WHAT lengths would you go to in order to find your ultimate soulmate? 

A new Netflix documentary exposes the online dating community Twin Flame Universe and its founders for cult-like behaviors that some claim have caused their family members to “disappear.” 

The documentary series, Escaping Twin Flames, was released on November 8 – several years after the community came under scrutiny. 

It also follows a similar documentary about the community released by Prime Video in October.

For years, founders Jeff and Shaleia Ayan have been accused of sending abuse messages to their community members, encouraging them to aggressively pursue their “twin flame,” and even went as far to coerce people into changing their gender. 

FINDING YOUR ‘ETERNAL PARTNER’

As the Michigan couple has denied all wrongdoing, they have claimed they have a direct connection to God, according to the docu-series.

It is through that connection they claim they are able to match 40,000 people with their true “eternal partner.” 

The couple alleges they can connect people with their partner with on-on-one therapies, Google Hangout classes, and a monthly subscription service for classes – which costs around $200 per month, The US Sun previously reported.

Additionally, these members get access to a Facebook group where the couple posts free YouTube videos. 

The goal of this? 

To match with the person who was “designed for you by God,” Jeff claimed in a 2017 YouTube video. 

At the same time, the couple claims that sexual intimacy will be “richer than just physical pleasure,” and is a “sacred act of ascension.” 

While the idea of finding the perfect partner may be enticing for many people, the practices allegedly put in place by the Twin Flames Universe have caused strife and stress for the families of multiple members. 

MEMBERS GONE MISSING 

Members of the Hardy family haven’t spoken to their daughter and sister Stephanie in approximately five years, according to the documentary.

In the series, Louise Hardy revealed her daughter joined the Twin Flames Universe in 2018. 

The mother revealed to Netflix that she had been accepting of her daughter’s new beliefs at first. 

However, that was before she “effectively disappeared.” 

In a separate interview with The Independent, Louise claimed the dating community wooed her daughter to draw her in. 

“They told her everything she wanted to hear,” Louise said. 

“That’s typically what they do.” 

It wasn’t long before Stephanie reportedly cut off all contact with her family. 

Louise and her other daughter Paula, Stephanie’s twin sister, revealed that in the letter she claimed “it [was] no longer compassionate for us to pretend we live in the same world anymore.” 

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Stephanie currently lives in Switzerland with her husband she met through Twin Flames Universe, according to The Independent. 

She also reportedly works as a coach for the dating community. 

Similarly, another member known as Katie cut off contact with her family in 2018 as she engaged in aggressive tactics to pursue her “twin flame,” some of which resulted in criminal charges of stalking, according to Vanity Fair.

At the time, at least one relative told the outlet that Katie had asked for “several thousand dollars” from her family. 

When they offered for her to come home – as she had been kicked out of her new apartment – the Twin Flames Universe member rejected the help. 

Katie reportedly left the community in 2019. 

ALLEGED AGGRESSIVE MEASURES 

Throughout the documentary, Jeff and Shaleia are accused of pressuring members over a variety of behaviors. 

Among these, the couple has been accused of encouraging some women to change their gender, seemingly in an effort to conform to “divine masculine” and “divine feminine” energies in a relationship. 

The couple has claimed they never pressured anyone to change their physical appearance, however several former members have disputed that.

In the documentary, former member Victoria claimed that messaging was very different “behind closed doors.”

“It had become a form of conversion therapy,” she said.

At least one former member who began to transition, reserved her plans to after leaving the group.

Meanwhile, another former member said at least two others had undergone top surgery.

The October Prime Video documentary also found that another couple, Ann and Catrina, claimed Jeff and Shaleia urged Ann to change her name because she was a “masculine flame.” 

They said they urged her to change it to “Dan.”

In 2020, Vanity Fair also found that at least three members were taking hormones to medically transition genders. 

Additionally, the outlet found that at least five women ended up leaving the community after they refused to accept a similar change.

“I have been blocked by the group and everyone I knew in the group since I told them I did not accept being a divine masculine,” a former member said at the time. 

Jeff and Shaleia have also been accused of other cult-like behaviors, such as encouraging their members to live on the same “farm.”

“Jeff was ready to buy a giant, 300-person event hall. And we were to live in a trailer on that property while we renovated it and make a farm,” former member Kelly said in the documentary.

“One of the things that was implied when we were supposed to move to Michigan was that we would be having children when we moved there. Jeff and Shaleia said that everyone has the opportunity to have Golden Children, which are children who are already ascended.”

Time Flames Universe has vehemently denied the allegations detailed in the documentary, as well as claims that the community is a cult. 

“We take seriously recent allegations implying we wield inappropriate control over our community members,” the orgainization said in a statement. 

“After a careful review of both media coverage and recent productions, we are saddened that so much effort has gone into taking swipes at an organization and community founded on love and mutual respect.” 

The group went on to say, “Twin Flames Universe not only distort our true aims, methods, and curriculums but also misrepresent the autonomy of our community members, who are free to engage with our resources as they see fit. We are committed to confronting these allegations in an open and accountable manner.”