Does anyone know anything about a group of New-Agey type people living in the San Diego area and also in Baja California, Mexico? I apologize for not having much information to go on and know that there are a lot of New Age people in that area who are basically harmless so I don't mean to disparage anyone. The only names I have to go on are Sienna Lea, who claims to have been a primal therapist before becoming a "seminar leader" and who wrote a book called Stealing the Moon in which she talks about channeling Queen Nefertitti. The book's "erotic" elements are heavily touted. The book is dedicated to her mentor Aysha Love, whom she calls a "love goddess." Ms. Love was affiliated with the Human Potential Movement and may or may not be related to one Jeremiah Jeff Love, who was in many of the same places at the same times and who runs "Enlightenment Intensives" in California.

Immediately after meeting Ms. Love, Ms. Lea claims to have given up her own residential treatment center and followed Ms. Love in her practice around New Zealand, Spain, and the western United States. Ms. Love eventually settled in New Orleans with her husband and at least some of her children, where she died a few years ago. Ms. Love usually had street kids living with her wherever she went. Her widower and adopted son both openly use street drugs and it is my understanding that they did so with her knowledge and approval when she was alive.

I don't in any way mean to malign the genuine accomplishments of anyone, but I am curious. I can't find anything about/by either Ms. Love or Ms. Lea in any sort of licensing bureau or scholarly publication. Is it normal for a mental health professional to practice in several different countries (not under the wing of various hospitals or universities) and to move around a lot within the United States? Is it normal to invite the street children you are trying to help to live with you?

A friend of mine with pretty obvious drug and alcohol issues and a history of suicide threats is very involved with these people and, while they seem nice enough, something about them and the whole situation just seems WEIRD.

(I have myself been treated for mental illness--bipolar type II--on an outpatient basis. The doctor was an M.D. in psychiatry and he had an office in one of the state mental hospitals. My treatment was a combination of lithium with subsequent monitoring of that and my symptoms and what seemed to me to be some fairly common-sense psychotherapy--i.e., he talked about certain issues I had with family members and suggested helpful ways of dealing with conflict and depression.)

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Does anyone know anything about a group of New-Agey type people living in the San Diego area and also in Baja California, Mexico? I apologize for not having much information to go on and know that there are a lot of New Age people in that area who are basically harmless so I don't mean to disparage anyone. The only names I have to go on are Sienna Lea, who claims to have been a primal therapist before becoming a "seminar leader" and who wrote a book called Stealing the Moon in which she talks about channeling Queen Nefertitti. The book's "erotic" elements are heavily touted. The book is dedicated to her mentor Aysha Love, whom she calls a "love goddess." Ms. Love was affiliated with the Human Potential Movement and may or may not be related to one Jeremiah Jeff Love, who was in many of the same places at the same times and who runs "Enlightenment Intensives" in California.

infoneeded,
I am not specifically familiar with the group you are seeking information about but after a quick search of the name sienna lea, I'd say you're right about the New-Agey aspect of the group. It seems that sienna lea is a 'bionetic practitioner' which translates into being a naturopath, practices alternative medicine.
From my personal skeptic viewpoint, I'd say that you received the safer and wiser treatment for your diagnosis than your friend. I agree with the 'wierd' description as well. Here are the links to the website
www.siennalea.com
www.siennalea.com/bio.htm
www.siennalea.com/book.htm
Good luck in your search for more concrete info.
You may not find the type of information you are looking for by inquiring at the website itself. I tried finding 'accurate' and objective information about a group once and I'm sure you've heard of them, landmark education, I got nothing but glowing reports, dates and prices on the courses they offer, when I checked at their website...needless to say, I had to look else where for the real information I needed. I notice on the 'sienna lea' site a course being offered for a mere $1000.00... they better be able to do more than channel Queen Neferteri for that kind of $$$!
Even without knowing all the gorie details about this outfit, ask yourself one thing, in regard to the sale of a seminar on how to "rewrite your life", on the website; who, in earthly[b:8fd5435a94] reality[/b:8fd5435a94], gets to rewrite their life??? I've heard of re-interpreting your history or reality, but the outfit offering that skill for a fee of approx. $500.00 is about as wierd as the one you're asking about!
Anyone offering to teach you or your friends how to rewrite, reinterpret, or revise your life without a time machine :roll: :D , is on the take!!

I wouldn't be concerned--I think people have the right to be as weird as they want in their beliefs--except that from the outside, it's pretty obvious that this friend has problems that he's not getting help for, and these people seem to range from being unconcerned to actively discouraging him from doing so.

Being the widower of Aysha Love, I take exception to the tone of this post and question the motivation for writing it. Apparently you know of me, and if you have a question, than ask. Too easily accomplished people (such as Aysha and Sienna) can be smeared by those with a lack of integrity or desire to truly know.

Michael Love

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Too easily accomplished people (such as Aysha and Sienna) can be smeared by those with a lack of integrity or desire to truly know.

TheTruth,
Tell me, how do you define integrity?

Do you find my comments offensive ([i:0c4983b11e]smearing[/i:0c4983b11e]) because I have stated them from the viewpoint and attitude of a skeptic, or simply because I stated them at all?

If you are responding as a grieved widower and feel that someone you loved and lost has been offended, please accept my apologies.

Mr. Love,

I am sorry for the loss of your wife. I did not mean to offend her, you, Ms. Lea, or any of your family, friends, or colleagues. Please accept my apologies. I was concerned about my friend Kevin. He stopped attending his NA meetings and his doctor‘s appointments in July. He left Portland in Septmeber and told his brother he was going to San Diego because he was going to be treated holistically there. We traced him to Mexico in October but after that we could not find him. We found Ms. Lea’s book in his apartment a few weeks ago. His former roommate said that your family are friends of friends of his and that you and your stepson gave a friend of his Ms. Lea’s book and did drugs with them at a party last summer. I am sorry for not verifying the facts before accusing you or your family of doing drugs or being involved in any wrongdoing. Please understand he has been taken advantage of by unscrupulous “doctors” and cults before when he stops taking his medication. Kevin was arrested last week in Miami for vagrancy. We have brought him home and are working with his doctor to get him the kind of help he needs. I was only worried about Kevin’s safety. Please accept the apology of someone who was very frustrated and angry with the system and with people who didn't understand just how sick he was.

Nadine Greene

Dear “Infoneeded”,
The cult you seek information on was active in New Zealand in the 1980s. The leader’s real name was Wendy Wootton. She has also been known as Aysha Love, Aysha Dayshar and Shamar and possibly more pseudonyms.

In the late 1980s there was an investigative report on New Zealand television into the group’s activities, in particular this woman’s dubious “qualifications” as a psychologist, which were researched and found to be non-existent.

As in America, in New Zealand she also had street kids (amongst other vulnerable and impressionable people) living with her. The New Zealand government investigated her use of these children’s Social Welfare benefits.

The group was effectively forced to leave the country after the TV documentary as things were getting too hot for them.

Mental Health practitioners in New Zealand are still dealing with the fallout of Aysha Love’s “Human Potential expertise”. Among her several names for it have been “individuation” (in reality, a term coined by Carl Jung for a life-long process).

In essence the following were used in this process:
sleep deprivation
food deprivation
sensory deprivation

…all of which were used to break down a person’s sense of self, thus giving her control over these people.

There is much more but I will not air it here.

Kiwi,

Please private message me about this. Kevin has been taken advantage of by The Forum, Scientology, and a "doctor" who sexually molested him and this woman's tactics sound very familiar. The problem is that there are very few good places here in America where people suffering from both schizophrenia and substance issues can go (so many end up in jails instead of in hospitals even if they aren't violent at all), and when one conventional treatment doesn't work, the quacks swoop in to take their money or worse.

I looked up Sienna Lea on Google and she has a radio show on the internet. I listened to a program and soon she will be having members of the Love family on the air to promote the publishing of Aysha/Shamar/Wendy's works and writings here in the United States.

Nadine

(Board moderator: My username changed to infoneeded2 because when I tried to switch my email notification from my friend's work email to my new personal email, my account became inactive. It was easier to re-register. My apologies that that's technically against the rules to post under a different username. I'm very new to this computer internet thing.)

infoneeded2:

You will not be able to receive private message through the message board until you have made 10 approved posts.

I have my email turned on now on my profile. Is that OK for Kiwi to contact me through that?