by Anne Scott, Auckland, New Zealand
My stomach and bowels were heaving: I felt completely devoid of energy. I was feeling pretty desperate. I had what backpackers in 1980 called ‘Montezuma’s revenge’. I arrived thus at what I thought was the youth hostel in Denver, having come straight from the airport and a flight from Mexico.
Except it was no longer a youth hostel. Unbeknownst to me, the building had been purchased by the Denver branch of the Reunification Church, known to many as the “Moonies” because it was founded, and was headed at that time, by a Korean man, Ken Moon (who has only very recently died). I had inadvertently placed myself into the hands of an organisation that I would now, without question, describe as a cult, as a result of the attempt to ‘convert’, ‘control’ and ‘brainwash’ me.
My time with the Moonies was short, and it was a long time ago, but it has stayed indelibly in my mind. I felt it might be interesting for readers if I shared my experiences with the Moonies, which according to my experiences is what I would describe as a brainwashing ‘cult’, with those of Universal Medicine (UniMed) which I know and feel to be the very antithesis of a cult.
So, what happened to me in Denver in the ‘youth hostel’?
My time there (a few days) was quite vague, as I was still very sick. I remember the young people there were working on the house – cleaning, painting and decorating. I stayed in a bedroom on the top floor and mainly slept. I ate very little, but the people there looked after me – mainly by giving me water to drink, from memory. Once I began to recover, one of the women who, with hindsight, may possibly have been delegated to ‘convert’ me, questioned me about my life and my aspirations. I was a qualified lawyer, although I hadn’t practised law yet, and they seemed very interested in that. They told me there was another New Zealander in Denver who was a member of the organisation. He was a mechanic and looked after the Denver group’s cars. I remember being told that he was discouraged from contacting his family in New Zealand because they did not ‘understand’ him and were trying to get him to come home.
By this time I was starting to recover from my illness and all this rang alarm bells in my head. However, I was watched the whole time and I began to feel afraid that I would not get away from them. This feeling was exacerbated when they asked me to travel with a group of them into the Rockies for a course of some sort. Although I felt uncomfortable with this, I decided to agree to go as I felt it was better to play along at this stage. I duly travelled into the mountains, but it turned out not to be with ‘a group of people’, just one woman came – the woman I mentioned earlier. I was very surprised to discover, on arriving at a quite fancy lodge, that there was no ‘group’. I was in fact the only ‘guest’ there… so there was only the woman who drove me, myself, and a man who seemed to be based there.
That man then proceeded to do what I can only describe as ‘brainwash’ me. He sat me down and spoke to me at length (for two or three days). I remember he had a chart that compared the life of Jesus to the life of Ken Moon, with dates that he said correlated, implying clearly that Ken was Jesus. By this stage I had completely recovered from my illness and I knew this was brainwashing and nonsense, and that I was caught up in some sort of weird ‘religious’ cult. It was very scary. I could feel the immense power of the man talking to me and he felt quite yucky. However, I remember I had decided to play along and pretend that I agreed with what was being presented, as I felt this was the best way to stay safe and get away from him.
At the end of the few days, the woman and I returned to Denver and I devised a way to get away. I told them that I had two weeks left on my ‘chickenfeed pass’ (which was a pass I did indeed have, which allowed me to travel anywhere that Continental Airlines flew in USA and Mexico for a month), that I would complete the 2 weeks and then return to them to work as a lawyer for the organisation. They drove me to the airport, checking that I did indeed leave on a Continental Airlines flight, and I said I would see them in two weeks time.
Of course, I never went back. I had written to my family about who was looking after me when I was still sick, and from my description, they recognised the group as the Moonies. The group had featured in the newspapers in New Zealand since I had been away, with stories about members not being allowed to ever contact their families and other awful things, such as members being obliged to hand over all their money and goods to the organisation. They were therefore extremely concerned for me.
Compare this real life cult experience to my alleged (according to the media) cult experience with Universal Medicine over the last 18 months.
My first Universal Medicine event was a retreat in April 2011 at Lennox Head in Australia. I must admit that before going I was a little nervous about it as I would know very few people, and everyone I had spoken to in New Zealand about Universal Medicine seemed to hold the founder, Serge Benhayon in such high esteem. However, as soon as I saw Serge, and when he was on stage ready to present the retreat, I knew he was what my parents would call ‘the genuine article’. At no time did I feel, or at any time since then when I have been to courses and events run by UniMed and presented by Serge, afraid – as I had felt with the Moonies. Indeed, I felt exactly the opposite of fear when I was at these events: I felt huge LOVE. I felt this love just being in the same room as Serge, let alone when I actually met him, which was the most amazing experience. I could feel not only his love for me and everyone in the room, but his sincerity, his dedication to the wisdom he was presenting, that he actually lived this wisdom, and on a personal level I could feel his genuine interest in me, such that I felt I deserved to be loved and that I was equal to not just him, but everyone in the room.
At no stage has Serge Benhayon ever compared himself to Jesus, or indeed to anyone else. He presents himself as being no different to any of us – no more ‘enlightened’, no more ‘special’.
At no stage did I feel any pressure to do any of the courses offered by Universal Medicine, or to have any esoteric healing. I have been to several practitioners at the Universal Medicine clinic in Goonellabah and they have all been completely professional, loving and indeed absolutely amazing.
I have never been expected to work for Universal Medicine, for free or otherwise, and have never felt pressured to give any money or possessions to Universal Medicine. Indeed, neither of those things is ever mentioned. I pay for the courses I attend and for personal sessions with Universal Medicine practitioners, and both of these give me excellent value for money. Indeed, I could not put a value on what I have got out of attending the events and having the sessions. They are priceless in terms of what I have learnt, and the difference they have made in my life.
From my (brief) real taste of a Moonie cult experience, I can state with certainty: Universal Medicine is definitely NOT a cult, and Serge Benhayon is definitely NOT a cult leader. Nor is he a guru, as the word is commonly known now. He is indeed the ‘genuine article’ my parents recognise and love. Serge Benhayon will forever be an inspiration to me and I thank him profusely for all the hard work he does for ALL of us.
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
Thank you for sharing your experiences with the Moonie cult and your instant awareness of the menace. With Universal Medicine I have only ever felt love, support as I reconnect to who I am and an ever deepening LOVE in and for all.
Anne, this article demonstrates your strength and ability to discern and not be brainwashed. I love how you present that Serge Benhayon is the ‘genuine article’. Indeed yes he is, and there is no need to fear any harmful false comments or accusation when we know this truth deep to our core.
Thank you for the simple authority in which you express.
One of the first principles I understood from Universal Medicine was the precise known difference between healing and harming. There is no in between like we like to think eg. the highest of good or benevolence. It is truth or not, and this goes for everything. The word ‘cult’ is used and people’s ear prick up. What about sugar? What about emotions? Both are harming if not more than the word cult. This revelation has redefined my life – I now have purpose.
The day that a journalist picks up the true story of Serge Benhayon and begins the very large series of articles that will be needed to share the extraordinary life this man lives will be the day that humanity will be offered the tools and understandings to begin to unravel the living horror that many people endure and call it a normal life.
That is downright scary, your experience with the Moonies and their concerted efforts to get you to work for them; I am sure you’d be shaking your head today about pretending to go ahead and listening to this tirade for days. But then again, you were scared and in an unknown place without support or backup. It feels like it was a deliberately set up scenario to win you over, wear you down even?
Yes it was very much a deliberate set up gabrieleconrad. And that’s true, I was up in the mountains with no transport, which is why I played along. I am so appreciating that I didn’t get hooked into this cult.
It sounds like quite a frightening experience to be so vulnerable and taking advantage of really the lowest of the low. As many have said before Universal Medicine is quite the opposite offering support only if requested from a diverse vibrant, transparent loving community.
Anne this is a powerful account of your experience with a real ‘cult’ and how manipulative and harming they can feel and how Universal Medicine is the antithesis of a cult as it is about true care and love for humanity. Serge Benhayon is the real deal and to try and misrepresent him or judge him to be a ‘cult leader’ or ‘guru’ (such as some of the Media have done) shows how far some are willing to go because they are afraid and often jealous of his true qualities and the truth he presents.
A brilliant account of being in an actual cult. To call Universal Medicine a cult smacks of absolute delusion and more – for it is clear that Universal Medicine is far from a cult. But call it that and cry wolf and people dismiss the reality of that is actually there. Calling Universal Medicine a cult is a deliberate ploy to remove people from an organisation that can bring so much to their lives and ultimately change the entire status quo of the world in which we live.
It’s so interesting to read and feel the differences in your experience between the Moonies and Universal Medicine. Polar opposites.
With so called cults, there is intimidation felt, I have felt this at work, at school, in peer groups, in society when we do not confirm to what is ‘expected’ or ‘wanted’ and I will say categorically I have never felt this pressure at a Universal Medicine course….so where is the cult, if such exist?
This is a very descriptive article about an experience you had with the “Moonies”. When I was reading this I had a sense of what it would have been like and it was feeling like one of those thriller movies where you were wondering if the person actually will be able to leave or get away. Universal Medicine has none of those feeling and in fact not only can you come and go as you please but that isn’t even an issue. Meaning it’s just like anything else in life you can choose to go or not, it’s always your choice.
Wow, what an experience with the Moonies. When it comes to Serge Benhayon there is no need to convince or “brainwash” another of the magnitude and incredibleness of what he presents. You can come along and feel it for yourself.
I too would be very nervous and suspicious if I hear people holding someone in very high esteem unanimously – thinking either the people were blindly faithful or the person is very charismatic and dominating – like, it’s too good to be true and there must be something going on. But the Way of living Serge Benhayon shares and presents as his own Livingness, and the relationship he has with everyone is something that we recognise as true but yet to live for ourselves, and I hold that as my inspiration, no doubt.
Thanks for the comparison Anne, as you stated you only have to meet Serge once to feel the truth of the man.
I find it concerning that organisations like this exist that forceably coerce people to take on their belief system whilst manipulating a discarding of anything from their past that may hinder the process… learning only what you are spoon fed. It is extraordinary what people are capable of. What a blessing to come across Universal Medicine and experience the antithesis of this and of anything imposing and learn everything you could ever want about yourself.
Thank you Anne for sharing your experience it is a knockout of the all the claims made by the ignorant and uninformed, of us being in a cult.
When a person chooses a way of living that is unlike that of observers, it can cause a reaction. An example would be when someone with a different culture moves into a neighbourhood and perhaps has different ways like what they wear, or what they cook, or whether they drink alcohol, and what religion they choose. In this case I am now that person of the different culture, as I choose the Way of Livingness as my religion, and for that reason, there are cyber-bullies who say I am in a cult. It is no more true than calling someone from another country a person who is in a cult.
I remember reading about the Moonies many many years ago in their day but to hear from someone who had this experience is a fantastic way to use as a first hand comparison and clearly claim Universal Medicine is NOT a cult. Serge Benhayon is certainly genuine and most sincere in his love that he holds for himself first and absolutely everyone else equally, all at the same time! It sounds extraordinary but for him it is very ordinary and the only way to be. He is a true inspiration for All of humanity and not just a select few.
With Universal Medicine you are free to choose to come and go whenever you feel like it and are always welcomed with love. Serge Benhayon presents the Ageless Wisdom and has shared with those who choose to attend the meaning and purpose of life and the Universe. I have been met with nothing but love, truth and integrity.
Anne you couldn’t be more spot on about Universa[ Medicine and Serge Benhayon! There is NO WAY that I or anyone else connected to Universal Medicine is in a cult or that Serge is or would call himself a guru! Having been fortunate to be part of this wonderful group for almost 10years without being pressured into anything at all or asked for money or restricted in any way. I feel so fortunate to have met this wonderful man and the wonderful Practitioners of Universal Medicine that have opened up my life in so many ways especially to the fact of our being all equal Brothers in this world and that we are Love and come from Love. This world can only be a better place because of this Love.
“Indeed, I could not put a value on what I have got out of attending the events and having the sessions. They are priceless in terms of what I have learnt, and the difference they have made in my life.” I so agree Anne. The books, courses and retreats are indeed priceless – and you make the contrast between the dark and the light very clear.
Thank you for giving this stark contrast. There are some dark and spooky events that happen in the world.
Thank you for presenting your account of the Moonies. We get an insight into what a real cult is like. I could feel its imposition and control just reading about it. It’s great to have your comparison with Universal Medicine as a testimony for the record, to confirm that Serge Benhayon is indeed the genuine article and yet equal to everyone else, inspirational and yet completely accessible. Not a cult leader in sight.
Thanks Anne – you have given a vivid description of the difference between organisations such as the Moonies and Universal Medicine. I think most people who have attended Universal Medicine presentations and met Serge Benhayon were apprehensive and guarded at first due to the fact that so many people around the world head up cults which have very dubious and scary ways of brainwashing their followers. Yet the growing number of students with Universal Medicine demonstrate that people find that this organisation and those connected with it are the complete opposite of a cult and that what they are being offered is a chance to connect deeply with themselves and humanity with love.
Thank you Anne for your account of your time with the ‘Moonies’ which sounds pretty scary to me, your description of this cult sure is the opposite of what Universal Medicine represents. Instead of the force and control of the Moonies, Universal Medicine offers true support for all from a foundation built on love and integrity leaving everyone free to choose for themselves every step of the way.
Wow Anne thank you for describing what I real cult is actually like, lucky you had enough sense of self to not fall victim to that craziness and I’m actually surprised anyone did! Universal Medicine is the opposite of this, they are about love not control. They are about what everybody not just themselves, this is certainly what the world needs more of in every organisation.
The word cult is a powerful word but can be quite sinister in intention if used inappropriately. It gives off the connotations of people being brainwashed, having their mind and lives controlled by others and them being owned and segregated from their loved ones- all of which you definitely did experience with your Moonie experience Anne. Labeling Universal Medicine a cult cannot but suggest the same connotations about cults that we have all read and heard about in the media to induce absolute suspicion and fear of it as an organisation.
Anne- your unemotional and factual account of the short time you had with the Moonies is sickening. What you describe is creepy and controlling behaviour. It is so far from what Universal Medicine is about and the Universal Medicine experiences I have had. Thank you for the clear and factual statement of both experiences – no embellishment needed, simply the power of truth.
It becomes very clear, very quickly the difference between Universal Medicine and a Cult. Your first hand experience is invaluable – thank you for sharing.
It is great to hear from someone who has had experience with a ‘cult’. Definitely the opposite of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon! Thanks Anne.
Your experience with the Moonies sounds very frightening, and worlds apart from the loving, unimposing and supportive organisation that Universal Medicine is.
Wow. What a contrast.. It always shocks me a bit to find out that groups like the moonies actually exist ! It’s like the kind of cults you see on the TV.
It sounds to me like when you met the Moonies you felt an imposing energy that wanted something from you. The most remarkable things about Serge Benhayon is he does not impose at all. I wrote a short blog about that here https://truthaboutsergebenhayon.com/2012/11/12/love-does-not-impose. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine simply OFFER love, truth and healing without any need whatsoever for someone to accept that offering. If you want that or not is absolutely your choice.
Thank you Anne for sharing your experience with a cult, sounds very scary. I just love what you have written about Serge and Universal Medicine, so beautiful, so true, my experience also.
Thanks for sharing your experience Anne. It confirms that there is no way Universal Medicine can be described as a cult, and that Serge Benhayon is in fact the ‘genuine article’.
Very true Peter. By no stretch of the imagination is Universal Medicine a cult. It is the only organisation that has ever offered me an understanding of true responsibility and then left me to make my own choices.
This line struck me too Peter – Serge Benhayon is the ‘genuine article’ – Amen to that.
Quite a scary experience to have had but it has allowed you to truly know the difference between an actual cult and Universal Medicine who present workshops and do not entice anyone or any such behaviour. Their integrity is of the highest I have ever come across.
What an experience, but it is wonderful that Anne has shared it with us giving us first hand what it was like to be in a cult and clearly expressing that Universal Medicine is not a cult and that Serge Benhayon is definitely not a cult leader…I have to say, I can vouch for that too.
I love the signs and communication from God that we get, and that you observed back then with the Moonies, to be on guard, as well as today with Serge Benhayon when you recognised the true connection to God.
What an awesome personal account of the difference between what these days we refer to as a “cult” and Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon. Thanks Anne!
It always feels strange to write about comparing Universal Medicine against something else. It is really simple. If there is an event you can go or you may not. Many people take long breaks between events, other people come to many events and everything in between and people switch from one group to another. This is all very ordinary and simple.
Great blog Anne, a real insight into what people will let themselves believe and what people will do to force those beliefs on others. As you say, nothing like this is happening with Serge Benhayon or Universal Medicine.
Thank you Anne for sharing with such detail what a real cult is like, and for making it clear Universal Medicine is the opposite of such organisations.
Thank you for describing how a real cult operates Anne, your first hand experience is invaluable. I make note that you feel Universal Medicine is the opposite of a cult leaving everyone free of imposition to choose for themselves. And that Serge Benhayon is no cult leader and you felt only love from this genuine man and I must say I feel the same.
Your Moonie experience seems to have been part of Montezuma’s revenge!! Any organisation that limits in any way, shape or form your freedom or which dictates what is to be done by you, is one that does not support a person at all. Universal Medicine has none of these features. It is a true blessing for humanity and the real deal.
Universal Medicine has a door that is always open. Come and go as you please. Never does your absence get chased, scrutinised or even questioned with mild curiosity! Slightly disconcerting for the needy person, but assurance of the foundation of Free Will upon which Universal medicine is built.
It is so powerful reading you express with such authority that Universal Medicine is not a cult after the experience you have had. Thank you so much for sharing this, it was fascinating to read comparable facts. it is also gorgeous to feel the deep respect and appreciation you have for Serge Benhayon and everything he is and has shared with us all, it is indeed priceless and endlessly inspiring.
Brilliant blog Anne – thank you for describing your experience so clearly. I have never experienced a cult before, so your blog has made it even more clear to me that Universal Medicine is not one!
Hi Anne, your story shares with us an experience most of us will not have had and it is a perfect example of the differences between a cult and Universal Medicine. A cult seeks control and manipulates and separates whilst Universal Medicine positively encourages personal discernment at all times, personal choice and a way of being with the emphasis on equality and brotherhood.
Thank you Anne for this blog. When you compare your two experiences it is so clear to see what a cult really is, versus what Universal Medicine presents.
From what you described Anne of your experience I can say I would never want to be involved in anything like it, it sounds very scary. Not like attending Universal Medicine talks and workshops, they are so open and honest it couldn’t be more different than a cult experience.
Thanks for sharing this experience Anne, as it shows how a true cult works and how Universal medicine are just the polar opposite of this. Your experience of Univesal medicine reflects my own, never have I felt pressured to do or be anything other than be myself. Serge Benhayon lives with such integrity and love towards humanity one can only be inspired to live likewise. Thanks for shining a light on the truth that is Universal medicine.
Thank you Anne for sharing your story about your contact with the Moonies.
I agree Universal medicine is definitively not a Cult, and Serge Benhayon actually teaches people self-responsibility and a level of awareness that would expose a cult or any organisation that would be misleading in any way.
Thanks for sharing your experience here. It is a living example of what a ‘cult’ is and what Universal Medicine is most definitely not. Your whole body was saying no with the Moonies, this does not feel right and you had the ability & know how to honour that and leave it. I too have been a student of Universal Medicine for almost 4 years and if I never returned to a course, that would be completely my own choice and not even a marketing email would be sent saying ‘gosh, have not seen you in a while’ because they don’t even send the normal marketing emails! You are so right – Serge Benhayon is the genuine article. Like many other students, one whiff of him not being that and we would be out the door as fast as we could.
So well played Anne. It must have been quite scary there for a while. What I love most is that after that awful experience you were still able to feel that Universal Medicine wasn’t anything like a cult, before even attending your first workshop. I think that speaks volumes about the ridiculousness of the claims that UM is a cult.
I love your description how you feel when you are in a room with Serge as I feel exactly the same, held in love. In contrary to what you share about the moonies, Serge Benhayon encouraged me to work on my childhood issues and as a consequence the relationship to my family became more harmonious.
Thank you Anne for sharing your “cult” story
As you so clearly pointed out, and experienced, the Moonies are the antithesis to the teachings of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon
I have never followed anyone, although I have certainly investigated what they are about, just as I have religions and other philosophies. I have had experience of an Osho spin-off ‘guru’ – so-called enlightened at the ashram in India, and very quickly it was clear he was an empty person being completely used by energies having a field day with him – so much so that he had no idea. Universal Medicine has presented the exact opposite of anything else I had previously encountered. It also resonated immediately as absolute truth – that I already knew deep down. Universal Medicine has presented true self-empowerment and discernment along with the responsibility to never impose anything onto another but rather allow free will. This completely destroys the allegations of a brainwashing cult in every way, and it is the total opposite of what Anne had experienced – and yet some are continuing to falsely label Universal Medicine as such. People will go to enormous lengths to avoid looking at self-responsibility.
Your experience with the Moonies is scary Anne, and you were able to listen to your intuition and free yourself from the danger. I agree that Universal Medicine is the antithesis of a cult, Serge Benhayon’s teachings being based on love, energy, and self responsibility, never ever imposing or regulated by rules.
The strongest thing I get from your account of the Moonies, Anne, is an overriding sense of intimidation and coercion, people being used as pawns, ties with family and ‘the familiar’ that had been in one’s life severed and ‘removed’… What an experience for you as a young woman…
Undoubtedly, with your awareness of what was going on there from the outset, and all you experienced, you would forever have an extremely strong radar for any iota of coercion, intimidation, control and manipulation of any sort from any person, group or organisation.
Thank-you for sharing so candidly your story here (undoubtedly there is more to tell..) and also the truth of your experiences with Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon.
I have felt the same from the outset of meeting Serge and the earliest of Universal Medicine’s workshops that I attended in 2001: no-one ever imposing upon me what to do, no-one ever asking I give over my own autonomy and fundamental common sense to some warped cause… All I have ever received from Universal Medicine is the deepest inspiration for life, and embracing life in its fullest measure, I could ever have imagined that any person or form of education could ever offer. I state without reservation, that every single Universal Medicine event I have attended, has left me feeling a deeper sense of who I am and understanding of the world than I had previously. Is this not what ‘life’ can be about? Being ever students of it, willing and able to expand and grow in ourselves, to love and be loved all the more deeply? To me, it most certainly is.
I agree Victoria, at no time have I felt coerced in doing or thinking anything against my will. Universal Medicine is about clarity, gentleness, love and living a life of light for ourselves and all humanity.
This is such an interesting story Anne, that really exposes the difference between an actual cult and what is offered by Universal Medicine. I have certainly never felt any hint of coercion over the many years of attending Uni Med presentations. Even my Mum, who has attend a few presentations but is not that interested would vouch for that.
Thanks for sharing Anne, Serge Benhayon is the real deal, I have also attended his presentations and not once have felt any imposition whatsoever or felt intimidated in any way. His dedication and love for humanity is incomparable.
Anne, I have never met you but I can tell from reading your words and from your experience that you are one that would know beyond a doubt whether you are in a cult or not! I am also one not so easily fooled and so I too can state alongside you that I have never ever in any way felt imposed upon by Serge Benhayon or any of the Universal Medicine practitioners. Ironically, what I have experienced with them is the compete antithesis of ‘brainwashing’ – I have only ever been encouraged to think, act and feel in accordance to what feels true for ME and as much as I sometimes think I would like it, I am NEVER handed answers on a plate. It is for each of us to access the wisdom and love that already resides within us all and to expect another of doing that for us is pure illusion.
On further reflection, I stand corrected with my words. Serge DOES give us the answers. He gives us the answers we already know but are choosing to not live.
Thank you Anne for sharing your story. I think it is really important that these experiences are available for people to read and be able to clearly see the difference between a brainwashing cult and the life -changing positive presentations and workshops offered by Universal Medicine. They are polar opposites no question, as you clearly pointed out – with the Moonies you felt fear, with Universal Medicine you feel love. There it is in a nutshell.
How scary Anne! The closest I can relate to what you have written is my heavy indoctrination into a mainstream religion as a child growing up. I have no reservations about saying Universal Medicine isn’t a cult and Serge Benhayon has never set himself up as a guru. I agree wholeheartedly with your comment “Indeed, I could not put a value on what I have got out of attending the events and having the sessions. They are priceless in terms of what I have learnt, and the difference they have made in my life.”
Anne, you are definitely in a prime position, having first hand experience of a cult, to vouch for the fact that Universal Medicine is a million miles away from being a cult.
Thank you Anne for sharing your real life cult experience and then your experiences as a student of Universal Medicine. What you present here shows they are at polar opposites. As a student myself, I too have always been free to come and go as I choose and have never felt any form of control or manipulation to attend or be a part of anything to do with Universal Medicine. I attend because I have and continue to be inspired by the deep level of love, integrity and common sense shown by Serge, the esoteric practitioners, the student’s body and the organisation itself something I’ve not experienced anywhere else before.
Anne your time with the Moonies sounds like the exact opposite of your experience of Universal Medicine. One full of fear and uncertainty and the other full of love and a sense of safety.
As someone who has been attending Universal Medicine events since 2010 I can say it is the exact opposite of a cult as each person is presented with the understanding to discern for themselves and to commit to everyday life!
I understand the difficulty that some people have in accepting the truth of Universal Medicine, Serge Benhayon and the Student Body.
There’s a saying, “if it seems too good to be true then it is.”
In my 5 years experience with attending 2 retreats, numerous workshops, presentations and in the last few years one on one sessions with members of the Benhayon family, it really is this good and it really is true!
It must have been quite an experience with the Moonies for you, Anne, you were very wise to pretend so that you could get away from them. Thank you for writing the truth that Universal Medicine is the complete opposite of “cult”, really proving this with your own experience.
I really enjoyed this story Anne, your description of Serge Benhayon as the “real article” strongly resonated for me. He is indeed the real deal, but as you say no guru, just an immensely generous man, who gives his time and his wisdom and treats everyone the same. That is a special way of being but one I have learnt we are all capable of living.
After attending a Universal Medicine workshop, I return home to my job, my mortgage, my washing and ironing, my family and my friends. I’m not isolated from anyone, I’m not asked (ever) to attend another workshop. More importantly like you Anne, I can feel for myself what is a “guru” type of vibe – there is none here. Everyone at a Universal Medicine workshop is treated equally. Maybe this is what bothers a small group of people so much that they needed to invent the word cult…
Universal Medicine is ‘neutral’; you are free to come, and free to go. I have not felt any pressure to join or belong, and I have never had the urge or inclination that I need to escape or get away.
Thank you Anne for the amazing blog, I read this with great interest. I recall years ago I was doing research on a project I was doing which lead me to a guru/ ashram center as they were having a talk to what I was researching and I was interested in hearing all variations of the same topic. When I got to the center I was told that the talk was cancelled and if I would like to watch a short video on what they are about. I agreed out of interest as I never heard of this group before. I was shown a movie of a guy that was ‘enlightened’ that was depicted as being a normal guy that had seen and spoken to God, as he was the chosen one. As I was watching this movie I could see the woman there just rocking in admiration to this man, I spoke with her and told her that he was no different to her, but she couldn’t see it as she wasn’t chosen. This happened many years ago and the experience has stayed with me. I have always been an observer of the world and never involved myself too much with any groups or modalities especially if it didn’t feel right. I could see and feel the integrity in what I involved myself in. I was dubious when I went to my first workshop with Serge Benhayon but went along for the experience. Well I have finally found what I have been looking for. Serge had met me and I felt equal to him as I did with everyone there. I have never been told that I have to do anything and can go to a workshop or not, or see a practitioner it is totally up to me. My life is mine and how I express it is for me only. What Serge presented was for me true teachings that filled my heart with joy to hear. This is no way a cult, Serge is just presenting a way of living that we can either adopt as a lifestyle or not. But feeling the difference in my life has me coming back for more.
Thanks Anne for sharing your story. I have found that with Universal Medicine, it was the truth felt in my body when originally attending Esoteric Healing sessions and the positive effect they had on my exhausted body that made me stop and want to read the books written by Serge Benhayon , and then to want to attend courses and presentations by him. Universal Medicine is definitely not a Cult! The word ‘cult’ used against Universal Medicine is just a cheap branding used as an attack or revenge by a few disgruntled people who would like to blame and point the finger.
We know the truth, we feel what is real and loving and what is not. When I first met Serge Benhayon I instantly knew I had I met a man who I could trust. Every cell in my body felt that and still does. Like you Anne, I experienced exactly the opposite of your Moonies experience. In fact Serge presents how to feel what is truth and what is not, so we don’t follow him blindly but build and trust our own awareness. Serge Benhayon doesn’t only support me for who I am he also supports my family for who they are, even though they have never met him.
Wow that sounds like super creepy and intense, crazy… You must be stoked and over the moon to have now found Universal Medicine, the real deal.
Hello Anne I found your experience with a cult quite interesting, it sounds like the exact opposite of Universal Medicine.
Thank you Anne for sharing your real life experience of a cult experience. How polar opposite it is to Universal Medicine and all it offers .. self love, self care and true freedom.
Serge Benhayon holds everyone equal, his love for and service to humanity is unwavering and endless.
This is exactly my experience with Universal Medicine (UM) too Adam. I follow the principles of decency, respect and love – and UM has these in spades!
I have not, like you Anne, had any contact with a cult but I have become involved with various situations that have been very scary, and where I was grateful to get out alive. My experience of Serge Benhayon is quite the opposite – a deeply honouring man whose love for life and humanity is beyond anything that I have previously experienced.
Thanks Anne, that was a great way to describe how opposite from a cult set up Universal Medicine is, we all are supported to make our own decisions on what is truly best our themselves.
Thank you Anne for sharing this story. I have never met someone who has actually had the ‘classic cult’ experience, where they felt controlled and unable to leave. As you say Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon are the complete opposite of this. Serge has never invited Guru behaviour and has in fact explained the harmful effect of giving your power away to another person or treating them as more than yourself. Universal Medicine teachings are always based on love and equality and responsibility for the choices we make.
This is a first for me too Fiona – which might be funny to think about if it were not for the fact that I am a student with Universal Medicine and am falsely (and disgracefully) portrayed as if I am being treated in this manner myself.
It is enlightening to hear of an actual cult experience, because I am apparently part of a cult! The accusations levelled at Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon are so ridiculous they are comical. But they are no joke, as they are so harming for people who doubt Universal Medicine because of these lies. I have felt love and acceptance from Serge Benhayon and nothing that even comes close to what is described above.
Indeed Mark – the harm is being done to many who have no pre-conception or knowledge of Universal Medicine or of students of Universal Medicine and are swept up in the moral panic and sensationalism generated by the notion of a ‘cult,’ instead of left with the freedom to discern for themselves.
Reading this blog, I felt the chilling feeling of being in a dangerous cult such as the one you describe Anne. In my 4 and a half years of attending courses and sessions with Universal Medicine I have felt absolutely no cult energy — I have only felt what you say here too — absolute love and acceptance. I have never been dictated to in any way or told what to do, and I have never felt any pressure or influence to attend anything, or change anything in my life. The changes I have made in my life which have been considerable and hugely beneficial have been and continue to be from my own free will, inspired by the love I have consistently felt from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. To call this organisation a cult is outright ridiculous.
One thing that is very different about Universal Medicine to the many weird and whacky groups I investigated years ago is the equality. There is no apex person, no dis-empowerment (but the exact opposite), no gender bias, no pressure, no control, and no abuse. These things are all hallmarks of cultish groups and the complete opposite to what I have experienced with Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon. One of the things that really stood out of me when I attended my first Universal Medicine event was the women – there was quite obviously no oppression or bias against them, in fact it was the many powerful and vital women present that showed me what this organisation is about, and inspired me to return and continue working with Serge Benhayon. Universal Medicine is really different to anything else out there, and for all the right reasons.
Thanks Anne, for sharing your experience of a ‘Cult’. It is clear that you knew instantly when in the situation of others attempting to control and brainwash you. You also knew instantly when attending the first retreat that there was a true presence of openness and love in which you could choose involvement or not. Thank you to Universal Medicine for being available and offering the opportunity to experience this true and loving way.
It is obvious that the cult allegations labelled at Universal Medicine (a business) and Serge Benhayon are ludicrous – not least of all when anyone speaks out about their experiences with groups that actually attempt to coerce and control them. Thanks Anne.
Absolutely true Alan, there is no pushiness within Universal Medicine whatsoever, only love, understanding and allowing.
Oliver this is very true. Never have I felt any obligation or imposition of any sort since I started attending workshops by Serge Benhayon nor any of the practitioners I have seen. I’m thankful to Universal Medicine for showing me what true love is.
I like the way you bring the energy of your parents into this article. Cutting thru the nonsense, keeping it simple and real…the genuine article. These are definite qualities of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon. And these qualities were valued by your parent’s generation, for good reason. They certainly open one’s eyes to be able to identify a real cult when needed. These qualities can also be utilised to know love when it is presented also, as clearly shown by your experience here Anne.
I enjoyed reading this blog and appreciate it’s simple and straight forward story. I also have been in similar situations whereby imposition from an individual or organisation was really noticeable – I exited immediately. I have never ever felt an imposition from Serge Benhayon or Universal Medicine; just the polar opposite and much love.
Perfectly stated Oliver, I agree completely.
I have no experience of the Moonies, but some experience of being in the sphere of influence of another guru, Osho. I’ve never been a guru-follower and would not have even gone except for pressure from my partner to ‘just check it out for a day or two’. So to ‘keep him off my back’ I visited the ashram while travelling around India. The food and water was great, with no ‘Delhi belly’, beautiful clean grounds and peace and quiet, so it was a bit resorty and rather tempting after the grime and noise and unhygienic conditions in India generally. As my partner stayed there for a couple of months, I stayed for a while with him and got to experience the full measure of ashram life. I wanted to see and understand, so I gave it a fair trial. There seemed to be no coercion and lots of light and lovely people, and I felt that I was learning things about meditation and awareness. However there were disturbing contradictions about the guru (who was no longer alive) and the inner circle people, and rampant sexual license and manipulation among members going on in spite of the supposed recommendations of celibacy or at least moderation! And some of the meditations I could see, from my neurobiological work on brain and emotions, would be detrimental. Eventually there was coercion of a kind, and I was pressured by new ‘friends’ to dedicate myself to the guru, which I refused to do.
After my return to Australia, the “dark underbelly” of Osho’s influence eventually revealed itself and invaded my relationships with quite a few people, causing conflict, emotional harm and illness. After this I searched a lot of new age teachings looking for the truth, but I did not find it until I met Serge Benhayon. I was guarded at first, having had the guru experience and wanting to be sure this was not another one, and it took me quite a while to trust. His steady love, patience, respect, allowing, and absolute integrity did earn my trust eventually, with not one bit of coercion or ‘brainwashing’ in it. One whiff of that and I would have been gone in a cloud of dust! But there was none, and I am still a joyful, appreciative, free-thinking, student today.
Anne, you really conveyed the feeling of each of these experiences. I have been in a situation before where I feared I would not escape and I find it laughable to compare Universal Medicine to such experiences. Universal Medicine makes you do and choose things for yourself. There is no pandering or convincing or ushering along. You can choose to do it for yourself and Universal Medicine will be there to support you, or you chose not to (and Universal Medicine will be there to support you).
When I was living in an Ashram with a Guru long ago, it took less than 9 months for my body to totally mess up. I ended up with burnout and depression and my right kidney was constantly painfully bloated – I even had to undergo surgery. With this experience in mind I got very alert with any group that gathers around someone or some philosophy or religion. But never – ever – did this alarm bell ring with Serge Benhayon or Universal Medicine. I, too, say: YES, this is no cult. In fact, with the help of Serge Benhayon my kidney finally – after 10 years – got healed. Medically proven.
It sounds to me like you would be a litmus test for anything resembling a cult, Felix, just like Anne. There is irrefutable evidence to the integrity of the students across this blog site and others – and to the truth about Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon.
I can feel the emptiness and complete disconnection in the way the Moonies were with you. This was complete control. In no way is there control in True Love and Love is always what I feel from Serge and Universal Medicine.
The inspirational teacher, presenter, practitioner & professional man that Serge Benhayon is, is indeed ‘the genuine article’. Thank you Anne for sharing your experience with us and reminding us all that in life we must trust our feelings and when you can feel truth and express from there, it is very powerful.
Your right, Universal Medicine cannot be described as a cult in any way especially when you compare it to a group like the Moonies. Thank you.
Great sharing Anne, indeed I’ve never met anyone as accepting and non-imposing as Serge Benhayon, the absolute antithesis of a guru. And Universal Medicine is an organisation that doesn’t advertise, never pushes or tries to suggest people go to courses, quite the opposite, it’s about being out in the world living you, living your life. And Serge regularly suggests to one and all, that you always check out what is shared and feel how it feels to you, do not accept it because he or another says so, live it, try it out – he has no investment in what you do or how you live.
Anne, your blog highlights the fact that any allegations of Universal Medicine being a cult are totally unfounded. The first time I went to a presentation by Serge Benhayon I was surprised to see that the man who got on stage to present to us was one of the people I had seen setting out the chairs when I arrived. It’s true that, as you say: ‘He presents himself as being no different to any of us – no more ‘enlightened’, no more ‘special’. However, I realized that I had noticed him because of the way he handled the chairs, placing them with such presence and care. It is this attention to detail and loving presence that permeates everything he does and says.
Thank you Anne, in support of what you say here, I have heard more common sense and learned many more very simple and practical ways to support myself in life in the short time I have known Serge Benhayon, and attended Universal Medicine events, than at any other time in my life. I travel to one or two events of my choosing each year. Meanwhile I live my life my way. It is a way that feels true for me and cannot be taken away from me by anyone, least of all by a small number of disaffected mischief makers who have decided to label Universal Medicine a cult, and Serge Benhayon a cult leader – all to serve their own interests!
How you describe your experience with the Moonies is such a contrast to Universal Medicine. I have been in many situations where some members of a religious sect (they could be called a cult but are not) have attempted to convert me. It feels really imposing, and even threatening they are so one track minded with an aim to a designated end for me. Serge Benhayon, however, has no agenda for anyone,his teaching is all about discovering our true selves, and we are free to take that on board or not. No end gaining, only evolving.
I can feel the fear of the repression you describe with your experiences with the Moonies in Denver Anne, and as you have experienced with Universal Medicine, fear is something I have never experienced at any of the Universal Medicine presentations or workshops. I only can feel the immense love that we are held in by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine – nothing more to say, Universal Medicine is not a cult.
Is it Moonies or Loonies?
Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are the ‘Genuine Article’, of this I have no doubt whatsoever.
Thank you Anne for sharing your cult experience when with the Moonies. This is nothing like Universal Medicine. We are encouraged to maintain not only connections with family and friends but to make them as loving as possible. When I first met Serge Benhayon I actually asked my mum to go and meet him to see what she thought. She went and booked in for a session and still today, 10 years later, is a student of Universal Medicine. Both of us enjoy spending time with Serge Benhayon, the Benhayon family, and Universal Medicine, as well as the rest of our family.
Thank you Anne for sharing the difference in your experience with the Unification Church and Universal Medicine. I too experienced them as well as a host of other New Age and ‘religious’ groups. I would not necessarily call any of them a cult, however just like you I discovered a marked difference with Universal Medicine that completely set the organisation apart. With Universal Medicine for the first time I found no attempt to seduce me into agreeing with what was presented, even disagreements were honoured and responded to with love and respect and I was surprised that at the end of the workshop no one tried to push me into enrolling into the next one (I had started to assume all groups did that). Also the other groups always had the one person who was ‘the hero’ to be looked up to, or ‘the divine rituals’ that were decidedly over and above me ‘the mere follower’. With Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I was in an unfamiliar situation: Serge Benhayon was not teaching as if he was better and knew more than me, but he was presenting the information as if I was an equal and was inviting me to connect with my own wisdom. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are certainly the genuine article and they support each of us to know and recognise ourselves as such as well.
Thank you for sharing Anne. Your experience highlights how ludicrous the allegations of Serge Benhayon as a cult leader really are.
Unlike you Anne, I have never had any contact with an organisation like the Moonies, so was very interested to read your account of your experience. Your time with the Moonies was brief, but I know that it has certainly given you a true insight into the deceptive and controlling workings of a cult. But like you I have had a great deal to do with Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, and agree totally that this organisation is the antithesis of a cult and that Serge is the antithesis of a cult leader. Since the first day I met Serge he has never demanded anything of me, he has never told me to believe in anything – in fact he has always told us to question everything he shares – and he has definitely never asked for money. I have not been “brainwashed”, as has been portrayed in the media, but have received nothing but commonsense and practical ways of improving my life presented to me by a man who lives the truth of what he presents, and one day the world will know this truth.
There’s nothing like truth in experience, truth lived, to counter and expose baseless lies and allegations. So your foray into the Moonies, your description of their attempts to brainwash you and the fear you felt so strongly, all provide a clear benchmark against which to refute the ridiculous claims that those who have a personal vendetta towards Universal Medicine are intent on grounding. Your blog provides a powerful testimony of truth.
This is definitely my experience of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, that there is no cult. No-one is forced to be with Universal Medicine. People can come and go as they please – attending as many or as little courses as one chooses. I too have never felt more safe than when I attended my first Universal Medicine workshop, I felt so at ease and at home with a lot of my tensions subsiding.
Thank you Anne for sharing this experience. I agree with you in full, knowing Serge Benhayon and having attended many workshops and courses held by Universal Medicine I can state that it is not a cult.
Anne, your encounter with the Moonies sounds like some awful Brothers Grim fairy tale, so far removed from reality out in the woods and mountains. Nothing could be further from the reality of the workshops and presentations by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine; openly offered courses and no hiding away and most definitely I have seen nothing clandestine, sinister, threatening or frightening.
Thank you Anne, for sharing your experience of the Moonies cult. It is fascinating to hear about, and to appreciate that Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have never once tried to impose, control, coerce, manipulate, convert, or anything like that but instead have loved, honoured and respected myself and my family consistently for 12 years.
Thanks Anne for sharing your experiences here and how completely polar opposite they are to each other.
Thank you Anne for clearly defining what is and what is not a cult through your very personal experiences. From what I have witnessed during my own experience with Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon’s presentations, any cult allegations are simply laughable and all I have seen is open love without attachment, need, or any expectations of the students of UniMed.
Brilliant exposure of the difference between an organisation that attempts to alter peoples beliefs by intimidation and threats to Universal Medicine that does not in any way try and alter a persons beliefs.
I read this quote concerning your experience of Serge Benhayon “I felt I deserved to be loved” it reminded me of my experience of first meeting Serge Benhayon and how I felt his integrity and his commitment to equality for all, he is as you say, the real deal.
The difference is as clear as a bell. Universal Medicine is no cult.
He does indeed, Mary. I can see everyone nodding their heads around me when he presents, because it is all such common sense. Another reason Serge Benhayon is the antithesis of a cult leader is because in my experience there is not an ounce of sexual energy in him. I can only compare this to the recent allegations of sexual abuse by some yoga ‘gurus’, which feels so yukky and is so completely different to my experience with Serge.
Thankyou for this Anne. Having had a real experience of a cult you can tell what is a cult and what is not. “From my (brief) real taste of a Moonie cult experience, I can state with certainty: Universal Medicine is definitely NOT a cult, and Serge Benhayon is definitely NOT a cult leader. Nor is he a guru….” How can presentations (by Universal Medicine) supporting love and free choice be called a cult?!
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Thank you Anne for sharing your story. Your experience with the Moonies sounds quite scary! It is through people like you sharing stories like these that completely exposes a cult for what it is, and that Universal Medicine is simply not a cult. Love and free will is what Universal Medicine teaches. Love for all humanity which allows everyone free will.
Thanks for sharing your experience Anne. For those of us who have never come across a cult it’s great to hear from someone who has and what that felt like. To then tell of your feelings of attending Universal Medicine presentations, which I can totally agree with, gives us a real sense of the differences between the two. Whole great chasms of differences and between Mr Moon and Serge Benhayon, Serge is the most loving person I have ever met and offers a presentation and another choice, with no imposing and no judgement.
And that’s not all Judy – He is also very playful and joy-full – both things that were nowhere near the Moonies!
Yes Anne, he is beautifully playful, The Moonies sound terrifying.
Thanks Anne, for your account of a real cult which is so far removed from Serge Benhayon and the student body.
Thanks Anne, for showing us what a real cult looks like. When you look at an organisation like the ‘Moonies’ it is so absurd to even consider Universal Medicine as a cult, but if people want to call Universal Medicine a cult then I am proud to say that I am a cult member.
I really appreciate you sharing this Anne Scott and you give us the reader a great insight into what cult life is really about. What came to me as I read your blog was that I felt brainwashed to some degree in all the new age spiritual gurus I was blindly following.
There was the international courses and I remember thinking I am never going to complete this and get the ‘certificate’ unless I sell my house. So I did and continued on this searching until I met the real deal – Serge Benhayon.
He is thee most genuine teacher/presenter I have ever met and what really got me was I no longer felt less and thats when I knew he was and remains after all these years the absolute Truth. This man needs to be studied as how he lives and helps others is well worth learning about.
I am sure Serge Benhayon will be studied in years to come, Bina, as the inspirational world leader he is.
I can totally relate to your ‘journey’ with new age/spiritual gurus. I tried several ‘new age’ (purporting to be old) practices, searching for, but never finding, the truth, before I met Serge Benhayon and started studying with Universal Medicine. Although I taught yoga for many years, I did not follow a guru myself. However, I did have an experience of a friend’s yoga ‘guru’ on a trip to India with him several years ago. This man felt so unloving, and so un-like what I imagined a ‘guru’ to be. He not only put me down personally, but he treated our whole group as if we were inferior, and it was so obvious that all he was after was money. I felt quite crushed by this experience. How unlike this is Serge, who, as you say, never treats anyone as being less, and never does he impose upon those who choose (from their own free will) to attend his courses, lectures, presentations and sessions.
I have only ever felt the deepest respect, care and Love from Serge and the courses i have attended have been life changing – in fact I have felt nothing like this anywhere else. Thank goodness you escaped Anne to then meet the ‘genuine article!’
Anne this is a great blog and I appreciate reading your experiences (albeit brief) of a cult. The hairs literally stood up on the back of my neck and arms when reading about your trip to the forest – the control is quite horrible. In complete opposite is Universal Medicine, Serge Benhayon and his family.
Over the past 6 years of attending presentations by Serge Benhayon, it has always been made clear he is not there to control or ‘convert’ anyone and if we choose to attend or not is our choice, and our choice alone. No coercion, no hidden agendas – only an experience of respect, light-hearted humour and freedom through returning to a true quality of love that is deep within us all equally.
Absolutely Stephanie. So beautifully expressed.
Very interesting blog Anne having experienced a cult (which sounds very scary) and Universal Medicine. Universal Medicine is the real thing. Thank you for sharing your amazing journey.
Thank you Anne, your blog clearly underlines how unlike a cult Universal Medicine is.
As you say, it is the antithesis of a cult.
It sure is the antithesis, Jonathan. And the longer I am with Universal Medicine the more obvious this is!
Serge Benhayon continues to inspire me to make changes in my life – but there is no pressure to do so and no judgement if I do not. The choices are mine alone.
Agreed, there is absolutely no pressure to do anything, for example I have not done a healing course for almost three years but am welcomed and treated the same as those who do all courses.
Thanks Anne I too had a brief encounter with a cult many years ago, a friend of mine was involved and invited me along. Alarm bells went off instantly in me, it just didn’t feel right so I never went back.
I like how you said the courses and personal sessions are value for money and I agree – how can you put a price on health and wellbeing? absolutely priceless.
Hi Anne, this is such a great article, I really enjoyed to read about your real life experience with the ‘Moonies’ and how different this was to your experience with Universal Medicine.
Thank you Anne – your sharing of your experiences between the two organisations is very illuminating. I have seen my sister get caught up in a cult, consequently I have an extremely fine tuned cult radar and am very wary of joining groups.
On meeting Serge Benhayon, I knew that here was a man who genuinely promotes true free will and choice based on real life experiences, rather than intangible beliefs and ideals. He actively encourages everyone to come to their own conclusions and not rely on his word.
My Cult radar has never beeped, not once, in the 8 years of attending workshops, Retreats and receiving Esoteric Healing. I too have only ever experienced true respect, integrity and love from Serge Benhayon, his wife, ex-wife, children, extended family and work colleagues.
To call Universal Medicine a cult is a bit like tying a plastic fin on a Dolphin and trying to call it a Great White Shark!
Your cult radar is very true, Rowena. Serge Benhayon is the very opposite of someone like Ken Moon. Serge simply presents to us, and he always says we are free to walk away if we do not like what we are hearing.
“To call Universal Medicine a cult is a bit like tying a plastic fin on a Dolphin and trying to call it a Great White Shark!” Love this analogy Rowena! And your cult radar hasn’t beeped once….. All the lifestyle choices I have made since discovering Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have been through my own free will – no rallying calls or exhortations to part with money or encourage others to “sign up” – unlike some other courses I have attended in the past on my search to “feel better”. As written in another article – Serge is the real deal.
So true Rowena I absolutely agree on what you said. I too experienced how my sister was taken by a guru for years and how amazingly she transformed into this self-empowered gorgeous woman she is today after meeting Serge Benhayon. She is an absolute powerhouse and turned her life around assuming full responsibility and chooses love and truth every day.
Thank you so much for all your comments everyone. They really brought home to me the differences between the two experiences – such that I felt the fear again when I was with the Moonies, and I could also feel the huge love from Serge Benhayon when I was first in a room with him. It brought tears to my eyes remembering it. The ‘recruitment’ aspect was something I had not focused on, Judy, but you are so right! I could feel (at the time) that the church had deliberately purchased the youth hostel building for the purpose of recruitment.
Thank you Anne, I found your article highlighted to me that indeed Universal Medicine or Serge Benhayon has never once tried to recruit me, indeed the opposite, instead I have learned how to discern energy for myself and make my own choices, especially about teacher’s or presenters integrity.
Thank you for sharing your experience / first-hand account re the Moonies, Anne. Your instinctive fear of their motives and way they isolated and tried to control you speaks loud and clear of their pattern of recruitment. How different is this from the warmth and openness of Universal Medicine’s welcome, and the freedom to choose when we want to see a practitioner or attend any of UniMed’s presentations!
Reading this is illuminating, I am a Universal Medicine student and obviously have no idea what a cult is, as I am not in one. Reading about your time with the Moonies is quite chilling. If you have to convince people with charts in the deep forest, and forbid them from seeking outside opinions, then maybe there is something very concerning that needs to be to questioned. In Universal Medicine I am encouraged to see for myself if any of what is said is true… And life keeps showing me it is!
Wow Anne, the two experiences you mention sound vastly different – the Moonie experience sounds scary.
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading about your experience.
Thank you Anne – you have encapsulated the differences very accurately between cult behaviour and what Serge and Universal Medicine offers with an open heart.
Thank you for this… nothing like reality to help cut through the myth.
Exactly; Universal Medicine is the Antithesis of a cult. Full. Stop!
It’s hard to argue with someone who has experienced the real thing. Great story Anne, thanks for sharing it.
Very true Penny. Calling an organisation a cult without experiencing or interviewing the so-called cult members shows how little those who are calling Universal Medicine as such know about what a cult really is like. Universal Medicine is definitely not a cult. For a start there is no imposition and we are free to walk away at any time and make our own choices, no dictats from anyone. We are offered presentations from which we make our own individual choices, very far removed from any cult that I have read about.