Exegesis (group)

Exegesis was founded by Robert D'Aubigny, a former actor, in 1976 as Infinity Training, offering "englightenment and personal transformation" through a course of paid seminars.

In 1978, British musician Mike Oldfield underwent Exegesis therapy during a seminar in London, including a rebirthing experience. People who met Mike after he had undertaken the therapy often found that he would stare at them as above, with his face only a few inches from theirs. The part that perhaps left the biggest impression on Mike was where he went through a rebirth experience. The course-goers were encouraged to do so. Through this, it emerged that Mike's problems all stemmed from him having a distressing birth. He then went through this rebirth experience to counteract it. Oldfield's metamorphosis has been described as "astonishing", a transformation from a "painfully diffident recluse" into "a garrulous, over-bearing extrovert". Oldfield, who has since undergone psychotherapy and taken up meditation, described his behaviour after the programme, which included frequent interviews, nude photographs, flying lessons and a short-lived marriage to D'Aubigny's sister, as "a reflex action... I wanted to try everything, but also stated: "But it was right for me, that's all I know. I felt like I'd turned the clock back and had a second chance. It became obvious to me that all the panic I’d felt was the memory of my birth, coming out into the world."

Greater interest in the programme, arguably due to Oldfield's proselytising, led to the group being investigated by the press and becoming the subject of a controversial television play. but re-emerged as a telesales company called Programmes Ltd.

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