'I was brainwashed': former member of Australia's mysterious Twelve Tribes Cult says she became obsessed with Satan after joining the sect in the Blue Mountains where they run a cafe

Daily Mail, Australia/June 8, 2018

By Monica O'Shea

A woman has revealed how she felt brainwashed when she joined the religious cult the Twelve Tribes. 

Rosemary Ilich said she was promised love, acceptance and forgiveness when she joined the group in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. 

But she ended up becoming her own enemy and started becoming obsessed with Satan. 

'It's like your whole map of reality gets changed. You become your own enemy,' she said, News.com.au reported.

The mother of three said she was he was cut off from information, was unable to drive or read the papers and lost her critical thinking. 

'I did have red flags coming up but you always think it's Satan. Because all you hear about is Satan, all day.' 

The Twelve Tribes is an international organisation of religious communities founded in 1972 in Tennesssee.  

The cult does not align itself with any denomination, and believes in order for the Messiah to return, the church must be restored to its original form in the Book of Acts - the first book in the new testament of the bible.

The Blue Mountains group live in heritage guesthouse Balmoral House, near Katoomba Railway Station in the Blue Mountains. 

'Our main desire is that we would properly represent our Master Yahshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) just like He perfectly represented His Father,' the group states on their website. 

'Our goal is to love one another just as He loved us.' 

Twelve Tribes operates the Yellow Deli Cafe - a popular tourist destination on the main street of Katoomba.

Members of the group are asked to sell their property and give their earnings to the tribe. 

One member of the group told the publication people can only get married to other members of the group, and men and women are unable to kiss until after the wedding. 

Once married, they are encouraged to have as many babies as possible, Mrs Ilich alleged.  

When Mrs Ilich finally left the group after 13 years she claims she felt like she had been 'brainwashed'. 

'It's like all my brainwashing came down. To realise what a crazy thing I'd been part of — a horrible thing — it's like a bucket of cold ice thrown at your face,' she said.

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