Submitted anonymously
I’m going to start with the positives of my experience after taking level 1(twice) as I want to make the point that one of the reasons that I was unaware that the course was a cult without a trusted confidant revealing this to me is that its teachings are good! This is at first, I believe, and I’ll explain why, although I’ve only done level 1.
This course brought up so much for me to work with which was ultimately positive including the reality of abuse and my lack of discernment between myself and others energy because of it. Ironically, this was one of the reasons I accepted everything my teacher was saying at first as I lacked the discernment and sense of self to think critically and feel what was true for me. They also use a “power transference” energy healing technique to teach with got me high energetically and made me more open and suggestive also. However, as an ultra-sensitive and very open person who was suffering (the type who get attracted to the academy in the first place I believe), the meditation techniques I learned in this course were the only way I could find any peace in a dark night of the soul in my life. I was in desperate need of healing and I still use these meditation techniques months after taking the course and they are great to relax and shield myself from other’s negativity which is a necessity for someone as sensitive as I am. So I try to have compassion for the people in the course because I think the people in it are sensitives in need of healing and, even with my teacher I believe, I guess they just got brainwashed in to its fear-basis in the upper levels.
On that note, on to the dark side… I didn’t even realize it was a cult at first. My teacher of level 1 would say delusional and paranoid things like “Jesus’ teachings? Oh that’s just level 3 material…”, she told me a family member was an energy vampire which made me paranoid of a sensitive, loving (although damaged) person, and, in the one-on-one past-life clearing with her as a pre-requisite for level 2, she went so far as to try to convince me I was sexually abused as a kid… She was pointing out all my signs of mental illness as symptoms of childhood sexual abuse (and she wasn’t far off) and even recommending to me how to recover after me voicing my disagreement. The thing is, I actually questioned these lies! This was ironic because it was my lack of discernment, healthy boundaries, and low self-esteem among other things (all the truths that were revealed to me in the reading) that I would even question such a thing! So it was very deceptive in this way for me but these were lies I believe as they were a powerful enough psychic to intuit all these truths about me and then went on to tell me about sexual abuse which was either on purpose and/or a result of her brainwashing in the cult I guess. And it wasn’t only me…two fellow level 1 students who are now friends were both told the same thing in readings with TIP teachers. In addition, I’ve recently been told by an upper level student who is also a counselor that this is the hook! If you have the reading which is required to go past level 1 they tell you this to put you in fear and make you more dependent on their healing! The upper level student who revealed this to a friend of mine noticed this as a trained counselor. She said you cant just tell people they’re sexually abused(even if they were!) if they’re not ready.
For me to realize it was a cult it took the wisdom of a spiritual counselor of mine. This lady is like an aunt to me and I don’t know where I’d be without her as she has helped me tremendously since I was in high school and I trust her more than anyone. She grew up with my mom and has helped my whole family (a true healer!). Anyways, when I mentioned training in power to her, she said it was great that my childhood abuse was revealed to me however she made me promise not to go past level 2. She said, from the shares of very trusted friends of hers who have taken upper levels, that it starts to get too fear-based and paranoid and all about the world being a dangerous place basically in level 3 which is consistent with the reviews you’ll find here probably and on newagefraud. She recommended newagefraud actually which is why I am here sharing my experience.
In conclusion, I might still take level 2 with the discernment I have now and based on the advice from my trusted counselor (also I’ve always loved the Castaneda books that it’s based on) but I’m leaning towards not supporting a cult with my money (even though I think it could be ultimately beneficial) and seeking better avenues of healing instead. For example, my favourite spiritual teacher, a buddhist, whose work you can find at: ommeditation.org.
Hope this Helps, happy to share my experience ?