9/5 – Email from Jaime (Briarberg Foundation)

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK BRIARBERG IS REAL? Or real ish? With multiple people and not just Mason bullshitting us? What the fuck is going on?

Mason has described Briarberg as the “OOA-like replacement” that is a collection of unique minds bringing forth change and research with sciences

So…Jamie must be another one of those unique minds.
I wonder if the delicate topic of discussion has anything to do with the helmet.

Briarberg seems to be filled with people who “just want to have a chat”.

Do you think this one’ll “just want to chat” with a crowbar or with a generic lead pipe?

They’re going to talk to you about your ascension.

@thegilded I’m hoping the “chat” will involve spiked nunchucks and a glass of whiskey for the pain

Maybe Mason was telling the truth, but has a temper and is impatient, so he resorts to alternative methods when things aren’t going the way he’d like as quickly as he’d like.

Interesting development. Looking forward to hearing your report back from your meeting!

I think it’ll be a birthday present for @Mike and he’ll be wearing a white dress next time we see him.

Mike, do a geo-locate on the IP headers.

There’s also the possibility that this is the OSDM crying wolf again, making something real a part of the game. We don’t have enough information to tell.

In light of Mason’s personal history, it’s clear that he’s too close to remain objective. Although he may have been instrumental in starting Briarberg, he has demonstrated that he’s too emotional to act on his own, to the detriment of the Foundation and its mission. I’m glad to hear Jaime is reaching out. I look forward to cooler heads prevailing.

There are a lot of moving pieces on our end

What an interesting turn of phrase…

@macbethinabathtub Something tells me that with this group, “cooler heads” just means “alternative forms of manipulation”.

I have to wonder if the Briarberg Foundation is okay with Mason’s antics, maybe they even condone them. If they aren’t apologizing for him or trying to redact what he did, perhaps they are supportive of his “truth stick”. Maybe they want what they want, and don’t care how they get it. They got what they needed from Joyce (not confirmed, just speculating), and now they are going a different approach with @mike. Guarantee they already have all of the information on him that they need to gage how he handles certain situations and what he is receptive to. So why send in Mason first, and then follow his lead? Was he a testing ground? Was he the bait?

If Mason is a founder of Briarberg, it’s likely he gathered like-minded individuals. For all we know, Mason’s antics could be business as usual for them.

Might I point out that Noah is the figurehead of The System and yet at times he’s acted erratic and out of tune with the images of the corporation.

It’s very possible Jaime does agree with Mason’s methods. Mason had mentioned that he was working on his research project at the behest of a board member. Now we’ve got a member of The Briarberg board reaching out.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaime was the one Mason was working with.

@kevin Thanks for pointing this out. Like I said, something seems odd that this Jaime is not trying to cover up or compensate for what Mason has done. His (or her) silence points towards approval rather than disapproval

My first instinct is to go…you are going to die.

Second instinct is to tell you to get all the info.

The Briarberg Foundation is starting to feel like the Alt-Right of Lust…

Building off the point that this is Mason’s point of contact, Jaime’s spiel sounds exactly like Masons’s early attempts to reach out. He wants info on the actors and people involved with The Tension Experience. Unlike Mason, he won’t even mention a topic as a pretense though. Mason at least pretended to ask about ethics in immersive theater.

Congrats, @Mike! This is your chance to get close to these people and learn a thing or two.

Hell, you might even get to be the recipient of Mason’s new “science” approach. (You’re so getting helmeted!)

Mr. Wallick,

My name is Jaime Botkin, and I am currently on the board of directors of The Briarberg Foundation.

It has come to our attention that you have had numerous encounters with the actors, participants, and creators of the Immersive Theater project known as “The Tension Experience.”

We are also aware that you have had several suspect interactions while within their compound in Boyle Heights, including acting as a role as actor as you “strangled” III.

If your schedule permits we would love to invite you to sit down with us and discuss a topic that is best reserved for face to face.

There are a lot of moving pieces on our end, but I will be in town Thursday – Sunday of this week. (Currently eyeing Thursday evening around 8pm.)

Please do respond and let me know if you are able to come in and have a chat.

Warmest Regards,

Jaime

Guess I’ll see you in the thunderdome @mike

@thebuz doesn’t need a bat, Mike. He uses his hands.

Well well well, who do you get to strangle this time, @thebuz?

Boys night out… murderin and all @thebuz @mike

@coryphella It’s more personal that way.

Going to be an interesting week.

Shall we start a dead pool for the next chosen for a Briarberg sit down?

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit good luck guys

Just got this email:

Chelsea,

Jaime

Jamie attached my Processing Form from Tension. Adventure time! *gulp*

If it is the anniversary of The One event like @mike said, I imagine the big players from last year as well as this season will be getting the email. Just saying based off the content of the emails being sent out.

I just got this email:

Lauren Bello,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jaime Botkin and I am on the board of the Briarberg Foundation.

We have been following your involvement within The Tension universe, but more specifically your position within the organization known as “BOS”.

You are in a unique position to offer us a different perspective on a few theories we would like to present.

We understand you are a busy woman, and the last thing we want to do is waste your time. But, if you had a few minutes we would like to extend an invitation later in the week. (Most likely Thursday evening).

Do please let us know.

Regards,

Jaime

Yeeeep. Looks like all the Indoctrination people are being pinged.

@russell @rizzzoooooo @addisonborn watch your emails!

Congrats to those being selected! I feel like “Don’t die” applies here. Be safe everyone!

This is crazy. Jamie is so bold! I can’t wait to hear what happens, kids!

First thought with the different emails going out was:

Each email has asked for something different. They’re building out a focus group based on the variety of experiences people could have had with Tension last year.

Second thing struck me though. @mike mentioned that it was the anniversary of The One event on Thursday. Was everyone who has received an email so far at that event?

Old veterans, attendees of The One event.

Why them, specifically, though? Some link? Some interaction they had?

@a in the Slack just strongly suggested we don’t go.

Yea, and we have been *great* at following @a’s instructions so far. Maybe that’s what this group has in common. We all tend to do the exact opposite of what we are told.

Briarberg is intriguing, and we need to learn about this Jaime person to know how to proceed… but everyone might want to listen to @a on this.

There are no brakes on this cart anymore.

I’ll be interested in organizing a spot for those not selected to meet up that evening to discuss whatever goes down. Once we have a general area for that meeting I’ll try to find a good spot somewhat nearby for us to hang while we wait on word from the Briarberg crew.

Mr. Kasch,

By way of introduction my name is Jaime Botkin and I sit on board of The Briarberg Foundation.

I am collecting my thoughts after reading your various accounts from last years Experience.

I truely hope that my bluntness will not offend you, but I am curious to talk to you regarding how much of the words you have written are in fact truths, and what part of this formed off of your friendships with the creators of the experience.

We find your accounts insightful and would love to speak with your further into any insights you would be willing to share regarding your personal experiences.

We are currently shooting for Thursday evening around 8pm, but if you are in fact interested, we will firm up a time.

Excited to sit down with you,

Jaime

Catching up now but it seemed everyone being pinged played at least one major role in Indoctrination. Acting as a character, writing up popular articles, etc. They’re picking out certain people to get a wide scope of all that went down last night, covering all their bases. Did mason ever say what his role in the foundation was? Or did he just say he’s part of it?

The Briarberg Fondation… trust us, we just wanna chat…

Fascinating that this meeting is coming on the heels of one of their own going so… how shall we say… off-kilter.

No… I have not received an invitation but that does not surprise me since Mason obviously thought other tactics, such as sneaking into my home if he could, would be more effective with me than a simple chat.

I disagree with the idea that Indoctrination people are being chosen, it seems to me folks who have had Briarberg interactions, such as email chains, are being chosen. (Unless I am confusing some of the recent events.)

Proceed with caution, you guys. Proceed with caution.

Sounds very murder-y, to me.

@rizzzoooooo In his early e-mails with me, Mason said “I work for the Briarberg Foundation. However, this report was independently contracted by one of our board members.” I assume that’s Jaime.

@russell We’ll be fine. What could go wrong?

Echoing @Russell — There is a reason @a says not to go. Briarberg is an unknown. Meeting Horace in a theatre is one thing. I have found nothing on Briarberg, even on the Dark Web. Nothing on Radaris. If it were a US-based foundation it would file an annual form 990 with the IRS. Nothing.

If you are going somewhere that is not public, maintain situational awareness.

10 Ways To Improve Your Situational Awareness

I love that @larry looked on the dark web for briarberg. Not just the deep web. The dark web. Did you check Mariana’s web as well?

Lets see what they’re all about.

Michael,

You don’t know me. My name is Jaime Botkin… I am currently on the board of the Briarberg Foundation.

Your name has popped up on numerous reports stemming from an incident that took place last year with your removal and then re-acceptance into The Tension Experience.

We are putting together a very small group to discuss some topics that I think you may find interest in.

We understand that you are very busy and have prior engagements, but if you are so inclined we are eyeing a Thursday evening meeting.

If this works with your schedule, please let us know.

All my best,

Jaime

Also:
l o fucking l at “Your name has popped up on numerous reports stemming from an incident that took place last year with your removal and then re-acceptance into The Tension Experience.”

Ha! There you go.

So… are we all getting a one on one or are we going in as a group?

And how much are we drinking afterwards?

I’m thinking it’ll be a group sit down, I forgot but I thought I saw some of us got the same times? 8ish? I think @meghanmayhem’s right, pretty sure we’ll have either @addisonborn or @russell join us as well TBH

Something I just noticed that could mean nothing, but it seems everyone’s email was asking them to come chat and fill in some blanks for them… but for @daela and I, they’re saying they have topics they think I’d find interesting and theories to present to @daela. coukd just be a small thing they didn’t mean anything by, but it did stick out to me.

Good luck to everyone headed to this meeting – and, you know, let me know if you hear anything about Mason that I should maybe know…?

Oh hai guys,

So I got an email from Jaime as well. In the spirit of Never Silent here it is:

Melissa,

Jaime

I told Jaime I’m open to it if it works in my schedule. I later got a time, Thursday at 8pm. Unfortunately that doesn’t work for me so I can’t go. Very interesting Briarberg Foundation would reach out to me…seems like they’re hitting up people from all walks of experience. From the very active to the well, inactive.

As a side note, I miss you guys.

Well this is interesting.

Though notable choices in wording, referring to it as “something you appear to be running from”, immediately followed by asking you to tell him why. Seems kind of abrasive amongst the rest of the pleasantries.

So Briarberg refers to Melissa’s Tension file and sees that she has recently quit which means Jaime has access to recent Tension data. Jaime seems to accept and maybe even encourage distancing ourselves from the experience which tracks with their stated motives. Interesting that Jaime keeps referring to Tension and never Lust.

We miss you too, @mkarrett.

That is…disconcerting that you’ve been reached out to, Melissa. It almost suggests, again, that we can’t leave.

Also we most *definitely* miss you.

@lazysmartperson I am glad you pointed this out, Kevin.

… which means Jaime has access to recent Tension data.

Some of us were surprised that the Briarberg Foundation seemed to have access to so much Tension info… and those carefully chosen people that got an invitation for Thursday has each stated – it seemed to reference something that would be in their “file,” recent or long past. (Oddly enough, Mason made reference in our phone call to the picture of the briefcase Joyce carried when she met with me. Surely they have access to my info, as well. Why was he referencing a photo for information and making assumptions?)

This in person meeting is also resembling a search for a smoking gun to me. (I said that about Mason’s attitude toward me during our brief phone call. Is Jaime just a more well-mannered approach for that search than the rambunctious Mason?)

Maybe they need to find a patron willing to come forward and say, “Yep, there be monsters here, let’s destroy everything!”
Maybe Thursday is about recruiting a whistleblower of some sort from the ranks of participants?

@lazysmartperson interesting interpretation! When I saw the email I initially thought “I’m not exactly ‘running away’ from Tension, I’m handling my shit right now”.

I read it as Jaime being very unaware of the personal matters I’m sorting out and has something completely different on his file. Then again, Jaime could be using just interesting word choice I suppose.

I’d like to see what exactly they have on my file….

I’m literally on a plane that’s about to take off (back in LA on the 15th! Don’t die y’all!) but had anybody tried to find Clint’s Flickr? Perhaps IG is pointing us there?

The hippo one is almost identical to this.

Found his flickr. They’re there, and they are old.

@mkarrett We miss you too! Curious that he’d reach out to you, given you stepped away from the experience. Hope you are well!

If they’re reaching out for info on Tension, then of course they would contact Melissa (loveyoumissyougonnasquishyousohardsoonhopefully). And if we follow Mike’s theory about there being 9, the remaining two could definitely be Tensionites, Ascenders, Apostles, ex-participants, whatever your preferred term. Sadly, there’s a decent sized list of those who have fallen by the wayside…

Catching up from last night, this may have been said and I’m missing it – but so far, the list of people contacted individually and/or had audio recordings leaked (notated by a * below) by Mason or Briarberg is:

Tension Personnel:
Stephanie
Andrew*
Erika
Damien
Darren*
Clint*

Tension Participants:
Mike
Buz
Chelsea
Lauren
Kasch
Rizzo
Melissa

Every participant had a unique experience or played some important role within the greater Tension experience. Are there any connections within the Participant list to the Personnel list? 7 chosen participants, are we not hearing about contact with Personnel?

Miss seeing you around here Melissa 🙁

I’m assuming you left me off this list not by accident?
Edited: and Russell, right?
Edited again: and Violet, and Kevin, and Larry, and Hannah, and Sarah, and Bryan. But there are not for Briarberg/ethics stuff maybe?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Megan.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Megan.

@coryphella sorry, for participants I was thinking people that had been invited to the meeting thing! Should’ve been more specific, posted it quickly without thinking..

@addisonborn – totally fine, once I looked at my notes and saw all the names I realized that.

Anyone else getting a sinking feeling in their stomach for the people chosen for tomorrow? It’s been awfully quiet today. Makes me think this won’t be a simple Q&A session for those going.

Be safe y’all.

@nothenrygale –

…….

yes.

I just read all this…been gone for a few days…yeah, sounds like a possible trap of sorts. And agreeing with Hannah, it’s not like they tried to separate themselves from Mason’s recent outburst which is a little SUS. Just…in general… these people are aggressive. Hope everyone is safe!

See you tonight, although I will be taking precautionary measures. I hope you are, too.

Mr. Meyers,

My name is Jaime, and I sit on the board of The Briarberg Foundation.

I just finished your article from Hollywood in Toto.

You are man of a lot of words maybe tonight you like to hear some of ours?

Tonight, 8pm?

Let me know if can make yourself available.

Regards,

J

Oh snap. Give ’em hell, @larry.

I’m not sure how much use all my words will be. But I am interested to hear theirs.

How odd that most of the others were asked to come in and share information with them and you were asked to come in and listen.

Email came in confirming the time and zip code. Now we wait. More info should be coming in around 8:30pm. We’ll keep y’all posted, promise.

@meghanmayhem

That’s my problem, Meghan.
I don’t listen.
I never listen.

Alternatively, they already know what I think. I wrote two articles. The info is out there.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Lawrence Meyers.

More info coming in at 8:30pm? I thought it started at 8pm?

@larry Don’t I fucking know it.

So the new list of Tension Participants invited to 9/7 event is:
Mike
Buz
Chelsea
Lauren
Kasch
Rizzo
Melissa
Larry

So.. the list now seems to discredit the theory of all invited participants playing a unique role in the Tension Experience, unless Larry was up to some shit last year that I’m completely unaware of that has also been deleted from the Tension forums. I believe both Chelsea and Larry joined right around Ascension?

So his role here may be his OOG connection to Steph, but that doesn’t necessarily work with the other participants as not everyone had/has connections to cast?

Mike – Scribe
Buz – Killed III
Chelsea – Had one of the first interactions with Samson within Ascension
Lauren – BOS
Kasch – Wrote the article to bring us all in
Rizzo – Kicked out
Melissa – Sentry of the Council
Larry – Friends with Stephanie

Wait, @rizzzoooooo was kicked out?

@nothenrygale For like 5 whole seconds.

@nothenrygale yup. @rizzzoooooo was kicked out of Tension in late April 2016 for saying “Fuck the OOA,” and we voted to allow him back in at the OOA’s donut mixer on 5/29/16. He was hooded and marched in front of all participants right before Tom Barrow interrupted the proceedings (and was thrown through a wall) and Sabrina, at that point Addison Barrow, was quickly “escorted” out of the building by OOA goons while screaming for her life.

Also, you want to talk about embarrassing? I’m planning to wear a sweater vest and have a baseball bat in my trunk in honor of the over zealous baseball fan who has the balls to actually DO something and not just talk about doing something.

@mike, we need to have a serious talk.

@addisonborn @nothenrygale

That was my first event and the first time I met everyone.

I had no fucking clue what I was headed into and it was the weirdest goddamn thing I’ve witnessed.

When you sign up for something you’ve never done and are like “Oh cool puzzles and creepy calls I guess.”

Then they bring a dude out in a hood and everyone votes for his safety.

It was majorly fucked .

@thebuz and now, after all this, voting on the safety of a hooded stranger feels like an average Wednesday afternoon..

@addisonborn good thing it’s Thursday.

So uh hey guys (again)

Schedule changed a bit today and I can actually go to….whatever is happening tonight. I don’t have a zip code yet, I’m getting more information at 5:30p. Let’s get weird? (tosses confetti awkwardly)

@mkarrett SUS

Paranoia levels increasing.

@nothenrygale – Hi. Welcome. Have a seat. 🙂