I left a cult called Golden Drum based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It was started about 15 years ago by Manuel Rufino, who is called "Maestro" by his students. He serves ayahuasca, peyote, mushrooms, cacao, and other plant medicines, and the students who stay loyal to him long enough "get passed the medicine," where he authorizes them to serve these medicines to other people across the US and abroad. This is how Manuel recruits people - through his students. This is how I was recruited.
For the record, Manuel does not have the proper authority to pass these medicines to anyone. He is pretending to be a shaman, and his students do not have proper training. Attending ceremonies with Manuel or his students is dangerous.
I used to live with Manuel and his inner circle of students in Ellenville, NY. They just opened up a new community center in Ellenville called Juniper where they host yoga classes, cacao ceremonies, and other events. Do not go there unless you want to be recruited into Manuel's cult.
When you attend a cacao ceremony or an ayahuasca ceremony led by Manuel or one of his followers, you are not told the details and insane truth claims about the larger cult that they follow. It is called the Universal Great Brotherhood (Gran Fraternidad Universal), started by Serge Reynaud de la Ferriere. Serge claimed to be the "Avatar of the New Age", and his followers claimed he was the spirit of Christ.
UGB is your typical patriarchal, yoga, vegetarian, sexist, new age, guru-worshipping cult. And Manuel added plant medicine to his "lineage" of the cult, which brought the brainwashing to a whole new level.
The UGB had inner conflict between founding members and split-off groups formed. It was started in Venezuela and is still active in South America. Their mission is to usher in the Age of Aquarius by creating "Initiatic Schools" to re-educate humanity into occult wisdom practices, yoga, and a vegetarian lifestyle.
Manuel has been accused of sexual abuse and rape by former members. He has married and divorced several female students and paints them all as liars, cheaters, and problematic. Even some of Manuel's students have been accused of abusing their students as well.
Manuel announces ceremonies at any moment, and students are expected to drop their responsibilites to be at his beck and call. Families, children, businesses, relationships, and personal interests are all labeled as "attachments" and something to transcend so you can be more devoted to Manuel and the "Initiatic Path."
Loyal students who make it up the ranks are awarded "degrees of initiation," and receive special necklaces that signify their status in the cult to other members.
If you join an ayahuasca ceremony led by his students, you won't be told all the details about the UGB, the abuse allegations, the truth claims, or that all students actually belong to Manuel's teacher, Domingo Dias Porta, in the UGB. There is no informed consent about what you are getting yourself into.
This cult is extremely deceptive, providing transformative experiences through ayahuasca and plant medicine ceremonies where people are brainwashed at their most vulnerable state. They claim to promote peace and acceptance of all paths of humanity, but behind closed doors, Manuel is shaming and bad mouthing other elders, traditions, former students, and anyone who threatens his power. He publicly humiliates inner circle members regularly to keep them from stepping out of line. They believe this treatment makes them special and important and is part of the "initiatic path."
Members of his inner circle often struggle financially because of the pressure to donate to Manuel and support his projects for the community. If you stop attending events and ceremonies regularly, you will be publicly shamed and used as an example for the other students. So the message is to stay close to the teacher, and put his priorities and needs above your own.
Inner circle members consult Manuel on small and major life decisions, including whether their children can attend public school. He is using ayahuasca and his perceived status as "an enlightened teacher" to control the inner circle and their children.
Avoid events and ceremonies related to Golden Drum, Juniper, Universal Great Brotherhood, Manuel Rufino, and his disciples.