The Sensibly Speaking Podcast

This week I am joined by Mark Vicente, NXIVM survivor and film maker who joins me to discuss our cult experiences and life beyond that, including his most recent project interviewing psychopaths and where that is going. This was a fun and insightful conversation. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #404: NXIVM, Scientology and Beyond w/Mark Vicente appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #403: Scientology Finances in the UK appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

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This week I am joined by channel friend Jon Atack to discuss Charles Manson, his definite connections with Scientology and how this relates to mind control, Helter Skelter and popular belief. We covered a lot of ground in this podcast. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #401: Manson, Scientology and Mind Control appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

For our 400th episode of the Sensibly Speaking Podcast, we went live to discuss and breakdown the new cult documentary on Netflix, How to Become a Cult Leader. We had quite a bit to say and got some great feedback from the audience along the way. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #400: How to Become a Cult Leader – The Critical Review appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Anthony Magnabasco to discuss street epistemology, a method for inquiring into deeply held beliefs and what this has to do with bridging divides, helping people in cults, therapy and a lot more. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #399: How to Change Extreme Beliefs and Cultic Behavior appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined again by Scientology veteran and film maker Mitch Brisker to discuss something NO ONE has ever talked about before, at least not anywhere I could find: the confidential L. Ron Hubbard films on Scientology's OT Levels. We go into some of the details of the films, what it took to... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #398: From Clear to Eternity – Scientology's OT Films appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Coercive control is not just isolated to cults. This week we go on a different tangent to explore coercive control in the adoption system and in unethical therapy – two areas that are hardly ever discussed but in which abuses happen daily. I am joined by Emma Stevens, who opens up about her experiences and... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #397: When Therapists are Predators ft. Emma Stevens appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I have Mitch Brisker back to discuss more of his work for the Church of Scientology as a professional film director and creative. Today, we go deep into Church propaganda, psychiatry, working at Golden Era Productions and a lot more. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #396: The Art of Propaganda appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by pyschologist and author Dr. Robin Stern to discuss her specialty, gaslighting. We cover how this is done, how to spot it when it's happening to you (even if it's from someone you like and admire) and how gaslighting is used in cults like Scientology to literally rewrite one's memories.... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #395: Gaslighting In and Out of Cults ft. Dr. Robin Stern appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by long-time friend and researcher Jon Atack to discuss cancel culture, controversies, cult nonsense and science – a broad mix of topics about which Jon and I have many opinions. We hope you like our discussion as much as we did having it. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #374: Controversies, Cults and Science appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Mitch Brisker, a professional film maker who went to work as a non-Sea Org member back in the 1980s and worked for decades directly under David Miscavige. He has some very interesting things to say about his time, Scientology's leader and the culture he observed. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #393: Sex, Lies and Scientology Films ft. Mitch Brisker appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Kate Amber, MSc educator and fellow graduate of the Salford Master's program on the psychology of coercive control, to discuss what she has been doing to work with medical and law enforcement officials on coercive control and her unique model of that behavior. I hope you enjoy this one... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #392: A New Look at Coercive Control appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Dr. Janja Lalich, sociologist and long-time cult warrior who has a great deal to say about her model of “bounded choice,” cultic influence in society, recovery from these groups and a lot more. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #391: Cult Influence and Recovery appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by show favorite Jon Atack to discuss a model of human behavior I've been formulating which has everything to do with cultic behavior and our thoughts on things related to emotion, reason and morality. This was a fun chat and I hope you find it as informative and entertaining as... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #390: Why Do People Act the Way They Do? appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Jason Horvatic, a second-generation and now ex-Scientologist turned academic who has taken on studying Scientology from an interesting perspective but who also has a horrifying story to tell about his treatment growing up in and working for Scientology in Australia, including as a Sea Org member there. This is... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #389: The Scientology Experience in Australia appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Barry Purcell, an Irish writer/blogger, and as you'll see we had a pretty wide-ranging discussion from Irish politics and The Troubles to issues we have with atheism to a detailed look at Islam in Europe. This one was just a fun show to do and I hope you enjoy... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #388: Religious and Atheist Conflicts ft. Barry Purcell appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by David Bunds, a former member of the Branch Davidians prior to the disastrous tragedy of 1993. In this conversation, David helps us understand who David Koresh was and where he came from, and what the Branch Davidians were all about. This remains a cautionary tale in how to deal... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #387: David Koresh and the Waco Tragedy appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by show favorite Jon Atack to discuss the psychological aspects and criticisms of AI development, a conversation that no one in the computer industry seems to be having or taking seriously. As always, Jon has some amazing insights to offer. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #386: What No One is Talking About with AI appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Liz LaPoint (“Godless Liz”), a fellow content creator and promoter of skepticism and critical thinking, to discuss tax exemption and whether churches/religions should have it. We offer some food for thought in arguments for and against, and I hope you'll give it some consideration. The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #385: Should Religions Have Tax Exemption w/Liz LaPoint appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by old friend and fellow podcaster Dr. Clint Heacock, a former Evangelical pastor, to discuss some disturbing religious/political issues surrounding a man named Doug Wilson, an untrained and uncertified religious leader who appears to check every cult leader box on the list and is running an extremist sect in Moscow,... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #384: Doug Wilson, Christian Cult Leader appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Katherine Spallino, a member of the Sea Organization's “lost generation,” children raised in the 1980s and 90s within the confines of the Church of Scientology and were neglected, abused and even assaulted. In this show we discuss the new book Katherine wrote, The Bad Cadet, and her experiences in... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #383: Katherine Spallino – The Bad Cadet appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Kacey from The Cult Vault to discuss, in detail, the online predations of Liana Shanti, a so-called internet guru who has been extracting money from hapless victims and encouraging familial disconnection (shunning) as a way of improving one's life. It's awful stuff but it's only a sign of what's... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #382: Liana Shanti and Online Cults appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined once again by Jon Atack for an almost satirically long podcast ranging over such things as post-cult behavior in our various communities, to thought reform and exact methods of hypnotism all around us every day. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #381: Post-Cult Life, Hypnotism and Scientology appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined once again by Alexander Barnes-Ross to discuss social media, Scientology rules and experiences and how this all relates to cultic thinking. Enjoy! Alex's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@apostatealex The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #380: Social Media, Scientology and Cultic Thinking appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome educator Melanie Trecek-King to discuss her methods and philosophy behind teaching critical thinking not just as a set of ideas or things to be memorized, but skills to be utilized for the rest of one's life. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #379: Why Knowledge is Not Enough appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Dodge Landesman, a TV news reporter who was fired from his job at an NBC affiliate in Arizona because he dared to report on Scientology and its connection with Lisa Marie Presley. We cover not only what happened to him but how and why Scientology deals with negative press... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #378: Scientology and Bad Press with Dodge Landesman appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Susan Dones, a former member of NXIVM and one of the first people to whistleblow to the authorities about the shady practices of Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman. We go deep into her story and what Keith and Nancy were like and how the coercion in that group worked. The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #377: The NXIVM Experience with Susan Dones appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

I am joined again this week by Dr. Alex Wills to discuss how emotions are a key tool of manipulation by cult leaders and “gurus” and why understanding your own emotional life and dealing with your emotions is the only way to avoid being controlled by others. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #376: Emotional Intelligence and Cults appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week, I am again joined by Jon Atack so we can cut through all the nonsense out there about “brainwashing” and talk about how this really works, despite the claims of religious studies scholars and cult apologists that there's no such thing. There is and it's a very serious problem and in this podcast... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #375: What Brainwashing Really is About appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I had the opportunity to interview cult survivor Daniel Barban-Levin and director Zach Heinzerling about the new documentary they produced called Stolen Youth which just dropped on Hulu. This is the story of how eight college students from Sarah Lawrence University were enthralled and trapped in a sex/abuse cult run by Larry Ray,... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #347: Stolen Youth – A Cult Story appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I'm dropping the podcast a couple of days early, a special interview with journalist Tony Ortega about his bombshell conversations with Lisa Marie Presley. She was a fighter and she worked behind the scenes to help expose David Miscavige and Scientology's abuses. We break it all down here. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #373: Lisa Marie Presley and Scientology ft. Tony Ortega appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I'm offering something slightly different from usual in describing some valuable life lessons I've learned since leaving Scientology which I thought other people might appreciate as well. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #372: 10 Things I've Learned Since Leaving a Cult appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome Dr. Alex Wills, psychiatrist and author of the new book Give a F*ck Actually. We discuss emotional health, some science-based ideas on how one can deal with difficult emotions and delve into emotional manipulation as a coercive method. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #371: Emotional Health and Giving a F*ck appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week, Jon Atack and I do a follow-up discussion to our last podcast about L. Ron Hubbard and the occult origins of Dianetics and Scientology. This information sometimes makes ex-Scientologists uncomfortable because it's basically so diabolical, no one wants to think they were part of something that bad. But Jon and I had a... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #370: Hubbard, Scientology and Mysticism appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

To kick off 2023, I've put together a no-nonsense podcast with my “collected wisdom” of the last 10 years on how to stay out of getting involved in a destructive cult or predatory relationship. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #369: How to Stay Out of a Cult appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am breaking tradition with our usual “year in review” episode because this month marks the 10-year anniversary of my leaving the Sea Org and embarking on what would become my escape from the destructive cult of Scientology. In this podcast, I offer some backstory and some of my best life lessons/recommendations for... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #368: Cult Recovery After 10 Years appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome back John P. Capitalist to cover in some detail how authoritarian governments around the world solve the “dictator problem” by adopting cultic methods to control their population and thereby stay in power. We especially detail China's recent history and the way President Xi has adopted the Cult Leader Playbook to maintain... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #367: China's CCP and Nation-State Cults appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome back Christian Szurko, a practicing cult recovery specialist who helps me take perhaps our deepest dive yet on what it takes to help someone recover from a cult or coercive experience. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #366: Going Deep on Cult Recovery appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Today I have a special, early podcast release of an interview Tony Ortega and I did with the jury foreman of the Danny Masterson rape trial. Last week this resulted in a deadlocked jury and mistrial, still awaiting determination as to whether there will be another go-round. The daughter of the jury foreman reached out... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #365: The Danny Masterson Jury Foreman Speaks appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Alexander Barnes-Ross, a former Scientology staff member in London who has some things to say about his short but deep experience with Scientology getting in, being kicked out, returning and getting kicked out again. It's another survivor story with a lot of lessons for all of us. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #364: Fear and Loathing in Scientology London appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by Jon Atack to finally put in one place the explanation of how Scientology is based purely and wholly on L. Ron Hubbard's occult beliefs and how Scientologists themselves not only have no idea this is true, but actively resist ever even finding out about it. Enjoy! The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #363: The Occult Foundation of Scientology appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I am joined by attorney, author and advocate Andrew Seidel to discuss his latest book, American Crusade, and how a minority religious extremist group known as Christian Nationalists are taking powerful and decisive steps to unduly influence our government and religious freedom. This is one of those topics that is controversial because people... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #362: Christian Nationalism and the Supreme Court appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome back former Scientologist Ian Rafalko, a man who has fascinating stories to tell about growing up in a Scientology household that was anything but a pleasant experience. In this second interview, we discuss his time on staff and in training at Flag's central headquarters and the lingering effects of Scientology to... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #361: Second Generation Scientology appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome Spencer Schneider, a cult survivor, lawyer and life guard trainer from New York who wrote the fascinating book Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos and Survival.” This story demonstrates how some preconceived notions of how cults operate are totally wrong and the red flags are not... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #360: Sex, Lies and a Manhattan Cult appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I've invited DC lawyer Ciprian Ivanof back to the show to discuss some ins and outs of what has happened in the first two weeks of the Danny Masterson trial in Los Angeles. Tony Ortega has been offering amazing on-the-ground reporting and much of our commentary looks at what he's been reporting of... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #359: Some Comments on the Masterson Trial appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome guest John Christensen, the man who helped ex-Sea Org member Katherine Olson to escape Scientology and go to the Aftermath Foundation to create a new life for herself. We go into all the details of what this entailed and it's not exactly a nail-biting account, but all the basics I've been... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #358: Helping a Scientologist Escape appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I'm very happy to welcome Mike Rinder, former Sea Org executive and Emmy-award winning co-host of Scientology and the Aftermath, now doing media for his new memoir, A Billion Years. We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #357: A Billion Years with Mike Rinder appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

This week I welcome back DC lawyer Ciprian Ivanof to help me dissect some legal points and predictions for the upcoming trial of Scientologist Danny Masterson, an event five years in the making that finally begins next week. We truly hope the victims get the justice they deserve. The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #356: Scientology and the Masterson Trial appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

We all know Scientology is a really bad thing but what about growing up in a Scientology household? What's that like? What happens to kids who never asked to be indoctrinated into an extremist, authoritarian belief system that seeks to control every second of their lives? In this podcast, Ian Rafalko and I discuss this... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #355: Being a Second Generation Scientologist with Ian Rafalko appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.

Well it only took us a year, but educator Pat Hendrickson and I have put together a part two of our talks on how to go about getting an education after leaving a destructive/coercive situation. In this week's show, we discuss my journey into higher education, what it entailed and how people can take advantage... The post Sensibly Speaking Podcast #354: Getting an Education After Leaving a Cult (Part 2) appeared first on The Sensibly Speaking Podcast.