I broke free from a religious cult after 30+ years, thanks in no small measure to The Secret.

I now live a fabulous and normal life with my wonderful wife, Christine! Last year we were married. So many of our wedding guests said it was the best wedding ever! We agree, and we are filled with gratitude for that wonderful occasion that graced the coming together of our lives.

There is a story to be told about my journey from cult refugee to the joy of The Secret.

About 20 years ago, my former wife, Eva, and I began to realize that the weird religious cult, to which we were committed, was riddled with hypocrisy. As the years went by we had been on the receiving end of all the characteristics of an exploitative religious cult. Eventually, we more or less broke free.

Every day I experience profound gratitude for having broken free. Many people leave the above-mentioned cult, but very few actually break free; I consider myself one of the fortunate few. Most people who leave remain enamored with the cult ideology, which, in reality, is a perverse twist on the mainstream religion that underpins its ideology.

A few years went by, and Eva and I reconnected with real life. Then, unexpectedly, Eva was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 49. Despite the physical affliction, her consciousness blossomed. But three years later she passed away. I remember she often said she did not want to live into old age, and she accepted death with poise and grace.

This is where my story really begins, but it does not mark the end of my connection with Eva.

She asked that her ashes be scattered in the sea at her favorite spot near
Noosa in Queensland, Australia, where she would often meditate. One evening, I brought her ashes in a silver urn with me in my hotel room in Noosa. I was preparing to meet with friends the following morning, to share in the farewell to Eva.

It was a beautiful evening, and Noosa is a gorgeous place. I took a stroll along Hastings Street, the main boulevard of shops, ocean-front accommodations, cafes, and restaurants, leaving Eva’s silver urn in my hotel room. The soft light, the gentle sea breeze, and the relaxed elegance of Noosa uplifted my mood after having undergone considerable grieving. I took in the sights and the mood of this special moment in time, glancing in the windows of a few of the interesting stores as I strolled along, although most were closing.

I came across a boutique bookshop that was still open and decided to go inside. One book particularly caught my attention, Hero, by Rhonda Byrne. I had never heard of The Secret; it came into being whilst we were buried in the hogwash of the cult. I picked up Hero, quickly flipped the pages, and very suddenly decided to buy it. Still savoring the evening, I carried my small paper bag of unknown value back to my hotel and began to read.

Waves of powerful and positive emotion hit me. Totally awesome! Where had I been all my life? I had been sleepwalking, it seemed. This was what breaking free from a cult really felt like! This is what life was supposed to be!

This experience was my final step in the process of breaking free from the cult. A final step that I feel so fortunate to have been able to make.

That beautiful evening was not just about connecting with The Secret, but also “farewelling” Eva, as she had asked to be farewelled. More specifically, I am certain her non-physical essence was at play in this profound scenario. Eva was deeply committed to the promise of spiritual emancipation that was promised by the cult ideology, but like thousands of others who have committed to that false promise, she was badly short changed.

At death she was rewarded; of that, I have no doubt. She metamorphosed into enlightenment, which until that moment had eluded her. From that state she was able to steer me, to shift me from a no-mans-land of “cult refugee”, into having a taste of that realm of uplifted consciousness with which she was now gifted. That same consciousness that is the fruit of The Secret.

Learning the fullness of The Secret is the Hero’s journey. It is the true journey of our human existence. I am humbled and deeply honored with profound gratitude, to now be on that journey. It is the journey that mystics, religionists, philosophers, spiritualists, and seekers of all kinds have always striven to embark upon.

The journey has now been charted, and I write this, my life story, as an epistle of gratitude to a special cartographer of the Hero’s journey, Rhonda Byrne. Thank you so much!