I am a child of HP.
My parents were in from the time I was 9 years old in the 80's when there was a core group of around 10-12 people, in Auckland, NZ. My parents were quite "high up" if you will. They left when I was 20.
We all moved to Australia and it started off in Mullumbimby, NSW. After a while we moved to the Gold Coast where they were stationed for quite a few years, a place on Bundall Rd that they called "The Centre". This is when the development of courses started, the worst being the 26 weeker. As most of the couples in the cult had kids, we sort of grew up together (and are all still very close friends to this day). Over this 26 weeks, myself being one of the oldest, would look after the other kids whilst our parents were trying to obtain spiritual enlightenment. The only lightening going on was of their bank accounts (Colin and Suzi coaxed my parents into donating all of their Super, not some, ALL of it). We were alone from sound 7am to 7pm for 26 weeks, I think that why I'm such a good cook now
I remember when Colin died, we were watching Telly and the call came through, I didn't even get up! My brother went to see his body, I think as a way of "cleansing" because he had it rough as he lived with Colin and Angela, so was under constant "spiritual" scrutiny and to this day is still f#%ked up over it all. Bare in mind people, we were 8, 9, 10 years old being told we were "negative energy fields". We were kids!
He died of a heart attack. Ironic.
Eventually, when I was 20, my parents left HP and it was awesome, I had my parents back. I would tell stories of my teenage years and my mum would cry because she had no recollection of the things I was saying. Another core group member got them out and I will be forever thankful to John for doing that.
There are some elements of HP that were good, being able to openly talk about how you were feeling, all those sorts of fluffy things. But the adultery, the money, the breaking down of people's marriages, confidence and self expression (my mother was told not to wear red because it meant she was a whore) was wrong, utterly wrong.
Suzi and Colin were sleeping with each other, and his partner Angela knew about it but never said anything because she was so brainwashed, and she still is, 15 years after he died. Colin would tell women by being involved with him sexually they would get to a higher place. I know people will say "it's a choice!" but these were people that were already in some sort of emotional turmoil, they were vulnerable and in search of something, anything. He took advantage of that vulnerability. When he died Suzi took the reigns, dumped her partner Justin and shacked up with a guy who was involved with another woman (and had been for years), telling her it was for a higher purpose. He left Suzi to be with a woman who was married. Suzi hooked up with a married doctor who'd left his family without telling them. Couples who had only just had babies were torn apart by the relationship chess that went on. I can only tell you of one relationship that is still together from people who went in as couples.
I am all for faith, but this is not faith, it's a cult and there is a difference.
I am lucky, I was a kid when it all happened and I knew from the get go Colin was not right. I told my parents but they were so "in" they couldn't see it. I have a diary i wrote in as a teen and it references all of this stuff. I'm a perfectly well adjusted 30 year old now (and still know of a few people in HP), and there are elements of that adjustment I can attribute to HP, but man am I glad I could see it for what it was but not have that be an issue because I wasn't 'formally' part of it all. We did have to do some of the courses though, but really, what kind of things is a 12 year old going to say about their "relationships"? Really? "Tom was mean to me in the playground at school and now I feel sad"? Come on!
My brothers and I became master manipulators of the system, which we worked to our advantage. We played golf with stones once, as early teens do, and broke a car window of one of the members. We told Colin we were in an energy field and not participating in present time and got off Scott free. What a load of cods wallop!
Anyway, I digress. If youre searching for some sort of spirituality or direction or whatever, fine, maybe do Section 1, but, please, please, don't let them get their talons into you. Keep your wits about you, don't give them too much money, guard your partner if you go in together, don't sell anything to fund course attendance, stay in touch with your friends and family who are not part of it and don't push HP on them - at some stage you may need people on the outside, don't move cities to follow them (that's how they know they own you), and just simply see it all for what it is. Good luck!
Oh and P.S if you're not a fan of holding hands, standing in circles and singing John Denver songs, steer clear