Throughout my 14 months with Avatar and within the Stars Edge Network, my life rapidly went downhill. I lost all confidence in myself. I was being psychologically and emotionally played with. I subtly had begun to hand over my psyche and decision making to a Trainer. I almost went bankrupt, went onto Government benefits, lost many friends, the respect of my family, ate with the homeless one evening, was an emotional reck – and towards the end of my involvement – I was suicidal. Before my involvement with Avatar I had had a fully functional business and no mental or psychological issues. I had never ever contemplated suicide before.
My initial Avatar Course was dramatic and I had to dive into areas of my childhood sexual abuse which I had never visited before which left me open, emotional and raw. It was never brought to my attention at the start of this course that this type of activity may happen. I believe this made me more susceptible for future cult indoctrination and the rapid adoption of the mission to create an Enlightened Planetary Civilisation.
Although I had some wins on my first Avatar Course, the consequences of my involvement with Avatar far outweighed these. Why then did I stay? I had bought into the vision to create an Enlightened and Compassion planet. All I had ever wanted to do was to help others, and by the end of my Avatar Course, I felt this was the answer. I also loved being part of a close nit group who all shared the same vision.
I had also throughout my 14 months accumulated debt of approx. $38,000 which was spent on courses, internships, flights and hotel accommodation, which included unethical loaning from Avatar Masters, credit cards, bank loans and overdrafts. Some of this I take responsibility for. However, my sign up to the Avatar Course was immoral, coercive and guilt ridden. I hated every moment of it and I stressed many times I did not want to go to the next course in New Zealand. The guilt and push by the QM was so bad that I still attended with no money and being completely stressed out. Fortunately a credit card arrived by day 5 or I would have been left in another country with no money and no means to get home again. I was deeply vulnerable! The continuation of me doing advanced courses in the first few months would not have happened without the loaning of Avatar Masters who were being used by Stars Edge to keep people going “on the Path”. These offers always magically appeared at an end of a course if you were unable to find bank loans or credit cards.
Also throughout my 14 months I witnessed other masters being subjected to some disturbing mind games, the technique known as “gas lighting” (psychological abuse), shunning and shaming of Masters, the control of a Master’s reality, people divorcing as a consequence of Avatar, Masters struggling financially and emotionally, Masters missing hospital appointments and important family gatherings, unethical loaning of money from Masters to students approved by Stars Edge (even if unemployed), undue influence and coercive persuasion in signing up for courses (which I partook in), Masters being blamed for the heart attacks of their students, peer pressure, relationship control and the narcissistic abusive behaviour of QMs and trainers (at what I believe to be practices, pressure and demands of Avra Honey-Smith)
When I finally managed to leave, which was dramatic for me, I cried day and night for 6 months. It has taken me 2.5 years to get my autonomy and my life back again. I do not want one person to go through what I went through and I am deeply concerned for the mental, emotional and financial state of those I love and care about who are still within the inner workings of Avatar.
The further up you go within this cult throughout the higher levels and the Advanced Intern Program – the more “abusive and exploitive” it gets! Some of what is currently happening is mind blowing!
This deep concern and the need for the truth drove me and this is how Avatar Uncovered was born. I wanted to dig even further into what is going on in the higher levels of this organisation and to warn potential students, provide support for ex-members and their family/loved ones, hopefully reach those who are stuck in the inner layers and bring justice to those who have been betrayed, hurt and violated.
Now with overriding evidence and witnesses, we say with absolute confidence that Avatar and the Stars Edge network is a destructive cult and dangerous mentally, emotionally and financially.
Please do your research! Look after your psyche, your heart and your life!
To discover the truth and the true intentions of Avatar and its leaders, you need to look behind the initial love bombing, the façade and the curtain of “compassion” – where you will discover a rehash of Scientology and an organisation which is both abusive, extremely exploitative and has dire long-term consequences for many.
[Amanda Reed: ex-Avatar Master, Australia]