Orgasmic Meditation

OneTaste Incorporated, currently operating as The Institute of OM, is a business primarily dedicated to promoting " orgasmic meditation" (OM), an activity in which an often male participant strokes a female participant while she concentrates on the resulting physical sensations. OneTaste was founded by Nicole Daedone and Robert Kandell in San Francisco. OneTaste and independent affiliates had operated in multiple cities, including London, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. By selling courses and retreats, the company claimed to have generated $12 million of revenue in 2017. Daedone sold her OneTaste shares to three members for $12 million in the same year.

As OneTaste grew and received more media attention, the organization was accused of cult-like operations, similar to Lafayette Morehouse, an intentional community of which Daedone was formerly a member. An exposé by Bloomberg News in 2018 led to OneTaste being investigated by the FBI for sex trafficking, prostitution, and violations of labor law. Shortly thereafter, OneTaste closed all of their U.S. locations and stopped hosting in-person classes. The FBI investigation concluded with an indictment in 2023 of Daedone and her former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz on forced labor charges, which resulted in their convictions in June 2025.

History

OneTaste began in 2004 and was cofounded in San Francisco by Robert Kandell and Nicole Daedone. Daedone stated that a man introduced her to orgasmic meditation before she started OneTaste. ''The Daily Telegraph'' reported that Daedone changed her description of the man upon retelling the origin story, having portrayed him on different occasions as a Buddhist, a monk, and "a cute guy" who said "the best pickup line I'd ever heard".

OneTaste originally operated two communal-style "urban retreat" centers, one in San Francisco's Soma District and another in Lower Manhattan. OneTaste then expanded to Los Angeles and London. The company produced media, workshops, weekend retreats, and a coach training program. In 2014, OneTaste was listed as an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company. Daedone sold her ownership of OneTaste to three participants for $12 million in 2017; the company stated that it received $12 million in revenue during the same year.

''Bloomberg Businessweek'' published an exposé of the company in June 2018. According to the report, OneTaste offered orgasmic meditation courses for $499 to $16,000, as well as a $60,000 annual subscription that included access to all courses. In October 2018, OneTaste closed all of their U.S. locations and stopped hosting in-person classes. By 2022, OneTaste rebranded itself as The Institute of OM.

In October 2022, ''MendoFever'' reported that the Mendocino County Jail discontinued its partnership with Unconditional Freedom, an organization associated with OneTaste. Unconditional Freedom had the same Employer Identification Number as the OneTaste Foundation, shared a mailing address with OneTaste, employed eight volunteers who have worked for OneTaste, and was promoted on OneTaste's website.

A Netflix documentary film about OneTaste and its controversies, '' Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste'', was released on November 5, 2022. Prior to the release, fourteen former OneTaste members filed a lawsuit against Netflix, seeking a temporary restraining order and the removal of sexually explicit imagery that was allegedly "misappropriated" by a former OneTaste employee. Their request was denied by a Los Angeles judge. According to ''The Daily Beast'', a former OneTaste employee stated that the lawsuit was "a last-ditch effort by OneTaste to protect its reputation" and "may be nothing more than an attempt to silence its victims, some of whom have accused the company of functioning like a cult". The plaintiffs withdrew their lawsuit after the documentary was released with their faces obscured.

OneTaste opened a New York facility in autumn 2024, where the company provided orgasmic meditation lessons. In 2025, OneTaste also offered lessons through their Eros Platform website, and CEO Anjuli Ayer announced their intent to adopt a franchise-based business model.

Orgasmic meditation

OneTaste is centered around orgasmic meditation (OM), an activity in which a clothed and usually male "stroker" stimulates a female "strokee" by softly fingering the upper-left section of her clitoris for a timed 15 minutes. Prior to physical contact, the stroker describes the appearance of the strokee's vulva to her and puts on a lubricated glove. OneTaste also facilitated "male OMing", which involves a woman performing a 15-minute handjob on a man.

The company markets OM as a mindfulness practice in which both participants focus their attention on the sensation with the stated goal of developing "connective resonance" between themselves. Daedone described her own work as "one that places a near-exclusive emphasis on women's pleasure — in which love, romance and even flirtation are not required." After, both partners discuss their experiences verbally. Orgasmic meditation borrows from yoga and meditation. According to Daedone's former associates, orgasmic meditation was derived from "deliberate orgasm" (DO), a similar masturbation activity created by the Welcomed Consensus, an alleged sex cult based in San Francisco of which Daedone was previously a member.

Proponents state that orgasmic meditation encompasses more than just orgasm and that it encourages greater emotional awareness, connected relationships, and sense of fulfillment. The organization's stated goal is "to create a clean, well-lit place where sexuality, relationship, and intimacy could be discussed openly and honestly." Daedone draws parallels between slow sex and the Slow Food movement associated with chef Alice Waters. With sex as with food, she says, people can overindulge without getting nourishment, or go from one extreme of consuming mindlessly to the other extreme of self-denial.

Reception

Several journalists have compared OneTaste to a cult and pyramid scheme. "As with many a commune before it, the leader of OneTaste, Ms. Daedone, is a polarizing personality, whom admirers venerate as a sex diva, although some former members say she has cult like powers over her followers... Much of the community's tone revolves around Ms. Daedone, a woman of considerable charm, although detractors regard her as a master manipulator." In a ''New York Times'' interview, Daedone insists she does not aspire to guru status, while acknowledging that "there's a high potential for this to be a cult."

A ''New York Times'' article led to several critical blog and opinion columns. An article in ''GoodTimes Weekly'', "The Big OM", refers to "cult allegations" by posters on Yelp.com, as did one on ''Vice'', and on ''Salon''. A 2016 episode of the podcast Love + Radio is dedicated to the experience of a woman who had increasingly fraught relations with OneTaste. An article in ''The Cut'' stated that "some cult experts have linked Daedone with Victor Baranco," the cult leader who ran Lafayette Morehouse, and also suggest that it may be a pyramid scheme. Similarly, an article in The Frisky described OneTaste as "Landmark Forum for the clitoris." A ''Refinery29'' article cited the organization's "potentially aggressive sales tactics." ''Playboy Magazine'' compared OneTaste to Scientology and Landmark Forum, saying it had a "pyramidal pricing structure". For example, a week-long training with Nicole Daedone was advertised at $36,000. The ''Playboy'' writer noted behaviors that were "cultish", for example, "the way the volunteers serve the leaders, jumping at their every demand to 'get me water' and 'move that stool'... the full-court sales pitch from the minute you walk in... I leave early and I'm furious." The author implies she was gaslighted when she disagreed with the leaders. She writes that she was re-traumatized "for weeks" as memories of her past sexual trauma were triggered by a business promising female empowerment but "people probably just want your money."

The book ''Sensation'' by Isabel Losada ends with a "Warning" about "'hard sell" techniques... 'One Taste' (like many businesses) offer a wide range of courses which are outside the price range of most bank accounts. I'll say it again. Please don't spend money that you don't have."

Around universities, students are drawn to free OneTaste events with ad boards such as "Tired of Swiping Left? Let's Talk Real Intimacy!" or "You Do Yoga. You Meditate. Now try #OrgasmicMeditation". A year-long, $60,000 premium membership is sold by the company since 2014. OneTaste teaches their members that money is just an emotional obstacle, which led some of them down to thousands of dollars in credit card debts. In June 2018, ''Bloomberg Businessweek'' published an article chronicling recent training changes and that was critical of how the company treated its employees and consultants, often pressuring them to take expensive courses, programs, and retreats that drove them into debt.

In November 2020, BBC Radio 4 released a 10-part investigative podcast entitled ''The Orgasm Cult'' that spoke to former workers of the company, detailing allegations of emotional, financial and sexual abuse, with some saying that OneTaste’s teachings and practices gaslit many women, leaving them with symptoms of PTSD. The podcast also spoke to experts about how the medical establishment’s dismissal of women’s health concerns pushes many women towards the growing and unregulated wellness industry and companies like OneTaste.

Federal investigation and litigation

OneTaste drew international media attention, controversy, and then an FBI investigation and indictment of Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz on forced labor charges.

In 2015, OneTaste paid a former employee a six-figure settlement for enduring sexual assault, harassment, and labor law violations. The settlement was confidential until the 2018 ''Bloomberg'' report. The report prompted a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into OneTaste for prostitution, sex trafficking, and violations of labor law.

Trial

In June 2023, Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz were indicted on charges of forced labor.

Attacking the federal case, the defense claimed that FBI Special Agent Elliot McGinnis, who reportedly led the investigation for five years, undermined the case's integrity by advising witnesses to destroy evidence, mishandling privileged materials, and presenting misleading information in sworn affidavits. However, presiding Judge Diane Gujarati denied a motion to dismiss, ruling that the defense had not sufficiently demonstrated bad faith or that these issues prejudiced the prosecution's case, but did push back the trial, initially scheduled for January 13, to May 5.

On March 17, 2025, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced that they would not use a key witness's journals in the case. The witness had falsely presented them as written about the time she was a OneTaste member, but instead had "physically copied the relevant portion of the Handwritten Journals after typing the Typewritten Journals".

The trial started on May 5, 2025. During the trial, former CTO Christopher Hubbard described OneTaste as a "sex cult", and stated that he and Daedone arranged BDSM activities for a male OneTaste investor, in which most of them involved the investor "either giving or receiving some form of sexual activity" with OneTaste members.

Several women who worked for OneTaste testified against Daedone and Cherwitz. The witnesses described instances of forced labor ranging from sex work with investors to menial tasks such as cooking. A video entered into evidence contained footage of Daedone claiming that rape could be "deflected" if the victim would "turn on 100 percent, because then there is nothing to rape."

Verdict

On June 9, 2025, the jury in the case found Daedone and Cherwitz guilty on federal forced labor charges. Both face up to 20 years in prison.

Announcing the verdict, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr. said, "The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit."

Lawyers for Daedone and Cherwitz told NPR that they intend to appeal the verdict to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Juda Engelmayer, a publicist for the organization, says the verdict "crosses a dangerous line — criminalizing freedom of religion, assembly, expression, and speech."

Following the verdict, Judge Gujarati ordered Daedone and Cherwitz remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service. they are held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn while awaiting sentencing. The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists Cherwitz as inmate register number 62735-510 and Daedone as inmate register number 63699-510.

In a post-conviction hearing, the ''New York Times'' reported Judge Gujarati had denied Daedone and Cherwitz bail due to actions by OneTaste's publicists Engelmayer and Marcus Ratnathicam which she characterized as retaliation against government witnesses.

See also

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Onetaste
Human sexuality organizations
Slow movement
Sexual misconduct allegations
Female masturbation
Sex industry in the United States