The Ishayas' Ascension / The Bright Path
Special Guest: Carolyn Millemon
Carolyn discovered The Ishayas' Ascension in 1997 and became a teacher in 1999. She then taught the techniques all over the world for the next ten years with her husband Chad. In 2009 they decided to leave the organisation currently known as The Bright Path after seeing their leader abuse his position of power which was incongruent with their values. They had their beautiful daughter Zoe in 2015 and dedicate their lives to making hers as fun as possible.
EPISODE DETAILS
Written and Hosted by Sarah Steel
Music by Joe Gould
Edited and Mixed by Matt Brazel
March 15th, 2023
1 hr 16 mins 42 secs
Season 5
Season 5 presenting partner:
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Carolyn Millemon learned about a form of meditation called ‘Ascending’ at a weekend workshop in Western Australia when she was 21. The technique supposedly came from an ancient order of monks in the Himalayas known as The Ishayas. A couple of years later, in North Carolina, she decided to dedicate her life to the teachings. But a decade on, some of the behaviours of her own teachers weren’t sitting well with her. Looking back, she sees that the organisation she’d become enmeshed with was a cult.
EPISODE LINKS
MSI and the Ishayas — posts by user ‘scribe’ archived from now defunct FACTNet forum, late 2004 to early 2005
The Ishaya’s Ascension — by MSI, Sedona Journal, May 1997
First Thunder: An Adventure of Discovery — by MSI, 1996
Group Claims TM Movement is a Cult — by Phil McCombs, The Washington Post, 2 July 1987
Para — by R. Vaughn Abrams, Seven Suns Publications, 1986, The University of Sydney Rare Books & Special Collections listing
Sedona Journal of Emergence — About page, visited February 2023
Biodome Drive property — on Google Earth, accessed March 2023
The Society for Ascension — North Carolina Secretary of State listing, accessed March 2023
The Bright Path Ishayas + Maharishi Krishnananda — Cult Education Institute forum, includes post by user ‘FlatEarthRound’ which shares an email circulated to teachers in 2008, posted 19 July 2020
the bright path — Cult Education Institute forum posts from 2009
Ishayas - their connection with TM?? — Cult Education Institute forum posts from 2005
The Bright Path — official website
Offshoot groups which may or may not be problematic: The Ishaya Foundation, Ascension (Ishtar), The Ishayas’ Ascension, The Ishayas’ Ascension (yes, these do appear to be different),
The Lineage — page on The Ishayas’ Ascension website, accessed March 2023
First Sphere Ascension Weekend Course, Warrandyte, Vic — event listing for 24 March 2023
TIF Publishing Co. — publishing arm of The Ishaya Foundation