Hannah Murray says a psychotic break after joining a wellness cult led to her being detained for 28 days under the Mental Health Act and later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
The former Skins and Game of Thrones actor traces the collapse to vulnerability, sleep deprivation and escalating cult rituals after paying $150 for an “energy healing” session and £700 for early classes.
On a five-day London course, Murray says she became manic, heard the leader’s voice, hallucinated and was subjected to chanting about expelling an “evil spirit” before being taken to hospital.
Murray recounts that the group’s leader later texted her that she had been “possessed,” reinforcing her view that the organization was exploitative and damaging rather than therapeutic.
Now 36 and no longer acting, Murray details the episode in her memoir The Make-Believe and argues wellness culture is too rarely scrutinized despite its seductive promises to vulnerable people.