From the 1960s, Santiniketan Lodge was one of the three main meeting places where adult members of the Australian sect known as ‘The Family’ would meditate and listen to leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne give discourses.

In the digital age, it’s never been easier to join, swipe, or connect with people via social media and internet forums where self-help gurus and spiritual guides can be booked in an instant. Yet how can we distinguish between a harmonious group and an empathetic leader and one that is a coercive cult?