As a recent former student of Chris Mitchell's (a.k.a. Chrism) I think it's really important that this forum site be updated so that people know the behavior towards students that people talk about in the earlier posts still goes on. I know how humiliating and confusing it is to recognize you've let yourself be controlled and hurt by a teacher like this. It's really hard to come forward with the truth when you feel like such an idiot when you finally see how you've been manipulated, and lied to. Chris Mitchell is very reactive to anything that resembles criticism of his teachings and doesn't allow any disagreement in his groups on social media, so you feel like you're totally alone with this. There is a constant turnover of people who once seemed supportive and posted regularly in his groups, but suddenly disappear without a word. He also has several secret groups on social media where he will rally private students to his defense against any kind of criticism or questioning. People who express concerns over his teachings or methods are never given clear and rational responses, rather they are silenced and removed. I've seen him accuse people who don't agree with him of being possessed by evil spirits, so that you are afraid to approach them and think there is something wrong with them. He makes it seem like he's always being attacked and betrayed by people who want his power but are not willing to work for it, or they are possessed by dark spirits, or they are jealous, or they don't understand how "divinely inspired" his teaching methods are. If people disagree with him or feel hurt or confused by something he's said or done, it is always their problem, and he refuses to take responsibility for the impact that his words and actions have on others.
So if it's hard for me to say something about my negative experiences as his student, I know there are many others out there who also have a similar story to tell but find it too painful to talk, or maybe they don't know where to go to warn others of the danger here, or maybe they're afraid of getting hurt even more because of the vindictive behavior they have witnessed or experienced directly.
Everything described in the above posts is almost identical to my own experience and to the experiences told to my by other recent former students of Chris Mitchell's/ Chrism. It's 6 years later and nothing has changed.
If you read all of the things we are saying, and think you can handle it and that it's no big deal, please understand that he has had many years honing his skills as a predator and manipulator, and you are up against an opponent who doesn't have your best interests at heart. You may get caught up in the excitement at first, but eventually it's going to hurt very much. You're going to see things you wish you never had to see, you're going to have all your buttons pushed but it will be to control you and not to help you grow (like you're told it will), and you're going to hear things that shock and disgust you because they are not at all what you would expect from someone in a respected position of authority.
If you have to work hard at making sense of what's being taught or asked of you, and need to make up excuses or rationalizations to put the teacher in a better light, then something is very wrong. Trust your instincts and intuition, if something doesn't feel right, or you're being asked to compromise your values and what's important to you because this is supposed to be good for your growth, think twice before you do something like that as this is how a manipulative teacher will try to control you through disorientation and shame. This is not the road to enlightenment, it is the strategy of someone who wants to control you for their own selfish purposes. I have experienced this first hand, and it has taken a long time to heal.
Here are some of the things that I have learned the hard way from my time with this teacher. There is nothing a teacher like this can give you that you can't find from within yourself and by connecting with other decent people who also have similar mystical or Kundalini experiences. A legitimate teacher will never demand complete control over their students. They will never give you "my way or the highway" options, and will never tell you how to live your life, or to leave your spouse and children, or anything that is against your own better judgment. And it goes without saying that no legitimate teacher will ever ask any student to service them sexually saying that it is for the student's benefit. These are all things that were either asked of me by Chris Mitchell/ Chrism or things I witnessed first hand. If you find a teacher like that, run the other way, because they need a whole lot more from you than you need from them. Everything you do will be about the teacher and you will move further and further away from growing in a healthy way on whatever spiritual path you are on.
Eventually you will start to see what's really going on, and it will feel either like you're trapped and too embarrassed to admit something's wrong and that you've compromised yourself and made a mistake, or you will tear yourself away and have to work hard at healing and feeling whole again, while knowing you wasted a lot of time and energy on something that wasn't good for you at all. And just as bad if not worse is that every time you promoted or supported this teacher (as was demanded of you) you were making it possible for other vulnerable people to become victimized too.
If you are considering becoming a student of Chris Mitchell's/ Chrism, especially if you are a woman, be aware of the signs and tactics of manipulation, sexual predation, and psychological and emotional abuse so that you can protect yourself. It's never appropriate for a person in a position of authority such as a spiritual teacher to ask for sexual favors, if you comply this will be hurtful and confusing, and it will be used to manipulate you through shame and by having your emotions toyed with. Be especially on the lookout for alternating love bombing, demands for complete control over you, rude behavior towards you and others, a complete lack of respect for your personal boundaries, and being isolated from others who don't agree with what's being taught or asked of you. Be very wary of letting yourself be alone with him if you are female. Do not agree to put on events for him as whatever money you spend will likely never be reimbursed (I witnessed this happen more than once). Also look closely at the teachings and be really honest and decide for yourself if any of it actually makes sense. When I look back at some of that stuff that everyone was saying was so deep, I scratch my head and wonder how anyone would think it was helpful. A lot of it is downright dark, creepy, and weird, with rants about everything from dangerously poor medical advice to giving complete devotion (aka giving up all control over yourself and your life) to the teacher who tries to insinuate himself as the human spokesperson for your Kundalini (which I learned the hard way couldn't be more wrong and hurtful to a person).
So if it's hard for me to say something about my negative experiences as his student, I know there are many others out there who also have a similar story to tell but find it too painful to talk, or maybe they don't know where to go to warn others of the danger here, or maybe they're afraid of getting hurt even more because of the vindictive behavior they have witnessed or experienced directly.
Everything described in the above posts is almost identical to my own experience and to the experiences told to my by other recent former students of Chris Mitchell's/ Chrism. It's 6 years later and nothing has changed.
If you read all of the things we are saying, and think you can handle it and that it's no big deal, please understand that he has had many years honing his skills as a predator and manipulator, and you are up against an opponent who doesn't have your best interests at heart. You may get caught up in the excitement at first, but eventually it's going to hurt very much. You're going to see things you wish you never had to see, you're going to have all your buttons pushed but it will be to control you and not to help you grow (like you're told it will), and you're going to hear things that shock and disgust you because they are not at all what you would expect from someone in a respected position of authority.
If you have to work hard at making sense of what's being taught or asked of you, and need to make up excuses or rationalizations to put the teacher in a better light, then something is very wrong. Trust your instincts and intuition, if something doesn't feel right, or you're being asked to compromise your values and what's important to you because this is supposed to be good for your growth, think twice before you do something like that as this is how a manipulative teacher will try to control you through disorientation and shame. This is not the road to enlightenment, it is the strategy of someone who wants to control you for their own selfish purposes. I have experienced this first hand, and it has taken a long time to heal.
Here are some of the things that I have learned the hard way from my time with this teacher. There is nothing a teacher like this can give you that you can't find from within yourself and by connecting with other decent people who also have similar mystical or Kundalini experiences. A legitimate teacher will never demand complete control over their students. They will never give you "my way or the highway" options, and will never tell you how to live your life, or to leave your spouse and children, or anything that is against your own better judgment. And it goes without saying that no legitimate teacher will ever ask any student to service them sexually saying that it is for the student's benefit. These are all things that were either asked of me by Chris Mitchell/ Chrism or things I witnessed first hand. If you find a teacher like that, run the other way, because they need a whole lot more from you than you need from them. Everything you do will be about the teacher and you will move further and further away from growing in a healthy way on whatever spiritual path you are on.
Eventually you will start to see what's really going on, and it will feel either like you're trapped and too embarrassed to admit something's wrong and that you've compromised yourself and made a mistake, or you will tear yourself away and have to work hard at healing and feeling whole again, while knowing you wasted a lot of time and energy on something that wasn't good for you at all. And just as bad if not worse is that every time you promoted or supported this teacher (as was demanded of you) you were making it possible for other vulnerable people to become victimized too.
If you are considering becoming a student of Chris Mitchell's/ Chrism, especially if you are a woman, be aware of the signs and tactics of manipulation, sexual predation, and psychological and emotional abuse so that you can protect yourself. It's never appropriate for a person in a position of authority such as a spiritual teacher to ask for sexual favors, if you comply this will be hurtful and confusing, and it will be used to manipulate you through shame and by having your emotions toyed with. Be especially on the lookout for alternating love bombing, demands for complete control over you, rude behavior towards you and others, a complete lack of respect for your personal boundaries, and being isolated from others who don't agree with what's being taught or asked of you. Be very wary of letting yourself be alone with him if you are female. Do not agree to put on events for him as whatever money you spend will likely never be reimbursed (I witnessed this happen more than once). Also look closely at the teachings and be really honest and decide for yourself if any of it actually makes sense. When I look back at some of that stuff that everyone was saying was so deep, I scratch my head and wonder how anyone would think it was helpful. A lot of it is downright dark, creepy, and weird, with rants about everything from dangerously poor medical advice to giving complete devotion (aka giving up all control over yourself and your life) to the teacher who tries to insinuate himself as the human spokesperson for your Kundalini (which I learned the hard way couldn't be more wrong and hurtful to a person).