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The VRRP Spiritual Learning group follows the teachings of Khorshed Bhavnagri and her book The Laws of the Spirit World, written, she claimed, through messages she received from her dead sons, who were killed in a car accident in India in 1980.
VRRP stands for Vispi, Ratoo, Rumi and Popsie — the names of Bhavnagri's two deceased sons, their father and their grandfather, respectively.
Bhavnagri's book predicts a catastrophic shift in the Earth's axis that will wipe out "all negative energies" and kill 75 per cent of the world's population.
"Cataclysmic earthquakes will cause this major imbalance which will be followed by floods, tidal waves, fires, more earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and so on," wrote Bhavnagri.
But her book assures members of her group that people "at higher realms will be saved."
"UFOs will send down levitation beams to evacuate good souls who are trapped in dangerous places," wrote Bhavnagri.
Dr. Michael Elterman, a forensic and clinical psychologist who has studied cults, said the difference between a spiritual group and a cult is whether other aspects of members' lives are controlled by the group.
"What really particularizes it as a cult is the sense of control that is over the individual" said Elterman, who has not studied VRRP.
"If you look at the history of cults, there is generally what is called a charismatic leader, who will control every aspect of the individuals' life, from how they dress to what they eat, to their daily routine," said Elterman.
