Yes, Jaime Gomez is still alive. According to CNN, he eventually relocated to Hawaii with his devoted following. As of today, he is said to still live there and teach yoga at Lanikai Beach.
How to Become a Cult Leader, Netflix‘s newest docuseries, offers a tongue-in-cheek deep dive into six of the most prominent cults of all time, analyzing the mechanics and identities required to develop and operate a cult. Because, as Netflix contends, “there are harsh lessons to be learned from history’s most malignant manipulators.” Furthermore, each episode focuses on a different cult, ranging from the Manson Family to Peoples Temple, Heaven’s Gate, Aum Shinrikyo, and the Unification Church.
However, episode three, which focuses on the lesser-known Buddhafield cult, which grew to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, captivates viewers the most. In fact, Christopher Johnston, a former Buddhafield member, speaks about his experience in the documentary. The episode focuses heavily on Buddhafield founder and leader Jaime Gomez, who has an interesting past like other cult members.
So, if you are curious to know who is Jaime Gomez, and where is he these days? Is he still alive? Here’s everything you need to know:
Jaime Gomez Is Still Alive: Despite Everything That Has Happened Over the Last Four Decades, It Appears He Leads Buddhafield to This Day!
Yes, Jaime Gomez is still alive and despite everything that has happened over the last four decades, it appears that he continues to lead Buddhafield tday as well. Though he’s supposedly doing so while hiding out in his new Hawaii stronghold, which means the cult is now recruiting members through yoga sessions/studios at Lanikai Beach.
Jaime Gomez is still alive and said to be residing in Hawaii.
Image Source: DNyuz
Jaime Gomez allegedly prospered as Buddhafield’s leader for more than two decades (until 2006) because he was good at maintaining secrets while also getting members tired of one other. According to Netflix’s How to Become a Cult Leader?,
Nobody knew what was going on behind his closed doors [both figuratively and literally]. He even put two doors for his privacy and his protection, and nobody asked why because it was never assumed anything bad was going on.
That is until they all received an e-mail from a former high-ranking community executive accusing Jaime of lying about his past and philosophical training while dodging taxes, emotionally manipulating everyone around him, and being a sexual predator.
According to the Netflix show,’ Jaime pretended to be as celibate as his most committed followers, but the truth is that he had long-term sexual relationships with several of them. Regarding the other allegations, while they have never been substantiated in any way, shape, or form, the majority of his fans left by the end of the year because this cult was not what they had signed up for.
Furthermore, some of his victims have recently come forward to say that the leader frequently utilized AIDS to instill terror in them in order to keep them from calling it quits. However, following the release of Holy Hell, Jaime Gomez previously issued the following statement:
It is heartbreaking to see how history has been rewritten. Holy Hell is not a documentary, rather, it is a work of fiction designed to create drama, fear and persecution; that is what sells. I am saddened by this attempt to obscure the message of universal love and spiritual awakening. It is devastating to see these friends, who were once so filled with love for the world, become so angry. I wish them only the best, and hold each one close to my heart. If any of my actions were a catalyst for their disharmony, I am truly sorry. May all beings find peace, Michel.
More About Jaime Gomez’s Buddhafield!
Jaime Gomez founded the cult Buddhafield, in which he considered himself to be God. According to Austin Monthly, it was started in the 1980s in West Hollywood. In the 1990s, the cult relocated to Austin, Texas, and then to Hawaii in 2007.
Jaime Gomez founded the cult Buddhafield in the 1980s in West Hollywood.
Image Source: Vanity Fair
According to CNN, Jaime Gomez was known to wear a Speedo and eyeliner, and he would take followers on weekend vacations to rivers, mountaintops, and rough beaches to meditate. Likely, he enticed customers by offering salvation through exercises like ‘cleansing’ therapy sessions and meditation.
For example, followers would perform a Shakti practice, which featured a claimed transfer of energy between Gomez and his followers. CNN described it as similar to an LSD trip with flashing lights and a feeling of euphoria. Followers also experienced “The Knowing,” which was when they made intimate contact with God.
However, Buddhafield residents were not permitted to have children or pets. According to reports, women were advised to get abortions if they fell pregnant because they were informed that children and personal enlightenment do not combine. Furthermore, Jaime Gomez also forced his followers to have plastic surgery and adhere to a rigorous diet that excluded sweets, gluten, and alcohol, according to Decider.
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