Investigation
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Indoctrination, sequestration, blackmail… Behind the promise of controlling erotic energies, the Atman yoga school, present in around thirty countries, is suspected of having pushed hundreds of young women into orgies or unrelated relationships. agreed with their “spiritual leader”, Gregorian Bivolaru. He was arrested, as Libération revealed, on Tuesday September 28, with 40 other people.
The sun is setting over the Ganges, the orange light sets the room on fire, located on the top floor of a hotel in Rishikesh. This religious city in northern India, located on the banks of the great sacred river of Hinduism, attracts young people from all over the world every winter in search of yoga classes and spiritual experiences. This October evening, they came to discover a special class: a tantric yoga class, offered by the Mahasiddha school. The walls are covered in intriguing geometric shapes and a statue of Shiva stands in the center of the room. A woman with a porcelain complexion and long brown hair, entirely swathed in red, sits in front of the fifty students. “Tantra says that the source of our inner power is erotic energy, she said in a smooth voice. But this energy is useful if we know what to do with it. Otherwise, we lose the chance to have extraordinary experiences.”
This introductory session continues with what she calls “the angel’s walk”, during which each student must advance, eyes closed, in an aisle formed by the other practitioners. And let yourself be caressed by them, to “feel their energies”. At the end of the speech, the professor, who calls herself Purusha Ananda, speaks privately with each student to invite them to join the three-day intensive training which begins the next morning. “Our school