Spirituality is a belief that explores things revolving around the human spirit. The new true crime documentary series on Netflix, “Escaping Twin Flames,” released a three-episode series on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The series exposes the cult, Twin Flames Universe, and follows multiple individuals as they explain their experiences of either being involved in or knowing someone who is involved.
At the beginning of the first episode, Netflix tries to tie the concept of spirituality and twin flames together. However, the way they do it makes it feel that the broad meaning of twin flames is a cult in itself. According to a Forbes article, “Twin Flame: Definition and Signs You’ve Met Yours” by Lauren Silva, it is a modern term that defines twin flames as two individuals who have an intense connection.
As the series progresses, it is revealed that the individuals are searching for love. After looking up “twin flames” online, they stumbled upon Twin Flames Universe. The program owned by Jeff and Shaleia Ayan, Twin Flames Universe tries to convince online users to become a part of their program.
The couple had convinced users to become a part of their program by selling the idea that they would find their twin flame and would not have to search for love anymore. Once a part of their program, the members had to attend online meetings, take in-person classes and share information about their relationships in an open forum on Facebook.
“Jeff and Shaleia introduced this notion of a soul family at the meetup. We were told by Jeff that soul family is your real family. It’s really your only family. Just like your twin flame is your only lover,” said one of the former members, Keely.
Twin flames are an interesting concept, but the Ayan couple took it to a whole new level. In one of their classes, the couple held a ritual where everyone went around a table to “call together” a member’s twin flame, assuming that they were trying to get someone to interact with one of the members, stranger or not.
The day after this ritual, Marlee, a former member, said that she received a message from someone she did not know, but the Ayan couple claimed was her twin flame. Marlee, who was a 19-years-old at the time, revealed in the documentary she did not like the man who messaged her as she felt that he seemed creepy. It was also revealed that she was arranged to move in with him as well.
The entire show tries to tie together unprecedented events as something that must happen to find your twin flame, especially unhealthy relationships. By doing so, the group was creating excuses for toxic behavior. For instance, there was a situation in which a member was told that her twin flame was her ex-boyfriend, but the Ayan couple said there was only one chance for a twin flame. They gave the member the advice that she had to pretend that they were still together, regardless of the restraining order.
If you are interested in true crime, “Escaping Twin Flames” is an interesting documentary series that explores a modern-day cult. The series provides great visuals, evidence against the Ayan couple and testimonies from former members who can finally share their experiences without manipulating their words. While it is only a three-episode series, it is definitely worth it to watch.
Rating: 3.7/5