Hannah Murray opens up about her journey through wellness cults
Hannah Murray, known for her roles in Skins and Game of Thrones, has shared her harrowing experiences within a wellness cult in her new memoir, The Make-Believe, reports BritPanorama. The memoir details her descent into a cult following a period of mental instability, culminating in a psychotic break that led to her hospitalization.
Murray’s account begins with her experience after attending an energy healer which led her deeper into the cult’s grip. During this time, she became convinced that she was a messianic figure. The cult’s leader, who encouraged her delusions, manipulated her belief in energy healing and her need for validation. She chronicles how her involvement escalated from seemingly benign wellness practices to full-on cult activities, reflecting on the gradual but powerful manipulation she faced.
In an interview, she expressed her initial hesitation to share her story, saying, “I thought I would never want to tell it publicly.” However, the process of writing revealed to her that it was a memoir after all. Reflecting on her time in the cult, Murray highlighted the internal conflicts she faced, often descending into self-loathing and addiction to the cult’s teachings as she sought direction in her life.
Murray’s struggles with body image, particularly during her teenage years as she rose to fame, are also central to her narrative. She described how her earlier roles perpetuated a cycle of body anxiety and pressure. The negative impact of social media and audience perception contributed to her feelings of inadequacy and the lengths she went to maintain a particular image.
Despite the traumatic experiences, Murray’s recovery was not linear. She returned to the cult after being discharged from the psychiatric ward, driven by a strong desire to believe in its teachings. Her subsequent courses became less compelling, eventually leading to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder that offered her clarity and a pathway to recovery.
Today, Murray distances herself from the wellness industry, cautioning against its pervasive narrative that suggests self-optimization is the solution to life’s challenges. She underscores the importance of questioning the motivation behind wellness practices, stating, “I shouldn’t have been trying to solve them or fix them or heal them all the time.”
Murray’s memoir offers a complex view of her experience with the cult, not merely as a tale of victimhood, but as an exploration of the enchanting yet perilous allure of wellness culture. She leaves readers with a reflective insight, acknowledging the duality of her journey with both terror and joy intermixed.
‘The Make-Believe’ is published by Cornerstone, £18.99
