Podcasts about Do as I Say

Carol Merchasin is the newly appointed President of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). Drawing on decades of experience in law, investigations, and survivor advocacy, Carol has led inquiries into allegations of misconduct within prominent spiritual and religious organisations and has worked extensively with survivors of coercive control and abuse. Through her legal practice, public education efforts, and leadership at ICSA, she has become a leading voice on cultic abuse, human trafficking, labour exploitation, and the protection of vulnerable individuals within high-control environments.In this interview episode, we chatted about the role of ICSA, where Carol sees the organisation going next, what's upcoming at the 2026 ICSA Conference in July, and some of the trends and shifts the organisation is seeing with coercive groups, holding them to account, and the media landscape.LinksInternational Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) — official websiteICSA Conference 2026 — 1-4 July, San Diego USACredits:Produced by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldYou can support Let's Talk About Sects here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via internationalculticstudies.org). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The traditional education system is actively destroying your child's potential and turning them into a passive consumer. In episode 893 of the Savage Perspective Podcast, host Robert Sikes and guest Matt Beaudreau expose the dark truth about standard public schooling. They reveal why perfect grades fail to prepare students for real life and how schools favor behavior management over human development. You will discover the best blueprint for raising highly capable, respectful kids through alternative schooling. Matt details the Apogee micro-school framework, which replaces useless standardized testing with real world skills, physical fitness, and true financial literacy. This method completely transforms how children grow, helping them avoid college traps and build a powerful digital portfolio instead.To learn more, visit: https://apogeestrong.com/Schedule a FREE Keto Consult Call: https://www.ketobodybuilding.com/callGet Keto Brick: https://www.ketobrick.com/Subscribe to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/42cjJssghqD01bdWBxRYEg?si=1XYKmPXmR4eKw2O9gGCEuQChapters0:00 - The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Schooling: Why the System is Failing1:27 - Who is Matt Beaudreau? 20 Years of Education Secrets Revealed2:54 - Why Straight-A Students Fail: The Dangerous "Game" of School4:49 - The Dark History of Public Schools: Is It Designed for Population Control?7:54 - How the Education System is Designed to Create Mindless Consumers9:42 - Breaking Free from the "Cult" of Standardized Education12:43 - What is the Optimal Parenting Strategy? (The 0-8 Year Old Blueprint)15:42 - The Hypocrisy of Parenting: Why "Do As I Say" Destroys Trust18:16 - The Socialization Myth: Are Daycares Ruining Your Child's Development?22:02 - How to Raise Highly Disciplined Kids That Adults Actually Respect25:05 - Standards vs. Standardization: The Hidden Trap in Modern Education27:06 - When Should a Child Learn to Read? (The Truth About Grade Levels)30:00 - Time as Currency: How Traditional Classrooms Waste Human Potential33:23 - Will Homeschooled Kids Fall Behind? Overcoming the Biggest Parent Trap36:54 - Is High School Math Worthless? Teaching True Financial Literacy42:05 - How to Build a Foundation of Relentless Curiosity in Your Children47:17 - What is a Micro-School? Inside the Apogee Education Framework52:26 - Building a Micro-School Campus: Logistics, Sizes, and Setup56:52 - Is School Accreditation a Scam? How to "Play the Game" of College1:01:25 - Why Digital Portfolios are Replacing Traditional Resumes and Diplomas1:08:13 - The Secret to Bypassing High School and Entering College Early1:12:15 - How to Connect with Matt Beaudreau and Apogee Schools

Chris Hughen sat down with Brendan Butler to discuss his recent paper, "Do As I Say, Not As I Do": Clinician Return to Run Criteria, First Run Characteristics, and Running Assessment Analysis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Compared to the Literature — Insights From an International ACL Rehabilitation Conference. We dive into the practical application of running criteria in the rehab process, progressing running sessions, addressing kinematic deficits, and much more. Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/kVbyF9XcwFg  Episode Resources: Butler, 2026 Fontenay, 2025 --- Membership: https://e3rehab.com/premium/  Mentoring: https://e3rehab.com/mentoring/ Coaching & Consultations: https://e3rehab.com/coaching/  Rehab & Performance Programs: https://e3rehab.com/programs/  Resource Guides: https://e3rehab.com/resource-guides  Newsletter: https://e3rehab.ck.page/19eae53ac1  --- Follow Us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/e3rehab  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e3rehab/ X: https://x.com/E3Rehab  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/e3rehab/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/e3rehab  --- Podcast Sponsor: Vivo Barefoot: Get 20% off all shoes! - https://www.vivobarefoot.com/e3rehab --- @dr.surdykapt @tony.comella @dr.nicolept @chrishughen @nateh_24 --- This episode was produced by Kody Hughes

Hoyt Richards spent over two decades in Eternal Values, after first meeting the man who called himself Frederick von Mierers on a beach at the age of 16. Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult, out now on HBO Max with episodes releasing weekly, explores Hoyts' journey alongside other actors and models of the era, and Hoyt has spent the years since his exit dedicated to educating people about the red flags to watch out for so that they don't ever have to go through the experience that he did.When Hoyt finally left Eternal Values, at the age of 37 and years after Freddie himself had died, it wasn't because he had realised it was a cult; he had hit rock bottom, felt like he wasn't up to the group's work and was letting everyone down. Until he reconnected with fellow former member, actor and filmmaker Dar Dixon, and they started examining their experiences more deeply together, he really didn't know exactly what had happened to him – even though cult accusations had been brought against the group for years.LinksBring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult — HBO MaxEast Side Alien — by Marie Brenner, Vanity Fair, March 1990Hoyt Richards IMDB profileCredits:Produced by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldYou can support Let's Talk About Sects here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we talk about cults, we tend to picture the ones that make headlines: isolated compounds, charismatic leaders, dramatic exits. But what about the church down the street? The one with the worship band and the small groups and the Instagram presence? In this episode, Sam Sellers and Elise Heerde, co-founders of the Religious Trauma Collective, talk about what happens when coercive control operates inside institutions that look, from the outside, like ordinary community. We also touch on evangelical support for Trump in the USA, and how Australia is not immune from those who would like to see a theocracy here.LinksReligious Trauma Collective — official websiteRTC Annual Online Event — running 19-21 June 2026Sam Sellers — Anchored Counselling ServicesElise Heerde — official websiteCredits:Produced by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldYou can support Let's Talk About Sects here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sphinx Spiritual takes instruction from a council of entities that includes Leonardo da Vinci, Lady Di, Sir Francis Bacon, Mahatma Ghandi, an alien called Zootor, and married Mornington Peninsula couple Ian and Pearl Rogers. Forum posts dating back to 2012 allege that the organisation is run as a cult. And the operation goes back long before this – but it's only now that former members have started speaking out.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, contact Cult Information and Family Support in Australia, or the International Cultic Studies Association outside of Australia.Credits:Written and hosted by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldLinks:Legislative Assembly Victoria Clerk of the Papers — Notices of Questions, Volume 4, Session 1988-92Legislative Assembly Victoria Clerk of the Papers — Notices of Questions, Volume 3, Session 1988-91‘To strike a balance': A History of Victoria's Workers' Compensation Scheme, 1985–2010 — by Marianna Stylianou, Monash University, June 2011WorkCare funds $2m lawsuit against ABC — by Paul Robinson, The Age, 17 November 1991Lengthy defamation case draws to close — by Paul Robinson, The Age, 22 March 1992ROUX AND OTHERS v AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION [1992] 2 VR 577 — BYRNE J., 13 Mar 1992, Victorian ReportsPublic Service ‘spy' wins compo claim — by Gay Alcorn, The Age, 2 December 1990Who are the Council? - more than 7 Historical icons! — Sphinx Spiritual YouTube channel, 31 March 2023Inside the Sphinx Spiritual School — A Current Affair, 16 February 2026Inside the controversial spiritual school run by former detectives — by Sam Cucchiara, A Current Affair, 16 February 2026The 11 Spiritual Values - Revealed! — Sphinx Spiritual YouTube channel, 17 February 2023The Wisdom of Crazy Horse — Ian Rogers' blog with posts dating back to April 2012, visited April 2026sphinxspiritual.com.au Ian and Pearl Rogers — Cult Education Institute forum posts dating from 22 September 2012Spiritual LoveMatch — various archived versions of the Sphinx Spiritual dating platform website between 2015 and 2018Pythagoras Investing — archived versions of the official websiteStock Nostradamus — archived versions of the official websiteEverything you must know about Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning — by Amelia Swan & Brooke Grebert-Craig, Herald Sun, 4 January 2026Former student of Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning speaks after leaving controversial sect — by Brooke Grebert-Craig & Amelia Swan, Herald Sun, 5 January 2026The mystical Mornington Peninsula sect drawing in wealthy, single women — by Brooke Grebert-Craig & Amelia Swan, Herald Sun, 4 January 2026FYI - THIS IS VERY RARE! If you want to see a true High Maintenance relationship at work - look at Ian & Pearl! — Sphinx Spiritual Facebook post attributed to Ian Rogers, 21 May 2016Anyone come across the Sphinx Spiritual cult? — Reddit thread dating back to 13 January 2022A warning about a widespread, local "Spiritual School". — Reddit thread dating from 2 November 2025Posts by Jamie123 — Cult Education Institute forum posts about Sphinx Spiritual dating from 24 March 2024Sphinx Spiritual Surgery — Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning Facebook video, 4 July 2025Spiritual Surgery — Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning page about the modality, visited April 2026Parenting Spiritually: In support of your child — by Ian & Pearl Rogers, 2013 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A spiritual school in Victoria teaches that we each have a spiritual guide who we can rely on to help us through life, and that the couple who run the school – Ian and Pearl Rogers – sit on a council alongside entities who have lived many lifetimes before this one. Students are lucky enough to gain access to incredible knowledge through this council, which boasts Leonardo Da Vinci, Mahatma Gandhi, and Lady Di amongst its members. But forum posts dating back to 2012 allege that Sphinx Spiritual has been operating as a cult for many years. It's only now that former members have started speaking out.Part 2 is already available to Patreon supporters, and will be released on the main feed on Wednesday 27 May.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, contact Cult Information and Family Support in Australia, or the International Cultic Studies Association outside of Australia.Credits:Written and hosted by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldLinks:Legislative Assembly Victoria Clerk of the Papers — Notices of Questions, Volume 4, Session 1988-92Legislative Assembly Victoria Clerk of the Papers — Notices of Questions, Volume 3, Session 1988-91‘To strike a balance': A History of Victoria's Workers' Compensation Scheme, 1985–2010 — by Marianna Stylianou, Monash University, June 2011WorkCare funds $2m lawsuit against ABC — by Paul Robinson, The Age, 17 November 1991Lengthy defamation case draws to close — by Paul Robinson, The Age, 22 March 1992ROUX AND OTHERS v AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION [1992] 2 VR 577 — BYRNE J., 13 Mar 1992, Victorian ReportsPublic Service ‘spy' wins compo claim — by Gay Alcorn, The Age, 2 December 1990Who are the Council? - more than 7 Historical icons! — Sphinx Spiritual YouTube channel, 31 March 2023Inside the Sphinx Spiritual School — A Current Affair, 16 February 2026Inside the controversial spiritual school run by former detectives — by Sam Cucchiara, A Current Affair, 16 February 2026The 11 Spiritual Values - Revealed! — Sphinx Spiritual YouTube channel, 17 February 2023The Wisdom of Crazy Horse — Ian Rogers' blog with posts dating back to April 2012, visited April 2026sphinxspiritual.com.au Ian and Pearl Rogers — Cult Education Institute forum posts dating from 22 September 2012Spiritual LoveMatch — various archived versions of the Sphinx Spiritual dating platform website between 2015 and 2018Pythagoras Investing — archived versions of the official websiteStock Nostradamus — archived versions of the official websiteEverything you must know about Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning — by Amelia Swan & Brooke Grebert-Craig, Herald Sun, 4 January 2026Former student of Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning speaks after leaving controversial sect — by Brooke Grebert-Craig & Amelia Swan, Herald Sun, 5 January 2026The mystical Mornington Peninsula sect drawing in wealthy, single women — by Brooke Grebert-Craig & Amelia Swan, Herald Sun, 4 January 2026FYI - THIS IS VERY RARE! If you want to see a true High Maintenance relationship at work - look at Ian & Pearl! — Sphinx Spiritual Facebook post attributed to Ian Rogers, 21 May 2016Anyone come across the Sphinx Spiritual cult? — Reddit thread dating back to 13 January 2022A warning about a widespread, local "Spiritual School". — Reddit thread dating from 2 November 2025Posts by Jamie123 — Cult Education Institute forum posts about Sphinx Spiritual dating from 24 March 2024Sphinx Spiritual Surgery — Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning Facebook video, 4 July 2025Spiritual Surgery — Sphinx Spiritual School of Learning page about the modality, visited April 2026Parenting Spiritually: In support of your child — by Ian & Pearl Rogers, 2013 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, or ACMTC, is a hardline fringe religious cult that was led by a former hippie who went by the name Deborah Green. In The Oracle's Daughter, author Harrison Hill tells the story of the group through the experiences of three women: Deborah, the self-proclaimed oracle; Maura, who nursed Deborah's ailing brother and became one of her first followers; and Sarah, the oracle's daughter of the title.The group's practices included harsh punishments of children and extreme forms of exorcism, and its crimes included kidnapping and abuse. Through his book, Harrison examines the dwindling gap between the fringe and the mainstream in the United States, and shows how we may be much more vulnerable to extremism than we think.LinksThe Oracle's Daughter — by Harrison Hill, Scribner, April 2026The Oracle's Daughter: Sarah Green escaped her mother's cult 22 years ago. She still thinks about those she left behind. — by Harrison Hill, The Cut, 8 June 2021harrisonhill.me — Harrison's websiteCredits:Produced by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldYou can support Let's Talk About Sects here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ABC's internationally award-winning podcast Expanse, exploring big stories from across Australia, looked at the mysterious case of the Nannup Four for its sixth season. Host Dominique Bayens investigated the 2007 disappearance of Chantelle and Leela McDougall, Tony Popic, and a man known as Simon Kadwill from the town of Nannup in Western Australia. Simon was actually a name taken on by a man called Gary Felton who led a doomsday group called The Truth Fellowship. Dominique spoke with Let's Talk About Sects about the series in March, and is back to give us an update and a way that listeners may be able to help the families and loved ones left behind.LinksHelp find the Nannup Four — Barry McIntosh's fundraiserLast chance for answers in Nannup Four cold case as police admit search error — by Dominique Bayens, ABC News, 21 April 2026Expanse: The Nannup Four — Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2026You can support Let's Talk About Sects here. Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fai West was just 10 years old when she was first introduced to the teachings of Soulaire Allerai and the Soulful Journey. A few years later, as a teenager in high school, she found herself living in Soulaire's basement, sleep deprived from attending multiple late-night classes and channelings of an omniscient being known as ‘G', and learning about her own presence in a future dimension called The 99. Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, contact Cult Information and Family Support in Australia, or the International Cultic Studies Association outside of Australia.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Credits:Written and hosted by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldLinks:Being: The Soulful Journey — by Soulaire Allerai, FriesenPress, December 2023Being: Transformation Begins With… — by Lynn Young, Master Path Publishing, March 2007Soulful Journey — website, accessed February 2026Living Faith Spiritual Community — ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer listing, accessed February 2026Getting Real with Soulaire — Podbay episode shownotes, accessed February 2026An Interview with Lynn Young (Master Soulaire) — by Tim Miejan, Edge Magazine, 1 October 2008Lynn Young, Interview — by Tim Miejan, Edge Magazine, 1 October 2007soulaireallerai.com — archived website from 28 February 2021Inspiring Conversations with Soulaire Allerai of Bad Rooster Food Truck — Voyage Minnesota, 24 March 2022Soulful Journey® Wellness Center — archived website page from 12 August 2025Family, former followers, claim food truck finances a Minnetonka cult — by Tom Lyden, FOX 9, 28 August 2022Bad Rooster Responds: It's because of our success — by Tom Lyden, FOX 9, 30 August 2022Bad Rooster LLC and Soulaire Allerai vs Kelly Ring Abedi and Angela Marie Hummelgard — Minnesota Judicial Branch Court Records Online, document search conducted for Case Number: 27-CV-22-10996 and documents viewed March 2026Minnetonka food truck co-owner sues two sisters over cult accusations — by Kim Hyatt, The Minnesota Star Tribune, 28 July 2022Families accuse Minnesota food truck of funding New Age ‘cult' that ‘brainwashes' members — by Josh Marcus, The Independent (UK), 1 September 2022Judge dismisses 'cult' lawsuit filed by food trucks — by Tom Lyden, FOX 9, 21 July 2023‘Abuse, Fear, and Gaslighting': Ex-Members on Life in Food Truck Owner's ‘Cult-Like' Group — by Kate Briquelet, The Daily Beast, 14 September 2022Community Highlights: Meet Soulaire Allerai of Bad Rooster Food Truck — Voyage Minnesota, 18 December 2025Kelly Abedi's Facebook post — about Bad Rooster from 7 July 2022 that she continues to update with developmentsLiving Faith Instagram — accessed February/March 2026The Soulful Journey Instagram — accessed February/March 2026Bad Rooster Instagram — accessed February/March 2026Living Faith Spiritual Community website — accessed February/March 2026Soulful Journey Facebook page — accessed February 2026Bad Rooster Truck Facebook page — accessed February 2026Bad Rooster website — accessed February/March 2026Popular Food Truck Accused of Luring Women Into a ‘Cult' — by Kate Briquelet, Daily Beast, 5 September 2022'The Journey Comes First': More family members make claims against Bad Rooster — by Tom Lyden, FOX 9, 13 September 2022Meet Soulaire Allerai — Canvas Rebel, 2 September 2025Minnetonka food truck owner asks judge to stop sisters from making public cult accusations — by Kim Hyatt, The Minnesota Star Tribune, 24 September 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sentences just came down for OneTaste's founder Nicole Daedone and her second-in-command Rachel Cherwitz – if you're unfamiliar with OneTaste you can listen to Let's Talk About Sects' deep dive in November 2020. From that episode, you may remember Ruwan Meepagala. When he spoke with LTAS five years ago, Ruwan had already been working on his memoir, which he finished writing and released last year. It's called ORGSM: A Memoir. The sentencing was the perfect opportunity to revisit Ruwan's story and find out how his perspective has shifted over the intervening years.Credits:Written and hosted by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldLinksFounder of ‘orgasmic meditation' company gets nine years in prison in forced labor conspiracy — Associated Press, The Guardian, 31 March 2026ORGSM: A Memoir — by Ruwan Meepagala, Subversalist Publishing, October 2025Ruwando.com — Ruwan Meepagala's websiteYou can support Let's Talk About Sects here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. With thanks to Money Saver Home Loans, supporting partner for this episode of Let's Talk About Sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Expanse is the ABC's internationally award-winning podcast exploring big stories from across Australia, and it's sixth season sees host Dominique Bayens investigate the unsettling circumstances surrounding the 2007 disappearance of four people from the town of Nannup in Western Australia: Chantelle and Leila McDougall, Tony Popic, and a man known as Simon Kadwill. Simon espoused a doomsday belief system in online forums and through his book, Servers of the Divine Plan. And when it came to his relationship with the much younger Chantelle, many close to her had noticed his controlling behaviours.LinksExpanse: The Nannup Four — Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2026The curious case of the Nannup Four — by Dominique Bayens for the Expanse podcast, ABC, 7 March 2026You can support Let's Talk About Sects here. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. With thanks to Money Saver Home Loans, supporting partner for this episode of Let's Talk About Sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Robert Bruner was brought into Sri Chinmoy as a child, joining the organisation run by Chinmoy Kumar Ghose at the age of 12. Chinmoy claimed he lifted weights totalling 7063¾ pounds (or over 3,200kg) with one arm on 30 January 1987. He also faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct with female devotees. Harry left at the age of 30, and wrote and performed a solo show about this experiences in Sri Chinmoy called ‘Nephew of the Universe'. Through Creative Exit Coaching he now helps others disentangle from destructive beliefs, reclaim their voice, and tell their own stories.LinksCreative Exit Counselling — Harry's work assisting survivors to reclaim their creativity after leaving a high-control groupI Was in a Cult. Leaving Wasn't the Hardest Part — by Harry Rob Bruner, Medium, 16 August 2025The Media's Love Affair With Alleged Sex Criminal Sri Chinmoy — by Edwin Lyngar, Salon, 9 May 2014New York Times Crossword — 10 December 2025If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here. With thanks to Money Saver Home Loans, supporting partner for this episode of Let's Talk About Sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clare Heath-McIvor is the daughter of the leader of the City Builders Church, an organisation that she and others who know it feel confident fits the definition of a cult. Her marriage was arranged within the church to Patrick McIvor, a man who had survived gay conversion therapy. Since leaving, the now-happily-separated pair have become involved in a number of social justice issues, including the current Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups, and Patrick's work was crucial to the ban on conversion therapy practices in Victoria.Links:Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups — Parliament of Victoria, open for submissions until 31 July 2025 and due to deliver findings in September 2026Clare Heath-McIvor's Linktree with her Substack, TikTok, Twitter and moreUnchurchable podcastCaring church or crazy cult? The extreme religion praying for power — 60 Minutes Australia, 20 November 2022Victorian Cult Survivors Network — Facebook groupYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2011, an 18-year-old Liz Cameron joined a Bible study group she only knew as ‘Sarang Church'. Over the coming months, she lost more and more of her life and identity to the group that eventually revealed it was part of a larger South Korean organisation called Providence or JMS – which she was told not to google. Liz managed to find her way out of her indoctrination with the help of her family, and has just released her memoir about her experiences, Cult Bride: How I was brainwashed – and how I broke free.Links:Cult Bride: How I was brainwashed – and how I broke free — by Liz Cameron, Hardie Grant Publishing, June 2025liztheformer — Liz Cameron's TikTok channelThe Cult Next Door — 7News Spotlight episode, 2 July 2023In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal — Netflix documentary about Providence/JMS, 2023Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups — Parliament of Victoria, open for submissions until 31 July 2025 and due to deliver findings in September 2026You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are exhibiting cautious optimism regarding growth in 2025, with a recent report indicating that 93% of small business owners expect either significant or moderate growth despite economic uncertainties. However, this optimism is tempered by a slight decline from the previous quarter and a notable shift in lending preferences, as 76% of businesses are now turning to non-bank lenders. Additionally, while many businesses are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools for marketing, a report reveals that a significant portion of employees in smaller companies rarely or never use AI, highlighting barriers to effective AI integration.Lenovo has reported a staggering 64% drop in profits for the fourth quarter, attributing part of this decline to tariffs imposed by the United States. Despite a 23% increase in revenue, the company's net income fell significantly, prompting concerns about the impact of sudden tariff changes on financial results. The ongoing geopolitical tensions and tariff threats from the U.S. government, particularly regarding Apple, further complicate the landscape for manufacturers and could have broader implications for the tech industry.Anthropic's new AI model, Claude Four, has raised ethical concerns due to its controversial features, including the ability to autonomously contact authorities if it detects immoral actions. This functionality, referred to as "Ratting mode," has sparked fears of unwarranted surveillance and misuse. Additionally, reports of the model engaging in blackmail tactics during testing have intensified scrutiny over its safety and alignment with ethical standards, raising questions about trust and control in the AI ecosystem.The regulatory landscape for AI is also evolving, with House Republicans proposing a decade-long freeze on state AI regulations, facing pushback from various stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has banned the use of commercial generative AI tools among its staff, signaling a shift towards proprietary solutions. As the battle over AI regulation unfolds, IT providers are positioned to play a crucial role in bridging the gap between compliance and technology, emphasizing the need for secure and controlled AI deployments in a rapidly changing environment. Three things to know today 00:00 Small Businesses Signal Confidence but Act Cautiously Amid AI Gaps, Lending Shifts, and Tariff Pressures06:36 Meet Claude 4: It's Smart, It's Fast… and It Might Turn You In 09:57 “Do As I Say, Not As I Do”: Feds Clamp Down on AI Use Internally as GOP Moves to Block State Regulation Supported by:https://www.huntress.com/mspradio/https://cometbackup.com/?utm_source=mspradio&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=sponsorship All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

The Parliament of Victoria has launched an Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups, which is open for submissions until 31 July 2025. If you or anyone you know has been involved with a cult that has a presence in Victoria, Australia, you're highly encouraged to make a submission. There's also an anonymous questionnaire option available for those who might not wish to make a full submission.Ryan and Catherine Carey are two former members of the Geelong Revival Centre who – along with a working group of other cult survivors – have been at the forefront in instigating this inquiry. They secured the support of Victoria's Labor State Member for Geelong and Parliamentary Secretary for First Peoples Christine Couzens, and Victorian Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny, who launched the Inquiry in April 2025. It's due to deliver its findings in September 2026.Links:Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups — Parliament of Victoria, open for submissions until 31 July 2025 and due to deliver findings in September 2026Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder podcastStop Religious Coercion Australia — websitem Facebook group, TikTok and InstagramVictorian Cult Survivors Network — Facebook groupYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of updates to Child Safety Standards emerging from Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Mirriam Francis wrote to Victoria's Commission for Children and Young People outlining the ways in which she sees Scientology teachings and practices to be violating these standards. While concepts of religious freedom and choice can muddy the waters of certain discussions around coercive organisations, Mirriam sees the regulations and laws to protect children as a key lens through which such practices need to be viewed and pursued. She speaks from personal experience that spans three countries.Links:Child Safe Standards — Commission for Children and Young People Victoria (you can raise a concern here); Queensland Family & Child Commission (you can raise a concern here)Child Safe Scheme — NSW Office of the Children's Guardian (you can raise a concern here)Australian Child Safe Standards – A State By State Guide 2024 — Safe Space LegalRage Against the Dark Arts — Mirriam Francis' SubstackThetans in Young Bodies — Season 2, Episode 1 of Leah Remini's Scientology and the Aftermath in which Mirriam Francis featuresReport of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology — by Kevin Victor Anderson, Q.C., the State of Victoria, Australia, 1965The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma — by Bessel van der Kolk, Penguin, 2015Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice — by Judith Lewis Herman, Basic Books, 2023Dianetics excerpt re: 7-year-old child responding to kiss from adult maleA Children of God message to members mentioning their "friends in Scientology"Introduction to Scientology Ethics High CrimesYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maria Esguerra escaped the Children of God at the age of 22 with her two children who have disabilities. Maria's firsthand experience drives her passion to support fellow survivors of cults and institutions, advocating for specialised understanding, interventions and access to governmental schemes such as Redress. Maria has actively engaged in media and advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people escaping coercive environments. She founded a support group for second and multi-generational survivors (also referred to as SGAs or MGAs) from all cults. It addresses the devastating impacts from these groups, including abuse, denial of basic rights and forced labour. Maria is also a psychologist and the founder of Assessable.Links:Maria Esguerra — LinktreeMaria Esguerra — Director at AssessableDecult profile — Maria's information at the recent Decult ConferenceI lived under the so-called 'law of love' and it was terrifying – cult survivor — by Ryan Boswell, 1News, 17 October 2024CIFS Australia — Cult Information & Family SupportThe Olive Leaf NetworkEscaping Utopia — by Janja Lalich & Karla McLaren, Routledge, 2017The Strange Situation Experiment — more about Mary Ainsworth's work on attachment theoryErikson's stages of psychosocial development — more about Erik Erikson's workMake it Meaningful: How to find purpose in life and work — by Debbie Haski-Leventhal, Simon & Schuster, 2023Walking Free from the Trauma of Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse: A Workbook for Recovery and Growth — by Gillie Jenkinson, Routledge, 2023Stop Religious Coercion Australia — Advocacy group started by a former Geelong Revival Centre memberWriting to Reckon — Gerette Buglion's workshops, retreats, journal, and moreYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerette Buglion holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education, and earned her ‘Master's Degree' in cult awareness education from the school of life. She emerged from her 18-year cult odyssey in 2014 at age 52, and asked herself, "How did I, an educated, caring mother, wife, and business owner become that lost and for that long?" Gerette then set to work studying cultic dynamics, while reclaiming her autonomy with the help of a supportive family, therapy, and countless hours immersed in nature and writing.Gerette's memoir An Everyday Cult was published in 2021, and followed by her second book, Writing to Reckon Journal – for Survivors of Spiritual, Religious, and Cultic Abuse. She is the founder of Living Cult Free, a nonprofit supporting the creative expression of survivor stories and empowering advocacy through education.Links:Gerette Buglion — Gerette's websiteAn Everyday Cult — by Gerette Buglion, 2021Writing to Reckon Journal — by Gerette Buglion, 2023 (PDF version for US$5 here)Writing to Reckon — Gerette's workshops, retreats, journal, and moreLiving Cult Free — 501c3 nonprofit empowering and educating cult survivors and advocatesLiving Cult Free: the podcastDr Dan Siegel — executive director of the Mindsight Institute and founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLAGentle Souls Revolution — Esther Friedman's websiteFaith Jones — author of I Own Me and Sex Cult NunBeth Matanaer — Finding the Path Within You (or as Beth says, "You are your own expert")You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ewan Whyte's feature essay, ‘The Cult That Raised Me' – about the United States based Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College – includes the introduction, “When I was 11, my parents sent me to Grenville Christian College, a prestigious Anglican boarding school in Brockville. It turned out to be a perverse fundamentalist cult that brainwashed, abused and terrorized students. For decades, the school tried to intimidate us into silence. It didn't work.”Ewan Whyte is a writer, art and cultural critic. He has written for the Globe & Mail and the Literary Review of Canada. He is the author of Desire Lines: Essays on Art Poetry & Culture, Shifting Paradigms: Essays on Art and Culture and Entrainment, a book of poetry, and a translation of the rude ancient Roman poet Catullus. His feature essay 'The Cult that Raised Me' was a finalist for a National Magazine Award. Ewan's upcoming book, Mothers of Invention: Essays on the Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College, will be released in June and is available for preorder now. In advance of its release, Ewan shared some of his research and thoughts about these two organisations.You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Mothers of Invention: Essays on the Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College — by Ewan Whyte, Wolsak & Wynn, 2025The Cult That Raised Me — by Ewan Whyte, Toronto Life, 5 January 2021I-Team: Former Members Of Cape Religious Group Allege Emotional Abuse, 'People Don't Realize The Mind Control' — WBZ News, 4 November 2021Aaron Bushnell: Friends struggle to comprehend US airman's Gaza protest death — by Kayla Epstein & Angelica Casas, BBC News, 3 March 2024 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When asked about the Hare Krishnas, most people will conjure images of dancing, chanting people with colourful robes and joyful dispositions. Members of the general public, whom Hare Krishnas refer to as 'karmis', may have encountered devotees through their vegetarian food offerings at music festivals or city restaurants. Their anti-LGBTQI+ and patriarchal beliefs, as well as the darker aspects of their history – including horrifying stories of abuse, and even murders – come as a surprise to many.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the USA — by Ramai Swami, 27 September 2021Authoritarian Culture and Child Abuse in ISKCON — by Nori J. Muster, Cultic Studies Review, 3(1), 2004Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON complaint — Plaintiffs' original petition in the Dallas lawsuit, Surrealist.org, filed 25 October 2001How I Once Was a Hare Krishna… — by Christopher Fici, Medium, 7 January 2023Holy Cow, Swami — documentary by Jacob Young, 1996History — ISKCON Child Protection Office, accessed January 2025Child Abuse in the Hare Krishna Movement: 1971-1986 — by E. Burke Rochford, Jr. with Jennifer Heinlein, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 6, #1, June 1998Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON Timeline — Surrealist.org (Nori Muster's website), accessed January 2025Tortured Souls — by Mark Donald, Dallas Observer, 6 December 2001Dial Om for Murder — by John Hubner & Lindsey Gruson, Rolling Stone, Issue 497, 1987Religion: Control Stressed at Krishna Children's School — by Eleanor Blau, The New York Times, 25 November 1973Why ISKCON Needs to be on Guard Against “Cultic Behavior” — by Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON News, 26 July 2024The Krishna Cult — by Paul Ford, Mad After Krishna, 1994 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, we're diving into a common concern when shifting from the old “Do As I Say” model of parenting to a more connected approach. It can sometimes feel like we're being too lenient, but in reality, we're moving fromblame to true responsibility.I'll explore:✨ Why responsibility doesn't requirelectures or threats.✨ How shifting our approach can feeluncomfortable—but why that's a good thing.✨ The surprising way that “making thempay” actually lets us off the hook.✨ How to take ownership of our ownthoughts, feelings, and behaviors instead of trying to control others to regulate ourselves.This shift isn't about complacency—it's about stepping into true leadership in our relationships. Let's reframe responsibility in a way that leads to deeper connection and lasting change.

Let's Talk About Sects did a deep dive episode about the Two by Twos, also known as The Truth, in October 2020. In the years since we recorded, huge numbers of followers in the USA in particular have left as more and more allegations of child sexual abuse have been made against workers, and the FBI is currently investigating the organisation.It was never Abbi and Mike Prussack's intention to become involved in advocacy work, but once the couple became aware of the extent of the abuse and how it was concealed, there didn't seem to be an option other than putting the real truth out into the world and attempting to create some transparency where there was none before. Abbi and Mike have been releasing information that the Two by Twos have kept hidden for decades, and Abbi co-founded a not-for-profit called Voices for the Truth to help provide education and resources to victim-survivors of the organisation.You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Voices for the Truth — victim-survivor-led NFP co-founded by AbbiSeeking Victim Information in 2x2 Investigation — FBI page with links to form to submit tipsVoices for the Truth RAINN Hotline: 928-756-8654 (US only)Ex-2x2 Support Group on Facebook — this group membership is limited to ex-members or those who are in the process of leavingEx-2x2 Support Group on YouTube2x2 Church Updates — current events pageOur 2x2 Story — Mike & Abbi's TikTokKyle Hanks' YouTube — channel discussing many aspects of 2x2 lifeTimeline of events and publicly named perpetrators since the release of the Dean Bruer letterBridges and Balm — Survivor care organisation with funding available internationally to help with therapeutic carePreserving the Truth — by Cherie Kropp-Ehrig, Clarion Call Publishing, 2022 (also on Amazon)Telling the Truth — Cherie Kropp-Ehrig's informational websiteWith thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Baker's Pray Harder podcast for LiSTNR's Secrets We Keep series delves into the world of the Geelong Revival Centre, which Richard describes as “one of Australia's most extreme” Pentecostal churches. The GRC has the same roots as the Revival Fellowship, and its pastor was a man named Noel Hollins who died in April 2024 after 65 years in leadership. Pray Harder shares some shocking stories of a number of former members, and it's a vital listen.You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.With thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects.Links:Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder podcastStop Religious Coercion Australia — Facebook pageSouthern Ocean Media — Richard Baker's production companyIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Melbourne you might have picked up a book or a comic from a Jesus Christian outside Flinders Street Station, or you could have seen their religious graffiti messages along Sydney's railway lines. But while they portray themselves as an altruistic Christian community living life by faith and rejecting the money motivation of work, former members have been shunned and demonised, and parents tell heartbreaking stories of losing their relationship with their child after they have joined the Jesus Christians.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.With thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects.Links:JC History 1981 - 1996 — Jesus Christians official website, accessed December 2024Australians find godliness in latrines and sewers of Madras — by Tim McGirk, The Independent, 25 June 1994Kidneys for Jesus — Jon Ronson's 2003 documentaryComments on Kidneys for Jesus — The Jesus Christians' response to Jon Ronson's documentary, accessed December 2024Blood sacrifice and Blood sacrifice (part two) — by Jon Ronson, The Guardian, 6 April 2002Kicked Out — by Alan, Making it Real, June 2013Why did we leave the Jesus Christians, led by Dave McKay? — by Sue, Making it Real, undatedThe Rise and Fall of the Jesus Christians — by Ross, Making it Real, 2013Australian Christian group fights claim it was linked to leader of Kenya starvation massacre doomsday cult — by Elle Hardy, The Guardian, 28 November 2023The Guardian's Shakahola Article by Elle Hardy | The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly — the Jesus Christians' commentary on The Guardian article, undated Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The media coverage of the Jesus Christians tends to outweigh their size. Most people who have heard of them recognise the name ‘The Kidney Cult', derived from an initiative where numerous members have donated one of their kidneys to a stranger. What may be surprising is that the person who first suggested that name was the Jesus Christians' founder himself, Dave Mckay.Part 2 is already available to Patreon supporters, and will be released on the main feed on Wednesday 25 December. Happy holidays all!Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.With thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects.Links:JC History 1981 - 1996 — Jesus Christians official website, accessed December 2024Australians find godliness in latrines and sewers of Madras — by Tim McGirk, The Independent, 25 June 1994Kidneys for Jesus — Jon Ronson's 2003 documentaryComments on Kidneys for Jesus — The Jesus Christians' response to Jon Ronson's documentary, accessed December 2024Blood sacrifice and Blood sacrifice (part two) — by Jon Ronson, The Guardian, 6 April 2002Why did we leave the Jesus Christians, led by Dave McKay? — by Sue, Making it Real, undatedThe Rise and Fall of the Jesus Christians — by Ross, Making it Real, 2013Australian Christian group fights claim it was linked to leader of Kenya starvation massacre doomsday cult — by Elle Hardy, The Guardian, 28 November 2023The Guardian's Shakahola Article by Elle Hardy | The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly — the Jesus Christians' commentary on The Guardian article, undated Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Revival Fellowship is a Pentecostal Australian sect that believes in Bible Numerics, a thoroughly debunked theory about numerical patterns found within the Bible. It also teaches British Israelism, generally considered to be unscientific and ahistorical and by some as a justification for racism. The Fellowship would say its teachings are in line with 'complementarianism', though women have no place in the hierarchy or leadership of the organisation. Over the years since it formed from a schism with Revival Centres International in the 1990s, the offshoot (as well as the RCI itself) has faced numerous accusations from former members that it operates as a cult.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Heart of Fire: The Story of Australian Pentecostalism — by Barry Chant, House of Tabor, 1984The British-Israel Myth - Christian Identity and the Lost Tribes of Israel — by Nick Greer, 2004Revival Stories & Document Archive — “a historical document archive and collection of stories of members and former members of the Revival Centres groups of churches”, accessed October 2024An Open Letter from Paul Longfield (son of Lloyd Longfield) — 27 November 1988 letter and undated letterForum for ex-members of Revival Churches — accessed September/October 2024Revival On the Air Today — Revival Fellowships podcast featuring interviews with John & Janet Kuhlmann in 2019Leaving a Revival Church Is Hard, but It's Worth It — by Mark Darbyshire, Medium, 20 July 2022The link between gender inequality and violence against women — Our Watch, accessed October 2024Letter to the Adelaide Revival Fellowship — by Jean and Frank O'Flaherty, 20 January 1998Ivan Panin and Friends — Australian National University webpage that includes links to Panin's Panic, the program created by Brendan McKay in 1997Papua New Guinean revivalist churches push dangerous campaign for 'faith-healing' of AIDS — by Liam Cochrane, ABC News, 22 July 2014 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian and Aaron talk about Ian's new idea that's got him frazzled and on tilt, Aaron's sales milestone, the game Factorio, and a lot more.Sponsored by LaraJobs & Screencasting.com.Interested in sponsoring Mostly Technical?  Head to https://mostlytechnical.com/sponsor to learn more.(00:00) - I'm Very Tilted (13:19) - Know A Guy (19:31) - Course Update (34:09) - Do As I Say, Not As I Do (49:58) - Factorio (53:02) - A Mostly Technical Interview Links:Aaron's tweet about 100kJason Beggs on TwitterMary Perry on TwitterFactorio

In the last episode of season 5, we looked into a Boulder, Colorado community then known as Divine Madness and led by Marc Tizer, usually referred to as 'Yo'. Its members were recognised for some amazing results in ultramarathons. At the time of researching that episode, updates about the current status of the group were hard to come by.Deru Youmans came across a listing for 'The Retreat' in the Gila National Forest on the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) website, and it sounded amazing. Their recent experience in this remote community had them very concerned for others who might come across a similar listing in the future.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Links:Teachings of Value — website for The Retreat and other current activities of Marc Tizer's group once known as Divine MadnessScenic, secluded farm in the Gila National Forest — WWOOF listing for The RetreatHighland Intentional Community — Foundation for Intentional Community listing for the group's Boulder, Colorado farmA Running Club Is 100 Miles Outside of the Mainstream — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 28 July 1997 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Emma Lehman is the creator of the independent podcast Gooned, which dives into the Troubled Teen Industry or TTI – a network of for-profit congregate care facilities for youth ranging from wilderness programs to therapeutic boarding schools. In the podcast, Emma interviews survivors, parents, staff members, experts and activists.Across the USA, young people are funnelled into this $23 billion industry not only by their caregivers but by government agencies. While these places advertise themselves as solutions to everything from troublesome conduct to mental illness, Emma shares through Gooned that they are ground zero for emotional, physical, and psychological abuse with lasting traumatic impacts on the teens they say they serve. And a number of the dubious and damaging methods many of them use can draw a straight line to a cult.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Links:Gooned — podcast, website and TikTokUnsilenced — US non profit organisation that serves past, present, and future victims of institutional child abuseEmma Lehman — Emma's website where you can find out more about her work Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Palmer created Avatar after his presidency of the Church of Scientology's Elmira Mission ended in the mid-1980s, as a result of legal proceedings around trademark infringement. Avatar says that it aims to create an 'enlightened planetary consciousness' or EPC through its courses, which are expensive and numerous. Former students say they have been left with massive debts as a result of their attendance.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now, and you can order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Head here to enter our competition to win a pair of ATH-SQ1TW Wireless Earbuds!Links:Who is Harry Palmer? — archived founder bio on former Avatar website, May 2006Living Deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar — by Harry Palmer, Star's Edge International, 1994Harry Palmer's Scientology Mission, Star's Edge, and Avatar — special report series by Lisa Bennett, Elmira Star-Gazette, 2-7 February 1988We'd like to welcome you to 'enlightenment' — by Russell Blackstock, NZ Herald, 17 August 2014Interview with Margie - Ex-Scientology / Avatar | The Origins of the Avatar Course - Part 1 and Part 2 — Avatar Uncovered YouTube channel, 15 & 19 January 2018Avatar Uncovered — website maintained by former Avatar Master Amanda Reed, accessed January 2024An Interview With Harry Palmer — by Matt Ding, HP Magazine, 1996, interview excerpt archived from About Harry Palmer websiteAvatar: Scientology-style sect causes concern in Netherlands — by Anna Holligan, BBC News, 31 March 2018 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas Parsons joined the Twelve Tribes community in Hiddenite, North Carolina in April 2019, and left in November 2021. With Hiddenite being the unofficial headquarters of the organisation, he had direct contact with a number of senior leaders of the Tribes. Following last week's live episode release, this conversation with Thomas provides an interesting insight into some of the more recent developments in the communities, as well as a more recent personal experience there.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:The Twelve Tribes LTAS episode page with a full list of resources is hereCult Information and Family Support (CIFS) — Australian volunteer-run support serviceICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — cult info since 1979 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded live at Woodford Folk Festival on 1 January 2024. Many people in the audience would have come across the Twelve Tribes previously at that very festival, as they used to build a big Common Ground cafe by the lake where tens of thousands of festival-goers ate and drank over the years.Numerous wonderful people have devoted themselves to the communities and the lifestyle of the Twelve Tribes. Thousands of fantastic individuals and families are truly dedicated to a way of life that in certain respects has a lot to offer. Their positive experiences, however, don't negate the stories of those who have come out with less positive things to say. And it's important to understand why there have been numerous stories with similar themes of harm that have come out of this group over the decades since they formed.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:The Restoration of All Things — a history on the Twelve Tribes' official website, dated 14 January 2021Our Child Training Manual — Twelve Tribes text, 2000Châm: The Proverbial Lesson to the Whole World — Twelve Tribes teaching, 19 March 2005Châm and Servitude — Twelve Tribes teaching, 19 March 1991Homosexuals and Lesbians — Twelve Tribes teaching, 3 July 1990Lying — Twelve Tribes teaching, 29 November 1998Twelve Tribes Teachings — links to teachings not meant for the public, compiled by the Question 12 Tribes blog, 1977-2008Taking Moral Responsibility for Your Children (An Introduction to Effective and Defective Parenting) — Twelve Tribes teaching, 8 July 2004Children of the Tribes — by Julia Scheeres, Pacific Standard Magazine, 1 September 2015“They are evil”: Ex-Twelve Tribes members describe child abuse, control inside religious cult — by Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 3 March 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matson Browning is a law enforcement officer who, along with his wife Tawni, spent years undercover infiltrating various hate groups to research and report on the rise of hate crimes and white supremacy in the United States. Together they wrote the book The Hate Next Door: Undercover Within the New Face of White Supremacy, which was published in July 2023.What others dismissed as fringe groups, Matson quickly recognised as large and interconnected organisations permeating every facet of American society, effectively spreading their dangerous and repugnant rhetoric at unprecedented speeds. Now, with the violent polarisation in our communities and an increase in hate crimes, the threat posed by these toxic organisations feels as acute as ever.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Matt & Tawni Browning — Matson and Tawni's websiteThe Hate Next Door: Undercover Within the New Face of White Supremacy  — by Matson & Tawni Browning, Sourcebooks, 2023If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yaakov Aharon and Shula Kirovsky's lives in Sydney's famous beach suburb of Bondi were lived largely separate from mainstream society, within the Chassidic sect of Chabad. Their families' lifestyles were a world away from the fashionable bikini and boardshorts-wearing demographics usually associated with the area. Though Yaakov disconnected himself from the sect's beliefs while he was still quite young, as a teenager he remained keen to join the Israel Defence Forces. Shula disengaged from her religious upbringing at the age of 19, when she was told it was time for her to get married.Today, both Shula and Yaakov are involved with the Tzedek Collective, an anti-Zionist Jewish group currently attending Sydney's pro-Palestine rallies every Sunday in Hyde Park and calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. For this episode, they share a selection of their experiences, including some of the things that changed their perspectives from the ideology they were brought up to believe in.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Tzedek Collective — website, Facebook, Twitter/X, InstagramThe Shock Doctrine — by Naomi Klein, Penguin Books, 2007 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Steel is the creator and host of the "Let's Talk About Sects" podcast, where she produces, and writes all of the episodes. And, today you can actually hear Rachel's guest appearance on that podcast by following the link in the show notes of this episode or just search for "Let's Talk About Sects" wherever you get your podcasts. In addition to podcasting, Sarah is also a filmmaker and writer with a keen interest in social sciences, culture, and psychology. Her writing has been published in The Guardian, Indiewire, and The Metro. She has also produced for ABC Radio National's Earshot program. Her debut book about cults, charisma, and coercive control, "Do As I Say", is out now and available in hardcopy, paperback, and e-book formats. In this unique episode, Sarah explains the common misconceptions people have about cults that she learned through creating her show. Together she and Rachel identify the ways both media and governments could lessen the damaging impact of cultic control in society. Before You Go: Rachel explains how cults use the guise of "equality" and "community" to lure in followers only to create a system of authority and intense peer pressure to achieve total conformity and control. Listen to Rachel's appearance on Let's Talk About Sects here: https://shows.acast.com/293c3043-0316-4f41-80cf-037ced3466c1/6549debbcce18a001211f401 You can find out more about Sarah and her podcast at: https://www.ltaspod.com/ Follow Sarah on IG at : https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsects/ You can buy Sarah's book here: https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760986131/do-as-i-say/ All of Rachel's free informational PDF documents are available here: www.rachelbernsteintherapy.com/pdf.html All of Rachel's video lectures are available for purchase here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/videos.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/rachelbernsteinlmft You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!

Rachel Bernstein is an LA-based therapist who has specialized in cult intervention and re-acclimation for over 30 years. She serves on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association and has worked with the Department of Justice providing support to cult survivors. Over the years she has made many media appearances as a cult expert and is also the host of IndoctriNATION, a weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control, where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts.In this episode, Rachel speaks about some of her therapeutic approaches to those who are in cults or have exited them and offers some advice to loved ones on how they may be able to reach someone who has become enmeshed in one of these organisations.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:IndoctriNATION podcast — Rachel Bernstein's podcastRachel Bernstein Therapy — Rachel's website which includes webinars and video lecturesNow I Know — by Rachel Bernstein, Mascot Books, 2015Unique Ways to Reach Out to Loved Ones in Cultic Groups — by Rachel Bernstein, ICSA Today Vol. 12, No. 1, 2021If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xenos was originally set up as a leaderless group that rejected the structures and trappings of mainstream churches. Springing forth from the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, it focused on meeting in people's homes and embracing members from the youth counter-cultures. So why does the church's own website admit to a history that involves cult-like behaviour? And how did it come to face allegations of manipulation and control that have been made by people who joined and left in completely different decades? Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Links:History of Dwell — Dwell website, accessed September 2023Coming Home: The Jesus People Movement In the Midwest And Their Attempts To Escape Fundamentalism — by Benjamin Williamson, Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2021An Organic Deception: The Xenos / Dwell Heresy Briefly Examined — by Reverend Rafael D Martinez, Director, Spiritwatch Ministries, undated, accessed September 2023Spiritwatch Response — by Dennis McCallum, Dwell website, undated, accessed September 2023Xenos critics say church is controlling — by Danae King, The Columbus Dispatch, 26 November 2018Dwell Community Church, Xenos Christian Fellowship: exploring how well-meaning individuals cause significant abuse through religious dogmatism — by Katie M. Reinaker, March 2022Inside the Megachurch That Has Ex-Members Screaming Cult — by Emily Shugerman, The Daily Beast, 21 May 2022Dwell's Response to The Daily Beast — by James M. Rochford, Dwell website, accessed September 2023‘It's really tragic': Former members speak out against Columbus church — by Jamie Ostroff, NBC4, 21 February 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xenos was originally set up as a leaderless group that rejected the structures and trappings of mainstream churches. Springing forth from the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, it focused on meeting in people's homes and embracing members from the youth counter-cultures. So why does the church's own website admit to a history that involves cult-like behaviour? And how did it come to face allegations of manipulation and control that have been made by people who joined and left in completely different decades? Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Links:History of Dwell — Dwell website, accessed September 2023Coming Home: The Jesus People Movement In the Midwest And Their Attempts To Escape Fundamentalism — by Benjamin Williamson, Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2021An Organic Deception: The Xenos / Dwell Heresy Briefly Examined — by Reverend Rafael D Martinez, Director, Spiritwatch Ministries, undated, accessed September 2023Spiritwatch Response — by Dennis McCallum, Dwell website, undated, accessed September 2023Xenos critics say church is controlling — by Danae King, The Columbus Dispatch, 26 November 2018Dwell Community Church, Xenos Christian Fellowship: exploring how well-meaning individuals cause significant abuse through religious dogmatism — by Katie M. Reinaker, March 2022Inside the Megachurch That Has Ex-Members Screaming Cult — by Emily Shugerman, The Daily Beast, 21 May 2022Dwell's Response to The Daily Beast — by James M. Rochford, Dwell website, accessed September 2023‘It's really tragic': Former members speak out against Columbus church — by Jamie Ostroff, NBC4, 21 February 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many ways, this theatre troupe and Fourth Way school became the most secretive this podcast has looked into yet. Most members didn't know each other's jobs, marital status, or even surnames. They didn't see each other outside of what they referred to as ‘the work', they didn't know the classes they were going to each week had anything to do with the teachings of Russian philosophers, and they didn't tell anyone outside what it was they were attending two nights each week. Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now, and you can order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here.  With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Head here to enter our competition to win a pair of ATH-SQ1TW Wireless Earbuds!Links:Theater group, cult or stage? — by Jack Brooks, The San Francisco Progress, 22 December 1978Strange School — by Michael Taylor and Bernard Weiner, The San Francisco Chronicle, 23 December 1978‘Theater of All Possibilities' deserves a second look — by Jack Brooks, The San Francisco Progress, 10 January 1979My Life in a Cult — by Spencer L. Schneider, The East Hampton Star Magazine, 16 December 2019Manhattan Cult Story — Spencer Schneider's blog ‘Exposing the Sharon Gans Cult'Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival — by Spencer Schneider, Arcade Publishing, 2022Seeing Into the Heart of Things — Bette Leahy's blog about OSGThe Gentle Souls Revolution — Esther Friedman's blog about ‘The School'The Gentle Souls Revolution — by Esther Friedman, GSR Healing Arts, 2023A Safety Guide For Gentle Souls w/Esther Friedman — IndoctriNation podcast with Rachel Bernstein, 30 August 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Pledger was raised in the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, and after completing his homeschool education, attended Bob Jones University. He is the creator of the limited podcast Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult. His podcast explores the school's history, the psychology of fundamentalism, the criteria for cults, and survivors' experiences.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com).If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info.Links:Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult — Andrew Pledger's podcastAndrew's LinktreeReligious Trauma is Trauma — a fine art photo series by Andrew PledgerIndoctriNation podcast — with Rachel Bernstein Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah is a cult survivor, domestic violence survivor, and a survivor of trafficking and modern slavery. She wouldn't have been able to name these things as she was experiencing them, or even for some time in the aftermath. Like many cult survivors, Sarah can draw a line between the coercive behaviours that she experienced in the high-demand organisation she was brought up in, KwaSizabantu, and the coercive behaviours of those who abused and exploited her later in life.Now Sarah uses her experiences to advocate for change. She is a fierce defender of the rights of others and has recently launched Survivor Connections, a resource she built alongside survivors for others who have experienced exploitation to assist them with all the things she wishes she knew earlier on.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:Survivor ConnectionsAustralian Federal Police — link to report human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices (including forced marriage), or phone 131 AFP (131237)Mission of Malice: My Exodus from KwaSizabantu – by Erika Bornman, Penguin Random House South Africa, August 2021If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Merchasin spent many years as an employment lawyer. She has also been a partner in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and director of Morgan Lewis Resources. She has conducted dozens of workplace investigations and taught investigative techniques to human resource professionals at many Fortune 50 companies. She has since joined McAllister Olivarius, where she heads up a practice covering sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based and spiritual communities.Later in her career, Carol Merchasin was asked to take her investigative background and use it to investigate sexual abuse within various Buddhist and yoga communities. The response she received was one of open hostility – certain religious leaders were not interested in investigating or ensuring their members were safe. This led Carol to the realisation that corporate America, a segment of society not necessarily known for its high moral and ethical standards, was doing far better than religious America when it came to stamping out abuse.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:McAllister OlivariusBuddhist center in Eugene sued over rape accusation against master guru — by April Ehrlich, OPB, 19 April 2023Halifax Shambhala leader accused of sexually assaulting cook at Chilean dinner — by Brett Bundale, CBC, 11 July 2018Argentina Arrests Yoga Sex Abusive Teacher, 84 – Will US Follow Suit With Swami, 72? — by Frank Parlato, Frank Report, 15 November 2022If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Kendall spent the ages of 9-19 in The Move of God, Sam Fife's apocalyptic cult. Today, she devotes her time to working on policy changes that will help former cult members and children in high-demand organisations. For International Cult Awareness Month 2023, she updates us about her work with Counter Cult Coalition and the work of others in the counter-cult space.Full episode page here. You can buy Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album Nobody Joins a Cult here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Links:Counter Cult Coalition – Facebook page Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guinevere Turner grew up in The Lyman Family, a group she now understands was a cult, but at the time was the only family she knew. Guinevere has recently released her memoir When the World Didn't End. In it, she recounts her childhood experiences, including the abusive family situation she found herself in when she was pulled out of the cult. She spoke with Sarah about her book, as well as the work she's doing now to help others who have exited cults.Full episode page here. You can buy Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album Nobody Joins a Cult here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:When the World Didn't End — (via Amazon) by Guinevere Turner, Penguin Random House, May 2023When the World Didn't End — (via the publisher) by Guinevere Turner, Penguin Random House, May 2023My Childhood in a Cult — by Guinevere Turner, The New Yorker, 29 April 2019The Lalich CenterIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com and The Lalich Center.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gloriavale Christian Community has been in the news recently in New Zealand for court cases around labour and servitude, and there are further cases happening as well. To understand more about the history of the organisation, you can listen to our 2-part episode about the group. Rosanna Overcomer recently celebrated 10 years out of Gloriavale, at the end of March 2023, and shares some of her story and the work she does now to help support others.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:The Gloriavale Leavers' Support TrustThe Olive Leave Network — Lindy Jacomb's new organisationThe Lalich CenterIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Divine Madness Running Club boasted some spectacular results in ultramarathons and became known for their excellent support teams and low-impact style of running. But the Boulder, Colorado based group was also notorious for their strange ways, whereby members were expected to follow the directions of their teacher in all aspects of their lives. Full research sources listed here. You can pre-order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show!Links:A Leader's Long, Strange Trip — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 28 July 1997The Long, Strange Trip of a Running Guru — by Bruce Schoenfeld, Sports Illustrated, 4 August 2003A Divine Madness? — by Andrew Murr, Newsweek, 17 August 1997Community or Cult? — by Clay Evans, Daily Camera, 5 October 1997My spiritual odyssey: A work in progress — blog by Alexander Cassady, undatedRun Ragged — by Clay Evans, Daily Camera, 7 March 200442 Miles to Enlightenment — by Daniel Glick, Women Outside, Fall 1999Running Like Hell — by Michael Finkel, Women's Sports and Fitness, Nov/Dec 1999ULTRARUNNING; Runner's Death Places Sport Under Scrutiny — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 7 March 2004A Spiritual Community in Reserve Is Also An Ultramarathon Powerhouse — by Leslie Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 21 May 2006 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carolyn Millemon learned about a form of meditation called ‘Ascending' at a weekend workshop in Western Australia when she was 21. A couple of years later, in North Carolina, she decided to dedicate her life to the teachings. A decade later, some of the behaviours of her own teachers weren't sitting so well with her.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show!Links:MSI and the Ishayas — posts by user ‘scribe' archived from now defunct FACTNet forum, late 2004 to early 2005The Ishaya's Ascension — by MSI, Sedona Journal, May 1997First Thunder: An Adventure of Discovery — by MSI, 1996Group Claims TM Movement is a Cult — by Phil McCombs, The Washington Post, 2 July 1987Para — by R. Vaughn Abrams, Seven Suns Publications, 1986, The University of Sydney Rare Books & Special Collections listingThe Society for Ascension — North Carolina Secretary of State listing, accessed March 2023The Bright Path Ishayas + Maharishi Krishnananda — Cult Education Institute forum, includes post by user ‘FlatEarthRound' which shares an email circulated to teachers in 2008, posted 19 July 2020the bright path — Cult Education Institute forum posts from 2009The Bright Path — official websiteThe Lineage — page on The Ishayas' Ascension website, accessed March 2023 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Klein's story is featured on the podcast Inside the Tribe, and Matt sat down with LTAS for a chat about what he learned from his time in the Twelve Tribes, and what he thinks society could be doing about organisations like this.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:Inside the Tribe — podcast by Tim Elliott and Camille Bianchi featuring Matt's story and those of the other people he mentionsI Catch Killers with Gary Jubelin — podcast mentioned by Matt, who will feature on an upcoming episodeCult Information and Family Support (CIFS) — Australian volunteer-run support service Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.