"Former followers of the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) appear in the compelling three-part documentary series, describing their slow indoctrination into what appears to be a cult. The followers describe going from attending one of several yoga schools in cities like London or Paris to being whisked to secret locations, their sim cards and IDs forfeited. They were allegedly manipulated into sex cam work and orgies, groomed by an international network of yoga camps organised by Gregorian Bivolaru."
"Bivolaru was detained in France in 2023, and charged with organized kidnapping, organized abuse of weakness by members of a sect, human trafficking and rape. He's currently awaiting trial. The question that we grappled with, says Rowan Deacon, the Twisted Yoga director, is how come this hasn't come to the fore sooner? How come people haven't spoken out sooner? Why is it happening now, when this man has been in Paris doing this for 20 years?"
"As Miranda puts it in Twisted Yoga, she didn't see herself as a victim, echoing the experience of so many who endure abuse. The words rape and trafficking were just not part of the lexicon she applied to the experience, demonstrating how cult manipulation and grooming prevent survivors from recognizing exploitation."
The Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA), led by guru Gregorian Bivolaru, operated as a cult exploiting hundreds of followers through sexual manipulation and trafficking. Former members describe gradual indoctrination beginning at yoga schools in cities like London and Paris, followed by isolation at secret camps where identification documents were confiscated. Followers were coerced into sex cam work and orgies through psychological manipulation. Bivolaru, wanted by Interpol since 2016 for sexual exploitation in Romania, operated in Paris for approximately 20 years before his 2023 detention in France. He faces charges including organized kidnapping, human trafficking, and rape. The Apple documentary series Twisted Yoga features survivor testimonies, exploring why victims delayed reporting and how cult dynamics prevented recognition of abuse.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]