When she joined the Buddhafield community, it was a near utopia. When she left decades later, it was a cult led by a twisted, narcissistic, abusive guru. Seattle Tonight welcomes Radhia Gleis as she tells us about her upbringing, time in the Buddhafield cult, and interactions with Jaime, the guru.

The Buddhafield Cult – “A spiritual community that started in Florida, moved to LA, then to Austin, and finally landed in Hawaii. After twenty-some years, it came to light that the conspicuously gay teacher was sexually abusing many of the members. What a surprise! It’s a tale as old as civilization. A narcissistic leader turns a community of followers into a cult. That about sums it up.” – Radhia Gleis from her book The Followers – Holy Hell and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders.

The theme of this episode is “Almost Paradise.” Radhia Gleis is the author of the book Holy Hell and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders and was featured in the award-winning documentary about the Buddhafield Cult, Holy Hell.