I’m a former member of the IDMR (Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research) and I’m gathering stories/info from other ex-members.
Hey Reddit. First post ever, so bear with me - but I’m desperate and I don’t know where else to turn at this point.
After searching on Google for hours, I’ve been unable to find much about the IDMR from an outsider’s perspective, let alone from a former member. So coming here was the only other option I could come up with.
I was born and raised in a religious cult known as the Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research, and after years of struggling with attending their classes in my adult life, I eventually just stopped going altogether. Despite what we were always told, I actually became happier instead of worse off, so I didn’t doubt my decision for a second. However, I feel like the baggage of being raised in their teachings is still with me, and for years I’ve wanted to connect or reach out to other former members (or even visitors who only attended once or twice) just to compare notes. With what they teach, I have to believe I’m not the only former member dealing with the aftermath of their teachings and so forth.
More info:
A lot of what motivated me to leave had to do with me feeling uncomfortable attending after I came out as trans, as many of the members began to behave differently around me. Though the IDMR claims it doesn’t discriminate when it comes to LGBT+ people, many members are clearly made uncomfortable by it, and one person who I had known my whole life even took me aside in tears to convince me to “rethink” my decision when I began attending classes in suits rather than blouses/dresses. I’ve heard that another member of my “home branch” also left partially due to LGBT+ mistreatment - but that’s mostly hearsay, as they left before I did and when you leave, members tend to shittalk you to manipulate the narrative.
In the small amount of research I’ve done thus far, I’ve seen a lot of damning (but unsourced) claims that the higher-ups and founding members were secretly involved in some shady stuff that definitely would not have been in line with what they teach members. It’s piqued my interest, and uncovering any truth to this may even help me get another close family member free from this place, as they still attend fervently to this day and it makes me more than a little uncomfortable.
I’d love to hear from anyone who has any history with the IDMR, be they a former member like me, a visitor that only attended a few classes, a relative/loved one of a member, or anywhere in between. And I welcome any clarifying questions as well - there’s so much to this, way too much to include here.
Thanks in advance. ~