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| Brian Flynn, from YouTube |
"Tracey Ash" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, August 19, 2013:
I have never been a member of the Fellowship of Friends. For twenty years exploring spirituality, I have never encountered a cult, so it was alien to my spirituality experiences when the Fellowship took an interest in me and especially in my spiritual work. This cult interest – I only discovered in July 2013. Here is the story.
In July 2011, I was with clients, on a crop circle field visit to a tiny village near Alton Barnes, in the UK. That day I was working with my friend, a Brazilian crop circle investigator and a group of clients from London. We were working with transformation and meditation at the site. It was midday, there were rain storms, so the site was ours. As we moved into our final crop circle, we noticed a woman watching us. Wiltshire is ‘super-safe’ – our spiritual community ‘super-friendly’ in that area. Crop circles, the serpent temples of Avebury and Stonehenge, Glastonbury, all attract spiritual explorers, so conversations are spontaneous. It was a very easy setting for Lynne Sanders (of the Fellowship of Friends) to make contact without any suspicion.
We spoke in depth about my work and Sanders promised to introduce me to someone in Luxor, who would simply be a spiritual contact to add to my network. (I have friends and contacts worldwide, so such a suggestion is not unusual.) Sanders handed out her business cards to the group and invited us to visit her French restaurant in Crouch End, London. Subsequently, Lynne put me in contact with Brian Flynn from Northumberland, UK. (I would later learn that she is very close to Brian Flynn, also a Fellowship of Friends member, and that they are working together, developing the cult’s international operations.)
A bald, tiny-framed man, I became great friends with Brian. (He may also use the name Mohammad. He dresses in galabaya – traditional Sufi robes – yes he does think he is Gurdjieff!) Brian’s house is in Ramla, West Bank, Luxor. I visit Egypt with clients up to four times a year, and eventually his house became a social base for my Egypt Tour visits, with my clients in the hotel only minutes away.
By Summer 2012, Flynn and I had become good friends. At least, I saw him as a close friend. We spoke little of our pasts. This is a cult technique. Here is some history. Flynn spoke of changing his name from Christopher, claimed he is a Sufi shayek and recognised as a holy man in Luxor by the community. He also claimed we would heal each other. We were in regular contact over many months and when my groups visited Luxor, Brian and Sayed, his Egyptian cleaner/assistant, created evening events at his home or organised day trips including meditations to help give me some time during my tours. (I can be very busy organising activities and clients). I thought nothing of Flynn’s offers as this is exactly what a spiritual community does – we offer each other help. This is where blind spots are fully exploited by Flynn, whether in the massive energy of meditation and transformation at sacred site visits or in post-Tour activities. The group feels safe, has to feel safe, so fear is dissolved. It is a perfect opportunity for cult members like Flynn to prey upon unsuspecting individuals and utilize meditation to dangerously manipulate and control. Flynn’s sick cult brainwashing is then potentially passed on to unsuspecting and innocent victims.
Even I was mesmerised and open to Flynn’s twisted hypnotherapy approaches which entranced those around him – so easy when a group has been working all day at sacred monuments! As I look back, there was of course his story-telling which is almost mono-tone and mono-time epic story-telling, which plants hypno-suggestions and hypno-control. He uses story-telling, ancient Egyptian archetypal epics and the visual – his paintings. Simple but effective, these are really visualisation and journeying techniques for hypnosis. Some of the group displayed the signs of being ‘spaced out’. At the time, I put this down to intense processing. All the time Brian, operated inside my group and when he joined my Tour in Cairo, he could work on me during energy experiences in pyramids at Giza, Abu-sir or Old Cairo mosques. This was a very easy opportunity for Flynn.
From 2012, our friendship was platonic. I had assumed that Brian and Sayed were gay lovers living an unlawful, secluded life in Luxor. Brian claimed this man as his son. Sadly, in 2012, Sayed met one of my clients, Lucy, and she is now married to him and living in Luxor. Flynn (funded by The Fellowship) paid for the construction of their house. Lucy and Sayed have no money and are now trapped in the cult’s web and dependent upon Flynn. Lucy is entirely unaware. I am uncertain as to Sayed’s fullest involvement. However, at the same time Sayed was introduced to Lucy, Sayed’s cousin was introduced to another client, a wealthy Japanese woman, and they too will be married. All the time, Flynn is central to this group of clients. Of course, he is trusted by the group because I was their spiritual guide and teacher, and I demonstrated trust in Brian.
I ONLY BECAME AWARE OF FLYNN’S CONNECTION WITH THE CULT WHEN I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE IN JULY 2013- POST-RELATIONSHIP. I started to research Robert Burton and the cult websites through the references Lynne Sanders and Alisanne Frew gave me: The Fourth Way, California and Robert. It all started to fall into place. I assumed Flynn was an ex-member who was too embarrassed to speak, THEN I found his videos on http://www.livingpresence.com. Please be aware that in two years of knowing Flynn he did not disclose his association with the Fellowship to me or to any of my clients. No one in Luxor was aware of his cult connections. I have spoken to Luxor residents and all are appalled but not particularly surprised as he is reclusive and secretive.
At first, and during two years of ‘close’ and ‘groomed’ friendship, I was absolutely unaware of Brian’s connections with The Fellowship of Friends, and that he is an avid recruiter for the cult. He has been previously based in Holland, Naples, UK, China and California. He is also an artist (largely unsuccessful, save for his commissions from the Fellowship and its members.) Brian is penetrating Egyptian West Bank life and living a lie as a Muslim and Sufi whilst recruiting for the Fellowship of Friends. He is learning Arabic, attending mosque as a converted Muslim. His altar holds the Koran and Bible side by side. Avidly, he uses quotes from both. He references Iben Arabi and Rumi Sufi quotes. This is all part of his evil pretence. He travels to sacred monuments and of course targets individuals, groups, and centres that have the essential network of possible recruits. I am aware that the Hotel of Horus, Abydos is targeted under his guise as super-dedicated amateur Egyptologist and artist depicting the culture of modern and ancient Egypt. This link comes from his Sufi connections and his interest in a particular wealthy German patron who is involved in creating a five star hotel. Flynn visited her in Germany during his summer 2013 European tour linking with a prospective German museum which refused his art works as an exhibition alongside Egyptian artefacts. Flynn is working very hard to forge links outside the cult. I am aware that he visited and exhibited in Naples, Italy in May 2013 speaking about spirituality and art. He constantly films videos for Ark in Time and the Fellowship of Friends at sites and museums all around Egypt and Europe through his Fellowship-funded European Tours that also serve to reconnect him with cult members, but also through the new ‘unaware’ network he is creating via Egypt. I am aware that John Anthony West – who continues Schwaller de Lubicz’s work and research has been targeted in Luxor by Flynn who visited him and joined part of his tour. Much of Flynn’s sacred art dialogue in his films is lifted from Schwaller de Lubicz’s ‘Sacred Science.’ Please be aware that Flynn will go to all lengths to assure you and your approach is exactly what he has been searching for. He will criticise every Egypt expert to distract you from his lack of knowledge. How can he be knowledgeable of Ancient Egypt when he spends all his time on cult recruitment projects and prospective cult membership? Knitwear designer Kafe Fassett has been in contact with Flynn via Flynn’s designer friend Amy Butler. I met both during Christmas 2012 whilst the group was visiting Luxor and travelling with Flynn to Cairo.
Flynn is attempting to exhibit his art at museums, and is targeting Egyptian collections in Europe. If you check his site, the ‘Duat’ series is available for educational programmes. This is his warped vision. Be aware if you are a meditation teacher: he will approach you to provide meditation or healing experiences with his work in order to access your network or will propose working off the major sites – in special Sufi tombs or minor monuments, which of course are not significant. Another of Flynn’s approaches – you will be offered the cult house in Ramla, West Bank, Luxor to run all your programmes from. This I declined. I have viewed Alisanne Frew’s postings on Egyptologists’ website [ed. - http://thesiriusproject-sp.blogspot.jp/2012/03/magical-gems-in-their-contexts.html?m=1 is a dead link] inviting Luxor-based professionals to run workshops from the same cult house in Ramla, Luxor. Google Alisanne Frew to access the posting. Both Frew and Flynn work with the same approaches. Again, I uncovered this when I started researching the individuals I had encountered.
In May 2013, Brian visited me and my classes in London. He was very keen to connect with my clients outside of Tours. This immediately made me suspicious. He will often speak about his background in theatre design, which again is not a professional one in recognised theatres but in the Fellowship’s theatre at their Oregon House, California headquarters. This again I discovered only in July 2013 post-relationship, after all ties were cut. There he lived for twenty years, inseparable and wholly dependent upon Burton. Flynn is clearly without gift. For individuals without potential and money, the Fellowship becomes intellectual and creative prostitution. He goes to all lengths to entice followers with the same formulae as the cult’s non-professional ballet and opera. His illustrations are quite nice but there is no cohesive artistic vision – as each piece is usually designed with an ulterior motive – to attract another cult member. It is phoney – the motive is to control those he feels he needs (or is ordered) to prey upon, whether it is the local Sufi community or anyone else, as a prospective member. There is always an ulterior motive beyond what he paints - do not be flattered or view this as some sort of synchronicity or sign of alignment. It is staged. He will target you only as a prospective member. He is a sick sociopath emulating Burton on every level.
On Valentine’s Day 2013, he sent an image of one of his paintings. I thought nothing of it as our relationship was platonic. In April 2013, Brian Flynn was by now a very close friend, with regular Skype sessions, even from Fellowship headquarters in California during his regular August visits. (I was completely unaware at the time that every facet, encounter, activity of our friendship, even his engagement proposal at St. Paul’s London, was all carefully planned, executed and staged not only by Brian Flynn, but by Lynne Sanders, Alisanne Frew, Edith Minne and others I may not be aware of.) I was still not aware of his connections with the cult. This is what I can disclose regarding his methods. The approach is to mirror exactly all likes and dislikes of the intended recruit. In his words, “we were friends because we like exactly the same things.” Flynn became fully accepted as a friend and also a freelance teacher for future trips in Cairo. He positioned himself as confidante and organiser to support me in Egypt – gradually attempting more control of my work and groups. From the initial meeting, my ex-partner hated Flynn and expressed immediate concerns about his associations with a cult but this advice would not stand between Flynn and myself. Our worlds were the same in Ancient Egypt. How wrong I was! Flynn’s cult techniques were in part much to blame for the breakdown of my relationship. My ex-partner has been an outstanding support for me as he was clear about Flynn from the outset. Without doubt he is using innocent western fascination in Sufism to target individuals. Flynn would organize super-expensive Zikr Sufi evenings. Be aware of his activities – it will appear he is offering you a special entry to Egyptian life. This may also include entry to eat with Sayed’s family in Habu coinciding with Zikr gathering – of course happily because of payment. Any Sufi will do this for you.
In April 2013 – after working together on a Tour in Cairo, we began a relationship. It was unexpected as there was no attraction. It tied in with the start of the other relationships I have described above, so I see the ‘relationship’ being staged and used as a catalyst for Flynn’s ‘little community’. Of course, I am concerned these women are highly and hugely vulnerable, in their late thirties and desperately lonely. Flynn used his concern that ‘Egypt is full of sharks’ to create a safe base for the women - protection from the local Egyptian men.
In May 2013, Brian proposed to me in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. This is the length the cult will go to access an organisation’s clients and a prospective flow of potential members. We were now talking about his joining me and my international work in Japan, London, Greece, Italy, Egypt. Often planning for him to join me in seminars and lectures at large festivals of hundreds and sometimes thousands of potential clients. All of our conversations turned to plans for working together and using the house in Luxor as a base. This is what is very alarming! I even introduced him to one of my oldest teachers. A psychotherapist connected to one of the oldest spiritual organisations in London, she also was enchanted by Flynn. Flynn was aware of this and really wanted an entrance for the cult to the College of Psychic Studies, London. I have made this organisation aware. It is an organisation I have a long association with so my information will be taken seriously.
Some of my clients are wealthy. Brian Flynn assumed I am very wealthy too. He was also aware my ex-husband worked in Oil. Be aware this cult will target you if you have a large, successful clientele and spirituality business – they are also targeting any and all spiritual and meditation groups worldwide – in my experience from Fellowship Directors Lynne Sanders - she was travelling in Europe to France and Turkey, and in London targeting healing training organisations. She expressed interest in the College of Psychic Studies, London, Crystal Healing training, Eckhart Tolle for example - all I have immediately contacted and made aware. My business associations with large organisations in the UK and abroad is long and so all organisations have been informed of the Fellowship’s activities.
Indeed, Brian’s home is owned by the cult or cult’s members. It’s design even includes hearts, spades and diamonds in the window bars. I innocently commented upon this. Names mentioned were Edith Minne based in California, Lynne Sanders and Andrew based in the cult house Crouch End, London. Alisanne Frew moved to Paris in 2013 to direct Fellowship operations in Paris. She also works with antiques for the Fellowship. I met her personally - she attends so many new age training seminars and programmes – she lacks any charisma so must be unsuccessful in recruitment. She is in her late fifties – a man-sized six feet tall. I graciously thank her as, if it were not for her incessant talking and gossiping during Flynn’s cancer scare, I would not have been aware of the cult’s two-year grooming plan, Robert Burton and Flynn’s 1000 friends worldwide. Even with her – her Chanel handbag mirrored one of mine. Everything is executed to detail. It can leave you in a daze of confusion. For me – it did not last long.
In early June, I visited Brian in Luxor. It was a total transformation. He was aggressive and controlling. There was a dark, evil side. There were many techniques to control me over the visit – we did not go out much, we meditated, he criticised my meditation and healing approaches, my friendships and all conversations around my friends were closed down – all of course classic cult techniques. Cunning and devious Brian exposed himself little by little. This is not how spiritual individuals behave, which is why I began to suspect even though I was also becoming emotional and disorientated. This is not who I am.
Six days after my departure, Flynn was rushed into hospital with fever and prostate issues. He had an emergency operation and the word got out that he may have prostate cancer. Tests followed. At this exact moment, I was contacted by Alisanne Frew with a message from Robert Burton: “The Fellowship will pay to fly Brian anywhere for the best surgery.” Lynne Sanders came forward and explained she had a room ready for him for treatment in the UK. Alisanne Frew Skyped me regularly. She had contracted with me to have a reading before moving to Paris. We had made plans to meet when she travelled through London to Paris. She stayed with Lynn Sanders at the cult house in Crouch End. I was now being manipulated by other cult members. I spoke with Flynn about these people: who were they? I began to ask all the right questions that started to expose the cult. Flynn immediately ended the relationship, not of course without all conclusions that all was my fault. All connections with friends in Luxor connected with him started to deteriorate.
I am immensely fortunate that all unfolded in this way. Alisanne Frew disclosed Flynn’s 20 year close association with Robert Burton, and that he served as Burton’s secretary. I kept in contact with Brian, and when I asked if I required AIDS testing, he sent the most incredible religious texts on evil (of course, another cult technique.) His evil is his own, and his last desperate act had/has no affect. [ed. - In this photo on the Fellowship's website, Burton is seen holding Flynn's arm.]
In the summer of 2013, I met Lynne Sanders for tea in central London and learned that she uses her Crouch End restaurant for Fellowship of Friends meetings. During our conversation, she stated that her teacher Robert Burton is ‘like a being from another world.’ I recall her lack of personal power and charisma and registering that I would not want this teacher. She is an individual in need of deep healing. She has been associated with Burton for over two decades, and I sensed in her NO AWAKENING at all! (In Lynne, and in the other Fellowship members I encountered, I noticed the same lack of vibrancy, joy, and sparkle that authentic spiritual seeking and meditation brings). In that meeting she mentioned connecting with one of my colleagues - she was already researching College of Psychic Studies, London in May 2013.
As I now look back, I see the events that occurred were coldly calculated in detailed planning by directors of the Fellowship of Friends, including Lynne, the cult’s director of operations in the UK and London. I was being groomed for the cult simply because of my international clientele. I was intensively researched for every aspect of my life and work to be mirrored so that Flynn could attach himself to my life and work. Be aware that channel Esther Hicks’ Abraham quotes are also used by both Frew and Flynn. I expect this USA organisation is also targeted.
It is now August 2013. Even this week, Flynn still attempted to e-mail me, to involve me. Even exposing this cult did not prevent him from contacting me, and now my ex-partner has dealt with Flynn. I have involved the Egyptian authorities and all organisations I am close to, providing the names of all those cult members I am aware of. Please do your own research on Brian Flynn (http://www.bflynn.net). He is a leading member of the “Ark in Time” network, the Fellowship’s team of directors who are creating an international network for this out-of-date, out-of-reality cult. Brian Flynn is insane. His failed, two-year cult operation even included having heterosexual sex, against his homosexuality. This is the twisted lengths the cult will go to. See his Fellowship films on http://www.livingpresence.com. Click on the “videos” link and hear the voice. He is a master of story-telling and hypnotherapy, but underneath is a very frightened little man who is not free. He is now also using music hypno-techniques in his films for further hypnotherapy. I am aware that he is working with a Fellowship member who is a composer. I will research this link and forward the individual at a later date.
My other great concern is Brian’s connection to male-dominated Sufi society and the poor West Bank community. He is infiltrating society and I only hope he’s not pursuing young men for the cult. It would of course be easy here, as the Egyptians are desperate for money and a life beyond the agricultural West Bank and dying tourism in Egypt. Here it is very easy for him to hide his two lives and, because of the language and cultural differences, not be discovered.
Please be aware of how the Fellowship’s international operations are working into specific interest areas of spirituality. To facilitate travel and networking in those areas where key Fellowship members are assigned, local sacred traditions and history are well-researched. Brian Flynn has led Tours in China, Egypt, and Italy, and I understand there are other cult directors in Japan working with Shinto – this predates Buddhism. Now Flynn is permanently based in Luxor, and this is a dangerous element of the cult’s activities, as he is using ancient archaeological and sacred knowledge interest and networks to manipulate potential followers. Every email he sent did not have a history so I would not be able to expose him. This was also a cult technique to create confusion as the methodology is to draw an individual closely in, then totally reject them. This is clearly documented through my record of his separate emails. I retain a record of all emails for business purposes.
The Fellowship of Friends cult is only about money. It is definitely not about love, nor spirituality, nor healing, nor a better world. Do not get involved or near any Fellowship activities. They play a dangerous game. Their inspiration is certainly Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts. THIS IS NOT SPIRITUALITY.
I am recovered. I am working. All is not destroyed. My friends are great pillars of truth. I am not wired to allow cult programming, and instead will use this experience to encourage others to take action against any and all organisations that have only human suffering and limitation as their vision.
I have taken the steps to make this story public knowledge, to inform my worldwide network of clients, and to alert other organisations. The only way to tackle this is to speak and share the truth. As we live in times when truths are being revealed in every corrupt system and organization worldwide, the Fellowship of Friends can no longer hide it’s malevolent vision of abuse. Key recruitment directors must now be fully exposed. These methods belong to outdated paradigms that absolutely fail to serve humanity and those Fellowship members who may be innocent and totally unaware. It is the scale and length of planning of the sociopathic directors of the Ark and Fellowship – of Flynn, Frew, Sanders – that is alarming. A potential feeding frenzy for social misfits to create misery over an international operation covering Egypt, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Turkey, Spain – these are the locations the three above members travelled to and covered in their activities. The members will tell the story of leaving the USA to create a new life alone (in the country selected for operations) – Frew and Flynn. Sanders openly spoke about Fourth Way, though not the Fellowship. You may assume that those you meet are ex-members but when you dig further, their sickening activities and association are exposed. All of the Fellowship members I met are mentally ill, but Flynn is by far the most dangerous, deluded and will go to any lengths. I wonder what the Muslim community in Luxor would feel about his activities and associations with Cult, Bible, Koran and homosexuality…now that would be a very interesting…
Everyone Flynn is networking with is being duped.
There is an added FOF connection with Facebook Page "Music of the Spheres" (https://www.facebook.com/ultranaturalhealing) [ed. - Link is dead] - Vlad Kul who is working with Flynn’s videos. He composes with frequencies and astrological alignments. I expect like Flynn developing meditation and transformation technologies applied to manipulate and control which is dangerously deluded and detrimental to health and spiritual well-being. I was sent links with this composer via Flynn.
[ed. - This January 2020 update was posted on Facebook:]
#AshrafEzzat is currently filming a new documentary about Brian Flynn. An extraordinary character. A painter, born in England, drifted around for many years until he came to Egypt. That’s where he found his lost soul. We are revealing many aspects of his rich/productive life experience after he came to Egypt and became permanently established in Luxor for almost the last 20 years. In the documentary you will get to meet #BrianFlynn; the man, the painter and most of all the Egyptian Sufi. Photo is taken at the amazing "Sultan Hassan Mosque" in Ancient Cairo.
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| Brian Flynn at the Sultan Hassan Mosque |
"Cult Survivor" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, April 4, 2020:
I know Brian Flynn very well from my time in the FOF (I even have one of his paintings stored somewhere in my garage — he is a mediocre painter at best) and I can assure you that the aim of the “affair” (he is openly gay) he had with the woman that posted a lot of negative stuff here and the new “film” about him is not to attract members to the FOF (as some people here that don’t know him think) — it’s all a huge ego trip.
Just watch the “trailer” and see it’s all about him, not the FOF or “awakening.”
"Cult Survivor" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, April 4, 2020:
14. Insider (quoted in italics)
Is it possible that Brian’s Sufi act and mystic shtick is nothing more than a front to sell his paintings to naive “spiritual seekers?”Nobody buys Brian’s paintings — they are mediocre at best as I said before. The aim of the Sufi act is for him to get his ego massage.
Btw, Brian’s outdoor lectures surrounded by these admirers reminds me a lot of similar scenes featuring Asaf.You are spot on — Brian and Asaf are both by-products of the FOF and are basically Burton’s copycats.And what about his original backers? Do you know if they are still in the picture? I’m thinking of Lynne from London (with the restaurant) who, purportedly, bought the house Brian lives in on the West Bank; Alisanne F; and Edith M. They were all involved in the Tracey Ash episode linked to in post #12 above.We all know that the FOF generates a huge amount of vanity in its members (we are so refined, we are the chosen ones, the FOF is the only conscious school on Earth, etc.) and that produces small groups of “friends” like the one above (artistic Brian, merchant Alisanne, entrepreneur Edith and restaurateur Lynne) that stick together to feed each other’s vanity. Tracey Ash got caught in this web of vanity — also because of her vanity — and got mad when Brian ditched her. Her theory that they were all plotting to get her into the FOF is pure imagination. She was used and discarded, not by the FOF but by Brian & Co.
