis-coaching-assessment/" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4BhIRjb4rqGBiAVsIXYzrGdsQW7poYaLd1ONtKiQIOBNrszwSfJiJ0mSY6ieVANRCvf_07LIZcbuk_dAN32DT-kpGTWfCTeYfX3G8uNiAdfLH2i0am6qKwKKCKQEsjhUKKe4/s1600/JamesRayCrisisCoaching.png" width="460" /></a></div>
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James Arthur Ray is <a href="https://www.jamesray.com/crisis-coaching-assessment/" rel="nofollow">declaring himself</a> an expert on the career comeback, which is weird, because he really hasn't made one. Don't tell him that, though. His marketing angle, ever since he was released from prison, has been an evolving narrative about how well he's been able to make killing people work for him. Kirby Brown, Liz Neuman, James Shore, they just had to be "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/11/james-arthur-ray-and-his-business-of.html">sacrificed</a>" so that he could rise like a phoenix from the ashes of their lives. It "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/cnn-ignores-victims-in-james-ray-doco.html">had to happen</a>" so he could "learn and grow." Noticeably absent in this new pitch is any reference to the "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/a-second-look-at-james-ray-documentary.html">full and complete responsibility</a>" he previously claimed to have taken for those deaths. Now it's a nameless bad thing that damaged his career. Every single element of this pitch is a study in self-pity and exploitation. What follows is a trip down that page.<br />
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One teensy, little mistake! You cook a few people to death and no one'll let you forget it. It's just so unfair!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9mqNCWluWg0FIMi1DprQIQ7Y0X8_ZcIfInsmts0dobnAVXJAq40PopO2qc-z2kXgvG5wLTk9Jds93IUESf8JYlZxf67FNJAN26Kw3Vi-q4QLBCDBJ_lk6opo7uwpq1I4UsjD/s1600/JamesRayPedestal.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9mqNCWluWg0FIMi1DprQIQ7Y0X8_ZcIfInsmts0dobnAVXJAq40PopO2qc-z2kXgvG5wLTk9Jds93IUESf8JYlZxf67FNJAN26Kw3Vi-q4QLBCDBJ_lk6opo7uwpq1I4UsjD/s1600/JamesRayPedestal.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Pedestal?! Let that sink in. He actually thinks successful people should be up on pedestals. And he's still begrudging the fall from his.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5xX63XhR6Kx_Pyhbt97xv8Jx_CDSLQE5DKO-awf60ykWUIFwSzBFnobwj_sVirLlMR6mJO1aBpu4FarN5lS59K5RvRZ7aEMF6OcaJMuV7Hgd_63JPjgqKSIVtEVpcEAe-l5X/s1600/JamesRayDidToYou.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="1224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5xX63XhR6Kx_Pyhbt97xv8Jx_CDSLQE5DKO-awf60ykWUIFwSzBFnobwj_sVirLlMR6mJO1aBpu4FarN5lS59K5RvRZ7aEMF6OcaJMuV7Hgd_63JPjgqKSIVtEVpcEAe-l5X/s1600/JamesRayDidToYou.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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"Regardless of what they're trying to do your career," the vultures. Yeah, <i>he</i>'s the victim.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelyWJSLfFjFkJrpFd8nveO5OAWpoBw85A9g00HDTUV01so4B0JIX3WUZpOpCEL9wjRXX9EH4tdU7WMGM0mwh3HWFtAVOMzQXKdKAFaakNiOTNduOswvuOKzhIcjKeZZMq0wln/s1600/JamesRayBiggestandBest.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelyWJSLfFjFkJrpFd8nveO5OAWpoBw85A9g00HDTUV01so4B0JIX3WUZpOpCEL9wjRXX9EH4tdU7WMGM0mwh3HWFtAVOMzQXKdKAFaakNiOTNduOswvuOKzhIcjKeZZMq0wln/s1600/JamesRayBiggestandBest.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Who exactly are the "biggest and best" he's supposedly coaching? Does he want us to think Alisyn Camerota is... a client?! That picture was from <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/a-second-look-at-james-ray-documentary.html">an interview</a> on CNN. It did not go terribly well for him, either.<br />
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"Whether they're accusing you of..." Notice that there is absolutely no notion of personal responsibility in that statement. No one's really guilty of anything... except those awful people who try to make you accountable for your crimes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6mRsnpJYQDumGNxFeRUfNCu_5qQgL6SXNl9Bww0z4X8NE4ToT8y_79Qy9GnpUtXQGmnXbC5fuHFqBUYivTSCVN0Hnu5YHDyiNBKXDvIIqx4DlSfajQL-S98J1nMyTZeqC1Fl/s1600/JamesRayFinesseandSuave.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="1224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6mRsnpJYQDumGNxFeRUfNCu_5qQgL6SXNl9Bww0z4X8NE4ToT8y_79Qy9GnpUtXQGmnXbC5fuHFqBUYivTSCVN0Hnu5YHDyiNBKXDvIIqx4DlSfajQL-S98J1nMyTZeqC1Fl/s1600/JamesRayFinesseandSuave.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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In this segment, James Ray seems determined to remind us that he can't write. "Crisis Coaching," which is elsewhere in the page followed by a registered trademark symbol, is, in this passage, reduced to a list item without one. His service is here conflated with business and legal advice, which will "most likely" help you. He's over-inflating his value and lowering expectations, at the same time.<br />
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So what do he and the actual professionals he's conflating himself with offer you? "[T]he tools to manage ruthless media with finesse and suave." Does he mean "finesse and savoir faire?" Because "with suave" is not a thing. Note to James Ray: Always check the section on how to use a word in a sentence, when you're raiding the dictionary for fancy words to make yourself look smarter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH4N9R9nlpFgfwS601yPdY2-mp1zMVRZsuBiPl8uQme2reMFSZYOYmoWSjFz1x3Bzhhj-W7pbKxSwUPWPGRhmlo4y2o84a5t4SN-xQvLu8aU0Gvpm9Ajo1t0ERVvhEAV08ape/s1600/JamesRayTrustMeNotThem.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH4N9R9nlpFgfwS601yPdY2-mp1zMVRZsuBiPl8uQme2reMFSZYOYmoWSjFz1x3Bzhhj-W7pbKxSwUPWPGRhmlo4y2o84a5t4SN-xQvLu8aU0Gvpm9Ajo1t0ERVvhEAV08ape/s1600/JamesRayTrustMeNotThem.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Trust me, not them. TRUST ME!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCoTBZYrEQog6XQT6HItGM-nvuCPl44Ys27Byv1ObQdlgpjoSS5E7lK-2oB-J7B2vKlDOuhyphenhyphenPBwMugKY90x9RsmbcCqrUUGOi7CRek_Mr7erkLdesZdki9HDxwCqPa5rReLfD/s1600/JamesRayDrawnandQuartered.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="1225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCoTBZYrEQog6XQT6HItGM-nvuCPl44Ys27Byv1ObQdlgpjoSS5E7lK-2oB-J7B2vKlDOuhyphenhyphenPBwMugKY90x9RsmbcCqrUUGOi7CRek_Mr7erkLdesZdki9HDxwCqPa5rReLfD/s1600/JamesRayDrawnandQuartered.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Awww... good ol' Truc Do. I wonder how she's doing. Did she ever manage to reverse the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/05/james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-trial-day_06.html">body-swap</a> with that middle school girl? Was she able to <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/05/james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-trial-day_12.html">reclaim her dignity</a>? So many questions.<br />
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Far from taking responsibility for the deaths he caused, Ray is now whining about having been "drawn and quartered" over "unfortunate incidents" that happened somehow at a retreat his "company" ran.<br />
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Ya mean when you cooked people to death in an "hellacious hot" sweat lodge that you'd been warned repeatedly not to run, lest people get killed?! YOU ARE NOT THE VICTIM!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTeZQaymsvfg_pVx1dpWrVEOOqRakBFIRLeM9p-W7HAfNIvjQmP__X9mtP4LPEWGQTdFWV0D0j2mO9qxu3Qr4xQ_i8kToAEz_3hyphenhyphenhUQkVRzPXH4DF3E1fgdcJ2a4YRMDExOGR/s1600/JamesRayComebackStory.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="1224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTeZQaymsvfg_pVx1dpWrVEOOqRakBFIRLeM9p-W7HAfNIvjQmP__X9mtP4LPEWGQTdFWV0D0j2mO9qxu3Qr4xQ_i8kToAEz_3hyphenhyphenhUQkVRzPXH4DF3E1fgdcJ2a4YRMDExOGR/s1600/JamesRayComebackStory.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Yes, book a consultation right now! Admit it. That icy, cold stare is really enticing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69O5RN5grKvyniqQw7WBNJpsA7L6a-iICYR2n3fmPO9WPSgClsgHW7FzaS1HG_LA7GLg5PnHULABwAqFUOxlM1UWF7eooLJSKgGk9mtwIBzbSfxRgd83eHVB1GrB1qO93wTjv/s1600/JamesRayScheduleNow.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69O5RN5grKvyniqQw7WBNJpsA7L6a-iICYR2n3fmPO9WPSgClsgHW7FzaS1HG_LA7GLg5PnHULABwAqFUOxlM1UWF7eooLJSKgGk9mtwIBzbSfxRgd83eHVB1GrB1qO93wTjv/s1600/JamesRayScheduleNow.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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"Leverage!" He really <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/11/james-arthur-ray-and-his-business-of.html">loves that word</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFxPHinDrEY4_EwUF4eSCiuTpZ-cl42GnAByOutFqyqaZN7RZsocY6-DTdaR_hjNn6ZfqtE8X_kqVhoeTFnzFnBa_raXCAnR8n3cZhMaNtPe5pyZqMwuX6y1PgNt5S8nqvZz1/s1600/JamesRayHowMuchYaGot.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFxPHinDrEY4_EwUF4eSCiuTpZ-cl42GnAByOutFqyqaZN7RZsocY6-DTdaR_hjNn6ZfqtE8X_kqVhoeTFnzFnBa_raXCAnR8n3cZhMaNtPe5pyZqMwuX6y1PgNt5S8nqvZz1/s1600/JamesRayHowMuchYaGot.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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Yeah, so um, how much money do you have, ya know, btw?<br />
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P.S. How much <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/06/oprah-james-ray-and-cult-of-victim.html">available credit</a> do you have access to? Maybe you could call your credit card companies and ask them to up your limit? It's an INVESTMENT. No, really. It is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss42qoLixWY4y-iFdvje2XssoSWX9Z8BqXybovntLOIYAv8huH2uPyIzfAJ8lq0Ntrb8uEiFG_qHnrhUi8HDBgYEfq9w5zt3HYfTDwsAmxowZnNqqevOegWUl8TdmbJsz9zNU/s1600/JamesRayWhoIsYourLawyer.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss42qoLixWY4y-iFdvje2XssoSWX9Z8BqXybovntLOIYAv8huH2uPyIzfAJ8lq0Ntrb8uEiFG_qHnrhUi8HDBgYEfq9w5zt3HYfTDwsAmxowZnNqqevOegWUl8TdmbJsz9zNU/s1600/JamesRayWhoIsYourLawyer.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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Serious question: Why does he want to know the name of your legal team?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJp7S9bg8eF8Q_VZL3hOFOX4CulcdEkqarAacxV7F9YFTVjb1tmi9iy7ap2XcgqpqdPZhgnvoja6gBrhwAeLm1gjy5vEb_P7t8Nf_aMdEI6X9Oi3AQkE4fh8KP8inW2-g68rv/s1600/celestialdivider3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="10" data-original-width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJp7S9bg8eF8Q_VZL3hOFOX4CulcdEkqarAacxV7F9YFTVjb1tmi9iy7ap2XcgqpqdPZhgnvoja6gBrhwAeLm1gjy5vEb_P7t8Nf_aMdEI6X9Oi3AQkE4fh8KP8inW2-g68rv/s1600/celestialdivider3.png" /></a></div>
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In this pitch, Ray claims to have rebuilt his empire. That sounds pretty odd coming from <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/cnn-ignores-victims-in-james-ray-doco.html">this guy</a>. One thing that documentary made clear is that Ray always lived beyond his means, even at the height of his career. He never had the good sense to put a little away. Now he's trying to claw his way back, producing small events in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/03/james-ray-under-radar.html">shabby hotels</a> and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/02/james-ray-man-on-fire.html">makeshift venues</a>.<br />
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The biggest press he's gotten in a while is <a href="https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/felonious-self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-wants-you-to-1831940749">this article</a> in <i>Deadspin</i> and it's not flattering. It's a good piece, underscoring the deaths he's caused, including that of the rarely discussed <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/search?q=colleen+conaway">Colleen Conaway</a>. I have to offer a couple of corrections, though. The article claims that Ray has "released a book, <i>The Business of Redemption</i>." That is inaccurate, as I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/11/james-arthur-ray-and-his-business-of.html">explained here</a>. The book, to date, is a nothing but a digital mock-up of what appears to be a self-published vehicle, with an indefinite pub date. Whether there will ever be finished books is anybody's guess.<br />
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Now, as to the "comeback" event the article cites:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Ray, 61, has been announced as the keynote speaker for an upcoming <a href="https://ftsummit.us/events/ftsummit-washington-d-c/">tech summit</a> to be held at the regal Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. According to <a href="https://ftsummit.us/team/james-arthur-ray/">marketing materials</a> for the event, Ray’s talk will focus on “reinvention.” His own summary of “things you might know me for,” and other press releases promoting the appearance, pump up his ties to Oprah, and his having written a New York Times best-seller.</blockquote>
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Both of those links bring up 404s. There was, indeed, an event in DC. It just ended, but I was able to pull up the details on the <a href="https://www.ftsummit.us/">website</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgc8cVZA8r7ohRoOMNkWdER3JKLtY9dY9kl1R9ZuAfyngY8u3yTO_Po3_v4HO-4pfGGgI4-Qaflb1C4cpj3dk8wYJ9IWew4fNAJCm3DgofyQT0mphqNlSiEI5CnhG3fND70QM/s1600/TechSummit_DC.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgc8cVZA8r7ohRoOMNkWdER3JKLtY9dY9kl1R9ZuAfyngY8u3yTO_Po3_v4HO-4pfGGgI4-Qaflb1C4cpj3dk8wYJ9IWew4fNAJCm3DgofyQT0mphqNlSiEI5CnhG3fND70QM/s1600/TechSummit_DC.png" /></a></div>
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This is the <a href="https://www.ftsummit.us/#agendas">agenda</a>, but I could not find his name listed either there or on the site's list of scheduled <a href="https://www.ftsummit.us/speakers/">speakers</a>. This is all that remains of the <a href="https://ftsummit.us/team/james-arthur-ray/">James Arthur Ray bio</a> that was once posted on the site.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NHaMQM9kXB-aWUCckUgflzdBapoFJucpZ5Qdd4P0JiQ5ZUR2ER3Iwuox2kwAkHcRPkg0mg5SL4-VgFErSe2x1Sc3N6QIEy6rssOfjPyDqrXQ9DUlCp9XrN_rm_AaVKEg7EPc/s1600/JamesRayTechSummit404.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NHaMQM9kXB-aWUCckUgflzdBapoFJucpZ5Qdd4P0JiQ5ZUR2ER3Iwuox2kwAkHcRPkg0mg5SL4-VgFErSe2x1Sc3N6QIEy6rssOfjPyDqrXQ9DUlCp9XrN_rm_AaVKEg7EPc/s1600/JamesRayTechSummit404.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Yeah, he's the comeback king.<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-14524982839233280442019-04-07T13:58:00.000-04:002019-04-07T14:00:58.645-04:00"Vanilla" Rape, Unrepentant Self-Pity, and Toothless Edicts: The Moral Sickness of the Catholic Church<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sDJsDJUs1DSqo6YPdSkELgqB57csFwmYImCRtXE9Cya6tK21jq2FffBnNF0gG3ElDCiQb4daK8_-vQ6_FurbLUsBodji3IWBTNZ5KnIxgSfbWQWlFfuTJKZjoFoHduSjA7qm/s1600/GeorgePell.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sDJsDJUs1DSqo6YPdSkELgqB57csFwmYImCRtXE9Cya6tK21jq2FffBnNF0gG3ElDCiQb4daK8_-vQ6_FurbLUsBodji3IWBTNZ5KnIxgSfbWQWlFfuTJKZjoFoHduSjA7qm/s1600/GeorgePell.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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<b>***TRIGGER WARNING***</b></div>
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On March 29th, Pope Francis took the unprecedented step of making Vatican City officials and diplomats <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/29/708227698/pope-issues-new-law-requiring-vatican-officials-to-report-sex-abuse-allegations">mandated reporters</a> of sexual abuse. Reminder: It is now the year of our Lord 2019.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The edict, called a <i>Motu Proprio</i> and which goes into effect on June 1, comes after an international summit of church leaders convened at the Vatican in February to address the abuse and protection of minors. It is the first set of concrete protocols established by the Holy See in response to the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church to its core.</blockquote>
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But the Church was "rocked to its core" in January of 2002, when the <i>Boston Globe</i> ran a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2019/01/from-spotlight-to-year-of-hell-for.html">groundbreaking expose</a> in its "Spotlight" section. That was when whispers, rumors, and dark humor became full-blown, public scandal. The Church hierarchy <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/29/world/timeline-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-scandals/index.html">had known about the problem</a> at least as early as 1985 when Father Thomas Doyle tried to sound an alarm at the US conference of bishops. His warning was ignored, as those same bishops continued to quietly move pedophile priests from diocese to diocese. For an organization "rocked to its core," it sure is taking its sweet time in taking any meaningful action. And this edict, appropriate as it may be, is not particularly meaningful. It's <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/29/708227698/pope-issues-new-law-requiring-vatican-officials-to-report-sex-abuse-allegations">mostly symbolic</a>, governing only Vatican personnel, and intended as "a model," not a directive, for the wider Church.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The decree and accompanying guidelines have no legal impact on parishes or congregations in other nations. Archbishop Charles Scicluna said in an interview with Vatican News that the edicts "are not intended to be for the rest of the world, they actually contemplate the concrete situation of Vatican City State; a number of minors, who either live there, work there, or visit ... always within its jurisdiction."<br />
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The Vatican's editorial director, Andrea Tornielli, acknowledged "very few children" will ultimately be affected but said that while the edict is limited in scope, the pope wants it to serve as a model for the entire church. The new requirements "contain exemplary indications that take into account the most advanced international parameters."</blockquote>
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In other decades late actions, powerful clerics in the Church hierarchy are finally being held to account. The infamous <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/in-pennsylvania-reckoning.html">Cardinal McCarrick</a> has finally <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/02/16/695426603/vatican-defrocks-former-cardinal-mccarrick-finds-him-guilty-of-sex-abuse">been defrocked</a> and a Chilean archbishop has been forced to resign for <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-abuse-ezzati/pope-accepts-resignation-of-chilean-cardinal-accused-of-covering-up-abuse-idUSKCN1R40EI?il=0">covering up abuse</a>. Heads are rolling, even among the Church's powerful. But not enough of them and not fast enough.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati as archbishop of Santiago, the highest-ranking member of the Catholic Church in Chile, who has been caught up in the country’s sex abuse scandal.<br />
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. . .<br />
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Ezzati, 77, faces multiple charges of cover up, including some relating to the case of Oscar Munoz, a former top aide to the Santiago Archbishopric, who is facing trial on charges he abused and raped at least five children. He denies wrongdoing.<br />
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“I leave with my head held high,” Ezzati told reporters in Santiago. “Every accusation has been responded to, and we will have to wait for what justice says: it is not enough for one to be accused of a cover-up; it has to be proven”.</blockquote>
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Ezzati's defiance is typical of the self-righteousness we've seen since the earliest revelations of priestly abuse. Just once I'd like to hear one of these guys say: <i>It happened on my watch, so I'm responsible. The buck stops here.</i><br />
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I expect it'll be a cold day in hell.<br />
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The apologia for Cardinal George Pell is more nauseating still, because he is not just guilty of administrative cover-ups. Pell is the <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/george-pell-cardinal-australia-sexual-abuse-children-rape-807780/">highest-ranking</a> cleric yet to be convicted of sexual abuse. His story is a near-perfect, microcosmic reflection of the Catholic sex abuse scandal writ large. He ascended to the heights and halls of power in the Vatican, considered the "third most powerful man in the Catholic Church." And his hypocrisy is as outrageous as it emblematic of the institution he serves.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
In late October 1996, Cardinal George Pell stood before a panel of reporters in Melbourne, Australia, and apologized. He apologized on behalf of the Australian <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/t/catholic-church/">Catholic Church</a>, who, as it had recently surfaced, was complicit in covering up pervasive and unimaginable child abuse by priests. “I would like to make a sincere, unreserved, and public apology,” Pell said, according to David Marr’s <i>The Prince: Faith, Abuse and George Pell</i>. He had a peculiar manner of speaking — an Australian accent polished by an Oxford education. “First of all to the victims of <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/t/sexual-abuse/">sexual abuse</a>, but also to the people of the archdiocese for the actions of those Catholic clergy.” He declared himself an advocate in the fight against child abuse, and announced a new compensation scheme for the victims of his religious brothers.<br />
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Yet only a few weeks later, Pell cornered two thirteen-year-old choirboys in the sacristy of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and sexually abused them, a jury has found. He forced one boy to perform oral sex while the other flinched away — “crying” and “sobbing” and “whimpering,” as a <a href="https://content.countycourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019-03/dpp-v-pell-sentence-2019-vcc-260.pdf">judge later described</a>. It was a Sunday morning, after mass. The boys had just finished singing hymns. They were on a singing scholarship and came from poorer communities. Pell had just been appointed archbishop.</blockquote>
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In the light of day, Pell was a moralizing culture warrior, fighting valiantly against the dangers of women's equality and gay rights. In the shadows, he was a child molester among child molesters, advancing the Church's agenda of covering up the abuse that dare not speak its name.<br />
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It was horrifying enough to hear him say, in 2002, that "Abortion is a worse moral scandal than priests sexually abusing young people." But now we know that he wasn't just minimizing horrific abuse, he was justifying his own evil acts.<br />
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That kind of justification continued right up through his sentencing hearing, when his attorney, Robert Richter, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/27/take-him-away-please-george-pell-had-not-dressed-for-prison-but-thats-where-he-went">announced</a>, without apparent irony, that Pell's assault on two young boys was, "No more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case where the child is not actively participating…"<br />
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Let's make one thing very clear. There is no such thing as a "vanilla" rape. But to hear Richter tell it, if there are no whips and chains, molesting a child is just not that big a deal. It would be laughable in its absurdity, if the reality weren't so traumatizing for the victims, but it's also right in keeping with how the Church has been trivializing the soul murder of children for decades.<br />
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Pell will likely serve less than <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/13/cardinal-george-pell-to-spend-nearly-four-years-in-jail-for-child-sexual-assault">four years in prison</a>... for raping children.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Cardinal <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/george-pell">George Pell</a> has been sentenced to six years in jail after being convicted of sexually abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in 1996.<br />
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The former <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/vatican">Vatican treasurer</a>, 77, was handed a non-parole period of three years and eight months by the judge, who described his offending as “brazen and forceful” and “breathtakingly arrogant” because he believed the victims would never complain.<br />
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The sentence means he may spend at least three years and eight months in jail.</blockquote>
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Judge Peter Kidd, while openly disdainful of Pell's callousness and cruelty to two thirteen year old boys, also took pity on his age and infirmity, admitting that even with that lenient sentence he may die in prison. He should. He only got to be this bloody old, free from incarceration, because the Catholic Church has been protecting child molesters like him for decades.<br />
<br />
Despite Judge Kidd's harsh words for Pell's flagrant abuse of power, the actual sentence is <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/effectively-reformed-why-george-pell-got-light-jail-term/news-story/6fa60c53abb0db6c65ddaa220a773be7">awfully light</a>. He also cited a belief that Pell had "effectively reformed," never re-offended, and had lived an "otherwise blameless life." But that only means he didn't get caught. In truth we have no idea how many children Pell has molested over the years. There have been many <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/george-pell-cardinal-australia-sexual-abuse-children-rape-807780/">other accusations</a> dating all the way back to his youth.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The boy’s name is Phillip Scott; he was twelve years old. Pell was twenty, bright-eyed and fresh faced, and looked more like a footballer than a priest. He was broad-shouldered and over six feet tall, earning him his nickname from the campers: “Big George.” Scott alleged that Pell molested him “on any occasion that it was possible” during the camp — in his tent, on nature walks, while they were swimming. He also alleged that Pell abused another camper, Michael Foley. As typically happens in cases of child abuse, the victim didn’t come forward for decades; he was left to process his trauma, while Pell was welcomed into the church as a priest. His career had begun.</blockquote>
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He stepped off lightly with the cover-up of one of the most disturbing sex abuse scandals in Australian history.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
After he graduated, Pell returned home to Ballarat, where he lived and practiced in the St. Alipius presbytery. There, he immersed himself in a crisis; the St. Alipius boys’ school had become overrun with child sexual abuse, perpetrated by a ring of Christian brothers and a pedophile priest. They were raping, beating, and abusing the schoolboys. Kids were violated in just about every corner of the school, including the principal’s office. In one fourth grade class, over a third of the boys went on to commit suicide. “It was one hell of an evil place,” says Lyndon Monument, one of Pell’s accusers who went to the school. “Just pedophiles — a network of pedophiles.”</blockquote>
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As his career continued, and while he was editing the Ballarat diocese newspaper, he spent his off-hours playing with kids at the local swimming pool and molesting them under the water.<br />
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These are not the crimes of which he was convicted. That was a particularly disturbing incident. Pell had caught two 13 year old choirboys stealing wine in the sacristy.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The complainant, who is now aged 35, said he and the other choirboy had separated from the choir procession as it exited the church building. The prosecution’s case hinged on his evidence, as the other victim died in 2014 after a heroin overdose. Neither victim told anyone about the offending at the time.<br />
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. . .<br />
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Pell manoeuvred his robes to expose his penis. He stepped forward, grabbed the other boy by the back of his head, and forced the boy’s head on to his penis, the complainant told the court.<br />
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Pell then did the same thing to the complainant, orally raping him. Once he had finished, he ordered the complainant to remove his pants, before fondling the complainant’s penis and masturbating himself. The complainant said the attack lasted only a few minutes, and the boys left the room afterwards, hung up their choir robes and went home.</blockquote>
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In other words, he used sexual assault as a punishment. He got off on degrading naughty boys, who were in his care and at his mercy. People like that don't just stop offending or live "otherwise blameless" lives. And Pell had been <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/george-pell-cardinal-australia-sexual-abuse-children-rape-807780/">showing us</a> who he was all along. "I’ve got a formidable temper which I almost never show. But the discipline that is needed for me not to lapse in that way, I think helps explain my wooden appearance." It's just that no one believed him. (See: <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oprah-life-lesson-maya-angelou_n_2869235">Maya Angelou</a>)<br />
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If Pell were an aberration in the Catholic hierarchy, we could almost forgive the Church for its blindness, but he was not, and that blindness — nay, complicity — was systematic.<br />
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Only in an institution in willful denial, or worse, could a predator like Marcial Maciel Degollado have, not only thrived, but been <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2010/05/incredible-creepiness-in-catholic.html">feted by the pope</a>. Monsters like this turned congregations into hunting grounds, while the Church forgave their "sins" and actively <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/23/europe/cardinal-documents-destroyed/index.html">concealed their crimes</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
In a remarkable admission, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx said Saturday that documents that could have contained proof of clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church were destroyed or never drawn up.<br />
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"Files that could have documented the terrible deeds and named those responsible were destroyed or not even created," said Marx, the archbishop of Munich and president of the German Bishops' Conference.<br />
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"The stipulated procedures and processes for the prosecution offenses were deliberately not complied with," he added, "but instead canceled and overridden.<br />
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"Such standard practices will make it clear that it is not transparency which damages the church, but rather the acts of abuse committed, the lack of transparency, or the ensuing coverup."</blockquote>
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And even now, as the Church begins its <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2019/01/from-spotlight-to-year-of-hell-for.html">second</a> "year of hell" in a row, does the pope take the decades late action of making officials mandated reporters. And he doesn't even make it a Church-wide policy, only an example that dioceses around the world can choose to follow or ignore.<br />
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What does the pope manage to enforce in all of Catholicdom? The <a href="https://jezebel.com/pope-francis-says-women-can-be-mad-that-the-catholic-ch-1833741041">suppression of women</a>. Now that is a policy strictly enforced. And he admits that women are right to grumble about it. It just doesn't matter, because women are never going to be priests in this archaic institution. Nor will <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2019/02/catholic-nuns-are-saying-metoo.html">nuns</a> be any more protected from sexual assault by priests than the Church's children are. In the wake of the Vatican's magazine <i>Women Church World</i> publishing that expose, the all-female editorial board <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/26/europe/vatican-women-magazine-quit-intl/index.html">resigned in protest</a>, as their new-found power slipped away.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
"We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimization," [Lucetta] Scaraffia wrote in the letter to the pontiff. "It seems to us that a vital initiative is reduced to silence and that we return to the antiquated and arid practice of top-down selection, under direct male control, of women deemed trustworthy."</blockquote>
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The priorities of the Vatican are clear, and for all Pope Francis's pretty words and sympathy, this will not change. He is but another cog in an organizational machinery that seems hell-bent on self-destruction.<br />
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The Church also will not budge on ending the sham of "celibacy." Pope Francis has <a href="https://fsspx.news/en/news-events/news/no-marriage-priests-yes-priesthood-married-men-45508">sliced and diced</a> this one as finely as he could, but has made it clear that the policy isn't going anywhere. In the movie <i>Spotlight</i>, discussed <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2019/01/from-spotlight-to-year-of-hell-for.html">here</a>, they make the point that about half of all clergy are sexually active. Mostly it's among consenting adults, but the lies, secrets, and shame have fostered a perversity that is fueled by a culture of concealment. And for all the Church's enshrined homophobia, there is a very active gay subculture, one Church officials have denied for decades, but, paradoxically, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/gay-priests-to-pope-dont-blame-us-for-child-sex-abuse">blame</a> for their pedophilia problem. The evidence suggests that the Church's hostility to homosexuality is a case of <a href="http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/andrew-sullivan-the-vaticans-corruption-has-been-exposed.html">pure projection</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The picture [Frédéric] Martel draws is jaw-dropping. Many of the Vatican gays — especially the most homophobic — treat their vows of celibacy with an insouciant contempt. Martel argues that many of these cardinals and officials have lively sex lives, operate within a “don’t ask, don’t tell” culture, constantly hit on young men, hire prostitutes, throw chem-sex parties, and even pay for sex with church money. How do we know this? Because, astonishingly, they tell us.<br />
<br />
So much of the information in the book comes from sources deep within the Holy See. Named and unnamed, they expose their fellow cardinals and bishops and nuncios as hypocrites, without perhaps realizing that their very targets are doing the same to them. Martel didn’t expect this remarkable candor, or, clearly, what he was about to see: “Whether they are ‘practising’, ‘homophile’, ‘initiates’, ‘unstraights’, ‘wordly’, ‘versatile’, ‘questioning’, or simply ‘in the closet’, the world I am discovering, with its 50 shades of gay, is beyond comprehension.”</blockquote>
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When Pope Francis rants like a lunatic about a "gay mafia" in the Church, this is probably what he's talking about. He's also tilting at windmills. No one does hypocrisy quite like the Catholic Church.<br />
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Catholic clergy also excel at self-righteous outrage, as SNL's Pete Davidson learned when he <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/brooklyn-diocese-demands-apology-for-pete-davidsons-snl-joke-comparing-catholic-church-sex-scandals-to-r-kelly-allegations">compared</a> the Church to R. Kelly. Worse still, the Brooklyn Diocese hid behind the Church's own victims, while it <a href="https://dioceseofbrooklyn.org/bishop-nicholas-dimarzio/diocese-of-brooklyn-responds-to-saturday-night-live-skit-attacking-catholic-church/">whined</a> about being insulted.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Apparently, the only acceptable bias these days is against the Catholic Church. The faithful of our Church are disgusted by the harassment by those in news and entertainment, and this sketch offends millions. The mockery of this difficult time in the Church’s history serves no purpose.<br />
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The clergy sex abuse crisis is shameful, and no one should ever get a laugh at the expense of the victims who have suffered irreparably. The Diocese of Brooklyn strives every day to ensure that sexual abuse by clergy never happens again.</blockquote>
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Davidson's comparison was exactly on-point. Comparing the Church to Michael Jackson is also <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/03/04/heslam-michael-jackson-catholic-sex-abuse-scandals-eerily-similar/">more than fair</a>. Kelly, Jackson, the Catholic Church, they're all being stripped of their glamour and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/13/us/gallup-catholics-leaving/index.html">losing their fans</a>. And it's about damn time.<br />
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-62772826389285761042019-02-08T15:43:00.000-05:002019-02-08T15:43:00.983-05:00Catholic Nuns Are Saying #Metoo<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134033" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="668" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI3P1jEdELWaXA61nXTEvKml4C5LCl5jYxaZDr45r1tdKvs9fnwhPY9JDJLExgE9Fb3jIPKQIotLeLRlRXpWxKEGHlvh-SEHkhnVMukw8Y1EP8yIfXZUL7xWo-eYZniMvR62X/s1600/PopeFrancisNunsSexSlaves.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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<br />
The dumpster fire of Vatican scandal continues with the revelation of widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests known of and concealed for decades. In this case it's the Church's own nuns who have been abused, enslaved, shamed, and silenced by the Catholic hierarchy. I would give the Vatican credit for displaying their dirty laundry in one of their own publications, but news of this issue has been burbling to the surface for some time now, and drew increasing scrutiny during the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2019/01/from-spotlight-to-year-of-hell-for.html">"year of hell"</a> that was 2018. Putting the issue front and center in their own <a href="https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/11319/vatican-women-s-magazine-condemns-sexual-abuse-of-nuns-by-priests">women's magazine</a> looks to me like spin control, an attempt to get ahead of emerging scandal, but perhaps I'm cynical.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The February issue of "Women Church World," distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, says that religious sisters for years have not reported offences against them by priests for fear of retaliation.<br />
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Editor Lucetta Scaraffia writes that the issue “reflects on the theme of abuse, that is, perverse use of touch”.<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
The article says that reports of priests sexually abusing nuns in Africa were filed to the Vatican in the 1990s. Yet, nothing changed. Now, as part of the #Metoo movement, and as the sexual abuse of minors comes to the fore, women are beginning to publicly denouce [sic] their abuse.<br />
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"If the church continues to close its eyes to the scandal — made even worse by the fact that abuse of women brings about procreation and is therefore at the origin of forced abortions and children who aren't recognised by priests — the condition of oppression of women in the church will never change," Scaraffia wrote.</blockquote>
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It is hard to imagine a greater hypocrisy than "forced abortions" in Catholic orders.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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In the article, Pope Francis is given credit for <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/365193-pope-analysis-clerical-power-root-cause-of-sexual-abuse-vatican-magazine">assigning the blame properly</a>, instead of blaming society, or worse, blaming victims, which at least breaks with Church's long history of doing both.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Last year, after The Associated Press and other media, reported on the scandal, the international association of women's religious orders urged <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=sisters">sisters</a> to report abuse to <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=police">police</a> and their superiors, a significant shattering of the silence that has long kept the problem secret. In the article, editor <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=Lucetta%20Scaraffia">Lucetta Scaraffia</a> notes that for centuries <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=women">women</a> in the <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=church">church</a> have been depicted as "dangerous and temptresses," which has complicated the acceptance within the Catholic hierarchy that they can be <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=victims">victims</a> of unwanted sexual advances by priests.<br />
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"But here Pope Francis' analysis about abuse can be of some help: If you point to power, to clericalism, the abuse against religious <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=sisters">sisters</a> takes on another aspect and can finally be recognized for what it is: that is an act of power in which touch becomes a violation of one's personal intimacy," she wrote. The article noted that reports written by religious <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=sisters">sisters</a> were presented to Vatican officials in the 1990s about the problem of <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=priests">priests</a> sexually abusing <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=nuns">nuns</a> in Africa — they were considered "safe" <a href="https://www.devdiscourse.com/news?tag=partners">partners</a> at the height of the HIV crisis.</blockquote>
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So priests, who took vows of celibacy, practiced "safe sex" by raping equally celibate nuns. Let that sink in.<br />
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Days after the explosive revelation in <i>Women Church World</i>, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134033">Pope Francis</a> officially broke his public silence on the matter, admitting that nuns have been, not only raped, but kept as sex slaves, and that it has been a known problem for decades.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Speaking to reporters while on <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-47118892">a historic tour of the Middle East</a> on Tuesday, the pontiff admitted that the Church had an issue, and the roots lay in society "seeing women as second class".<br />
<br />
He said that priests and bishops had abused nuns, but said the Church was aware of the "scandal" and was "working on it", adding that a number of clerics had been suspended.<br />
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"It's a path that we've been on," he said.<br />
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"Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level, because this slavery of women had entered it - slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery - on the part of clerics or the founder."</blockquote>
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It is a shocking admission, not just of the occurrences, but of the secrecy that has surrounded them. Like so many crimes, the Church has endeavored to handle clerical misconduct quietly, silencing its victims to protect its reputation. But admitting it now is not courage. It's expediency, in the face of fresh scandal erupting all over the world. In India a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/21/asia/india-bishop-sex-abuse-intl/index.html">bishop was arrested</a> last September, for repeatedly raping a nun. Her <a href="https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2018/international-group-of-women-s-superiors-urge-sisters-to-report-abuse.cfm">pleas to the Vatican</a> had gone unanswered.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The nun had made numerous complaints, including to the Vatican, but claimed she had gotten no church response to her allegations at the time. Pope Francis accepted the bishop's request to be relieved of his duties Sept. 20.<br />
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The nun had explained in a letter that her abuse had gone on for so long because "I had tremendous fear and shame to bring this out into the open. I feared suppression of the congregation and threats to my family members."<br />
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She had said many women and nuns suffer clerical abuse. Silence and inaction on the part of church officials to stem clerical abuse will have a "very adverse effect" on women and result in the church losing its credibility, she said.</blockquote>
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Her case and others like it brought a call to action from the global organization of <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-11-24/global-catholic-nuns-urge-reporting-of-sex-abuse-to-police">Mothers Superior</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The Catholic Church's global organization of nuns has denounced the "culture of silence and secrecy" surrounding sexual abuse in the church and is urging sisters who have been abused to report the crimes to police and their superiors.<br />
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The International Union of Superiors General, which represents more than 500,000 sisters worldwide, vowed to help nuns who have been abused to find the courage to report it, and pledged to help victims heal and seek justice.<br />
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. . .<br />
<br />
"We condemn those who support the culture of silence and secrecy, often under the guise of 'protection' of an institution's reputation or naming it 'part of one's culture,'" the group said.<br />
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"We advocate for transparent civil and criminal reporting of abuse whether within religious congregations, at the parish or diocesan levels, or in any public arena," the statement said.</blockquote>
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While it is good and very good that the Vatican is finally opening up about abuses of women who have devoted their lives to the Church and to God, it is, once again, late. And if their disclosure is not backed up with serious action and policy changes, it is meaningless.<br />
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-34937637820899240272019-01-30T17:28:00.000-05:002019-01-30T17:28:57.685-05:00From Spotlight to "Year of Hell" for Vatican<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcelau4V_onROghZSWemitKhPtBXIZLGXGTe8Amn8SV-ZS0V9BLXGrv35eA23EIMAiHn9vNSKZ1KR19LNQOkjUemf6wJ2IFjRs4hcuPG0WCvCyonGi6oqf-tzDSc86GPlOEF6/s1600/spotlight.jpg" /></div>
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I'm not really sure why I binged Catholic abuse stories over the holidays. What sort of dark compulsion caused me to immerse myself in <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6792200/">The Keepers</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1895587/">Spotlight</a></i>, both of which had been languishing on my Netflix queue for over a year, I can't say. I hadn't been able to bring myself to watch them, knowing exactly the kind of emotional turmoil would be churned up. But on those cold, December days they called to me, then pulled me in like the undertow of an icy river. It was sickening but necessary viewing. Perhaps it was a need for catharsis at the end of a year that had seen one ugly eruption after another in the priestly abuse saga, events that have seriously tarnished a popular and likable pope. Both the movie and the true crime series are excellent, for what it's worth. The progress of the Catholic Church is not.<br />
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I really had hope that Pope Francis would be different than his predecessors. Yet, on this issue, he seems to have even less understanding of the seriousness than <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2010/04/pope-benedict-reformer.html">Benedict XVI</a>. The past year has been marked by tone-deaf pronouncements, 180° reversals, high profile resignations, and troves of embarrassing documents. It's hard to believe that seventeen years after the <i>Boston Globe</i>'s "Spotlight" team exposed the priestly abuse cover-ups and forever changed the world's perceptions of the Catholic Church, new waves of scandal could keep finding the Church so far behind the curve. How have they managed to learn so little from so much? Amazingly 2018 may have eclipsed 2002 as a year of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/28/world/catholic-church-2018/index.html">horrible revelation</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
A prominent cardinal resigned in disgrace. Grand jurors accused hundreds of Catholic clerics of secretly abusing children. A former Vatican ambassador urged the Pope himself to step down.<br />
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It was enough for New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan to call it the Catholic Church's "summer of hell."<br />
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The cardinal may have been overly optimistic.<br />
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In fact, the church's hellish year began in January, when Pope Francis forcefully defended a Chilean bishop he had promoted. He later had to apologize and accept the bishop's resignation.<br />
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But the clergy sex abuse scandal shows no signs of abating, with a federal investigation and probes in 12 states and the District of Columbia in the works.</blockquote>
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And let's be clear. Pope Francis didn't just defend the Chilean bishop. He <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/01/esoterica.html">accused</a> sex abuse survivors of "calumny" for accusing Bishop Barros of a classic church cover-up, only to demand the bishop's resignation when those charges proved accurate. As the year wore on, Pope Francis offered a full-throated apology for his failings and took an increasingly aggressive stand against abusive priests, culminating in his December <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/12/21/679071242/pope-francis-tells-abusive-priests-and-bishops-to-turn-themselves-in">demand</a> that they turn themselves in to the authorities. <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Pope Francis is urging predator priests who have raped or molested children to turn themselves in "to human justice, and prepare for divine justice," devoting part of his Christmas message to the abuse scandals that he said have undermined the Catholic Church in 2018.<br />
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As cardinals and other church luminaries listened in the Vatican's ornate Clementine Hall on Friday, Francis also compared priests who break their vows to Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ.<br />
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. . .<br />
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While acknowledging that the Vatican has made serious mistakes, Francis told the gathering: "The sins and crimes of consecrated persons are further tainted by infidelity and shame; they disfigure the countenance of the church and undermine her credibility."<br />
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The church, Francis said, "will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes."</blockquote>
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If only he'd said all that years ago, rather than as a delayed reaction a public relations disaster engulfing the Vatican. But <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/12/vatican-delays-measures-u-s-bishops-address-sexual-abuse-crisis/1979385002/">delay</a> seems to be the Church's watchword, when it comes to this crisis.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Faced with a sexual-abuse crisis that has rocked the Catholic Church in multiple continents, the Vatican has opted to delay taking action.<br />
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The surprise decision was announced Monday [November 12, 2018] at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, where church leaders were expected to vote on several measures to address sexual abuse by the clergy, including a new code of conduct and creation of a special commission to review complaints against bishops.<br />
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Instead, the Vatican asked that they hold off on voting until after a February gathering with bishops from around the world convened by Pope Francis to deal with the growing scandal.</blockquote>
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Having deferred action until the February summit, Pope Francis is now <a href="http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/us-world-news/pope-lowers-expectations-for-next-months-sex-abuse-summit">managing expectations</a> for what will be accomplished there.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Francis told reporters returning from Panama on Sunday that he wants the Feb. 21-24 meeting to essentially be a catechism class for bishops about sex abuse. He said he wanted to sensitize church leaders around the globe to the pain of victims, instruct them how to investigate cases and develop general protocols for the entire hierarchy to use.<br />
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"Let me say that I've sensed somewhat inflated expectations," he said. "We have to deflate the expectations to these three points, because the problem of abuse will continue. It's a human problem."<br />
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Francis' lowering of expectations will likely not go over well in the United States, where rank-and-file Catholics are withholding donations and demanding accountability from their bishops after the hierarchy's repeated failures to protect children were exposed again last year.</blockquote>
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A "human problem" sounds too much like same old deflection we've been hearing from Church officials for years. Of course sex abuse is a wider problem. But the issue is and always been, not so much the crime, but the cover-up. And even now they refuse to come clean on their culpability for protecting clergy at the expense of children.<br />
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Pope Francis himself has been <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/former-ambassador-vigano-accuses-vatican-covering-mccarrick-scandal-years">accused</a> of enabling a decades long cover-up of the since removed cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The pontiff later admitted that he was secretly <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-francis-admits-hes-been-investigating-embattled-dc-cardinal-for-a-year">investigating</a> McCarrick, who has been left to live out his days in quiet contemplation. It's the continuing secrecy that baffles and infuriates. What is not secret is that McCarrick preyed on young seminarians for decades and even molested an altar boy in the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-catholic-cardinal-theodore-mccarrick-allegedly-abused-child-during-confession-report">confessional</a>.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k60eGmxn7Rk" width="450"></iframe></div>
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One of the more dramatic moments in <i>Spotlight</i> comes when the team learns from a former priest that they are wildly underestimating the number of abusive priests in Boston. Their pursuant investigation proves that the higher number is, indeed, correct. But the Church, even now, keeps claiming it's just a few "bad apples." A <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/in-pennsylvania-reckoning.html">grand jury</a> investigation in Pennsylvania has, once again, proved otherwise. The numbers are staggering, over 300 priests abused over a thousand children, and that's the lowball figure. But the worse news for the Church is that the Pennsylvania revelations have spurred, not only many more states to open investigations, but the first <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/19/us/federal-catholic-investigation-what-we-know/index.html">federal investigation</a>. Illinois found that the Church had <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/illinoi-sex-abuse-probe-finds-catholic-church-hid-accusations-against-500-priests">concealed accusations</a> against 500 priests. In January, more than <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/01/more-than-1000-accused-of-sex-abuse-in-us-catholic-dioceses-ap.html">a thousand</a> abusive priests had been identified around the country. This is undoubtedly just the beginning.<br />
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As these numbers climb and more horrifying details emerge, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/11/us/catholic-gallup-survey/index.html">discouraged Catholics</a> are going to need more than eloquent apologies and vague promises. They're going to need more than <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/03/europe/pope-bishops-letter/index.html">scolded bishops</a> and endorsements of more prayer. They're going to need to see real action and clear policy. Pope Francis does not appear to have the stomach for it. It may be the end of his papacy. It may be the end of his Church.<br />
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-2778982489302110332019-01-23T13:45:00.000-05:002019-08-13T19:31:39.557-04:00Breakfast With Russell Baker<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="402" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS5N0NIzjvRNmTjD9VKsEG0C07XI6txZywnBU1CeNOzSk3oKNn4q2C6SY8Ii-LiWsz3mDZoVk9q-L66IcdpbvkeE0T5psH7Ge3HEcVV7G9N3Xorjq0SfTHVrJkhF05uxN4UvX/s1600/RussellBakerbytheFire_bw.jpg" /><br />
<b>Russell Baker</b><br />
August 14, 1925 – January 21, 2019</div>
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I was awake well before sunrise that Friday morning. A limousine was waiting for me in front of my building in Bloomfield, New Jersey, because commuter trains don't run that early. I had no time to brew coffee, so I had to make do with a chilled Pepsi offered by the driver. I am not a morning person, but it was part of my job as a publicist to escort my authors to their New York media appearances. I had booked Russell Baker on <i>Good Morning America</i>. <br />
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I really didn't know what to expect from Mr. Baker, having only chatted with him briefly on the phone a few times. I had read <i>The Good Times</i>, for which I was doing publicity. It was a delightful memoir about his career in journalism. But I had not yet read <i>Growing Up</i>, his first memoir, for which he'd won a Pulitzer. Our department assistant had rustled up a copy for me only the day before.<br />
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I had learned a bit of the history, the unexpected success of <i>Growing Up</i>. The book had gone back for a second printing even before the publication date. The original publisher hadn't anticipated huge numbers on this sweet, understated memoir about coming of age in the shadow of the Great Depression and going on to become a <i>New York Times</i> columnist. The <i>Times</i> reviewed it, of course. It was a rave, and the book had started flying off the shelves, deservedly so. <br />
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In my youthful ignorance I hadn't really understood why it was so easy to book media for Russell Baker. It began to dawn when I saw how warmly he was welcomed at the GMA studio. They seemed thrilled to talk to Baker again, even for a mass market reprint of his second memoir. I began then to understand just how beloved he was. As the day wore on, I began to understand why.<br />
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We had a long break after GMA and before his first radio interview. Mr. Baker suggested we have breakfast at The Plaza, where he was staying on Penguin's dime. There I had the most expensive slice of papaya I'd ever tasted and as much coffee as I could get the waiter to pour. <br />
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Baker entertained me by performing dialogue he imagined was happening around the dining room, and other witty speculations about strangers. We talked. We laughed. He peppered me with questions about my life and how I'd ended up in publishing.<br />
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At some point, in the course of the day, the realization began to dawn as to just what was so delightful about spending time with Russell Baker. He was treating me like a real, fully human person. He never condescended to me or belittled me as a "publicity girl." (Other authors, whom I shall not name, had done.) He actually listened when I spoke. Without interruption. He asked me questions and listened to my answers with rapt attention and not once did I have the sense that it was because he wanted anything from me, other than pleasant conversation. It felt different than any interaction I could ever remember having with a man of any age.<br />
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After his last interview, Baker took me to the <i>New York Times</i> building for a tour. He read me the column he was working on for that week. He introduced me to the few colleagues who had not already fled the city for the weekend. And then it was time for me to do the same. It was a Friday afternoon and it was summer. The publishing world had been effectively closed since noon. So I headed back to New Jersey. I had to take a bus, because the trains wouldn't be running for another few hours. I sat in Port Authority, watching strangers, musing quietly to myself about their lives, and wondering at an inner joy that had overtaken me at some point that morning. <br />
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That evening, I started reading <i>Growing Up</i>. It won me completely from the opening passage.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
At the age of eighty my mother had her last bad fall, and after that her mind wandered free through time. Some days she went to weddings and funerals that had taken place half a century earlier. On others she presided over family dinners cooked on Sunday afternoons for children who were now gray with age. Through all this she lay in bed but moved across time, traveling among the dead decades with a speed and ease beyond the gift of physical science.</blockquote>
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It remains the most beautiful paean to senility I've ever read.<br />
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I learned that the dual forces of his father's death and the Great Depression had moved a young Baker to New Jersey, of all places, to live with his mother's relatives. They'd been not far from where I was living in Bloomfield, in neighboring Belleville. <br />
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Reading his life story, I began to understand why I had not felt even a hint of sexist condescension from Russell Baker and that it started with his relationship with his mother. She was a fiercely powerful woman. And when he married, it was to another fiercely powerful woman, whom he loved passionately and never seemed to see as anything other than his equal. As I read about Mimi, I began to understand the way Baker's eyes twinkled when he'd spoken of her, over our delightful breakfast at The Plaza. Baker's life was defined by relationships with strong, determined women, whom he both loved and admired. I have recommended <i>Growing Up</i> to many people over the years and those who've read it have thanked me.<br />
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I was so sad this morning when I read that Baker <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/23/687600776/pulitzer-prize-winning-columnist-russell-baker-dies-at-93">had died</a>. He was 93, so it is not exactly unexpected. I teared up all the same. He lived a rich, full life, as attested to by his own beautiful words. Russell Baker, for me, is a warm memory of an enchanting morning. I was graced to spend a few hours with a literary luminary who was beloved, not only for his wit and verbal skill, but because he was such lovely human being.<br />
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-87274404880804580592018-11-11T13:20:00.000-05:002018-11-11T13:20:07.530-05:00James Arthur Ray and His Business of Death<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zw4pCDyciv4" width="450"></iframe><br /></div>
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<tr> <td align="left" bgcolor="#d8e8f5" valign="center"><span style="color: #330033;"><b>"<i>The fact that he would do this suggests to me he hasn't learned all that much -- the idea of trying to turn what he did into somehow generating money by the redemption book or whatever.... I think this is just rubbing salt right back in the wounds for all of them and the people who are either financially ruined or mentally damaged by that entire event...</i>" ~ <a href="https://www.10news.com/news/concerns-surround-carlsbad-self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-s-redemption-effort">Connie Joy</a>, author of <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/07/tragedy-in-sedona.html">Tragedy in Sedona</a></b><br />
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</tbody></table>
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It appears that James Arthur Ray has a new book coming out, and I say "appears" because I can find no record of it anywhere but <a href="https://www.jamesray.com/business-redemption/">on his website</a>. Yet Ray has already kicked promotion of this book into gear, pitching <i>The Business of Redemption</i> on his local <a href="https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/10/30/disgraced-self-help-guru-out-of-prison-and-promoting-new-book/">FOX</a>, <a href="http://www.cbs8.com/story/39385528/james-arthur-ray-the-business-of-redemption">CBS</a>, and <a href="https://www.10news.com/news/concerns-surround-carlsbad-self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-s-redemption-effort">ABC</a> affiliates. As a former book publicist, I find this whole thing very odd. Normally, media appearances would not be scheduled until the pub date, when finished books are in stores and available for purchase. This book doesn't even have a pub date, only vague allusions to "next year."<br />
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I looked at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and found no listings or pre-order options for this book. That is something that is generally set up well in advance by publishers. But that's the other piece of information that seems to be missing. There is no mention of a publisher. My back-of-the-envelope calculation tells me that this is a self-published book and a poorly coordinated one at that. I am speculating somewhat, but unless I miss my guess, Ray is counting on pre-orders through his website to fund the production of finished books, hence the vague pub date, which is probably contingent on how many orders come in and when.<br />
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This leads us to the most disturbing aspect of this venture. Why start promotion of this project in October, the very month that three people died on his watch? Not for the first time, Ray's attachment to this tragedy seems more ghoulish than respectful, let alone repentant. I mean... what did that press release look like?! Did he send it out on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Ray#Sweat_lodge_deaths">October 8th</a>? I would not put it past him.<br />
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Not for the first time, Ray is treating the deaths of Kirby Brown, James Shore, and Liz Neuman like so many lemons from which to make lemonade. But it's not just exploitive. It's creepy, as if he's trying to squeeze some sort of magical power from what he has more than once <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/cnn-ignores-victims-in-james-ray-doco.html" rel="nofollow">described</a> as their "sacrifice." He has even <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/02/james-ray-man-on-fire.html">promoted himself</a> as heroically rising like a phoenix, from the flames of their funeral pyre.<br />
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How did he mark the ninth anniversary of the sweat lodge tragedy? He <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialjamesarthurray/photos/a.10151895883720983/10155815024585983/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB2sB8SAqh5GEhG8xxmwV5LHra_GEmfYFDicAGxywTdaukMqm-3T8uvmRHza7xROUzmTvxiCzbl8POlQaVdEiXdHjI0EBjUcXlm1PxBECZgRBf4H44u12DZ-q3lUyhMZDVG_pcEFRIxwZm-dHgEv4DfS_AO1lEdCrJJg95SEomQoI-64lcoEPxMW5HN239pga0KWB2ppUD2Zn6W5j5OgVlpNtKk-_ItoPvW2Ag19BdyeQAh3M8DI3SbGab0Oo0DnYNFaNpfPvxxfskYtmCzzhHBROK91mEBwVAuMYh6sGfydm7BQUVdx9tQ_xQtXs4vDcITbE88u0mUz0Kn4eaK&__tn__=-R">posted a diatribe</a> on the necessity of "sacrifice."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegmlvKGamJPVL35KK_0xnLKIT1CuJ5HDiw5CI4SATAdcDK6EHuXaiVjvWKmZU61IvTaoxC-HKciSI9tcg7T-7d8VdyMwdY3yZgq572s0qsjfpggz4hhZ7-WhdG4P8CQB_XfIh/s1600/RayonSacrifice_100818.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegmlvKGamJPVL35KK_0xnLKIT1CuJ5HDiw5CI4SATAdcDK6EHuXaiVjvWKmZU61IvTaoxC-HKciSI9tcg7T-7d8VdyMwdY3yZgq572s0qsjfpggz4hhZ7-WhdG4P8CQB_XfIh/s1600/RayonSacrifice_100818.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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More strangely still, he's included a two year old photo of himself being interviewed by Alisyn Camerota. This interview did not go terribly well for him. In fact, he was <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/a-second-look-at-james-ray-documentary.html">challenged directly</a> by her co-anchor John Berman on his bizarre implication of their "sacrifice."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
You're saying they -- they died in the sweat lodge at your retreat and you're saying that was an act of sacrifice for them? That they gave everything they had?</blockquote>
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All of this reads like a dog whistle, but for God's sake, what is he whistling and to whom?! Over and over he refers to the lives of people who died on his watch as "sacrifices" for some kind of gain. But who gains? They're dead. They've gained nothing, nor have their families and friends. The implication seems to be that it is he who has something to gain from their deaths, when as a matter of law, he killed them.<br />
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I first became concerned about the suggestion that this tragedy was some kind of dark ritual during the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/11/observations-on-james-rays-sentencing.html">sentencing hearing</a> of the sweat lodge trial, when prosecutor Sheila Polk read from one of the letters of support from Ray's followers, which also cryptically alluded to their "sacrifice."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
James has integrity and his message has integrity.<br />
I am witnessing the power of his spoken word.<br />
I am witnessing the shadow side of Harmonic Wealth.<br />
The 2009 Spiritual Warrior Retreat is a great lesson.<br />
The LESSON has touched the consciousness of the world.<br />
I respect and honor the sacrifice of Liz, Kirby, and James.<br />
I request compassion for my friend James Ray.</blockquote>
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I asked then:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Did she see the deaths of three people as some cosmic sacrifice for "wealth?" If so, is this a wild overstatement of what Ray was teaching or just following his teachings to their natural conclusion? <i>Shudder</i>.</blockquote>
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That he would again reference this disturbing idea on the ninth anniversary of their deaths only heightens this concern. But here he is, merchandizing deaths he caused as his own story of triumph over circumstance.<br />
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Of the three interviews only <a href="https://www.10news.com/news/concerns-surround-carlsbad-self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-s-redemption-effort">Channel 10</a> did their due diligence by interviewing a vocal critic of Ray's, Connie Joy (seen above).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MooG4EDhGPWD5Y7L1yXXzI_lkX12kUUz__88yadswMMOicTpZH7krSS443M8aKmzX4mKdRgyf_pz7Fx7dc1YiO7jdpJcDlR2bkpmtbDMV65XFEJpsw_WFiohJt4KYQ1o4FRE/s1600/RayDupingDelight.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MooG4EDhGPWD5Y7L1yXXzI_lkX12kUUz__88yadswMMOicTpZH7krSS443M8aKmzX4mKdRgyf_pz7Fx7dc1YiO7jdpJcDlR2bkpmtbDMV65XFEJpsw_WFiohJt4KYQ1o4FRE/s1600/RayDupingDelight.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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On CBS he was <a href="http://www.cbs8.com/story/39385528/james-arthur-ray-the-business-of-redemption">spinning like a top</a> and using words like "leverage" to cringeworthy effect. It's worth watching, if only for the chilling reveals, like his duping delight (4:06), when he claims to have found "compassion." Or when he wrongly defines "empathy" as "attempting to feel like you feel." Spoken like a man with no capacity for empathy.<br />
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Ray turns again and again to half-remembered dictionary definitions of words, in lieu of expressing actual emotion or contrition. In explaining the title of his book, he says, "Well, I am seeking redemption and if you look at the definition of that it's to gain or regain something by paying the price." Note that he does not include the Christian meaning of the word, salvation from sin or evil. For Ray, redemption is a business transaction that neatly avoids atonement, hence the book title.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtTJdwYJR7oiv0eoQqtt6nuZrzhmkeartHMVuWaWWjb5fiLP1vTfy_gn0fdOA0i-B_GyVVPL1XcmtU2u34Ts9-9tCFYXZRVeU-xyeggjUCCb5Q91ThmBDy0rNHmFj7QD91jY4/s1600/RaywithFOX.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtTJdwYJR7oiv0eoQqtt6nuZrzhmkeartHMVuWaWWjb5fiLP1vTfy_gn0fdOA0i-B_GyVVPL1XcmtU2u34Ts9-9tCFYXZRVeU-xyeggjUCCb5Q91ThmBDy0rNHmFj7QD91jY4/s1600/RaywithFOX.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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The most embarrassing was <a href="https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/10/30/disgraced-self-help-guru-out-of-prison-and-promoting-new-book/">this softball interview</a> with a fawning reporter from FOX, with whom Ray seems all too cozy. The network posted very little of the interview to their website, but it can be <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialjamesarthurray/videos/275122229800238/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDNdYv8KXRSf9MtDAE6_gpjWxkNuuLvxfNEjjqpWZ1X4-slZbNbOWKDJpmft3lyq9fSuUsPhKjpEyzfpBDByPOONbcP8ZaEQxy_7kxchWCJdUXC9E1zIkqXLOxCUpIjmmQ26-FwziH4xTlBJykp4JJkTTN7fMaqkJHy1V_D7iVQWRFFVq8uf3AGe-Wrd1T6LRv-JmBctQJCqJDwBO7XWNkvSYnvqZlp8_m9g5EqdAw57oNXWQWqvsKniNrbjvEgCaB0gEgURHqKFNtKwa8TPlOJrjvrkPCTdRsPrLL4sOqaAmUc3VkyH473ZxM147sGbpfZtWjnlmxR2eQy2TcuvC83&__tn__=-R">heard in full</a> on his Facebook page.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
“It was my lodge. It was my event. It was my choice to do a dangerous activity, and so therefore, as a leader -- which the new book “The Business of Redemption” is all about leadership -- as a leader when something goes wrong in your entrepreneurial business or in your large corporation, there’s one person who is in the cross hairs [sic] and one person who is responsible," said Ray.</blockquote>
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But Ray has never taken responsibility. He has tried to evade it at every turn, like when he proclaimed and deflected responsibility in the same breath, in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/12/cnn-ignores-victims-in-james-ray-doco.html">flaccid documentary</a> <i>Enlighten Us</i>.<br />
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Ray spent himself into abject poverty on lawyers and legal fees in a long, drawn-out trial, when it would have been cheaper and far less self-destructive to plead out and pay restitution to the families. And even after destroying himself and causing more pain to everyone involved, he attempted to have his conviction set aside. He failed, but <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/02/james-arthur-rays-alternative-facts.html">here he was</a>, minutes later, refusing to admit to the "homicide" part of the "negligent homicide" charge for which he remains convicted.<br />
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These are not the actions of a man who has accepted responsibility. They look more like the actions of a man who thinks he can turn a profit on the bodies of his victims.<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-60477395927993845072018-08-21T14:44:00.001-04:002018-08-21T14:50:50.205-04:00In Pennsylvania, A Reckoning<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-g_itkacgxFmsGRPPVRjhmfwnq0tQy55IroDGDDmErhMwBHg9fqU_nFNxmPoX1MmdQYZACsLG2xHRD69SaSDT4P4dIGTf0fxYeYU5UYFU0UZJnte4VcRDj9oLj3Juyzsaqrv/s1600/CatholicChurchPennsylvania.jpg" /></div>
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The headlines alone make make my gorge rise:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/08/15/pa-grand-jury-report-catholic-priest-abuse-most-shocking-cases-clergy-sexual-abuse/995904002/">Priests used gold crosses to ID kids as abuse targets...</a> </b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://fortune.com/2018/08/14/pennsylvania-priests-child-pornography-grand-jury-report/">Priests Produced Child Pornography on Church Property...</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://nypost.com/2018/08/15/church-helped-priest-accused-of-sex-abuse-get-disney-world-gig/">Church helped priest accused of sex abuse get Disney World gig</a></b></li>
</ul>
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Disney World! Who would knowingly help a pedophile get a job at <i>Disney World</i>?!!! The Catholic Church, that's who.<br />
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Like people all across the country, and probably much of the world, I have been processing, over the past week, the horrible revelations to come out of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on priestly abuse throughout the state. At least 300 "predator priests" abused at least 1,000 children (their findings acknowledge that the actual number is probably much higher), over a seventy year period. And the Church establishment, as it has done in so many dioceses around the world, conspired to keep it all covered up. They moved offending priests around to different jobs many of which still gave them access to minors, they hid records under lock and key, and they threw the victims under a bus. Same story, different state. Yet somehow this time <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/19/us/catholic-sex-abuse-outrage/index.html">feels so much worse</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
If the Catholic sexual abuse scandal that came to light in 2002 slowly unspooled through news reports, Pennsylvania's grand jury report landed like an atom bomb, dropping its online horrors all at once. With some redactions, the report was readily available for everyone to read and share: the accusations of sexual deviance, shameless lies and deceitful churchmen.<br />
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"What we have now is people freely expressing their outrage on Facebook and Twitter," said Greg Kandra, a Catholic deacon in Brooklyn, New York. "The anger is palpable. This is like 2002 on steroids."</blockquote>
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The report is <a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/police/mc-nws-pennsylvania-catholic-priest-abuse-grand-jury-report-graphic-language-20180815-story.html">unflinching</a>, sparing no detail. The stomach-turning descriptions of horrific and degrading violations are a deliberate choice, on the part of the grand journey.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
“As I detail the grand jury’s findings, I will use graphic language from the report that may make some uncomfortable,” [Attorney General Josh] Shapiro said at his news conference. “But these words are the only way to adequately explain the sexual abuse committed by priests upon children. This is not to be salacious. It is to share the truth.”<br />
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That language and sheer volume of the alleged abuse it documents is being heralded by advocates for children, even as Shapiro acknowledged that given the ages of the cases, new criminal charges are unlikely. The words compare with what the grand jury insisted was the church’s own “use of euphemisms” to downplay abuse claims — in which church officials would characterize sex assaults as merely “inappropriate contact,” abusive priests as having “boundary issues,” and being removed from service as on “sick leave.”<br />
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Altoona attorney Richard Serbin, who has spent a career suing the Catholic Church over abuse, said such “code language” was no surprise to him. He welcomed the report’s graphic details, saying they were necessary.<br />
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“We’re talking thousands of children that were sodomized, raped, fondled, subjected to the grossest of sexual acts,” Serbin said. “Only then can the public appreciate the gravity of the offenses against children.”</blockquote>
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And while victims and victim advocates are heralding the brutal honesty of the report, some Catholic leaders are <a href="https://gulfnews.com/opinion/thinkers/us-catholic-church-is-still-in-denial-1.2268262">even now</a> trying to downplay and spin it.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
‘I don’t think this is some massive, massive crisis,” said Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., in a statement that could not possibly be more wrong. Speaking three weeks after revelations about his predecessor’s sexual predation against boys and young priests, Wuerl said he was aware that a harrowing Pennsylvania grand-jury report would soon document the sexual abuse of 1,000 children by Catholic clergy and criticise Wuerl’s own treatment of some abusers.<br />
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Wuerl allowed that the news about his predecessor, Theodore McCarrick, was “a terrible disappointment”. He also said that “we need to have something that would also be a mechanism for when a bishop has not been as faithful as he needs to be, even if the charges go back 40, 50 years”. Even amid that march of euphemism and evasion, one phrase should leap out. In the context of discussing a predecessor who had done a lot to destroy a boy’s life — who had raped him for years — Wuerl spoke of a bishop who “has not been as faithful as he needs to be”, a comment that could more aptly be applied to someone who had neglected to say his morning prayers.<br />
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Let it not be said, however, that Wuerl is slow to appreciate all dangers. He had what can only be described as a P.R. website ready to go when the report was released. It provoked an immediate outcry and was taken down a few hours after launching.</blockquote>
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Or blame it all on <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/cardinal-blames-homosexual-culture-for-catholic-priests-child-sex-abuse-3fe6ec43f7ce/">the gay</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
“It was clear after the studies following the 2002 sexual abuse crisis that most of the acts of abuse were in fact homosexual acts committed with adolescent young men,” Cardinal Raymond Burke <a href="https://www.catholicaction.org/cardinal_burke_addresses_the_clergy_scandal">said in an interview</a> Thursday. “There was a studied attempt to either overlook or to deny this.”<br />
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Burke went on to emphasize that he believes there is “a very grave problem of a homosexual culture” both among the clergy and within the Church’s hierarchy that “needs to be purified at the root.” He added, “It is of course a tendency that is disordered.”<br />
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. . .<br />
<br />
Contrary to Burke’s rhetoric, there is no connection between child sex abuse and homosexuality. Pedophilia is classified as a “paraphilia” — <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/pedophilia">a sexual disorder</a> — and has nothing to do with one’s sexual orientation, which refers to the sex(es) a person might be oriented toward. Men are more likely to experience pedophilic disorder, and they are more likely to have access to young boys than they do young girls. This is particularly true in the Catholic Church, in which women have few leadership opportunities.</blockquote>
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And even now the Church is scrambling to <a href="https://www.salon.com/2018/08/19/catholic-priest-sex-abuse-crisis-tests-the-separation-between-church-and-state/">protect itself legally</a>, spending millions on lawyers and lobbyists.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
If the Catholic Church wasn't a religious institution, would we be handling the situation differently?<br />
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"They would have been arrested under the RICO federal laws already and they would have been considered organized crime," Pennsylvania State Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Democrat, told Salon. Rozzi is more than just a proponent of passing new legislation to help victims of childhood sex abuse, whether from employees of the Catholic Church or other organizations; he is also <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/us/pennsylvania-child-sex-abuse-statute-of-limitations/index.html">a victim himself</a>, one who was raped by a priest in a rectory shower in Pennsylvania when he was 13 years old.<br />
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. . .<br />
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Yet, as Rozzi pointed out, the Catholic Church has already started fighting SB 261 and other legislative measures — a move that contradicts the church's frequently stated position of sympathy for the victims and a desire to stop future abuses.<br />
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"We already hear from legislators that they're already out there lobbying against what we're trying to do. The ink isn't even dry on the report yet and they're already spending millions on lobbyists working legislators," Rozzi said.</blockquote>
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But this really feels different. The Church's apologists are being given no quarter in the public square. They are being <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/catholic-leaders-attempt-damage-control-after-pennsylvania-report-ea5bc905f4b8/">called out</a> at every level.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
A letter on behalf of Catholic theologians, educators, parishioners, and lay leaders <a href="https://dailytheology.org/2018/08/17/statement-of-catholic-theologians-educators-parishioners-and-lay-leaders-on-clergy-sexual-abuse-in-the-united-states/">calling on all U.S. Catholic bishops</a> to collectively resign in the wake of the new allegations now has over 1,000 signatures. Chile’s 34 bishops <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44442233">similarly resigned</a> en masse over a sexual abuse scandal in May.<br />
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“The catastrophic scale and historical magnitude of the abuse makes clear that this is not a case of ‘a few bad apples,’ but rather a radical systemic injustice manifested at every level of the Church,” the letter states. “Systemic sin cannot be ended through individual goodwill.”<br />
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The Vatican was <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/news/402008-vatican-declines-to-respond-to-predator-priests-report-in-pennsylvania">slow to respond</a>, declining to comment when the report was released. Their <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/402222-pope-francis-breaks-his-silence-on-abuse-scandal">first statement</a> came a full two days later.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
A spokesperson for Pope Francis on Thursday broke the Vatican’s silence on a grand jury report outlining sexual abuse allegations against Catholic priests in Pennsylvania, calling the details in the report “criminal and morally reprehensible."<br />
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“The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible,” the spokesperson said, according to media reports. “Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith.”</blockquote>
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And finally, yesterday, Pope Francis <a href="https://qz.com/1363397/read-pope-franciss-letter-on-sexual-abuse-by-priests/">responded directly</a> to the report and the ongoing crisis in the Church.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons. Crimes that inflict deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family members and in the larger community of believers and nonbelievers alike. Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated. The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent that we once more reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults.</blockquote>
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It's a good letter, but it is late. Not only late by nearly a week, but by years. There is much about Pope Francis that I love. I say as a non-Catholic, with no great fondness for hierarchical religious institutions. He has shown more compassion and grace than his predecessors on many issues, but actual changes have been slow. And in his response on the defining issue of his Church, in the 21st century, has been downright tone-deaf. He has moved much more slowly than many would have hoped for, but he does seem to be catching on to the grave importance of this issue. His <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/07/esoterica.html">call for bishops to resign</a> <i>en masse</i> in Chile was a giant step in the right direction, but it came only after his dismissal of the accusations as "slander" had caused international outrage. This has been his blindspot. This has been the Church's blindspot for decades. <span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">And I can't imagine a worse thing to be blind to. </span>Let us hope that the courage of Pennsylvania's victims and the grand jury's willingness to stand behind them is exactly the wake-up call the Church needs.<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-55223321455822860992018-08-06T15:54:00.000-04:002018-08-08T10:37:10.465-04:00Teal Swan: Cult or Movement?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ9I3E9l51k2szbCMSetOkiKdbomCwgniaZgTx2pYiWC19SXNCcMHo3IbWfYmJLTe5qBWoAELnTBsG5eElnVj5rRmMLKuQdrvDWSaun48g8kHwzqDW-TblI2lfGNiNzASLh-R/s1600/cultormovement.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ9I3E9l51k2szbCMSetOkiKdbomCwgniaZgTx2pYiWC19SXNCcMHo3IbWfYmJLTe5qBWoAELnTBsG5eElnVj5rRmMLKuQdrvDWSaun48g8kHwzqDW-TblI2lfGNiNzASLh-R/s1600/cultormovement.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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People keep calling teal the c-word, cult leader, and dammit, she's addressed this! Way back in 2014, she put this matter to rest, with a <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/cult-or-movement/" rel="nofollow">blog post</a> addressing, point by point, the cult criteria that she in no way meets. Earlier that year I had <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">written a blog post</a>, myself, comparing her organization to a number of cult criteria checklists, and I came to a different conclusion. I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">started blogging</a> about teal way back when, because I saw a number of red flags that warned of a cult in formation, starting with the coerced, public "confession" of her ex-boyfriend to "sociopathy." Since that time, she has grown ever more culty and her long-sought mainstream coverage has acknowledged that fact. She did not help herself with her own commentary in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">recent podcast series</a> "The Gateway," wherein she told <i>Gizmodo</i> reporter Jennings Brown:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I have the perfect recipe for a cult. Perfect. Recipe.</blockquote>
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No, her foray into mainstream press coverage has not gone well and now comes <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/gy3dex/teal-swan-new-age-women-led-cults">an article</a> from <i>Vice</i>, which puts her cult leader status and her disturbing position on suicide under a microscope. And irony of ironies (note the correct use of the term), the cult expert <i>Vice</i> interviewed for the article is the very one whose checklist teal used to exonerate herself in that blog post, Janja Lalich, PhD. Unlike teal, Lalich appears to have concluded that teal meets the criteria of a cult leader, a dangerous one.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Though Teal has denied cult allegations, her massive social media influence and controversial practices around depression and suicide—sometimes encouraging students to imagine their own deaths in detail—have placed her on the dangerous side of Lalich’s cult radar.<br />
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. . .<br />
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Lalich sees this kind of dramatic therapy as a way to manipulate vulnerable people. “They can get very unstable, and that’s what she’s counting on,” she said. “Cult leaders will always get their people to what I call ‘reframe their lives.’ They reinterpret their lives so they see everything from before the cult as messed up, and only by staying with the cult leader will they get straightened out.” (To this day, many members of the “Teal Tribe” say they are only alive today because of her teachings.)</blockquote>
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Just recently, on her own home turf, teal was challenged to defend herself against allegations that she is a cult leader. This time the accusation may have come from her soon to be fourth ex-husband. It's not entirely clear, but <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/07/20/guru-disciple-relationship-dynamics-and-attachment-trauma/" rel="nofollow">this blog post</a> pricked up a few ears. He never names teal, but a few of his statements are a little on the nose.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
In general, the cult leader will get his followers to talk his or her love language whether it is act of service, words of affirmation, gifts, time together or touch to fill the void of their pathological loneliness. The bigger the void, the bigger the need for external adoration. The same pattern can be observed with stars and their fans, or with any narcissistic leader and their subordinates.</blockquote>
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Many people in Teal Tribe assumed it was <s>Ale</s> <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/vaillant/" rel="nofollow">Vaillant</a> who attempted to extort exposure of his own <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/06/23/inauguration-of-the-avenues-healing-house/" rel="nofollow">foray into spiritual leadership</a> on teal's platform, with threats of exposing her cultishness.<br />
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I sincerely hope that was posted by someone on her team in her name, because talking about yourself in the third person that much is a bad sign. But teal did make a personal appearance on Teal Tribe to engage tealers on this issue. She did not seem pleased that at least a few people thought it was perfectly fine to self-promote in Teal Tribe.<br />
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In other words, it's fine if Teal Tribe members compete against each other as card readers and crystal venders, but competing against teal as a "spiritual teacher" is not cool, particularly if you disagree with her about anything. I thought it particularly amusing that she would use the example of criticizing Louise Hay's life work. She didn't do that on Hay's own "pages," it's true, but she did take the opportunity of her <i>death</i> to criticize her work, aggrandize herself, and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html#hay">plagiarize an obituary</a> nearly word for word from her then publisher Hay House.<br />
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A lengthy comment in that thread made it sound all the more like the only person she could be referring to is husband number four. What other ex is using his association with teal to set himself up as a spiritual teacher? I know Sarbdeep joked about it and wrote a couple of blog posts and articles on spiritual topics, but he never set up a business or tried to promote any of it on her platform. He had no interest in "fame" and has long since removed his blog and tried to move quietly forward with his teal-free life. But <s>Ale</s> Vaillant has set up shop right in Salt Lake City and will be <a href="http://events.eventzilla.net/e/love--intimacy-workshop-2138954182">running a workshop</a> very similar to the canceled <a href="https://philiacenter.com/retreats/289/create-your-dream-life-by-experiencing-love-connection-with-your-relationships/">relationship retreat</a> he was planning to run at Philia, but under his own auspices, in what looks to be their marital home.<br />
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If teal's accounting of what happened behind the scenes is accurate, I can only deduce that <s>Ale</s> Vaillant thinks teal is running a cult and that he thinks that's something he can use to extort her for his own benefit, rather than expose for the good of society.<br />
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There is a certain irony (oh, there's that word again) in how teal is arguing that she's not a cult leader by positioning herself above all of her followers, with their little businesses that don't compete against hers, and declaring that she can't be disagreed with on her own turf. The only people she trusts to keep her honest in Teal Tribe are her moderators, a small, insular group, who reach a lot of "unanimous" conclusions, which doesn't exactly suggest that there's a lot of free-thinking going on there either.<br />
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She closes that comment by suggesting that anyone who thinks she's a cult leader should do more research into cults. But we have now heard from three prominent cult experts, each of whom has expressed grave concerns. As <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">stated previously</a>, Rick Ross thinks she "fits the pattern of a [cult leader]," and that she has become an "object of worship." Steven Hassan found her droning voice and soothing backgrounds could have an hypnotic effect on viewers of her videos. Both were troubled by her claims of spiritual authority and rarified insight. And now Lalich has voiced her concerns and shared that she has <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/gy3dex/teal-swan-new-age-women-led-cults">heard complaints</a> from former teal followers.<br />
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Lalich says she’s been hearing complaints about Teal for quite some time. “Mostly they’re from people who feel they’ve been exploited,” she said. “They want some kind of validation that they were right in feeling that way about their experiences.”</blockquote>
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In that thread, as she has many times before, teal referred Teal Tribe to her post "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/cult-or-movement/" rel="nofollow">Cult or Movement?</a>" As I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">said here</a>, it might be a good idea to apply teal's cult checklist of choice (<a href="http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm">Lalich and Lanagone</a>) to her actual record.<br />
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<b>1. The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the truth, as law.</b><br />
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In the podcast series, <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">teal said</a> of her followers:<br />
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These people are desperate. These people need my approval. These people will do whatever the hell I say.</blockquote>
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She swears that her ethics stand between her and abuse of that level of devotion, but how in the heck did they come to be that devoted? Why is she up on a pedestal that high to begin with? How is it in any way normal that a large following of adults need her approval and would do whatever she tells them to? Why would she allow that dynamic to continue?<br />
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In her "Answers to the Allegations" video, which I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">wrote up here</a>, she explains that it's perfectly normal that she's being idolized, just like a pop star. Such "severe idolization" is to be expected, according to her, because they're not "evolved" in their awareness. They've disowned their positive traits and projected them onto her, which she seems to think is fine. Funnily, this sounds a lot like <s>Ale's</s> Vaillant's <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/07/20/guru-disciple-relationship-dynamics-and-attachment-trauma/">blog post</a> on cults, where he says:<br />
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They have disown [sic] their light and their guru has disowned his shadow. The relationship that they are developing with a narcissistic guru will then reflect their unworthiness and they are therefore a perfect match to their cult leader because of their core belief of being bad. </blockquote>
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<b>2. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.</b><br />
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For all teal's claims that questions are "encouraged," that doubt is "seen as normal and a healthy part of expansion." and that dissent is not punished, her record says otherwise. For example, when Katherine Rose Breen tried to ask her some questions about her practices with "repressed memory" she <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/07/an-open-letter-to-teal-tribe_24.html">found herself banned</a> from Teal Tribe (see also <a href="https://amoraobscura.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/lettertotealtribe/">here</a>).<br />
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Breen's experience is not atypical. There is a long history of teal's refusal to deal with questions and criticism and many instances of banning and even mass bannings on Teal Tribe. In the podcast series <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">discussed here</a>, Brown interviewed Todd Mooney, who was exiled from Teal Tribe when he had a period of doubt and got angry with teal. And, as noted, teal herself has said that such exile is inevitable "the minute someone has a falling out with me."<br />
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As I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">wrote here</a>, she has explicitly discouraged "doubt." In her Ask Teal <a href="https://youtu.be/s_lZ2ezTXyY">video</a> on how "unhealthy" it is to practice any sort of "skepticism" she said:<br />
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The actual vibration of doubt looks nothing like genuine uncertainty, instead it looks like disbelief. To doubt is to consider something unlikely. To consider something unlikely is to act as if you know. It is to pretend you know something that you do not know. It is to bring a sense of certainty to a universe of uncertainty. For this reason, doubt in all actuality, is the flip side of faith. Doubt is only another kind of faith. It is faith in the negative instead of faith in the positive. Like the shadow side of faith, to consider something unlikely (doubt) is to act as if you know. People use doubt to gain a sense of certainty and cognitive closure in the same way that people use faith to gain a sense of certainty and cognitive closure.</blockquote>
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<b>3. Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, mind control, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).</b><br />
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In her interview with <i>Vice</i>, Lalich describes teal's therapies, like the death meditation Brown observed at Philia, as creating instability in her followers, which makes them easier to manipulate. This is something I've long been concerned about in my own observations of teal's work. None of it seems to be truly geared toward fostering anyone's personal autonomy. On the contrary, it all seems to make teal the focal point and to have the potential to break people down psychologically.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/shadows-before-despair.html">this post</a>, I relayed my own experience of using one of the processes available on her site. The post includes comments from someone in Teal Tribe who explained that her videos are causing him to feel less stable, that they're triggering, and like "ripping off a band-aid, pouring salt in the wound, and walking away." It's a fascinating exchange, which highlights the disturbing pattern that unfolds when anyone questions teal's methods, even when they feel personally harmed by them. In sum, teal's pain is more important than yours, even if she's the one who hurt you.<br />
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I did this process and found it be entirely teal-focused, that it corralled me in a direction of blaming my family and convincing me that I was really worse off psychologically than I thought. My conclusion was that it was not so much a therapeutic tool as a kind of "push poll into despair."<br />
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On another occasion, I listened to one of teal's guided meditations, the one on finding your "spirit animal." I found it to be "over-directed to the point of absurdity." I wrote this up in the noncast "What's the Point of 3?" which can be found in the comments on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=12">this page</a> (page search: 2.0). It's not just bad. It's dangerous, both to the listener and to the spirit world. She actually tells people, not only exactly what to visualize, but what they're feeling, and then starts dictating to the spirit animal. There's no room in it for anyone to experience their own process of discovery, let alone take actual guidance from whatever spirit helper they might make contact with.<br />
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There are hints at grueling "denunciation sessions" within her "intentional community." As stated, the incident that caused me enough concern to <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">start blogging</a> about teal was how she forced a public confession from her ex-boyfriend Fallon. "Confession" is one of Robert Jay Lifton's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_Reform_and_the_Psychology_of_Totalism">eight criteria</a> of "totalism." This played out publicly and was thoroughly degrading.<br />
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Another person in teal's inner circle who experienced "denunciation sessions" was Cameron Clark. She shared her experiences of being raked over the coals by teal on more than one occasion, including the all too public Shadow House incident, in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/10/former-insider-teal-is-deluded-and.html">this interview</a>.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">this post</a>, in the subsection on "Marriage," I provided further examples of teal's "denunciation sessions," both public and private. What it comes down to is that teal is never wrong. She can see all your "shadows" and she's determined to talk about them. If you don't acknowledge them, she's somehow the one who's being "gaslighted." That may mean browbeating workshop participants into accepting her world view, even if they disagree, and calling people — who've paid her upwards of a grand — derogatory names like "creep," you know, for their own good. Or as her then husband put it:<br />
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Because you’re always a work in progress and she sees all your imperfection, and you have to be willing to see them yourself. Because if she sees it and you don’t see it, then there’s a conflict. And she’s not going to let go.</blockquote>
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<b>4. The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).</b> <br />
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In her defense, teal writes:<br />
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I am an initiator, but I am not a dictator. I do not dictate what people do unless they ask for my opinion and then it is their choice to implement the suggestion or not.</blockquote>
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I know words really aren't teal's friend, but why would she ever dictate what people do if she's not a dictator? And how is it somebody's choice, if she's dictating? Freudian slip? Or just more inscrutable word salad, confusing the reader, leaving them to construe whatever meaning is most comfortable for them. What I take from that statement is that asking her for her opinion is all the pretext she needs to start telling you what to do. Your mileage may vary. Any pile of verbiage this internally contradictory leaves a lot of room for interpretation... and projection.<br />
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No one in this group needs my permission for anything and needing permission suggests a lack of self-trust. I teach people to govern themselves.</blockquote>
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And yet, for some inexplicable reason, she has followers who "need [her] approval" and will "do whatever the hell [she says]." (See point 1.)<br />
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In that blog post, teal admits that she has "many opinions about the healthiest and best ways to do certain things." She's not forcing them on anybody, though. She'd just like people to "try [them] on" and see how they work out, and they can always drop them later... that is unless they're indelible. While I don't think teal has ever prescribed a style of clothing, she has passionately encouraged followers to get her favorite tattoo, the Seal of Alchemy.<br />
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I wrote this up in my noncast "The Bottomless Rabbit Hole" which <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=11">starts here</a>, in the comments. (page search: bottomless) In the teacast on "Rites of Passage" teal made a strong appeal to tealers to just consider, you know, maybe, probably getting one of these tattoos. But it's definitely, totally up to them.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">Teal Tribe Tattoo</span></div>
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This is what I'm hoping, you know, now that we're on the subject, this is what I'm hoping is true for, for people in Teal Tribe. So you've noticed, maybe some of you have been watching the Teal Tribe groups that, that it's become a big thing for, for all of us to share this tattoo which I actually have on my arm, the Alchemy tattoo. And we could look at that as a rite of passage, a rite of passage where we are saying okay I'm going to <b>mark my alliance with this particular group</b>. We could also say I'm going to mark my decision to live my life according to the Alchemy principal that mind and thought creates reality, whatever that means for you. I'm hoping that that particular decision rather than being something which binds you forever, because there's no punishment for leaving Teal Tribe, there's no punishment for choosing to leave this group because it needs to be a conscious choice. I'm hoping that that's what that is. It's a rite of passage whereby somebody is owning a truer state for themselves knowing that in the future that might transition and that could just be like every other thing <b>like a stamp on an envelope that seals a portion of your particular life</b> or it could remain an open chapter throughout the course of your life. But, yeah, so any of you who are wanting to get these tattoos <b>which are the Teal Tribe Tattoo I'm now gonna call it</b>. If anyone wants to do that I'm gonna want you to rewatch this video and ask yourself each one of these questions about healthy rites of passage and ask yourself whether that particular decision to get that tattoo is a healthy rite of passage for yourself or not. And that's gonna be a completely individual, individual thing. [All emphases added]</blockquote>
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So it's the symbol of Alchemy and that's why it's meaningful, but she's just gonna go ahead and rename it the "Teal Tribe Tattoo." And, gosh, it would be great if tribers would get one.<br />
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And they did. And they do. And so it goes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoZLMgue0AXbMUkPHsGQQKw8U-pnC8QW0tTx9ephTyxmn4cIxsMWZJ-q6UtHBTd0LIgk0At_lYlTx3eKrAebXb3e-TzRibTkoxiH7yHczGXTCPE-x_PX3c9L-qVkTw0iDRX4j/s1600/tealtribetattoos.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoZLMgue0AXbMUkPHsGQQKw8U-pnC8QW0tTx9ephTyxmn4cIxsMWZJ-q6UtHBTd0LIgk0At_lYlTx3eKrAebXb3e-TzRibTkoxiH7yHczGXTCPE-x_PX3c9L-qVkTw0iDRX4j/s1600/tealtribetattoos.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ef-yo24DXRpsC958I3Ot17QDK8Z4GrnLLx6XtYaiZfp8fakMzJD2s0JO1r6TA6lahsIO2UoVAeKxTPdt4_tSiv3MuwINgSJsCTUD1l6gf4Bj7zgv2SdCkb4MOyrZ_R_6O2h1/s1600/superhappywithtattoo.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ef-yo24DXRpsC958I3Ot17QDK8Z4GrnLLx6XtYaiZfp8fakMzJD2s0JO1r6TA6lahsIO2UoVAeKxTPdt4_tSiv3MuwINgSJsCTUD1l6gf4Bj7zgv2SdCkb4MOyrZ_R_6O2h1/s1600/superhappywithtattoo.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvNq4l1McJ-fZhTsBtUBzodxYY0xTgE1Ycmhm0iX4K6Vj5eZwD-cHvfkFX-fxPPbhiKwQadbLTA1sdYsX4179dXoWbQjCr27VTtjjoMj7QMiYCdpz4lgCDWabAvDJdm3t5SMC/s1600/awesomesurprise.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvNq4l1McJ-fZhTsBtUBzodxYY0xTgE1Ycmhm0iX4K6Vj5eZwD-cHvfkFX-fxPPbhiKwQadbLTA1sdYsX4179dXoWbQjCr27VTtjjoMj7QMiYCdpz4lgCDWabAvDJdm3t5SMC/s1600/awesomesurprise.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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More images of "Tea Tribe Tattoos" can be <a href="https://medium.com/@bescofield/the-gucci-guru-inside-teal-swans-posh-cult-36168edaf62f">found here</a>.<br />
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<b>5. The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).</b><br />
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I addressed some evidence of this in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">this post</a>. At some point after I posted that, she stopped using the word "eucharist" to describe herself. But there are still traces of this verbiage. This is a screenshot of one of her early bios, where it states:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
From a young age, Teal began professing to have not only chosen to be a part of this physical life, but to have been sent as a “Eucharist” into this physical life by the non physical grouping of energy called "Adonai." "Adonai" is a non physical group whose intention is the imparting of oneness.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX0prLEw9Da9IH1T4T1ieZ1FlyubumKqbN_gca3t-HuW6PuaQHMy9fA7CyWJFEy0kfcLeRSHZEe6TRn77oYPM3-TkhQ3Zzvuu5fddt-uPAQ_d4wrhZrb11DxLwjfr2S39EPq5/s1600/tealaseucharist_bioscreenshot.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX0prLEw9Da9IH1T4T1ieZ1FlyubumKqbN_gca3t-HuW6PuaQHMy9fA7CyWJFEy0kfcLeRSHZEe6TRn77oYPM3-TkhQ3Zzvuu5fddt-uPAQ_d4wrhZrb11DxLwjfr2S39EPq5/s1600/tealaseucharist_bioscreenshot.png" width="460" /></a><br />
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Extant versions of this verbiage can still be found on other sites where her work has appeared, like this <a href="http://timemonkradio.com/threads/teal-scott-september-21st-8pm-edt-12am-utc.245/">interview</a> with the Time Monks.<br />
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She has also claimed to be a reincarnation of Sai Baba.<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZuMr2BrIuyM" width="450"></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;">Teal Swan on Her Past Life as Sai Baba from India</span></div>
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And then, of course, there's the whole Arcturian soul fork thing.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">Excerpts from Nova Zem Interview with Teal Swan</span></div>
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In the infamous Nova Zem interview, teal explains that an Artcurian panel designed her to be pretty and white enough to reach a global audience, you know, because black women are "pretty ugly" to a Western audience. She also compares humans to ants and explains that she has three points of perspective to the normal, pedestrian two points of perspective that humans do. She clarifies that she's not a mere channeler like Esther Hicks, she's more like the consciousness entity Abraham that Hicks channels, but in human form. In other words, she's different from the rest of us mere mortals, and that includes other people who do spiritual work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhPw0l2Snc2Vyaz585VOntF419jnLeDn51eNf84GyM3R4CuwxFd8j1hDHOpyf-mA-o1_VCQoXAHFB2TQYW9j7BiT6xHEya1GOwUstkhv-V1fp10TNbJxWfnle7iW1jjoCkwx7/s1600/AnneWinneyArticle_MarkScott.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="551" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhPw0l2Snc2Vyaz585VOntF419jnLeDn51eNf84GyM3R4CuwxFd8j1hDHOpyf-mA-o1_VCQoXAHFB2TQYW9j7BiT6xHEya1GOwUstkhv-V1fp10TNbJxWfnle7iW1jjoCkwx7/s1600/AnneWinneyArticle_MarkScott.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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When teal was first starting out as "the spiritual catalyst," puff pieces like this one promoted by her then husband Mark Scott, popped up here and there around the web. This version is <a href="http://www.amazines.com/Spiritual/article_detail.cfm/2714873?a">gone</a>, but a currently extant version of the same text, under the title "The Indigo Child to Lead Them All," can be found <a href="https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/the-indigo-child-to-lead-them-all">here</a>. It looks to be similar to the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">Jason Freedman</a> "articles," which could be found on the same sites with Blake Dyer's picture and phone number. In other words, Anne Whinney is also probably a sock. The following comments are from the deleted version. (I have a pdf of this which is available upon request.) They may be by real people or they may be other socks. Neither possibility is good, but if it's the latter, that teal and her team were seeding these ideas of her being and "avatar" with "disciples," that's a particularly alarming proposition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNeVZWQcBxY8bff5L5oEb0W7bSQ5WlS_NvbYw9pgSSCcc8Lw_2WXnwY_Tl39EG5_Ddgzl0hOJKSWbOm7KHPuDsb1tfJHTxfcVDzhpeFBJdKnqz7YLkntPY-1OV6aFRpo5UGBj/s1600/tealisanavatar.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNeVZWQcBxY8bff5L5oEb0W7bSQ5WlS_NvbYw9pgSSCcc8Lw_2WXnwY_Tl39EG5_Ddgzl0hOJKSWbOm7KHPuDsb1tfJHTxfcVDzhpeFBJdKnqz7YLkntPY-1OV6aFRpo5UGBj/s1600/tealisanavatar.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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<b>6. The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society. </b><br />
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Her language on this point is fascinating.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I teach oneness. Us vs. Them thinking is out of alignment with oneness. But sometimes language restricts us. In a certain context, generalizations involving the words us and them helps people to comprehend a concept, such as “we have dedicated our life to authenticity and that is not something they will understand at first or thank you for.” This is not done to encourage polarization.</blockquote>
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So just because she divides the world in "us and them" — people who have "dedicated [their] lives" to her brand of "authenticity" and people who don't appreciate it — doesn't mean she's polarizing.<br />
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As I have said repeatedly, you are with teal or you are with the terrorists. She calls her followers "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">tealers</a>" and those who disagree with her "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/a-war-called-belonging-r543/" rel="nofollow">anti-teal</a>," "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-messengers/" rel="nofollow">haters</a>," and even "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-island-of-misfit-toys/" rel="nofollow">hate groups</a>." She seems to see opposition to her "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/troth-to-transparency-r464/" rel="nofollow">mission</a>" and "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-authenticity-movement-r433/" rel="nofollow">movement</a>" everywhere. She's <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">gone</a> "up against the mainstream" and it's fought back. She sees herself as a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">game-changer</a>, a <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/a-very-real-risk-r533/" rel="nofollow">revolutionary</a>, even a messianic figure (she compares herself to Jesus), who is beset by opposition because she's so threatening to the <i>status quo</i>.<br />
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In a word, yes, she's very polarizing.<br />
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<b>7. The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).</b><br />
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Because teal is not part of any larger spiritual/religious organization and is not a licensed psych or medical practitioner, she has no real oversight. She has no license to lose. She did, however, catch the attention of the Utah State Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. She was cited for practicing mental health therapy <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">without a license</a> and fined. Brown <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">reported</a> in "The Gateway" that she has not paid the fine and it's gone into collection. She does not appear to have changed her practices. If anything, she's escalated them. She continues to certify people in her brand of trauma therapy, the Completion Process. She's ratcheted up criticism of professional psychological institutions and declared her methods superior for dealing with problems as serious as suicidal ideation.<br />
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Brown also learned that she'd been using the state seal on her Completion Process certificates and was ordered to cease and desist. On that, she now appears to be in compliance.<br />
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<b>8. The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities). </b><br />
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Leave say, teal has a certain moral flexibility, with which I have been very uncomfortable for some time. I don't think it could be defined in such conventional terms as means justifying noble ends. It's more that she inverts moral principles and the meanings of words to justify a range of ethically dubious propositions. As I wrote in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=11">noncast</a> "Bottomless Rabbit Hole":<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
With teal, a lot of things that most people think are good, like <a href="http://celestial-reflections.blogspot.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=5">humility</a>, are bad, and a lot of things that most people think are bad, like manipulation, are good.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHP_Bpo5_Dpa4oMyQuPbJr2pfF0_mZL3C8GMTfXK6IchlzE2jSMs9F5do4lVnjnZh6DIEOv8rqz9U9Bvd-nSv4rqPde85ILz0-Z2EwXz8aKaPMtPLPD0o9t15_ZM91faCJJ6X/s1600/tealonmanipulation.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="If we fear manipulative people, it is only because we do not realize that every being on this earth (including ourselves) is manipulative. Manipulation is not evil. It does not mean that someone intends to hurt or use other people for their own benefit. So what does it mean to be manipulative? To be manipulative is to speak and act in a way that guarantees that we get the response we want to get from other people. So you see, manipulation is how most of us try to get love. Manipulation is how most of us try to get safety... because we do not trust the world to be kind to us. Everyone is manipulative, we are simply more or less aware of that aspect within ourselves." border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHP_Bpo5_Dpa4oMyQuPbJr2pfF0_mZL3C8GMTfXK6IchlzE2jSMs9F5do4lVnjnZh6DIEOv8rqz9U9Bvd-nSv4rqPde85ILz0-Z2EwXz8aKaPMtPLPD0o9t15_ZM91faCJJ6X/s1600/tealonmanipulation.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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She also has a long history of justifying and rationalizing violent criminals and tyrants: Jim Jones, <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/santa-barbara-shooting/">Elliott "The Virgin Killer" Rodger</a>, <a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/processes/dissolving-the-pain-reversal-process-r2/">Ted Bundy</a>, <a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/articles/take-the-leash-off/">Hitler</a>... She invariably sees murderers as objects of pity, and puts responsibility <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">on their victims</a> for law of attracting violence.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">False Prophets - Teal Swan -</span></div>
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In her video on "false prophets," she claims that Jim Jones only wanted to help people and that there are no malevolent intentions.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
People who fear false prophets distrust themselves but more than that they fear malevolence. For that reason alone, it's important to understand that evil does not exist within this universe. There has not ever been one malevolent intention on the planet Earth. Let me show you why. The person who murders is not evil. The person who murders murdered somebody because they thought that the murdering of someone would make them feel better. So the ultimate desire, the motivation behind that murder was to feel good. Sounds mighty malevolent doesn't it.... Don't believe for a second that Jim Jones thought that he was causing people harm. He thought that he was helping people. He thought that the only way for them to be free was to die.</blockquote>
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Not only is this victim-blaming, it justifies mass murder, genocide, thrill-killings, and rape, because they make violent actors "feel better."<br />
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That she says things like this with so much confidence, and speaking as an elevated spiritual authority, can have a warping effect on her followers, particularly on those closest to her. This comment was posted to my blog. Even though the comment was public, as the poster has removed it, I am redacting the name and other identifying details. Leave say, this person was part of teal's intentional family, at one time. In this comment, it's clear that he experienced marked personality changes while following teal, including an erosion of ethical constraints, even to the point of willingness to commit murder.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiovG-xEGEQSFTnZtXh2LKyewrSUaNki_4sXBoyL0tKXHMI_gLleUNuCQ-pAigBrzM8iWQinXayvunrXa6a0Mvwh5iNAQzlBT6L4y4HAUo2vd70TUSEguJ1Mey8RKTI8oWW_8bm/s1600/wouldhavekilledforteal.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiovG-xEGEQSFTnZtXh2LKyewrSUaNki_4sXBoyL0tKXHMI_gLleUNuCQ-pAigBrzM8iWQinXayvunrXa6a0Mvwh5iNAQzlBT6L4y4HAUo2vd70TUSEguJ1Mey8RKTI8oWW_8bm/s1600/wouldhavekilledforteal.png" /></a><br />
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<b>9. The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.</b><br />
<br />
As I wrote in point 3, there are "denunciation sessions" which can become very degrading, and a number of them play out in public. Invariably the punished offenses are perceived slights against teal. In the comment above, from her former insider, he describes how the other members of the community took him to task for "manipulating" teal. As I wrote in my first <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">blog post</a> on teal, her ex-boyfriend Fallon was made to confess to "sociopathy" and did so on what was then the Teal Tribe site (it's gone now), where he opened himself up to public shaming by members. Cameron described similar incidents, where she was ganged up on, and many people have commented on my blog that what ensued on teal's Facebook page after the infamous Shadow House episode was sickening. Followers do teal's bidding, when it comes to attacking and shaming anyone teal is not getting along with.<br />
<br />
The one caveat, none of this is subtle. It's remarkably ham-fisted. It creates a chilling effect. Who wants to disagree with teal about anything, when they see how people are treated?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>10. Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group. </b><br />
<br />
In the screenshot posted at the end of point 8, this former member describes how teal had him convinced that he'd been molested by a family member, despite his not having any memory of it. She also persuaded him to break with his family, and consider her intentional community his new family.<br />
<br />
Something similar played out very publicly at a workshop. The incident was included in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">final episode</a> of "The Gateway." It was also something that Katherine Rose Breen recounted in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/07/an-open-letter-to-teal-tribe_24.html">this post</a>. This woman was told by teal that she suffered horrible abuse that she just doesn't remember. Things got worse from there.<br />
<br />
As I said in point 3 above, I did one of teal's processes on her website. It was literally impossible to come to any conclusion other than that my life is not working and it's my parents' fault. The <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/shadows-before-despair.html">post</a> includes screenshots of the whole, bizarre exercise.<br />
<br />
The messaging from teal is consistently that parents are to blame for everything. That this causes many of her devotees to distances themselves from their families is inevitable. Friendships and even marriages have also been impacted. In episode 4 of "The Gateway," Brown interviews a couple who divorced over the husband's devotion to "divine mother" teal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>11. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.</b><br />
<br />
Because this is primarily an internet-based organization, numbers matter. She relies heavily on social media platforms and has racked up a significant following. In "The Gateway," Brown <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">learned some</a> very troubling information about how she uses SEO techniques, not only to build a following, but to target vulnerable people directly. This is similar to the way cults seek out people who are in <a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/cult-recruitment-why-do-people-join-them-what-techniques-are-used-lure-them-1557303">transitional phases</a>, like their <a href="https://www.religionnewsblog.com/19631/cults-target-students">college years</a>. Recruiters will look for people who look lonely or unhappy, whereas teal will use tags like "how do I not kill myself." It's the same idea but with a high tech spin.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>12. The group is preoccupied with making money.</b> <br />
<br />
In her post, teal rightly points out that money is "necessary to live in society on earth at this current time." Verbose, but true.<br />
<br />
She spoke to the money question in her "allegations" video, which I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">addressed here</a> under "Money an Spirituality." To summarize, Teal Eye LLC is a for-profit business. She spun off her nonprofit aspirations into something called Headway, and it's a dubious prospect at best, with no accounting for what funds have been moved in or out.<br />
<br />
Her prices are increasing with high ticket events and "Premium" content. There's significant merchandizing of her "art" and other products. And while it's true that joining Teal Tribe doesn't cost anything, many of her followers are unable to afford her increasingly expensive newer offerings. They can't even watch entire "Daily Updates" on her Instagram account, because the complete versions are only available through Premium.<br />
<br />
In this interview she talks about her aspirations for the expansion of her company and its role in world change. She explains that the world is FUBAR and that she'll need to create a giant, overwhelming financial force and begin paying off politicians, like any other giant corporation. Ultimately she'd like to buy her own countries and set them up according to her principles. Yes, that's right, she says she wants to <i>buy countries</i>. Where would anyone get the idea that this is a cult?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0pwTM_Jcz_c?start=4783" width="450"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>13. Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.</b> <br />
<br />
In her post teal says:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
People in this group who want to donate their time, come forward as volunteers and volunteer for as long as they feel called to do so.</blockquote>
<br />
Why are people donating their time to a for-profit company? People work for free at her workshops and, as discussed both <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/01/her-philia.html">here</a> and in "The Gateway" <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">podcast</a>, Philia is staffed by unpaid volunteers. As stated above, her non-profit arm doesn't seem to be up to much. Most of what she does is for-profit, so why isn't she paying the people who work for her?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>14. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.</b> <br />
<br />
From her blog post:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
No one is encouraged to ONLY socialize with members. But people do find that they prefer socializing with other members. This is after all, a tribe that exists as a support and place of belonging for those who have no support and no place to belong or who feel like they want more connection.</blockquote>
<br />
This really isn't much of a defense. Even within this statement she's encouraging people to prioritize her "tribe," instilling the idea that it's preferable to socializing with people who aren't her followers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>15. The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.</b><br />
<br />
She writes:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I have no control over whether the most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group or believe there is no other way to be.</blockquote>
<br />
As we learned in "The Gateway," teal actively pursues the lonely, desperate, and suicidal as followers, using SEO tools like search tags. In other words, she very definitely has control over what kinds of people she's targeting with these marketing tools and that they are likely to become dependent on her and her "tribe." She <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">told Brown</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
What do I say to the <b>fact</b> that I run a cult?... I have the perfect recipe for a cult. Perfect. Recipe. I have a demographic of people who are miserably isolated, lonely. <b>They need belonging desperately.</b> It's literally the demographic that needs to find somewhere to belong... That is the recipe for a cult... I have the recipe for a cult... <b>These people are desperate. These people need my approval. These people will do whatever the hell I say.</b> [All emphases added]</blockquote>
<br />
She goes on to explain, in her post:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I can officially say that there is absolutely no reprisal, consequence or punishment for leaving the group. </blockquote>
<br />
This seems to be one of her favorite talking points and it's come up repeatedly. But as I said <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html">here</a>, it's not really true. People who leave quietly face no reprisals, but people who state publicly why they've left are subject to all manner of personal attacks. They're "haters" and "anti-teal" now, so she'll complain about them on her blog and in interviews and her flying monkeys will pelt them with nasty comments or worse. But even for people who don't speak out against her, the consequence is losing that sense of "belonging" she talks about so much. The punishment is exile. And what's worse, she knows it, and she leverages it. Another talking point that we've now heard a few times is most pointedly articulated in her <i>OZY</i> <a href="https://www.ozy.com/provocateurs/spiritual-guru-or-dangerous-cult-leader/81686">interview</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
For somebody who’s never had a sense of belonging, [Teal Tribe] becomes … their new family. Which works until the minute that someone has a falling out with me. … If anyone has an issue with me, turning against me, they stand to lose all these people they’re really close to.</blockquote>
<br />
To sum up, teal is targeting desperate, lonely, and suicidal people with calculated SEO tricks. She offers those people a sense of family, tribe, and belonging, as long as they don't disagree or get into any sort of conflict with her. If they do, they are exiled. Those who have the wherewithal to really begin to question her and her methods may find support on "anti-teal" platforms like my blog or the "hate groups" as she calls them on Facebook. Those who find their voice and begin to publicly criticize her will be vilified by her and attacked by her "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">army</a>." These really seem like consequences to me.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlnRSBmrzlYIzkFw2ueWMa4X8285CrMl6r5ENK4xH_6xUWsAjRMhxZywye25qqkTrBWujn9nsCMp-Sf1ne4TcMiDFxz8fXdlItl9-6W7Fh2LiQm-YVeit3Iefj_8TajgGHPzx/s1600/areweacultyet.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlnRSBmrzlYIzkFw2ueWMa4X8285CrMl6r5ENK4xH_6xUWsAjRMhxZywye25qqkTrBWujn9nsCMp-Sf1ne4TcMiDFxz8fXdlItl9-6W7Fh2LiQm-YVeit3Iefj_8TajgGHPzx/s1600/areweacultyet.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-36855614242352192742018-06-19T09:30:00.000-04:002018-12-15T16:48:36.285-05:00A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Mainstream — UPDATED<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I4-Ywz1WbJk" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">The Gateway: Gizmodo's New Podcast About</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">Controversial YouTube Guru Teal Swan (TRAILER)</span></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The Gateway is a six-part series about Teal Swan, a new brand of spiritual guru, who draws in followers with her hypnotic self-help YouTube videos aimed at people who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Some followers move to Teal’s healing center—a spiritual startup in Atenas, Costa Rica—where they produce content and manage social media accounts. Teal insists her therapy saves lives, but her critics say Teal’s death-focused dogma is dangerous.</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">**TRIGGER WARNING: This post deals with suicide and other awfulness.**</span></i></div>
<br />
<b>Episode Reviews:</b> <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E1">Episode 1</a>, <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E2">Episode 2</a>, <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E3">Episode 3</a>, <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E4">Episode 4</a>, <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E5">Episode 5</a>, <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E6">Episode 6</a><br />
<b><a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#kerfuffle">Further Update: Teal Tribe Kerfuffle</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#blogpost">Another Update: In which teal lies about Cameron... again</a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
Last fall <i>Gizmodo</i> gained incredible access to teal's operation. Reporter Jennings Brown not only interviewed teal several times, he was allowed to take a crew into <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/01/her-philia.html">Philia</a>, her retreat center in Costa Rica, to observe one of her high ticket <a href="https://philiacenter.com/retreats/255/the-curveball-a-teal-swan-workshop/">Curveball</a> retreats. The result of his year-long investigation is a <a href="https://gizmodo.com/watch-the-eerie-trailer-for-gizmodos-new-investigative-1826296709">six-part podcast series</a> that is by far the most extensive profile of teal yet by a mainstream media outlet. Days before <i>Gizmodo</i> first interviewed teal, she was interviewed by reporter Addison Nugent for <i>OZY,</i> an international, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozy_(magazine)">online magazine</a>. The interview was uncomfortable for teal, which she expressed immediately, and somewhat intemperately, <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/ratatouille-r554/" rel="nofollow">on her blog</a>. Neither the resulting <i>OZY</i> article nor "The Gateway" podcast series — which began airing at the end of May and has aired three episodes to date — have been mentioned by teal or her team. (In the interest of full disclosure, I was interviewed by both reporters and my statements appear in both pieces.)<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The day ends. The house falls into the dark silence of sleep. The next morning we board a plane to Paris. I have one more interview to do; a segment for the provocateurs section of OZY. This interview marks the end of this European tour. I have five minutes to change my outfit before the camera is switched on in our hotel room. The style of this interview is not what I expected. <b>There are two different styles of interview, one is supportive and the other is antagonistic. In a supportive style interview, you are already going into the interview being loved. The entire structure of the interview is set up to make you look good. In an antagonistic style interview, the majority of the focus is placed on challenging you. </b> No one holds your hands in support in this type of interview. Instead, the interviewer gives you the opportunity to fight though the power of narration to earn people’s good opinion by putting you on the spot. <b>The interview started off with this: “I have interviewed spiritual leaders from everywhere and many of them have been doing this for more than 30 years and to be honest, none of them have the amount of controversy, hatred and dedicated antagonists as you do. There is so much written against you out there in the world, they call you things like ‘the suicide catalyst’, why do you think that is?”</b> In an antagonistic style interview, you spend your time trying to answer questions while simultaneously trying to caretake the vulnerable aspect of you that feels targeted and like hiding under a blanket while sucking its thumb. Sometimes the interviewer is already biased against you and is simply setting up the interview as a trap to make you look bad so their pre-conceived, concrete concept of you can then be shared by the world in order to make them feel personally validated. But if the interviewer is genuinely non-biased, the antagonistic style of interview often leads to the best content. Nonetheless, it is always awkward when this style of interview ends because everyone acts as if nothing just happened and everyone is really friends when in reality both you know and they know that it was an antagonistic interaction that made all parties involved socially uncomfortable. I decided to order minestrone soup after the interview was over to comfort myself and take a bath before I fell asleep. [all emphases added]</blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
How teal came up with this binary construct of "supportive" vs. "antagonistic" interviews is anybody's guess. It bears no resemblance to how professional journalism actually works. In all my years as a publicist, I never once asked a potential interviewer if they were going to be supportive or antagonistic and not one of the supervisors, editors, or authors I worked with ever expected me to. Most of them were just happy for the media exposure. But teal is different. She has a long history of doing softball interviews with other YouTubers, who are, indeed, very supportive of her. I think it would be fairer to say that there are fawning, sycophantic amateurs and serious journalists, and teal has almost entirely interacted with the former. It is not a reporter's job to "make you look good." It's a reporter's job to uncover facts and inform the public.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.ozy.com/provocateurs/spiritual-guru-or-dangerous-cult-leader/81686"><i>OZY</i> interview</a> was published a month later, on November 19, and it did not go as teal had hoped, in no small part due to her own whinging about the "antagonistic" interview on her blog. She did not announce its publication or mention it ever again.<br />
<br />
Days after <i>OZY</i>'s Addison Nugent asked her about the controversy surrounding her and the moniker "suicide catalyst," teal whined to <i>Gizmodo</i>'s Jennings Brown that she had no choice but to respond to the "allegations." We know that it was within days of the <i>OZY</i> interview, because she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BamxwwVgysa/">announced</a> that she had just taped the allegations video on October 23 to her Instagram followers. She <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Barbm_8AkMD/">announced</a> that "Teal Swan Answers to the Allegations" was posted on October 25. (My response to that video may be <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">found here</a>.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 id="E1">
<span style="color: #999999;">Episode 1 of "The Gateway"</span></h2>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://gizmodo.com/weve-launched-an-investigative-podcast-about-a-controve-1826416613"><img alt="Gizmodo Launches The Gateway, an Investigative Podcast About a Controversial Internet Spiritual Guru" border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="679" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl13cAzjxd7_JnL8smNA0Zx4yu8vxAxF-VKkRxzsbqBRq8wKb3_GiN6zwfSd9fArNbOBp-RCNgsTn3x8ZBd8vWYiyRzTms8DJZq_tRcEyijxYJM3eKeJ9OxohT2XlHggxsdma/s1600/IntroducingtheGateway_E1.png" width="450" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Seconds into her first conversation with <i>Gizmodo</i>, toward the end of <a href="https://gizmodo.com/weve-launched-an-investigative-podcast-about-a-controve-1826416613">Episode 1</a> of "The Gateway," teal launches into a jeremiad about how her "hate groups" have finally forced this public response. It seems painfully clear that the catalyst for the "spiritual catalyst" to make this video was direct questioning from <i>OZY</i> about her being the "suicide catalyst."<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I'm a little frustrated today because today we're gonna be filming, uh, so, I'll just go here. My hate groups are so incredibly active lately that I've been put in a position where, um, our decision as a team to ignore it can't happen anymore... So I basically have to do a video today that's answering to a lot of their allegations, because I'm <b>losing so many contracts</b> [emphasis added] based off what they're saying... Like for example one of the monikers that my haters have given me is the "suicide catalyst," as if I'm promoting suicide, so I'm gonna basically answer to all these things from my perspective.</blockquote>
<br />
Says Brown in his narration to podcast listeners:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I thought I'd have to work my way up to asking about things like her critics and the suicide allegations, but it's not even two minutes in and we're already there.</blockquote>
<br />
It is a strange interview, indeed, that mostly involves teal complaining to a reporter from a mainstream <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmodo">tech website</a> — a survivor of the late, lamented Gawker Media — about her "haters."<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KqnSQd8bxsE" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">BATGAP Teal Swan Excerpt: "Sex Sells"</span></div>
<br />
<br />
Teal Bosworth Scott Swan has been talking for years about breaking into "the mainstream." To hear her tell it, it was a plan hatched by her Arcturian designers before she ever took human form here on earth. This is how she explained it to BATGAP's Rick Archer:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Do you want to know something funny? The way that I look was not designed for people like you who are already on the path. It was designed to break me into the mainstream. And the reality of today’s world is sex sells. The reality is the better you look the more people pay attention. This was a discussion which took place before I even came into this world. A lot of people in the mainstream would not listen to a person who was wrinkling and greyed. They would listen to someone who looks like me, and it has nothing to do with the validity of looking the way I look. It has to do with attention.</blockquote>
<br />
Buddha at the Gas Pump is a long-running and fairly well-respected platform, a cut above her usual YouTube interview. Archer got backlash when the teal interview ran, in part for his paternalist comments about her appearance, in part for interviewing her at all. (I included the BATGAP interview in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=12">noncast</a> "TEAL Works Blue.") At some point, Archer <a href="http://batgap.com/teal-swan/">quietly removed</a> the teal interview from his platform. When pressed, in the BATGAP Facebook group, about that and other removals, he <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfqmrIBhgzc3V2lp_L9enjjzggGfsGFviOTba834gIH6wy-TPI-M0q94cTs-dCG3TTPn-8tdC7cQv_9wR9xzN4v2bgr4qt4jYH4DP0QEOK3jmovtvJjJhRhzrwlA1QfISp67w/s1600/BATGAPonDeletions.png" target="_blank">explained</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Regarding Teal, I don't know anything that isn't public knowledge. I'll watch her answer to allegations. Even the guy she was married to when I did the interview says there's something rotten in Denmark. I see Batgap as a stew, Certain ingredients may spoil the taste of the whole thing.</blockquote>
<br />
Her explanation of Arcturian designed, universal appeal was also offered in an earlier interview. That interview was also removed. A number of interviews in which she has discussed her alien origins began to disappear just as she was doing what those Arcturians designed her for, getting mainstream attention and publication. Mainstream audiences, unlike the woo world, aren't so enamored of alien origin stories. But in this remaining snippet of that interview, teal explains the importance of being pretty and white, if one hopes to make a splash on the world stage.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2rD3P6wboKM" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">Teal: African Women Aren't Pretty</span></div>
<br />
<br />
It may well be that what attention teal has received, mainstream and otherwise, owes to her appearance. It is certainly not because of her ideas, which appear to be almost entirely <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html">plagiarized</a>. (See also <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/08/restoring-integrity-teal-and-presence.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">here</a>.) Both the <i>Gizmodo</i> and <i>OZY</i> reporters admit to being struck by her physical attractiveness.<br />
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But pretty and white as teal is, her forays into mainstream media have not gone terribly well. That was true even before "haters" like myself started raising questions. She has never responded well to a more journalistic approach, wherein hard questions are asked, and healthy skepticism is employed. The press release for her first, and self-published, book was <a href="https://www.hjnews.com/opinion/editor-s-corner-claims-of-local-torture-cult-got-this/article_401a99ca-581b-11e0-baa4-001cc4c002e0.html">picked up</a> by her local newspaper, <i>The Herald Journal</i>. The former book publicist in me can only see this as a win. The name of the book was mentioned. The op-ed was fair and even-handed. Really, from a publicity standpoint, this was a success. But teal and her team responded with outrage. Letters to the editor were penned by <a href="https://www.hjnews.com/opinion/teal-scott-in-her-own-words/article_1fe8be26-5d47-11e0-a934-001cc4c03286.html">herself</a> and by one <a href="https://www.hjnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/teal-scott-not-to-be-discredited/article_d4ba7c4e-5951-11e0-b9df-001cc4c002e0.html">Jason Freedman</a>, a "freelance reporter" who appears to be none other than her associate Blake Dyer. In fact much of the firestorm that ensued in the comments section may have been so much <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">sock puppet theater</a>. But it was clear then, as it is now, that teal and her supporters will not tolerate anything but fawning, credulous coverage.<br />
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At some point, teal's rhetoric around mainstream success began to change. Instead of promoting herself as an Arcturian designed, caucasian beauty, capable of attracting the mainstream attention that "ugly" black girls and wrinkly, grey-haired people could not, she started to speak of herself as "controversial" and "up against the mainstream." And this has been her response to the<i> Gizmodo</i> series. While she has almost entirely given it the silent treatment, those in Teal Tribe who have stumbled on the series have expressed almost uniformly negative reactions, from sadness to outrage. <i>Gizmodo</i> has joined the legion of "haters."<br />
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In one of the longer threads, teal offered a brief response. She's very hurt, but she's challenged the mainstream and the mainstream is fighting back.<br />
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Outside of the teal bubble, "The Gateway" is getting positive reviews from mainstream outlets like <i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jun/10/radio-podcasts-the-gateway-teal-swan-bikram-choudhury">The Guardian</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/the-wrap/article/Who-Is-Teal-Swan-Meet-the-Spiritual-Guru-Who-12998229.php">The Wrap</a></i>, which made a <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/who-is-teal-swan-meet-the-youtube-guru-who-uses-clever-search-tools-to-recruit-podcast/">podcast about the podcast</a>. The reviews teal gets from those outlets are less flattering, as they seem to find her own words about as jarring as I did when I first learned of her over four and a half years ago. To "the mainstream" her ideas about suicide are as troubling as you might expect them to be, as is the fact that she has no training or credentials that qualify her to treat serious mental health issues. She comes across as narcissistic, her claims grandiose. The influence she has over her followers' life (and possibly death) decisions inspires deep concern. In <i>The Guardian</i>, Miranda Sawyer writes:<br />
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All of this is undeniably icky. Having your life’s decisions directed by a compelling stranger is a very bad idea, but at least nobody’s getting hurt. Except… some are. Swan, who gives her closest followers very personal attention, insists that in some cases (when someone’s “vibrations” are of a certain type), then suicide prevention hotlines won’t work, psychotherapists and psychologists won’t either and that death feels fantastic and “is an immediate relief” or “a reset”. Meaning, it’s OK for people to kill themselves. And some do. Her fans call her the Spiritual Catalyst. Her detractors call her the Suicide Catalyst.<br />
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Confident and narcissistic, Teal is happy to talk to Brown (she boasts about having five security guards and refers to “haters”) and it looks as though in the next few weeks he’ll be going to her Costa Rica retreat. Let’s see if he returns in a state of spiritual refreshment.</blockquote>
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One thing that teal can take some small comfort in is that, at least so far, "The Gateway" hasn't gotten a lot of press attention beyond what I've noted here. The reason for that, in my surmise, would be less comforting to the woman who talks endlessly about her own fame and hashtags her Instagram account with various iterations of #celebrity***. No one outside of her online following and the outer reaches of the new age and self help arenas have any idea who she is. In many ways this podcast is her "gateway" to notoriety, and it is a less than auspicious introduction.<br />
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<h2 id="E2">
<span style="color: #999999;">Episode 2 of "The Gateway"</span></h2>
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<a href="https://gizmodo.com/the-dark-origin-story-of-internet-spiritual-guru-teal-s-1826598620"><img alt="The Dark Origin Story of Internet Spiritual Guru Teal Swan" border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6Aalr_7R6N4j1AHJN68DWQfdf3cNmOt7s1GiZa6Ska_83l80m1yo1KKzzMqXOSyEBDQaGcQZqffNcJY-ulKqrRa_cLv9ZE4HkeSQUl7SlZargwPE1s7Tuzcgw-_a0BKkGhVI/s1600/TheGatewayOrigins_E2.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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Having spent over four and a half years cataloguing teal's body of work, I have amassed an encyclopedic knowledge of public material by and about teal. I have also gotten to know a number of people who have broken with teal, including some who have been seriously injured by her methods and her abuses of power. But I am not an investigative journalist or in the business of bringing forth information that I've received in confidence. I do not have the backing of a professional news organization that would enable me to do that kind of reportage. So what I'm enjoying most about "The Gateway" is that Jennings Brown's investigative journalism is bringing to light previously unreported information about teal's background and the lives she has affected. <a href="https://gizmodo.com/the-dark-origin-story-of-internet-spiritual-guru-teal-s-1826598620">Episode 2</a> delves deeply into Leslie Wangsgaard's suicide, something I first learned about from her own video of the Santa Fe workshop, and wrote about in my <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">second teal post</a>. I vainly hoped, at the time, that it was pure invention on her part. What she said on that stage was so flippant, so bizarrely self-aggrandizing, that some sort of performance art seemed a plausible explanation. I learned in short order that teal was speaking about a very real person who was most definitely dead by her own hand.<br />
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When teal talked about Leslie Wangsgaard's suicide in that workshop, she <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">described</a> her as irredeemably miserable. "And this was a woman who was absolutely miserable. I'm talking, every moment of her life was a nightmare." But <i>Gizmodo</i>'s reporting paints a different picture. She may have battled depression, but her friend Joyce remembers a vital and "upbeat" woman who enjoyed belly dancing and was always up for a bit of fun. She was also a compassionate hospice worker who extended herself to caretaking the vulnerable on her free time, rescuing homeless animals and humans alike. Joyce also saw a pronounced personality change when Leslie and her husband John Wangsgaard started working with teal. This may have had something to do with what John describes as teal's "ability to see things that you and I do not." And what did she see in Leslie but her soul's intense desire to leave her body.<br />
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According to John, she also "helped" Leslie recover "memories" of sexual abuse by her father. As Brown notes, repressed memory is a very controversial idea in psychology, but teal takes an unequivocal position on the topic. Despite her total lack of psychological training, she has guided many people through the experience of unearthing traumatic memories that may or may not be real. This was something Katherine Rose Breen asked her about directly. It got her banned from Teal Tribe. She recounted the experience in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/07/an-open-letter-to-teal-tribe_24.html">this blog post</a> (also posted <a href="https://amoraobscura.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/lettertotealtribe/">here</a>).<br />
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There is a sense of tragedy to John Wangsgaard, not so much because his wife committed suicide. That he seems to be at peace with. What he seems to be grieving over is that he is no longer in touch with teal. He is still hopelessly devoted to her, longing for contact that he can no longer financially afford. There is a tone of desperation in his voice when he speaks of being with her again, if only for an hour. He keeps a stack of her "Frequency Paintings" in his bedroom. He claims that his "attraction" to her was spiritual, not sexual, but explains that teal told him early in their acquaintance that they had been married in a previous life. The interview leaves me more disturbed than ever over Leslie's tragic death and teal's role in it.<br />
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<h2 id="E3">
<span style="color: #999999;">Episode 3 of "The Gateway"</span></h2>
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<a href="https://gizmodo.com/death-meditations-and-instagram-photo-shoots-a-week-in-1826778775"><img alt="Death Meditations and Instagram Photo Shoots A Week Inside an Internet Spiritual Guru's Costa Rica Healing Center" border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="675" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNFCyrqvNeU_2avRKAmufhgiHQ_WfdhWoe5rUkcR3NbUKfkEfRed2QoVBl2x23GnY56zrnbfN161peUOxjJAnw49tDbv7JtSsEho3iaFYVJHq0hhu_r_rAcbJ5VeWGpHPlY6t/s1600/TheGatewayPhilia_E3.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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"I want you to imagine that you're dead. So we're all gonna get suicidal for a moment," is how teal introduces an exercise during the <a href="https://philiacenter.com/retreats/255/the-curveball-a-teal-swan-workshop/">Curveball</a> retreat that people have paid up to $5000 for. I can't help thinking about James Arthur Ray's version of the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/07/tragedy-in-sedona.html">Samurai Game</a> during Spiritual Warrior. Ray played God, with the power over life and death, <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/03/james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-trial-day_24.html">making people lie perfectly</a> still on the cold, hard floor for hours. At the end of that week, three people would die in his sweat lodge. So imagine the shiver that went up my spine when I learned at the end of <a href="https://gizmodo.com/death-meditations-and-instagram-photo-shoots-a-week-in-1826778775">Episode 3</a> that Philia is getting its own sweat lodge.<br />
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Brown is concerned about "suicide contagion," as the group embarks on this death exercise. This is something I've been concerned about for a long time with teal's followers, in part, because I have <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/05/shadows-before-suicide.html">seen it play out</a> in screenshots from Teal Tribe. Having people <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">visualize their own suicide</a> this way is something teal recommends for people who are contemplating suicide. This has always struck me as a truly terrible idea.<br />
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There is some new terminology in this, or should I say, old terminology with new tealified definitions. People can now "channel" anyone or anything and, when they do, they are "possessed" by them. This seems to be part of a new product/framework that teal is rolling out. I'm guessing it will be laid out in her upcoming book, something about putting people in jars. <br />
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As these exercises unfold, it seems like the lines between imagination/visualization and "actual" experience of participants' own deaths, and other dramatic experiences, is becoming blurred. Brown is also concerned that teal is "engineering a mystical experience," as people become convinced that they are "literally" becoming everything from dead relatives to rocks to shoe laces to bodily organs, in these "possession" experiences. It is all the more troubling to me because it does not seem like these are naturally unfolding experiences, but the result of very direct prompting by teal, who says "I want you to..." more times than I can count. She's not holding space for people to have their own realizations. She's not so much a guide as she is a dictator, telling them what will happen and what they should feel about it. It does indeed seem like their experiences, both mystical and emotional, are being engineered and directed by teal, who has established herself as a superior, spiritual authority in their lives.<br />
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You should write that down. "My whole life is about..."</blockquote>
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Brown tracked down the author of a Philia review I had also seen on the Philia Facebook page. The charge is one of manipulation and outright fraud.<br />
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When Brown expresses concern that teal might be "playing with fire" putting a group of strangers together to have this intense, group "therapy" experience, teal replies, "I'm not afraid of that. That's where you get the best stuff. [snort, snort, giggle, giggle]" You can actually <i>hear</i> the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=12">duping delight</a> (see noncast "Drunks, Cult Leaders, and Duping Delight" for background).<br />
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As disturbing as all of this is, it is not the most troubling part of this episode for me, perhaps because none of it comes as a surprise. I've seen these patterns play out in a variety of ways with teal over the years. What truly shook me was something a tech reporter like Brown is well equipped to explain, and that is how teal has cultivated a solid base of depressed and suicidal followers. The mystical experiences she's engineering aren't only in retreats and workshops. They begin when people stumble onto her videos on YouTube. What feels to them like some sort of divine intervention directing them to just the right video for their pressing need is actually a skillful use of search tags. In hushed tones, as if she's letting Brown in on her conspiracy against human decency, she explains how she targets people at their most vulnerable by matching the kind of desperate search criteria despairing people will likely use.<br />
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Most people were going through a fucking huge crisis, like gun-to-your-head type of crisis. And then, you know, they typed in something like "how do I not kill myself" and my videos popped up and they just... I specifically try to go for tags and things like that that get that, capture that audience. When you're in a desperate state, it's not sophisticated. People, like, when they're in that state, they type in shit like "I just lost my mother, what the fuck do I do." Literally, that will be the google tag line so even when we're doing videos, we'll add things like that so if someone's suicidal or someone's had a breakup or whatever, that's the video that comes up. </blockquote>
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Says Brown:<br />
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Teal was explicit. She uses tags that target people when they're having suicidal thoughts. </blockquote>
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This explains, at least in part, something I've heard from one Teal Tribe refugee after another, that they were at the lowest of low points in their lives, when they first discovered teal. Some have described to me how when you're in that state, her videos are a kind of sweet relief. This caused some people to ignore any number of red flags, to put aside even a visceral dislike that was their first reaction. Could it also explain why so many of her followers credit her with saving them from suicide?<br />
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On a personal note, I'm a little startled to find that the seeming twist of fate that led Brown to his first teal video included a song I've long associated with her and used in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/05/shadows-before-suicide.html">my post</a> about the suicidality so common among tealers, "Suicide Is Painless." I always thought this was an organic connection on my part, stemming from a childhood love for M*A*S*H. Suddenly I'm less sure that I made this connection on my own.<br />
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Meanwhile, in Teal Tribe, the plaintive cries of the suicidal continue. They bring a mix of reactions, some of which are more disturbing than the posts themselves. I wish I could say that this was more than a small, representative sample of the kinds of posts that come up over and over, in that group.<br />
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Some posts are from members who are dismayed over the sheer volume of suicidal posts and the way they are handled — or not handled — by admin. And if that concern is great enough admin shuts those threads down. Move along, folks, nothin' to see here!<br />
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<h2 id="E4">
<span style="color: #999999;">Update 6/24/18: Episode 4 of "The Gateway"</span></h2>
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<a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-internet-spiritual-guru-teal-swan-targets-desperate-1826971039"><img alt="How Internet Spiritual Guru Teal Swan Targets Desperate People Online" border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="679" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspWOsYyADpCFl0o6FjaHMuPxH-eHlEsAFPw90KgvyMA-nkXgobxE2eju4l4oYfLaFj0F3Ld1ruwsaVKxpHrOj3xt2x0YnMGY4Ve6qvdRqsHMUCAX_TEpfwt_mUivpKCi-bgYh/s1600/TheGatewayTribe_E4.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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In <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-internet-spiritual-guru-teal-swan-targets-desperate-1826971039">Episode 4</a> of "The Gateway," Brown drills down on teal's use of online marketing tools to target suicidal and otherwise vulnerable people. He interviews Justin Olaguer, who was once part of teal's "intentional community." I had been wondering whatever happened to Justin. He's been conspicuous by his absence from her inner circle. It was nice to hear his voice and know that he's doing well. He seems to have come a long way from the days when he was <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">ranting</a> about me being the "psychic Nancy Grace" on his Facebook page. (I've never cared for Nancy Grace, but I thought that was amusing. Funnily enough, he's not the first to make that comparison, so maybe I should sit with that.)<br />
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Says Justin now about teal's targeted marketing to the suicidal:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Those are ripe for becoming dedicated, loyal consumers of her products... She just wants a share of that market. Sorry if that's overly cynical but that's a market... She's a self-interested economic force... That's a market. She wants it.</blockquote>
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Justin worked on her PR strategy, so he would know. But he was also part of her "market." This is a segment of the last extant episode of "Shadow House" that I've been able to find. "Shadow House" was a kind of reality show that teal used to livestream. This was hardly the most action-packed of these broadcasts, like the infamous "racist rant," or her public humiliations of Cameron and Fallon. But it went to some very dark places.<br />
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Astronauts have cyanide capsules in case they need to kill themselves? And you can get these astronaut cyanide pills on the black market? Who knew?! I did not. (This is NASA we're talking about, not Trump's new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheWeekInTrump/videos/834986890030894/?hc_ref=ARQf1xJjAPVLZUbS7kLdQdWwFt-Zre3SjP0GmpcHSCWz6jZNKD13ZPTCQWhoG8ZxRVg">space force</a>, because that doesn't exist... yet.) So I googled it. It seems this incorrect factoid traces to <a href="https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/10/astronauts-and-suicide-pills.html">Carl Sagan</a>. You'd think she'd check the, um, Akashic Record on that.<br />
<br />
That bit of absurdity aside, there's a lot that troubles me in those six minutes alone. I don't know what kind of pain Justin has had in his life or what state he came to her in, but she seems to be steering him straight into a very dark place and dangling suicide as relief for whatever hardships might await him. She assures him she can teach him to stop his own heart with his mind or, you know, take astronaut cyanide.<br />
<br />
Even in 2014 teal was telling tales of deep paranoia. She was risking assassination by the government, cults, and the pharmaceutical industry. Nothing about "hate groups" conspiring against her, though. That came later.<br />
<br />
I also learned from this podcast that another suicide was presaged in Teal Tribe, with posts that are hard to read after the fact. The first such suicide, that of the 22 year old Brown calls "Max," was something I wrote about in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/05/shadows-before-suicide.html">this post</a>. When I wrote it, I was somewhat dubious about her claim of receiving ten suicidal emails a day. Why was she "law of attracting" so many suicidal people? Now that I know that she's actively, and mechanistically, targeting that "market," I find her unwillingness to devote the time to responding to those desperate emails all the more galling.<br />
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In this episode, she complains to Brown that she's just deluged with desperate and suicidal emails, too many crises for her to possibly deal with. Perhaps she should have considered that when she decided to target that "market" so directly. Perhaps she should have put some sort of framework in place <i>before</i> she started luring desperate people to her groups and workshops, presenting herself as the cosmic answer lady. Perhaps she should at least post some suicide hotline numbers in Teal Tribe, as many have suggested. Her contempt for those hotlines has never been more apparent than in this podcast. She openly mocks them, imitating the counselors with a silly, sing-song voice. She is actively dissuading her many, many suicidal followers from reaching out to helplines. Where does that leave all the desperate followers she can't find the time for? At least two are dead by their own hand.<br />
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I had not heard about the second triber taking her own life. Brown’s description of “Jane’s” gun-to-the-head post rang a bell, though. I went back over the many screenshots of suicidal posts I’ve received. Learning that she died of a self-inflected gun shot wound shortly thereafter, at age 18, I shudder. It’s a feeling I won’t be able to shake anytime soon.<br />
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We talk a lot about how tealers should be getting proper therapy, but I've read through hundreds of these screenshots, at this point. Many of these folks have been in and out of therapy and do not feel they've been helped. And a lot of them couldn't afford to go to a therapist if they wanted to. Brown interviewed suicidologist April Foreman who confirms that pessimistic outlook.<br />
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I'm not sure what of teal's body of work Brown shared with Foreman or what her feelings would be on things like suicide being a "reset button" or how it "feels so good to die." She did weigh in on teal's insistence that people, like the late Leslie Wangsgaard, need to "commit to life." The data do not support that idea, according to Foreman. What the research shows is that no one is ever a hundred percent committed, either way, even in the midst of a suicide attempt. She did <i>not</i>, however, call them "fence-sitters," <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">as teal did</a>.<br />
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Foreman's comments are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/reader-center/mental-health-therapists-suicide.html">echoed in a piece</a> that recently appeared in the <i>New York Times</i>, a sampling of comments from clinicians who had responded to an AP <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/health/suicide-spade-bordain-cdc.html">article</a> about Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade, and the escalating suicide epidemic.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
As a mental health therapist who has been practicing for 26 years, I appreciate the attention that the recent celebrity suicides have been given by journalists. I believe it is important to shed a light on this issue and that talking about difficult subjects is crucial.<br />
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What I sincerely wish, however, is that journalists would stop referring to the “mental health system” in this country. This is the United States, not Canada or the U.K. There is no “system.”<br />
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There are only providers: some individual and some groups. But the idea that there is an established, organized “system” of care is simply incorrect.<br />
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Is help available? Yes. If you have health insurance and can locate a provider who will see you, then help is available. But please stop alluding to a “system” of mental health care in this country. It simply does not exist.</blockquote>
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Sadly, Brown is right. There is a void and teal has strategically positioned herself to fill it. <br />
<br />
Brown also interviewed psychologist and former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonie_(nickname)">Moonie</a> Steven Hassan. Hassan seems to share a number of my concerns, after watching just a few of teal's videos. Her droning voice can be hypnotic, as can her soothing backgrounds. I can't personally relate as I find her voice to be like nails on a chalkboard, but many former tealers have told me that they found her voice and manner hypnotic.<br />
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She presents herself as an authority with special knowledge. As I've said many times, the way she defines "extrasensory" ability as something very rare, that she claims to speak for "source" where others do not, infuriates me. And I say this as a practicing psychic. Psychic ability is not "special." It's our birthright. Good practitioners in this field don't foster dependency. They teach people how to fish. But I digress.<br />
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Hassan was also very troubled by her <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">suicide meditation</a>, because, no, she does not know how everyone will process that, especially the suicidal people she is actively targeting with her tags on that video.<br />
<br />
So Hassan addressed a handful of indicators of the mind-control cult that teal appears to be building. Justin now sees teal as a cult leader but also as the "pope" of her own religion, an "object of adoration." Todd Mooney, who abandoned his children and pregnant wife, under teal's guidance, calls her "divine mother." Rick Ross <a href="https://www.ozy.com/provocateurs/spiritual-guru-or-dangerous-cult-leader/81686">also told</a> <i>OZY</i> that teal fits the definition of a charismatic cult leader. And the <i>OZY</i> reporter was troubled by teal's comments about people being exiled from her "community" when they disagree with her, just as Todd Mooney and countless others have experienced. You are either with her or you're with the "haters."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
For somebody who’s never had a sense of belonging, [Teal Tribe] becomes … their new family. Which works until the minute that someone has a falling out with me. … If anyone has an issue with me, turning against me, they stand to lose all these people they’re really close to.</blockquote>
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I'm still not sure if it's a cult or a quasi-cult, but there are a lot of <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">cult indicators</a>. I leave it to the experts to make that call.<br />
<br />
Brown also did a Completion Process session with one of teal's certified practitioners. She seemed very sweet and supportive, but Brown left with more churned up than resolved. This is a process that teal herself says could <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">make people suicidal</a>, but is now proffering as the replacement to suicide helplines. Her practitioners are trained for a few days, for the princely sum of $2,600.00. But teal trains them herself and knows for sure whether or not they're ready to counsel people through crisis. She knows even before the training because she screens the applicants using her super-psychic abilities. And yet, she's refused to certify some people, because it turns out they just weren't ready. At one training, she tells Brown, she declined to certify five people. How did she not see that coming?!<br />
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I remembered hearing about this less than successful training in one of teal's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BfRazDnABhi/">Daily Updates</a> and I had the same thought then. So not only did teal fail a bunch of psychically pre-screened people who shelled out thousands of dollars and traveled all the way to Costa Rica, she announced it to the world, before she even told them. And she hates to hurt anyone's feelings, even though, according to her, hurting people's feelings is what "shadow work" is all about. Funny because I thought she loved to "attack" people and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">put them</a> in the "hot seat."<br />
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Her next CP training went better, according to a subsequent <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfini9-AI6H/">Daily Update</a>. She goes on to explain that "real" healing "unseats your entire reality." Most people are so inauthentic, according to teal, that if they genuinely heal, their lives "implode," their "reality collapses." It's "not fun." It "sucks." So that's quite the advertisement. And I'm sure very helpful for people who are already suicidal.<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1C3IcFX5yu4" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">Teal Swan Demonstrates 'The Completion Process' Live!</span></div>
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"So. We gotta get you triggered," says teal, after tossing out a casual compliment about her client's attire. She's not even fifteen seconds in to this Completion Process demonstration <a href="https://youtu.be/1C3IcFX5yu4">video</a> that got teal cited for practicing therapy <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">without a license</a>. A minute in, teal directs the client to "think about the thing that's causing you the most pain in your life... I wanna see if by getting you to talk about it, we can get you in some strong emotions."<br />
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She talks a lot about "unconditional presence," but what teal is doing is the opposite of being present for this woman. Instead of meeting her where she is in the moment and supporting that, addressing the concerns that she's expressing, teal moves straight into her agenda, which is to make her as uncomfortable as she can as quickly as she can. She wants her to be emotionally raw. She seems determined to break her down, to <i>unseat her entire reality</i>, to have her life <i>implode</i>, no matter how much that might <i>suck</i>.<br />
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This is the kind of thing that has troubled me for a long time with teal's methods. I <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/shadows-before-despair.html">have described</a> her version of "shadow work" as being more like a "witch hunt through the psyche to unearth trauma, real and imagined, for which people can find whole new reasons to blame their parents."<br />
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She's not helping people find any sense of equilibrium. She's deliberately throwing them off balance, destabilizing them, and pretty aggressively. That she's providing these methods to people she's deliberately targeted for their instability, makes this all the more disturbing.<br />
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At the end of this episode, Brown gently but directly confronts teal on her qualifications to treat suicidal people. She becomes defensive, her speech clipped. She "feels" like she has "the answer" to suicidality because she's been suicidal. He suggests that this is not really a qualification, that what has worked to keep her "off the fuckin' ledge" might not do the same for everybody. She replies:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
It works for everybody I’ve stepped around... Unless, unless they really don’t want to be here.</blockquote>
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How convenient. Her method is one hundred percent foolproof except when it isn't. But when it isn't, it's not that her method has failed. Her mind-reading tells her that that person was absolutely committed to dying, that thing that suicidologist April Foreman says is never the case.<br />
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And am I the only person who is struck by her wording? To "step around" something is to <i>avoid</i> it, as one might a dead body.<br />
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But teal is certain that she has cracked the code on suicidal ideation and she feels absolutely qualified to disavow hotlines and trained professionals, to set herself up as someone who has "<i>the</i> answer" for suicidal and psychologically fragile people.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
And I have a lot of people who've written and said that I do. So.</blockquote>
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This is a logical fallacy, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum">argumentum ad populum</a></i>, aka., the <a href="http://www.fallacyfiles.org/bandwagn.html">bandwagon fallacy</a>. But just because something is popular doesn't mean it's worth anything.<br />
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<table align="center" bgcolor="#666633" border="0" cellpadding="12" cellspacing="1" style="width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="left" bgcolor="#cccc99" valign="center"><span style="color: #330033;"><i>"No one in this world, so far as I know... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people."</i> ~ H. L. Mencken</span> </td> </tr>
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<h2 id="E5">
<span style="color: #999999;">Update 7/2/18: Episode 5 of "The Gateway"</span></h2>
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<a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-the-satanic-panic-completely-changed-the-way-we-thi-1827167786" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb43e0DLGTaMECh1UnpyFa2f07v6ep03S7aDJAQonpvyF9rB4fBVqKXthVIrn_BXv5sWZw5sMV7FgSOyM9jqEybCg6bBmaLo8LTkEdJzS9pbfRASiBMxPvqgTXAnr5ni_XoobJ/s1600/TheGatewayMemories_E5.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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We are now 5 episodes into this six episode series and teal has yet to publicly acknowledge its existence. There was a flurry of excitement last Friday morning when a photo of teal sitting for an interview with the <i>Gizmodo</i> crew was posted to her Instagram account. By late afternoon it had been removed. Why it was posted, in the first place, and who exactly posted it will probably remain a mystery. But the incident underscores the fact that teal is deliberately burying the most thorough mainstream coverage she's had to date. The hashtags on this <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BknJtF7AbZP/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">disappeared post</a> are awesome, but not one of them references <i>Gizmodo</i> or the podcast.<br />
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<a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-the-satanic-panic-completely-changed-the-way-we-thi-1827167786">Episode 5</a> of "The Gateway" takes on teal's ritual abuse story. Brown does a pretty thorough job of running down, not only her claims, but the Satanic Panic that set the stage. Then he steps on his crank, but I'll address that further down.<br />
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Once again teal's own commentary is just stellar. She explains to Brown that her parents turned to "Doc" for help, because they were completely overwhelmed by her extreme specialness.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
When I'm talking about all of this stuff going on and like people are clapping and I can actually see the noise and I'm hearing colors and when I've got this whole thing going on my parents are just like this is over our head, like way over our head. So this guy came in and he's like, it's not over my head.</blockquote>
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Not for the first time, teal is here making her <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-story-of-flavors/" rel="nofollow">synesthesia</a> sound like it's <i>magic</i>. She suffers from a number of <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/how-i-see-the-world/" rel="nofollow">sensory integration disorders</a>, which she misrepresents as expressions of her "extrasensory" abilities. Synesthesia is actually <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia">fairly common</a>. More common, still, is "extrasensory" ability. I find it a little hard to believe that her parents, <a href="https://www.hjnews.com/news/finding-chi-in-alternative-p-e/article_bda9b66a-e4ff-507f-a341-194e402e34da.html">these parents</a>, were so mystified by these disorders that they needed outside help from an holistic veterinarian. Her <a href="https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Bobbie-Cleave/85416214">mother</a> holds a masters degree in psychology.<br />
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There are major differences between teal's account of her time with "Doc" and his own, not the least of which is the timeline. He says he didn't see much of her throughout her childhood, because he had moved from Utah to Idaho, and only really spent time with her when she was a troubled teen, at her parents' request. She liked horses. He's a large animal vet. And, of course, he denies being a Mormon Satanist. He's not even a Mormon. Much of this has already been discussed in <a href="http://thetruthaboutcameron.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-complete-interview-of-teal-swans.html">this interview</a> and in my own <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">response</a> to it.<br />
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There is some new information in this segment. Brown confirms what teal has not publicly stated before, that Barbara Snow was her therapist. She refers to her in interviews as a specialist in ritual abuse. The bigger news is that Snow accompanied teal to the police station and was in the interview room with her.<br />
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<i>Gizmodo</i> obtained a copy of the police report and found that they had intended to pursue an investigation, but teal was unwilling to testify, claiming fear of retribution. A year and half later, teal contacted the police again, willing move forward. But some of teal's story wasn't adding up. They found no physical evidence of abuse on her body, which is to say that the scars teal talks about so much did not prove to be evidentiary. Her middle school diaries also were not found by police to point to any abuse, as she had claimed. Ultimately, they were put off the whole thing when they looked at Snow's checkered history with law enforcement. The report concluded that there was not "anything that could be prosecuted."<br />
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As I have <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">alluded to previously</a>, Barbara Snow faced multiple charges from inducing false memory in her patients to insurance fraud. She reached a settlement and was <a href="https://www.deseretnews.com/article/695254952/Controversial-therapist-put-on-probation.html">placed on probation</a>. So I think it's not for nothin' that teal avoids mentioning her name.<br />
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In this episode, teal's <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/07/teal-swan.html">former friend</a> Tori McLellan shares her own experience with Snow, whom teal pressed her to see. Tori was having a little trouble remembering the Satanic cult that teal insisted she had also been a part of. Snow was also apparently quite sure, and according to Tori, wasted no time in trying to convince her that she had repressed memories of Satanic Ritual Abuse.<br />
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It's a good thing for Tori that she was clear-minded enough not to let herself be pressured by either teal or Snow into "remembering" things that never happened. Both, it seems, had an agenda they wanted her to perpetuate. And this is something that played out all over the country during the Satanic Panic. The McMartin preschool trial, which Brown references, not only put the falsely accused through hell, it harmed their accusers, one of whom <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/07/in-salem-new-memorial-and-chilling.html">publicly apologized</a> years later and described his own process of fabrication under pressure.<br />
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Brown interviews psychologist Elizabeth Loftus on this subject. I wrote the press release for <i>The Myth of Repressed Memory</i> and found it pretty convincing at the time. I did not think it proved that repressed memory can never happen, that it's a "myth," only that false memories can be created and that claims about the prevalence and accuracy of "recovered" memory are not credible. Memory is a creative and highly fallible function. ("Ah yes, <a href="https://youtu.be/GQxM5rJ-uiY">I remember it well</a>...") But Loftus also has her critics and there are some concerning <a href="http://www.rememberingdangerously.com/">questions</a> about her scholarship. So I am of mixed mind on Loftus. I am not of mixed mind on the dangers of induced <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/false-memory-syndrome">false memory</a>, the prevalence of which fueled the Satanic Panic.<br />
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A point Loftus makes in this interview is one I thought was particularly striking when I read the book, that a lot of patients who have recovered memories in therapy settings aren't getting better. In fact, they get worse. There are a couple of things I find really interesting about that in this context. Her poor prognosis is one of the things that teal has claimed moved her out of clinical therapy and into developing her own methods. She has complained that psychologists don't have a plan for your happiness. Starting around the 36 minute mark in this interview, she describes her realization that she was surrounded by patients in group therapy who were not improving. She claims she was told, "What's important is that you come here and you keep rehashing what’s gone on and you keep revisiting the shadow aspect..."<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_DpMjKZiSqE" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">Ep. 18: From the Depths of Hell to Happiness </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">with Teal Swan (FKA Teal Scott)</span></div>
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From my memory, this sounds a lot like how Loftus described these kinds of group therapy sessions, with patients raging and crying as they relived over and over the horrors they'd "remembered." Most sex abuse survivors want to heal and put the past behind them.<br />
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But this description reminds me of something else, the way teal has described "real" healing, as I referenced above in my response to Episode 4.<br />
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Brown states:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Teal's gone into explicit detail of the heinous things she says Doc did to her — psychological manipulation, abuse, and torture. She was comfortable sharing these stories with me and with her followers, but they're too explicit and unsettling to play here.</blockquote>
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But she has shared them, in all their stunning and graphic glory, not only in multiple YouTube interviews, but with the Boise area news team of KIVI's <i>6 On Your Side</i>, which aired around Halloween in 2014 and can be found <a href="https://youtu.be/fVpsMBeTjHY">here</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/FmzLgfDU_LM">here</a>, and <a href="https://youtu.be/ucveJR5yEW8">here</a>. In every such interview I've listened to, she's not only comfortable, she's casual, even glib. It's as if she's not talking about anything that is in the least bit unsettling. Despite <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">her claims</a> of pseudoseizures and inability to use household appliances, when she describes the grisly details, there is no hint of emotional charge. This is most evident in the raw footage of her KIVI interview, which was posted to YouTube two years after the original broadcast. It is long, over two hours, and detailed. It exposes some of the slick handiwork that produced a somewhat deceptive broadcast.<br />
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<table align="center" bgcolor="#666633" border="0" cellpadding="12" cellspacing="1" style="width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="left" bgcolor="#cccc99" valign="center"><span style="color: #330033;"><i>“One snap of my fingers and I can raise hemlines so high that the world is your gynecologist.”</i> ~ <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0504676/">Patsy Stone</a></span> </td> </tr>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F6tFXAVRDBM" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">Teal Swan interview with Chris Oswalt on 8/5/2014</span></div>
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I think it's great that teal likes to wear sexy clothes and show off her figure. I really do. Women should be able to wear whatever they want, look gorgeous, and be safe from harassment and derogation. Just as men are free to look fabulous in tailored suits, driving Porsches, and still be seen as people, rather than walking, talking wallets. And I am very supportive of the rights of sex workers, so I was never offended that teal pursued a pornographic modeling career. I just thought she was being a little cagey about it.<br />
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I think it <i>is</i> questionable, though, when sex appeal is used to market goods and services that have nothing to do with sex. It's exploitive of women that their bodies are used to deliberately manipulate consumers of everything from cars to hamburgers. That teal has stated openly that she's using this tactic to sell her "spiritual" product is troubling to me. (See the BATGAP segment above.) I think it's self-exploitive and does nothing to advance women as anything other than sex objects who occasionally think thoughts.<br />
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All of that aside, there is something <i>really</i> disturbing about the way teal mingles her graphic tales of violence and abuse with sexual provocativeness. It is just deeply uncomfortable listening to teal talk about rape, forced prostitution, kiddie porn, and necrophilia, while she's falling out of her dress, batting her eyelashes, and giggling like a schoolgirl. Around 46 minutes in, as she's describing how she was prostituted out of gas stations as a child, she sort of jerks off an imaginary penis when she's talking about being forced to fellate strange men in public restrooms. She really paints a picture.<br />
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She's also used phrases like "<a href="https://youtu.be/_xzEtUJgIvo?t=45m56s">sex with little kids</a>." There is no such thing as sex with children. Sex is consensual. Children cannot give consent. It's molestation. It's abuse. She sounds like she's lapsing into NAMBLA talking points at times. That someone who claims to be a survivor would make that kind of error is hard to reconcile.<br />
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There is much that is troubling in this interview, and some things that I think contrast sharply with <i>Gizmodo</i>'s reporting.<br />
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For instance, listen to what teal says about why the case is "cold." She lets slip at around the 43 minute mark that she was scared of being prosecuted herself, which may be more to the point than her fearing retribution from murderous Satanists. At around an hour and 5 minutes in, she explains how her therapist insisted that she report the crimes involved to police. The case was really challenging, she says, because the FBI would have needed to be involved, since the crimes crossed state lines. So why weren't they? The police wanted exact dates, she whines. In other words, they wanted specifics that she was unable to provide. And then she really goes off the rails.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
They decided in the end that despite the amount of evidence that I had, which is actually a lot more than most people escape with in my scenario, because of the time lapse and the fact that they're really good at covering their tracks, I had escaped with a pair of jeans I was raped in, I had escaped with a human tooth that I took from a sacrifice, and I gave all of this to them. So despite all of that and the scars which, they did scar mapping on my body and everything, the case was handed over to the district attorney. The district attorney gets to decide whether they have enough tangible evidence to prosecute. See most people don't understand that, that hearsay is not enough reason to prosecute someone. And it's not even enough reason for a search warrant. </blockquote>
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Hearsay cannot be used in court, it's true, but it <i>can</i> be used in investigations and for <a href="https://lawshelf.com/courseware/entry/probable-cause">obtaining warrants</a>. But more to the point, this was not hearsay. She didn't overhear someone else's conversation about these horrific crimes. She was an eye-witness, a victim, and, as she admits, a co-conspirator, who could be culpable herself.<br />
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So teal rattled off a lot of excuses, in this interview, for why the investigation was shelved. But the simple truth is that they did not have enough evidence to pursue it. Scar mapping they did, but what scars she has are not evidence of any abuse.<br />
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Another interesting detail that falls out of her mouth is that she was getting crime victims reparation money.<br />
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A positively jarring statement comes about 57 minutes in, when she's telling the story of her grand escape from "Doc." After being under-dosed with Ketamine and being forced to perform sexual acts on a priapic corpse, while "Doc" gnaws on it's raw flesh, teal drives to the home of a young man she'd only recently met, Blake Dyer. The rest, as they say, is history. Why Blake? She just knew she could trust him.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
He was so innocent, I swear to God… He's like the most innocent, amazingly sweet person ever. And some part of me thought, I can use this to my advantage.</blockquote>
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<tr> <td align="left" bgcolor="#cccc99" valign="center"><span style="color: #330033;"><i>"When people show you who they are, believe them."</i> ~ <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/oprah-life-lesson-maya-angelou_n_2869235.html">Maya Angelou</a> (paraphrased)</span> </td> </tr>
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One of the strangest things about teal's SRA narrative, and it comes up in this interview as well, is that she talks as if the Satanic Panic never happened. The reason people question her story, according to her, is that they don't want to believe such horrible things can happen, as if Satanism is the only horrible thing that's going on in the world, and as if there weren't many bestselling books, multiple, iconic news shows about Satanic conspiracies. She seems blissfully unaware that people have been prosecuted and gone to jail for their supposedly Satanic crimes. The Satanic Panic was unfolding when she was a child and is common knowledge.<br />
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Somehow we're meant to believe that her story's resemblance to books like <i><a href="https://seanmunger.com/2014/11/06/michelle-remembers-the-story-of-the-literary-hoax-that-started-a-tragic-moral-panic/">Michelle Remembers</a></i> and <i><a href="http://answers.org/satan/stratford.html">Satan's Underground</a></i> is a coincidence. That both of these books and <a href="http://answers.org/satan/laura.html">books like them</a> have been discredited is never mentioned, either. Yet it seems inescapable that the popular culture backdrop of her formative years shaped teal's narrative. <i>The Most Dangerous Game</i> also seems to have worked its way into her thinking, or perhaps the <i>Gilligan's Island</i> <a href="http://gilligan.wikia.com/wiki/The_Hunter">version</a> of that story of a big game hunter who chases human prey through the wilderness. I'm speculating, but it's not like the rest of her ideas are so <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html">original</a>.<br />
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Somehow, despite the many who rose and fell before her, teal has decided that she is the "poster child" for ritual abuse. And she is not thrilled that others with verifiable experiences are stealing her thunder. At an hour and 17 minutes in, she cannot suppress her hostility toward Elizabeth Smart.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I hate her. I hate her because there's so much attention. I hate her because she's glorified. I hate her because you know the reality for her is now that she's got her umpteenth book is that people are, you know that she's released and it's gone major, that she's set for the rest of her life because people know about it. </blockquote>
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Her own victim narrative is very important to her and to her brand. It seems to really chafe that Elizabeth Smart is so much better known for having been victimized.<br />
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Toward the end, a bit before the 2 hour mark, she mentions yet another group who wants to kill her, and it's one that I'd forgotten about: Christians. They're threatening her and her child. Why? Because she teaches oneness. That's just a bridge too far for mainstream Christians and they think she needs to die for it. So as of latter 2014, the biggest threat she faced was from hoards of murderous Christians. She has a very long and ever-changing list of potential assassins. But someone somewhere is just always plotting her death.<br />
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As he moves to the end of this interview, a little past the two hour mark, Oswalt says, “You’ve smiled, you’ve teared up, you’ve kinda laughed, you’ve obviously had some frowns…”<br />
<br />
If you can stand to watch all two hours of this, see if you can see her tear up even once. Oswalt, deliberately or not, is cueing her in on the fact that her affect is not normal for someone recalling such horrific things. She has giggled, smiled, and smirked for two straight hours of sordid recollections of rape, pedophilia, sex trafficking, murder, infanticide, necrophilia, and cannibalism. Within two minutes of him drawing her attention to that fact, she breaks down. Watch her. Watch her very carefully.<br />
<br />
At two hours and three minutes, she swallows a laugh when he says the word “laughed.” It's a smirk we’ve seen many times before.<br />
<br />
Just shy of two hours and five minutes in, she announces “See there I go,” turns from the camera, and starts wiping her eyes. “I promised myself I was gonna make it through without crying.” Oh, so <i>that's</i> why she didn’t shed a tear for two hours of horrifying recollection. Well, that explains it, then.<br />
<br />
This, of course, was footage they used in their broadcast of this interview. And I remember thinking at the time, wow, I’ve never seen her get emotional like that. Because I literally never have. Not when she talked about Leslie’s <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">suicide</a> and hilariously rapid reincarnation. Not when she’s described the horrors of SRA. Never. She doesn’t. But then, as now, the one thing I did <i>not</i> see in the broadcast footage of that interview: tears.<br />
<br />
Throughout this "breakdown," she pinches and rubs her nose, which can make your eyes water. There’s an acting trick. If you can pull out a nose hair with the edge of your fingernail, you can irritate your tear ducts enough to cry on cue. But even with all that scrunching and eye-rubbing, she can’t seem to produce a single tear. Her eyes get a little red, she wipes her cheeks repeatedly, as if she's wiping away tears, but there’s not a scintilla of moisture on her face<br />
<br />
One of the strangest elements of this interview is teal's commentary on her parents. She has forgiven the man whom she claims put her through he tortures of the damned for 16 years, but not her parents. That "almost seems backwards," notes Oswalt, at about an hour and 48 minutes in. Ya think? But teal explains that it's "bystander trauma" which makes it hardest to forgive the bystander who failed to act. But <a href="http://articles.courant.com/1996-05-14/news/9605140251_1_emotional-distress-ruling-injury">bystander trauma</a>, in as much as that's a thing, refers to the emotional distress bystanders experience when they witness traumatic events. Put the psych terminology down, teal. You don't know how to use it.<br />
<br />
Despite that, teal has tremendous resentment toward her parents, and the many therapists they took her to for missing "red flags." They didn't notice that she was being taken from her bed on countless nights. They didn't know and somehow weren't told that she was being routinely abducted from her school. And to this day, they remain in denial about all of it, she explains an hour and 20 minutes in, because they don't believe that she was ritually abused by Mormons and Satanists, only that she was molested by someone and they accept that it was their old friend "Doc." They also missed that there might be some significance to her writing "really horrific, sadistic poetry in grade school." That is definitely a red flag of <i>something</i>.<br />
<br />
She claims at around 48 minutes in that her therapists considered abuse "more than about a hundred times." But didn't think her parents seemed the type. They just never considered that it could be another perpetrator, a teacher, a relative, a friend. Somehow it never occurred to any of them that the man she claims she was spending so much time with, her mentor since early childhood, should have been considered, if, in fact, they suspected abuse that strongly. How does that make any sense, given the story as she has related it? Where did these therapists go to school? Therapists are mandated reporters. They would have been required by law to contact the police if they really suspected abuse.<br />
<br />
All those licensed, professional therapists aside, many people assume she must have had been abused, even if her ritual abuse story is not credible. Many, but not all, assume it must be "Doc." And this is exactly the trap that Brown and his associate Jessica Glazer walk into. A brief segment of their interview with "Doc" airs near the end of the podcast. He denies, not only the ritual abuse, but any inappropriate behavior. His answer, when pressed, remains a clear "no." He does allow that teal hugged him on occasion when he came to pick her up for their veterinary rounds, but notes that they were both in coveralls. For some inexplicable reason, both Brown and Glazer find his answer strange. I did not. Neither did many other people I know who've listened to it. To me it sounds like someone trying to be as forthcoming as possible about any interaction they had that anyone could even begin to question.<br />
<br />
As stated, many people have gone there and I've had this conversation more times than I can count. Here's why I have a huge problem with this implication. Simply stated there is no evidence of it. The only reason he falls under suspicion at all is that teal has named him. She is not a reliable narrator and yet we're looking at "Doc" through her filter. In this country, the burden of proof is on the accuser to prove guilt, not the accused to prove innocence.<br />
<br />
One of the many things that I have liked about the #metoo movement is that it has, for the most part, been fueled by judicious reporting. The credibility of the accuser matters. Getting corroboration, contemporaneous accounts from friends, family, and other witnesses matters. You have to dot every i and cross every t before you suggest that someone is guilty of a crime. All of which the best reporting, like that on <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html?_r=1">Harvey Weinstein</a>, has done. But that did not happen here.<br />
<br />
One of the problems in a case like this is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring">anchoring bias</a>. The piece of information we hear first tends to stick and to determine what information we accept or reject moving forward. I understand why people accept teal's framing of the story, even if they reject most of her story.<br />
<br />
It is also easy to understand why people leap to the conclusion, as many have, that her father abused her, and that pointing the finger at "Doc" is a case of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_allegation_of_child_sexual_abuse#Types">perpetrator substitution</a>. Anyone who's read her blog can see that she’s got some daddy issues. Her deleted post "Oedipus Complex" was particularly concerning to many readers. But to extrapolate from any of her commentary that her father molested her is not fair to her father, either. There is no evidence of it other than some whiffy passages from the same very unreliable narrator.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3pOQGDuDWoNPZn8n97-VdPxTFkQIBrGeO-ghUWHSvkT0B9edBZJFdzz2VuxJskhns0UlrrvVtR3fNoABPZX4lByXAEbesxApCDV_aioYEM1ZiISSIZNKVYT_oWvEYYOmQeju/s1600/OedipalExcerpt.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3pOQGDuDWoNPZn8n97-VdPxTFkQIBrGeO-ghUWHSvkT0B9edBZJFdzz2VuxJskhns0UlrrvVtR3fNoABPZX4lByXAEbesxApCDV_aioYEM1ZiISSIZNKVYT_oWvEYYOmQeju/s1600/OedipalExcerpt.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<br />
I really see no reason to assume that any part of her story is true. It is a story that has certainly served her well. It's fueled her career. She is catered to. She doesn't have to do her own laundry or housekeeping. And it's a really good way to shut down any criticism as "unfair" because she's a "victim." And, as Brown himself says, it has a lot do with her perceived authority. She did say one thing in this podcast that I agree with.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
If there is no abuser, there is no Teal Swan in the world today.</blockquote>
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<br />
<h2 id="E6">
<span style="color: #999999;">Update 7/8/18: Episode 6 of "The Gateway"</span></h2>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://gizmodo.com/internet-spiritual-guru-teal-swan-says-she-isnt-a-cult-1827317795" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Internet Spiritual Guru Teal Swan Says She Isn't a Cult Leader But Has 'The Perfect Recipe For a Cult' " border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXr_tZu-bEHdlZWdQJT4s4cmiIgdUUgOvRIBAjPXow3_RXU8Bo-xfJZ4k3frBmbXo2yu-e93BccuIbR4rEAzEdd0P4vdl7d5Ps68-WNdc6EIM4cR87yYTBFXkE1cW4sFfcMyj/s1600/TheGatewayShadows_E6.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I am the most complicated person you're ever gonna meet. Like you can think of me as a miniature universe, literally. I'm like the fractals of the universe.</blockquote>
<br />
This statement of teal's starts off <a href="https://gizmodo.com/internet-spiritual-guru-teal-swan-says-she-isnt-a-cult-1827317795">Episode 6</a>. Amazingly, she gets even more arrogant as this goes along. But this self-description isn't just vain. It underscores once again how completely teal misunderstands oneness. If she really believed in this mystical principle, she would appreciate that every one of us is the universe in microcosm, that like a hologram, the tiniest particle contains the all. She never seems to grasp this. Instead she's taken bits and pieces of these concepts and applied them in ways that always seem to aggrandize and elevate her very special self. She's complex and has multiple interests, whereas most people are simplistic and single-minded, I guess.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
"I have an aspect of me that's like an artist, an aspect of me that's like a temptress, an aspect of me that's a serial killer, an aspect of me that's like all of it, all of it is in me. I'm aware of it as well (giggle)."</blockquote>
<br />
Wait, what? A serial killer? And note that she's <i>like</i> an artist and a temptress, but she <i>is</i> a serial killer. That might explain her sympathy and identification with <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/santa-barbara-shooting/" rel="nofollow">mass murders</a> like <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=6">Elliott Rodger</a> (page search: devil), her <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">apologia</a> for <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=11">Jim Jones</a> (page search: bottomless), her <a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/processes/dissolving-the-pain-reversal-process-r2/" rel="nofollow">attempts to normalize</a> Ted Bundy, her general affinity for history's villains, and lack of it for their victims. It also raises more concerns about the "horrific, sadistic poetry" she says she wrote as a child.<br />
<br />
Whereas teal's openness and almost conspiratorial tone in earlier interviews with Brown provided some shocking reveals, in his final interview with her in Utah, she sounds more like a Bond villain monologuing about her sinister plan for world domination, before leaving him to die in some convoluted but defeatable death trap.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, the <i>Gizmodo</i> crew escaped with the recordings of teal's most strident and condescending public rantings to date. It was what teal would surely call an "antagonistic" interview. Brown confronted teal with some hard questions about her qualifications to treat serious mental illness and suicidality. In response, she argues from authority, as she generally does when challenged.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
This is the problem with you and me, okay. If you have the access that I have to universal consciousness, I can pull information like you'd never believe, I mean from everywhere.</blockquote>
<br />
She goes on to explain the Akashic Records to Brown, who seems genuinely unfamiliar, and she's not even trying to hide how exasperated she is with his ignorance.<br />
<br />
She explains that unlike people who have to go to school for "years and years" to understand things, she can download "leagues and leagues worth of information," although not the definitions of words like "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_(unit)">leagues</a>" apparently.<br />
<br />
In fact, there seem to be a number of things she can't successfully download, despite her facility with the Akasha. And Brown challenges her directly on these gaps. Why can't she speak multiple languages? "I don't know." Yes, teal actually admitted that there are things she hasn't "figured out."<br />
<br />
Here's a question: Why couldn't she rely on her innate ability to read the Akashic Record to learn and lecture about the Akashic Record? Why did she need to <a href="https://youtu.be/urhFpNdStm8">plagiarize</a> that information from <a href="https://youtu.be/-lgLsZ7-5UU">Camelit Kooray</a>, only belatedly giving him <a href="https://youtu.be/ijt2rqsdg2I">credit</a>, after being exposed.<br />
<br />
She is really good at pulling down medical information, though. When Brown asks what she knows, her tone is more troubling than the claim, "I'm a medical savant."<br />
<br />
Why isn't she a surgeon then? Because she would probably be in jail. She would "refuse" to follow "the laws that the insurance companies put out [???] that are stupid."<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tealquotes/photos/a.1748764995406783.1073741829.1748458952104054/1755741661375783/?type=3&theater"><img a="" alt="" as="" been="" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="700" doctors="" dr.="" end="" field="" have="" i="" in="" jail="" kevorkian.="" like="" medical="" revolutionary="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljdzIM-ZnG-JKplxed5yVyIzDFK-cTClQNWOWF-XMed-DTKjYHTNAkQad6jTMPHYbmLZt0aGlAZnegUBSlk4HPCp7kzTU8dL4UfsUqbheeew7aPFRrL2PK_3Qgs6srBJxjOcs/s1600/DoctorDeath_tealmeme.jpg" the="" up="" well.="" width="460" would="" /></a></div>
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<br />
She is, however, willing to subject the Completion Process to clinical trials, "with a psychiatrist who agrees with me." Dr. Yasin Choudry's biases seem clear to her, as they do to Brown. He has been a member of Teal Tribe since 2015.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrFs5U-3EN0RNGBaD0SY-27y7gmiLqkmKokDoQGYUTLiGspcLqfCKRkf4V88MJZ2XEmPfAzb9vQbgXfeX1VvMkNlLPC8yUb8XG7KeM8eoqVDTSU38vp3OqNPQa4zLllVY5FT0/s1600/YasinChoudry_tealer.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="815" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrFs5U-3EN0RNGBaD0SY-27y7gmiLqkmKokDoQGYUTLiGspcLqfCKRkf4V88MJZ2XEmPfAzb9vQbgXfeX1VvMkNlLPC8yUb8XG7KeM8eoqVDTSU38vp3OqNPQa4zLllVY5FT0/s1600/YasinChoudry_tealer.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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<br />
He is also <a href="https://youtu.be/jPTk_lO9RjY">actively promoting</a> the Completion Process. But all researchers have their biases, and as long as they follow proper protocols, they can produce solid research. And to his credit, Choudry sounds appropriately cautious when interviewed by Brown. In fact, he seems to depart sharply from teal when he states that trauma work is not appropriate for suicidal patients.<br />
<br />
At some point, this will have to pass an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_review_board">IRB</a>. This is a process created by someone with no higher education, that by teal's own admission can cause <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">self-injury and suicide</a>. According to the podcast, Choudry is currently a medical director at a women's prison. If that's the population they plan to work with, it will be even more challenging to get approval. Prisoners are a protected class, their participation in research is subject to <a href="https://humansubjects.nih.gov/prisoners">higher hurdles</a> than for the general populace.<br />
<br />
There are other concerns with with Dr. Choudry. He has an admitted history of serious drug abuse and still appears to be struggling. As recently as 2015 he was subject to a <a href="http://www.nmmb.state.nm.us/docs/board_actions/Board%20Actions%20Reported%2007-01-15%20thru%209-30-15.pdf">stipulation of licensure</a> in New Mexico and ordered to get sober and enter treatment. In 2016, he faced an <a href="https://appsmqa.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/Document/MjgxMzU3NDk%3D">inquiry</a> in Florida, where he also holds a license.<br />
<br />
I say none of this to criticize Dr. Choudry for his addiction issues, but it does raise some questions about his participation in teal's work. His interest is not purely academic. He appears to be a wounded healer who has been fairly transparent about his struggles with addiction. His <a href="http://www.drchoudry.com/">website</a> seems to be gone, but <a href="http://www.psychsearch.net/yasin-choudry/">according to this page</a>, he posted about a serious addiction problem.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
On his own website he details his past and drug history; heroin addict while in med school to the point of developing abscesses all over his body, ozzing [stet] green pus, suicidal, could not get out of bed, took many other drugs to handle that but went down in flames because psychs in his country did not understand addiction, had many psychiatric diagnosis,etc. [stet] etc.</blockquote>
<br />
It sounds like he is part of teal's target "market."<br />
<br />
In this final interview, she is even more blunt about the desperation of her followers. When Brown challenges her lack of credentials and accountability, whether this is entirely faith-based, she responds:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
No. It comes down to how desperate are you.</blockquote>
<br />
That's a statement that would have shocked me even before I knew she was directly targeting desperate and suicidal people. At points she claims that her followers have come to her work because they've tried all the traditional methods and have not found relief. And it is probably true that at least some of her followers are looking to her because they have not been helped by traditional psychology and psychiatry. Again, I have seen a good bit of that in the suicidal screenshots I've amassed. And Choudry is an educated, board certified psychiatrist who appears to still be struggling. But teal goes a step further, and this is where it gets truly alarming. She disparages those methods as if they do not work for anyone.<br />
<br />
When Brown lays out the scenario of "recovering" memories of abuse and trauma, and then being pressed to commit to life or not, he says he'd prefer to work with methods that have some research and oversight.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I'm not gonna argue with the fact that that is going to cause a flare-up of symptomology. Yes. But what is the alternative?... You gonna drug yourself out for the rest of your life?... But it doesn't work. You're gonna be in the same damn position. You're not gonna be able to have relationships. They're gonna be totally shitty. You're gonna have attachment trauma that makes it so that you can't make anything function and you won't know why. So, if you don't know why, there's no hope of solving it.</blockquote>
<br />
She's dismissing every method but her own. Even though she admits that the traumatic memories that could be "recovered" might not be true, she insists that they came up for a reason, and that her methods are the only way to deal with them.<br />
<br />
Her arrogance seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Bear in mind that she's also dismissed "99%" of her self-help colleagues as <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">distributing novocaine</a>. Here she's claiming herself to be "superior" in psychology just as she has in self-help and spirituality.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
How do you know you can trust a psychologist? Half of them are just regurgitating information that was given to them by some idiot who came before.</blockquote>
<br />
It's one thing to say that you have methods that may help people, where traditional methods have failed. It's another to tell people who want to try traditional methods that they <i>will</i> fail and their lives will be terrible because it's all based on idiocy. Her attempts at clinical trials aside — trials that haven't happened yet — this is unethical. You can't discourage people from seeking professional help.<br />
<br />
She's already been cited for practicing mental health therapy without a license, in her home state of Utah. And Brown followed up on this, finding that the fine is now in collection. Utah did succeed in making her cease and desist her use of the state seal on her CP certificates. I can't believe she was audacious enough to use it in the first place. It's blatantly <a href="https://sites.suffolk.edu/jhtl/2016/12/31/the-public-usage-of-state-government-logo-and-seal/">illegal</a>. When the State reached her soon to be ex-husband Ale Gicqueau, he told them that they had relocated to Costa Rica.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
This matter is no longer a part of your jurisdiction.</blockquote>
<br />
But when Brown conducted this final interview with teal, she was in Utah running a workshop, surrounded by members of her "intentional community." And Ale, or <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/vaillant/" rel="nofollow">Vaillant</a> (valiant) as he is now calling himself, recently opened a <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/06/23/inauguration-of-the-avenues-healing-house/" rel="nofollow">healing center</a> in Salt Lake City. They both appear to have a very large footprint in that "jurisdiction."<br />
<br />
Where her murky relationship with clinical practices is most chilling, though, is in how her client Leslie Wangsgaard ended up dead. When challenged on this by Brown, she is not just defensive, she's strident.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Fuck no. Leslie was no mistake at all. I did not make single mistake with Leslie, in fact.</blockquote>
<br />
Could the pressure to decide whether she could "commit to life" have led to her decide that she could not?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
No she went there because I was gone.</blockquote>
<br />
Why did she leave a client she knew had become <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">dependent</a> without making sure she had support?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Because I'm not her provider. I'm a spiritual teacher.</blockquote>
<br />
Well isn't that convenient? Conventional therapy is useless, so people should use teal's methods instead. But if they run into trouble with these methods that she's admitted could cause suicidality, she's not accountable because she's a spiritual teacher, not a licensed therapist.<br />
<br />
She also can't "really remember" if Leslie had "recovered" memories of abuse while working with teal, despite the "photographic memory" she claims to have in this interview. She also can't "pull it down" from the Akasha, I guess. But her widowed husband John says she did and that teal also told her she desperately wanted to leave her body.<br />
<br />
Another thing that becomes frighteningly clear in this interview is that teal is fully aware of how much influence she has over her followers. All that prevents this from being a cult is her own ethical line in the sand. I must admit that I'm dubious about the ethics of someone <a href="https://youtu.be/0_DpoLmfyAY">who has argued</a> that there is no such thing as a "false prophet" or a "malevolent intention" and that Jim Jones thought he was "helping people." I'm just not convinced that her moral compass points north.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
What do I say to the <b>fact</b> that I run a cult?... I have the perfect recipe for a cult. Perfect. Recipe. I have a demographic of people who are miserably isolated, lonely. <b>They need belonging desperately.</b> It's literally the demographic that needs to find somewhere to belong... That <i>is</i> the recipe for a cult... I have the recipe for a cult. I fuckin' know it. And that's what makes me safe. If I went south, I have the perfect demographic of people to work with... It makes the necessity for me to be in alignment so incredibly intense. These people are desperate. <b>These people need my approval. These people will do whatever the hell I say.</b> The only reason that it is not steered there is because of my ethics. [All emphases added]</blockquote>
<br />
It has always bugged me that teal misuses the word demographic so often. Demographics are measurable, based on defined sociological criteria. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography">Demography</a> looks at quantifiable data within a population: age, income, ethnicity, education levels, and so on. Lonely is not a demographic. <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/your-life-is-waiting/" rel="nofollow">Awake</a> is not a demographic. <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/relational-psychology-quiz/" rel="nofollow">Mainstream</a> is not a demographic. "<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-pinned-note/" rel="nofollow">Teal is Illuminati</a>" is not a demographic. She loves that word and I don't think I've seen her use it properly even once. But when I listened to her in this podcast, I had a chilling thought. Demographics data are used extensively in marketing to determine how to reach lucrative markets. Lonely, isolated, suicidal, these are markets to teal, markets she targets directly and strategically.<br />
<br />
I've addressed her "internal guidance system" and "no financial buy-in" arguments <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">previously</a>. But even within this interview, we can see how she undercuts her own argument. Arguing from authority about how she can read the Akashic Record and other people can't is not exactly fostering independence. Having a following that she believes need her "approval" and will "do whatever the hell I say," doesn't exactly sound like she's cultivating independence of thought, either.<br />
<br />
She tells Brown:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
There is no consequence for leaving. People do it all the time. </blockquote>
<br />
But she has said more than once, and most pointedly in the <i>OZY</i> interview quoted above, that breaking with her will deprive people of the relationships and sense of community they have found as her followers. How is that not a harsh consequence for desperately lonely people? And, while there may be no further punishment for leaving, people who speak out after the fact are opening themselves to an onslaught of personal attacks and even threats. These seem like consequences to me.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Another mainstream source has weighed in on "The Gateway" and its subject. <a href="https://jezebel.com/how-this-dangerous-spiritual-guru-is-like-an-instagram-1827319316">Jezebel</a> devoted an episode of "Dirtcast" to re-airing the debut. They also interviewed Brown and Glazer about this "dangerous 'spiritual guru.'"<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
<b>The Gateway</b> is a six-part series about Teal Swan, the online spiritual guru/YouTuber/influencer/“Suicide Catalyst” using a dangerous combination of SEO, charisma, and hypnotic self-help to draw vulnerable people into her web. As Maddie says, “it’s fuckin’ crazy.”<br />
<br />
With so many people looking for meaning online, Teal Swan’s unorthodox brand of “therapy” exploits the gaping holes in our mental health system, targeting people who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. She represents a dangerous lesson in how the internet can influence a person’s worldview—and their decision to take their own life.</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualcatalyst/videos/2152914881403607/"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMauNlkOPwCvF0OE8-Nq6cPviQb0czse9Givtp7bGpsqbLHCo2t0kRr5Bo-0DcVSyFq6DbxdWFPQC45tCzGXA7bn1kdxw0cJJG4tR2IJBf1xzi1f07wxrqVa3yoBae-t940Qhg/s1600/tealongizmodo.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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<br />
There was another response from teal to the podcast, this time in a live broadcast on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualcatalyst/?hc_ref=ARRixfPjnJT73JCy2_W7-ERWpWBnqdGtE50dzl0wQ15boNmquknFIPJriBwrzpfwKTg">Spiritual Catalyst</a> page on Facebook. She was asked her thoughts and a torrent of hostility ensued. It's starts at 21:40 in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualcatalyst/videos/2152914881403607/">this video</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I was completely duped by those people, and I am very angry about it. Because what they did is they came in "posing" as neutral, um, interviewers... What is frustrating me the most about the <i>Gizmodo</i> podcast is that they completely turned it negative, and I'm sorry, like, that is not journalism. A journalist really should be able to cover things in a neutral way and that was completely anti, and the fact that they can't see that completely blows my mind. It's completely unprofessional on their parts.</blockquote>
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So let me get this straight. She could see what Jennings Brown had for breakfast, and right down to his cellular function, but she couldn't see that he was not "neutral?" How does a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">professional empath</a>, who can read the Akashic Record like the back of her hand, get "duped?"<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
<i>Gizmodo</i>, this is a little secret, <i>Gizmodo</i> is actually the same company — they just had to rebrand themselves — that ruined the career of Hulk Hogan... They're basically, it's a ragtag.</blockquote>
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How does a woman with a photographic memory and direct access to the Akasha get so much wrong? What happened with Hulk Hogan is hardly a secret and his career is just fine, as is his bank account. Hogan sued <i>Gawker</i> for publishing an excerpt of a sex tape. He bankrupted them. It was <i>Gawker</i> that was "ruined." <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmodo">Gizmodo</a></i> was always called <i>Gizmodo</i> and it's a tech site. It was part of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawker_Media">Gawker Media</a>, but it was acquired by Univision and it continues, along with number of other sites previously owned by Gawker Media. <a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ragtag">Ragtag</a> is an adjective, not a noun, and it means ragged, shabby, threadbare, disheveled, barely hanging together. I believe the word she's looking for is "rag," as in fishwrap, a tabloid. I suppose calling the former gossip site <i>Gawker</i> a rag is fair, but I loved it.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Even the change in incantation of your voice changes the entire meaning of what you're saying.</blockquote>
<br />
I'm sorry, what? Could she mean intonation, maybe? Or does she actually mean <a href="https://youtu.be/GO_xfR64qSk">something like</a>: "These aren't the droids you're looking for."<br />
<br />
She says she's angry because <i>Gizmodo</i> wasn't "neutral." But teal doesn't want neutral, un-biased coverage. She wants interviews that are "set up to make [her] look good." Because according to teal, there are only two kinds of reporting, "supportive" or "antagonistic." Has she ever once complained because an interviewer was too pro-teal? Aren't all those gushing, credulous interviewers, who never challenge her with difficult questions, biased? She's always seemed very pleased with bias, as long as it was bias in her direction.<br />
<br />
Overall, I thought Brown was fair. He editorialized a bit and drew conclusions, so it was not unbiased, just the facts, reportage. I didn't agree with some of his conclusions, myself. But I think he did solid, investigative work.<br />
<br />
It was Brown's fairness that made teal look bad. He could have done a podcast based almost entirely on the views of her critics. My recorded interview with him ran over three hours. He used seconds of it. I know he had similar interviews with other critics. He interviewed former followers and former friends of teal's, some of whom are sharply critical. He gave far more airtime to her devoted followers and the environments she's created. The main focus of the podcast was teal's perspective and he interviewed her several times. And as I have been demonstrating for four and a half years, it's not "bias," it's not "hate." It's her own words that do her in.<br />
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<br />
<h2 id="kerfuffle">
<span style="color: #999999;">Update 7/17/18: Teal Tribe Kerfuffle</span></h2>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlyBQi1H1zoBqufDPVQ2QrZg-qjVDzjsVryDvUf-WDY6cK_liAj6fyvRfCJS0SRsqU2En_8OEzmM6UY_J5_tLKia2y037KVQIGzIy215WpkDYrafLuuVgEtbpQzRvkqoAzXVG/s1600/weakmenareDISGUSTING.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlyBQi1H1zoBqufDPVQ2QrZg-qjVDzjsVryDvUf-WDY6cK_liAj6fyvRfCJS0SRsqU2En_8OEzmM6UY_J5_tLKia2y037KVQIGzIy215WpkDYrafLuuVgEtbpQzRvkqoAzXVG/s1600/weakmenareDISGUSTING.png" width="450" /></a></div>
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<br />
There was a little dust-up on Teal Tribe the other day, when a member posted what looks to be a fan-generated meme. Response to this was decidedly mixed, which led to a spirited discussion. Why and how this is relevant to the podcast series will become clearer as we move along.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kUwfzmMPJwsN83bRxlDoJVDFxhS7xM_2QNbXTSMYcNBnoOMLlzjVOccw0-cQfdfPMcYG4dWdhX5uYKMQx2DPARnWrOyCgYtS5ypDe55VX2KVREMTSjA2aVkUtey3fzj3ALxw/s1600/nohumanisdisgusting.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kUwfzmMPJwsN83bRxlDoJVDFxhS7xM_2QNbXTSMYcNBnoOMLlzjVOccw0-cQfdfPMcYG4dWdhX5uYKMQx2DPARnWrOyCgYtS5ypDe55VX2KVREMTSjA2aVkUtey3fzj3ALxw/s1600/nohumanisdisgusting.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rpuCaChEAmzaDviHKhsf9cbDRTawv5jFFBay3Bwe0MDDGSGOlqXJgmyZfH7H-YtOuAim3GJqpAIwZcTmpbHlelRy27yA7b4vkGMDHSEzVNr7yT6msQuK7Qr-IIiMXberVsw1/s1600/sameincontext.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rpuCaChEAmzaDviHKhsf9cbDRTawv5jFFBay3Bwe0MDDGSGOlqXJgmyZfH7H-YtOuAim3GJqpAIwZcTmpbHlelRy27yA7b4vkGMDHSEzVNr7yT6msQuK7Qr-IIiMXberVsw1/s1600/sameincontext.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
There were many defenders of teal's words, and numerous calls to put the quote in proper context. The context, in this case, is an excerpt of teal's recent online workshop, posted to her channel.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="239" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qwy_F1eC83g" width="450"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">Nice Guys Finish Last</span></div>
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<br />
There is much in this video that is troubling, starting with her explanation that sociopaths are successful because their lack of conscience means they don't law of attract getting "in trouble" and are more clearly focused. This she describes as a "loophole" in the law of attraction. (I keep looking for the loophole in the law of gravity, but, nope, still can't fly.) But if a lack of conscience invariably law of attracts escape from negative consequences, why are <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder">sociopaths and psychopaths</a> so over-represented in the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/handy-psychology-answers/201103/what-do-we-know-about-psychopathy">prison population</a>? This looks like another failure of teal-logic.<br />
<br />
To the point of the discussion, though, at least some people noticed that the context doesn't really change the meaning of the memed quote.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sApsYPmAmFgPqxtyWvPmdHLZR_MooORbk0lLpzhlK4oBpdYHWY2xgBVSjCoNwbZcEw9Gq01jWvJDT4CfY66BOtZCLRy1cjLPjDax1-ehyg8-eopUcIusnXQB4yPrgZZd7H0P/s1600/disgustingisfancy.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sApsYPmAmFgPqxtyWvPmdHLZR_MooORbk0lLpzhlK4oBpdYHWY2xgBVSjCoNwbZcEw9Gq01jWvJDT4CfY66BOtZCLRy1cjLPjDax1-ehyg8-eopUcIusnXQB4yPrgZZd7H0P/s1600/disgustingisfancy.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
Let me help you out, person who is troubled by the font variation in the meme. The video is indeed important for context. The reason for the embellished script is that it matches her verbal emphasis on the word "disgusting," which may be heard at 2:02.<br />
<br />
There was enough criticism of teal's statement, that she ventured into teal tribe to do some damage control.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeTPPUeo8QTvxz4tRRDUuEpWHQE6d4CCkUDIAYem1YdZQPrnlxUTKvnf7TAk4ix5bl74lvt-xOQKDifoubCrbj73BDuCRgf8dbxom4llDf_cm5FFVzYBxBO3cJt_la8Mz6p9Z/s1600/harshandcruel_teal.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeTPPUeo8QTvxz4tRRDUuEpWHQE6d4CCkUDIAYem1YdZQPrnlxUTKvnf7TAk4ix5bl74lvt-xOQKDifoubCrbj73BDuCRgf8dbxom4llDf_cm5FFVzYBxBO3cJt_la8Mz6p9Z/s1600/harshandcruel_teal.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
The words that come out of teal's mouth can make her look really bad, so she attempted to put this statement back into its original, confusing, but not really exonerating context. She even made a free-standing post to explain herself.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgrwPr1oLF28YefWVxDfIpnRDRy0Q3wmoldN39e2Gcv1wHSv4bV-L8Tgek64_6Xt4xhgcu9XsrKzi1rtUHxjIvgFWAOPV4sPk5asV9sHLaj7PzWMv0mqvY9jzqCL8jrTdzS4z/s1600/tealsplainingweakmen.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgrwPr1oLF28YefWVxDfIpnRDRy0Q3wmoldN39e2Gcv1wHSv4bV-L8Tgek64_6Xt4xhgcu9XsrKzi1rtUHxjIvgFWAOPV4sPk5asV9sHLaj7PzWMv0mqvY9jzqCL8jrTdzS4z/s1600/tealsplainingweakmen.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
And this is where things took a weird turn. The first comment on that thread had nothing to do with whether or not nice men were "weak." It was a direct plea for help from teal.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih338w7kD_Ny5e7_G-E-jAKOIu6N28GNgyUeTIStvzCXJHy8XpdCQ-bMCRnri5kHetFQZMfgwlh6XU1-O4H-uVO6WrZJHL0u4DMRiwpTE6F8B69f5OEPCO4prDYfR1SedLivpt/s1600/tealhelpmenotkillmyself.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih338w7kD_Ny5e7_G-E-jAKOIu6N28GNgyUeTIStvzCXJHy8XpdCQ-bMCRnri5kHetFQZMfgwlh6XU1-O4H-uVO6WrZJHL0u4DMRiwpTE6F8B69f5OEPCO4prDYfR1SedLivpt/s1600/tealhelpmenotkillmyself.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
Some other tribers offered support and advice. But there was no response from teal, at least not to the person wrestling with suicidal thoughts.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoW-d-sNLowcfuo6W9PdjmLKAKHb-QdfDJixlpk5crvRovQrDY6B9UGge9NO4pJYmxVvP8oXQ7O0Kl0D7rvYuOZI3J0nmY47xjMgeWfWhIZ31KJMPUbXgDP3NFxqEHw8ORNCE-/s1600/tealignorespotentialsuicide.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoW-d-sNLowcfuo6W9PdjmLKAKHb-QdfDJixlpk5crvRovQrDY6B9UGge9NO4pJYmxVvP8oXQ7O0Kl0D7rvYuOZI3J0nmY47xjMgeWfWhIZ31KJMPUbXgDP3NFxqEHw8ORNCE-/s1600/tealignorespotentialsuicide.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
See what happened there? Both Blake and teal commented on the post, but skipped right past that first, desperate comment. And teal did hang around the tribe to schmooze a bit. She even found time to thank a member for doing a video analysis of her astrology chart.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJGpt0QAlgzgAIcH6jLZUFu9XahsQXSXEvEOGebx1ImchoQD_OOku9KOAhCZexJhb2M9mphVsIPpnEHuJt4IsRdAktgQ9aU0nRSgpZX5WQUh1pvZB8KqLnPZgEmJ91EFJChbN/s1600/tealchartvideo.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJGpt0QAlgzgAIcH6jLZUFu9XahsQXSXEvEOGebx1ImchoQD_OOku9KOAhCZexJhb2M9mphVsIPpnEHuJt4IsRdAktgQ9aU0nRSgpZX5WQUh1pvZB8KqLnPZgEmJ91EFJChbN/s1600/tealchartvideo.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
These screenshots, of course, only show public activity. So it's possible that this person was contacted privately by teal or, at least, another admin. But hours later, this person still did not appear to have gotten any such support, and tried again on teal's personal page.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq8t2-oileqRY_GoQpjFbJq0XRLX5G07cn2AE2o0oC3c-O-U1l__X1c679FftYcjpCoBOHiyl8K8smmOtLItH3Zv2GfCWGi6hb6DM8UwK7F-kxX89jwkLemBLo7NL9QVx6RQc/s1600/directappealontealspage.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq8t2-oileqRY_GoQpjFbJq0XRLX5G07cn2AE2o0oC3c-O-U1l__X1c679FftYcjpCoBOHiyl8K8smmOtLItH3Zv2GfCWGi6hb6DM8UwK7F-kxX89jwkLemBLo7NL9QVx6RQc/s1600/directappealontealspage.png" width="390" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
As of today, there is still no apparent response from teal.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4B_trAco-k76zsF2CIOWTnhvQ41-3-KF08vbppkP6b_j0rpeN-u5VjkCR-sZ9oCmfKrpVfm9zHffSNeE5P_Q-UESaGn-2FZCGJZX01Xp7vJCJpaLUHJpFOuqn_uXu2UjfHlmH/s1600/stillunanswered.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="587" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4B_trAco-k76zsF2CIOWTnhvQ41-3-KF08vbppkP6b_j0rpeN-u5VjkCR-sZ9oCmfKrpVfm9zHffSNeE5P_Q-UESaGn-2FZCGJZX01Xp7vJCJpaLUHJpFOuqn_uXu2UjfHlmH/s1600/stillunanswered.png" width="450" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-small;">Click Image to Expand</span></div>
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<br />
The upshot is this: teal uses various SEO tricks to deliberately target desperate and suicidal people. They buy her products. They join her groups. They watch her videos, which generates ad revenue. She claims that she knows better than suicide helplines, and the entire field of psychology, how to help these people. But when they need help, when they are struggling with suicidal ideation, self-harm, and other desperate needs, she ignores their pleas. Or, at least, that's how it appears.<br />
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<br />
<h2 id="blogpost">
<span style="color: #999999;">Update 8/14/18: In which teal lies about Cameron... again</span></h2>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKJ4Ld8X2a2FNeHeHARyzUCvQXZChWxqJ5eIoUBxiZKj8BS3PegU3q1b_XL31XrP8G7j1mBKgF6sIERXpSuVdOJ7M6rZcAItPdttuBuuNxA3zRvUYQsjT0gpywe1gFjH-pezb/s1600/youdonthavehaters.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKJ4Ld8X2a2FNeHeHARyzUCvQXZChWxqJ5eIoUBxiZKj8BS3PegU3q1b_XL31XrP8G7j1mBKgF6sIERXpSuVdOJ7M6rZcAItPdttuBuuNxA3zRvUYQsjT0gpywe1gFjH-pezb/s1600/youdonthavehaters.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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<br />
Every time I think teal can't possibly become more self-pitying or self-serving, she outdoes herself. Her <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/their-lives-in-my-hands-my-life-in-their-hands-r565/" rel="nofollow">new blog post</a> appears to be a response to the recent spate of negative press and other criticism. It's all terribly unfair that people are critical of her, so we should pity her for being rich and famous, because she's very, very famous. And it's making her life hard.<br />
<br />
There is much to say about this post, but I'll get straight to the defamation part — not <i>of</i> her, <i>by</i> her. For all her complaining about how "slander works," it's teal who is spreading malicious lies about another party and that party is Cameron. And not just because she calls her "unstable," although that is a baseless claim and arguably libelous. Once again, and even though it's been soundly refuted, teal is blaming Cameron for creating the controversy about teal's role in Leslie Wangsgaard's suicide.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Unfortunately at that time, we had taken on a very unstable volunteer named Cameron Clark. When the entire team decided Cameron was a liability because of her divisive and antagonistic, mentally disturbed behavior and needed to be sent home, Cameron turned against me and became one of my principal haters. She went straight to anyone with a following who publicly attacked spiritual teachers looking for help to take me down. She found assistance. Unfortunately, the two weeks she stayed in the community was exactly during the time that Leslie committed suicide. Cameron was in close enough vicinity to me to see me cry about Leslie’s death and express my regret that I had not been there when she went into crisis. And so the first thing she did, going straight for my weak spot, was to create slander flyers that said “Leslie Ann Wangsgaard (birth date and death date)... Goes to Teal for a session and commits suicide… What would you think?” This was where the slander rumor that equated me to a person that causes people to commit suicide began. </blockquote>
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Nothing in that passage is true, except that teal had a client named Leslie Wangsgaard who <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=leslie-ann-wangsgaard-keith&pid=157758347">killed herself</a>, while she was under her care.<br />
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As Brown states clearly in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E1">Episode 1</a>, Cameron did not live with teal until 2013, a <i>year after</i> Leslie's suicide in May of 2012. I spoke to Tori about this yesterday morning and she gave me permission to post her comment clarifying the discrepancy. She was friends with teal at the time. Cameron was not in the picture.<br />
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As I wrote <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">here</a>, Cameron wasn't the "hater" who raised questions about Leslie's suicide. That was me, in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">this blog post</a>, in January of 2014. I was alerted to her her bizarre statements about a client's suicide in comments on my <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">first blog post</a> about teal, so concern about that had been circulating for a while, even before I blogged it. Cameron didn't go public with <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/10/former-insider-teal-is-deluded-and.html">her criticism</a> of teal until October of 2014, ten months after I raised the suicide issue, and well after there had already been a good deal of publicly stated concern about it by others. What Cameron said about this issue — and it can be heard plainly in the excerpt Brown used in the podcast — had nothing to do with teal having caused Leslie's suicide. It's that teal had pressured Cameron to think of herself as suicidal like Leslie — she wasn't — and to take a drive through the mountains of Utah and decide whether or not she could "commit to life."<br />
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But teal seams to be really fixated on Cameron and has repeatedly tried to scapegoat her for all the "hate" she receives. What she's doing here is a twofer. She's trying to neutralize Cameron as the credible critic she is and deflect all responsibility for her own disturbing commentary about suicide.<br />
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When isn't teal deflecting responsibility? When has she ever taken responsibility for anything she's done or said? She almost, kinda sounds like she was maybe doing some soul searching after Leslie's death, but we'd have to take her word for it. She's made so many false and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">conflicting</a> statements about that time, it's kind of hard to take anything she says seriously. And now <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/06/a-funny-thing-happened-on-way-to.html#E6">she says</a> she "did not make single mistake with Leslie."<br />
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This entire blog post is an exercise in blame-throwing. The self-proclaimed "shadow worker" is, once again, doing a lot of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)">shadow projection</a>.<br />
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She's not responsible for the awful things she says in interviews. It's those devious reporters "provoking [her] in horrific ways just so they can get the headline they want." She was tricked by <i>Gizmodo</i>'s Brown, who "<span style="background-color: white; color: #353c41; font-family: "avenir next lt pro regular"; font-size: 18px;">posed as a neutral journalist</span>" and "<span style="background-color: white; color: #353c41; font-family: "avenir next lt pro regular"; font-size: 18px;">pretended to be an ally.</span>" So which is it? Was he pretending to be neutral or pretending to be an ally, because it cannot be both. But this is teal's warped conception of how journalism works. Neutrality, in tealspeak, means biased, but in her favor.<br />
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Worst of all, she's actually throwing blame on her suicidal followers. This is a "market" that she cultivated with her own SEO tactics. She was perfectly happy to take their money (workshops, products, views/ad revenue). But now she's holding them accountable for a number of problems.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
1. My haters have seen this as a great leverage tool to take me down. The media craze around me and suicide specifically has created a situation where now on a weekly basis, we receive threats that people will kill themselves so as to take me down.</blockquote>
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I would be lying if I said I understood exactly what she's saying here. Who is "threatening" her? Are these suicide threats? From people who will kill themselves just to "take [her] down"... whatever that means? I'm not sure how else to read that and the next item on her list seems to bolster that interpretation.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
2. My very manipulative fans who are partial to victim control drama are using it now as a way to force me into doing what they want. They are threatening that if I don’t let them stay at my retreat center Philia or solve their problems, they will commit suicide, so I have to help them personally or do what they want if I don’t want more bad press relative to suicide and blood on my hands.</blockquote>
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I'd just like to point out that she has <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/05/shadows-before-suicide.html">previously said</a> that she receives about ten "suicidal e mails" a day, which she ignores in favor of producing more of her income generating content.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
3. I am one of the only people in the field of health and wellness being associated with suicide and directly addressing it with my opinion on how it should be approached. As a result, now suicidal people who are actually in need of help are flocking to my workshops and retreats in droves. I both love this because I do want to help people who are struggling with suicidal ideation and hate this because of the insane liability it poses. What happens if someone who was suicidal comes to me for help but commits suicide? Am I to be blamed for it? It quite literally feels like I have been made responsible for people’s lives and deaths. </blockquote>
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The title of her blog post starts with "their lives in my hands," so exactly who is making her responsible for "their" life and death decisions if it's not her? More strangely, she's holding <i>them</i> responsible for <i>her</i> well-being.<br />
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But I do not want my entire mission brought down because someone who came to me for help decides to commit suicide. I would love for someone to see me as a key factor for why they did not commit suicide. But is it fair to make someone, whether it is a psychologist or psychiatrist or life coach or spiritual leader responsible for whether someone decides to take their own life?</blockquote>
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In other words, she wants credit for the successes, but not the failures — not the deaths that her irresponsible commentary and lack of support system might cause.<br />
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This means not only will our relationships and characters be shredded; we will also be targeted and shredded for whether we help or harm people in general.</blockquote>
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Yes, you read that right. She doesn't think she should be held accountable if she <i>harms</i> people.<br />
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Not only does she personally ignore suicide threats, not only is there no real system in place on any of her platforms to deal with the deluge of suicidal followers her own marketing strategy brings her, she is actively discouraging the most accessible support system available for suicidal people: suicide hotlines. She did this in her interview with Brown and even as she blames him for extracting such awful statements from her, she's not using her own blog to walk back her most incendiary and bad press generating statements. In fact, she's doubling down.<br />
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She is so proud of her contempt for suicide hotlines and traditional therapy, that she quoted that passage on her Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmcySJgBIvy/">to promote</a> this blog post.<br />
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There is so much about this post that's disturbing, it's hard to know where to begin.<br />
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She's dismissing any form of help for suicidal people, other than her own. And she's juxtaposing that message with an image of herself surrounded by a glory like the blessed mother, like she's some exalted being, superior to all other spiritual guidance. Almost obscured by the prismatic light effect is the dour, judgmental, far from beatific look on her face. She looks like some dark angel of the damned.<br />
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Even on her own IG, she got some serious pushback.<br />
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I don't see how anyone can look at that image of teal and not conclude that she wants to be on a pedestal, that she is deliberately presenting herself as an "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/08/teal-swan-cult-or-movement_6.html">object of worship</a>." She's certainly not looking to be treated as an equal.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
For example, if you don’t expose your personal life, they say you aren’t relatable. If you do expose your personal life and become relatable, they discredit you as an authority and begin to give you advice.</blockquote>
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No, we certainly don't want the little people thinking that <i>she</i> might actually have something to learn from <i>them</i>. But if you don't follow <i>her</i> advice, you don't want to change.<br />
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Sound familiar? This is what <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">she said</a> about Leslie, that she didn't do what teal wanted her to do, which meant she wasn't "committed to life." It can never possibly mean that teal's recommendations aren't right for you. She is simply never wrong and if you don't see your problems the way she does, she's the one who's being "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/11/fact-check-teal-swan-answers-to.html">gaslighted</a>."<br />
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For all her complaining about how "isolating" fame is and how it makes all her relationships impossible, maybe, just maybe, it has a little more to do with the fact that no one can tell her anything.<br />
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There are many strange reveals in this post, intentional or otherwise. For instance, it looks like someone may be suing her. There are clearly other conflicts she's alluding to, without naming names, although <s>Ale</s><a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/vaillant/">Vaillant</a> is strongly implied.<br />
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And then, she compares herself to "Osho," aka., Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. From her we learn that he was also blameless, but ill-served by his "unstable followers."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
For people, like myself, who are leading a spiritual movement, we live in terror of situations like Osho got himself into. We live in terror of being unable to control what other people in our following do and don’t do, but being made responsible for it. </blockquote>
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Here's an idea. Don't run a cult. Don't create an army of sycophants who will do anything to protect you from the normal processes of law, government, and zoning regulations. How 'bout that?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
As a result of this press campaign against me, I live in fear of being unable to control whether someone ultimately decides to take their life, but being made responsible for it. I live in fear that I will be blamed for not being able to prevent it. I live in fear that I will be accused of somehow contributing to someone’s decision to do it, even though my aim is to help someone want to live.</blockquote>
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How 'bout you don't deliberately cultivate a following of suicidal people, with a creative use of search tags, and then tell them that suicide is a "reset button," that death feels fantastic, and that they need to get off the fence and decide whether or not they can "commit to life?"<br />
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Just my two cents, but I know she doesn't want any advice.<br />
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Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on Celestial Reflections.</div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-13443038071263464072018-04-24T23:00:00.000-04:002018-04-25T02:42:45.855-04:00Smallville Star Arrested for Role in Branding Cult<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://youtu.be/vsxHKDgvhYY"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDkgiRMsZvG45eGgVCdR9ultLs_nkVOAxOSdoYGq5dR6-_0AiwSyFqplEUZUZhWDz_o6Gdkof2FVhJxpYx89gB-MlrnlEgIfgkVmTWCpD5TL-OoDTN-1vzI_ayuIiIOcLva8k/s1600/AllisonMackGazesatRaniere.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Allison Mack Gazes at Keith Raniere in Deeply Weird Video</span></a></div>
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Keith Raniere may be discovering that there's a downside to following the Scientology model of recruiting celebrities into your cult. For whatever credibility and popularity they may initially bring to your organization, if things go pear-shaped, fame becomes infamy. A few weeks ago, the NXIVM founder was extradited from Mexico on sex trafficking and other charges. There was a flurry of news coverage, as <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2018/03/esoterica_29.html">noted here</a>. But when "Smallville" star Allison Mack was <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/nxivm-founder-actress-indicted-sex-trafficking-forced-labor/story?id=54618672">arrested on Friday</a>, a media firestorm ensued.<br />
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This is not the first time Raniere's cultivation of the rich and famous has backfired. It may be what put him on the road to ruin. India Oxenberg, an aspiring actress from a <a href="https://pagesix.com/2018/04/18/princess-elizabeth-daughter-in-nyc-in-bid-to-rescue-grandkid-from-alleged-sex-cult/">royal bloodline</a>, must have seemed like a real get, until her much more famous mother Catherine Oxenberg <a href="http://people.com/human-interest/catherine-oxenberg-megyn-kelly-today-nxivm/">went public</a>. Her plea for her daughter's safety was covered by the <i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/nyregion/nxivm-women-branded-albany.html">New York Times</a></i>, <i><a href="http://people.com/human-interest/dynasty-star-catherine-oxenbergs-fight-to-save-daughter-nxivm/">People</a></i>, <a href="http://people.com/human-interest/catherine-oxenberg-megyn-kelly-today-nxivm/"><i>Megyn Kelly TODAY</i></a>, and <a href="https://2paragraphs.com/2017/12/2020-who-is-actress-catherine-oxenberg-indias-mother-in-interview/"><i>20/20</i></a>. And suddenly that "branding cult" was water cooler talk. <br />
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The unflinching, in-depth coverage in the media also forced New York authorities to begin taking complaints seriously, that they had previously dismissed as "consensual." Roughly six months later, NXIVM's most famous member is facing <a href="http://deadline.com/2018/04/allison-mack-arrested-sex-trafficking-smallville-actress-1202373240/">15 years to life</a> and so is Keith Raniere.<br />
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Previous to this graphic, public outing, Raniere's organization had been chugging along pretty quietly in Albany, making millions, and silencing former members with lawsuits and intimidation tactics, thanks to the very <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/59j45d/meet-the-heiresses-who-funded-an-alleged-cults-legal-battles">deep pockets</a> of Seagram's heiresses <a href="https://nypost.com/2010/03/26/seagram-cult-sisters-trust-fund-on-the-rocks/">Clare and Sara Bronfman</a>. Although their wealth and social position had also brought him a spate of <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/11/bronfman-201011">bad press</a>. But suing your victims into silence and bankruptcy is a less effective tactic when some of them are famous and well-heeled, something Scientology is learning the hard way with its futile attacks on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Remini:_Scientology_and_the_Aftermath">Leah Remini</a>.<br />
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Is this self-help organization a cult, asks <i><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/is-nxivm-a-cult-what-we-know-w512261">Rolling Stone</a></i>. Answer: yes.<br />
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NXIVM – which began, in 1998, as a "<a href="http://www.executivesuccessprograms.com/programs/">personal and professional development program</a>" dubbed Executive Success Programs – was founded by computer programmer <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1013/088.html#b417c471853b">Keith Raniere</a> <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1013/088.html#b417c471853b">and his business partner,</a> <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1013/088.html#b417c471853b">ex-</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1013/088.html#b417c471853b">nurse Nancy Salzman</a>.The group holds seminars and training programs for people <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/how-strange-secretive-cult-company-waging-legal-war-against-journalists/">"concerned with developing their skills</a>," and claims to have <a href="http://www.executivesuccessprograms.com/official-statement/">worked with</a> more than 16,000 people in 30 countries. The organization uses a trademarked method called "Rational Inquiry" to help adherents achieve their goals (for the reported cost of<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/11/bronfman-201011"> up to $7,500</a> for an intensive, multi-day workshop). (Rolling Stone reached out to Executive Success Programs and Keith Raniere for comment but did not hear back.)<br />
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. . .<br />
<br />
Alexandra Stein, who has a PhD in the sociology of cults and wrote a book called <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Terror-Love-and-Brainwashing-Attachment-in-Cults-and-Totalitarian-Systems/Stein/p/book/9781138677975"><i>Terror, Love and Brainwashing</i></a>, tells RS that NXIVM does, indeed, qualify as a cult, per her five-point definition: it has a charismatic, authoritarian leader; it's "steeply hierarchical" in format, with possible front groups; it bears a "total, absolute ideology;" it uses coercive persuasion or brainwashing to isolate members from family; and it exploits followers and shows "potential for violence."<br />
<br />
"Cults come in all forms," she explains. "Religious, political, self-help, therapy, sports/martial arts, commercial, business. If someone is promising you the world and starting to do [those] other things, beware."</blockquote>
<br />
All of those elements are very clearly present, as are other cult markers, not noted in that article. For instance, women are being starved to the point of being dangerously underweight. Raniere likes his women thin. But convincing women to subsist on 500-800 calories a day is a pernicious control tactic.<br />
<br />
In one of the most troubling moments in Catherine Oxenberg's <i>People</i> <a href="http://people.com/human-interest/dynasty-star-catherine-oxenbergs-fight-to-save-daughter-nxivm/">interview</a> she talks about her daughter being so thin that she had stopped menstruating and was already perimenopausal in her early 20s. This can happen with anorexia and Raniere's "slave women" are functionally anorexic.<br />
<br />
In <i><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/find-your-next-read/extracts/2015/mar/08/naomi-wolf-on-the-beauty-myth/">The Beauty Myth</a></i>, Naomi Wolff shows how our cultural preoccupation with thinness is a way of <a href="http://gos.sbc.edu/w/wolf2.html">weakening women</a> psychologically, socio-politically, and physically.<br />
<br />
It is also a cult brainwashing tactic, often coupled with another physical stressor, sleep deprivation. Steven Hassan <a href="http://old.freedomofmind.com/Info/BITE/bitemodel.php">lists both</a> under Behavior Control in his BITE model.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
5. Regulate diet - food and drink, hunger and/or fasting<br />
6. Manipulation and deprivation of sleep </blockquote>
<br />
Both tactics were apparently <a href="https://frankreport.com/2018/04/19/allison-mack-put-slaves-on-starvation-diet-and-kept-them-sleep-deprived/">used and enforced</a> by Allison Mack in the secret NXIVM sect DOS (<i>Dominus Obsequius Sororum</i>).<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The presence of excess fat can disturb transmission of Raniere’s subtle energies to women, he claims. So, he required female students to be slender. He offered instructions on overcoming bodily urges and “emotional viscera” toward food. DOS women were placed on three diets, separated by daily caloric intake: 500[advanced]; 800 [standard]; and 900 [women who had defiance issues].<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
In addition to constantly dieting, Raniere’s slaves are instructed to sleep little. Raniere said he dispensed with the need for sleep; slaves are required to ask permission to go to sleep and are awakened at the call of Raniere or Mack – which may come by text. Failure to comply comes with vigorous paddling on bare buttocks.<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
Mack said the reason Raniere is unavailable during the day is he is in “deep transcendental communion with cosmic realities.”<br />
<br />
Mack told her slaves the reason they are only allowed to sleep three to four hours per night is to teach them to be in “alignment with their inner representations” of Raniere.</blockquote>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="256" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60oeX3IUQhE" width="450"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Other red flags can be seen in the <i>20/20</i> episode and other reporting. Minutes into the broadcast, Elizabeth Vargas gives an overview of some of NXIVM's lingo.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
We do know that NXIVM has its own lingo. Students are taught about overcoming "disintegrations" to become more "potent" and less "suppressive" and avoiding people termed "parasites" or "Luciferians."</blockquote>
<br />
In Hassan's BITE model, this falls under Thought Control:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
3. Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words</blockquote>
<br />
"Loading the Language" is also item six in Robert Jay Lifton's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_Reform_and_the_Psychology_of_Totalism">thought reform criteria</a>, also known as "thought-terminating clichés."<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliché. The most far-reaching and complex of human problems are compressed into brief, highly reductive, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed. These become the start and finish of any ideological analysis.</blockquote>
<br />
Also notable is the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/21/604579523/smallville-actress-charged-with-sex-trafficking?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=nprstoriesfromnpr&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180421">exploitation</a> of Confession, number four on Lifton's list, and number six under Information Control in Hassan's BITE model. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Before joining DOS, women were required to give collateral, such as nude photos or sensitive information on family members, which would later be used to prevent them from telling anyone about the group or leaving it. </blockquote>
<br />
The third item under Hassan's Behavior Control is:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
3. When, how and with whom the member has sex </blockquote>
<br />
That control can play out in a number of ways, like the arranged marriages in <a href="https://www.yesandyes.org/2015/09/unification-church-arranged-marriage.html">Unification</a> (moonies) and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/10/warren-jeffs-controls-bodies-and-souls.html">FLDS</a>. Sexual exploitation by leaders may not be universal in cults and and other contexts of spiritual abuse, but it is frighteningly common. Many examples have been given in this blog: Warren Jeffs is <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/08/warren-jeffs-convicted.html">in prison</a> for sexual abuse of minors. <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/search/label/Sam%20Mullet">Samuel Mullet</a> of the Bergholz Amish punished men by making them sleep in chicken coops and having sex with their wives. The Catholic Church concealed and enabled <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/search/label/Vatican%20Abuse%20Scandal">sexually abusive priests</a> for decades. <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/02/pigs-in-zen.html">Joshu Sasaki</a> molested followers like it was <i>good</i> for their spiritual development. <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/10/when-bad-people-teach-great-yoga.html">Bikram Choudhury</a> has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, assault, and rape. And a number of men say they were sexually abused by "Michel" in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/09/the-enemy-within-codependent-heart.html">Buddafield</a> cult exposed in <i>Holy Hell</i>.<br />
<br />
Sexual exploitation is not a bug, in a group like this. It's a feature. It's not just a privilege assumed by a leader drunk on power, although it is that. It's a means of control. It's one of the most disempowering things you can do to another person. It breaks you down, disintegrates your personal boundaries, and enmeshes you ever more deeply. It consumes you, body and soul.<br />
<br />
By all appearances, Keith Raniere has a harem. Female followers were <a href="https://frankreport.com/2017/06/17/part-5-the-slave-women-of-dos-jness-and-dos-synonymous-ask-dos-slave-angelino-hinojos-if-shell-talk/">groomed</a> in a women's group called Jness and then inducted into DOS, a secret sect that he denies any part in. It is the unusual women's empowerment group that is created by a male leader, but Raniere is <a href="http://www.executivesuccessprograms.com/who-we-are/" rel="nofollow">credited</a> with founding Jness.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Keith Raniere’s vision for humanity and human potential led him to found various other companies in the following years. In 2003, he founded <a href="http://www.nxivm.com/" rel="nofollow">NXIVM Corporation</a>, a seminal company for various other endeavors involving the creation of community-building spaces housing athletic, spa, and health and wellness facilities. He is the conceptual founder of Jness®, a company started five years later to promote the furtherance and empowerment of women throughout the world.</blockquote>
<br />
The description by Sarah Edmondson on <i>20/20</i> sounds anything but empowering.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
One of the key principles in Jness was understanding that the main difference between men and women was that men are designed genetically to not be monogamous, spread their seed, and women genetically are designed to be monogamous... And not only that but subservient to men.</blockquote>
<br />
Edmondson was inducted into DOS and was branded, along with other women, something she says did not "seem like a choice, at the time."<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
All the indoctrination. All the years of women are weak. Women have no character. Now is the time to prove I can do it.</blockquote>
<br />
She was also being extorted with the "collateral" that had been collected from her. Edmondson goes into more depth on how she was drawn into this extreme experience <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwaaxd/why-i-joined-a-secret-society-that-branded-me">here</a>. She describes her own cognitive dissonance. As discussed <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/04/james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-trial-day_12.html">here</a>, Leon Festinger theorized that we all need our thoughts, feelings, and actions to be congruent. When they're not, we are uncomfortable until we reconcile them. So if we take an action, even if it's under some pressure or duress, we're compelled to justify that action to ourselves, as she describes: "When you spend $3,000 on a five-day training, you want to make it good. You want to make it a good choice—yeah, I got something out of it."<br />
<br />
Edmondson kept justifying her actions to herself, up to and including the excruciating branding process. This, of course, she would also have to justify to herself with obedience and deeper commitment, in order to resolve the increasing levels of cognitive dissonance.<br />
<br />
Inductees into DOS were apparently told that the insignia they were being branded with was Latin — something that was reported by both Edmondson and <a href="http://people.com/human-interest/dynasty-star-catherine-oxenbergs-fight-to-save-daughter-nxivm/">Oxenberg</a> — but it was actually Keith Raniere's initials. "I lost it, when I figured that out," Edmondson tells Vargas.<br />
<br />
But it appears that the brand is actually a combination of both Raniere's and Mack's initials. Vertically it reads KR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K-64CoZZ26HI6yJrbd4B_WrnpQIbpHI8FoX4Xbg5Vvd8_n6Dr3689fIEUi-Y8iJtwVYqPphvSU4GrM9LaSsRZ9wvxVMD98crI3e2k47WDrxaj6ncSl8oSD6VpfCFlPfek73q/s1600/brand_KR.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K-64CoZZ26HI6yJrbd4B_WrnpQIbpHI8FoX4Xbg5Vvd8_n6Dr3689fIEUi-Y8iJtwVYqPphvSU4GrM9LaSsRZ9wvxVMD98crI3e2k47WDrxaj6ncSl8oSD6VpfCFlPfek73q/s1600/brand_KR.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Horizontally it's AM.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvUXZqibObtZZh4IbISx3jigchjSDMwx7zzmnfb8vzTTHHTBHLMr3NVYTj3cSbtBiNjNsL63KpdY3oEWSJTrKr5EbwAY4MsozYxCbHgk6xZgEClVTTaQ3_puKZ91G932T2F_X/s1600/brand_AM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvUXZqibObtZZh4IbISx3jigchjSDMwx7zzmnfb8vzTTHHTBHLMr3NVYTj3cSbtBiNjNsL63KpdY3oEWSJTrKr5EbwAY4MsozYxCbHgk6xZgEClVTTaQ3_puKZ91G932T2F_X/s1600/brand_AM.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Clever.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.jness.com/site/" rel="nofollow">website</a> for Jness offers little more than cryptic explanations of its purpose, sprinkled with the occasional platitude. Nowhere on that site could I find any explanation of what the name Jness even means. But I should definitely use the hashtag #jnessing. That much is clear.<br />
<br />
Actress Samia Shoaib described to Page Six Mack's "desperate" attempts to lure her into Jness with <a href="https://pagesix.com/2018/04/21/how-allison-mack-tried-to-lure-me-into-a-sex-cult/">vague descriptions</a> of its purpose.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The pair met twice in the month after they met, once at an Amsterdam Avenue restaurant and another time at Shoaib’s Upper West Side apartment.<br />
<br />
Each time, Mack appeared more “fragile and gaunt” with dark circles under her eyes, Shoaib said.<br />
<br />
“She was definitely physically suffering,” Shoaib said. “There’s no question she was sleep deprived.”<br />
<br />
The conversations quickly shifted from feminism to a Nxivm-affilliated woman’s group called JNess, which Mack encouraged Shoaib to join. But her descriptions of the group were always “very vague,” Shoaib said.</blockquote>
<br />
Jness appears to have been a front-group for DOS, a way of bringing in women and screening them for DOS. And Shoaib is not the only female celeb Mack tried to recruit. She even <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/allison-mack-tried-to-recruit-emma-watson-for-her-sex-cult.html">targeted</a> Emma Watson, as if Watson ever needed help <a href="http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/01/emma-watson-feminism-quotes/">defining her place</a> in the world as a woman. Unlike Watson, Mack is not a feminist and her ideas about women and women's rights seem a little twisted. This is from her blog post about Jness. I had to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180329054109/http://www.allisonmack.com/my_passions/jness/">dig it out of cache</a>, because her personal site has been suspended.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I have always been attracted to women’s issues and the struggle of women in our world. But for most of my life I have been at a loss in my understanding and experience of what it is to be a woman. That is, until I was introduced to the women’s movement, Jness.</blockquote>
<br />
I can't fathom what it means to be "attracted" to struggle, but the more troubling part is that she didn't understand what it meant to be a woman until a man named Keith Raniere sorted it out for her.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
And I lived my life conflicted. Feeling a certain type of frustration in being a woman – hating the perception of “young girl” or “beautiful flower” and never, ever feeling satisfied with the way I saw women represented. But then also feeling the conflict of fully diving into the “feminist” movement as I saw it existing. I didn’t want to spend all my time “raging against men” or “fighting to be heard” – something felt unnatural and angry in that approach and I didn’t think that was the answer either.<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
And consequently I felt threatened by women. The internal confusion and frustration I felt manifested itself in the way I related withallwomen [sic]. I saw them as I felt inside myself: complicated, quixotic, and unpredictable. I felt I couldn’t trust women. This was a secret I kept – and tried my best to resolve this by joining every women’s campaign I could as an attempt to prove I didn’t feel this way. </blockquote>
<br />
So a woman who felt threatened by other women and didn't trust them, who thinks that she and all women are <a href="https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/quixotic">impractical and unrealistic</a>, is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/jness">on the board</a> of a women's organization, one that apparently fronted for a group that brutally inducted other women and branded them with her initials. Let that sink in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jPjemaSSkLaqUPHVIYFlNW3WNmIjXelReyBF-WVRHUxjBvVZ2ZgVG7q2xh81h4y_WCElmqTLkqgbbwQ9WAcdfOZOaYbQXUoFMi4vjUrnDlIaoKsAhN-ylJdmyTfZ8b_tIFAc/s1600/jnesslinkedin.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jPjemaSSkLaqUPHVIYFlNW3WNmIjXelReyBF-WVRHUxjBvVZ2ZgVG7q2xh81h4y_WCElmqTLkqgbbwQ9WAcdfOZOaYbQXUoFMi4vjUrnDlIaoKsAhN-ylJdmyTfZ8b_tIFAc/s1600/jnesslinkedin.png" width="450" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's really too bad that they scotched Mack's <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180330211552/http://www.allisonmack.com/">website</a>, because it is a fascinating study in itself, the weird splotch in the background that looks vaguely like a bloodstain, the way cursoring over the section headings effectively crosses them out. It's soft, pink, feminine, but with an undercurrent of rage and self-abnegation. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHr-Ots6DDItQG5O6gbdsTTZ7QYPSAuzAwObw_UX0dEvQxLC2x_FbYMOtHrNdUXDaGb4C4bdftsxf7pRCeEoFDhjQG_rJ2e1VVWqoTGZUGYALp5LlKqB5swWNBNAR7-3bkRQ7/s1600/allisonmacksite.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHr-Ots6DDItQG5O6gbdsTTZ7QYPSAuzAwObw_UX0dEvQxLC2x_FbYMOtHrNdUXDaGb4C4bdftsxf7pRCeEoFDhjQG_rJ2e1VVWqoTGZUGYALp5LlKqB5swWNBNAR7-3bkRQ7/s1600/allisonmacksite.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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<br />
<br />
There's a rumor that Mack recently married actress Nicki Clyne. The story has been picked up by a <a href="http://torontosun.com/news/world/sex-cult-smallville-star-wed-canadian-slave-so-she-could-stay-in-u-s">number</a> of news <a href="http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/smallvilles-allison-mack-considers-plea-deal-reportedly-married-bsgs-nicki-clyne-in-visa">outlets</a>, but traces to Artvoice, one of several publications run by Frank Parlato. Parlato was at one time NXIVM's publicist and he has dedicated years and many pixels to taking down the operation he once promoted. He has his own credibility — and legal— issues, so some of his reporting should probably be taken with a few grains of salt. However many of his scoops have <a href="http://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/frank-parlato-keith-raniere-sex-cult-NXIVM">proved out</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Parlato — who owns the Niagara Falls Reporter and Buffalo’s alternative weekly, Artvoice — first revealed the group’s branding ritual in June 2017 on FrankReport.com, a blog dedicated to exposing Raniere and his alleged crimes.</blockquote>
<br />
In the <a href="https://artvoice.com/2018/04/03/sex-cult-sources-allison-mack-married-actress-nicki-clyne-fool-us-immigration/#.Wt_eWdPwb2R">Artvoice piece</a>, we learn a couple of things: that Mack married Clyne so she could stay in the US, and that both women sidelined their acting careers to devote themselves to Raniere full-time.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Sources inside NXIVM told Artvoice that reputed sex cult leader Allison Mack ‘married’ former actresses/sex slave Nicki Clyne in order to keep Clyne in the USA.<br />
<br />
Clyne is a Canadian citizen and was having difficulties fulfilling visa obligations. Sources said India Oxenberg – daughter of Dynasty TV star Catherine Oxenberg – witnessed the nuptials.<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
Clyne was encouraged to quit acting by Raniere, according to multiple sources. Although under contract in her recurring role in the series, in 2008, she asked the producers of Battlestar Galatica to let her out of her contract. They agreed and, in an episode, her character was killed off.<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
Clyne was not alone in giving up a TV role for Raniere. Mack gave up her role in the TV show Smallville to follow Raniere in 2010.</blockquote>
<br />
Both women seem to still be acting, if you <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532928/">look at</a> their IMDB <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167435/">profiles</a>, but they were also both written out of very successful shows, so I'm not sure what the truth is there. If true, that would mean that it was actually Raniere who forced Cally Tyrol out of that airlock.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="256" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ejo5iam3lpk" width="450"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
So who is this Keith Raniere that so many beautiful, talented women have completely wrecked themselves on? Short answer: nobody. As Elizabeth Vargas observes in the 20/20 expose, "He looks like a schlub."<br />
<br />
Former follower and ex-girlfriend Toni Natalie explains, "It's one gigantic, hypnotic induction." There could be no other explanation.<br />
<br />
Raniere, who likes to be called "Vanguard," is a genius of many accomplishments, according to himself. In an infomercial for his brainchild Consumer's Buyline, Eddie Albert lends his gravitas to a litany of impressive feats. (The complete infomercial can be seen <a href="https://youtu.be/N7kZBQCIrQM">here</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/vWhSvsYhWFs">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="256" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B_ML3KjW7bY" width="450"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
So did he seem like a genius? Toni Natalie had questions even then.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
He seemed like a geek. And I sat down and I asked him I said so you have a 240 IQ. Why are you doing this? Why aren't you curing cancer? Why aren't you really making a difference? And he said this is the platform that I'm going to use and I'm gonna change the world.</blockquote>
<br />
So he was going to change the world through bulk buying? But Consumer's Buyline was determined by numerous State Attorneys General to be not so much world-changing as it was a <a href="https://culteducation.com/group/907-nxivm/5968-consumers-buyline-of-clifton-park-was-forced-to-close-after-25-separate-investigations-.html">pyramid scheme</a>. And that was the end of that grand vision. Now he's been arrested for yet another pyramid scheme, but he's upped his game to include sex trafficking. He does seem to have convinced his cult that this is also a world-changing vision.<br />
<br />
But this is what cults always do. They leverage not only your personal hopes and dreams, but your idealistic vision for a better world. It's really that predictable.<br />
<br />
Rick Ross tells <i>20/20</i> that NXIVM is just a rehash of Scientology, Ayn Rand, and EST. So there's not much new there... except the branding. That's novel.<br />
<br />
It's hard to know what exactly they teach, because it's all fiercely guarded with non-disclosure agreements. Ross, however, published some of those materials and a 14 year <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/is-nxivm-a-cult-what-we-know-w512261">legal battle</a> ensued. The case was kicked in 2016.<br />
<br />
I couldn't help noticing that Raniere's partner in crime <a href="http://www.executivesuccessprograms.com/who-we-are/">Nancy Salzman</a> studied Neuro-lingustic Programming with creators Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Considering that Bandler was a cokehead who nearly went to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/messing-with-your-head-does-the-man-behind-neuro-linguistic-programming-want-to-change-your-life-1774383.html">prison for murder</a>, and that NLP is widely considered to be a <a href="https://ultraculture.org/blog/2014/01/16/nlp-10-ways-protect-mind-control/">mind-control</a> technique employed by con-artists and cult leaders, that might be another clue. Here is James Arthur Ray <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/04/cnn-still-soft-soaping-james-ray.html">demonstrating</a> the wonders of NLP.<br />
<br />
Red flags, there were plenty, but many smart, successful, idealistic people were drawn in by the unlikeliest of charismatic leaders, some going so far as to permanently modify their bodies.<br />
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Allison Mack was <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/horrifying-details-emerge-about-alleged-sex-cult-recruiter-allison-mack-at-bail-hearing">released</a> into her parents' custody on 5 million dollars bail. She is reportedly <a href="http://people.com/crime/allison-mack-plea-deal-sex-cult-nxivm-arrest/">considering a plea</a>.<br />
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-24758246745051586062018-04-10T21:10:00.000-04:002018-04-11T01:29:56.148-04:00Tony Robbins: Rape Apologist<div style="text-align: center;">
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On the Ides of March, Tony Robbins did one of his pricey "Unleash the Power Within" events in San Jose. What he unleashed instead was a firestorm. Right after the event, video surfaced of Robbins mansplaining the perils of the #metoo movement to a sex abuse survivor. It quickly disappeared, most likely quashed by his team. Their damage control effort seemed to be working... until it wasn't.<br />
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Late last week I noticed that the video had resurfaced. The original footage is taken from a distance and it's a little hard to make out, but a YouTube version is found <a href="https://youtu.be/74YILhy4RgE">here</a>. A cleaner, edited version was<br />
posted to Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NowThisHer/videos/1789259134468974/">here</a>.<br />
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On Saturday Tarana Burke's scathing response to the video <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tarana-burke-tony-robbins-take-on-metoo_us_5ac903f0e4b07a3485e539db">was published</a> on the Huffington Post. In under 24 hours, after weeks of trying to bury it, Robbins finally addressed the incident publicly and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tony-robbins-apologizes-me-too_us_5aca4572e4b07a3485e5d8e0">issued an apology</a> — something he swore in profane terms he would not do, during the altercation. (I think it bears mentioning that Robbins has enjoyed a lot of <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/tony-robbins">positive coverage</a> on the Huffington Post, over the years, and a <a href="http://variety.com/2010/voices/opinion/huffington-post-shills-for-tony-robbins-on-nbc-4334/">very friendly relationship</a> with founder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AriannaHuffington/posts/10156244178648279">Ariana Huffington</a>.)<br />
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“My comments failed to reflect the respect I have for everything Tarana Burke and the #MeToo movement has achieved,” Robbins said in the statement. “I apologize for suggesting anything other than my profound admiration for the #MeToo movement.”<br />
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“It is clear that I still have much to learn,” he added.</blockquote>
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Well, that last statement is certainly true.<br />
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Robbins's apology has not gone over well and inspired scores of people to unfollow the self-help guru.<br />
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Shortly after the event, <i>Vice</i> interviewed Nanine McCool, the woman featured in the video, as well as other attendees. Their excellent write-up is <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d35897/tony-robbins-made-controversial-metoo-comments-angering-his-own-fans?utm_source=vicefbus">here</a>. McCool, a sex abuse survivor, stood up to tell Robbins he had the #metoo movement all wrong. Robbins pushed back... physically.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Of the pushing, McCool said, “I thought, 'OK, we're going to fist bump.' Then he started pushing me. I thought he wanted me to show how strong I could be and push back, but that's not what he wanted. He wanted me to move backward.” She went on: “[I was] thinking he's going to transform it into some kind of awareness. I don't know, it's Tony Robbins, there's going to be some lesson here that's gonna be useful to me. I initially started pushing back but he immediately pushed back harder. There was no way. He was going to knock me on my ass if I didn't step backward so I quit pushing against him, I just started walking backward. As long as he was pushing me, I was moving.”<br />
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Nine of the 11 attendees VICE spoke to brought up how Robbins’s larger size and his physical contact with her seemed almost intimidating. “He’s a very large man so she looks tiny next to him, and then he starts pushing her, not to be abusive but pushing her as an interaction,” recalled Logan Wick of Austin, who has been a follower of Robbins for eight years and has gone to four of his seminars. "In that moment, when you’re talking about #MeToo and you’re telling a woman and you’re pushing against her and you’re very large—no matter what size man you are, you shouldn’t be doing that in this context.”</blockquote>
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It is decidedly unsettling to see a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Robbins">6'7" tall man</a> pushing around a much smaller woman, especially in the context of that conversation. But <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d35897/tony-robbins-made-controversial-metoo-comments-angering-his-own-fans">his words</a> were even worse.<br />
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As seen in the video, Robbins told her, “I’m not knocking the #MeToo movement, I’m knocking victimhood," and asked the audience to "consider what its impact is." He went on to say that "anger is not empowerment," adding, "Who should throw the stone? You shouldn't throw that stone if you live in a fucking glass house. Is there any one of us that hasn't done something that we prefer we'd not or that we're embarrassed by or that was hurtful even if we didn't intend it to?"</blockquote>
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Sure. Nothing empowers survivors of sexual assault like telling them they shouldn't be angry, that they should feel Christly compassion for their rapists instead.<br />
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This is what psychologist John Welwood termed <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html#bypassing">spiritual bypassing</a>.<br />
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Trying to move beyond our psychological and emotional issues by sidestepping them is dangerous. It sets up a debilitating split between the buddha and the human within us. And it leads to a conceptual, one-sided kind of spirituality where one pole of life is elevated at the expense of its opposite: Absolute truth is favored over relative truth, the impersonal over the personal, emptiness over form, transcendence over embodiment, and detachment over feeling. One might, for example, try to practice nonattachment by dismissing one’s need for love, but this only drives the need underground, so that it often becomes unconsciously acted out in covert and possibly harmful ways instead.</blockquote>
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But, by pushing around the much smaller framed McCool, Robbins was just making a point.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
If you push someone else, it doesn't make you more safe. It just makes them angry. </blockquote>
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In other words, don't make trouble for abusers. Be afraid of them, instead.<br />
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Next came his bizarre apologia for misogynists in high places.<br />
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I was just with someone the other day, very famous man, very powerful man, who's saying how stressed he is because he interviewed three people that day. One was a woman, two were men. The woman was better qualified but she was very attractive and he knew, "I can't have her around because it's too big a risk," and he hired somebody else. I've had a dozen men tell me this.</blockquote>
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Because, what, he can't help but molest her?! Poor guy! How is that the fault of the #metoo movement? It doesn't sound like "a dozen" of Robbins's friends and clients are saying that they're afraid of being wrongly accused of sexual assault or harassment. It sounds like they're afraid of being fairly accused because they can't keep their hands to themselves.<br />
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Apparently, stating that you've ever been a victim of a crime is not taking your power back from your perpetrator. It's not letting other victims know they're not alone in what they've experienced. It's not refusing to protect perpetrators with a cloak of secrecy. It's not refusing to cower in shame over something that happened to you. According to Robbins, it's all just self-indulgent "victimhood."<br />
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Robbins is smooth and he speaks the language of "empowerment" very well. But what he said in that exchange boiled down to some really disempowering ideas: Standing up for yourself somehow makes you a victim. Don't make bullies angry or you'll get hurt and it's your own damn fault. Don't be too pretty because your brain won't matter and you might get yourself raped. And whatever you do, don't try to be "significant."<br />
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And this is where the whole thing becomes downright confusing. Robbins's take-down of #metoo appears to have started as a homily on the cardinal error of seeking "significance."<br />
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If you use the #metoo movement to try to get significance and certainty by attacking and destroying someone else then you haven’t grown an ounce, all you’ve done is basically use a drug called significance to make yourself feel good.</blockquote>
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But according to Robbins, "significance" is one of six "<a href="https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/6-core-human-needs-by-anthony-robbins/">core human needs</a>." He has warned that placing too high an <a href="https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/do-you-need-to-feel-significant/" rel="nofollow">emphasis</a> on "significance,"at the expense of other needs, causes problems. But this is entirely different from calling it a "drug."<br />
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I claim no real familiarity with Robbins's work. I'm not a fan, so it's entirely possible that I'm missing some fine points in his "core needs" framework. But there is something acutely disturbing about telling survivors of sex crimes that if they stand up for themselves and against their assailants, they should stop trying to be "significant." It kinda sounds like he's telling them that their concerns, their injuries, their voices, their very personhood, are <i>insignificant</i>.<br />
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I realized something else, when I first saw this video. My lack of familiarity with the Robbins <i>corpus</i>, caused me to miss that Teal Bosworth Scott Swan has plagiarized him, too, much as she did John Welwood (see above) and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html">so many others</a>. I noticed it because I was equally mystified by <i>her</i> schizophrenia on this whole "significance" thing. She also seems to toggle back and forth between stating that "significance" is a central human need and discounting people's quest for "significance" as kind of pathetic.<br />
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I first became aware of teal's ideas on "significance," such as they are, when she was making her impassioned plea for "virgin killer" Elliot Rodger, as discussed in the noncast <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=6">here</a> (page search: devil). In her <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/santa-barbara-shooting/" rel="nofollow">blog post</a> on the Santa Barbara shooting, she wrote:<br />
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These mass shooters are in fact reacting against the pain of the rejection they felt from one or more of their primary caregivers. They did not get the affection or attention they needed. Because of this, <i>they lack two of the most primary human needs, loving connection and significance</i>.</blockquote>
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How there could be two first needs is one of those mysteries of tealmath that will probably never be resolved. But at the time I wondered where her "primary human needs" idea came from. Note that she does not cite Robbins or anyone else. She just states it as a fact, as she does with so many of her unsourced, unsubstantiated opinions. A quick scan of her site shows that she has plagiarized his model on many occasions, like in her contemptuous take-down of humility, <a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/articles/humility/" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/8e3yZG7xt4o">here</a>. Worse still, she plagiarized his entire list in her article "<a href="https://tealswan.com/resources/articles/relationships-and-the-six-human-needs/" rel="nofollow">Relationships and the Six Human Needs</a>." Yes, there are six of them, just as Robbins laid out. She's tweaked a couple of the item names, changing "uncertainty/variety" to "variety," "growth" to "expansion," and "connection/love" to "love." Aside from this sleight of hand, it's the exact same list that can be <a href="https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mind-meaning/do-you-need-to-feel-significant/" rel="nofollow">found here</a>, and in multiple articles by Tony Robbins, or crediting him.<br />
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But after stealing Robbins's work outright and using it to justify mass murder, teal, like Robbins, has made numerous dismissive and derogatory comments about the "need" for "significance." For instance, there was her exegesis on why religion is terrible, in her <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=8">teacast on death</a> (page search: death). And then there was her scathing commentary on all those <i>other</i> new age whack-jobs who try to connect with angels, in the tea thing on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=12">spirit guides</a> (page search: drunks).<br />
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There is something really troubling about two people who have pursued fame as actively as teal and Robbins (who has actually achieved it), criticizing other people for wanting to be "significant." Tony Robbins was insulting people for wanting "significance" in front of <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d35897/tony-robbins-made-controversial-metoo-comments-angering-his-own-fans?utm_source=vicefbus">an audience</a> of about 12,000, who had paid up to three thousand bucks, for the privilege. That he does not see <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/anthony-robbins-where-have-you-been-20180408-p4z8gk.html">the irony</a>!<br />
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Let us consider the irony of a man who preaches empowerment, yet who does not seem to believe in personal agency – at least, not for men in power. The irony of a man who preaches empowerment but who wants us women to swallow down our anger, to be nice, to be quiet, to not try to be "significant", and to not hold men accountable because the men are far too busy unleashing their power.<br />
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Let us also consider the irony of a man like Tony Robbins claiming that women are using "the drug called significance". Please. The dude is a self-positioned guru who thrives on fame, has starred in reality TV and trashy movies, puts his face on the cover of all his books, and regularly name drops his "powerful, famous" friends in public. How much more of the drug called significance can he possibly scoff down?</blockquote>
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-58353416995885667932018-03-23T19:49:00.000-04:002018-03-23T19:49:03.048-04:00What is Cardinal Dolan So Afraid Of?<div style="text-align: center;">
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Cardinal Dolan is nothing if not consistent. He continues to work very hard to protect the Catholic Church from consequence for it's decades of enabling pedophile priests. After leaving a meeting with New York's Gov Cuomo, he <a href="http://news.wbfo.org/post/catholic-cardinal-opposes-key-provision-ny-s-child-victims-act">described</a> a "look-back window" in pending legislation as "toxic" and "strangling" for the Church, fearing a slew of cases against priests and dioceses that covered for them.<br />
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“The look-back we find to be very strangling,” said Dolan. “When that happens, the only organization targeted is the Catholic Church.”</blockquote>
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How so? Is this a law that would only apply to cases of sex abuse involving Catholic priests? (Answer: <a href="http://nyassembly.gov/Press/20170607/">no</a>) Or is he saying that the Catholic Church is the only organization that has such a multitude skeletons rattling in its closets? <br />
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His statements seem unintentionally revealing. Just how much exposure does the Catholic Church have at this point? What does he know that he so desperately wants kept secret?<br />
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That this legislation would flood the Church with law suits is <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/dolan-urges-pols-reject-lookback-window-child-abuse-cases-article-1.3886210">disputed</a> by victim's group Child USA, but how is this even relevant? Should New York's legislator's tailor laws to protect the Church from potential litigation? Why would it be the State's job to protect the Church from facing consequences for decades of protecting and enabling pedophile priests? <br />
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Cardinal Dolan has spent his career protecting the Church at all costs, regardless of who gets hurt in the process. Not only did he maneuver against similar legislation in Wisconsin, he was caught quietly <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2012/05/cardinal-dolan-paid-off-pedophile.html">paying off</a> pedophile priests to accept quick laicization and disappear. As <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/02/is-pope-francis-too-soft-on-pedophile.html">discussed</a>, the problem with defrocking priests and making them go away is that the Church is, in many cases, unleashing predators on unwitting communities. Cardinal Dolan <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/dolan-urges-pols-reject-lookback-window-child-abuse-cases-article-1.3886210">doesn't seem to care</a> who gets hurt as long as it's no longer the Church's problem.<br />
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Child sex abuse survivor Kat Sullivan, who was raped by a teacher in 1998 at a prominent upstate girl's school, ripped Dolan for his “toxic” comments.<br />
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“Is it a lookback or priest raping kids that is toxic? I'm just trying to figure out which causes more damage to society,” Sullivan said. “I think the words of a man who knowingly impedes a bill that would provide due process to citizens currently being excluded should be ignored because he represents an institution that not only violated children, but actively worked to cover it up and suppress.”</blockquote>
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The Catholic Church is not the victim. They're not being persecuted. They're experiencing a reckoning borne of their own actions and inactions. Yes, it would certainly be <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160605_To_understand_Pa__battle_over_clergy_sex-abuse_victims_law__look_to_Delaware.html">unfortunate</a> if communities and charities were hampered by legal costs. Dioceses have gone bankrupt even where look-back legislation was blocked, like in the aforementioned <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wisconsin-archdiocese/federal-judge-approves-milwaukee-archdiocese-bankruptcy-plan-idUSKCN0SY27L20151109">Wisconsin</a>. They restructure. They go on. If they truly want to serve communities instead of filling their own coffers, I have little doubt they can do so. But their compassion should start with the people who still struggle with the psychological damage of having been both abused by priests and stifled by the Church. It's past time for them to take responsibility and come clean.<br />
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LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-17170465676006252992018-01-08T22:29:00.000-05:002018-01-09T01:34:40.135-05:00FLDS Women Are Taking Their Power Back<div style="text-align: center;">
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Just when you thought the story of Warren Jeffs and the FLDS couldn't be any more stomach-turning, new and still more horrible details come to light. The "prophet," who remains incarcerated for molesting his very young "brides," is now facing new <a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/12/27/new-lawsuit-accuses-flds-church-leaders-of-ritualistic-sex-abuse/">allegations of sexual abuse</a>, via a lawsuit by one of his alleged victims. Worse, she cites numerous co-conspirators, including two of his brothers, in a scheme to ritually abuse girls as young as eight.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
A new lawsuit accuses Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs and others in the church of ritualistic sex abuse involving girls as young as eight years old.<br />
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in state court by a 21-year-old woman only identified as "R.H.," levels allegations of abuse against Warren Jeffs, his brothers Lyle Jeffs and Seth Jeffs; and former FLDS leader Wendell Nielsen of sex abuse. It also goes after the FLDS Church and the court-controlled real-estate holdings arm, the United Effort Plan Trust.<br />
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"Systemic sex abuse at the hands of Warren Jeffs and other leaders of the FLDS Church from the age of eight until the age of 14," her attorney, Alan Mortensen, told FOX 13 in an interview Wednesday.</blockquote>
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The details, which can be read in <a href="http://static.lakana.com/nxsglobal/good4utah/document_dev/2017/12/27/JEFFS%20COURT%20SEX%20ABUSE%20COMPLAINT_1514420040777_30655318_ver1.0.pdf">court documents</a>, are <a href="https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/01/03/kss-lawsuit-accuses-flds-church-leaders-of-ritualistic-sex-abuse/#.WlFthZM-f2Q">hair-raising</a>.<br />
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As part of their FLDS beliefs, sex between underage girls and priesthood leaders took place, the lawsuit alleges, noting that after President Rulon T. Jeffs suffered a stroke in August 1998, much of his power and authority was delegated to his son, Warren S. Jeffs, who began a new practice involving ritualistic sexual intercourse with young girls in the FLDS Temple and other FLDS properties.<br />
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“Sex with girls, ages eight to 14 years old, was initiated by Warren Jeffs, along with leadership of UEP Trust and the FLDS Church, including the Twelve Apostles of the Church engaging in and witnessing the sexual relations between Warren S. Jeffs, Lyle Jeffs, Seth Jeffs and Wendell LeRoy Nielsen and other John Does viewing, watching, taping, participating in and documenting these sexual encounters with underage girls.”<br />
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The lawsuit’s plaintiff — a 21-year-old woman identified as R.H. — alleges she was given a number by which she was known during these religious rituals and she was never called by name, but only by number.<br />
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“This horrific religious doctrine and religious rituals as performed on plaintiff consisted of plaintiff, beginning at the age of 8, having a bag placed over her head, led out of her house by representatives of the defendants, placed in a vehicle and being driven to an unknown location,” according to the lawsuit.</blockquote>
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The <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/01/03/racist-cult-leaders-accused-ritualistic-sex-abuse-children-new-lawsuit">indignities continued</a> even after R.H. was too old for these pedophilic rituals.<br />
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The ritual rape continued until she was 12 years old, but the abuse didn’t end there, she says. At the age of 14, she was required to be a witness and “scribe” to the rituals with other young girls and the defendants, and document the sex acts along with the number of the victim, according to the lawsuit.<br />
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When she was 16, the plaintiff attended “Ladies Class,” where FLDS women would learn how to be a good wife. While at “Ladies Class,” Lyle Jeffs, Warren’s brother and a member of the FLDS “priesthood,” would remove her from the class and take her to his soundproof office to rape her, in the guise of furthering her “Ladies Class” education, the lawsuit alleges.</blockquote>
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As outrageous as these claims may seem, they hearken back to things we learned when Jeffs was convicted in Texas, where the jury <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/08/warren-jeffs-convicted.html">heard recordings</a> similar to those described in this filing. Also documented was Jeffs's heavily fortified "rape room," in his repossessed Hildale compound, seen <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/04/warren-jeffss-estate-grand-tour.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/04/the-labyrinth-of-warren-jeffs-another.html">here</a>. R.H.'s attorneys claim that they will be relying heavily on evidence obtained by the State of Texas from their successful prosecution of Warren Jeffs and seizure of the Yearning for Zion Ranch.<br />
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Whether Warren Jeffs and his associates will mount a defense is an open question. Another recent lawsuit resulted in a <a href="https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2017/09/07/kss-judge-orders-warren-jeffs-to-pay-16-million-to-former-flds-child-bride/#.WlPfY5M-f2Q">default judgment</a>, garnering plaintiff Elissa Wall $16,000,000 in damages.<br />
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Neither Jeffs nor the FLDS church obtained a lawyer or defended themselves against Wall’s lawsuit, which claimed that she had been forced to marry her 19-year-old cousin, Allen Steed, when she was 14 years old, according to court documents. She was then required by Jeffs and the FLDS church to fulfill her religious duties by having sex with her husband and “to produce children.” Wall went on to have miscarriages and a stillbirth.<br />
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Judge Kelly wrote that Jeffs had exercised “absolute control, power and authority” over Wall’s life “so that he could require her, as a young girl, to enter into an unlawful spiritual marriage. … The conduct of Warren Jeffs and the FLDS Church, as alleged herein, was outrageous and intolerable in that it offended the generally accepted standards of decency and morality.”</blockquote>
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The wealth and property of the FLDS is being carved up and served to its victims and apostates. And while the remaining FLDS faithful reject many of the supports offered — even <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/05/bleeding-beast-that-is-warren-jeffs.html">making themselves homeless</a> in the process — the church leadership has also <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/04/flds-foodstamps-and-fraud.html">stolen the food out of their mouths</a>. As discussed, a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/01/plea-deals-in-flds-food-stamp-case.html">generous deal</a> was cut with most of the leaders who had been charged in the food stamp fraud case, which included instruction in proper use of SNAP benefits. Lyle Jeffs, whose <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/10/flds-defends-religious-freedom-and.html">almost comical game</a> of "Where's Waldo" came to an <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/06/lyle-jeffs-in-custody-not-raptured.html">embarrassing end</a> last June, also bore the brunt of the legal fallout. Slipping his ankle monitor with olive oil turned out to be not so terribly clever, as he has now been sentenced to nearly five years in prison, 12 months of which are for his failure to appear in court.<br />
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His substantial sentence, though, also sends a message to the FLDS faithful, whose letters demonstrated to U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart a disturbing unconsciousness of wrongdoing.<br />
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Stewart referred to letters he received in support of Jeffs, and which are not part of the public court record. Stewart then apparently summarized what some said.<br />
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“‘It was persecution of the worst kind,’ ” Stewart said. “ ‘The man has done nothing wrong, and what the community as a whole did was not a mistake.’<br />
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“And that troubles me,” Stewart said, speaking for himself, “because it could happen again. The effect has not been felt by the community.”</blockquote>
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Judge Stewart, it appears, agreed with Prosecutor Rob Lund, that Lyle Jeffs's sentence needed to make a broader point to his community.<br />
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Lyle and Warren Jeffs presided over a “culture of corruption” in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., Lund said.<br />
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“This case cries out for a message to that community,” Lund told Stewart. “They must obey the law.”</blockquote>
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Nearly seven years after his conviction in Texas, Warren Jeffs's victims and the criminal justice system are still wrestling with the culture of lawlessness and depravity he built. One horrible story after another is shared by a growing roster of victims, victims who include his own family members. Recently his daughter Rachel Jeffs <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/warren-jeffs-flds-church-rachel-jeffs-polygamy-2017-11">shared</a> with Megan Kelly that she was also sexually abused by Jeffs starting when she was eight years old.<br />
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Even Canadian authorities have to wrestle with the legal questions raised by the FLDS stronghold of Bountiful. Last year's <a href="http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/daphne+bramham+what+kind+parents+sacrifice+their/14196866/story.html">conviction</a> of the Blackmores, who delivered their 13-year-old daughter to their "prophet" in Utah, was an <a href="http://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/daphne-bramham-bountifuls-victims-deserve-compensation">arguably small</a> and belated step in the right direction.<br />
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As officials try to tighten the screws on FLDS leaders, life is gradually being normalized for the church's apostates. Birth certificates are <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/polygamy/2017/09/14/judge-orders-birth-certificates-issued-to-children-born-secretly-on-polygamous-compound-in-south-dakota/">being issued</a> for children whose births were shrouded in secrecy. Communities are rebuilding among the formerly disenfranchised.<br />
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But it is the women, many of whom suffered horrible abuses, who are the real game-changers. These women are fighting back hard, divesting the church of its assets, and even seizing <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/woman-abused-flds-cult-elected-first-female-mayor-712667">political power</a>.<br />
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When Donia Jessop fled the cult-like environment of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Hildale, Utah, she never thought she would return—let alone lead a movement to successfully become the town's first female mayor and the first to hold power without the church's support.<br />
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Jessop's historic victory as mayor was announced late Wednesday, and she now leads the long journey of rebuilding a town on the Utah-Arizona border that has never seen a female mayor or leader not appointed by the church. The polygamous sect of the fundamentalist church in Hildale — which was disowned by Mormon Latter-Day Saints — was made notorious by its former leader and <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/mormons-flds-warren-jeffs-cult-rachel-711470">convicted sexual predator</a>, Warren Jeffs, who molested girls and forced minors to marry men twice their age. The town is still recovering from the disbanded cult's patriarchal control, making Jessop's victory striking.</blockquote>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-14567531060047988902017-11-03T23:30:00.000-04:002017-11-05T18:32:18.203-05:00FACT CHECK: "Teal Swan Answers to the Allegations"<div style="text-align: center;">
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This is in no way a "hard hitting interview." Let's get that much out of the way, right now. This is an in-house production posted on teal's own channel. She is not being interviewed by a professional journalist, but by an unidentified member of her team. This nameless, off-screen voice is reading a list of prepared questions, with no follow-up or clarifying questions. He challenges her on nothing. Worse, I think they are trying to mislead people into thinking it's a real interview and that teal is really being challenged. Notice in this Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BamxwwVgysa/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">video</a>, teal flubs, first referring to this as a a video, then correcting herself and calling it an interview. And they sure are ratcheting up the drama, with not one but two introductory segments of her sitting bolt upright in her chair, with darting eyes and a nervous expression, like she's about to interrogated.<br />
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But first, let me back up a bit. Way back in July, <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/08/that-time-blake-tried-blogging.html">Blake Dyer</a> reached out to Katherine Rose Breen for a list of questions from what teal calls her "hate group," or what people without persecution complexes call Truth Tribe. Truth Tribe is a support group on Facebook where people discuss cults, spiritual abuse, and life after Teal Bosworth Scott Swan. As Katherine <a href="https://amoraobscura.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/truth-tribes-questions-for-teal/">explains on her blog</a>, it was presented to her as a short video of around 15 minutes, that may not get to all the questions. The result, however, is nearly two hours long and still doesn't address a number of the questions, which have all been listed in Katherine's post. She does address a handful of the major issues that have dogged her, things that have been discussed on this blog and elsewhere. But a lot of the video is devoted to her answering softball questions, that no "hater" has asked, like how all this "antagonism" has harmed her.<br />
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The result may be the most self-aggrandizing pile of verbiage to escape from teal's mouth yet. She announces herself "superior" to her followers and the vast majority of spiritual teachers. She compares herself to Albert Einstein, Buddha, Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, Gandhi, and Nikola Tesla. She declares herself an expert, despite her lack of training, education, and certification. Her credentials? She survived Satanic Ritual Abuse, she's been suicidal, she's been married four times, and she's "extrasensory."<br />
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One of the many questions teal did not address in this video was this one: "As a survivor yourself, how do you feel about Blake’s perspective that Tori wasn’t really raped, and that the assault was due to her 'poor boundaries'?"<br />
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Tori took it upon herself to try to hold teal's feet to the fire on her Spiritual Catalyst <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thespiritualcatalyst/videos/1841690162526082/">page</a>. The "teal eye team" doubled down. When comments supporting Tori started to come in, the whole exchange was deleted.<br />
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What follows is a segment by segment analysis of this video. I am using the same segment titles used in the video to simplify navigation.<br />
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<b>Crossing Timelines of Abuse and Normal Life</b><br />
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"One of the things that I started off my career thinking was that by sharing the truth about my past, people would see that as a credential for why to listen to this person," explains teal. She wanted to show what she'd overcome, to demonstrate her strength as a self-help personality.<br />
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Her error, she explains, was in not realizing that much of society couldn't handle the hard truth of Satanic Ritual Abuse, so her critics set about trying to poke holes in her story. The central problem with that explanation is that it ignores the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/10/30/13413864/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-explained">Satanic Panic</a> of he 80's and 90's and the fact that SRA <i>was</i> widely and credulously accepted for a number of years. There were countless talk shows and self-defined experts. People went to prison for their "Satanic" crimes. But the evidence was always thin and a number of those cases have since been overturned. Therapists have been discredited for creating false memory. The FBI, after a <a href="https://psmag.com/social-justice/make-a-cross-with-your-fingers-its-the-satanic-panic">thorough investigation</a>, found that there was no evidence of vast Satanic networks raping and killing in the name of their dark lord. So teal's timing was poor. She came along with her story after so many stories just like it – I mean really, really similar – had been at first accepted at face value, then debunked.<br />
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The problem according to FBI agent Kenneth Lanning's <a href="http://www.religioustolerance.org/ra_rep03.htm">report</a> is not that people can't handle the horrors of Satanic Ritual Abuse, quite the contrary. It's that the realities of crimes like sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and child murder, are so horrific that it's easier to <a href="http://www.religioustolerance.org/fbi_02.htm">blame the devil</a> than to acknowledge that human beings do these heinous things all on their own.<br />
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For those who know anything about criminology, one of the oldest theories of crime is demonology: The devil makes you do it. This makes it even easier to deal with the child molester who is the "pillar of the community". It is not his fault; it is not our fault. There is no way we could have known; the devil made him do it. This explanation has tremendous appeal because, like "stranger danger", it presents the clear-cut, black-and-white struggle between good and evil as the explanation for child abduction, exploitation, and abuse.</blockquote>
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From there teal explains away the inconsistencies in her timeline, by pointing out that most abuse victims don't go missing like Elizabeth Smart. It's certainly true that most abuse victims aren't stolen from their families. The perpetrator is usually a family member or close friend. But teal takes this idea to surprising extremes. She seems perfectly satisfied to throw away the victims who do go missing... because it's rare and their perpetrators aren't very skilled, according to her.<br />
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One thing that people have to understand is that it's the rarity when it comes to abuse, a person who's stolen out of the house and vanishes and is kept in a basement for years upon years, that's actually the rarity. And it attracts attention because those abusers aren't particularly good at what they do. These are not the abusers we need to be concerned with in today's world, the people who you know go to those types of lengths to make someone vanish.</blockquote>
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Screw those amber alert kids, man. Their kidnappers are just sloppy.<br />
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The problem with this explanation, though, is that teal seems to want it both ways: a common story of secret shame and denial and the drama of kidnapping by a cult – two cults actually, one Mormon, the other Satanic. She's been telling people for years that she was, among other things, repeatedly kidnapped from her bed at night, chained in a pit in her handler's backyard, prostituted out, used to lure other children to their sacrificial deaths, sewn into a corpse, repeatedly drugged, and forced to have sex with a corpse. All this we're meant to believe happened without her parents' awareness, while she was getting straight A's in school, and modeling around the world. Nothing in this video explains why all this does not strain credulity.<br />
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After explaining that she was living a double life – throughout her 13 year odyssey of abuse – graduating early from high school with straight A's and acquiring early bird scholarships, she blurts out, "Then you know the sad reality is once I escaped I had no life skills. I had no life skills other than skiing."<br />
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An accelerated student and professional model with no life skills? And in this <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/accident-trauma/" rel="nofollow">blog post</a>, she also claims that she became a licensed EMT at 18. This she would also have had to do while being tortured by cults, because she "escaped" at <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=SEJNCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=shadows+before+dawn&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjLprDC75bXAhWHQyYKHVrxCAUQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=19&f=false">age 19</a>. I'm pretty sure being an EMT qualifies as a life skill.<br />
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<b>Suicide</b><br />
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"Ya got me. My actual goal is to get everyone to commit suicide," says a grinning teal. It's astounding how much teal laughs and jokes about suicide, but some of us are not so sure she's kidding.<br />
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What teal does in this segment is narrow the scope to Leslie Wangsgaard's suicide, ignoring the numerous statements she's made which sound alarms for many of us. She also botches the timeline and tries to pin the entire controversy on Cameron Clark. There were concerns about teal's commentary on Leslie Wangsgaard's suicide during the Santa Fe workshop long before Cameron <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/10/former-insider-teal-is-deluded-and.html">went public</a> about her own experience of having teal try to convince her that she was suicidal and should take a long drive and decide whether she wanted to live or die.<br />
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Concerns about the Santa Fe workshop were mentioned in comments on my <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">first post</a> on teal. I watched the video and was stunned. I raised the issue in my <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">second teal post</a>. As more public critics began to find their voices, that particular concern began to spread, for reasons that should be obvious. This was never about what Cameron had to say about Leslie's death. It's about what teal herself said about Leslie's death and about countless other <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">shocking statements</a> on the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/05/shadows-before-suicide.html">subject of suicide</a>.<br />
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In Teal Tribe, over a year ago, teal also typed out a long explanation as to how she was in no way responsible for Leslie's suicide. The first thing that strikes me about this conversation, is how people have to phrase their questions about teal, so they don't risk getting banned. Heart emoticons and assurances that they love teal and aren't against her are <i>de rigueur</i>.<br />
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In her attempt to defend herself, teal threw her client under a bus. She accused her of not wanting to get better, an appalling and lazy thing for any healing facilitator to say about a client seeking help. And she revealed personal information that any <a href="http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/confidentiality.aspx">licensed practitioner</a> would face <a href="https://www.truevault.com/blog/what-is-the-penalty-for-a-hipaa-violation.html">serious penalties</a> for disclosing.<br />
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Why would she allow a client to become dependent? She's not a clinician and has no training in dealing with such a delicate situation. Why, if she knew her client was dependent and suicidal, would she not have made sure she had back-up while she was out of cell phone range?<br />
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These justificatory statements of hers also ignore her previous statements about her client's death during the Santa Fe workshop, which sure make it sound like she was fully aware that Leslie had made the choice to kill herself.<br />
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Her failure to prevent a client's suicide aside, teal is pretty sure that she has the answers on suicide and that the field of psychology does not. This will probably come as a shock to people who have been successfully treated for suicidal ideation. It also stands in stark contrast to her own statement in the Santa Fe workshop that, "There's nothing any healer could ever do for that type of vibration."<br />
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What qualifies teal to treat suicidal people? She tried to kill herself four times. Not only is this not a qualification for handling a life-threatening condition, it's fundamentally narcissistic. Why is teal so sure that her experience of being suicidal is the same as everyone else's? But it always comes back to this with teal, she universalizes her experience, she projects herself onto everyone else.<br />
<br />
She's also very confident that she knows exactly what will happen if people visualize their own suicide. Echoing her "What To Do If You're Suicidal" video (addressed <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">here</a>), she states with certainty that people who visualize their own suicide will realize that the peace of death is boring and choose not to kill themselves.<br />
<br />
But for all her talk of the pain and isolation of the suicidal person, she reduces suicidal ideation to a binary choice.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
It is your life. You get to decide whether to take it or not. Unless you realize that it's your choice, you can't actually, consciously commit to life. People who are suicidal are fence-sitters.</blockquote>
<br />
Yes, that's the real problem with suicidal people. They're so indecisive.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Money and Spirituality</b><br />
<br />
I don't know who if anyone is giving teal guff about charging money for events and products, or who expects her to "be a Mother Teresa." She has always charged for sessions, workshops, books, her "art," and the many products made from that "art." If she's faced criticism over that, I haven't seen it. She is getting some flack about the money question now, but I think what's new is that teal is getting <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/01/her-philia.html">price resistance</a>. It's coming from her followers, who are finding themselves priced out of a lot of her new offerings, not from her "antagonists." Her new events are mostly high ticket and a lot of her new content is behind the paywall of "Teal Swan Premium."<br />
<br />
It's all well and good that teal wants to charge for events and even that she has a "premium" section on her site. It also makes sense that she needs to charge high rates for some events. The problem is that a lot of this seems disingenuous.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXaAMXhTxQI6sHTGKbJHiHQ-Liu0y6r22o8REtQzlKsmbi1wrp35CPLZhU5-6PFSaz6rPUmPItHVsH6p1-zU6gu6MTyPIIjoQ4M9GV8Lq541jK8xnKDV1014Sg3j0-9XbLlTx/s1600/updateasteaser.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXaAMXhTxQI6sHTGKbJHiHQ-Liu0y6r22o8REtQzlKsmbi1wrp35CPLZhU5-6PFSaz6rPUmPItHVsH6p1-zU6gu6MTyPIIjoQ4M9GV8Lq541jK8xnKDV1014Sg3j0-9XbLlTx/s1600/updateasteaser.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzl8oeib4VJmMPBLlDev79oZnxO0-FMiGT1MzNN1sW6a7pP7jOmO-K9IcU7vLHaJDwsr7EceF1nGLmZ02mYAZPWaN8ZHeoU0t-sk_b-QdF1d_9KCBbDwbn9PQWndB2VH7GF66/s1600/pleasedonttease.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzl8oeib4VJmMPBLlDev79oZnxO0-FMiGT1MzNN1sW6a7pP7jOmO-K9IcU7vLHaJDwsr7EceF1nGLmZ02mYAZPWaN8ZHeoU0t-sk_b-QdF1d_9KCBbDwbn9PQWndB2VH7GF66/s1600/pleasedonttease.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<br />
Why put something like the 2-3 minute versions of her daily update videos behind the paywall, teasing followers with truncated one minute <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUj75WegDLJ/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">videos</a> on Instagram? And why complain that Instagram only allows minute long videos, as if that's the reason she's charging for the extra minute or two of content. Did she suddenly forget that she has a YouTube channel?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HfK9IMqQcgRhqJAgCY0pfyDzCFQ2SDDTt8zpD4XG9ERAtkyvrJwLp-4p_xP5BWNqeMRZT4JkmFFLCGDXeCBTnISSXFaxYdTmR5hU0uCIwwu_kXMQci7-zZk3GbcwYlmPcyaF/s1600/tealpissedatIG.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="74" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HfK9IMqQcgRhqJAgCY0pfyDzCFQ2SDDTt8zpD4XG9ERAtkyvrJwLp-4p_xP5BWNqeMRZT4JkmFFLCGDXeCBTnISSXFaxYdTmR5hU0uCIwwu_kXMQci7-zZk3GbcwYlmPcyaF/s1600/tealpissedatIG.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<br />
<br />
And what makes 2-3 minute videos on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUe9EWsgkWm/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">celebrity crushes</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUrhTDpg9kk/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">cooking breakfast</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVXed9qAMk1/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">video production</a>, "premium" content from a spiritual teacher?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
One of the things that my antagonists loved to say about me is that I have a religious nonprofit because nobody has to claim the amount of money that goes through the religious nonprofit. It's not religious nonprofit I have to claim every single cent that goes through this nonprofit. That being said we've done projects with this nonprofit. We did a books to prisons program for example. I haven't done anything that I wanted to do with my nonprofit yet it's literally sitting there waiting for future projects.</blockquote>
<br />
None of the many "antagonists" I know have suggested she has a religious nonprofit. I've simply never come across this idea. How on earth would she qualify? What people have asked, repeatedly, is why the books for her nonprofit, Headway Foundation, have not been made available to the public. She said they would be as soon as money was in that account. She was asked this very directly during what I like to call the "entities melee." (Discussed in the comments <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/10/former-insider-teal-is-deluded-and.html">here</a>.) At that time, January of 2015, she said her books would be open as soon as there was anything in them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuUrDuhNAZcDtDC69CXHISLWZYFqjAFOPfdH__SJATOs0OXVYMgrHAV17OoDp8jjdWXeUn6D10iriJ2yspUdZrOODYH8YFIed7rWJcEi6V4o4kx1bBpqjwrr9z8L8cZg3bTkE/s1600/JLtealonmoney.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuUrDuhNAZcDtDC69CXHISLWZYFqjAFOPfdH__SJATOs0OXVYMgrHAV17OoDp8jjdWXeUn6D10iriJ2yspUdZrOODYH8YFIed7rWJcEi6V4o4kx1bBpqjwrr9z8L8cZg3bTkE/s1600/JLtealonmoney.png" width="450" /></a><br />
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<br />
<br />
It sounds from her statements in this video like money has moved through that account. They've done projects. So where are the open books?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Are You a Guru?</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Some people will idolize me. That is the reality in today's world. The same thing happens to pop stars.</blockquote>
<br />
Yup. Being a spiritual teacher is like being pop star.<br />
<br />
She also doesn't think she can prevent "severe idolization" because that's just the level that some people are at in the "evolution of their awareness." They've disowned their own positive traits and naturally project them onto her.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
However this is what I'm going to say in the spiritual field it seems to be the only place where being an expert is not acceptable. It seems to be the only place where superiority in terms of knowledge, or information, or capacity to see, is not something that is respected?</blockquote>
<br />
Since when? Has she never heard of the pope? Lots of spiritual leaders and teachers are respected for their knowledge and understanding within their disciplines and within their faiths. A lot of them write books, give lectures and interviews, and are tremendously respected for their insight into spiritual life.<br />
<br />
Perhaps teal thinks this because <i>she</i> does not respect other spiritual leaders and teachers.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
So my issue here is that people expect a kind of lethal humility for me, whereby I say there's no such thing as expertise, it's just one perspective. No. I'm teaching because half of the things that I'm looking at I think are a total BS. I mean nobody comes in as a game-changer, as a thought changer, and thinking that everybody's got it right. I think most people have it wrong.</blockquote>
<br />
I was raised Episcopalian, and though I've moved on, it's a church I still respect tremendously. One of the reasons it holds a special place in my heart is its active ecumenicism. Not only did our church reach out to other Christian denominations to do shared programs, it reached out to other religions. My youth group, for instance, invited the local Rabbi to do a presentation on his recent trip to Israel. We also went to a service at that synagogue and their youth came to a service at our church.<br />
<br />
When I hear <i>any</i> spiritual leader talk about why their spiritual teachings are superior to others, I get very, very nervous.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/humility-quote/" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwG5SSMhT0aTuYM5keSffwJR8JMNNtzZihInYa92nGgGwyAghmpqMI6-G9Nsfmbazu0pofnWGEJkAYcWP4s8ojntF1V_K6y75ImVjWpjggyBn9RK7a8gmyg2GztaqN9hC-Njq1/s1600/humility-quote.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As we all know, teal is <a href="https://youtu.be/8e3yZG7xt4o">against</a> humility on <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/ego-and-humility/" rel="nofollow">principle</a>. She rejects the idea that she is simply offering a perspective, because hers is a "superior" perspective.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Do I see myself as unequal to the people who are following me in this setting? Yes, I do. Otherwise I wouldn't be teaching.</blockquote>
<br />
What makes teal an expert? She's "extrasensory." Other people not so much.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
How do I have all this information? It's because I'm extrasensory. I'm not limited to this dimension or time-space reality. But I'm not asking you to believe that. I'm asking you to look at my content.</blockquote>
<br />
Well, I have looked at a good deal of her content. I'm of the opinion that it owes not so much to her ability to move through dimensions, as to her ability to google and hit <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html">cut/paste</a>.<br />
<br />
Being extrasensory makes her a victim, too. It sucks. But she can "see truths others don't see" because of their "perceptual incapacities."<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTeQdnymG2_wTRqvel1zHg7d4xZWvx51TUOGcjJl7EhRRsYVqauP3Oer1mJVCgBnOCRkjCfi2NO6uD3JLqFRZkzSKINwVmjZnLZ_2kqX_99h9g6kzhy-duQyCbco8TDiurH51/s1600/church-lady-live-gif.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTeQdnymG2_wTRqvel1zHg7d4xZWvx51TUOGcjJl7EhRRsYVqauP3Oer1mJVCgBnOCRkjCfi2NO6uD3JLqFRZkzSKINwVmjZnLZ_2kqX_99h9g6kzhy-duQyCbco8TDiurH51/s1600/church-lady-live-gif.gif" width="450" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Now it's time for the superior dance. Hit it, Pearl.</i></div>
<br />
<br />
After explaining that she has a superior vantage point and superior knowledge, that most of what other people in her field are teaching is crap, how much she is suffering to gain this incredible knowledge so that she can impart it, and that she thoroughly rejects the idea that her perspective is equal to other people's, she suddenly does an abrupt <i>volte-face</i>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
One thing that I will say is that I never taught anybody to see me as a guru. I am NOT the venue through which your spiritual information will come. I'm a person who's providing a new perspective. If you can't look at that perspective and own it as your own, it's just my perspective.</blockquote>
<br />
She can't possibly be a guru, because she's so "authentic." She's open about all of her "dysfunctions."<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
If I'm like, okay, and my personal life, my relationship is not doing well right now, what do you think people are gonna do? Are they gonna see you as a guru? Are they gonna look at you and say, oh they're dysfunctional. I don't want to follow them anymore. Believe me, if I wanted people to see me as a guru and the one through which their spiritual enlightenment is going to come, I wouldn't have taken that step.</blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
And yet people do follow her. By her own admission, many people "idolize" her. Perhaps not as a traditional guru, but certainly as a "guru-type," which is how she defines herself elsewhere in this very video.<br />
<br />
More to the point, teal is promoting herself, not just as a spiritual teacher, but as a celebrity. She talks about her own fame constantly. How do celebrities market themselves? Not by calling themselves famous celebrities all the time. Even by Hollywood standards, that's just crass. But what celebrities and their publicists know very well is that sharing their private lives, leaking to gossip columnists about their relationships and break-ups, and sharing personal stories in interviews, they keep themselves in the news cycle, and they endear themselves to their fans. It gives people a false sense of intimacy with these stars who are otherwise so out of reach. What teal is doing, in this regard, is not new or fresh. It's not some bold social "movement." It's plain, old-fashioned self-promotion.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Law of Attraction</b><br />
<br />
Why, the nameless, off-camera voice asks teal, has she law of attracted so much "antagonism" compared to other spiritual teachers?<br />
<br />
If you were expecting teal to take any sort of personal responsibility for why she's magnetizing so much of what she considers "hate" or "antagonism," you will be sorely disappointed. The problem is with everybody else, not her. According to teal, she's magnetizing antagonism because she herself is an antagonist, but against all those "old paradigms."<br />
<br />
It's not anything she's doing wrong. It's what she's doing right. She's a "game-changer." It's everyone she opposes who is wrong.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
What you're doing is coming up against the systems that currently exist. That means that anybody who's a part of those systems, anyone who believes in those things, or who has taught those things, now suddenly is being invalidated by you. So they have an option. Either they admit that they were wrong, that their entire way of doing it was misguided, that they've spent their life in vain pretty much and that their life is not valid. Or they hate me. What are you gonna choose?</blockquote>
<br />
Gosh, I cannot imagine why teal telling everybody they're wrong, that their entire lives were invalid and will continue to be if they don't embrace her teachings, could possibly make people angry.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
It's really interesting to me that people, you know, always want to put the emphasis on how is teal the one making this happen, when the reality is I'm a revolutionary in this field. That's what I am. So look at what happens to revolutionaries. What do you think happened with Martin Luther King? What do you think happened with Christ? What do you think happened with Gandhi? Look at these people. What's happening with them is what's happening with me. </blockquote>
<br />
That is some pretty rarefied air she inhabits, very select group.<br />
<br />
Apparently, people like her represent only 1% of the human population. She is a "reflector," she explains. I was baffled by this concept, as it seems to fly directly in the face of her professed belief in oneness. It was explained to me that she is speaking of a specific system called <a href="https://www.humandesignamerica.com/chart">Human Design</a>. According to this system, what they call "reflectors" <a href="http://www.resourcesforlife.net/index.php?id_cms=19&controller=cms&id_lang=1">are only</a> 1% of the population. I will not pretend to understand this system, but as presented by her and by what I subsequently read, I still say it's at odds with both mystical oneness and the derivitive law of attraction beliefs, in which we are all reflecting each other all the time and cannot do otherwise. But there is nothing new about teal being a walking, talking box of contradictions.<br />
<br />
After going to great lengths to explain why it's her specialness and her revolutionary ideas that have put her on a collision course with "antagonism," she finally gets around to answering the question posed. Why is she law of attracting this? So is this where she takes personal responsibility for what she is magnetizing? Nope. It's still someone else's fault, in this case her family and her largely Mormon community, which "ostracized" her and made her the "black sheep."<br />
<br />
According to teal, no spiritual teacher has ever been open and honest about the difficulties in their lives before. That does not accord with my experience. There are lots of teachers who've opened up about current and past difficulties in their lives and shared a range of emotions. But your better spiritual leaders also know that what they're teachings isn't really about them and try not to make themselves the issue.<br />
<br />
Poor teal is constantly working against preconceived ideas that spiritual teachers have to look a certain way and should maybe not be living in a never-ending state of drama.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I mean it's really funny because there's a lot of speculation about how it should look but are you awakened? Then how do you know how it should look? This is the big question that I have for people. Because, like I said, it's all speculation until you get to that point and, believe me, it looks a lot different once you're there.</blockquote>
<br />
If no one knows what an awakened teacher looks like, because they're not "awakened," how can they possibly know that teal is awakened? Because she says so?<br />
<br />
As her mind-reading of her "antagonists" goes on – and really, we can speak for ourselves – this whole thing takes a dark turn.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Another reason why people antagonize me like they do is because in this group that I've set up, which is an intentional community that's worldwide, is a sense of belonging. A lot of the people who are following my material are deeply lonely people. The only place they find belonging is in this group that I've created, the Teal Tribe. Now the problem is when, let's say, that they decided that they hate something that I've said, or they're starting to speculate about what kind of a person I am, and they turn against me, then by virtue of turning against me, in the type of <b>group that is set up around the support of me</b> [emphasis added], they now are seen as an antagonist. </blockquote>
<br />
So Teal Tribe is set up to "support" teal, not the other way 'round. And there is only mutual support and friendship, in that group, so long as members are not questioning or criticizing teal. Got it.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
When that happens, they lose their sense of belonging within the Teal Tribe. Now you've got a person who did feel belonging and is now losing belonging. And they're alone and isolated and where are they gonna go now? They have to find a sense of belonging. And what my hate groups have done is set up that belonging, oh if you don't belong with teal, belong with her antagonists. so they're literally switching one belonging for the other sense of belonging, and belonging is one of the principal needs for a human being. So this is another reason why. And the problem is once they fall in with each other to get a sense of belonging, their only way of staying belonging in that group is hating on teal so they have to keep doing that.</blockquote>
<br />
They are either "belonging" with her, or "belonging" against her, according to teal.<br />
<br />
In point of fact many people come and go from her "hate groups." Many get complete with their processing of what they've experienced with her and move on with their lives. That's what a healing context looks like. It's not about becoming part of a new group. Most of these people have lives. Some restore their relationships with their families and friends, relationships that had been damaged by following teal. People are not adrift without her and in desperate need of a new group identity.<br />
<br />
She's building global community, not teaching ideas. She's made this about belonging. That sounds awfully culty to me. It doesn't seem to occur to her that people should be able to pick her material up and put it down as one of many sources of information. They're joining something.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I have come into the world on a platform of authenticity, which means that I have shared the deepest aspects of my own vulnerability with people. And that is a level of intimacy which is not normal to have with most people, especially most people who are famous. And by virtue of doing that, people feel like they know me. So what happens when they feel this level of intimacy with me and I don't know them at all? Because I'm a public person I don't know one fan from another fan often they feel completely rejected.</blockquote>
<br />
If you don't know one fan from the next, that is not intimacy. That is obsession. As I said above, she's creating a false sense of intimacy, the same way celebrities and wannabe celebrities have been doing since the dawn of PR. She's also taking it to extremes.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Another reason that I feel like I get the amount of antagonism that I get is that I'm not a fluffy person. I do not sell novocaine. I'm gonna tell you that like 99% of the people that are in this business, they sell novocaine. It's just I'm gonna give you whatever material makes you feel better and then you're gonna have to keep coming back to my material. Nothing's really gonna change but I'm gonna keep feeding you this positivity and you know all these beliefs that basically make you feel like the world is better. I don't do this. I'm in the business of serious, lasting change.</blockquote>
<br />
I'm not real fluffy, either, and I've been pretty <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2007/03/sick-as-our-secrets.html">outspoken</a> about the tyranny of a positive attitude for a long, long time. For the few minutes I was enjoying my first reading of teal's blog, her apparent dismissal of love and light was the reason... you know, before alarm bells started ringing in my head.<br />
<br />
But I take her invented statistic with a few grains of salt. It's not based on anything but her own narrow reading of what constitutes the spiritual marketplace and a back of the envelope calculation that I expect only has meaning to her. It also very conveniently throws all her competitors under a bus.<br />
<br />
But the larger problem is that she's not leading her followers to independence anymore than she claims all those novocaine paddlers are. In fact, she's far worse. She's openly fostering dependency on her "tribe" as a place of belonging and participation in some greater mission of authentic something, something.<br />
<br />
I also think her work is potentially far more damaging than the love and light pabulum. Her work has the potential to break people down psychologically. Her "processes" are push polls <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/shadows-before-despair.html">into despair</a>. Her Completion Process can, by her own <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/11/introducing-wit-wisdom-of-teal-swan.html">blunt admission</a>, lead people to self-harm and suicide. On balance, maybe that novocaine is the better option.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Marriage</b><br />
<br />
Why should anyone take marriage advice from a 33 year old woman who's already on her fourth marriage? In teal's tortured analogy, because sea captains who have only ever sailed in calm seas aren't prepared for storms. But a storm is a natural phenomenon, something beyond any captain's control. I think a better comparison might be to the sea captain who ignores weather forecasts, heads out into storm systems despite warnings, sinks one ship after another, and then publicly disparages the crew.<br />
<br />
It's hard to be in a relationship when you're famous and she's very, very famous. Like all celebrities, she has fans waiting in the wings who all want to take her away from whoever the current "asshole" is. Is this a veiled admission about the demise of her third marriage, and the fan who sent her a mash note about the <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-statue-of-liberty-and-the-eiffel-tower/" rel="nofollow">Eiffel Tower</a>? Hmmm...<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Anyone who wants to be in a relationship with teal has to be "addicted" to "awakening" and to "being worked on all the time." And this is very hard, by her own admission.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Why? Because just come to one of my events and sit in the hot seat and see what it's like to just be in that position for one hour. To be in a relationship with me, that's your life. I do not put up with a lack of awareness. I won't do it.</blockquote>
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I'd just like to point out that the term "hot seat" is slang for the electric chair. To be in the <a href="https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/in+the+hot+seat">hot seat</a> is to "face intense questioning, criticism, punishment, or scrutiny." Having seen some of her workshops, that sounds about right.<br />
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One thing you get pretty quickly watching teal in action is that she's one of those people who is just never wrong. To hear her tell it, it's her personal torment that she's so aware of what's wrong with everyone else, that when they don't acknowledge it, it's like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxc78XAGMO/?taken-by=tealspiritualcatalyst">being gaslighted</a>. It's never because she's mistaken. If you disagree with her at all, or if what she's saying doesn't connect, she just verbally beats you into submission.<br />
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During her Dublin workshop, a woman sought her help with Chronic Fatigue, but teal's interpretation of the cause didn't resonate. And the more she resisted, the more aggressive teal got. Over the course of about an hour, teal enlisted peer pressure by bringing another CFS sufferer up on stage to "play them against each other." She scared her with warnings about her potential death, played her discomfort and frustration for laughs, and after repeatedly invalidating her, busted her chops for thinking teal had criticized her at all. Talk about gaslighting.<br />
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And then, of course, there was the man who went to <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/01/her-philia.html">Philia</a> for a singles retreat, only to have teal assess his "vibration" as "creep."<br />
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So on this I agree with teal. Being subjected to that kind of treatment 24/7, in any sort of relationship, sounds like hell.<br />
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Much of this we already knew from her interview with Ale, who explained her ministrations thusly:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Because you’re always a work in progress and she sees all your imperfection, and you have to be willing to see them yourself. Because if she sees it and you don’t see it, then there’s a conflict. And she’s not going to let go.</blockquote>
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And challenging her on her imperfections?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I don’t go there… what people don’t realize about Teal, her self-esteem is not high. She’s struggling with self-esteem issue…. I had this advice from a friend who gave me a reading early in our relationship that we shouldn’t walk on each other, but the truth is I should never walk on her.</blockquote>
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In other words, she's free to walk on him. Sounds lovely.<br />
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<b>Your Pain</b><br />
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Just in case you were fooled by the set-up of this video into thinking that the off-camera voice is a real journalist and this is a real "hard-hitting interview," this question should put an end to that illusion.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
What pain have you experienced from this situation and antagonizers accusing you of these lies?</blockquote>
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Wasn't the point of this exercise for teal to answer questions from her "antagonists?" (I'm assuming that's the word she found in her trusty thesaurus, because it sounds a little more sophisticated than the very juvenile "haters.") So what "antagonist" ever asked how she was being hurt by their "lying?"<br />
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To illustrate the pernicious nature of "slander," teal explains that Napoleon Bonaparte was not short, he was tall for his era, but was insulted by some nameless foe, who called him short. The Napoleon Complex is predicated on a lie, according to teal.<br />
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I love teal histories. They can be counted upon to be wildly inventive. Napoleon was indeed not particularly short, but neither was he very tall. He was of average, or slightly above average, height for his time. The <a href="https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/napoleon-short.htm">confusion</a> comes not from any defamation, but from a difference in measuring systems and his predilection for surrounding himself with tall soldiers.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Napoleon was not short. At the time of his death, he measured 5 feet 2 inches in French units, the equivalent of 5 feet 6.5 inches (169 centimeters) in modern measurement units. The confusion stems from the French and British measurement systems used at the time of Napoleon's reign, which used the same terms even though the actual measurements varied.<br />
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Napoleon was of average height, but his battle strategies may have earned him a reputation for being short. Apparently Napoleon preferred to surround himself with very tall soldiers, and these members of his personal guard made him look short-statured in comparison.</blockquote>
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So, yes, errors happen and mythologized history can be pervasive. All that is true, but it doesn't explain the problems that teal is having.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I have lost talking deals based off of these campaigns, people who don't want to work with me because they're afraid of the controversy. Most people in this field do not require security. I require security teams at every single event. Most people in the spiritual field who are in the love and light don't feel comfortable with that type of dynamic happening at their events.</blockquote>
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I'd just like to point out that teal has been alluding to threats against herself and <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/fear-layered-love/" rel="nofollow">her family</a> since at least 2013, which was when I first became aware of her. Back then it was the "establishment" and <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/major-life-change-in-the-making/" rel="nofollow">nameless corporations</a> and she was going to flee to Europe for her own safety, which, of course, she never did. Now, it's "antagonists" and evil plots hatched out of that "hate group" Truth Tribe. So this is just the latest completely unsubstantiated conspiracy theory, with which she can create drama and paint herself as a victim in need of protection.<br />
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Criticism is not slander. Perhaps teal's losing talking deals and not getting the support she wants, not because people are avoiding controversy, but because at least some of these folks recognize that there is ample truth in what her "antagonists" are saying. From the time of my <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">first blog post</a> on teal, she <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2013/11/who-and-what-is-teal-scott.html">characterized my work</a> as "outrageous claims." But, as I pointed out in the <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/01/the-artist-formerly-known-as-teal-scott.html">second post</a>, I made no claims. I simply analyzed her own public record and stated my own opinions and deductions.<br />
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Since then people from her inner circle have come forward and shared their own experiences with teal. While much of this can't be empirically verified, their stories share many similarities. They also accord with her public record in many ways. The way that teal has retaliated against these folks, personally and through proxies, looks similar to the way Scientology handles the "suppressive persons" who've publicly broken with the "church." She doesn't take the high road. She takes no personal responsibility. She doesn't apologize for how she may have even unintentionally hurt them. The problem is always them. It's up to readers and viewers of that material to make their own deductions as to who seems more credible.<br />
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She compares her work to a "crown jewel" that nobody wants. None of her "famous" friends are giving her a hand up while she is doing so much to help them. I don't know. Would these be those same spiritual teachers who she says are selling "novocaine?" Or perhaps other people in her industry whom she's plagiarized? Ever think maybe teal makes at least some of her own problems?<br />
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Unusual for a law of attraction teacher, teal proclaims herself a "victim." She'll admit that she's a "vibrational match" to this, but that's because of how she was ostracized as a child. It always comes back to how <i>she</i> was victimized by <i>others</i>. Nowhere in this does she take any actual, personal responsibility. It's all blame-throwing, all <a href="http://www.awakeninthedream.com/shadow-projection-the-fuel-of-war/">shadow projection</a>.<br />
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She is right about one thing, though. Some of us really do think people need to be protected from her influence, not necessarily because we think she's "like Satan." But as I've said many times since I started cataloguing her, someone had to bell the cat.<br />
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<b>College Dropout</b><br />
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By her own admission, teal has no academic credentials beyond a high school diploma. Her answer to that conundrum is that she doesn't need any.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Okay, so my question to you would be are you gonna go back in time and sit at the foot of Albert Einstein and ask him for his credentials? No. People who know him understand that he was given a PhD. Why? Because he didn't need to study. What was going on his material was already better than what was going on. </blockquote>
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What she appears to be saying here is that Einstein only had an honorary degree. This is <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/einstein-bio.html">woefully inaccurate</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Later, they moved to Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find a teaching post, he accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he obtained his doctor's degree.</blockquote>
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He did receive many <a href="http://www.einstein-website.de/z_information/honours.html">honorary degrees</a> throughout his very accomplished life, but those were in addition to those he'd earned academically.<br />
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According to teal, traditional education doesn't create "game-changers" like her. It only teaches people old, outmoded thinking. Of course a lot of thought leaders and change agents have had traditional educations, people like, say, Albert Einstein. This is the kind of basic information that she would know, or at least know how to fact-check, if she'd had a proper education.<br />
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<b>Plagiarism</b><br />
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The question and the answer are, once again, narrowed in scope, focusing only on the allegations of plagiarism in <i>The Completion Process</i>, ignoring her long history of plagiarizing from multiple sources. I have it on good authority that my <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/fullmetal-plagiarist.html">Fullmetal Plagiarist</a> post was discussed in Teal Tribe, that she defended herself within in the confines of that group, and that the entire discussion was deleted, as criticism of her typically is. Can I prove that? No, it was deleted and no one got screenshots. But I also know that the issues raised in the post have circulated widely. I'm pretty sure she knows that she was caught plagiarizing swathes of text, word for word. But she's not addressing any of it in this video, only <i>The Completion Process</i>, where I guess she feels safe. She's not safe, for reasons that will become apparent.<br />
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According to teal, Ma Nithya Swarupapriyananda "who was already hating me because I'm competition for her in terms of the world stage and disseminating teachings as female prophet, basically, uh, she decided when she saw this process coming out called The Completion Process, having been angry that I used her guru's picture, flipped out, I mean literally flipped out..." <br />
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What someone literally flipping out would look like, I can't imagine, so let's assume teal means she figuratively flipped out. What she actually did was post a video on teal having plagiarized Nithyananda. But teal's narrative is very inventive and makes many assumptions. We all know that envy is the prime driver of any woman who takes issue with her, according to teal, so this is nothing new. But the thing about the photo I knew wasn't right either, so I checked. In point of fact, Ma Nithya Swarupapriyananda had no idea about the use of the photo until <i>after</i> posting the video in question. She learned it from a comment on <a href="https://youtu.be/RIuYbqtc6Ng">that very video</a>.<br />
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In teal's version of events, Ma Nithya Swarupapriyananda and the Nithynanda followers, unable to prove the similarity of the two bodies of work, turned their attention to Michael Brown, but that is bollocks. Nithyananda's followers are still actively and aggressively targeting teal for plagiarizing their guru and they were never the people who accused her of plagiarizing Michael Brown.<br />
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I had been hearing chatter about teal plagiarizing <i>The Presence Process</i> long before Ma Nithya Swarupapriyananda's video. In fact I was directly contacted about it shortly after my Fullmetal Plagiarist post went up and asked if I could look into it. This was before her book was published and when the details of her process were not available for perusal anywhere, so I could not find text to work from. It was Katherine Rose Breen who ultimately did the pick and shovel work of comparing the two books and her post can be found <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/08/restoring-integrity-teal-and-presence.html">here</a> and <a href="https://amoraobscura.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/tealandthepresenceprocess/">here</a>.<br />
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In her video, teal claims that she has spoken to Michael Brown and everything is good between them. A friend of mine reached out to him to find out whether or not this were true. Brown had nothing good to say about teal. He provided the following statement. (Screenshots follow.)<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
"When Teal Swan's management first contacted me, asking if we could engage on some level about the commonality of our work, or some other pretext like that, I brushed them off. I said something like, 'when people do explorations into themselves they likely find the same things...blah, blah, blah'. When readers told me Teal Swan is plagiarizing The Presence Process, I wasn't really interested. I do recall comparing such mutterings to, 'yapping dogs'. I apologize for that now. My initial flippant response is because I have heard exact sentences, verbatim from my two books, come out of the mouths of many known New Age 'teachers', and even celebrities like Jim Carey, Oprah and Ellen. Even my own friends do it to me, not realizing they are talking my book back at me. This is because The Presence Process is full of perceptual catch-phrases I created in the 90' to communicate the intricacies of emotional processing, which have now become meaningless New Age memes. People love to use them to impress, especially when they have no experiential clue what they really imply. Some of these catch-phrases now appear on fridge magnets in New Age homes, always ascribed to some fake guru, like Teal Swan. The word 'integration', for example, was only used in the context of the business community before I added it to the vocabulary of emotional processing in the early 90's. So I take people plagiarizing my work with a pinch of salt. However, Teal Swan does take it to a whole new level. Since my one and only interaction with Teal Swan, last year if I recall, Namaste Publishing Inc. has been contacted about this matter by others and did pass their documentation on to their legal advisers. I would encourage readers to contact them again if this matter concerns you. [Attention: Constance Kellough www.namastepublishing.com ] I have not read Teal Swan's recent book, or any of her writings, other than excerpts sent to me by concerned readers. So beyond what has been shown to me, I have no idea to what extent she copies anything by anybody. But I have seen her videos on you tube. Teal Swan is everything I hoped the writing of The Presence Process would protect people from. I guess I failed a bit here!!! As long as people confuse 'taking their power' with 'following another despite their obvious inconsistencies', the Teal Swans of the world will be here to rake in the cash and leave a wake of confusion and disappointment. The Presence Process is delicate, personal, self-facilitation, written in context and with extreme care. People using any part of it to gain followers are naive, reckless, irresponsible and ignorant. Or otherwise they are just power-hungry psychopathic narcissists." Michael Brown, author of The Presence Process and Alchemy Of The Heart.</blockquote>
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<b>Practicing Psychology Without a License </b><br />
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Neither I nor anyone I know, and you how we "haters" stick together, put the State of Utah onto teal.<br />
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In a classic teal move, she claims in this video that the citation is ridiculous because they based it on her using the clinical term "social anxiety." It's not because she used the term. It's because she used her process to treat this clinical condition.<br />
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Compared to a laundry list of abuses that could have gotten her license revoked if she had one – like, say, abandoning a dependent and suicidal client to go on vacation and then disclosing that client's personal details after her death – the technicality the State cited teal for may seem trivial. All I can say to that is that they brought down Al Capone on tax evasion.<br />
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<b>Cult or Movement?</b><br />
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Here again, the question is narrowed, in this case to Teal Tribe, the Facebook group, but even some of her answers point to the larger issue, which includes things like the building of intentional communities of her followers.<br />
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I may at some point do an analysis of her Cult or Movement <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/cult-or-movement/" rel="nofollow">blog post</a>, but now is not the time. One can certainly, though, compare even what I've documented in this post to the checklist she presents in that post and see some of the problems for themselves. I also took a look at some of the cult criteria I think she meets in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">this post here</a>.<br />
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We can also just look at what she says in this segment of her video.<br />
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She claims here that she'd be a terrible cult leader because she's teaching people to "follow their own internal guidance system." Take another look at the Dublin video. How is she helping that poor woman with CFS to follow her internal guidance system. By invalidating everything she says, including how she feels her own intuition and "guidance system" have been serving her?<br />
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"There is no money to belong to this group," says teal. That's true if we are narrowly defining group to mean her Teal Tribe Facebook group but to be an active participate in her greater "tribe," there are certainly costs. She charges for her events, and a lot of her new offerings are pricey. People have to pay their own travel to get to those events. She has much of her new content behind a paywall. To really engage with her material, costs are involved, and they are increasing.<br />
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There may be no consequence for breaking from her "tribe," but there sure are for speaking out about your reasons, as discussed above.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Nowhere have I ever taught that this is the one truth. Do I think I have a hell of a lot of things to share and that most people on the planet in this field of doing it wrong? Hell yes. Otherwise I wouldn't be standing on this platform. But I've never said that there is one true truth and that is something that all cults do.</blockquote>
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Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. She may not have the "one truth" but most everyone in her field and in the world are wrong. She is, at the very least, in a very elite group of people who are right. Who those other people are, she does not say, nor does she cite most of her sources, so...<br />
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Whatever problems people are having in Teal Tribe, it's because the group is made up of people. Some of them are "super awake" but some are "super asleep." I love the way she just casually throws away a swathe of her members for, ya know, not being "woke." Anyway, what problems people are having, it's with the membership, not with teal. Nothing is ever her fault.<br />
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"It's basically a mini-society." It's not a cult, though. It's definitely not a cult.<br />
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<br />
<b>Narcissism</b><br />
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Says teal:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I'm an empath. It's impossible to be an empath and a narcissist at the same time. Basically, by definition, narcissists are incapable of attuning. They can't feel other people's emotions. An empath is the exact opposite of that. My entire career is set up upon the basis of me being able to feel other people's emotions and see them and experience them. I would be really bad at my job if I couldn't do that, so you can't argue that I'm a narcissist.</blockquote>
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Scroll up this page and take a look at that Dublin workshop footage again. Where exactly is all this empathy? Here's what I see when I watch that and any other workshop exchange. She's not a good reader. Her answers are one-size-fits all assumptions, based on her own beliefs. In the above example, she insists there's only one underlying cause for chronic fatigue syndrome and when it doesn't resonate for the woman in front of her, she plays her against another woman with chronic fatigue, as if all chronic fatigue sufferers have the same problem and there's only one way to deal with it. A good empath would find something specific about this woman, as a unique individual, to help her gain insight into her situation. Instead of "feeling into" this woman, she plays her mental chess game, "I'm gonna do a checkmate move. I'm sorry, you asked for it. You ready?"<br />
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She uses this kind of chess terminology a lot in her workshops, which is very interesting because it really echoes her thought experiment in <a href="https://youtu.be/ZqB8aVpCwLE">this video</a>.<br />
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Because I am an energy vampire, I am a master at manipulating energy. I could become a brilliant energy worker. I have the capability of consciously pulling in negative energy and transmuting it inside my own body. This means I can feed off of illness and discordant energy rather than stealing life force from people’s bodies. I can manipulate energy to heal people. Also, being an energy vampire, I am a master at mental chess. I play mind games with people. So, the highest aspect of that trait (what we call the exalted aspect) is to play mind games with people that benefit them. I could become a brilliant counselor or psychologist. I could outsmart other people’s egos and help them to see things about themselves that they are totally unaware of.</blockquote>
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And she plays to win.<br />
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Narcissists aren't introspective and she's very introspective, according to herself. But narcissists are very definitely self-absorbed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tealquotes/photos/a.1748764995406783.1073741829.1748458952104054/1752121098404506/?type=3&theater" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUngYBCWpnpH4jeV4Vn4oTFtMnhR1MiCzHgn5dvxhwex6JBdGPjHwyrZ3kc2b8jP1QvznidelXwV0zEXirMeAVxLWSlEdPFtASO3cfDfTzlgSvONDfpMG_rTV9A41mx5JLpSq/s1600/narcissus_tealmeme.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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She exposes her dark side and lets people see her "in a bad light" which is "not the action of a narcissist," according to teal. But as anyone who has had much experience with narcissists can tell you, what they crave is attention, and if it's not positive, negative attention <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/5ff67be2-b636-11df-a784-00144feabdc0">will suffice</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The narcissist’s insatiable quest for attention (what Vaknin was the first to describe as “narcissistic supply”), leads him or her to seek out a steady source of admiration. Where that is in short supply, the narcissist prefers to inspire fear or hatred than suffer the nightmare of being ignored.... While the narcissist’s need for “supply” is inexhaustible, their sources are not. Devoid of empathy, narcissists will escalate the drama of a situation – regardless of whether the attention is positive or negative, it is simply more attention.</blockquote>
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Why does it matter if she's narcissistic? Why are displays of narcissism discussed? Because "pathological narcissism" is a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/09/the-enemy-within-codependent-heart.html">defining feature</a> of toxic mind-control cults.<br />
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Is she using her "seduction and looks" to grow her business and fame?<br />
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She tries to appear passive in the way her image is being used to market her. It's beyond her control, because she has employees who handle her marketing and social media. And she can't help that she's pretty and sexy. It's just who she is. She thinks it's terribly unfair that there's an idealized image of what a spiritual teacher or "guru-type" should look like.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I want to smash the paradigm of the image, this little, boxed image, of what we think spiritual information needs to come through.</blockquote>
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I almost agree with what she's saying here. There shouldn't be a certain type of appearance or level of attractiveness that determines your value as a spiritual teacher. The problem is that teal is on record saying exactly the opposite. She's said that her looks are very important to her ability to get her message out all over the world and that the Arcturians designed her to be pretty for that reason. Black women are seen, according to teal, as "pretty ugly" except to other Africans, so they're not able to get the kind of attention that she is. She's said that the mainstream doesn't want to hear spiritual teachings from someone who is "wrinkling and greyed." So teal has her own little, boxed image of what a spiritual teacher should look like and it's pretty, young, and white, because "sex sells."<br />
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<b>Shadow Motivations</b><br />
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She's enlightened like the Buddha, and is now leading others toward enlightenment, but she feels unsafe in the world. Doesn't <a href="http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhaslife2.asp">enlightenment</a> mean awakening to the illusory nature of this world and that all that awaits you is Nirvana? What then could she possibly fear? How can she feel unsafe?<br />
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The Buddha stayed in the world to teach, as she claims she is doing, but out of compassion and to alleviate the suffering of others, not because it was the only thing he could do and was otherwise incapable of functioning.<br />
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Not for the first time, I am very troubled by the way she characterizes "extrasensory" ability. She presents it as this very unusual ability that she has, this rare "gift." Psychic ability is our birthright. We all have it and so do <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/psychic-pets-and-other-proven-things.html">our pets</a>. We certainly vary in our awareness and acceptance of our "sixth sense." Some of us have more developed abilities than others, but we all have these abilities and can refine and improve upon them. In my own practice I facilitate my clients innate intuitive abilities, help them to recognize and develop them.<br />
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I think I'm even more disturbed that she's also characterizing these abilities as a "curse." This makes psychic development sound scary and is potentially discouraging to people who want to acknowledge and expand upon their own innate abilities. Once again, she's fostering dependency on her. She is suffering to bring you insight, so you don't have to. How benevolent of her to martyr herself in this way.<br />
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<b>Why Now?</b><br />
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Synopsis: She and her team followed the "what you resist persists" playbook. Turns out some things persist even when you don't give energy to them.<br />
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Suggestion: Might be time to rethink that whole what you resist persists idea.<br />
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Note: No one is lobbing actual bombs at teal, to be clear.<br />
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<b>Passion</b><br />
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I am again left wonder what "antagonist" has asked her to share her life passion and mission, but here we are.<br />
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My life purpose and mission is to find an answer to suffering and one that I can convey. </blockquote>
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Didn't she just say that she was enlightened like the Buddha? Didn't he already do that? And didn't he understand the cause of all suffering when he became enlightened and only stay in the world to teach that?<br />
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But first, her mission is to "infiltrate mainstream media" and make it "so it's almost like you're tricking people into becoming conscious." It's always about the tricks and the mental chess, isn't it. Not surprisingly, her focus is reality programming. For some reason she thinks it's a novel idea to teach better relationship dynamics through television scenarios, and this is how she's defining "consciousness."<br />
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Note to teal: Higher consciousness <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/search/label/Archetypes">has already</a> "infiltrated" media. You are so far behind the curve.<br />
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<b>Controversy</b><br />
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All powerful movements within society are controversial, says teal. Sure. But that doesn't mean they're all good. The Nazis were a powerful movement that ultimately upended the fledgling democracy of the Weimar Republic, instituted a dictatorship, invaded other countries, and put their eugenics beliefs into practice by killing millions of Jews, Gypsies, disabled people, and anyone else who opposed them. Some social movements it's better to resist.<br />
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What are people resisting when they criticize teal? Messaging that we think could lead to suicide... and arguably has? Yes. We are resisting that. I know that's not the message she claims to be sending. But many of us disagree. If we really thought she had a great model for preventing suicide, we'd support it. It's not that her "haters" are against preventing suicide.<br />
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Many of teal's stated goals sound good, prison reform, integrating holistic health care... As overarching ideals they sound fine. But the devil is in the details and her details range from puerile to scary.<br />
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I find it troubling that teal can make even "authenticity" a binary, with me or against me thing. It's particularly troubling in that teal has redefined authenticity to mean a lack of personal boundaries and privacy. Authenticity as TMI. If I thought it were an actual movement, I'd be against it.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I mean the reality is is that when racism was the issue, people found themselves at that point. Are you gonna side with the, the aspect and with all the antagonism of being pro integration of blacks, or are you gonna be against it?</blockquote>
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Well, you heard it here first, folks. Racism is not an issue anymore. Apparently, once segregation ended, it was all over. But even if we define racism that narrowly, it's <a href="http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2017/11/01/segregation-is-alive-and-well-in-texas%E2%80%99-public-schools">far</a> from <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/roy-moore-led-charge-against-removing-segregation-from-alabama-constitution">over</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
One thing that I would wish is that people stop focusing so much on me and start focusing on the content. It speaks for itself.</blockquote>
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Whaaaaaah?! (LaVaughn carefully wipes coffee from the computer keyboard.) Is that why her group is called Teal Tribe and she thinks its purpose is to support her? Is it why she has endorsed her followers calling themselves "<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">tealers</a>," and calls anyone who questions her "anti-teal?" Is it why all her social media is awash in glamour shots of her and she embraces these "sex sells" marketing methods? Is it why she does daily updates about her celebrity crushes, her cooking skills, and whatever is irritating her on a given day? Because she wants people to stop focusing so much on her?!<br />
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<b>If You Could Say Something To Your Haters What Would It Be?</b><br />
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Hate is your word, teal, not mine, and it's a lazy and juvenile way to dismiss legitimate criticism.<br />
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I would love to be able to say to you that you haven't impacted me at all, but you have. You've impacted my life immensely and I know that there's part of you that's happy about that. But the question that I'd have for you is can you honestly rejoice in the suffering of others?</blockquote>
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I can honestly say that I have never rejoiced in the suffering of others. I know some people experience <i>schadenfreude</i>, but I never have. I can't stand to see anyone suffer, even hardened criminals. I do like to see criminals removed from society, in order to prevent them causing more suffering. And this is one of those ways that you and I differ, teal. You may not want to see even your own alleged abusers incarcerated, even if it means others might suffer, <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">because</a>, hey, you can't protect anyone from the law of attraction. Yet here you are, asking for an exemption.<br />
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I am so troubled by the sight of suffering that your public humiliation of your ex-boyfriend motivated me to put pen to paper. I think you're a spiritual abuser, teal. I think <i>you</i> cause suffering.<br />
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If you hate something, it must have hurt you. How did I hurt you?</blockquote>
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How can you ask that when a number of people have already posted their own accounts of how you have hurt them, and your response was to attack and defame them, never to consider that there might be at least some truth to their words, never to acknowledge their suffering at your hands. Why ask a question when you clearly don't want to hear the answer?<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-32285865701658805752017-08-20T18:44:00.001-04:002017-08-20T20:09:28.461-04:00The Great American Eclipse<i>Crossposted from <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/">Reflections Journal</a>.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/197653255">1979 Total Solar Eclipse TV News Report</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/eclipse">Michael Kentrianakis</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div>
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The last total eclipse of the sun to be visible in the United States was in 1979. Above is a little nostalgia viewing on the eclipse that was. Walter Cronkite's reassuring voice is sorely missed. But it was a calmer time, a time when all we had to worry about was the Cold War and the looming threat of a nuclear holocaust. They seem like halcyon days to me now.<br />
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For Americans, this eclipse may be more relevant than any we've seen in nearly a hundred years, because this one will cross the entire continental United States. Astrologers are predicting massive change and upheaval. In particular, there are warning signs for the Trump presidency and for the man himself. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not an astrologer, so I cannot vouch for their accuracy.<br />
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According to astrologer Donna Woodwell, in the most <a href="https://medium.com/@DonnaPhilosophica/what-astrologers-see-in-an-eclipse-that-you-dont-57539ee9b290">comprehensive analysis</a> I've seen, the eclipse means "massive changes for the U.S."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
First, the location from which an eclipse is visible indicates the areas of the world ripe for changes in society, cultures or leadership.<br />
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Of course, the “Great American Eclipse” puts the U.S. in the crosshairs of change.<br />
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It’s the first total solar eclipse to be visible coast-to-coast across the U.S. in nearly 100 years; the last time was in June 1918. Another pivotal year in U.S. history, 1918 saw a dramatic increase in the size of the U.S. government and armed forces, as the nation sent the first major deployment of troops overseas in the nation’s history.<br />
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The Aug. 21 eclipse is also the first total solar eclipse to be visible in totality only from the U.S. since the nation was founded in 1776.</blockquote>
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Woodwell further explains that Donald Trump is directly in the crosshairs because an eclipse conjunct Regulus portends the fall of a king, and because of the way this eclipse hits Trump's natal chart.<br />
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It's a very thorough write-up and I highly recommend it. If her math is accurate, we are in for some very big changes. And if the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/19/tracking-trump-charlottesville-bannon-worst-week">past week</a> is any indication of where Trump's presidency is headed, I'd say we're right on course.<br />
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Newsweek also <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/total-solar-eclipse-trump-astrology-prediction-643776">interviewed</a> a number of astrologers and got their take on what this eclipse might mean for the US and the Trump presidency.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The effects of the coming eclipse could take time to show up, according to astrologers’ claims. [Wade] Caves believes the impact will appear over the next two years because the eclipse will take around two hours to cross the continent (for a solar eclipse, astrologers interpret each hour as a year). The result could be “a loss of a leader in some sense,” he says, whether literal or symbolic. “It seems to me very possible that by this time next year, we’re looking at the reality of Trump not being in office.”<br />
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In February, [Debra] DeLeo-Moolenaar <a href="https://archetypalassets.com/2017/02/10/trump-and-this-summers-solar-eclipse/">wrote on her blog Archetypal Assets</a> that she finds it significant how the eclipse will involve Uranus, according to astrological charts. That planet, she wrote, “disrupts everything that it touches. It is a lightning bolt from the blue. Serious change in any direction and on a major scale.” And because Uranus “will make close aspects to Mr. Trump’s natal Mars,” she wrote, “this will be a power surge—provoking a crisis of some sort. Whether for good or evil, we can’t know in advance.”<br />
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Marjorie Orr, another astrologer, <a href="http://star4cast.ca/the-great-american-solar-eclipse-2017-inspiring-reckless-actions/">pointed out</a> last November, just four days after the election, that the August eclipse is part of what space scientists <a href="https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros.html">know as</a> the Saros series, which has included eclipses in 1909, 1927, 1945, 1963, 1981 and 1999. Orr noted the major political events in those years: the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a period of unrest in Chicago that involved bombings and an attempted assassination of President William Taft. “Usually this series places strains on personal relationships, induces hasty decisions on the basis of false information and is associated with tiredness or health problems,” she wrote. “Certainly this eclipse presages violence in one form or another.”</blockquote>
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On a more optimistic note, The Fountain of Life <a href="https://www.thefountainoflife.org/solar-eclipse-lion-mermaids/">forecasts</a> this eclipse as a gateway of the divine feminine.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
We are about to experience a Solar Eclipse that is a portal to a paradigm shift.<br />
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On the waves of lunar consciousness, come the rise of the Mermaids, the feminine water bearers of wisdom, and the awakening of the fiery heart of the Lion into his passion.<br />
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The total Solar Eclipse in Leo, on August 21st, 2017 is an extremely potent astrological event that heralds the return of mystical feminine consciousness and the rebirth of the ancient Mermaid priestesses. In every sense, the Moon is about to eclipse the Sun.<br />
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The burning heat of the hyper-masculine paradigm is about to be tamed by love.<br />
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. . .<br />
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The Sabian astrological symbol for this 29’ Leo eclipse is, <b>“A mermaid emerges from the ocean waves ready for rebirth in human form,”</b> revealing that spirit of the mermaid priestesses is embodying and returning to the planet after a long and difficult absence. Women are remembering their power, and their feminine divinity. Above all, this eclipse is a gateway of feminine activation, transmitting the energetic codes that will help women awaken to the mystical power of their wombs, and rebirth the ancient priestess arts.</blockquote>
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There will be some global mediations scheduled. I'm going to post links to a couple that I've found: <a href="http://2012portal.blogspot.com/2017/08/make-this-viral-unity-meditation-at.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.globalpeacemeditation.com/global-meditation-instructions.html">here</a>. If you know of others, please post them in the comments.<br />
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If you're in or near the path of totality and intend to view the eclipse, please take the necessary precautions and protect your eyes. If you were not able to get protective glasses – and many experts say there's really <a href="http://www.phillyvoice.com/pennsylvania-optometrist-looking-solar-eclipse-not-worth-it/">no such thing</a> – you can make your own viewing equipment using cardboard, foil, and paper. Here are few links with instructions for different methods: <a href="https://www.livescience.com/33906-solar-eclipse-viewer.html">here</a>, <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/274548581-story">here</a>.<br />
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NASA will also be providing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eclipse-live-video-nasa-facebook-2017-8">live video</a> of the event, for those who are nowhere near the path of totality.<br />
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<a href="https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-who-what-where-when-and-how" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6S3rYTe4gxQ5D_AaoqCpEAugfqsavBxphcZcZeA0wBgVxrBuJk0VPHGUQhDfkvyT8tVyPj3Nl7U0cNLujnNFR62BNbfQ1epx16aaSeOfy2do5ua9rNCjePexuBWpxboeh7Y7r/s1600/usa_eclipse_map.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119686.post-4910195064248228292017-08-09T18:14:00.001-04:002017-08-10T11:59:04.275-04:00That Time Blake Tried Blogging<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.sundyer.com/blog/2017/7/2/the-teal-tribe-rift" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxHHUbsadjbYzA8C4pryFyfrh7AoIof6NdQRC_owWRVrDirftV6g4HDQiSYvz26M4OWgjEw2LPZT5d1RV65UnHkBWvu_PocvgY3XTuw2q0qfQ8ddk0Far0yMQhTd6LwkscosY/s1600/sundyerblogs.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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It did not go well.<br />
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Blake Dyer is Teal Bosworth Scott Swan's long-time friend, roommate, ex-boyfriend, and business partner. You may remember Blake from such hits as <a href="http://celestial-reflections.blogspot.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">Jason Freedman: Freelance Reporter</a>, <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/11/the-mormon-satanist-speaks.html">Blake and the Unanswered Questions</a>, and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/06/shadows-before-despair.html">Stop Destroying Teal With Your Worsening Depression</a>. Now he brings you... a very thorough scolding. There is trouble in Teal Tribe and it's all because of "haters." People just seem to turn on teal, but it's never her fault. As she explained it, in one of her <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-messengers/" rel="nofollow">blog posts</a>:<br />
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Again and again, I experience “haters”. I especially experience people turning on me. I guess you could call it a form of betrayal. They go from being very close to me and “loving” me to “hating” me with verve and passion. They go out of their way to try to injure my credibility or my success.</blockquote>
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What can a very, very famous spiritual luminary do but respond in kind? Of course she doesn't do that dirty work herself, not publicly. She has people for that. For instance, her current and fourth husband Ale Gicqueu took on husband number three in a biting, <a href="https://alegicqueau.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/please-go-in-peace/" rel="nofollow">personal attack</a> on his blog, which has since been taken private. Now it falls to Blake, her all around guy Friday, to devote a <a href="https://www.sundyer.com/blog/2017/7/2/the-teal-tribe-rift" rel="nofollow">very long post</a> to taking on her growing list of "betrayers."<br />
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Blake explains that this pattern of betrayal stems from deep, unhealed wounds in the collective psyche, including his own. He further explains that the people who've turned on teal did so because of their own unwillingness to self-reflect.<br />
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Blake's claim that no one else takes personal responsibility is ironic (note the correct use of the term), given that the entire blog post is devoted to blaming everyone but himself and teal for everything. Nowhere in the entire post does he describe a single action that they took that just might account for these people breaking from teal. It's all blame throwing. The only thing Blake takes partial responsibility for is his own "personality disorder," for which he blames his parents. He's learned his tealisms well.<br />
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Blake's first target is Cameron Clark, whose mind he seems to believe he can read. He has many ideas about her internal motivations, which he states as facts. Cameron, for her part, has already described her motivations and experiences very clearly in <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2014/10/former-insider-teal-is-deluded-and.html">interviews</a> and <a href="https://thetruthaboutcameron.blogspot.com/">her own posts</a>. I find it downright hilarious that Blake accuses Cameron of not taking personal responsibility for her experience with teal, when she has clearly <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/07/cameron-clark-on-not-being-victim.html">stated the exact opposite</a>. You, gentle reader, can decide for yourself whose words seem more credible.<br />
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Blake also raises an issue that Cameron has not spoken about publicly, which is her split from Guru Ethics.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Another group that experienced the lies of Cameron Clark was called Guru Ethics. If some of you remember there was a group called Guru Ethics that was investigating Teal. They had released multiple articles against Teal. Debra Van Este [sic] created a group because she herself had been subject to a cult around the Chicago area when she was young. They quickly found Cameron and were working directly with her because Cameron had painted Teal as a dangerous Cult Leader, until something happened. They refused to air uncorroborated information that Cameron was wanting to spread about Teal and so low and behold [sic], now Cameron Clark turned against them. This planted enough doubt in their mind [sic] about the things that Cameron had said about Teal that they contacted us. They told us that they had discovered that Cameron was a liar and an unreliable source. It must have been bad because she apparently even tried to sue Guru Ethics.</blockquote>
<br />
I discussed with Cameron the best way to address these defamatory statements. Her hectic work schedule has not allowed her the time to publish a rebuttal. She has given me permission to address the issue and to publish the relevant portions of a previously unpublished interview, in which she explains what happened with the magazine. In short, she fell out with Guru Ethics, not because of their unwillingness to publish information about teal, uncorroborated or otherwise, but because of her own unwillingness to let them publish her private discourse with Gabriel "Kundalini" Morris, against his wishes. As is now a matter of public record, the two had exchanged a series of messages. Gabriel subsequently published his <a href="http://gabrielmorris.blogspot.com.co/2015/09/the-teal-swan-controversy-is-teal-swan.html" rel="nofollow">own conclusions</a> on his blog. Cameron wrote a response, which can be found <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2015/09/an-open-letter-to-gabriel-morris.html">here</a> and <a href="http://thetruthaboutcameron.blogspot.com/2015/09/an-open-letter-to-gabriel-morris.html">here</a>. But their private discussion, which Guru Ethics pressured her to publish in the magazine, remains private.<br />
<br />
The unpublished interview was with a teal follower who calls himself taofighter. He contacted Cameron about his intent to create a video about the Guru Ethics situation. She agreed to an interview, providing that they each had the publishing rights. To my knowledge, he never completed his project, but their lengthy email exchange still exists, in a very rough, unedited form. I have posted the relevant excerpts of that interview <a href="http://celestialhealing.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-taofighter-interview.html">here</a>. In that exchange, one of many things that is made explicitly clear is that even from the Guru Ethics perspective, the dispute was over the Gabriel Morris piece and Cameron's unwillingness to move forward with it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Next, Blake took some swings at teal's most recent ex-husband.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
I don’t want to peg the whole creation and reason for truth tribe onto Sarbdeep Swan. But the reality is, after Teal was gracious enough to put Sarbdeep in the pubic eye and people accepted him, he used that same level of notoriety that she gave him to connect with Cameron Clark and those who Cameron Clark had poisoned against us and they banded together to form an active hate group that is almost unheard of in the spiritual field.</blockquote>
<br />
It is amazing how much of this short passage is factually wrong. Sarbdeep never wanted to be in the public eye, which is why the first two episodes of the "podcast" he did with teal were devoted to arguments over his desire for privacy. All the "Tea Time With Teal" videos were removed from her platform, but those two were discussed in the comments on my blog <a href="http://celestial-reflections.blogspot.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html">here</a> and <a href="http://celestial-reflections.blogspot.com/2014/02/breaking-teal-spell.html?commentPage=2">here</a>, as informal pre-noncasts. That this was a central problem in their marriage is something teal laid out again in her <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/flower-to-ash-ash-to-flower/">blog post</a> announcing their divorce.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
As many of you already know, when it came to the topic of openness vs. privacy, my husband and myself held conflicting values and we both held them very dear. A while back, I publicly said that if two people absolutely can’t agree on something that is wanted, it will pull them in opposite directions and if it is a core value, they will break up. This is ultimately what has happened. My life is public. This is the bottom line with fame. No matter how private I became about my personal life, my life is still in the public eye. And for someone who genuinely does not want a life in the public eye, being with someone who is famous, is a constant source of grievance. But there is another dimension. I have not decided to be private with my private life. I have decided to lead an authenticity movement. And I have as much conviction about this decision as any revolutionary does to the ideal that they espouse. This openness or shall I say transparency that I have dedicated my life to, is not just a lifestyle choice for me. It is a purpose. And so, it became a source of continual conflict between he and I; one that eventually caused us to question our future together.</blockquote>
<br />
Truth Tribe is not a "hate group." It's a support and discussion group on Facebook, made up largely, but not entirely, of former followers of teal's. You will find no mention of Truth Tribe, nor <i>any</i> "anti-teal" hate groups listed by the <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/">Southern Poverty Law Center</a>, and teal is a privileged, white woman, not a disenfranchised minority group of one. Not only was Truth Tribe not started as a joint effort between Sarbdeep and Cameron, it was started by neither of them. It was started by a nice fellow named Nile. Its creation was spurred in part by Sarbdeep's "Black Swan" <a href="https://amoraobscura.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/theblackswan/">post</a>, but he did not start it and has only intermittently been a member.<br />
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<br />
Yes, many people were upset by Sarbdeep's revelations in that post. It did spur more people to move away from teal, and Truth Tribe became one of a number of venues for people to process their disillusionment.<br />
<br />
Despite Blake's apparent ignorance of this fact, many in the "spiritual field" have what he and teal characterize as "hate groups," or what I would call <a href="https://www.culteducation.com/group.html">support networks</a> for survivors of spiritual abuse and mind control cults. There are also some spiritual groups that are on the receiving end of <i>genuine</i> hate, like <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/anti-muslim">Muslims</a> and <a href="http://www.jta.org/2017/02/15/news-opinion/united-states/number-of-us-hate-groups-rose-in-2016-and-most-are-anti-semitic-civil-rights-center-finds">Jews</a>.<br />
<br />
As a side note, when I was watching Rachel Maddow last night, she reminisced about Kim Jong Un's tirade against the movie <i>The Interview</i>. In his apparent <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/27/world/asia/north-korea-the-interview-reaction/index.html">world view</a> President Obama was in control of Sony Pictures.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
"U.S. President Obama is the chief culprit who forced the Sony Pictures Entertainment to 'indiscriminately distribute' the movie and took the lead in appeasing and blackmailing cinema houses and theatres in the U.S. mainland to distribute the movie," North Korea's National Defense Commission said Saturday, according to state-run media.<br />
<br />
"Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest."</blockquote>
<br />
The movie was an "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/world/asia/north-korea-warns-us-over-film-parody.html">act of war</a>" against North Korea.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The spokesman did not elaborate, but said Washington was guilty of “provocative insanity” for mobilizing a “gangster filmmaker” to defile the country’s supreme leader. He also said the movie had inspired “a gust of hatred and rage” among the North’s citizens and soldiers.</blockquote>
<br />
As Maddow was explaining how we got to this point, on the brink of war with North Korea, all I could think about was how much Kim Jong Un sounds like teal, what with her delusional claims of conspiracies and hired assassins and <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/01/her-philia.html">plots</a> hatched out of Truth Tribe to destroy her business. This may seem like a weird tangent, but when you understand the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_Reform_and_the_Psychology_of_Totalism">correlation</a> between despotic regimes and mind control cults, the similarity really isn't that surprising.<br />
<br />
<br />
Blake's primary target, though, was at one time a very close friend of teal's. She posted some of her story <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/07/teal-swan.html">here</a>. In the process of attempting to protect and defend his and teal's business associate from her charge of coercive rape, he disclosed both of their full names, which she had not. He has since revised his post to remove that information.<br />
<br />
I have not commented on this situation previously, despite my knowledge of this man's actions and his prominence in the spiritual community, because his name had not been made public. But the cat is out of the bag now, thanks to Blake's stunning lack of discretion. The man in question is Jordan "Pearce" Duchnycz of Spirit Science.<br />
<br />
Blake demonstrated ably that he shares teal's penchant for victim blame and perpetrator apologia. Echoing teal's dismissal of ghoste's assault, Blake blames it on her "poor boundaries."<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
She explains the night in full detail. She said no, she said no again, she said no again, then she said ok. yeeeeaaahh... That’s not rape. That is poor boundaries. I feel sorry for all of the real rape victims out there (including Teal) that will have their pain demeaned because of irresponsible statements and people like Tori.</blockquote>
<br />
I knew the moment I read it that his cavalier attitude would not go down smoothly, not even in the safety of Teal Tribe. And as expected, he got a lot of pushback. A good deal of it was predictably deleted. Comments on his blog passed 35 more than once, with the count going up and down for several hours.<br />
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Finally, Blake shut down commenting entirely, leaving a grand total of nine comments.<br />
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Many fantastic comments were deleted, including each and every attempt by ghoste to set the record straight. (Text is highlighted to aid in visibility against the execrable background.)<br />
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<br />
Jason Freedman even wriggled out of Blake's sock drawer to remind him what reporting is all about. His comment, too, was deleted. <br />
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Dissenting opinion did not fare well in Teal Tribe, either.<br />
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<br />
Blake made a number of comments acknowledging that he was too dismissive of ghoste's "pain." Yet his revised blog post is still a victim-blaming nightmare.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
Furthermore she spent the next year or more in a relationship with this guy. And again we have a person that is unwilling to take responsibility for their own actions. Why couldn’t that have been a story of “I don’t have good boundaries, so I let this person walk all over me?” Why do we have to be the projection of the pain in that relationship that we weren’t even involved in?</blockquote>
<br />
What kind of message does that send to battered spouses and victims of spousal rape? His ignorance about what constitutes rape and how victims process it is very disturbing and he shows few signs of wanting to learn.<br />
<br />
Alexander Fred has been doing some excellent reporting on this controversy. He had already put himself afoul of teal by doing a very <a href="https://evonews.com/business/leadership/2017/jul/03/an-insider-look-into-teal-swan-spiritual-healer-or-charismatic-cult-leader/">even-handed piece</a> on the question of her cultiness. Fred <a href="https://evonews.com/life/2017/jul/10/creator-of-spirit-science-jordan-duchnycz-admits-to-rape-and-blake-dyer-disciple-of-teal-swans-team-blames-survivor/">addressed</a> Blake's post and the recorded "pretext call" between ghoste and Jordan. I have also listened to this recording. It's hard to take. Jordan did indeed admit to many of the elements ghoste has asserted <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2017/07/teal-swan.html">here</a> and on <a href="https://thegohst.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/i-was-raped/">her own blog</a>.<br />
<br />
Fred explains brilliantly, in that <a href="https://evonews.com/life/2017/jul/10/creator-of-spirit-science-jordan-duchnycz-admits-to-rape-and-blake-dyer-disciple-of-teal-swans-team-blames-survivor/">post</a>, how Blake is perpetuating rape culture. I won't attempt to duplicate his efforts. He also broke down the legal ramifications very clearly <a href="https://evonews.com/world-news/2017/aug/02/the-fbi-jordan-duchnycz-and-brock-turner-defining-rape-in-america/">here</a>, explaining the gap between the current FBI definition of rape and the lag in state laws in expanding statutes beyond "forcible rape."<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program amended their definition of rape in 2013 to read:<br />
<br />
<i>“Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”</i><br />
<br />
This definition is gender neutral and includes all forms of sexual penetration, including penetration with a foreign object. The “legacy definition” included only “force” against a woman as a cause of rape, but this new definition is gender neutral, acknowledges all forms of sexual penetration, includes penetration with a foreign object, and includes more causes than just force including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Intoxication</li>
<li>Distribution of intoxicating substances or drugs</li>
<li>Unconsciousness</li>
<li>Psychological coercion</li>
<li>Emotional duress</li>
<li>Prior physical or sexual assault or abuse</li>
<li>Threats of harm or punishment to another (e.g. a teacher failing a student or a boss threatening to fire a worker if they don’t agree to sexual intercourse)</li>
<li>All other acts which remove a victim’s ability to consent.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<br />
The FBI's broadened definition accommodates but does not control legislation, which is up to individual states. States are gradually updating their <a href="https://apps.rainn.org/policy/#report-generator">penal code</a> to include a better understanding of what constitutes rape. California, for instance, is now an "affirmative consent" state.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
“Consent” is defined to mean positive cooperation in act or attitude pursuant to the exercise of free will. The person must act freely and voluntarily and have knowledge of the nature of the act or transaction involved. <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=261-269">California Penal Code § 261.6</a>.</blockquote>
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It will take time and dedicated effort to make affirmative consent, or "yes means yes," the law of the land, and it will happen state by state. This <a href="http://affirmativeconsent.com/affirmative-consent-laws-state-by-state/">site</a> tracks the legislative initiatives and their progress around the country. This <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/what-affirmative-consent-actually-means-ea665b32b388/">article</a> breaks down the massive resistance to these shifting definitions and what affirmative consent means in practice.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #134f5c;">
The <a href="https://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/243/studyguide_243.pdf">current societal script on sex</a> assumes that passivity and silence — essentially, the “lack of a no” — means it’s okay to proceed. That’s on top of the fact that male sexuality has been socially defined as <a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/12/27/sex-and-dating-as-a-hunt/">aggressive</a>, something that can <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/05/29/3442515/men-magazines-sexual-boundaries/">result</a> in men <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/news/elliot-rodger-mens-rights-activists/">feeling entitled</a> to sex, while women have been taught that sex is something that <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/04/15/3426679/study-assumption-sexual-violence-normal/">simply happens to them</a> rather than something they’re an active participant in. It’s not hard to imagine how couples end up in ambiguous situations where one partner is not exactly comfortable with going forward, but also not exactly comfortable saying no.<br />
<br />
Under an affirmative consent standard, on the other hand, both partners are required to pay more attention to whether they’re feeling enthusiastic about the sexual experience they’re having. There aren’t any assumptions about where the sexual encounter is going or whether both people are already on the same page. At its very basic level, this is the <a href="http://www.theconsensualproject.com/blog/dirty-talk">opposite</a> of killing the mood — it’s about making sure the person with whom you’re about to have sex is <a href="http://www.doctornerdlove.com/2013/03/enthusiastic-consent/">excited about having sex with you</a>.</blockquote>
<br />
So what it really comes down to is whether you believe women are sexual targets who do or do not acquiesce to sexual advances, or that women have agency and are entitled to actively and equally choose or decline sex.<br />
<br />
The problem with Jordan's position, and Blake's, is that neither of them seem to see "no" as anything but the beginning of a negotiation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPnkpa8EsWctvIXqLKZHJHq1g3OahGOKM_BQ3gTsdoeaDvQKFk9oBbEAnTqFJFYarXyUnLfCeGrY-3njCsgodmD-_zL2AfMU8vVc0gYNmySAB9YiV_JG4E2hAN3XxzC8MrRJX/s1600/quote-no-is-a-word-that-must-never-be-negotiated-because-the-person-who-chooses-not-to-hear-gavin-de-becker-70-2-0260.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="No is a word that must never be negotiated, because the person who chooses not to hear it is trying to control you_Declining to hear no is a signal that someone is either seeking control or refusing to relinquish it_Gavin de Becker" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPnkpa8EsWctvIXqLKZHJHq1g3OahGOKM_BQ3gTsdoeaDvQKFk9oBbEAnTqFJFYarXyUnLfCeGrY-3njCsgodmD-_zL2AfMU8vVc0gYNmySAB9YiV_JG4E2hAN3XxzC8MrRJX/s1600/quote-no-is-a-word-that-must-never-be-negotiated-because-the-person-who-chooses-not-to-hear-gavin-de-becker-70-2-0260.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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There was nothing wrong with ghoste's boundaries. She said "no" repeatedly, something no one is disputing. Jordan had no respect for that boundary and continued to pressure her until she just gave up. He fought a war of attrition against her boundaries until he got what he wanted. It's not ghoste who has a boundary problem.<br />
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Jordan's inability to respect boundaries was also apparent in the dialogue he had with Cameron (<a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/06/a-conversation-with-jordan-from-spirit.html">here</a> and <a href="http://thetruthaboutcameron.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-conversation-with-jordan-from-spirit_19.html">here</a>), although thankfully for Cameron, his target was not her body. Anyone can see from that exchange that he's relentless, and that his aw-shucks charm evaporates when he doesn't get what he's after.<br />
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Since Blake's disclosure of the identity of ghoste's assailant, Jordan has made some attempts at addressing the controversy. During a recent "Spiritside Chat" he talked in circles for several minutes about it. The original video appears to have been withdrawn, but the inimitable James Beard grabbed the relevant portion.<br />
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He later wrote a couple of blog posts addressing the <a href="http://theriverofjordan.com/index.php/2017/07/25/when-regret-becomes-rape/" rel="nofollow">incident</a> and <a href="http://theriverofjordan.com/index.php/2017/07/25/an-open-letter-to-thegohst/" rel="nofollow">ghoste</a> directly. His posts do not comport with his own words in the recorded pretext calls.<br />
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James Beard has already done an excellent job of demonstrating the disconnect between the two, so I won't belabor it. But I do have a couple of thoughts on this horrible, horrible conversation.<br />
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In that exchange Jordan pressures ghoste to take responsibility for finally dropping her resistance to his advances. He, on the other hand, blames his youth, his hormones, and her irresistible beauty, not his own choices. He was just overcome by forces beyond his control, but she finally said yes after "a million" no's and <i>that</i> is what "led to it happening."<br />
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Says Jordan, "I didn't know what you were crying about. I thought there was something else bothering you."<br />
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That's how interested he was in her emotional state during their sexual encounter. Pro tip: When a woman is crying and "bothered" about "something" when you are performing sexual acts on her body, she's just not that into you. Weeping and emotional distress are the exact opposite of "enthusiasm."<br />
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In a video released sometime before this story broke, Jordan released this delusional and grandiose "rant." In it he blames rape victims for law of attracting rape, then does an inexplicable 180 to tearfully tell them it's not their fault. Why rape? Why did he go there? Why is that the example he chose to explain personal responsibility when bad things happen to you? <i>Mens rea</i> perhaps?<br />
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Jordan does not care much for justice. He prefers love and forgiveness. This is something else we learned in his <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2016/06/a-conversation-with-jordan-from-spirit.html">conversation</a> with Cameron. He also explores this idea in this very strange interview.<br />
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Jordan's obsession with forgiveness puts me in mind of a <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/2011/10/dark-side-of-amish-forgiveness.html">piece I wrote</a> some time ago about the Amish community and its considerable problem with sex abuse. Forgiveness is a lovely thing, but it's not a cure-all. Some things don't resolve themselves through compassion or God's grace and one of those things is sexual assault.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPSNf1w52F6kVZlVEoNlk1JyOQfpbukU5k5DghAkm1pNlOK2Fw276HkfDj2lg3scwEyo7Jq4lXxC-XDKN_kprDll93RakloFnCCC4bgaTPlYT6PKxIV7_g4Ut_4eT7w3Z8_PB/s1600/DalaiLamaonForgiveness.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Practicing forgiveness does not mean accepting wrong doing_His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama" border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="744" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPSNf1w52F6kVZlVEoNlk1JyOQfpbukU5k5DghAkm1pNlOK2Fw276HkfDj2lg3scwEyo7Jq4lXxC-XDKN_kprDll93RakloFnCCC4bgaTPlYT6PKxIV7_g4Ut_4eT7w3Z8_PB/s1600/DalaiLamaonForgiveness.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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Throughout this controversy, teal has remained publicly silent. It would certainly be nice to hear how the <a href="https://tealswan.com/teals-blog/the-liberty-of-confession/" rel="nofollow">self-described</a> "spokesperson and poster child for ritual abuse" defends her lack of support for a victim of sexual assault and her apparent unwillingness to speak out against rape culture.<br />
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There are some indications, though, that her recently rekindled business relationship with Jordan and Spirit Science is winding to a close. She quietly removed the Spirit Science intro from her Ask Teal videos, after June 24. This was <a href="https://youtu.be/HRCAvsOl8Xs">the last</a> of her videos to display Jordan Pearce's handiwork, so we won't be seeing this anymore:<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/HRCAvsOl8Xs" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpIeK43hpQGbUiPy2EivDoNt4BS3h7OuENis0Kw-fmQc1qusTE4Ll0LrfqCcy2mum8rh-8JatThEHYqEZrUk7-k_LevselrM3Fcyna3zmI3_5ZpQnlYBZEbI65dzjwlvIywFE/s1600/spiritscienceintro.jpg" /></a></div>
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Good riddance.<br />
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<i>Comments on this entry are closed, on this blog. If you wish to comment, please find this and all newer blog entries crossposted on <a href="http://www.celestialhealing.com/">Celestial Reflections</a>.</i></div>
LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.com