This is my written testimony that I shared at a non-denominational local church that my husband and I attended. It was written April 2025

Hello everyone, my name is Rica. I want to start by thanking Pastor Chad for giving me this opportunity to share my testimony. It is such an honor to be here. While this is my personal story, I want to make it clear that this testimony is not about me—it’s about Jesus Christ, and how He saved me out of the deception and darkness of the New Age. My hope is that this encourages you and glorifies the one true God. 

I was born and raised in the Philippines in a conservative Catholic family. We went to church nearly every Sunday, but to be honest, I didn’t understand much about Christianity. I remember being bored and even frightened by the image of Jesus hanging on the cross—bloody and wounded. Still, my family instilled in me a reverence for God, even if I didn’t know Him personally.

Growing up, I was rebellious. I constantly got into trouble—fighting with my siblings, disobeying my parents. Then in my early twenties, I stumbled into the world of conspiracy theories and end-times prophecies. I had always been a seeker of truth, questioning why the world is the way it is. That curiosity led me to read the Book of Revelation, and out of fear, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. But it wasn’t a true surrender—it was driven by fear, not love or repentance.

When I moved to the U.S. at 22, I was distracted and seduced by the world. I got married young and was emotionally immature. I stopped going to church, chased after material success, and slowly let go of any faith I once had. I coped with stress by partying, drinking, and making choices that ultimately led to divorce. Deep down, I knew it was wrong—but I didn’t want to face my guilt, so I pushed God away completely. I even said to myself, “I don’t believe in God anymore.”

That was the beginning of a very dark season in my life. I was spiritually lost and emotionally numb. I tried to fill the emptiness with distractions. I turned to marijuana to relax and escape, and eventually began experimenting with psychedelic mushrooms. My first trip gave me what many would call a “spiritual awakening.” I believed I had opened my third eye, seen through different layers of reality, and even encountered “God.” But this so-called god told me I didn’t need to be saved—that I was already divine, already loved no matter what. It sounded so comforting. But now, I know it was a lie from the enemy.

That trip fed my ego and made me feel powerful and special.  It made me feel euphoric and blissful and that’s how it really got me- is this addiction to sensations of the flesh. It made me feel good about myself even though deep inside I was sinful. 

 I was hooked by this spiritual awakening from psychedelic mushrooms and I wanted to know more about this new found spiritual identity. This pretty much jumpstarted my spiritual search and this search led me to the New Age.

For those unfamiliar, the New Age is like a spiritual buffet. It pulls from all sorts of religions and beliefs—especially Eastern mysticism. It teaches that we are divine, that God is an impersonal energy, and that we can achieve enlightenment through practices like meditation, yoga, kundalini awakening, and psychedelics. It promises healing and empowerment, but it’s a trap. It’s deceptive and seductive, especially for people like me who were sincerely searching for truth.

I dove in headfirst. I practiced kundalini yoga, became certified in reiki, used tarot and oracle cards as divination, studied astrology, used crystals for chakra balancing, taught yoga, studied herbalism, and eventually found myself involved in witchcraft and sorcery —though I didn’t call it that at the time.

 For seven years, I collected knowledge and tools to “heal” myself. But I was never truly healed. The New Age offered me temporary highs, but they never lasted. I was always chasing the next breakthrough, the next experience, the next new way of thinking. I thought I was in control of my life, but I was trapped in a cycle of self-worship and delusion.

Everything changed when I became a mother.

Motherhood revealed to me how selfish I had been. It broke me—in the best way. Suddenly, life wasn’t about me anymore. I had a child to protect, to nurture, and raise. My husband and I began to shift in our worldview. We developed conservative values almost overnight. We wanted to shield our daughter from the toxic culture around us. For the first time, I began to question the New Age beliefs I had once held so tightly.

Deep down, I knew these cultural issues were plainly wrong, but I struggled with the fact that I didn’t have any moral authority to stand on. I realized that morality is objective—there has to be an authority outside of us that defines what is right and what is wrong. This led me to question whether true justice exists in the world and whether God is just. I even started thinking about how we would all be judged after we die—a thought that, in hindsight, was likely influenced by my Catholic upbringing.

When I got pregnant with my second child, this is when I hit rock bottom. I’ve never really experienced such hardship in my life. I was so helpless and was living in survival mode. I couldn’t seem to get out of it. I wasn’t depressed or anything but I was just very low- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. On top of that I have a toddler to take care of. I tried doing yoga, meditation, and I was even giving reiki to myself. I was journaling and did some affirmations but none of it worked. I was so exhausted to do it over and over again to feel great and to feel at peace but nothing worked anymore.

It was in my lowest and weakest that the Word of God came to me. I heard this soft and gentle voice through my thoughts. It was a bible verse and I’ve never really read the bible and maybe I’ve heard this verse before but never really paid attention to it. 

The verse was:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” —Matthew 7:13-14

Then a few days later:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6

When I heard these bible verses, it felt like the words were moving, and breathing and it’s alive. And then it felt like this veil in my mind and my heart was being opened and I was able to understand what it meant. I realized at that moment that the whole bible is the Word of God, breathing and alive because the God of the bible is the Living Word.

It was a powerful revelation, and I didn’t really know what to do with it. Naturally, I turned to YouTube and started searching. That’s when I found testimonials from people who had left the New Age and chosen to follow Jesus Christ. I watched so many of them, and I could relate to everything they shared.

I was immediately convicted of all my sins. In the New Age, I never really believed in the concept of sin, but when the Word of God came to me, I knew—I had sinned and offended God tremendously. I saw myself clearly for the first time: wretched, prideful, selfish, and guilty of idolatry. I had been in darkness for so long, yet I had convinced myself that I was with God. But in that moment, I realized I had been serving the wrong god—the god of self, a god I had created in my own mind.

It felt like Jesus was knocking on my door metaphorically speaking and I finally answered it. I kept pushing Him away but at that moment I couldn’t push him away anymore. I kneeled and I repented all my sins. I asked for his forgiveness and I was very sorry that I have served the wrong god. I asked him to come into my life and that I wanted him – I WANTED HIM IN MY LIFE! I asked him to take away all of this guilt, this shame and all these heavy burdens I was carrying with me and all the sins I have committed. I cried on my knees asking for his forgiveness. Then I told him that I accept him as my Lord and Savior and that I am not resisting him anymore. 

After that confession and encountering Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I felt an instant peace like I had never felt before. It was a deep, lasting peace, and it felt like I had finally come home. I was FREE—free from the bondage of sin and from all the unnecessary rituals and practices that no longer had any power over me. I was free in Christ, and I knew I was safe—that He had taken away all of my transgressions. My heart felt lighter, knowing I no longer had anything to hide from Him.

I gave my life to Christ, just as He gave His life for me. From that moment on, my greatest desire was to obey Him—to follow His commands and walk in His truth. The narrow path is Jesus Christ, and there is no other way to Heaven, no other way to God, except through Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. I understood that fully, and my heart was overflowing with joy just to know it. I chose Him—but now I know, He chose me first.

I really didn’t do anything to deserve this salvation. It was all through God’s grace. It was through the blood of Christ that I was saved and born again. I just want to worship Him, praise Him and give thanks to Him. 

The next day, I started throwing away all of my new age idolatry stuff. I throw away all of my tarot and oracle decks, buddha, hindu goddesses and angel statues, crystals, my yoga mat – everything. I cleared out my healing room space and didn’t leave one single thing. I spent so much money acquiring all of these items and yet none of it is acceptable to God. I don’t miss any of it and I will never look back. 

One of the things I’ve noticed right away after being born again is that my addiction to cannabis or marijuana or any psychedelic drugs have completely gone. Like I don’t crave or desire to take any of those psychoactive drugs anymore. I wasn’t really taking them all the time because I would take like 3 months break from smoking cannabis but I was still looking for it because I was attached to it and I was addicted to the sensation of being high. After accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, He cut that addiction instantly and I never smoked ever since.

Jesus Christ healed my mind, body and spirit. I no longer seek answers that are not from the Word of God. He is the answer to all life’s problems and he is the only one that can satisfy your longing for Truth. I am content with Christ because He truly is the only one that can fill the emptiness that I used to feel when I was in the New Age.   

So it’s been one year now since I became born again and in that first year my life has completely changed as the Lord has been sanctifying my spirit. My mind and heart are renewed and my faith in Christ is growing each day. 

I pray that this baptism serves as a symbol of my commitment to follow Jesus Christ. 

Thank you all so much for listening and I hope that this testimony serves you and it makes you love God and Jesus even more. 

Praise the Lord Hallelujah!