A Bay Area woman who goes by Sarai has accused Akasha Sananandaji and Miananda Shekinah Ma Kryst, who lead a new-age religion in Ashland, of financial and emotional exploitation as well as being offering psychedelic drugs at retreats to help them reach an elevated spiritual state.

The 10,000-square-foot store space run by the couple in a prominent Craftsman building in the heart of downtown is closing. It had sold an array of expensive elixirs, crystals and clothing. Sanandaji and Shekinah Ma Kryst, operated the store, as well as the nonprofit TwinRay Illumination.

The Haven store, open since 2022, was only one part of the couple’s mission. However, members of the religious organization said they felt trapped and misused by the couple and their organization.

“It felt like … we were part of this movement — this really powerful, spiritual movement that we were going to save humanity,” said Sarai. “It’s very sophisticated manipulation.”

Sarai said she has lost more than $80,000 in retirement savings while seeking to become a member of TwinRay’s “Golden Ascendantship Program,” the name for the mentoring-for-a-price program to become one of the couples’ 12 close followers, or what Sarai refers to as “devotees.” Sarai sent Ashland.news more than 20 receipts for services TwinRay provided, including one for $7,777 for a TwinRay retreat in Mt. Shasta City, astrology classes for $333, “alchemical water” for $111 each.

Jackson County records show that Sanandaji and Shekinah Ma Kryst owned property at Golden Age Temple Sanctuary, a retreat center located on the outskirts of Ashland at 3300 Butler Creek Road, from 2020 through 2023. They defaulted on the mortgage of the house, owing $1.6 million plus interest, according to county records.

The purchase price for the property was $2.6 million on Sept. 9, 2020. The most recent available assessed value estimation is $2,778,047, as of 2023.

Sanandaji’s background

Akasha Sanandaji, whose birth name, records say, is Harley Forster, was director of London-based Krystal Star Creations Limited, a wellness company incorporated in 2005 by New Zealand-born guru Christof Melchizedek.

Sanandaji claims to have studied under Babaji, who claims to be an immortal Indian yogi, guru and saint, according to Yogipedia, which also describes him as living in the northern Himalayas as “deathless embodiment of the Divine in human form.”

Miananda Shekinah’s birth name is Mia Terez Deuschle, according to Sarai. Previously an actress, Miananda Shekinah has said she entered into a coma and was brought back to life in 2010, reincarnated as the “Divine Mother.”

Seeking spirituality, Sarai came to TwinRay

Sarai said that while she started taking TwinRay classes online in 2017, she has been looking for spiritual fulfillment since 2008 when she experienced what she describes as a shift in consciousness.

“That’s when I started learning about spirit guides and energy healing techniques and the different wisdom traditions, like the Buddhism and Hinduism and the Celtic traditions,” Sarai said. “Here come Sananda and Shekinah — They basically took everything I had been learning about and they put it all together in a nice, neat little package and it made sense because it hooked into what I had already learned about.”

“These people — I trusted them more than anyone and they broke my trust,” she said.

Former followers call TwinRay ‘controlling’

Sarai told Ashland.news that the TwinRay couple’s closest devotees are instructed to listen to them in all facets of their lives, without question or doubt.

“Their methods are most damaging because they are placing themselves as the ultimate authority controlling the behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions of their followers,” Sarai said. “They really are these two parasites, feeding off the people of Ashland.”

She describes Sanandaji as a “mentalist” and gave examples of what, as a follower, she calls “mind control.”

Sarai said that followers are taught to relinquish any doubt or negative thought from their minds, and made to feel ashamed if they ever think negatively of the couple.

“He very much reads the (energy) field … when it was a small group, he would literally say what I was thinking,” Sarai said. “That drew me in because I was like, ‘Wow, how did he know that?’”

Drugs and cleanses

Sarai also said she was told to only drink juices for two weeks prior to their retreats. While there, she said, participants were not allowed to get a full night’s sleep, as ceremonies were held only at night.

Once indoctrinated with their philosophies, it can be difficult to leave, according to Sarai.

“You become part of their community and it becomes like your whole life,” Sarai told Ashland.news over the course of multiple interviews. She says the couple used “mental manipulation” on her and other followers.

“Their weapon is silence, they know how to silence people,” she added. “What I realize is, they don’t have power over people that haven’t given it to them.”

Sarai claims she was given DMT, an illegal, hallucinogenic drug, at retreats and describes it as being “a psychedelic experience.” She also said she hallucinated after ingesting the substance.

She said Sanandaji and Shekinah sold products to her and others while they were in “altered states” during their retreats.

“You’re sleep deprived, you’re food-deprived, right from the beginning of the retreat. And then, you’re given drugs … you’re just told it’s a ‘sacred elixir,’” Sarai said. “This is like drug-induced, altered states, where they are extorting millions of dollars.”

If you or someone you know needs help following the use of DMT, there is help at SAMHSA’s National Helpline — call 800-662-HELP (4357) or go to online treatment locator.

Editor’s note

This story first appeared at Ashland.news, which is a news-sharing partner with the Rogue Valley Times.