
Cults to Consciousness
Stories of claiming independence after leaving high-control groups.
Hi! I’m Shelise Ann Sola— former devout Mormon. On C2C, my husband Jonathan and I dive deep into the nuance of culty organizations. From Extreme Christian Fundamentalism, FLDS Polygamy, Amish, Mennonite, Mormonism, Scientology, Ultra Orthodox, and Jehovah's Witnesses, to cults featured in popular docu-series, we interview cult experts, survivors, advocates, therapists, way-showers, authors, and more, to uncover how they find independence and healing through awareness and true individual sovereignty.
New videos weekly!
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Cults to Consciousness
I Married a Yoga Guru Con Man
Harvard graduate Joelle Tamraz, was young, enthusiastic and a perfect target for a fake yoga guru. Seeking enlightenment, purpose and peace, she came across a man who swept her off her feet and used spiritual manipulation to eventually exploit her and her family out of thousands of dollars. He told wild stories of channelling and inhabiting someone else’s body to justify cheating right in front of her face. Find out how after 18 years, despite having built a yoga studio together, she was able to see through it all and escape his clutches.
IG: @joelletamraz
X / LinkedIn / TikTok: @joelletamraz
FB: www.facebook.com/joelletamraz1/
Book: The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga: A Memoir
Website: https://joelletamraz.com/
YouTube: @elevatingvoices
Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has 5 spots left! Click here to go to the official booking page https://trovatrip.com/trip/central-america/costa-rica/costa-rica-with-shelise-sola-aug-2024
- Meeting the Arun right after graduating from Harvard
- Yogic Flying, explained
- What it was like meeting this "Guru" and falling under his spell
- How Joelle was groomed by Arun
- Why Arun focused in on Joelle
- The long con in Arun trying to create a harem
- Joelle married Arun not knowing about his criminal record
- Joelle's mom gets targeted too
- Love-bombed and manipulated
- Arun pit Joelle against her parents
- Arun's manipulation tactics
- Arun explains why original yoga practices were for men
- Arun claimed to be 180 years old, now in a new body, and married with 5 kids
- Arun sealed Joelle to him
- Arun would "channel" spirits
- Arun starts heavy drinking to "save the life" of Joelle's father
- Arun declared he would never work again (and live off of Joelle)
- How Arun was using "channeling" to manipulate Joelle and others
- Joelle regains her power
- Joelle realizing she had been conned for 18 years
- What happened to Arun?
- How Joelle is doing now
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Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara
**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**