‘No sacred cows:’ Head of alleged cult Twin Flames Universe walks back teachings in exclusive W5 interview

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We're Not a Cult: Inside Twin Flames Universe, part one

We're Not a Cult: Inside Twin Flames Universe, part two

We're Not a Cult: Inside Twin Flames Universe, part three

We're Not a Cult: Inside Twin Flames Universe, part four

This is the latest report in a multi-part W5 investigation that follows Jeff Divine and Canadian Shaleia Divine, the leaders of the Twin Flames Universe – a controversial spiritual group.

Members of Twin Flames Universe have volunteered countless hours, quit full time jobs, moved continents, ended up with restraining orders, spent tens of thousands of dollars, married strangers and in some cases changed their gender - all in the process of following the teachings of Canadian Shaleia Divine and her husband Jeff Divine, the leaders of Twin Flames Universe.

But in a world exclusive sit-down interview, Jeff Divine told W5 that some of these teachings are actually just “silly ideas,” and that they’re merely “experimenting” with the beliefs they’re espousing to followers.

The interview was part of a recent PR campaign undertaken by Twin Flames Universe in the wake of a media firestorm the last several years. The subject of docuseries on Netflix and Amazon Prime, articles in Vanity Fair, Vice, Rolling Stone and a Wondery Podcast.

They’ve been accused of financially exploiting followers, running a pyramid scheme, tax evasion, labour trafficking, brainwashing and coercing followers into changing genders.

The foundational concept behind Twin Flames Universe is finding your twin flame - the person who is your “ultimate lover,” “one true love” and “designed for you by God to be your eternal companion.” Jeff and Shaleia preach that if you commit to their principles you’ll end up in a Twin Flame Harmonious Union - the community’s version of a marriage.

Twin Flames Universe has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide predicated on the concept that Jeff and Shaleia would help guide them to find their twin flame.

They also preach that anyone can find a path to personal happiness, an abundance of wealth and a divine connection with God, if you follow their teachings.

The path to this success for some members includes spending tens of thousands of dollars on coaching sessions, self-improvement programs, books and spiritual online classes - the lessons of which are channelled by God.

But according to former member Victoria Bonilla, all of that investment wasn’t paying off for many. “We were doing everything we could, and nobody was seeing results,” Bonilla told W5. “Nobody was any closer to their twin flame or any relationship.”

This was despite drastic lengths followers were going to in order to attract their twin flame. Former members say Jeff and Shaleia were instructing them to be relentless in their pursuit of their twin flames. This ranged from members altering their appearance by changing their hairstyle, makeup and clothing, to constant texts and emails and even showing up at people’s homes unannounced in an attempt to win their love.

Some members were blocked by the person they were going after. One member ended up with a restraining order after the man she was pursuing repeatedly told her to leave him alone and then they had an unexpected run in at a bar.

W5 asked Jeff and Shaleia about concerns that they were pushing followers too far in their pursuit of twin flames and that harm was being caused.

They denied they were counselling anyone to break the law or harass anyone.

But they did say that none of their ideas are set in stone. Including the core principle of their community. “...the twin flame concept, it’s okay if it’s misproven. I didn’t come into this from a spiritual perspective,” said Jeff.

• Part 1: Former Canadian member of Twin Flames Universe blows whistle on alleged cult
• Part 2: Alleged cult Twin Flames Universe accused of coercing students into changing gender

Some members have upended their lives to move across the country or even the Atlantic to be with the person Jeff and Shaleia said was their twin flame, in some cases people they barely know, for an idea that may apparently just be an “experiment.”

Over the years, Twin Flames Universe has shifted gears from helping students find love outside the community to mainly within it.

According to Bonilla, members were having challenges manifesting true love. She says many in the Twin Flames Universe were still single despite following Jeff and Shaleia’s teachings.

“The Twin Flames were getting married to other people. So we’re like, what’s going on? You know, this, it’s not working,” Bonilla told W5 in a recent interview.

Bonilla says that’s when other teachings became more prevalent.

One of Jeff and Shaleai’s other main beliefs is that every person is either 100 per cent masculine - a divine masculine. Or 100 per cent feminine - a divine feminine. There is no in between.

Because Twin Flames Universe was made up of mostly women, and Jeff and Shaleia decree that a union can only happen between a divine masculine and a divine feminine, there can be challenges.

According to Bonilla, there weren’t enough men to make enough matches. But Jeff had a solution. He would pair 22 mostly straight women together and revealed that some of those women were actually a divine masculine. In other words, they were a man and should begin the process of transitioning. Pairings Jeff allegedly channelled from God.

Several former members of Twin Flames Universe W5 spoke with described initial shock, disbelief and resistance by members who were told they were a divine masculine and should begin transitioning to men.

Former Twin Flames Universe CEO Keely Griffin, who had to deliver news to some of the members they were a divine masculine, told W5 in an interview that those who rejected Jeff’s instruction were to be monitored.

“Any time that someone would resist, we would have to report back and be like, this person didn’t want to accept that they’re a man. Jeff and Shaliea would then mark them on a list of people who needed to be watched and for continually forced to accept,” said Griffin.

Eighteen members of the Twin Flames Universe have transitioned, almost all of them from women to men.

W5 does not know how many had been questioning their gender before they joined Twin Flames Universe. They insist transitioning was their choice and they were not pressured.

Jeff and Shaleia deny being cult leaders, that they have pressured or coerced anyone into changing genders, that they encourage unlawful behaviour, and every allegation that was put to them.

They say that any conversation they have with followers is a gentle “invitation to explore” the topic at hand and there is no power dynamic in place that would coerce students into doing anything they don’t want to.

Shaleia adds that students are free to do as they please; “People have a mind of their own in our spiritual community and they don’t always listen to us and like, that’s okay. I don’t really care. It’s your life.”

After Jeff stated in the interview with W5 that some of the Twin Flames Universe teachings were simply “silly” ideas, he was asked if the concept of divine masculine and divine feminine was one of those.

Divine responded; “Yeah, any of it. There’s no sacred cows here.”

Watch the two-hour special edition of “W5’s Avery Haines Investigates” featuring the world exclusive TV interview with Jeff Divine and his Canadian wife Shaleia Divine, the alleged cult leaders of Twin Flames Universe, this Saturday at 7 p.m. EDT on CTV and our YouTube channel.