 During an earlier court hearing, Niimi proclaimed his "absolute faith" in Shoko Asahara, Aum Shinrikyo's founder, and spoke about various levels of 'enlightenments' he had been able to experience during his religious trainings in Aum.He then spoke about human sufferings, saying that "some are suffering thinking that this world is illusory and some thinking that it is real.Concerning the former members who now testify against their guru [Asahara] who did them so much good, I believe their suffering is based on the perceptions that this world is real".