An Insider’s Perspective from ‘Finding Miracles’
Recently, an old acquaintance and spiritual seeker friend, Andy LeCompte, wrote and published a book, Finding Miracles: Escape from a Cult, which is described as a compelling account of the abuse and trauma experienced during his time in a spiritual community based on the massively popular self-study book A Course in Miracles. It was great to see Andy after many years as he experienced an ordeal that nearly caused him to take his life after he innocently joined the Living Miracles Monastery run by David Hoffmeister and his Messengers of Peace.
During our lunch, I expressed to Andy my admiration for the courage he exhibited in writing his book. It was evident that his work holds significant value in shedding light on the operations of David and his Messengers. For over fifteen years, they’ve constructed an organization centered around disseminating the teachings of A Course in Miracles through various mediums such as online courses, Mystical Mind Training, the Movie Watcher’s Guide to Enlightenment, as well as gatherings and retreats. While these initiatives have undoubtedly assisted many in grasping their interpretation of the Course’s teachings, Andy’s book underscores the possibility of a hidden agenda. Reading the book evoked a range of emotions within me – from sadness to happiness – and prompted numerous relatable reflections.
The Living Miracles Monastery: An Insider’s Experience
In 2009, I lived at the Living Miracles Monastery when David and “Sophia” from Andy’s book tried much of the same manipulation and twisting of the Course meaning mentioned in the book on me and others after being invited to leave my life and business behind to volunteer as a maintenance man and builder for the Monastery. My time only lasted three months from October to December 2009. The mind training was very much the same as Andy describes in his book, only I wasn’t as taken in by this.
Having just spent 10 days on retreat with David, the Messengers, and about 30 other people from around the world, I was eager and inspired to live on the property under the leadership and guidance of such a revered and brilliant teacher, David Hoffmeister. This was exactly what I needed in my life at 55 years old. I was ready to leave my old life behind and begin a new chapter. I had just left my marriage and now my business and all connections that tied me to my old identity. This wasn’t something David needed to talk me into. I was ready, and yet I was still a bit confused by the language in the Course at the time although had some level of understanding when I arrived.
During my stay there, when I began hearing and watching the way David and the Messengers for Peace use the Course teaching in a different way with new Course students, widows and seekers starving for truth and clarity in a way that seemed like teaching the Course out of context, I began to have a heightened alertness and started sharing this new teaching with my friends by email correspondence.
Financial Deception and Emotional Toll
In my own case, the agreement with Living Miracles was room and board in exchange for work and skills in building and building maintenance. After driving 1500 miles, arriving with everything I owned within a week, Sophia asked me how I felt about paying $450 per month as some of their other residents did to pay for rent and groceries. I refused to pay the money, told them it wasn’t right, that it felt dishonest (almost like a bait and switch), and for a while they said okay. Then Sophia found out I was communicating all that was happening with my girlfriend and another well-known teacher at the time, and I was told that I should break that contact with my friends. I also refused that instruction, which didn’t go over very well either.
Added to this was the introduction of this ridiculous misinterpretation for the context and use of the Course in T-15.IV.7 called “NO PRIVATE THOUGHTS” and “NO PEOPLE PLEASING.” David refers to this as the Living Miracles community guidelines. This is primarily coupled with daily group sessions where you tell the group and leadership any private thoughts you may be having so it can be cleared and you’re not harboring energy that will bring the group into unwanted egoic energy. This is entirely made up as a control mechanism for the volunteers and those who are targets with the “burden” of money, often a life savings or sale of a house. Andy shared that they’ll sometimes spend years working a target out of their money as they did him.
During my stay there, I talked with a frightened woman that had given her life savings to Living Miracles who was worried about being kicked out. And as recent as 5 years from this writing, someone else I know who wishes to remain anonymous was promised that they too could live there for the rest of their lives only to see later that they were asked to leave like I was or left while their money remained in the Living Miracles Utah assets.
Warnings and Experiences: Recent Reports
In more recent reports, I’ve seen several others posting on Facebook warnings about David’s community in Chapala Ajijic, Mexico, who after leaving their life in the US reported cult-like conditions and were compelled to leave after a very short period. Another friend from Canada last week said, “My friend recently got entangled with this group when she was in Mexico and her intuition guided her away within a couple days. She experienced a “bait-and-switch” scenario and a crazy cult-like atmosphere.” Another friend sent me an email last week and said, “I had extended conversations with a woman who went down to Hoffmeister’s place in Mexico and had a horrible experience. She described the scene as very cult-like and literally dangerous if one were to have a medical emergency.”
Yes, I’m encouraged to see this come to light in Andy’s book so other innocent truth seekers are better informed and maybe as a result David and the Messengers will be compelled to stop taking people’s money in the name of ACIM and seemingly unburdening them from attachments. I’m also very happy to know that Andy got all his $236,000 back upon his request as most people did not. It’s fortunate for David that Andy didn’t also seek damages. I wouldn’t be surprised if a pro bono lawyer took up a case with the other 10 people from around the world, several reporting close to $1,000,000 who felt mistreated and were emotionally upset. Many of these individuals have contacted Andy since the book was released and several would like to get their money back.
I feel for all of you reading this who follow the Course and love David for his wonderful teachings on the Course all these years which can be and has been brilliant only to find out he and his messengers have been deceiving and manipulating people out of their money for nearly two decades. I’m also aware that many great teachers and Course organizations who collaborated with David in good faith were unaware of the extent of the abuse and covert agenda.
The Larger Context: Distortion of Spiritual Teachings
The distortion of spiritual and religious teachings is certainly not exclusive to this particular circumstance with A Course in Miracles. Recently I read in Adyashanti’s latest 30-Day Wake Up Challenge where he mentions that his teachings have been misinterpreted and abused by teachers and telling his audience to be alert that these teachings can be abused. And as we well know, the message from Jesus in the bible has been distorted and used in cult-like ways for thousands of years by multiple religious groups with millions of members. I’m sad, though, that Andy felt he needed to throw the baby out with the bathwater with A Course in Miracles to find healing.
A Course in Miracles is a profound teaching which has its shortcomings (in my opinion, mostly by its publishers) but is very successful in progressively guiding people to a sustained experience of inner peace, well-being and sometimes true awakening. I get it, it makes sense that Andy may need to walk away from the Course for a time or forever. There are many paths to awakening in many traditions, and I’m certain he’ll find the one best suited for him.
The unfortunate experiences recounted, including those of Andy and myself, serve as poignant reminders of the potential for distortion when spiritual teachings are wielded for personal gain. Yet, these instances should not overshadow the transformative potential that A Course in Miracles offers for genuine seekers of truth. It challenges us to discern the spirit of the teachings amidst the human flaws in its application, to find within its pages a guide towards inner peace and unity with all creation.
Conclusion: Gratitude and Responsibility
Andy, thank you for the courage to write Finding Miracles. I hope that the book will help people to avoid the circumstances we sometimes fall into in our search for spiritual answers and peace of mind.
All my love and gratitude, and please don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
On a Personal Note: There was a fair amount of trepidation and concerns for writing and publishing this blog including what people would think of me and somehow connecting my own reputation with the poor judgment and leadership demonstrated by David Hoffmeister and his messengers. To me, the world needs to know about this. And most especially spiritual seekers who are perhaps vulnerable in their enthusiasm to learn and connect with teachers and a community. We have a responsibility to speak up. After sending the unpublished blog you’re reading to 15 or so very well-known Course teachers and authors and receiving letters ranging from caution with regard to negative pushback or “the code” that one teacher doesn’t talk about another teacher to appreciation and gratitude for the courage of writing it, in the end I trusted my conscience.
A first draft blog was sent to David Hoffmeister and several active email addresses for the Living Miracles organization receiving no response.
Bill Free
Bill Free’s views are based on his personal experiences and perspective from reading Finding Miracles and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the organizations Bill is affiliated with below:
Center For Awakening – Cofounder
Pure Presence Conferences – Founder
Awakening Mind Films – Cofounder
Association of Spiritual Integrity – Member
All spiritual teachers are accountable for their words and actions. Abiding by a code of ethics protects all of us; ask your spiritual teacher to sign up to a code. If they don’t know where to begin, direct them to the ASI.
