Podcast appearances and mentions of Hoyt Richards

Actor, documentarian, and cult survivor Hoyt Richards discusses the danger of former members engaging before they have healed. Hoyt is concerned about the infighting in the wide world of survivors. Jon adds reflections from his four decades of work with former members. Many people leave an authoritarian group and deny the harm it did to them and the harm they did to others because of their cult beliefs. They may then descend into rage against the group rather than feeling compassion for its victims. Often, members don't understand the manipulative methods they have acquired during membership and continue to act aggressively and self-righteously. Hoyt and Jon propose ways of overcoming the toxic residue of cult involvement, where the world-saving deceptions of the group turn to saving the world from the group rather than helping members to escape and recover. Jon's response to Zeller's "review" of Cult of Trump (the publicity flyer)

Dr. Mark McDonald is a board certified child & adolescent and adult psychiatrist, with extensive additional training in adult psychoanalysis and expertise in working with children with autism and trauma, as well as obsessive-compulsive and bipolar disorders. He is also the founder of the website Dissident MD where he discussed the intersection of politics and medicine. Mark and I discuss everything from religion to politics to sexuality to cults! If you're curious about the psychological underpinnings of today's cultural and political moment, this is the episode for you. 0:03:00 - Covid lockdowns and cults0:08:15 - The New So-Called "Masculinity" 0:10:45 - The Appeal of MAGA0:16:00 - Narcissism and Projection0:24:00 - The Importance of Religion and Christianity in Society0:38:00 - The Impersonal Nature of Government0:50:00 - Proper Role of Government0:55:00 - The Role of Masculinity and Femininity 1:06:30 - The Importance of Moral Clarity1:17:30 -  Jennifer Gets Psychoanalyzed1:22:30 - Healing Men and Women for UnityMark's Websites: https://www.markmcdonaldmd.com/about and https://dissidentmd.com/Allie Beth Stuckey's book on Toxic Empathy: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Empathy-Progressives-Christian-Compassion/dp/0593541944Podcast with Hoyt Richards, Cult Survivor: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connection/id1562691307?i=1000549702951

Back again with Hoyt Richards, Award-winning actor/writer/filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Tortoise Entertainment. Originally from the main line area outside of Philadelphia, Hoyt was a scholar-athlete who graduated from Princeton with a BA in Economics, where he also played football. In his early career, Hoyt worked as a fashion model for the Ford and Wilhelmina agencies and is considered to be the world's first male supermodel. Over his fifteen-year career, Hoyt was the face of numerous campaigns for the industry's top designers, and he appeared in over three hundred commercials. In 2000, Hoyt moved from New York to Los Angeles where he began working as an actor and now has over forty films to his credit. Expanding his skill set to include directing, screenwriting, editing and producing, Hoyt created his own production company, Tortoise Entertainment, in 2010. With Tortoise, Hoyt has produced two award-winning feature films. Dumbbells, a buddy comedy set in the gym, and Intersection, a psychological, romantic thriller.Hoyt is also a cult survivor. He has been speaking publicly about the dangers and the lessons learned from his experience of cultic and abusive environments for over two decades. And he assists families and individuals who have loved ones caught in cultic situations. Currently, Hoyt is co-hosting and producing a podcast series called WhaTheFlok, where he interviews other cult survivors and can be found on all major streaming platforms. In addition, Hoyt is developing a scripted TV series that chronicles his twenty-year journey into the Eternal Values religious cult and his subsequent escape and recovery. Also, he is writing a memoir, Picture Perfect, which chronicles his journey through the cult years and after while living a double life as one of the world's top fashion models. You can follow Hoyt on IG at @HoytRichShow sponsored by RogersHood.com, use code IDM for 10% off! Support the showFor more Informed Dissent visit our website at Informed Dissent Media Follow us on Social media @InformedDissentMedia

Back again with Hoyt Richards, Award-winning actor/writer/filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Tortoise Entertainment. Originally from the main line area outside of Philadelphia, Hoyt was a scholar-athlete who graduated from Princeton with a BA in Economics, where he also played football. In his early career, Hoyt worked as a fashion model for the Ford and Wilhelmina agencies and is considered to be the world's first male supermodel. Over his fifteen-year career, Hoyt was the face of numerous campaigns for the industry's top designers, and he appeared in over three hundred commercials. In 2000, Hoyt moved from New York to Los Angeles where he began working as an actor and now has over forty films to his credit. Expanding his skill set to include directing, screenwriting, editing and producing, Hoyt created his own production company, Tortoise Entertainment, in 2010. With Tortoise, Hoyt has produced two award-winning feature films. Dumbbells, a buddy comedy set in the gym, and Intersection, a psychological, romantic thriller.Hoyt is also a cult survivor. He has been speaking publicly about the dangers and the lessons learned from his experience of cultic and abusive environments for over two decades. And he assists families and individuals who have loved ones caught in cultic situations. Currently, Hoyt is co-hosting and producing a podcast series called WhaTheFlok, where he interviews other cult survivors and can be found on all major streaming platforms. In addition, Hoyt is developing a scripted TV series that chronicles his twenty-year journey into the Eternal Values religious cult and his subsequent escape and recovery. Also, he is writing a memoir, Picture Perfect, which chronicles his journey through the cult years and after while living a double life as one of the world's top fashion models. You can follow Hoyt on IG at @HoytRichShow sponsored by RogersHood.com, use code IDM for 10% off! Support the showFor more Informed Dissent visit our website at Informed Dissent Media Follow us on Social media @InformedDissentMedia

Hoyt shares his experience as a long term member of a group with a base in astrology. He was recruited at age 16. He studied at Princeton University and became internationally successful but stayed in the group for 20 years. Why do we accept conspiracy theories and magical ideas? To what extent do limitations in perception and interpretation inhibit our reasoning. A discussion about authority, certainty and authenticity. Links: A Painful Reminder For more on the "Angel and Devil on the Shoulder" trope

Belief doesn't simply evaporate when we leave a group. Hoyt and Jon talk about their own experiences on the road to claiming authority for their own beliefs. Jon suggests an easy way to kickstart the process. To the outside world, Hoyt seemed to exemplify success - a sports star, Princeton graduate who earned a fortune as the first man ever called a supermodel. In reality, his life was a mess of anxiety keeping to the cult's rules and giving millions to the leader. After years of turmoil, Hoyt has become a successful actor and documentarian. Links: Jon's book, Opening Our Minds The Big Picture - Rethinking Dyslexia Allegre's Miserere Secret Lives: L. Ron Hubbard and another documentary on Scientology featuring 1980's Jon: Scientology: Inside the Cult

a discussion about the egotism that makes us prey to cults, maintains our relationship with them, and makes it difficult to accept the ways in which cults modify our beliefs and behaviour. As ever, Hoyt shares his own dreadful experiences and helps to explain how to overcome obstacles to recovery from authoritarian abuse. Ex-Scientology Kids Socrates for Six-Year-Olds

We thought that in describing this particular episode, we would give you updates on the lawsuits happening against the ICOC and the ICC cults. First, the Los Angeles ICOC and the ICC said they were “Shocked and Appalled,” and that if any ‘alleged' abuse happened, it was a long time ago and they knew nothing about it. Which were blatant and cowardly lies, as so many of the leaders in the ICOC & ICC have been involved, or had multiple cases of abuse reported to them over the course of decades. Then as more and more cases were reported and filed, they said that they were ‘looking into matters' and would get to the bottom of it and were putting together a “task force.” Next, the LA ICOC hired a strategic “third-party investigator,” which was actually an Orange County lawyer that they had also hired three years ago to once again squash sexual abuse cases that were being reported to them in 2021. This was just more despicable and strategic smokescreens. As all of their deceit and coverups were failing, they were also filing motions to attack the legally filed cases and the victims, claiming statute issues, and trying to get the cases thrown out. Only further traumatizing their victims. Do they think that the 2000 people who have reported abuse are all lying? Do they have zero conscience left? The LA ICOC board of directors and their bogus “Task Force” have been reached out to repeatedly to fill them in on more abuse that was currently happening in their group, and not one of them responded. We have also called CPS/Law Enforcement and informed them about what was being reported. This is how the ICOC and ICC cults treat victims of sexual abuse and all truth-tellers. There have been zero apologies and zero responsibility taken by either group. Instead of making efforts to address the systemic cover-ups, or make things right with the survivors, they just continue to lie and try to get the lawsuits dismissed. Proving that they are nothing like Jesus, whom they claim to follow. Therefore, we will never stop using our voices to shout out what they have done, and we will prevail. #IGotOut #FreeFromICOC Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards, and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Richard Robson Website: Melissa McKeehan  *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms, and websites do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatheflok/support

Hoyt and Jon discuss what role a family can have in helping their loved one recover from cult involvement. The book Jon is reading on the American Post Civil-War Reconstruction: David Blight's Race and Reunion a downloadable infographic of Jon's questions to ask a loved one in an authoritarian group more on Steven Hassan's Strategic Interactive Approach

Well, the WTF crew has been gone for a minute due to all of the lawsuits against the ICOC/ICC cult that Chele was in. In this episode, Chele and Justine discuss these particular lawsuits, which are all based on rampant sexual abuse (of mostly minors) and failure to report and systemic cover-ups within both iterations of the cult. Even after the law team has received over 2000 phone calls of abuse from survivors of these two cults, it's interesting to note that both the ICOC and the ICC have used similar (and unGodly) deception tactics—First, they claimed to be shocked and appalled, then after that didn't work they pretended to care, and now they are fighting the lawsuits by claiming “time statute” issues. At NO point have they acknowledged one single victim, given one apology, or behaved as Jesus commands—clearly showing that they only care about preserving their organization, and not the victims. This is similar to how all religious organizations and cults try to deny and refuse to take any responsibility when abuse is exposed. Part of the anatomy of a cult is to victim shame and blame and vilify anyone holding them accountable, and claim they are being persecuted. The ICOC and the ICC continue to prove that they are willing to destroy innocent souls to protect themselves. But we have a funny feeling that the real God of this universe is not done with them yet. #IGotOut #FreeFromICOC Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Richard Robson Website: Melissa McKeehan  *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whatheflok/support

documentarian and cult expert Hoyt Richards joins Jon to talk about how to develop healthy skepticism when our natural inclination is to trust. The conversation ranges through groupthink, confirmation or myside bias and our cognitive dissonance when presented with ideas that conflict with our own feelings of knowing.

documentarian, actor and cult expert Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about ending a toxic relationship, whether with an authoritarian cult or an abusive or unsuitable partner.

actor and documentarian Hoyt Richards joins Jon to talk about the need to tell our story so that we can digest our experience and make something useful of it. With a short digression about the meanings of love.

It can be very hard to take responsibility for your actions if you blame the manipulations of a cult for them. As Hoyt says, it is vital to take responsibility for your own story: it is a lot easier to fool someone than to persuade them they've been fooled. Some people blame themselves entirely for their negative behavior and others shrug it off because of 'mind control'. To recover from a cult experience, we have to weigh up the balance between the manipulation of the cult and our own agency. Links: Alan Scheflin's Social Influence Model Jon's spiffy new site Jon's old site (with all his art and poems and things)

Film-maker Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about phobia induction in authoritarian cults and in society at large. We're in the midst of a panic about Artificial Intelligence which has become a bogey-man. Some of our fears may prove to be justified, but there is also the sense that we simply don't understand where AI might lead. All strong emotions - fear, anger or joy - deplete our reasoning. How should we approach the over-stimulation that grabs our attention and panics our thinking? Links: Socrates for Six-Year-Olds (VERY staticky, pixellated version!): https://youtu.be/vyD0l9En6Io?si=UVwnALyJXVR94Joj rent the Getting Clear conference on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/gettingclear

documentarian and thriving survivor Hoyt Richards joins Jon for a conversation about the positive effects of membership in negative groups and the camaraderie found during wars and catastrophes. Jon starts with Biderman's Chart of Coercion first devised to explain the steps of the Chinese Thought Reform Program and more recently applied to Guantanamo Bay. As ever, many controversial points are discussed! Links: Petition to Save the Brazilian Rainforest Biderman's Chart of Coercion Chris Shelton's Truth Rundown video A musical rundown of the Borgia family Windsor soup The Robbers Cave Experiment Chinese Blank Paper Protests And yes, you can get Jaffa cakes in the US. My [Spike] local store has them in the "international foods" aisle. Failing that, one can always buy them on Amazon.

Going from a highly privileged family to college at Princeton to a career as the first male supermodel, Hoyt Richards was truly living the dream, but as he fell deeper under the influence of magnetic mentor, he started living a secret life that threatened to consume him.Today's episode featured Hoyt Richards. If you want to dive deeper into many of the elements Hoyt touched on in this episode, and hear more from him, he also has his own incredible podcast called WhaTheFlok?! – Cult Survival Stories, co-hosted by Chele Roland, where they feature experts, guests and speak to their personal histories, sharing cult survival stories and exposing the underbelly of how cults use indoctrination to kidnap the mind and hijack the soul. You can check out the podcast wherever you listen or on whatheflok.com. You can also find out more about Hoyt on Instagram @hoytrich and if you would like to contact him, you can email him through his manager Rebecca Kitt at rebeccakitt@mac.com. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason Blalock Content/Trigger Warnings: verbal abuse, religious trauma, cult experience, death and dying, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcast Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: ""Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Cylinder Four” – Chris Zabriskie ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

documentarian, actor, and activist Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about Sebastian Junger's Tribe: Homecoming and Belonging and how ways in which authoritarian cults are tribes where recruits mistakenly believe they indeed found their home and feel they belong. Velasquez – the men of pleasure and the cretins UN figures on modern slavery

Documentarian, actor and former cult member Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the need to take responsibility for what we did and said when in an authoritarian cult. It is important to understand how we hurt other people and not to excuse our misdeeds and harsh words by saying we were "in a cult". Once we've accepted our imperfect behavior, we can take steps to heal those we hurt and to heal ourselves. Links: Dr. Steven Hassan talks with Hoyt Alan Scheflin's Social Influence Model Dr. Steven Hassan interviews Dr. Carl Marci, author of Rewired

The final part of Hoyt Richards' incredible journey into and out of a UFO doomsday cult. The damning Vanity Fair article throws Hoyt’s family into chaos as they attempt to intervene. And right when you think he might finally be getting out, his fellow brothers go to extreme lengths to keep their financial backer from leaving. And it works. Until it finally doesn't. Thank you again, Hoyt. He is a brave and inspirational human, and we loved having him on the show. Support us on Patreon (every little bit helps!): patreon.com/wasiinacult Follow us: instagram.com/wasiinacult Contact us: info@wasiinacult.com & Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out with a synopsis of your story. Listen to Hoyt's cult survival podcast, "WhatheFlok?!" and follow him on Instagram @hoytrich.

The final part of Hoyt Richards’ incredible journey into and out of a UFO doomsday cult.    The damning Vanity Fair article throws Hoyt’s family into chaos as they attempt to intervene. And right when you think he might finally be getting out, his fellow “spiritual brothers” go to extreme lengths to keep their financial backer from leaving. And it works…   Until it finally doesn’t.   Thank you again, Hoyt. He is a brave and inspirational human, and we loved having him on the show.    —   This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/INACULT. This episode is also sponsored by Babbel. Get six months for the price of three at Babbel.com with promo code INACULT.   Support us on Patreon (every little bit helps!):  patreon.com/wasiinacult   Follow us: instagram.com/wasiinacult    Contact us: info@wasiinacult.com — Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out with a synopsis of your story.    Listen to Hoyt's cult survival podcast, "WhatheFlok?!" and follow him on Instagram @hoytrich.  

It was 1978, and the effortlessly handsome Hoyt Richards was a 16-year-old football talent summering in Nantucket. Chasing girls and free beer was about all on this young boy's mind. So when he meets a man on the beach who was rumored to throw great parties, Hoyt thinks nothing of it. Little did Hoyt know & he had just come face-to-face with a budding cult leader that would take his life in a direction he never could've dreamed. Support us: Patreon.com/wasiinacult Follow Hoyt: Instagram.com/hoytrich Follow us: Instagram.com/wasiinacult Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out at info@wasiinacult.com.

It was 1978, and the effortlessly handsome Hoyt Richards was a 16-year-old football talent summering in Nantucket. Chasing girls and free beer was about all on this young boy's mind. So when he meets a man on the beach who was rumored to throw great parties, Hoyt thinks nothing of it.  Little did Hoyt know…he had just come face-to-face with a budding cult leader that would take his life in a direction he never could've dreamed.  — This episode is sponsored by ZocDoc. Find out more at Zocdoc.com/INACULT. Support us: Was I In A Cult? on Patreon Follow Hoyt on Instagram: @hoytrich Follow us on Instagram: @wasiinacult  Email us: info@wasiinacult.com — Have your own cult story and want to be on the show? Reach out with a synopsis of your story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Documentarian, actor, and interventionist Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the effects that cult involvement has on those close to a member. This subject is rarely discussed because the emphasis is on the damage done to the member. Hoyt talks about his brother's attempt at an intervention which severed their communication for years. Tips and strategies for helping members and a broad discussion that will be useful to most former members and the families and friends of members.

Actor, documentarian, and Princeton graduate Hoyt Richards talks about his recovery from a small, isolated cult group. Hoyt found the aftermath of the cult even more challenging than his 20-year membership. He left the group because he believed he simply wasn't good enough. As with most members of authoritarian groups, he was constantly set up to fail and felt demeaned. Hoyt tells us how important it is to tell the story, even though we'll feel humbled in the telling. Links: Intersection Australian Royal Commission

On this episode of the Let's Talk Movies podcast Brian sits down with actor, writer and producer Hoyt Richards, discussing some of the best and worst films of 2022, the direction of the DC Universe, and the current state of documentary filmmaking. SOCIAL Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoytrich Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briandrolet Twitter: https://twitter.com/briandrolet Subscribe/Rate/Review to Up On Game Presents on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts! WATCH FULL EPISODES ON THE UP ON GAME NETWORK YOUTUBE CHANNEL JUST SEARCH UP ON GAME NETWORK #movies #movies #films #actors #superman #DC #documentaries #dcuniverse #itsawonderfullife #startrekSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whaaat?…Did the ICOC even claim to be saving leprechauns in India?!! Well, listen in to find out!! ☘️ Welcome to the second part of the conversation about the ICOC pyramid and how it was used to control and micromanage every single thought and action of its members. But here in part 2, Chele & Nixie discuss how the leadership structure was weaponized & mobilized to deploy the rules and regulations of the ICOC cult—Which masqueraded as the only true church of disciples on the planet. Yep, if you don't go to the ICOC, sorry to tell you—according to them, you are Hell bound. So, just how did this cult convince its over 150,000 die-hard members that their only job on earth was to go out and make other disciples and bring them into the ICOC so that they could be saved and go to heaven?! Well, the short answer is through the leadership—who claimed that the Bible was their rulebook—but in reality, it was the leaders functioning as Wizard of Oz type characters, hiding behind a curtain of ego, fear, and manipulation. Which was deeply damaging because we never knew who the “enemy” was. The people we were supposed to trust the most, were actually the ones carrying out or fostering the abuse. And a special shout out to Dr. Edith Eger's podcast on Super Soul called ”The Choice,” as she shares about her experience in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Dr. Eger says the only workable thing about the type of abuse she endured in the concentration camp is that she always knew who the enemy was. She knew who she was fighting. We thought that was a profound comment, as most of the ICOC defectors struggled with identifying all the insidious ways that they were spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, (and some sexually) abused, until many years later. I highly recommend Dr. Edith Eger's podcast on Super Soul titled The Choice, listening to it humbled me and changed me! Thank you Dr. Eger! #IGotOut #FreeFromICOC Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

“Even when I was in it, I could not see it. I was that person, and everyone can be it. There is no profile” Those are the words of the world's first male supermodel Hoyt Richards talking to Anke Richter about being under the control of UFO doomsday cult Eternal Values. Throughout Anke's thorough and immersive reporting on cults, those words have been an accessway - at times sailing very close to her own personal experiences The reporter and author has a new book on shelves today - Cult Trip - which explores disturbing shared patterns across cults - from New Zealand's own Centre Point to Agama Yoga School in Thailand and back to the west coast with GloriavaleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the next several After Hours episodes, Chele and Nixie are focusing on the group they escaped from, the ICOC. Chele felt it was important to take a deep dive into the control & mobilization structure of the cult, which the ICOC called a “discipleship tree.” It's not by accident that even religious statisticians labeled the ICOC as the ‘fastest growing church in the world' for three years in a row. There is a reason the ICOC, which masqueraded as a church, was able to accomplish this: Looking back, it's easy to now identify this structure as an insidious pyramid scheme, designed to micromanage and manipulate every thought and move (and finances) of its members. This pyramid helps to explain how the ICOC was so effective at controlling every single member. You see, in becoming a member of this group, EVERYONE was assigned a handler, which they called a “discipler.” The discipler was initially explained as a spiritual mentor and helper, but nothing could be further from the truth. And it didn't end there, as you went up the discipleship tree (pyramid), the groups were divided, and then subdivided, and then subdivided more. To a point where everybody always knew what everybody else was doing, and would report each other, if anyone thought there was sin or dissent. The members also had to get permission and ask advice on even the smallest aspects of their lives, and weren't able to make any personal decisions on their own. Supposedly, the Bible was the rule book—but it was simply a game of “Fear & Consequence,” and the leaders of the ICOC played it masterfully. Chele breaks down the disturbing ecosystem of this cult, and we think this is a fascinating episode. #IGotOut #FreeFromICOC Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Our quote for Part 2 of of the conversation with the delightful Will Allen perfectly sums up one of the key resources that Will has brought to the table for all of us to partake in— “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is in itself, an act of communion.” By Bell Hooks Will's documentary Holy Hell has been just such a tool for healing, for so many—Which in itself, and collectively, has functioned as an ‘act of communion.' This film has allowed an endless number of trauma survivors to feel validation and clarity, by exposing the powerfully insidious nature of manipulative/indoctrinational and abusive relationships. But this episode is named Holy HEAVEN, as Will is also a powerful example of making it to the other side of his cultic experience with his compassion, brilliance, creativity, and humanity not only intact, but wearing it like a badge of honor…as we all should! People like Will are helping to “normalize trauma recovery,” and strengthening the ever-growing community of survivors! Conversing & communing with him was pure joy. Thank you Will Allen for providing all of us a timeless piece of your heart through your Holy Hell film—But equally as important, for sharing with us how you reclaimed your life and reinvented your passions! You truly are a beacon of hope, and a slice of Holy Heaven! So thrilled to have you as part of the #WhaTheFlok family!

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Wow, we are at episode 20 already, so Hoyt and Chele wanted to spend the time to discuss some of their own take-aways from the WTF podcast thus far, as they have interacted with our amazing guests! And this episode's quote, once again, sums things up perfectly: “To live in the body of a survivor is to never be able to leave the scene of a crime. I cannot ignore the fact that I live here.” By Blythe Baird. Anyone who has suffered trauma, and in our case trauma from any sort of cultic relationship, will understand this quote perfectly well— because trauma leaves a sort of imprint on our minds and in our bodies, synonymous to a crime scene that we endured. It becomes a part of us—And although we will never forget it or “get over it”— There are ways that we can “get through it.” But it's also important to insert here, that there is no blueprint to getting through it, no one size fits all approach, no cookie-cutter solutions. We are all individuals, with individual experiences—resulting in a spectrum of traumas and pathways to recovery. We will all process our traumas and recovery journeys differently, and that is not only OK—it is expected and healthy! Some people find it healing and helpful to talk about their experience, but some find it triggering and feel it adds to their trauma—And that's OK too. Everyone heals on a different time frame. Hoyt and Chele truly hope that everyone who has survived any sort of cultic relationship and trauma will someday arrive at the point of being able to share or express their trauma, and “wear it like a badge”—but that badge will look different for everyone. I think a perfect example of this is our friend Lisa who is one of the creators of the #IGotOut hashtag and platform. Lisa works passionately and tirelessly for the #IGotOut platform, and is helping countless people in their recovery, but she's just not ready to publicly tell her own personal story yet… But she helps so many others in so many ways! I think that no matter where we are at in the spectrum of trauma and recovery, we are all an important “cog in the wheel,” so to speak, creating forward progress together! No matter where you are at in your road to recovery, you are all a part of our collective vehicle, driving us all to clarity, validation & continued freedom!

Should former members of authoritarian groups speak out immediately or should they wait until they're beyond the trauma of membership? Jon and director documentarian Hoyt Richards go into the fine print about speaking out. Hoyt talks with Steven Hassan: https://youtu.be/oTC_9v8gIvU

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland We think you're really going to enjoy the treat in store for you with Ep 18—the first part of our two episodes with the incomparable Will Allen—Creator, Producer, Director (“everythinger”) of one of our favorite documentaries about indoctrination and cultic relationships, titled Holy Hell. If you have not seen this documentary, we strongly recommend it to be on your ‘must watch' list! Chele remembers watching Holy Hell, and it being one of the crystallizing moments when she realized that the indoctrination process has distinct markers, or a formula to it. It doesn't matter what cult or abusive relationship you've been in—the mind control, centered in coercion and suppressed critical thinking is shockingly similar! “Same party, different costume.” Will does such a spectacular job of highlighting this, with all of the original video footage that he had filmed and archived during his decades inside of the Buddahfield cult. Because of all of this footage, we get to peer into the very soul of this cult, and the cult leader—The way Will put this film together was compelling and groundbreaking—Seeing all the real time faces of the innocent members of the group was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time! We've talked to so many people who said that this particular documentary was an ‘Aha' moment for them! Bravo Will! Can't wait to see what Will Allen has in store for us next! #HolyHell #IGotOut #TellYourStories #TakeYourPowerBack Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Joseph Russo Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

How do you recognize the signs of a cultic relationship? Could you already be in over your head and not even realize it? Actor and model Hoyt Richards knows firsthand, and tells Nikki all about his harrowing 20 year experience of being slowly brainwashed by a charismatic cult leader. Plus, learn the warning signs of how to recognize if you're in a similar toxic relationship and don't even know it.New episodes come out every Thursday.Call Me Curious is available now on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify or wherever you listen. You can listen ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Welcome to part two of our discussion with the exceptional Ashleigh Freckleton, all the way from Australia! In last week's episode, Ashleigh sets the stage for what happened with a narcissistic and mentally disturbed “yogi guru,” whose main goal was manipulating and controlling women, for his own disturbed sexual desires and needs. So in this episode she eloquently brings us full circle, as to what broke things open for her, and how she escaped him and this group. But maybe more importantly, Ashleigh carefully lays the groundwork of why and how this type of indoctrination happens in the first place—And why people like this, who claim to be “gurus” and inspired or prophetic thought leaders, are effective at this type of dangerous coercion, and such intimate manipulation. It also became clear during our conversation, that being self-aware and in touch with her emotions, like Ashleigh was, allowed her to ultimately stand up to this depraved man, and escape relatively quickly, in the grand scheme of things. But I think it's also important to note that it doesn't matter if you're in a destructive cult or cultic relationship for 2 years or 20 years…the damage and destruction can be equally as traumatic, regardless of the amount of years that you suffered. Ashleigh is such an inspiring example of taking challenging circumstances and allowing them to evolve into an experience that can ultimately serve yourself, but also serve those around you. She truly is a lighthouse and beacon of hope, willing to share her experiences, in an effort to warn and teach others about being exposed to any type of indoctrination or coercive control! Stay tuned, as we have no doubt that the world will be hearing a lot more from the wonderful Miss Ashleigh Freckleton! #IGotOut #TellYourStories #TakeYourPowerBack Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Joseph Russo Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland What a treat to introduce you to Part One with the lovely and impressive Ashleigh Freckleton, all the way from beautiful Australia! We instantly fell in love with Ashleigh, and not just because of her bubbly & adorable qualities—But because she so eloquently and precisely painted the picture of how someone as dynamic as herself could be duped into a yoga cult, led by a maniacal supposed guru. Yes her story contains all of the salacious and juicy details of a man grooming women to be his own devoted sexual slaves, intended to be trafficked across Europe, but it is much much deeper and more complex than even that. Like so many cult survivors, Ashleigh set out to do amazing things; she wanted to devote herself to something meaningful, and to lead an impactful and compassionate life. This man and this group took those innocent intentions, and exploited them brutally. And on top of that, she is still receiving legal and litigious threats from the guru and his devoted cult. Even so, Ashleigh marches on courageously, fiercely, and does not waver. The legal threats are also why Ashleigh can't specifically name the group or the cult leader—YET! But his day is coming. *Oh ya, Spoiler Alert: Ashleigh was also a contestant on Australia's “The Bachelor.” This girl is such a joy and a multi-faceted human being! I guess you'll just have to take a listen/watch to see for yourself how this could happen to someone like her. Ashleigh is another prime example illustrating the fact that cultic relationships can literally happen to anyone!—She is powerful, intelligent, strong, passionate and driven! Ashleigh has many exciting projects in the pipeline that will help tell her story on a global scale. We cannot wait to hear more from her, and to see how this all unfolds! Thanks for inspiring us Ashleigh and for not backing down!

So happy to share Part Two of our conversation with the unforgettable Tracy Nusbaum. It's Chele here, personally writing this blurb of Episode 15, as I felt the need to share about how deeply touched I was by our intimate discussion with Tracy. I was so enthralled with our conversation, that it's the very first episode where I literally forgot to read the quote of the day. Being reminded of what happened to Tracy and all of us that have escaped from the ICOC‘s prison bars that incarcerated our minds moved me, and spoke to me in ways that words cannot encompass. As I re-listened to the episode before it was uploaded for the rest of you to hear, I went on a long walk through my neighborhood and I just wept—I wept tears of loss, tears of regret, tears of sadness, tears of anger, and tears of painful memories. But these tears eventually evolved into feelings of resolve and strength and empowerment. This is what happens when we can acknowledge what we have been through, where we are now, and ultimately where we are headed. Tracy, your willingness to be so vulnerable and share so specifically about what you experienced inside of the ICOC underscores the fact that we were mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially violated on a daily basis in that group. But yet here we are, broken out of our cocoons with big butterfly wings that carry us and our voices to places we probably could have never even imagined! Thank you Tracy for using your voice to share your story, as it's already having great impact, and validating the complexity and pain of surviving any type of cultic experience. We also appreciate the way you peppered in some organic humor—it helps us to laugh at the ridiculousness of what ICOC survivors have been through. You are wonderfully and perfectly made, and the world is enriched by your experiences and perspective! #IGotOut #FreeFromICOC Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

So excited to introduce Tracy Nusbaum to you in Part One of a two-parter “After Hours” episode. Of course, our “After Hours” episodes are more informal, and usually involve ‘no holds barred' dialogue AND several glasses of wine! And good Lordy, there was no holding back in this conversation! Chele, Nixie, and Tracy hadn't all been together for over 20 years from their old ICOC (cult) days, so the memories, stories, outrage, (and wine) was flowing generously! The types of mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually damaging experiences that Tracy lived through in the ICOC are shocking and traumatizing. But more importantly, Tracy is such an amazing example of someone who has come out on the other side—stronger, clearer, and entirely whole. She is nothing short of an inspiration, and she has always been a touchstone and true friend to Chele. Tracy is such an incredible example of taking your circumstances and turning it into something beautiful, and is now remarried to a wonderful man with four amazing children! Tracy has the best memory of the bunch and was able to remind Chele about so many disturbing things that she had blocked out. And they get into more of that in Part Two, the next episode, so be sure to tune in to next week's episode as well! Thank you Tracy for being the feisty Latina that you are! One disclaimer: Chele mispronounces Matthew Wolpert‘s last name several times in this episode. His last name is Wolpert and not Wolten. Sorry Matthew, let's blame it on the wine! Haha #IGotOut #FreeFromICOC Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Welcome back to Part Two of Matthew Wolpert's conversation with us about his experience in the ICOC cult. As we learned in part one, Matthew bravely leaked the whistle-blowing letter from inside the London group. After one of Matthew's best friends in the group committed suicide, it was the last awakening he needed. One of our favorite parts of this episode is near the very end where Matthew helps isolate the fact that the ICOC claims that they “have changed” and aren't cult-like anymore—But if that was the case, they would truly own up to what they have done, and offer a different narrative and apologize at every opportunity they got. But yet they continue to gaslight and defend themselves with comments like: “It's not the ICOC that you have problems with, it's the Bible you have problems with, as God does demand we surrender our whole lives, and you simply aren't strong enough to follow!” Yep…their overall arrogance and judgment remains the same, very clearly showing that the ICOC is still an indoctrinated and destructive group. Thank you Matthew Wolpert for building a bridge that helped so many cross over to the truth—by revealing what this group was, and still is, doing! #FreeFromICOC #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Sarah Scheiman Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland We are so thrilled to share Part One of our two episodes with Matthew Wolpert! Matthew joined us from across the pond, from a lovely town outside of London. Matthew was a part of the ICOC in England for 15 years, the same cult Chele was in, here in LA. The ICOC still boasts an international membership of over 120,000 people. Matthew's story is illuminating for many reasons, but maybe most notably because he spurred the whistleblowing op-Ed type of letter that blew the doors off this cult's questionable, abusive, and hidden practices & beliefs. The letter he helped to leak ultimately led to the awakening of a large portion of the cult's membership, and a mass exodus occurred. Matthew “tees up” the scenario in this ‘part one' episode, and is nothing short of a hero, creating a pathway of freedom for many thousands of people! #FreeFromICOC #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Sarah Scheiman Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

How do you recognize the signs of a cultic relationship? Could you already be in over your head and not even realize it? Actor and model Hoyt Richards knows firsthand, and tells Nikki all about his harrowing 20 year experience of being slowly brainwashed by a charasmatic cult leader. Plus, learn the warning signs of how to recognize if you're in a similar toxic relationship and don't even know it.New episodes come out every Thursday.Call Me Curious is available now on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify or wherever you listen. You can listen ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Welcome to our Season One Recap! Hoyt and Chele answer questions and comments from Season One, and talk about what they have learned about their evolving understanding and appreciation for creating a safe space for all types of survivors of cultic relationships. They highlight questions such as: How do you know when you're ready to talk about your survival story publicly? Answer: You know that you're ready to share your story, when you're able to “wear your experience like a badge,” and are proud of the fact that you've made it to the other side...without feeling the need to defend yourself or “fix your reputation.” The bottom line is that you're ready when you no longer care what anyone thinks of you. #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

there are many forms of authoritarian relationship - from the reverence given to a dictator to submission to an intimate partner. Documentarian and actor Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the intricacies of these relationships.

Director and documentarian Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the growth made possible by traumatic cult experiences and the false friendships found in authoritarian cults.

Reposting this interview of Hoyt Richards that we did back in July because it seems more topical than ever. In it, Hoyt used his own intense experience as a cult member to highlight ways in which we all are designed to fall into cultish behavior.When I spoke to Hoyt this week he said:"What I endured and learned from my cult experience is more relevant today than even when I was going through it...our society is quite cultish by nature. So many of the masses have been indoctrinated in extremist narratives. Very black and white, binary, all or nothing thinking. Where are the shades of gray? And where is the critical thinking?"Hoyt recently started his own podcast called "WhaTheFlok" in which he and co-host Chele Roland talk to people about their cult survival stories. There is no more engaging voice on this topic and we hope you check it out wherever you get your podcasts.  WhaTheFlok Podcast

Show notes:    3:30 - Hoyt's cult story and power dynamics   15:00 - Processing and healing trauma    18:40 - How others are affected by addict/cult victim behavior   22:30 - How Covid mimics cult behavior   26:45 - More about Hoyt's cult    35:30 - Critical thinking and how to reignite it in people   40:00 - Politics and healthy skepticism   44:20 - Inner resources and truth   45:00 - Psychedelics   51:30 - Role of humility in overcoming trauma, choices, taking ownership and narcissism1:09:00 - When Hoyt realized he was in a cult1:17:00 -  Lying and living a dual life1:24:00 - How Hoyt uses his experiences in his current work in Hollywood1:28:30 - Combatting mind controlReferences: https://www.amazon.com/Combatting-Cult-Mind-Control-Best-selling/dp/0892813113https://www.amazon.com/Combating-Cult-Mind-Control-Destructive-ebook/dp/B00V9DU340https://www.icsahome.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-little-bit-culty/id1553334816

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Our episode 10 is Part 2 with the inspiring and courageous Spanky Taylor and Tory Christman! Two of the earliest whistle blowers and escapees from the Scientology cult. The events they share while inside of, and during their escape process, sound stranger than fiction, but are painfully true. The types of things that Scientology has gotten away with for almost 6 decades is nothing short of criminal—and riddled with hideous human rights violations, unlawful imprisonments, child labor & abuse, financial fraud, intimidation & coercion, violence, and despicable acts of human trafficking. Not to mention, this cult siphoned every penny from all its members. Scientology is nothing more than a vicious & illegal pyramid scheme that has built itself into a billion dollar business, investing in real estate, while capitalizing on its IRS tax exempt status. How this is still happening boggles the brain beyond comprehension. Yep, makes us angry! We can only hope that the proper authorities continue to take notice, and finally have the courage to stand up to Scientology and all of their threats! The world is watching. #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Sarah Scheiman Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland We were thrilled to have the incredible Spanky Taylor and Tory Christman on to talk about their many decades in Scientology—Spanky was also a key figure in the successful whistleblowing documentary on HBO titled “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.” She was indoctrinated into the group around age 13, and Tory entered in her teens as well. It was hard listening to their stories, as Spanky shared about the group's version of prison camps, detention centers, and child labor camps, and countless other unbelievable human rights violations—Resulting in her having to kidnap her OWN baby to escape the cult! While Tory (who has a great YouTube channel: ToryMagoo44) shared about the physical trauma of being denied her epilepsy medicine, working 30 hour shifts for Scientology non-stop, and giving every last cent to this cult to “work her way up the bridge,” to ‘clear' her physical issues. Culminating in Tory being threatened and literally chased across the country as she attempted to escape! Again, this was a tough episode to hear, without feeling angry and frustrated that Scientology is still getting away with all this abuse! You will absolutely fall in love with Spanky & Tory, and our conversation with them definitely underscored the importance for all of us to speak out! Thank you Spanky & Tory for your unwavering bravery and for inspiring us with your strength and vulnerability! #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Sarah Scheiman Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Join Chele and Nixie as we introduce our new “After Hours” bonus segment titled Deep Thoughts. In this more intimate format (usually accompanied with some good red wine), outside of the normal podcast studio, we create the space for an even deeper dive into the more sensitive and difficult topics to discuss. Especially concerning painful experiences and memories, and how they now play into the trauma recovery process. What most cult and abuse survivors find, is that you truly do have to “get it all out,” in order to neutralize the power others took from you, so that you can take your life back in all areas. And boy do Chele and Nixie practice this in our first After Hours episode! Chele likes to jokingly describe this process as being like a horrible pimple—You have to get all of the infection out first, in order for it to heal—And sometimes that's not pretty, but it's a necessary undertaking. We hope you find this special segment as therapeutic as we did! #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland We are excited to have Debora Giannone as our episode 7 guest! Debora was featured in the Starz docu-series titled Seduced, with India and Catherine Oxenberg. Seduced was a short series highlighting some more in-depth info and accounts of what happened inside of the NXIVM cult. Debora was one of the original whistle blowers and bravely shares parts of her experience and trauma inside of this group. She shares some great and fresh insights, that will be helpful to anyone listening in, or curious about what truly happened inside of the NXIVM cult. We all fell in love with Debora during her time with us, and are so happy for her to have a new lease on life! #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Tatiana Sitnikova Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

"If you've survived something, isn't it kinda your duty to talk about it? What was the point of going through it just to keep it to yourself?” From the moment a stranger laid his towel on a Nantucket beach next to his, Hoyt Richards, at the ripe age of sixteen, found himself living a glitzy New York City lifestyle and being groomed by a mastermind cult leader. On Sarah's first episode of 2022, she finds herself awestruck by Hoyt's riveting story of how a doomsday cult robbed him of twenty valuable years, confined him from his own family and brainwashed him into funding the whole operation with the money from his budding modeling career. Tune in and prepare to be enthralled by Hoyt Richards

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Our guest on this episode is Dr. Steve Hassan Phd, who is not only highly educated, but also a pioneer of sounding the alarm to the epidemic rates of indoctrination around our world! He's a sought after cult expert and has made endless media appearances on programs like CNN, making him a trusted source of information and advice on anything and everything to do with cultic activity and authoritarian control. Including undue influence, coercive control and all other types of indoctrination. Steve is also personal friends with Hoyt and Chele, and has been vital in helping both of them over the years, with their own trauma recovery process. And maybe most importantly, Steve is himself a brave cult survivor, and highlights his own escape from The Moonies. You don't want to miss this episode, as Dr. Hassan explains his BITE model: (Behavior, Information, Thoughts, & Emotional) control, and the things to watch out for in all of our relationships. We give a big heartfelt thank you to Dr. Hassan for his wise words of wisdom and compassionate heart to help humanity! You can find loads of information and his books on his comprehensive website at: https://freedomofmind.com/ #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Tatiana Sitnikova Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland After 12 years of not publicly speaking about what she went through inside of, and after escaping the ICOC cult, Chele realized it was a giant can of worms. But it was also a bottomless pit of worms, and the more she spoke about it, the more she embraced what still needed to be said. That's the thing with trauma recovery, once you peel back one layer, there are many layers underneath that still need to be dealt with. Trauma recovery takes a lifetime, and in this impromptu episode, Chele talks about how speaking publicly has revealed to her how challenging it is to share about what has happened to her, in order to truly get to the bottom of things, in the attempt to authentically and fully heal. In most cases, healing means being willing to “go there” and be split open. It's definitely not easy. But in Chele and Hoyt's case, this is the most empowering part of the journey—because talking about any kind of abuse or coercive control truly does allow us to acknowledge and validate what happened, which also allows us survivors to take our power back, and begin again. #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Tatiana Sitnikova Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland In this episode, Chele brings in her best friend Nixie (which is a fictitious name to protect her identity). Nixie didn't want to be filmed and wears a hat and glasses. And you'll have to listen in, to understand the butterfly references. Together, they begin the first of many discussions about their indoctrination into the cult they were in together called the ICOC. Their ultimate goal is to make sure people don't feel alone, and that others have a safe space to talk through and process their own experiences with cultic relationships! But in Chele's own words, one of the best things about this cult was that it gave her a lifelong friend like Nixie! When you've been through something as traumatic as this together, it bonds you for life. #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. http://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records http://OfficialJES.com and http://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Tatiana Sitnikova Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano; Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Join Dar Dixon, as he and Hoyt dig deeper into the Doomsday cult they escaped from called Eternal Values. They awakened together, to the fact that the Doomsday group they were in, was actually a dangerous cult! Dar's vivid storytelling illuminates the fact that these cult leaders are calculated, manipulative, and relentless. The only thing that we didn't like about this episode is that we ran out of time. So many more stories and nuances to tell, so we will definitely be having Dar back on for another episode! #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. https://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records https://OfficialJES.com and https://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Justin Knodel Production Assistant: Tatiana Sitnikova Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland We interview the no holds barred Betsy Chasse, who is the writer, director, and producer of What The Bleep. (And keen cult sniffer-outter). #IGotOut Visit our website at https://whatheflok.com Find out more about Betsy at https://betsychasse.net Follow us on Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. https://inohment.com Filmed, Recorded and Mixed: Pink Clouds Studio Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records https://OfficialJES.com and https://intonenationrecords.com Director & Editor: Katheryne KTEE Thomas Camera: Vishvak Prakkruth Production Assistant: Tatiana Sitnikova Sound Recording: Gerardo Serrano Additional Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Fritze Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted By Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland Welcome to our inaugural episode! 
 Nobody ever sets out to join a cult, but cultic relationships are lurking everywhere! You might think that this could never happen to you, but we've all been affected at some point by a controlling or abusive group or person. Our hosts, Hoyt Richards and Chele Roland, are perfect examples of what it means to go from “victim to survivor to thriver!”
 In this first episode we get to know our hosts: 
During his time as the world's first male supermodel, and a Princeton football player, Hoyt was also entrenched in a dangerous doomsday cult for 20 years, that he ended up giving multi-millions of dollars to. While Chele was in a destructive religious cult for 17 years, married to a stranger, with every aspect of her life on the line— also being forced to give massive amounts of money. 
They were both leaders in their cults, and between them, have 37 years of experience and harrowing tales, from two entirely different vantage points. 
Their goal in sharing their own stories first— is not to normalize trauma, but to normalize trauma “recovery,” and raise people's awareness and comfort level in talking about abusive relationships of all kinds. #IGotOut Visit Our Website At https://whatheflok.com Follow Us On Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

Hosted by Hoyt Richards & Chele Roland RAW | DISTURBING | INSPIRING Cultic relationships are EVERYWHERE! We've all been affected at some point by a controlling or abusive group or person, and Hoyt and Chele are the perfect examples of what it means to go from “victim to survivor to thriver.” Our hosts were both leaders in their different, but equally destructive cults, and between them, they have 37 years worth of harrowing tales and vantage points. Not only will they bring on experts and courageous guests to share their own cult survival stories, but they will be peeling back all the messy layers, to expose the underbelly of how cults use indoctrination to kidnap the mind and hijack the soul. Join us as we reveal the terrifying truths about cultic relationships, how to avoid them, and how to heal from them—and you'll probably find yourself saying WhaTheFlok?! #IGotOut Visit Our Website: https://whatheflok.com Follow Us On Social: Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whatheflok Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatheflok Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whatheflok Twitter - https://twitter.com/WhaTheFlok Youtube - http://hyperurl.co/a1615r Executive Producers: Chele Roland, Hoyt Richards and Katheryne KTEE Thomas Production Partners: In Ohm Entertainment and Floating Downstream Inc. Theme song: “Get Me Through the Night,” provided by JES and Intonenation Records Website and Graphics: Melissa McKeehan and Mike McKeehan Social Media Team: Melody Joy Conte, Krystal Nunez and Kira Sutherland *The opinions and observations expressed on any WhaTheFlok recordings, channels, social media platforms and website do not reflect any official position or viewpoint of the podcast. Our guests and experts are simply exercising their right to freedom of speech and sharing personal opinions, based on their own individual experiences and/or formal training. None of the opinions or experiences shared are meant to offend or malign any individuals, organizations, businesses, or religions. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whatheflok/support

The Austin Student Film Festival presented by the Austin Revolution Film Festival invites Cedric Thomas Smith, Scott McEntire and Hoyt Richards to join James Christopher to talk filmmaking and film festivals with students.Submissions for the Austin Revolution Film Festival:https://filmfreeway.com/austinrevolutionfilmfest

Hoyt Richards was the first male "super model" travelling the world for shoots with the likes of Naomi Campbell and Cincy Crawford, while at the same time returning to New York to live in a cult leader's New York apartment where he slept in a closet and handed over all his earnings. Hoyt joins us to tell his tale of nearly 20 years enmeshed in a powerful cult, how he was recruited, how and why he escaped, and the work he's done in the decades since to help others recognize their own cultic behaviour, and to pull themselves out of abusive groups and relationships if necessary. Hoyt also generously touches on the humility it takes to admit to yourself that you've been fooled, then to go back and reframe a life through a clearer lens.

What do you model your life after? For producer, actor, and former supermodel Hoyt Richards, it was the teachings of a charming man from Nantucket who spoke about the impending apocalypse and a distant star named Arcturus. Hoyt shares how he was indoctrinated into the Eternal Values cult as his modeling career was taking off, what he describes as "cultic relationships," and how Fabio (yes, that Fabio) was involved in his recovery. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, leave us a voicemail at 513-900-2955, OR shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trustmepodcast @oohlalola @vibehigherbitch OR TWITTER: @trustmecultpod @ohlalola

From supermodel to cult survivor, the remarkable journey of Hoyt Richards

Hoyt Richards is an American model and actor. Richards became one of the biggest names in modeling in the late 1980s and 1990s. He appeared in hundreds of advertising campaigns and was photographed by Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Steven Meisel, Horst, and Albert Watson. His campaigns include Gianni Versace, Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Dunhill, Cartier, and Donna Karan. Eventually, his trips to New York for auditions lead to him a meeting with the Ford Model Agency. Thus began his career as a male model. This career spanned over fifteen years and encompassed over 200 major ads and hundreds of commercials. He's my friend... and a guy that got involved in a pseudo religious, doomsday cult. Just like me. In fact, that's how we met and became friends. See? Even in the midst of a shit situation like a cult, a beautiful lifelong friendship can form. ~~~~ IN THIS EPISODE: 4:04       How so much verbal and emotional abuse happens in Hollywood 14:55 I think the hardest part of the story is to recognize you've been duped. 26:07 Life is really about shades of gray. 30:53 How do I make these guys think that this is their idea and I get out of Dodge? 34:27 Well, all they're gonna want to know is like sex, drugs and rock and roll. 35:28    The truth is recovery is not sexy. 51:50 Never underestimate the power of denial or the stupidity of mobs 59:41 Our desire to fit in and be social. 1:12:46 Be Of Service - The Key To Peace, Love, Success, Happiness 1:16:23 You may be wrestling with alcohol, drug addiction, sex addiction, domestic violence can hear that the dynamic 1:17:56 We were both hell bent on getting better. ~~~~ YOUR FREE GIFT!! Centerpointe Research Institute creates neuro-audio tools like Holosync, and online personal development programs to help you become your happiest healthiest You. It's Centerpointe's 30th anniversary this year, and they're celebrating by giving away one of their most popular soundtracks. It's called "15 Minute Rescue and Renew" “15 Minute Rescue & Renew” will help you: Collect your emotionsReset your entire daySet a new pattern… …for handling stressful situations in the future. ​​Now you can totally reset your day in 15 minutes or less! ​15 Minute Rescue & Renew uses powerful Holosync technology (embedded beneath a soothing musical track with gentle ocean sounds) to alter brainwave states, bringing your brain down to… ​…a calm and tranquil “theta” state (feelings of deep relaxation and contentment). ​In addition, 15 Minute Rescue & Renew begins with a brief audible guide followed by powerful affirmations––recorded in Centerpointe's proprietary Autofonix™ encoding technology… …composed exclusively for this amazing soundtrack. (Just click HERE to receive your copy) This is exclusive to the listeners of The Art of Being Dar.

Hoyt Richards has been called the first male supermodel. In the 1980s and 90s he jet-setted around the world doing shoots for Versace and Ralph Lauren, and moving in the same circles as stars like Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Madonna. But outside of working hours he was involved with a cult called Eternal Values. They believed there would be a catastrophe at the turn of the century and the group would have a crucial role to play. This episode was first released on 29th March 2018. Presenter: Jo Fidgen. Producer: Catrin Manel. Picture: Hoyt Richards. Credit: Fabrizio Gianni.

The lives of celebrities are so frequently mythologized to the point of ridicule and unbelievability, but as the adage goes, "The truth is oftentimes stranger than fiction." Such is the case for the man known as the world's first male supermodel. Hoyt Richards, a legend who walked alongside the modeling world's greatest—Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, […]

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part Episode. Hoyt is a long time friend, an actor, writer, producer, Princeton graduate, the first male Supermodel...and a guy that got involved in a pseudo religious, doomsday cult. In fact, that's how we met and became friends. See? Even in the midst of a shit situation like a cult, a beautiful lifelong friendship can form. In this episode we discuss... 5:07       Hoyt talks about his years at Princeton 6:25       He gets discovered…? 8:08       Fell in his lap 9:26       Commercials were his start 10:09    I don't look like those guys 10:54    Lighting and camera angles are everything 11:34   Ford Models and Bruce Weber 12:45   I've got a test on Wednesday 14:40    You need a little bit of luck 16:01   The principle of scarcity 17:25    The Fashion Industry goes in cycles 18:26   Keeping perspective on his career 19:30    The female Supermodels were coming up, too 20:44    "Mashed potatoes" & Cindy Crawford 22:10    Hoyt starts to notice his “bread & butter” 23:23    The Pareto Principle 23:58    Where Hoyt's drive to succeed came from 24:36   Nantucket and Frederick von Mierers 26:02    Free beer?! 26:30    New York City, fabulous friends & Studio 54 27:42    The Scotch Tape Bikini 28:24    It was a “Start Up” 29:35    The Ruth Montgomery connection 30:06    From serious journalism to “automatic writing” – 7 Best Sellers 31:05    Entering the Weird Zone 32:29    The beginning of The New Age Movement 33:15    Good amongst the Bad – Shades of Gray 35:04    Eternal Values 35:26    Ruth consults her “guides” about Freddy LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Nantucket Island Ford Models Bruce Weber Scarcity Steve Lundquist Jeff Aquilon The Original Supermodels The Pareto Principle Studio 54 Ruth Montgomery "Strangers Among Us" "Aliens Among Us" ~~~ YOUR FREE GIFT!! Centerpointe Research Institute creates neuro-audio tools like Holosync, and online personal development programs to help you become your happiest healthiest You. It's Centerpointe's 30th anniversary this year, and they're celebrating by giving away one of their most popular soundtracks. “15 Minute Rescue & Renew” will help you: Collect your emotionsReset your entire daySet a new pattern… …for handling stressful situations in the future. ​​Now you can totally reset your day in 15 minutes or less! ​15 Minute Rescue & Renew uses powerful Holosync technology (embedded beneath a soothing musical track with gentle ocean sounds) to alter brainwave states, bringing your brain down to… ​…a calm and tranquil “theta” state (feelings of deep relaxation and contentment). ​In addition, 15 Minute Rescue & Renew begins with a brief audible guide followed by powerful affirmations––recorded in Centerpointe's proprietary Autofonix™ encoding technology… …composed exclusively for this amazing soundtrack. (Just click HERE to receive your copy) This is exclusive to the listeners of The Art of Being Dar.

Hoyt Richards is an actor, writer, producer, a Princeton graduate, the first male Supermodel, an old friend, and a cult survivor....just like me. In Part 3 of The Hoyt Richards Experience we go into more detail about the cult, and the most difficult part...the Recovery...Putting his life back together. 4:40   You can't have one without the other 6:14     It gets dark, man 6:31     David R. Seaman, DC, MS, is an asshole 8:32     I don't give a damn what it takes 9:16     The antidote to shame 10:51    Hoyt's financial contribution 12:44   It's no joke 13:27    Why he and I are talking about this 14:13   It's a beautiful thing 15:49    Do you really wanna be known as Cult Boy? 16:49   Hey “Waco” … “Cult babies” 18:20    Been talking about it for a while now 19:02    These things leave a mark 19:38    Art saved my Life 21:33   Where did that come from? 23:01    Nobody gets out of here alive 23:38  Creepy Daddy 25:15   Hoyt's favorite Einstein quote 26:48  The Shaman's saying LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: David R. Seaman (click on the YouTube link) Brene Brown Brene Brown's TED Talk What is $5M worth in 2020? Art Therapy works Creativity and Recovery: The Mental Health Benefits of Art Therapy No One Here Gets Out Alive (a short video I created) How To Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously Laughter: The Best Medicine "Creepy Dad" T-Mobile Commercial Einstein quote ~~~ YOUR FREE GIFT!! Centerpointe Research Institute creates neuro-audio tools like Holosync, and online personal development programs to help you become your happiest healthiest You. It's Centerpointe's 30th anniversary this year, and they're celebrating by giving away one of their most popular soundtracks. “15 Minute Rescue & Renew” will help you: Collect your emotionsReset your entire daySet a new pattern… …for handling stressful situations in the future. ​​Now you can totally reset your day in 15 minutes or less! ​15 Minute Rescue & Renew uses powerful Holosync technology (embedded beneath a soothing musical track with gentle ocean sounds) to alter brainwave states, bringing your brain down to… ​…a calm and tranquil “theta” state (feelings of deep relaxation and contentment). ​In addition, 15 Minute Rescue & Renew begins with a brief audible guide followed by powerful affirmations––recorded in Centerpointe's proprietary Autofonix™ encoding technology… …composed exclusively for this amazing soundtrack. (Just click HERE to receive your copy) This is exclusive to the listeners of The Art of Being Dar.

This is 2 of a 3 Part Episode - Welcome to The Hoyt Richards Experience. Hoyt is a long time friend, an actor, writer, producer, Princeton graduate, the first male Supermodel...and a guy that got involved in a pseudo religious, doomsday cult. In fact, that's how we met and became friends. See? Even in the midst of a shit situation like a cult, a beautiful lifelong friendship can form. In this episode we discuss... 3:05       The game changed 5:01       Aliens Among Us 6:55       How did this happen to you? 9:00       How they get their hooks into you 10:45    Reciprocity – Robert Cialdini 14:05   What they really mean 14:38    The crux of brainwashing 16:05    A very dangerous mechanism 16:55    Anyone at Anytime 17:45    Are you in or are you out? 18:21    Leaders of The New Age, Baby! 19:46    Now you're seeing the truth 21:06    Journey: How the world can be…people can do horrible things to each other 22:55    Gotta go through Hell before you get to Heaven 23:58    Dude…I think we were in a cult 26:07    The fallout from our group 27:14    Over 10,000 active cults in America today 27:49   Empowered by the experience LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Aliens Among Us 6 Principles of Persuasion Robert Cialdini The cult expert - Steven Hassan Carl Jung ~~~ YOUR FREE GIFT!! Centerpointe Research Institute creates neuro-audio tools like Holosync, and online personal development programs to help you become your happiest healthiest You. It's Centerpointe's 30th anniversary this year, and they're celebrating by giving away one of their most popular soundtracks. “15 Minute Rescue & Renew” will help you: Collect your emotionsReset your entire daySet a new pattern… …for handling stressful situations in the future. ​​Now you can totally reset your day in 15 minutes or less! ​15 Minute Rescue & Renew uses powerful Holosync technology (embedded beneath a soothing musical track with gentle ocean sounds) to alter brainwave states, bringing your brain down to… ​…a calm and tranquil “theta” state (feelings of deep relaxation and contentment). ​In addition, 15 Minute Rescue & Renew begins with a brief audible guide followed by powerful affirmations––recorded in Centerpointe's proprietary Autofonix™ encoding technology… …composed exclusively for this amazing soundtrack. (Just click HERE to receive your copy) This is exclusive to the listeners of The Art of Being Dar.

When most people think of a cult, there’s horns and sacrifices involved. Many people don’t realize how deceiving and manipulative cults truly are. Hoyt Richards, a model and actor, fell victim to the manipulation and tactics practiced by a cult group. After 20 years of committing his life to his cult community, Hoyt recognized it for what it truly was and began his journey of recovery.  In this conversation, Danny Bader and Hoyt cover the dynamics of a cult, the process of escaping, and how to recover from a traumatic experience. To hear more about Hoyt’s experience and enlightening insight on cultic practices, tune into this episode of Back to Life.  Show Highlights:  Transitioning from a football career to a full-time modeling career  Surviving a cult  How cultic members raise stakes and control people emotionally  The way narcissists manipulate individuals  Informing people to raise awareness to vulnerability  How faith is shaken after experiencing extreme religious groups  How cult leaders manipulate people into cults  The different forms that cults can take  The catalyst behind cults  The realization process of recognizing you’re in a cult  Maintaining a public persona despite what’s going on behind the scenes  Sharing information to give people a chance to help themselves  Experiences with having an intervention  Beginning to question cultic beliefs  The process of escaping a cult  Getting accused of blasphemy and punished within the cult  Harboring resentment and enduring assault  Recovering from a highly abusive and controlling environment  Becoming your own worst enemy  Embracing the truth and articulating it to others  How being in a cult impacts everyone around you  Using creative arts to rebuild self esteem  The depth of empathy that develops from experiencing trauma  Red flags that lead to manipulation and control  Using negative situations to benefit our lives  Owning your story  Making a direct impact in your life  Links:  https://www.dannybader.com/podcast

Jon and Bryan are joined by former male super model turned actor/writer/producer Hoyt Richards. Hoyt shares his long and colorful life of football, modelling, jet setting, and of course what his life was like in a cult for fifteen years. This is an incredibly engaging conversation that has a lot of laughs and learning. Coughs, Radio, Tears. Listen. Enjoy. Subscribe.

In this week's podcast, Hoyt invites us behind the scenes to experience some private moments with his family as they welcomed him back. He was still very traumatized and bewildered from having been in the cult "Eternal Values". Hoyt is the 4th of 6 kids. His father is going strong at age 88. Hoyt's mother passed away from ovarian cancer in 2003 and Hoyt shares some of the powerful conversations they had as she was dying. He is so grateful to have been out of the cult by then to have those times with her. Stay tuned, Before You Go: Rachel continues to speak on last week's topic-- how families notice a loved one is involved in a cult or abusive relationship

Rachel speaks with scholar, filmmaker, athlete, and former model Hoyt Richards on how he met a man, as a teenager, named Freddy-- who manipulated him into joining the Eternal Values religious cult. For Part 2 of the interview, the episode is only available at http://www.Patreon.com/Indoctrination. Hoyt describes the cult's descent into apocalyptic paranoia, the hours of abuse and public shaming that followers suffered almost daily, and how he finally escaped and got his life back.

Documentaries are a genre we don't often cover, but there are all manner of things we need to bear in mind when we set out to make them. Tonight we talk to a variety of documentary filmmakers who have been doing this for a while to learn their thoughts and process on creating a successful doc. Join host Larry Jordan as he talks with Maxim Jago, David Tillman, Hoyt Richards, and James DeRuvo. Producing a Documentary The Process of Editing a Doc Creating a Personal Documentary The Weekly DoddleNEWS Update "Best of Show" at CES 2018 The post Digital Production Buzz – January 18, 2018 appeared first on Digital Production Buzz.

Join host Larry Jordan as he talks with Laura Blum, Hoyt Richards, Cirina Catania, Tara-Nicole Azarian, Philip Hodgetts, and James DeRuvo. The Power of Film Festivals Creating an Award-Winning Film The Founding of Sundance Prep Your Film For a Film Festival Automatic Editing? … The post Digital Production Buzz – October 20, 2016 appeared first on Digital Production Buzz.

Ex cult member, Hoyt Richards discusses the cult mentality behind terrorist communities with Dr. Drew Pinsky and Bob Forrest. Drdrew.com takes your emails for future podcasts. 

Producer/screenwriter/actor Hoyt Richards discusses his career as fashion's first ever male Supermodel, and his involvement with a life-threating cult. The Live Arts Calendar highlights Tony Award winners Audra McDonald and Martin Short in concert for the McCullum Theatre's Annual Fundraising Gala in Palm Springs, CA. Television, film and stage actress Nikki McKenzie is interviewed about her diverse career and her role as a series regular on Spike TV's The Joe Schmo Show. Richards and McKenzie also discuss their co-starring roles in the LA smash hit comedy Women are Crazy Because Men are A**holes at West Hollywood's Macha Theatre. The duo also reveal embarrassing career moments.

Producer/screenwriter/actor Hoyt Richards discusses his career as fashion's first ever male Supermodel, and his involvement with a life-threating cult. The Live Arts Calendar highlights Tony Award winners Audra McDonald and Martin Short in concert for the McCullum Theatre's Annual Fundraising Gala in Palm Springs, CA. Television, film and stage actress Nikki McKenzie is interviewed about her diverse career and her role as a series regular on Spike TV's The Joe Schmo Show. Richards and McKenzie also discuss their co-starring roles in the LA smash hit comedy Women are Crazy Because Men are A**holes at West Hollywood's Macha Theatre. The duo also reveal embarrassing career moments.

This was after Susan Pinsky’s (Dr. Drew’s Wife) “Calling Out” Podcast. A big thank you to Dr. Denise McDermott for her wisdom and for Susan, Gina Grad, Hoyt Richards for an amazing eye opening experience. A special thank you shout out to Lisa Williams and my hubby Freddy for the coincidences of this meeting even […]