PODCAST: THE GATEWAY

PODCAST: THE GATEWAY

Teal Swan is an internet spiritual guru who produces hypnotic self-help YouTube videos aimed at people who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Many of her videos share unorthodox messages about mental health with her hundreds of thousands of fans who follow her on Facebook and Instagram, and in person.

This podcast investigates Teal and asks the question as to whether her methods are dangerous and could cause serious harm, or helpful services for those who need them.

MY VERDICT: This isn’t the kind of thing I would normally listen to, and I happened upon it purely by chance – I mostly listen to true crime podcasts and this was a little different, although there is an investigative element to it.

I’m not going to give anything away so I’ll talk very little of the details uncovered, other to say that you find out fascinating things and it twists and turns in directions you just wouldn’t expect.

I find Teal Swan to be equal parts annoying and remarkable, her tone of voice is sometimes obnoxious and she has an answer for everything (but she should because she’s selling herself as a guru), but you have to admire her for the following she has created, if only from a business and marketing point of view.

There are, despite the investigation, no clear answers and no satisfying ending to this podcast but it poses some very interesting questions, especially as to what some of the most vulnerable people on this planet need. I recommend this podcast, it’s enthralling and opens up a debate on gurus, memories, spiritualism, YouTube and suicide.

Find information here: https://gizmodo.com/weve-launched-an-investigative-podcast-about-a-controve-1826416613

FILM 1552: TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU

TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU, a feature documentary film about internationally renowned life and business strategist Tony Robbins, is a revelatory cinéma vérité film that goes behind the scenes of his mammoth seminar "Date With Destiny," attended by over 2,500 people in Boca Raton, Florida, each year, to give an insider look at how one man can affect millions. Granted never before seen access to the behind the scenes modus operandi of this enormous event, this film captures both the immense effort of producing this live seminar, as well as the life-changing transformations of the participants in real time. Embedding with Tony Robbins and his team over the course of six days, Academy Award nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger turns an unflinching eye on Tony Robbins' powerful and uncompromising approach to achieving success, ensuring the attendees leave "Date With Destiny" with new perspective on the forces, thoughts, and feelings that motivate their behavior and help them take control of their lives. Pulling back the curtain on Tony Robbins, a man that traverses the globe and counsels over 200,000 people annually, including world leaders, pundits, entrepreneurs, CEOs, athletes and celebrities, through interviews and unprecedented access, TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU is an emotional tour de force that unveils the inner-workings of this mega event, the zealous participants and the man himself.

-     Written by anonymous (IMDB)

TRIVIA ON TONY ROBBINS:

Birth name: Anthony J. Mahavorick

Writer and motivational speaker.

As a child, he aspired to become a sports reporter.

Is a vegetarian.

He was one of the aliens being observed in Men in Black (1997).

Was elected student body president of Glendora High School for the 1977-1978 school year. Served half his term before leaving school midway through his senior year.

Grandson of Charles Shows, writer for cartoons such as The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958).

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year at $30 million.