19 Sep Spirituality in a Speedo
Posing in his Speedo, his chiseled dancer’s body the very epitome of a Greek Adonis, Michel was a charismatic teacher who transmitted “The Knowing” to a group of 150-200 followers in weekly sessions in West Hollywood in the mid- to late 80s. At the height of the yuppie era, a cult flourished around him, living together 24/7 and calling themselves The Buddhafield. The cult members were decidedly not inclusive: all were white, slender, tall, conventionally good-looking – not a single person of color or average body shape (except for the filmmaker’s sister), or interesting or alternative looks.
Will Allen, one of The Buddhafield members and the personal assistant and lover of Michel, made home movies at the time, not realizing that later he would turn them into the fascinating CNN documentary, Holy Hell.
When you watch the film, it is undeniable that something of a true spiritual nature is happening: a sincere expression of love and radiance, the transmission of shakti energy. On the other hand, it is undeniable that you’ll also see things of a decidedly weird nature happening as well. Such as:
Michel had previously been a dancer with the Oakland Ballet and a bit actor in movies, and, it was later unearthed, porn. He had the cult practice and stage elaborate ballets which were performed once and never for the public.
As a hypnotherapist Michel gave weekly, mandatory “cleansing” sessions costing $50 (in 80s dollars), and during these sessions, had regular sex with quite a few of the male devotees. This was either “sexual abuse” or “consensual sex” depending on whom you talk to.
After the news of this and allegations of brainwashing and manipulation, many of the 20-year members left, feeling betrayed and wondering why they had participated in such cult-like behavior. They tell stories of not being allowed to watch TV, read books, have sex, listen to the radio, or own dogs.
What is truly fascinating, though, is that despite all this, all interviewed feel their experience in the cult had been worth it.
The Buddhafield moved to Austin, TX in 1991, and Michel changed his name to Andreas. Today the cult is going 100-person strong at Lanikai Beach in Hawaii and Michel is now known by the name Reyji which means “God-King.” Some of the longtime followers are still with him, as well as new devotees joining all the time.
The documentary is utterly compelling. For this delectable detail of LA Spiritual History watch: Holy Hell by Will Allen.
© 2020 Catherine Auman
This is an excerpt from Catherine Auman’s book Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True
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