No one wants to end up in a cult or expects to be in one. However, when you start noticing the first signs that you might be involved, it’s often too difficult to recognize it as a cult, and you can’t help but get drawn in because, needless to say, it appears to be much more attractive and enticing.
Just two days ago, TikTok user @zolita, who is Los Angeles-based, uploaded a video where she reminisced about being in a lesbian cult several years ago. As she recounts, she was going through a depressive episode and was referred by a friend to attend an all-women’s healing retreat “up north.”
TikTok user @zolita shares her intense healing retreat experience
As mentioned earlier, @zolita posted a video only two days ago, discussing how she went to a healing retreat “up north” on a friend’s recommendation and then realized she was part of a lesbian cult. She explained that her interest in joining the retreat was because her friend described it as involving healing rituals, meditation, sound baths, gardening, horseback riding, and reconnecting with nature, which sounded perfect since she needed some time to “unplug” from her phone and social media.
Cut to @zolita arriving at the retreat. She describes her first impression as “amazing” and says that the women there were “the most beautiful group of women” she had ever met. She also notes that many women had been there for a long time, which seemed a bit suspicious since retreats are usually meant to last a few weeks or a month at most. Regarding the retreat leader, @zolita mentioned her name was Helena, and people called her “Hel” for short. She added that at first, the retreat didn’t seem “too crazy” and felt like a genuine healing retreat. She recalls having a “beautiful schedule” including gardening, meditation, cooking, journaling, sound baths, dance classes, and more. But then she started noticing things that raised red flags. One was how the women behaved around Helena and how they talked about her when she wasn’t there. It seemed like the women were in love with Helena. @zolita also added that many of the women were hooking up with each other.
In part 2 of her video, which continues the story, @zolita recalls a strange incident involving Helena. She describes her first dinner at the retreat, where everyone stood up when Helena arrived and only sat back down when she told them to. Another incident that gave her “cult vibes” was hearing two women discuss something Helena had done that sounded like verbal abuse. When @zolita tried to call it out, they dismissed her, saying that they needed to be “disciplined” and put in their place. Then came a healing session where @zolita remembers feeling so trance-like and immersed in the experience that she started seeing Helena differently and felt herself being pulled into the “cult” atmosphere.
TikTok user @zolita’s lesbian cult experience has gained significant traction
@zolita’s video, in which she talks about unknowingly joining a cult, has gained a lot of attention. As of now, part 1 has over 46,000 likes, and part 2 has over 10,000. Naturally, with so many views, there are also many comments.
Many people expressed interest in visiting the retreat to learn more about it. User @enfxrn wrote, “So is there a link or what.” User @lids_s replied, “Lesbian cult?? Hm I may need to investigate for research purposes.” User @shespinsfire commented, “Wait! You had me at lesbian cult. Sign me up.” User @anais87913 added, “I’m one bad relationship away from volunteering tbh.”
Two-thirds of Americans believe people are prone to getting involved in a cult
An article published by YouGov on January 14, 2026, based on a survey from October, states that many Americans think the average person is susceptible to being recruited into a cult, but they don’t see themselves at risk.
The report also shows that most Americans believe political groups (68%), religious groups (64%), and spiritual groups (62%) often or sometimes exhibit coercive or cult-like behaviors. Similar perceptions apply to social media platforms (56%) and online groups (56%). Additionally, around 48% think that multi-level marketing businesses do the same.
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