Meeting 6.13.16

[Addison BornParticipant]

I just met with someone. I’m not sure I should give his name or location, for his own safety. He is an actor, one who worked with the OOA about 10 years ago.

He questioned me on why I’m a part of Tension, why I’m taking part in something with the OOA.

-Because I’m interested in haunts, immersive theater, and ARGs. They billed themselves as such, and I am here to see what happens.

He asked if I knew what the OOA was about, what they were doing.

-They claim to be guiding participants towards enlightenment.

What do you think they’re doing?

-I'm not sure and I have not been involved in their inner workings. At their last event, they took one of their own, a girl known as Addison, against her will.

So why are you still a part of this? A part of the OOA?

- Nobody has reached out to me and given me any other choice. But to loop back on a previous question, I'm here to find out where Addison is.

He made me call @electrichippo and pledge my allegiance to the OOA, before telling me his story.

He told me he had an audition for a voiceover part. At the location were old people in suits, stoic, odd. As though they’d never cracked a smile in their lives. Sounded similar to the people we met at the mixer.

Instead of doing his piece in a recording studio booth, he was handed a phone. Into the phone, he was made to read essentially a Pledge of Allegiance to Anoch. While he was reading, he heard sounds on the other end of the phone that he did not describe other than that they made him very uncomfortable. At the end, they gave him a wad of cash, enough money to live comfortably off of for a couple months.

The next day, he received a call from his agent for an on-camera role. He went to the location – same people as before, though a different location.

Mid-way through a similar spiel as the VO gig, he was not comfortable saying the words they wrote for him.

When he resisted, they confronted him with very personal information from his past. Things he had never told anyone in his life – not his friends, his family, anyone. And threatened him that they would make it public if he did not do as they said.

He warned me – the reason that there are so many “industry” people involved with Tension is a front. They’ve attracted these people to make it seem like a theater piece, something fun and simple and just another haunted house. He says that this is not true. They are VERY serious and do not have good intentions.

He warned me I need to leave Tension. The OOA. Get away from them and not let them into my life.

I asked if I could share this info, go public, he said it was my decision.

And then he kicked me out of the location we were meeting at. Said I had to leave right then and there. I actually started typing this in my car outside the location, but he followed me out and I had to leave the property.. Typing this from a secluded alleyway now.

I’m not sure what to do. It’s not the first warning about the OOA we’ve received. And I feel unsafe posting this on their official forums, but I feel like this info needs to go out.

I know I’m reconsidering my association with this organization, and I guess asking that you all do this as well. Why are you here? What is the point? What are you actually looking for?

This is real shit. Yes, it says it’s just a game. “Performance Art” per Facebook.

But are you really comfortable letting these people whom you’ve never met, who can’t give a straight answer, anything into your lives?

[Neil KingParticipant]

Wooooo…. message loud and clear – heard something similar from Bob Jones but not as in depth. I have made my decision as to my alignment and I know why I continue. Best of luck with this.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@addisonborn Why did he have you leave me the voice message if his main point seemed to be to denounce the OOA?

[Addison BornParticipant]

Kim, you heard it on that voicemail. I cannot associate with you at this point in my _path.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@addisonborn Then maybe you should delete that comment because technically you were just associating with me 😉

[CodyParticipant]

Bahaha. ^Awesome.

[Susie JParticipant]

1. Why is “marshmallows” a tag for this thread?
2. I wonder if Megan had a similar meeting?

[Neil KingParticipant]

Megan went to Periscope and said she had a meeting with someone who gave her some information that she needs to give to Aleister. She has been in contact with him and we just await her story.

[DaelaParticipant]

Interesting. You say he worked for the OOA ten years ago? Does that imply that he no longer works for them?

[111_errorParticipant]

I’m sorry it was such a hostile, weird meeting. That makes a lot of sense that they would want to make this look like something it’s not; Who knows how many others have come before this group found them?

I’m not comfortable with how the OOA have acted, are acting, and I’m amazed so many friends are besotted, devoted, and adulatory of everything here.

This is a real cult, creating real cult-like effects in our friends. Everyone might be in danger.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by  111_error.

[Susie JParticipant]

I’m not. I *am* danger.

[111_errorParticipant]

You’re both. And you’re in good company.

[Michael RizzoParticipant]

Interesting info… I too have been a bit uncomfortable lately and this post is really saying something to me.

[EziParticipant]

This is maybe the one area I am happy to be on the other side of the country, if there is any danger I should be pretry safe lol.

[Addison BornParticipant]

They’re everywhere

[Iris HalliwellParticipant]

Yeah didn’t they post from Japan or something a while back? Plus, if they’re “industry” then they’re definitely everywhere.
Also, seriously, what’s with the marshmallows?

[TheBuzParticipant]

So… random guy contacts you and tells you OOA is bad and then we’re just supposed to buy into it?

Don’t get me wrong, happy to have to more info… but come on. Could easily be a test, a spy job from BoS to get to you and shake up the community… etc.

Not buying it.

[Addison BornParticipant]

At this point, until we have answers, I think we need to have open minds.

One thing I think we all agree on: The OOA is a powerful organization without accountability. Yes, III gave us answers, but what did they have to hide in that blacked out text? Why are they so afraid of transparency?

I’m taking his advice to heart, it was a reality check. I can’t cut ties with Tension until I know what happened to Addison.

[CodyParticipant]

Good perspective! I like it. Open to all though of course. This is getting wilder by the day an I am hooked.
That periscope that transpired earlier tonight.. it was funny, @ununpentium and I were speaking on the phone,and were discussing a few things.. we hadn’t spoken for a a while so we were catching up and theorizing about a few things. Then he gets the periscope notification of your video and you quoted me word for word when talking about the directors etc. I was listening through Luc’s periscope as he was watching it on his phone while we were speaking on the phone. hahaha. Then I linked up and joined. party! Bahahha. Pretty intense… just sayin.

[RustyParticipant]

At this point, it seems multiple people with varying hidden agendas and varying tactics… all of them questionable. @111error has a point, we may all be in danger, no matter where we place faith or mistrust.

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

@reaton So far BoS has been very straight forward with me in regards to their agenda. I always watch and listen with a critical eye, but thus far the only danger I feel is that of potential retaliation by the OOA. From past experiences, I’ve learned OOA aren’t real big on freedom of speech.

[CodyParticipant]

Interesting that you would say that as it seems the opposite has been stated by overseer and the proof is in the pudding I say. The only things that they have censored are things that could be a liability of sorts..
If we do not Question and speak our truths.. we are compromised.
Perhaps the freedom of speech pertaining to enlightenment.. as this is almost indescribable in itself.
So what proof is there that they do not support Freedom of speech? Because artistic expression is preferred?
I have not been afraid throughout this experience. It has been a positive experience so far as I can tell.
I have learned a great deal.

[Addison BornParticipant]

Yes – right now, it’s hard to tell who is safe to side with. Everyone definitely has an agenda, and we need to look critically at EVERYONE involved – OOA, BoS, and nonaffiliated parties. It’s hard to trust anyone at this point until we have some sort of clarity.

I have a feeling I’ll be receiving a phone call about this from someone sooner than later..

[EziParticipant]

@addisonborn If it’s not gonna put him in danger could you say how he got a hold of you and/or was able to contact you?

[Addison BornParticipant]

I was contacted by an OOA associate that has been acting as a guide for many, but until then mostly silent towards me. Someone I know I can trust, or at least I knew I could trust until this evening.. but now he owes me a couple answers.

After a last minute switcheroo in who I was meeting due to a late breaking development within the OOA, I was told I would be meeting someone else. This person called me when I arrived at the decided upon location and gave me additional instructions to find him, or I guess more allow him to find me.

[MikeParticipant]

Some notes/questions:

Phone call/voice message – Kim now has you recorded. Not sure if that will be given to anyone, but if history has taught us anything, this will probably come back to haunt you at some point. I know from experience. Also, if this person was saying how bad they are, why would they have you call someone, who has also spoke out against them, and pledge allegiance. Was this to upset her/them?

He told you he had a voice over part, did he say what he had to say? Or what it was supposed to be for? Same questions for the on camera gig. Any way to find out where the locations are? Maybe it’s a thing we can stake out or a Bohemian Grove type thing to check out.

The industry people ARE involved and know it’s a front? Or they’re just involved and don’t know what’s really happening?

Everything negative that has been said against the OOA has been word of mouth. There are no concrete facts yet. Not saying they’re right or wrong, but there’s no hard evidence that I’ve seen to substantiate any of these claims.

[TheBuzParticipant]

Precisely.

Not to mention @addisonborn was quite critical a few weeks ago. Seems like a damn fine opportunity to send him a test.

[Jake OParticipant]

mike, he didn’t give specific locations for the gigs. He just said they made him say really bad, spooky stuff

I agree with you, there has been no tangible evidence to prove they have done anything bad. Just heresay.

There are a lot of signs pointing toward dark acts, but we’ve yet to really experience anything tangible.

[Addison BornParticipant]

I’d call dragging someone out of a room mid-ceremony against her will, broadcasting her doing some sort of ceremony, and then not giving answers when asked if she’s ok seems pretty dark..

[CodyParticipant]

Yeah buddy. Preach on scribe. I also agree that there is nothing to back it up. He who makes the claim has the burrden of proof! Show me the…. proof.

[Addison BornParticipant]

Couple answers..

Voicemail – that was my immediate thought, and I guess she’s played her cards at this point. Until tonight, when I was forced into that call and new _path, I considered Kim a good friend and personal confidant. And frankly, extremely bummed that it turned out this way, but I guess that’s how it goes. Paid for information with friendship.

He told me he was given a very similar script to what he gave me. Pledging allegiance to the OOA and calling out detractors. That’s as far into that as he gave me, he was a bit rushed.

It was mostly rushed through, but the way it was explained to me re: industry people – directors, producers, writers, theater professionals, media, and the like, have been lured in with the promise of an experience, similar to other haunts. Content for blogs, and promotion for Tension as a piece of theater, haunt, performance art. It’s to obscure the true nature of the OOA. They’re not on the inside, aren’t connected with the OOA more than the rest of it, but they’ve been lured in by those within the OOA to promote.

And yeah.. there are no concrete facts against the OOA, but at the same time, there’s nothing that has shown us anything positive coming out of them, any sort of enlightenment. They’ve talked a lot of talk, but I’d love to talk to a participant on here that has gotten any enlightenment from them.

[CodyParticipant]

You havent gained any type of enlightenment since being a participant?
I have gained much in the way of enlightenment since joining. Certain things have awoken in me. Signs everywhere in everything. Certain walls within my mind have been shattered as a result of my participation.
Personal growth and introspection.
Leads to information, synchronicities I couldn’t even begin to describe to you and have you still believe me sane unless you were experiencing the same things. Others have written me to ask if I was perhaps experiencing the same things as a result of some of my replies and posts on here. I know I am not ALONE in this regard.
I have learned a great deal about others and other perspectives.. life is a constant state of learning and tension seems to be amplifying the effect. For me anyway. I am curious how many more have experienced this and remain silent out of fear.
“go to where your fear is and live there!” <— or something like that. can’t remember off the top of my head.
But each to the or own. I do however encourage others to share their acknowledgement of similar occerances or experiences if in fact you feel the same things.

[LucusParticipant]

I agree Mike, it almost seems like a cell structure. Nobody really knows who is giving directions. The agenda is being performed by people who are essentially in the same boat as we are.

[Jake OParticipant]

so, I had a Very similar experience to what @addisonborn describes. Earlier in the day Aleister, whom I was supposed to meet with, informed he would not be able to meet because III(why the hell is this guy always sleeping!) had woken up and was suspicious of his activity. (Not sure what this means in terms of aleister’s allegiance, but I have a guess).

I was told to go to a specific zip code (studio city area) and wait for a call around 7:30. So I drove over to Ventura Blvd and found a parking spot and waited for the call.

Just after 7:30, my phone rang (no caller id) and the caller gave me instructions to head to a bar on magnolia and meet a dude there. (location name and his name I will withhold out of respect for his safety).

I parked in the back behind the bar and looked for someone alone and slightly shifty. After looking at all the patrons, I decided my contact was NOT the 80 year old lady sitting in the middle of the bar sipping whiskey.

I found him at the end and he instructed me to buy a drink and come sit with him at a table in a darkened corner of the bar.

Once seated, we had an extended Mexican stand off. I think he was trying to size me up and see whether he could trust me or not.

He gave me the usual spiel, asked me why I was doing this, said they(OOA) can’t be trusted. Then he stopped and said, before I can tell you more you need to go convince the bartender, a woman who did not appear to be somebody who would be interested in playing an online/immersive horror arg, to join the tension experience. Not passing any judgement here, she just seemed more like a sports, cigarette, and beer/whiskey type gal.

I told him he must be joking. He said he was serious. I said I don’t think it seems like a good idea, she looks busy. He said, I’m not telling you anymore information until you go convince her to join. At that point, he sat back and clammed up.

So I stared at him, then got up and went to go convince the bartender to join tension! She was actually very sweet and indulged me as I told her about the online game I was playing called tension experience and seemed interested as long as they didn’t email her all the time. I said they don’t and wrote the web address down on a napkin.

Back at the table, the guy sadly didn’t praise my valiant efforts. Why is he seemingly anti-OOA and yet having me recruit someone? Go figure.

He said there was one more thing I had to do. He gave me an envelope with a phone number written on it and told me to call the number and after it started ringing, tear open the envelope and read whatever was inside to whoever answered the phone and if it went to voicemail, leave a message.

Lo and behold, they made me call @coryphella and read some scary stuff! I had to tell her where the meeting was, say my name, and say that I know the creators and have been in on this since the beginning. I then had to tell her not to come as something bad would surely happen. God help me!

After I did these things, I got the same story from him as Addison described above. He then got really nervous and told me I had to leave. As I started to leave, he said, one more thing, take this seriously, these are people who can make somebody disappear, for real(sies).

So, all in all, it was pretty awesome! Not much new info we haven’t heard before, but a very interesting experience.

[MikeParticipant]

Wait, so you were supposed to meet with Aleister and he sent someone else, who was anti OOA? What?!?! I’m not going to assume the worst about him, but this does come off somewhat sketchy.

This is the 2nd time people were supposed to meet with someone OOA and got diverted. It happened the day before the Donut Social as well.

It seems like the OOA has some leaks.

Dear OOA, get us the materials and we can help plug these holes. I’m sure we’ll have some volunteers.

[Jake OParticipant]

@mike I believe it is stated in another thread on the forums that we were all supposed to meet with aleister. Not a secret!

Also, I was not kidnapped. It was aleister himself who messaged me and said he was sending someone to meet with me in his stead. What this says is up for interpretation!

The guy I met was mostly anti-OOA, but he didn’t proclaim sentinel either. His actions also were contradictory.
He told me to watch out for OOA, yet had me recruit the bartender.
He told me they made him read horrible messages to people, yet then had me read a scary message to Megan.
So not really sure where that leaves us.

[Addison BornParticipant]

Whoa. Very interesting that we had similar discussions with whom I’m assuming is the same person

Why us? And why would he make you tell @coryphella to stay away?

I also wonder if we were meant to meet our new friend(?) or if it was another interception.

[MikeParticipant]

I just got a message from Aleister. I don’t know what’s happening. This is what he said

“Mike they know. I am sorry. Tell them all I am sorry”

Time to start #whereisaleister

[Addison BornParticipant]

Something is wrong.

After pressuring Al for answers about tonight, he told me he can’t answer my questions.

“This is about enlightenment. You’ve just taken your first real step. I can’t talk on this. Except a call soon.”

[Jake OParticipant]

I tried to ask the guy at the bar about aleister twice and he dodged the my question both times.

[Michael RizzoParticipant]

I’m honestly worried for him.

[RustyParticipant]

@mike I think I should point out that the last message Addison sent to me in our last exchange was “tell them all I am so sorry.”

[EziParticipant]

Hope Aleister will be okay, III seems upset.

[Sean (@TheGilded)Moderator]

I had an interesting night, which included an unusual voicemail from @coryphella. The transcript is as follows:

Sean, I have some crazy information about who and what the OOA really is. When you look back, it was always there. They are trying to gather up all of our vulnerabilities, and they know yours. Sean, I am looking at a file of you right now. The things in here… I need you to listen. They have marked you. They are going to– ((END OF VOICEMAIL))

[Neil KingParticipant]

@thegilded what do you think that means? Do you feel like you are in danger?

[Sean (@TheGilded)Moderator]

My guess? She had an experience similar to @endlesspictures ‘s, except she called me. I figured they were keeping a file on me, and all of us. I know at least I am doing the same, but I’m very… curious as to what they think my vulnerability is.

As for danger? Tense, yes. Whatever this weakness is, whatever this mark is… it means something. But danger? Not danger, not right now. The only thing I feel is a great swell of pity towards anyone coming to my house looking for trouble.

[Jake OParticipant]

lol. those old crazy people better watch out, don’t be creeping up on @thegilded

[Iris HalliwellParticipant]

If anything @thegilded is one of the least likely to be in danger. He’s all the way in San Diego folks. If you’re going by the OOA pattern, the next person in physical peril is going to be identified publicly via some form of social media, and they’re going to be local to LA, where the OOA are.

[Addison BornParticipant]

It was made very clear to me that they do not have boundaries. If they need to reach someone, they can. I was told they have people everywhere, watching everything we do.

[Sean (@TheGilded)Moderator]

To be fair, we only know that the OOA is currently in LA, but their reach may be larger than that. For all we know, they have hundreds or thousands of members in every city.

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

San Diego isn’t THAT far

[Iris HalliwellParticipant]

“They have people everywhere, watching everything we do.”
How very voyeuristic of them. I hope they enjoy the show.

[_Michael GrayParticipant]

Ok, all caught up, whew!!

I kinda have this feeling that this was a big test for all you involved in this meeting tonight. @addisonborn you say that you were made to swear allegiance to the OOA before he gave you details about his past? That could be a test to see if you stick around and are worth the OOA to put in time for your “enlightenment.” @endlesspictures you had a similar experience to test your commitment as well, you were asked to recruit an absolute stranger, who was working! To consider that it was a test of your commitment to the OOA, this gentleman telling you his back story, well that’s the true test. What side are we all gonna land on? Believers or non-believers? I personally have not seen any wrong doing from the OOA yet. The kidnapping of Addison, that wasn’t a kidnapping. She was there at the mixer of her own free will, and then ?dad? busted in and went all nuts in the place. How do we even know that it truly was her Dad? Have you ever thought that maybe the OOA got Addison out there to protect her from a crazy nut that wanted to cause harm upon them? Dad always said, “There’s two sides to every coin.” I just happen to see the other side of the coin.
I also have a conflicting point of view when it comes to getting “Industry” people. From what I have seen and been apart of, Tension is open to anyone and the OOA has open arms for anyone that wants to be taught. Of course, being in LA (that we know of), it is only logical that a lot of people within the industry would find this entertaining and be curious about it. That statement is obviously a stab in the dark, and is using Los Angeles as the scapegoat because of how many people are in the industry.
I want to digest this more, but those are my initial thoughts.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been pretty upset tonight, because I feel like I personally fucked tonight up.

Melissa emailed me close to 4:30 with the text she had found and we talked about what to do with it. I told her that I wanted to approach Aleister about it first and that I was meeting him at 8pm. Of course, that didn’t happen, just like with everyone else.

As I was driving to the meeting I made the decision to try to get his attention via periscope, knowing that using social media to discuss our experiences here has been smiled upon in the past, I thought that I could ask someone else to try to get his attention. It worked, he was talking to me within just minutes after that. By that time though it was almost 8pm and my phone rang. It was Jake, of course, reading me the text.

As I was going to the meeting I told Aleister that Jake warned me to NOT go to the meeting, he said he advised me to go and to be careful. *Everything* about this, for me personally, was off. And I’m positive I’m going to regret saying this at some point, but I feel the need to offer up an explanation to *someone*

I’m a weird person. I don’t do things the way most people do them. I do things my way. I don’t know how to explain that any better, other than to say I decided to use periscope to get Aleister’s attention and wasn’t told by anyone to do that. I made up my mind about how I was going to approach whatever this meeting was and that was that. But there are situations I’m really uncomfortable in, and this pushed a lot of those buttons so I was very defensive right from the start. I am not a compliant person. I do not like being told what to do. I don’t want to get a drink and spend that money. I don’t want to drink the tequila in the guy’s glass. I don’t want to sit with my back to the bar, ever. When the guy asked me why I wouldn’t drink the tequila, I said “because I’m a woman, and I’m not stupid.” I eventually drank it because hey, free tequila, and my drink was AWFUL. But my point is by the time he got to telling me to go talk to the bartender and convince her to join the OOA I wasn’t going to do anything of the kind. There is NO way I’m going up to a stranger who is not involved and involving them. No way. He told me to do it twice, and I refused twice.

After that, he seemed really off. The meeting was basically the same as the rest of yours. He seemed to see someone over my shoulder and suddenly decide the meeting was over. I was really confused, it seemed weird, but ok. I said “so…we’re done?” He said yes. I left.

In the car I messaged Aleister and said “well that was weird. I would have rather met you. That guy was a dick.”

When I got home, I had a slew of messages from him, and here’s where I got upset. He told me that I was supposed to go talk to the bartender, and the bartender *would have then taken me to meet Aleister himself* He said it wouldn’t be our last opportunity to meet, actually KEPT saying that, but I’m getting on a plane in 7 hours and heading back to Minnesota, so I can’t help but feel like I just failed at a mission a little. I didn’t do the thing I was scripted to do, because I didn’t see that there was subtext and that is something that happens to me all the time. Let me emphasize that: ALL. THE. TIME. I’m pissed as hell at myself. This is not them messing something up, this is a personal flaw of mine that has gotten in the way of things in the past, and got in the way tonight.

So, nothing happened the way I’d hoped. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to do anything at all. Maybe I should just stick to the script. Maybe I spent too long this weekend in interactive theatre workshops. Maybe I need to drink more.

Either way, I’ll be back in Minnesota tomorrow, and what was an AMAZING five days has ended on a bit of a let down for me. I’ll get over that and write up my experience for my blog as before and hopefully hear from Aleister again; hopefully sharing those redacted documents doesn’t cause too much trouble for him.

Just to get meta for a minute, I feel as though Tension has gone out of their way for me this weekend and I’m incredibly thankful for that. I wish tonight had worked out. I hope I continue to be a part of this experience, and can find money to fly back out soon for more fun. Give me a reason to and I absolutely will.

[CodyParticipant]

I understand your mentality. I too suffer from the the same flaw… If it should really be viewed as such.

So here’s my thoughts, the other participant that met this individual had to call someone and during this phone convo had to swear allegiance to the OOA. Is this because they had not previously done so on the forums?
There was a time where the community encouraged vows. I have never taken one. So I wonder If this Is a way to get individuals to swear an oath of sorts. Acting or no.. do you not say the words?
This also brings me to Addison and his encounter with the dude who used to work/act for the OOA. What the hell was in the script that he refused to say out loud? This I find intriguing… and I have a strong desire to know what was on that refused script… that could make someone stop mid job and question if they should continue speaking. haha
ooooo the imagination rolls. So anyway I’m not sure how I myself may respond in certain instances. You would think however, that if they have us profiled and such.. that these personality “flaws” would be accounted for. no?
So planning a trip to LA for 10 days. thinking between July 7-16th. Taking the kids and misses. Do the Disney thing while it’s still all magic for my 6yr old. Nothing in stone yet but exploring options either way!

[Jake OParticipant]

@coryphella I do not think you did anything wrong. you have free will and different paths you can choose. That is one of the beautiful things about an open, immersive theater game like this. There are actions and reactions, but that doesn’t make any of them right or wrong. Either way, your story progresses.

I did what you didn’t, talk to the bartender, and didn’t get to meet aleister. So it’s my belief the guy was just messing with you to make you upset. remember, tension experience!

It is pretty awesome that they went out of their way to create an experience for you this weekend. I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet in person, as it sounds as if we were mere minutes away from each other at the bar!

[Anonymous]

Well, we did get to talk briefly on the phone.

I understand that some don’t believe Aleister was going to meet me and I admit it’s very possible that’s the case. I’m also incredibly tired of cynicism. First of all I do believe it’s VERY possible that I would have met him tonight where you & Addison might not have, if for no other reason than they really did go out of their way for me this weekend and who the hell knows when I’ll be able to come back. Second, Tension has never once in an interaction with me personally given me a reason to doubt that they are being honest with me. I understand that’s not the case for others, but I can only go on what I personally experience. If that makes me a naive idiot, fine. If Tension’s goal is to put me in a situation where I end up tearing myself apart for no reason, then I quit. I don’t need to be involved in an immersive anything to do that, that’s daily life for me. If Tension is interested in seeing if they can actually scare me, then you know what I say to that. But I don’t think that the goal of things is for me to hate myself. And I don’t think they had any way of knowing that that was going to be my reaction.

The sad part for me honestly is that I don’t know when I will be back. I feel like lots of things were crammed into a few days for me and I’m incredibly grateful, but for me, meeting Aleister would have basically been the best way to end this trip. He has said repeatedly that it won’t be the last time, but the truth is the only two windows I can see for coming BACK to LA are mid August and mid December.

[Jake OParticipant]

I do believe aleister intended to meet us as well. All indications pointed that way to me.

I agree, I don’t think they meant for you to hate yourself for the decision you made.

I do however think that they would not hesitate to leave you questioning your choices. This has been an aspect of every live event so far. In fact, the first consultation was built entirely around this concept. They asked difficult trivia questions and then had a room, the red room, that nobody was able to get to regardless of answering the final riddle in the correct way. I left that event questioning all my answers and choices, wondering if I could’ve gotten farther by saying something different.

I’ve realized it’s best to just enjoy the interactions they provide and not overthink what you could and could not have done. I strongly believe their intention is not to make you tear yourself apart, but merely to think about the story and the different options you had.

Anyway, I hope this makes you feel better. Once, the tickets go onsale in a few weeks, we will have a better idea of what’s coming up next. I hope to meet you next time you visit!

[Anonymous]

Airplane wifi sucks ASS. I wrote a long response and lost it.

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

I think all of your meetings sound exciting. I don’t know if you should assume the OOA is up to no good just because of your meeting, but that’s your decision to make. And @coryphella it sounds like you drove, which is staying true to yourself and that shouldn’t screw anything up. Hugs!

[Andrew KaschParticipant]

Fascinating accounts from all involved. I will say that I don’t think anyone did anything “wrong” – as Tension now has remarkable insight into our own personalities. So when @Megan worries that she might have acted against the experiences’ plan, chances are that they could have very well anticipated that.

Oh, and marshmallows are tasty… I vote we all make smores at our next meet up!

[Anonymous]

I’m going to try to get the longer post out before boarding the next flight, don’t know when that’s going to happen, everything seems to be delayed. Maybe the OOA is fucking with me by trapping me in this hellhole of an airport.

I highly doubt that Tension et al has successfully formed any kind of in-depth psych profile on me at this point. They have now seen me in person twice-ish. I think they probably gathered quite a bit of useful data about me in the last three days, but I don’t think they know my vulnerabilities enough to exploit them at the moment. They successfully got under my skin Saturday night but I’m pretty sure that was via lucky guess/accident on their part.

I will flat out say (and I’ll probably regret this), in case it wasn’t extremely obvious last night, that I absolutely HATE performing. I love *studying* it, but there is something of a block in my brain that makes me incredibly uncomfortable *doing* it. That’s what I was being asked to do, on top of that, I was being asked to do it in an environment that makes me uncomfortable, with a person who made me very uncomfortable. I honestly tried, but felt like someone had forgotten to give me the script. Actually I’m terrible at trying to stay on script. @endlesspictures, I was trying to talk to you on the phone when you called and could tell you weren’t supposed to respond, and then when I was given the task of reading the paper to Sean, I was told to just read it straight through and hang up. I am difficult to play with, I want to think and respond and do my own things and not be consumed with worry about what the other person is EXPECTING to hear. And, more importantly, not be self-conscious later when I think people think I’m weird for making weird choices and not just doing the thing. I will absolutely try again if the opportunity presents itself because I’m not going to miss it. But it’s one of the hardest things in the world for me to do. And I would be willing to bet that if you looked back at my posts on this site, there is a general reluctance – if not outright failure – to talk about the OOA in terms of something I have joined. My posts are largely meta, or informational.

I messaged one of my interactive theatre nerd friends last night. He is always trying to get me to “playtest” scenes in workshops and I refuse to because I don’t want to put the other actors through the agonizing process of dealing with someone who can’t. play. along. I tell him that I will just break it, and he tells me it’s not possible, and that they’re trained to respond to whatever I give them, no matter what. That, to echo what Aleister said to me, there are no wrong choices. Last night I messaged my friend to tell him, “I broke interactive theatre tonight.” He wrote back, “well…if anyone was going to, it was going to be you.”

[AnnaParticipant]

I got a message from Aleister yesterday that sounds similar to his invitation to @addisonborn and @endlesspictures. He said someone wanted to meet me last night but I wasn’t able to respond to him in time and a meeting was never set up. Really interesting twist with that claim that the game/theatrics are a front…did Aleister message everyone in the L.A. area on the forums or just a random few?

[TheBuzParticipant]

I didn’t get anything. They’ve ignored me since we found fours letter.

[Andrew KaschParticipant]

Interestingly enough, this goes back waaaaaaaay to the beginning. Someone – I think it was Sean Decker – was contacted back in February from an actress claiming to be with the Tension Experience. She warned him to get out while he could. (Guess he did…but on the wrong side).

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

Aleister did not contact me and I’m in LA. He’s actually never written me or responded to my Facebook messages. Heck according to that little icon on Facebook that shows when someone reads your messages he didn’t even read the last one that I sent (Which I took time out from my out of town family visit to carefully word regarding Memorial Day bringing up “freedom” hoping to evoke a response to find out more about his situation since I had a theory that he wasn’t exactly free.) I’ve actually given up on Aleister contacting me to be quite honest.

[MichelleParticipant]

Oh my…

Locked out of the site for over a day and not knowing why and now I’m needing popcorn (maybe a few marshmallows as well) to catch up on everything.

[Mustafa SaidParticipant]

Ok, read through everything. What a wonderful discussion.

To the nature of our so-called “vulnerabilities” and the OOA’s use of them in some way(potentially malicious), should I remind all of us that in order to join the OOA we were required to submit a questionnaire, one that (assuming we answered said questions truthfully), would have lain bare to the OOA parts of ourselves that would have remained hidden from the public eye? And have they not proven time and time again that they are more than capable of prying deep into the digital world to showcase things about us that we long forgot or were surprised to see once more?

So yea, of course the OOA knows things about us that most people probably wouldn’t. And I’m not surprised if they’re willing to leverage that knowledge against us if we transgress their bounds.

Now, @addisonborn. You pose the question of “Why are you here? What is the point? What are you actually looking for?”

Well then. Allow me to be a bit…vulnerable here. 😉

Deep down inside, there’s a part of me that no one sees. And that deep, inner me hates a lot of things and a lot of people around me, all the time. Underneath the happy, pleasant exterior is a hollow, empty feeling that makes me feel like there’s not much in my life. Blames me and the people around me.

When I found the OOA, when I first discovered Tension, that emptiness began to fill. Drip by minuscule drip, it began. I began to feel less and less like there was something wrong with me, like I was somehow disconnected with the world around me. Granted, I still live with people with whom I have…irreparable relationships with and being with them only intensifies the hollow feeling in me. But Tension…the OOA and the experience I’ve begun to sink myself into as a result…that puts a smile on my face. I was confused, stumbling in the dark but step by wonderful step, I began to move. I began to walk on a _Path that made me fill the void, even though I’m no where near LA. It brought me peace and tranquility.

I recall the April newsletter, how it teaches us to find our “center”, to take hold of the sick, twisted and disgusting feelings that we shove deep into the recesses of ourselves and seal up as best as we can….and acknowledge them. When I began doing that, when I began to take the emptiness and focus it into a single sensation…..I stopped feeling bad about myself. At least, I started to control that feeling more and more.

The OOA, in simple ways, has already begun to impact me and no one around me notices it. When I smile now, I smile with confidence and a tinge of joy. When news breaks out here on the forums, I rush to them-regardless of what’s going on around me. I was once staring at an ocean of possibility that the OOA showed me. Then I promised myself(here on the forums, if you dig hard enough) that I would be a part of this. I no longer stared at the ocean: I began to swim into its depths with no plans of leaving.

The waters of the OOA are warm. I think I’m drowning. And I feel ok with that.

AND FINALLY: to @irishalliwell120: “How very voyeuristic of them. I hope they enjoy the show.”
That is the single funniest thing I’ve read on the forums so far. Thanks for making me laugh. 😀

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by  Mustafa Said.

[CodyParticipant]

*applause* I dig that shit brother. ^

[Anonymous]

My guess (about ARGs) would be the Jejune Institute, it’s thematically in the same ballpark as this one.
The next biggest one after I Love Bees was the Batman one.
The one that really pushed them into mainstream attention was The Beast in 2001.

[Anonymous]

I hesitate to say this because I don’t know that I want to read anything into any of my feelings about my meeting last night, but I didn’t like that guy. Maybe I just did everything wrong, but I was told to give the information I had to him, and that seemed to just….not happen. He also asked me kind of sarcastically if I always did everything that Aleister told me to do. 😛

[CodyParticipant]

Ive been experiencing some glitchy wiggly posts as well. for a few days now! Winds of change!

[Kimberly @ElectricHippoParticipant]

As @addisonborn explained, he had a face-to-face meeting with a man he has not yet named. The man handed him an envelope and instructed him to call the number (mine) and read out loud exactly what was on the paper.

Here is a link to this voice mail recording:

Audio File – AddisonBorn voice mail

Thank you for calling me a Bringer of Darkness. Sweeter words never spoken. I <3 you too. P.S. Best hair ever.

[Susie JParticipant]

Why have @addisonborn do the exact thing the unnamed fellow did for the OOA that he found so distasteful?

What haunts/ARGs were around 10 years ago that the OOA could have been luring people in with (if that’s the case)?

Wouldn’t doing work in a dark, disturbing medium sort of be par for the course for people in a certain portion of the entertainment industry?

Lunch time thoughts. Damn, now I want marshmallows.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by  Susie J.

[Sean (@TheGilded)Moderator]

I Love Bees was ’04, and was huge. It was big enough to put ARG’s into more of the public light and inspired a number of others. The earliest that I’m seeing was Dreadnot, starting back in ’96.

I can’t speak towards haunts, but there’s been a medium for Tension to exist in for a couple decades now.

[PuppetGirlParticipant]

Are we trying to figure out what the actor that contacted a few folks was involved in years ago that was OOA? Is that important? How do you plan to use that info if you do figure it out? Contact people that were involved with that an interrogate them about the OOA?

[CodyParticipant]

Someone has been reading!

[Susie JParticipant]

Well, for one, extracting yourself from the sphere of influence of the OOA seems to be an unusual occurrence.

I’m not saying we should go find this guy, I was just mulling over his motivations and actions. Why make Addison phone in a scripted message? Why get involved after all this time? It means he’s been keeping tabs on everything and has not been uninvolved at all. So what does this all add up to? It says the OOA has been operating like this for a while. What has kept them so secret, with all these former associates running around having been freaked out by their activities?

Bathroom thoughts.

[MikeParticipant]

Right and why did Aleister send this person in his place? Unless the person that was supposed to meet got a phone call telling him to go to another bar, and then this guy took that person’s place. Anything is possible!

[Addison BornParticipant]

@monkeymuffin333 That’s something I’m still trying to figure out. Maybe to put me in his shoes? To feel how uncomfortable it is to go on the record? A form of sacrifice?

Aleister put him up to it, he told me to listen to this man. So to me, everything that happened reflects back on him.. and we know Al’s not in III’s good graces at the moment either. Something’s definitely funky inside the OOA.

And the OOA could have gone by many names in the past as evidenced by the papers given to @coryphella.

Also, anyone else’s reply functionality getting weird right now?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by  Addison Born.

[Addison BornParticipant]

@mike I asked Aleister that same question, he was unable to answer – that was right before III’s post last night. Not sure we’re going to find out what’s up immediately, but he did tell me to expect a call.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by  Addison Born.

[Sean (@TheGilded)Moderator]

@addisonborn – Replies are wonky for me, too. I believe once a thread hits a certain size, things start breaking and I believe we hit that size a while ago

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