Trance International - Trina & Steven Kamp
Posted by:
Notrance
()
Date: July 07, 2012 01:19AM
http://www.culteducation.com/groups/consciousness.html
This is an Arizona based destructive cult led by Trina and Steven Kamp. They have a K - 12 charter school The Shelby School http://www.ade.az.gov/edd/NewDetails.asp?EntityID=79132&RefTypeID=1035&SchoolType=CS and are also active in the chess competition world http://americanchess.net/.
Recently Steven M. Kamp registered the name "Trance International" in Arizona, business type listed as "management of trance mediums" http://www.azsos.gov/scripts/TnT_Search_Engine.dll/ZoomTNT?NME_ID=535903&NME_CODE=NME.
Also this site has been set up http://tranceintl.com/.
This group easily fits all the warning signs of an unsafe group http://www.culteducation.com/warningsigns.html. My own experience with them is decades past yet I still have occasional nightmares related to my time there.
This is an Arizona based destructive cult led by Trina and Steven Kamp. They have a K - 12 charter school The Shelby School http://www.ade.az.gov/edd/NewDetails.asp?EntityID=79132&RefTypeID=1035&SchoolType=CS and are also active in the chess competition world http://americanchess.net/.
Recently Steven M. Kamp registered the name "Trance International" in Arizona, business type listed as "management of trance mediums" http://www.azsos.gov/scripts/TnT_Search_Engine.dll/ZoomTNT?NME_ID=535903&NME_CODE=NME.
Also this site has been set up http://tranceintl.com/.
Quote
Trance International was founded in 1978 by Steven and Trina Kamp. The purpose of Trance International is to bring to the earth plane the teaching of Dr. Pahlvon Duran.
This group easily fits all the warning signs of an unsafe group http://www.culteducation.com/warningsigns.html. My own experience with them is decades past yet I still have occasional nightmares related to my time there.
Re: Trance International - Trina & Steven Kamp
Posted by:
liminal
()
Date: August 05, 2014 04:36AM
The Kamps have preyed on people for decades. I wonder if they will pass on this lucrative scam to someone else, or if it will die with them.
Some of the people still with them I knew in the mid 80s, that is a long time to be involved with this destructive group.
Steven and Trina went after people who were vulnerable and in times of life transition. Single mothers, married people who were not getting along, people with careers who were burnt out, people searching for spiritual and life purpose without knowing how to stay clear of con artists, even an elderly person or two on pensions.
They split marriages up and reassigned people to new spouses.
Fortunately I did not have much money, I think that is the main reason they let me go without too much of a struggle. I was a hard worker and they got my paychecks, but I did not have family money or well paying job. I was useful as a grunt - someone who did their child care and housecleaning, worked at their catering company - but I also kept asking questions and eventually realized I would be much better off if I got away from them, even if I was homeless.
The Kamps are not great con artists, they are just good enough. And we victims are not stupid or unintelligent, we are vulnerable and we aren't educated about destructive groups and con artists.
I wonder if the people who have stayed with them for decades are themselves now con artists, or if they are indoctrinated victims, maybe both is true.
The Kamps cultivate members that are attorneys. Steven Rensch, an attorney, as far as I know is still with them, and I got the impression they encouraged other members to become attorneys. From what I could see, inner circle members, which include those who have money, were treated much better than those of us in the general outer circle.
One young divorced mother tried to get away from them, she fled to her parent's home in Florida. But she did not find good support and when the Kamps came to "visit" her, they were able to bring her and her daughter back with them. They had already separated her from her husband, married him to someone else in their group, and they soon banished her to a run down apartment and ordered her to find work, even though she had a young child.
In just the few months I was with them, I saw them play games daily with people's relationships and lives. Some of us were kept to debilitating work routines, we were alternately love bombed and then coldly criticized, our access to outside information was limited, and we were not allowed to know the full scope of the group and its practices. Gossip sessions called judgement sessions were encouraged, we acted out the cruelty of the Kamps in this manner. When I first arrived most of the women had their hair shorn very very short, Trina had announced at some point that all women must get buzz cuts, to be purified or something, I believe this was simply Trina playing games and being sadistic. And doing things to keep everyone in line.
One of the women that is still with them, I recall her decades ago being told by the Kamps that if she wanted to have a child (she was single), she should go out dancing and pick a guy up, to be the donor. I remember too that she gave me a ride to the bus station and how desperate she was to squirrel away any small amount of money possible, including the change from the money I gave her for gas, I realized then that even she was a victim. She was blinded by the Kamps and unaware of how much they had manipulated and controlled her.
Fortunately I got free. Being able to keep my own money, listen to the radio station I wanted, go to the public library, choose my own daily schedule, read the newspapers and books I wanted - being free of insult and humiliation - I am so grateful to be free.
I mark one of many turning points as the time I kept my work tips rather than turning them all over to the Kamps as I was supposed to. I actually bought a piece of pie and coffee for myself during a work break. I was not supposed to do this. I am so glad I did.
Some of the people still with them I knew in the mid 80s, that is a long time to be involved with this destructive group.
Steven and Trina went after people who were vulnerable and in times of life transition. Single mothers, married people who were not getting along, people with careers who were burnt out, people searching for spiritual and life purpose without knowing how to stay clear of con artists, even an elderly person or two on pensions.
They split marriages up and reassigned people to new spouses.
Fortunately I did not have much money, I think that is the main reason they let me go without too much of a struggle. I was a hard worker and they got my paychecks, but I did not have family money or well paying job. I was useful as a grunt - someone who did their child care and housecleaning, worked at their catering company - but I also kept asking questions and eventually realized I would be much better off if I got away from them, even if I was homeless.
The Kamps are not great con artists, they are just good enough. And we victims are not stupid or unintelligent, we are vulnerable and we aren't educated about destructive groups and con artists.
I wonder if the people who have stayed with them for decades are themselves now con artists, or if they are indoctrinated victims, maybe both is true.
The Kamps cultivate members that are attorneys. Steven Rensch, an attorney, as far as I know is still with them, and I got the impression they encouraged other members to become attorneys. From what I could see, inner circle members, which include those who have money, were treated much better than those of us in the general outer circle.
One young divorced mother tried to get away from them, she fled to her parent's home in Florida. But she did not find good support and when the Kamps came to "visit" her, they were able to bring her and her daughter back with them. They had already separated her from her husband, married him to someone else in their group, and they soon banished her to a run down apartment and ordered her to find work, even though she had a young child.
In just the few months I was with them, I saw them play games daily with people's relationships and lives. Some of us were kept to debilitating work routines, we were alternately love bombed and then coldly criticized, our access to outside information was limited, and we were not allowed to know the full scope of the group and its practices. Gossip sessions called judgement sessions were encouraged, we acted out the cruelty of the Kamps in this manner. When I first arrived most of the women had their hair shorn very very short, Trina had announced at some point that all women must get buzz cuts, to be purified or something, I believe this was simply Trina playing games and being sadistic. And doing things to keep everyone in line.
One of the women that is still with them, I recall her decades ago being told by the Kamps that if she wanted to have a child (she was single), she should go out dancing and pick a guy up, to be the donor. I remember too that she gave me a ride to the bus station and how desperate she was to squirrel away any small amount of money possible, including the change from the money I gave her for gas, I realized then that even she was a victim. She was blinded by the Kamps and unaware of how much they had manipulated and controlled her.
Fortunately I got free. Being able to keep my own money, listen to the radio station I wanted, go to the public library, choose my own daily schedule, read the newspapers and books I wanted - being free of insult and humiliation - I am so grateful to be free.
I mark one of many turning points as the time I kept my work tips rather than turning them all over to the Kamps as I was supposed to. I actually bought a piece of pie and coffee for myself during a work break. I was not supposed to do this. I am so glad I did.
Re: Trance International - Trina & Steven Kamp
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: August 06, 2014 09:02PM
Any evidence that they recruit psychotherapists or encourage members to
become psychotherapists after being in the group for awhile?
Definite advantage if a group has its own attorney/s. Saves costs.
[forum.culteducation.com]
[forum.culteducation.com]
Many professions have codes of ethics warning of the hazards of
dual relationships -- giving preferential treatment to members
of their sect.
become psychotherapists after being in the group for awhile?
Definite advantage if a group has its own attorney/s. Saves costs.
[forum.culteducation.com]
[forum.culteducation.com]
Many professions have codes of ethics warning of the hazards of
dual relationships -- giving preferential treatment to members
of their sect.
Re: Trance International - Trina & Steven Kamp
Posted by:
liminal
()
Date: August 07, 2014 01:50AM
As far as I know, they did not cultivate therapists. We were supposed to look to the leaders for family therapy type help. Married couples with problems would join the group, then be advised by the Kamps as to family dynamics, usually the Kamps would then split the couples up and redistribute them into other relationships.
Trina claims she channels a centuries old medical doctor Dr. Duran, her channeling sessions are b.s. of course, with some cold readings thrown in, along with hot readings, since she cultivates quite a gossip information web.
Their cultivation of attorneys works well for them, but even then they can't win all cases, especially when they have protested the use of the word cult to define them. When I did a deposition of my experiences with them, Steven Kamp and his in house cult member attorneys showed up, his appearance was not needed or planned, but I could tell it was done in an attempt to intimidate me. The two people taking the deposition even let me know they could see this was being attempted, they expressed sympathy, in a professional manner.
When I was part of the group, Steven Kamp's right hand man was Steven Rensch, an attorney, as far as I know he still is. Rensch was described as a minister of the church, he was a rather stern inner circle figure. One time we were told that he was taking on an extra important case, so we were instructed to go sing, pray, something like that, to help him.
This group did have a midwife member too, which was handy for them, since they encouraged a population boom.
The main fields they seemed to focus on was law, sports, and chess. They ran their own school for awhile, can't tell if it is still ongoing. Originally they were based in Mesa, Arizona, eventually they moved to their properties in Tonto Village, Arizona.
Speaking of population boom, I believe this was done to keep their own income going, so they could ensnare several generations, keep families involved.
They recruit people by telling them that they are recognized as part of the spiritual family of Dr. Duran. I remember a photo collage being made to represent this supposed spiritual family, I contributed a photo, I imagine that is long gone now. :)
One of the many ways they worked to keep me in line is to remind me to not behave like someone who had earlier left under murky circumstances. I was never told exactly what had happened. This was normal, for my questions to not be answered, and for questions to be seen as somehow bad.
Along with cutting off the hair of all women members, Trina also at one point decided that everyone should stop smoking. I arrived shortly after the hair cutting, I myself did not smoke, but some of the women allowed me to leave our house on a bicycle and buy them cigarettes at the corner store for them. This was a break for me, a tiny bit of freedom.
With the example of Trina and Steven Kamp, people were encouraged and stressed into becoming gossipy, bitchy, sarcastic, elitist, and snide. I found myself getting gossipy and did not like that.
I still remember washing the hard wood floor of the Kamp house/ "church sanctuary" in hot Arizona summer heat, air conditioning off, on my hands and knees with a fellow cult member, and being told that we needed to do this without complaining, so that the energy and vibes would be positive.
Trina wanted our homes very clean before she did her channeling sessions there, this included bleach washing down all the walls in the house.
We were told that Dr. Duran would tell us our true purpose in life, but when I asked straight out for that information, I was mocked and made fun of.
In my early naive days in the cult, in order to be a good member and learn more about my supposed spiritual family, I asked how many households there were (most members lived in homes clustered in a particular neighborhood), and quickly learned that apparently I was not supposed to ask those types of questions.
Because I pretty much had to flee, some of my belongings were packed in boxes and left behind. I tried unsuccessfully to have them returned to me, finally a male friend of mine advocated and called them, I did get some belongings back. Most they had sold at their continual garage sales. This was common - when new people joined their possessions were looked over, much was sold at the garage sales.
I had a collection of journals I had kept over the years, I was encouraged to get rid of those, and did so.
Here is an example of their chess endeavors http://americanchess.net/ace-program/mission-statement/ This is written by a group member, and I recognize many of the names of the young people, some of which I took care of as children back in the mid 80s.
This part is especially poignant to me, it may sound innocent, but I know how much people are restricted and controlled in this group, being allowed special privileges is a huge deal:
Trina claims she channels a centuries old medical doctor Dr. Duran, her channeling sessions are b.s. of course, with some cold readings thrown in, along with hot readings, since she cultivates quite a gossip information web.
Their cultivation of attorneys works well for them, but even then they can't win all cases, especially when they have protested the use of the word cult to define them. When I did a deposition of my experiences with them, Steven Kamp and his in house cult member attorneys showed up, his appearance was not needed or planned, but I could tell it was done in an attempt to intimidate me. The two people taking the deposition even let me know they could see this was being attempted, they expressed sympathy, in a professional manner.
When I was part of the group, Steven Kamp's right hand man was Steven Rensch, an attorney, as far as I know he still is. Rensch was described as a minister of the church, he was a rather stern inner circle figure. One time we were told that he was taking on an extra important case, so we were instructed to go sing, pray, something like that, to help him.
This group did have a midwife member too, which was handy for them, since they encouraged a population boom.
The main fields they seemed to focus on was law, sports, and chess. They ran their own school for awhile, can't tell if it is still ongoing. Originally they were based in Mesa, Arizona, eventually they moved to their properties in Tonto Village, Arizona.
Speaking of population boom, I believe this was done to keep their own income going, so they could ensnare several generations, keep families involved.
They recruit people by telling them that they are recognized as part of the spiritual family of Dr. Duran. I remember a photo collage being made to represent this supposed spiritual family, I contributed a photo, I imagine that is long gone now. :)
One of the many ways they worked to keep me in line is to remind me to not behave like someone who had earlier left under murky circumstances. I was never told exactly what had happened. This was normal, for my questions to not be answered, and for questions to be seen as somehow bad.
Along with cutting off the hair of all women members, Trina also at one point decided that everyone should stop smoking. I arrived shortly after the hair cutting, I myself did not smoke, but some of the women allowed me to leave our house on a bicycle and buy them cigarettes at the corner store for them. This was a break for me, a tiny bit of freedom.
With the example of Trina and Steven Kamp, people were encouraged and stressed into becoming gossipy, bitchy, sarcastic, elitist, and snide. I found myself getting gossipy and did not like that.
I still remember washing the hard wood floor of the Kamp house/ "church sanctuary" in hot Arizona summer heat, air conditioning off, on my hands and knees with a fellow cult member, and being told that we needed to do this without complaining, so that the energy and vibes would be positive.
Trina wanted our homes very clean before she did her channeling sessions there, this included bleach washing down all the walls in the house.
We were told that Dr. Duran would tell us our true purpose in life, but when I asked straight out for that information, I was mocked and made fun of.
In my early naive days in the cult, in order to be a good member and learn more about my supposed spiritual family, I asked how many households there were (most members lived in homes clustered in a particular neighborhood), and quickly learned that apparently I was not supposed to ask those types of questions.
Because I pretty much had to flee, some of my belongings were packed in boxes and left behind. I tried unsuccessfully to have them returned to me, finally a male friend of mine advocated and called them, I did get some belongings back. Most they had sold at their continual garage sales. This was common - when new people joined their possessions were looked over, much was sold at the garage sales.
I had a collection of journals I had kept over the years, I was encouraged to get rid of those, and did so.
Here is an example of their chess endeavors http://americanchess.net/ace-program/mission-statement/ This is written by a group member, and I recognize many of the names of the young people, some of which I took care of as children back in the mid 80s.
This part is especially poignant to me, it may sound innocent, but I know how much people are restricted and controlled in this group, being allowed special privileges is a huge deal:
Quote
Many of the children in Tonto Village had started playing chess on a daily basis; Rumors about Dallas, Danny and Harper getting to “go to McDonald’s and Burger King on those chess trips” started to fly
Re: Trance International - Trina & Steven Kamp
Posted by:
liminal
()
Date: March 27, 2016 04:33AM
This destructive cult also operates as The Church of the Spirit Inc.[ecorp.azcc.gov] out of Payson, Arizona.
Re: Trance International - Trina & Steven Kamp
Posted by:
liminal
()
Date: March 29, 2016 04:28AM
Quote
Tonto Village I resident Steven Kamp has his birthday on Jan. 10. Steve is like a grand POOH-BAH to our Village. He is looked up to by the residents and he has helped many families in the Village. Thank you for your community service.
[www.paysonroundup.com] This is how the cult leader is currently portrayed in the local press. I don't know if the author is a cult member, or someone who simply doesn't know better.
Steven Kamp is a straight up destructive cult leader. He can disguise himself as a benevolent patriarch pooh-bah, but that does not excuse his decades long behavior as a cult leader.
Steven Michael Kamp was born in 1947. Learning more about him might help to demystify him and the cult he leads with his wife Trina. He identifies as from Illinois, and is very into sports. I don't recall any discussion of his birth family. Trina on the other hand uses stories of her birth family as part of her public biography.
Quote
Education-Accomplishments: Ministerial Degree-University of Life Church (1970), Ph.D., Doctor of Divinity-Church of Immortal Consciousness (1995)
This is from Trina's bio [culteducation.com] That "Doctor of Divinity" is ridiculous, that is her own church. The first group she lists, University of Life Church, was operated by "the flamboyant clairvoyant" Richard Ireland [www.phoenixnewtimes.com]
Trina was born Trina Fitch in 1947. Her first married surname was Pace. She can be found as Trina Pace in University of Life Church ads in 1972, Arizona Republic. Trina taught a "Teen Philosophy Class" on Sundays. On Wednesday student nights she displayed "gifts".
The cult looks to be still running a charter school. This is very unfortunate, as they can keep families under their influence in this manner.
One of their members is Lucy McDowell Karrys, her heritage includes the prominent Carnegie family. Lucy was a member back when I lived with this cult in the mid 80s, and she still is. That is a long time to be involved with a destructive group. Lucy is on the boards of many of the cult businesses. She has invested heavily in their school.
Another top member is Steven R Rensch, their main attorney. He was born in 1947 and is married to Marlow, one of Steven and Trina Kamp's children. Marlow was born in 1969.
I wonder if anyone has been appointed as the next leader once Trina and Steven Kamp are no longer able to operate the group.
Attachments: trina pace.JPG (35.7 KB)
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