The Lodge: CultProof

Introducing: CultProof

Host and producer of The Lodge, Phil Vine, speaks to leavers from high-control groups such as Gloriavale, Falun Gong and Exclusive Brethren, in the new series CultProof.

What to Listen to Next: The Reality Machine from Phil Vine

Phil Vine, host of The Lodge, introduces you to his latest RNZ podcast, The Reality Machine. Hosted by television insider Dylan Reeve, Dylan dives into the history of rea

BONUS: Phil Vine chats cults with ABC's Dominique Bayens

The Lodge host Phil Vine delves into a fascinating cold case from across the Tasman. The mysterious disappearance of two men, a 27 year old woman and her five-year-old da

Burning Questions

Phil seeks an interview with Aiping and her family to find out what’s going on now at the lodge and the story behind those energy clinics. Arriving in Te Anau, he speaks

The Ultimate Price

Remember Warwick the Kiwi actor? We follow his treatment at the Energy Bank in London, his special invitation to New Zealand for a one-on-one with Aiping Wang and find ou

Ahead Of Her Time

We catch up with cult survivor and former zealot, Suzanne. She and her mum gave $1.5 million to Aiping to be life members at the Lodge, before her mum died what Suzanne c

Quite Surreal

A bomb threat in 2005 shuts down central Tauranga, a city in the North Island of New Zealand, and Phil discovers that the bomber has a connection with the Lodge. After co

Being There

We hear from the guru herself, Aiping Wang in a rare interview recorded for a 20/20 television documentary, The Grandmaster. The guru explains “Qi”, what she calls “Unive

Dealing With Magic

Warwick's story unfolds, and we discover if his six-month energy treatment in London has produced a miracle cure for HIV. Phil learns more about the ambitious nature of t

Quiet Death Toll

Phil delves into the enigmatic world of Takaro Lodge, a wellness retreat in New Zealand that doubled as a high-end luxury resort. We uncover the mysterious practices of i

Distant Bells

Phil Vine explores the fall and rise of a therapeutic community – or cult – led by a charismatic guru, who promises to teach followers how to fly and heal without medicin

Introducing: The Lodge

What began as a promising sanctuary for healing in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful locations - became the epicentre of a double tragedy, a cautionary tale that goes s