The Big Picture

The documentary series Escaping Twin Flames exposes the dangers and abuses of the Twin Flames Universe cult. Many victims were reluctant to come forward due to fear of retribution and societal judgment. Twin Flames Universe has faced difficulties attracting new members since the series aired on Netflix and has shut down commentary on social media to silence doubts and questions.

Director Cecilia Peck and editor and producer Inbal Lessner are behind one of the most fascinating documentary series recently featured on Netflix: Escaping Twin Flames. The series delves into the story of Jeff and Shaleia Ayan (now, Divine), who sell online courses aimed at helping people find their soulmates or, as they phrase it: their twin flames. However, as recounted by those who became part of the endeavor, it unraveled into a perilous cult that subjected its members to enslavement and exploitation. Members said they were forced to work for free, were abused verbally, were cut off from their families and even were pressured to get into homosexual relationships (even though they didn’t consider themselves gay before that) and even change their genders.

Collider spoke with Cecelia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner for a conversation about behind the scenes of one of the most talked about series on Netflix and the aftermath of it. And the discussion was just as riveting at the docuseries.

Not Everyone Was Brave Enough to Share Their Story For ‘Escaping Twin Flames’

How difficult was it to get people who were part of Twin Flames Universe to open up and talk to you?

Peck: Nobody wants to admit that they were in a cult, so I think that was the first obstacle, because once you go public, or you’re part of the series and admit that you were vulnerable to indoctrination, that you were in a cult or high control group, you know that it might change your life because people in your workplace or even maybe your family or your friends that you haven’t told, will look at you differently. So, just in that basic sense, it’s hard to get people to come forward, but with this group, people are also very afraid of retribution because the cult is still up and running. They deny, of course, that they’re a cult. They claim to be a group that helps people find love. They don’t admit that they’re very manipulative. People were very afraid of the cult leaders and how they might retaliate, so it was difficult, but the people who came forward did it because they wanted to help and warn other young women of how this happens, and they thought it was worth taking the risk of changing their lives or being humiliated or even being in danger because it’s so important to speak out about these groups.

You also interviewed some family members of those in Twin Flames Universe, Was it difficult to convince them to talk to you?

Peck: It was also hard in the sense that they were afraid that their children might be angry with them, but they tried everything else. The cult kept them off from their children, so most of them have no communication or a tiny thread of communication and these are mothers who love their children and who would accept whatever circumstances their children are in, they just want to have communication. They’d tried everything, so they felt they had nothing to lose. They lost their children and maybe if being part of our series could help expose the group for what it is, or help their children to see the truth, they thought it was worth it.

What happened to Twin Flames Universe after the series had aired on Netflix?

Peck: We know that there they’re marketing to new members has fallen off considerably, so we know they’re having trouble drawing anybody new into the group as far as people leaving. I think we have heard from the former members who are on our series that some people are questioning things and have the leaders of the cult, but the cult has shut down commentary on all their social media so the moment that a question comes up or anyone expresses doubt they delete the comment.

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There Is Another Cult Exposed in a Separate Series
Dr. Janja Lalich, Inbal Lessner and Cecilia Peck

Before filming Twin Flames Universe, Peck and Lessner had done another series, Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult, which aired on Starz in October 2020 (now available on Hulu). The four-part series follows India Oxenberg (actress Catherine Oxenberg’s daughter) and how she found herself inside the NXIVM cult, an organization led by a charismatic leader, Keith Raniere, and marketed as a self-help group.

Raniere was found guilty on charges of sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy, wire fraud, and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to 120 years and a $1.75M fine in 2020. After the release, the two filmmakers opened a website where people who had been in a cult or are trying to get out of one, can seek help, understand what happened to them, and tell their story. They started getting hundreds of responses both from people who came out of cults or family members of people trapped in ones. Some of those people were former members of Twin Flames Universe.

What made you choose to do the series about this particular group?

Lessner: We felt that this was the most urgent of the stories that came to us. Because it is a cult that is still active and an abuse that continues to this day. These are entire families who have been cut off from their children and are totally helpless. What sets this cult apart from others, is the fact that everything is done over the Internet, by remote control. And it’s amazing. They were able to control cult members without meeting them physically. They may have had two meetings over the years, but not all of them have attended them since their members are scattered all over the U.S. and the world. It showed us the power of remote control. The group was brainwashed in all aspects of their lives, from the meals they were forced to eat, the choice of partners, and the work they did for the cult. In the history of cults, we have seen the power of leaders who got their members to rob banks, commit suicide, and do unbelievable things.

It’s hard for outsiders to understand the cult’s power over its members, it’s total control. Dr. Janja Lalich, a sociology professor who studied cults for 35 years and was herself a former cult member, said it was the first time in history that she had seen constraint at this level of total control by people who had never met. It’s all online and it’s scary. This is a warning light for parents of what is happening online and that their children are not safe there.

Member of Cults are Often Educated and Manipulated By a Skilled Leader

How did you efficiently review and pinpoint crucial moments from the extensive content you collected?

Lessner: The ex-members of Twin Flames Universe started sending us videos and documents from their time in the cult. This quickly amounted to 1,000 hours of live group classes, and several thousand photos, social media posts, emails, and text messages. We quickly realized that we couldn’t possibly review everything, even if our entire team was dedicated to it 24/7. It would take years! It was important for us to know that we found all the smoking guns in this haystack and that we truly seized the potential of this treasure trove of “insider footage.” We had to come up with innovative strategies, including using AI tools, to identify the most critical moments that would help paint the severity and criminality of the cult leaders. We took this responsibility very seriously – to present a bulletproof case with real evidence of criminal activity that the authorities could use to start a formal investigation. And then, just before we locked the picture, we received another hard drive from a whistleblower, which had exclusive videos from cult leadership meetings. These were the most revealing and incriminating moments, and we worked hard to quickly integrate them into the final series. The way our editing team managed to weave this archival material with our emotional interviews and verité scenes is nothing short of masterful.”

Do you think that anyone could fall victim and join a cult?

Lessner: The experts we spoke to agree that we all have points in life where we can be sensitive and vulnerable and join a cult that masquerades as something else. They look like something good but then become a cult. Many people have joined cults at sensitive points in their lives: separation from a spouse, young people looking for their place in the world. They think that these groups can help them. In the beginning, when people join, there is a phenomenon we call: love bombing. Everyone welcomes you with love and open arms and how great it is that you joined and how talented you are, and it all feels so pleasant and positive. They know how to build you up and then break you. The brainwashing process is a very powerful one.

Peck: These cult leaders are very skilled and manipulative. On the surface, it all seems innocent and positive. They approach each person differently, offer them a seminar, for example, and tailor it to them accordingly. I think they could get to anybody. It was eye-opening to see how educated, intelligent and successful the people who ended up in this group were.

Who are the people targeted by these cults?

Lessner: “Cults are usually looking for very educated, strong people who can help them with marketing, website building and bring in people who will bring them more money and control, as we saw in the case of Twin Flames. They’re not looking for weak or stupid people. It’s very shameful for me to go on Twitter and see comments from thousands of people who refer to people in cults as backward people who believe nonsense. It’s hard to understand these things from the outside. When you’re inside, you’re in fear. Two of the former cult members interviewed for us for the series: Angie and Killy, are trying to understand what they were so afraid of.”

What was the one thing that shocked you the most about this group?
Peck: The most shocking thing was that they could reassign people’s genders and make them believe that it was in their own interests to go with that transformation. I strongly believe that most of them didn’t want to change their genders. Maybe in some cases, people were questioning their gender, but these people had not expressed that previously and were not thinking about it.”

Were you afraid of a lawsuit?

Peck: Jeff and Shaleia tried to sue many of the former members who were in our film because they had already either participated in a magazine article or a podcast. They are vindictive, so I know it’s possible that they could try to sue, but I don’t think they have the means to afford a high-priced lawyer, they don’t have deep pockets or a millionaire fund and they are losing memberships. Also, everything we said in the documentary was vetted by teams of lawyers. We had to have three instances of evidence for every fact that was on the screen, so I don’t think there’s anything that we can be sued for.

Are you in touch with the people featured in the series, and how are they doing today?

Peck: I talked to them every day. I was texting with Keely and Paula earlier today. I mean these relationships are lasting. It’s not like I convinced them to tell their truth on camera as painful as it is and then, you know, say goodbye when the project is done. We’re friends now, we have shared so much, we’ve spent two years together. They’re all doing well, they are hoping to see justice done. They’re still working on compiling evidence and information that they hope will lead to an investigation of this group. They have all returned to their real lives. They’re professional, they have jobs, they’re with their families, and they’re hoping that people who are still inside the cult can see that they’re thriving and flourishing, and they don’t need that cult to survive.

What is your next project and is it going to be on cults as well?

Peck: We have a couple of projects that we’re developing that are about high control groups because, now that we have an understanding of how cults operate, we feel it’s our responsibility to keep telling the stories and sharing the information. I’m also working on a film about my parents’ love story. I did one about my father (actor Gregory Peck – A.O) and now I’m doing one about both of them, what caused their marriage, what were their common goals and interests and what they were able to achieve, so that’s a very personal project for me.”

Did you do a special screening for the participants?

Lessner: Yes. We invited them all to come. All eight women and three mothers who were on the show arrived in L.A. the night before it aired. We did a special and intimate screening with dinner. We helped them get here because they live in different states in the US. Being able to watch the series for the first time in a supportive environment was very important. We also offered them support from mental health professionals. They were all very excited about being there.

Peck: We wanted to make sure to create a safe space for them. We understood that it was going to be hard for them to watch and see themselves on screen and remember the trauma of being in the cult. It was really meaningful for them to be together, and it also helped them support each other going forward.

Despite the fear of public judgment, interviewees in the series felt compelled to share their stories to prevent others from becoming victims of a narcissistic young man with a superiority complex. Peck, Lessner, and the film crew’s sensitivity played a crucial role in encouraging them to open up and share this important and shocking narrative.

At the end of the three episodes, it is noted that there are currently more than 10,000 cults in the United States and that the number of cults active online is increasing. Jeff and Shaleia chose not to comment on the allegations made against them in the series. They said the criticism against them is an attempt by former members to discredit them.

Escaping Twin Flames is available for streaming on Netflix. WATCH ON NETFLIX