"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised." — Romans 1:25

For two years, I searched for truth in all the wrong places.

I dove deep into New Age practices—Akashic Records, tarot cards, pendulum readings, crystals, cleansing rituals. I spent thousands of dollars on courses, retreats, and teachers who promised transformation. I followed every instruction, practiced every technique, searched desperately for answers.

Nothing worked.

Not because I didn't try hard enough. Not because I was doing it wrong.

But because I was searching for light in a kingdom of darkness.

What you'll see in my story:

If you see yourself in any of these, keep reading.

It started with an invitation I couldn't refuse.

My personal coach at the time invited me to a course. I had no idea what it was about, but I couldn't say no to her. Not yet. I hadn't learned that lesson—that it's okay to protect your heart, to set boundaries, to refuse things that don't align with where God is leading you.

So I said yes.

The course was about something called Akashic Records—a New Age practice involving telepathic reading, connecting with "the universe," and helping others by reading their struggles in one-on-one sessions.

I didn't understand what it spiritually meant. I just knew the person who invited me believed in it, so I trusted her judgment more than my own discernment.

That was my first mistake.

Once I entered that world, it never stopped.

People in these courses always believed they held the truth. They positioned themselves as the center pillar for helping people change. They taught their methods, then invited students to become teachers themselves so they could go out and make money doing the same thing.

One course led to another. And another.

The groups I joined were filled with people searching for the meaning of life, trying to understand why there were so many calamities in their lives. Some, like me, joined because someone invited them and they couldn't say no. Others were already deep into spiritual practices—tarot card readers, ritual teachers, energy workers.

And when you're involved with a certain group of people, you get tainted whether you want to or not.

More doubts started coming into my mind. I was searching for something I didn't even understand myself.

After the Akashic Records course, I was told to practice these "readings" with my classmates. At first, I didn't like it. But I scheduled appointments anyway. I read people. Others read me.

And the more involved I got, the deeper the sense of wanting to search for more.

Some classmates offered me their services—Hebrew pendulum cleansings, energy readings. I went from one reading to another, always hoping the next one would finally give me answers.

One reader told me many times that big changes were coming in my life. It felt great in the moment. I was excited.

Nothing happened.

That led me to think I needed to understand more, or that I was doing something wrong. So I kept booking readings over and over, trying to find out what else I needed to do to achieve something in my life.

All of this happened after a major downfall—I was broke in every sense. Physically, spiritually, morally, mentally. I wasn't working and had no clue how to stand up from the hole I'd been left in.

Since what others did for me didn't work, I decided to learn on my own.

I bought books to teach myself tarot card reading. I bought a deck of tarot cards and a pendulum. I bought books about moon phases and spiritual practices.

But even as I did all this, something inside me whispered that this wasn't useful. That these were lies.

I believe now that was the power of God protecting me.

During those times, I cleansed a few people who asked me to. Out of nowhere, I felt compelled to draw their silhouettes on paper and point out places that hurt them. I did this alone, not with them in front of me. While drawing, I would pray—not to God, but to the universe—asking it to cleanse these people and light a candle so bad things could go away from their lives.

I did some for free. For others, I charged a few dollars.

But something deep in my soul felt this was not right.

One day, a man invited me to join his course about a "new method" he said he downloaded from the universe. I didn't want to join, but I still couldn't say no at this stage of my life.

He offered it to me for free because I told him I had no money. It was less than $200. So I took it. And I got in touch with this man because of the coach that introduced me to this world.

It was garbage.

I believe God had had enough with me going to these places. He was stirring my heart and opening my eyes. I could finally see the uselessness, how they cheated people, how empty the information was.

But then, some time later, this same man came back and charged me for the course anyway. Because I didn't want an argument, I paid it off.

Eventually, I made some money from a business opportunity. I thought I needed to meditate and be away from home, surrounded by nature. So I went to a seaside location and paid for a silent retreat.

The total cost—retreat, stay, planes, food, transportation, clothes—was around $1,500.

I was excited. I thought I was finally doing something for myself, getting away from all the online contacts pushing courses and practices.

But the same thing happened again.

As soon as I arrived, I saw the retreat's teacher. I couldn't help but see something through him—something not good. I saw evil. Like a hologram of a reptile in his face.

When I signed up, I thought I'd be on my own in silence. Instead, this man talked all day long about New Age gurus, reading from their books while we remained silent. We couldn't speak. If we did, we'd be expelled from the retreat.

What a perfect method of Satan, right? Having people silenced, unable to speak, while being indoctrinated.

They also had us do yoga postures twice a day while remaining in silence.

I prayed to God at that moment. I asked Him to give me the strength to endure this man because it was only the first day, and there were many more to come.

When the retreat finally ended and they asked us to break the silence, many people gave positive feedback. I didn't have the same perspective. But I tried my best to enjoy the nature God created while I was there.

When I wanted to speak some words, it was as if a force more powerful than me forced me to remain silent. I said nothing.

The next day, still searching for answers, I entered what they called a "dark room."

In this room, there was only a bed, a table, a chair, a sofa, a yoga mat, a toilet, and a shower—all in the same room. I stayed there for three days and three nights.

It was the most horrific experience of my life.

I got nothing changed. I sat in darkness for three days and three nights. Took a shower in the dark. Did my necessities in the dark.

All I felt was that this room sucked up all my energy.

After the third day, when I finally went out to the light, I looked at my face—I even took a picture of it. I looked haggard with dark circles under my eyes.

While I was in there, the only thing God put in my mind was this: "Why do people do this punishment to themselves thinking it serves them in any way? Why don't they enjoy the beautiful and colorful things God created for us?"

This made no sense to me.

I went on this trip thinking it would transform my life. Nothing like that happened. And I thought maybe it was me—maybe I couldn't enjoy these things like others did.

But what I didn't know was the truth of God. I had never read the Bible before this point. Only a verse or two when I was small, but I hadn't paid attention.

When I came back from the trip, I remembered I had all those books I'd bought about tarot card readings that I hadn't learned yet.

I was so confused. These things seemed to be working for others, but they didn't seem to work for me.

I needed to go on with my life. Since I needed a stable income, I decided to find a job.

I found one and worked there for some time. I did great in the job, but again, there were things that stirred my heart and I couldn't continue. It wasn't easy after being an entrepreneur for most of my life and having my own companies before. I was ashamed to tell people how badly I'd failed.

Every day felt like a heavy burden. I didn't know what else to do, so I decided to quit and write a book based on my experiences—not the kind I'm sharing with you here, but on the things I thought I needed to change in my mind to survive all I had lived.

It was a book based on self-reliance and human wisdom. But this book was tainted with New Age ideology—relying on the universe, on the power of oneself.

I was sure this was the way. I spent months working on it, hours and days.

Then, when moving to a new home, my backpack with the original handwritten manuscript and my laptop—which not only had this manuscript but the history of my previous businesses—were stolen from our car.

I started again. I not only rewrote it, but I also translated it into English and published both books. That job took me a year and a half.

I published the books. I recorded videos. I did advertisements.

Nothing happened.

Not even people who said they cared bought it or read it.

After some months, I was wondering what was happening—why these things happened to me and how to overcome them.

I kept looking for answers and found none. Then I paid for an expensive platform where many people explained how to be abundant, how to meditate. I followed all these classes for months, spent hours on them.

Nothing seemed to change.

And honestly, that is a horrific feeling.

At this stage, I didn't have an income because I spent everything I earned in that job on living and publishing the 2 books. But I also felt that working for someone wasn't the way. The books I wrote didn't work. I was very disappointed and had no clue what else to do. I had tried everything I could possibly imagine.

It was then that an intestinal problem got me to the point of reading a book that included some glimpses of the Bible. That led me to another book that had even more glimpses of the Bible. Without knowing, I was being transformed from the inside out.

That was the beginning of a journey I never planned or intended to go on.

But God, in His mercy, was leading me toward where He wanted me to be—on His path and believing in His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." — Jeremiah 29:11

In Him, I have found peace, joy, patience, knowledge, and understanding.

I bought a Bible—yes, as incredible as it sounds, I bought a Bible and started reading it wholeheartedly without any resistance and with the guidance of God.

But it was only when I accepted the Lord Jesus in my heart as my Lord and Savior, when I asked Him to show me how to love Him, that my heart was finally filled with love I have never felt before.

Now, I'm not looking for answers anywhere else because I found them all in the Scriptures. That is the Word that carries weight in the spirit—not the blasphemies of the devil where he mixes truths of God with his lies to ensnare people and hinder their lives.

Now I don't need people to read me tarot cards, cleanse me, or do any kind of New Age thing and make me waste money on it—as if it were a bag with constant holes draining my finances away and, even worse, ensnaring my soul in things that are not acceptable before God.

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." — John 8:32

I believe in the Kingdom of God. I believe what happens to the souls that live an unrighteous life against the law of God. And I am not going to risk my soul to die in hell instead of living in heaven with God for eternity.

God asked us to have faith, for in faith there is hope.

If you're reading this and you're involved in New Age practices—Akashic Records, tarot, energy work, manifestation, "connecting with the universe"—I need you to hear this:

Those things will never satisfy you. They will drain you financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

They promise enlightenment but deliver confusion. They promise power but leave you powerless. They promise truth but feed you lies mixed with just enough spiritual language to sound credible.

"For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." — 2 Corinthians 11:13-14

I spent two years and thousands of dollars searching in that world. I found nothing but emptiness and deception.

But in Christ, I found everything I was searching for—and more.

If you recognize yourself in my story, here's what I want you to do this week:

Ask yourself honestly:

And then, do something I never thought I'd do:

Pick up a Bible. Start reading it. Ask God to show you the truth.

You don't have to believe it all at once. You don't have to have perfect faith. Just be willing to look.

That's all it took for God to begin opening my eyes.

Until next week,

Berenice

P.S. — If you're currently involved in New Age practices and feeling trapped, or if you've left but still feel the weight of what you were involved in, I see you. You're not alone. There is a way out, and His name is Jesus.

Next Issue Preview: The Infinite Search for Filling the Void - What drives our endless searching, and why nothing satisfies until we find what we were made for.