Well, has Miley Cyrus joined a cult? An investigation

A number of fans believe the singer has joined the elusive Modern Mystery School cult.

It’s not been lost on fans of Miley Cyrus that the singer has been keeping a low profile since the release of her last album, Endless Summer Vacation, which came out in March this year.

While some have argued that she’s been out of the limelight as she’s producing new music – she has now started teasing the release of an upcoming single тιтled “Used To Be Young” – others have suggested that Cyrus’ silence is evidence that she has actually joined a cult called the Modern Mystery School.

The rumour appears to have originated on Twitter, with users posting selfies taken by the singer alongside her ‘cult friends’. The theory then gained traction after a TikTok video about the rumour went viral.

So, is Miley really in a cult? And what is the ‘Modern Mystery School’ anyway? Here’s what we know.

WHAT IS THE MODERN MYSTERY SCHOOL?

According to the Modern Mystery School website, the international organisation “trains and certifies healing pracтιтioners and teachers in the tradition of the lineage of King Salomon”. They claim to “educate Light workers in [specialised] spiritual healings and metaphysical teachings that are rooted in an ancient tradition of service, compᴀssion and empowerment”. The school has a major presence in the UK, Canada, the USA, Japan, South Africa and Brazil, and claims that its mission is to create “peace on this planet by uplifting the hearts and minds of humanity”.

In 2021, Vice published an investigation into the Modern Mystery School, where ‘students’ claimed that they spent at least $20,000 (£14,345) to reach the school’s upper ranks. Some former students even claimed that they handed over hundreds of thousands of dollars to access what the school describes as “the top of the pyramid of training”.

The article went on to detail how former students were exploited, and described the organisation as a “cult” and “spiritual pyramid scheme”, where members face “psychological trauma, spiralling debts and relationship breakdowns”. Others allegedly experienced “bullying and manipulation”, “financial and Sєxual exploitation”, and feared “physical or spiritual consequences.” Some students also told Vice that they were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement in which they state they will “always speak in good and positive terms” about the school and its teachers.

Miley Cyrus is a versatile and dynamic entertainer known for her bold and boundary-pushing performances. Miley Cyrus performed at a New Year’s Eve party hosted by her and Pete Davidson on January 1, 2022. (PH๏τo by: Vijat Mohindra/NBC/NBCU PH๏τo Bank via Getty Images)

WHY DO PEOPLE THINK MILEY CYRUS HAS JOINED?

The rumour seems to have started when a picture of Cyrus alongside two women known as ‘Lily Ashwell’ and ‘Blue’ began circulating on Twitter. There’s also another pH๏τo doing the rounds of Miley allegedly attending a Modern Mystery School lecture in May. In the pH๏τo, the singer can be seen pictured sitting next to the same two women and two unknown men, with ‘Know Thyself’ – the Modern Mystery School maxim – projected in the background.

According to @michelletok, who posted a viral TikTok video about the theory, Miley met ‘Lily Ashwell’ and ‘Blue’ in February 2023 and they encouraged her to join the cult. “Allegedly this is the reason Miley’s been so MIA,” Michelle says in the video. “No performances, no public appearances, no promotion for the album at all aside from the Disney Plus special that was back in March.”

Michelle adds that fans are also speculating if Miley’s Instagram account is secretly being run by an intern. “Her first couple of posts about ‘Flowers’ were very loving and very personal, and as the weeks went on they sounded very AI-generated,” Michelle explains. “Which makes people think that someone is posting on her behalf.”

BUT HAS SHE REALLY JOINED?

I mean… it’s possible, but it seems incredibly unlikely that Cyrus really has joined a cult. She’s started teasing new music, which suggests that her time away from touring and social media was spent in the studio – rather than running around with the Modern Mystery School.

Additionally, Miley’s sister Brandi appeared to dismiss the rumours on a podcast. “I’m not speaking for Miley, I’m not speaking for anybody […] but from what I gather, fans are a little frustrated that Miley’s been a little quiet on social media and maybe not doing public performances – this is what the fans tell me – like, ‘where’s Miley, we miss her, we want to see her play’,” she said. “And she’s not doing those things, so people say crazy sнιт.”