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The Lodge · Jun 18, 2025 · 1 min

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 straight to the heart of the modern wellness industry. Join award-winning RNZ journalist Phil Vine as he reopens the file on a mysterious cult that operated from a 1960s hunting lodge near Te Anau. Chinese guru Aiping Wang promised her followers supernatural powers—the ability to fly, see the future, and heal disease with “Universe Energy”. What began in a converted cinema in Slovenia and grew in the forests of New Zealand, has spawned a global empire of energy healing clinics and had a massive, sometimes traumatic, impact on the lives of followers. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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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 straight to the heart of the modern wellness industry. Join award-winning RNZ journalist Phil Vine as he reopens the file on a mysterious cult that operated from a 1960s hunting lodge near Te Anau. Chinese guru Aiping Wang promised her followers supernatural powers—the ability to fly, see the future, and heal disease with “Universe Energy”. What began in a converted cinema in Slovenia and grew in the forests of New Zealand, has spawned a global empire of energy healing clinics and had a massive, sometimes traumatic, impact on the lives of followers.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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