Conscious Community or Cult? What I Learned From My Journey with ISTA

This is a true story of coercion, manipulation, and abuse….

What happens when sexual healers engage in acts of sexual harm?

Who can you turn to when an organization’s leadership lacks a genuine interest in accountability?

In a February 2025 article, “The-Neo-Tantric-Sex-Group-That-Promised-to-Change”, The Cut described ISTA as one of the largest and most respected Neo-Tantra organizations in the world. And yet, stories of sexual abuse and misconduct at ISTA events, and by ISTA Teachers and Facilitators, are pervasive and, as of today, remain unremedied.

With great power comes great responsibility. Organizations presenting themselves as providing experiences of “healing” and “transformation”, particularly for survivors of sexual trauma, have a duty of accountability when harm occurs under their umbrella.

But what happens when accountability and repair processes fail?

And what happens when leadership is only interested in the appearance of change?

In this episode of Sex Is Medicine, Devi speaks with ISTA survivor advocate, Cara Cordoni, to explore how “sex-positive, trauma-informed” communities can sometimes function as high-control groups that cause harm to those they claim to serve.
In this episode, Cara shares her experience of participating in several levels of ISTA training, the coercion, manipulation, and abuse she witnessed personally and vicariously, multiple survivor stories, and the results of her 2-year attempt to facilitate change within the heart of the ISTA organization.

Find out:

• How ISTA uses the promise of healing, liberation, and “conscious” sexuality to attract students and clients.
• Validated reports of sexual harm filed against ISTA from 18 countries spanning back to 2008
• The troubling patterns of manipulation, neglect of participants in distress, financial exploitation, and the misuse of “trauma-informed” language without implementing actual trauma-informed practices.
• The 2-year attempt at mediation with ISTA that ended with defending actions that many considered rape, victim blaming, denial, and positioned themselves as victims rather than addressing the documented patterns of harm from numerous survivor reports.
• How ISTA’s so-called “accountability process” ultimately harmed survivors further,
• Red flags to watch for before joining trainings: lack of established lineage (teachers creating content without drawing from recognized traditions), spiritual bypassing, pressure to disregard boundaries in the name of “growth,” financial exploitation, unclear processes for reporting concerns, and whether criticism is welcomed or punished.