Podcasts about igotout

*Content Warning : In this episode we discuss excommunication, death and suicide. Please use discretion when listening.* Liz Gale was born a 3rd Generation Scientologist. In fact, her family was into Scientology, before it was ever called Scientology. From the moment Liz's grandmother picked up that copy of Dianetics, it set her family on a tragic trajectory until Liz herself decided to break the generational trauma that L. Ron Hubbard created. In our chat we discuss what excommunication looks like inside the church and the worst possible outcomes for those who feel like they have nowhere else to run. Show Notes Connect with Liz : TikTok | YouTube | Blog | Instagram Confessions of an Ex-Scientologist Pothead Philip Gale South Park - S9 E12 Trapped in the Closet Aftermath Foundation What is SPTV? IGotOut.org Out of MLM The BITE Model LAMLM Book Club MLM Dupes How can you help? MLM Change Report Fraud Truth in Advertising Report to your state Attorney General's office! Not in the U.S.? No Problem! Support the Podcast! Website | Patreon | Buy Me a Taco | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Discord | Merch! Life After MLM is produced by Roberta Blevins. Audio editing is done by the lovely Kayla Craven, video editing by the indescribable RK Gold, and Michelle Carpenter is our Triple Emerald Princess of Robots. Life After MLM is owned by Roberta Blevins 2023. Music : The Limits of the Cosmos by Geoff Harvey *Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*This episode discusses many heavy topics, including child abuse; including descriptions of abuse, starvation, sexual assault and suicidal ideas and actions. PLEASE use discretion when listening.* When I first started looking into Scientology stories that needed to be told, Michelle asked me if I knew about Liz Ferris and the story of her dad Bob Ferris. You see, Scientology is really good at a couple things; disconnection, abuse and lies - but I was WHOLLY unprepared for the story that Liz had to tell. Listening to Liz recount her life, from as early as she can remember as a Second Gen Scientologist, to the strange and devastating phone call that changed the trajectory of her life, one thing is for sure, Liz Ferris is a warrior. Connect with Liz : YouTube | GoFundMe Meet Liz Ferris Where's Bob Ferris? The General's Daughter (film) Save Bob Ferris Tee Aftermath Foundation What is SPTV? IGotOut.org IGotOut.org Out of MLM The BITE Model LAMLM Book Club MLM Dupes How can you help? MLM Change Report Fraud Truth in Advertising Report to your state Attorney General's office! Not in the U.S.? No Problem! Support the Podcast! Website | Patreon | Buy Me a Taco | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Discord | Merch! Life After MLM is produced by Roberta Blevins. Audio editing is done by the lovely Kayla Craven, video editing by the indescribable RK Gold, and Michelle Carpenter is our Triple Emerald Princess of Robots. Life After MLM is owned by Roberta Blevins 2023. Music : The Limits of the Cosmos by Geoff Harvey *Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first Scientology episode of the Cultvember season! Meet Alex, who was previously the Director of Public Book Sales at the Church of Scientology London, until he was kicked out and labeled a ‘Trouble Source". Which works perfectly because I have a lot of questions and Alex is here to let us know what's up with the whole MLMy side hustle of book sales in CoS. Along the way we break down Alex's own story, and some of the more complicated policies of L. Ron Hubbard. Show Notes Connect with Alex! - YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Website Cause Over Life Aftermath Foundation What is SPTV? IGotOut.org Out of MLM The BITE Model LAMLM Book Club MLM Dupes How can you help? MLM Change Report Fraud Truth in Advertising Report to your state Attorney General's office! Not in the U.S.? No Problem! Support the Podcast! Website | Patreon | Buy Me a Taco | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Discord | Merch! Life After MLM is produced by Roberta Blevins. Audio editing is done by the lovely Kayla Craven, video editing by the indescribable RK Gold, and Michelle Carpenter is our Triple Emerald Princess of Robots. Life After MLM is owned by Roberta Blevins 2023. Music : The Limits of the Cosmos by Geoff Harvey *Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*Content Warning : This episode discusses topics such as death, cult indoctrination and child abuse. Please use discretion when listening.* As we move out of Evangelicalism and into Scientology, Marilyn Honig is the perfect guest to bridge the gap. Raised in trauma, Marilyn started her life as a Lost Child, falling between the cracks in the systems put in place to help her. She ended up being adopted by a large Pentecostal family, entrenched in the bells and whistles of the tent revival movement, complete with speaking in tongues and laying hands to cast out demons. By the time she was 20 she was deep in another religious group that controlled her every move, and it wasn't until she became a mother herself that she found the fire inside to break free. Show Notes Connect with Marilyn : Facebook | YouTube A Thief in the Night Film A Thief in the Night Wiki Aftermath Foundation What is SPTV? IGotOut.org Out of MLM The BITE Model LAMLM Book Club MLM Dupes How can you help? MLM Change Report Fraud Truth in Advertising Report to your state Attorney General's office! Not in the U.S.? No Problem! Support the Podcast! Website | Patreon | Buy Me a Taco | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Discord | Merch! Life After MLM is produced by Roberta Blevins. Audio editing is done by the lovely Kayla Craven, video editing by the indescribable RK Gold, and Michelle Carpenter is our Triple Emerald Princess of Robots. Life After MLM is owned by Roberta Blevins 2023. Music : The Limits of the Cosmos by Geoff Harvey *Some links may be affiliate links. When you purchase things from these links, I get a small commission that I use to buy us tacos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Davis, author of Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian, shares her experiences of abuse and continued trauma as a member of the Mormon church. She was a lifelong devout Mormon, who checked all the expected boxes: wife, mother, teacher, leader, follower, and believer until 2020 when she left her family and her church to fulfill her personal destiny as a gay woman and independent thinker. She remains close with her two adult children, one of whom is a believing member of the church, and the other who is a transgender man who has also left the church. She now lives quite happily in her home state of Maine and looks forward to a long and joyful life as her authentic self. She can be found online at www.chrisdavisproud.com (http://www.chrisdavisproud.com/), on most social media at @ChrisDavisProud, and on Facebook at @ChrisDavisPr0ud. The blog post titled "The Day I Stopped Believing" can be found at this link. (https://chrisdavisproud.com/blog/f/the-day-i-stopped-believing)

Part 2: In this gripping and deeply personal episode of The Cult Next Door, hosts Mattie and Ashleigh are joined by a very special guest: their sister, Jen. Together, they open up about their shared experiences growing up in the shadow of a family cult and the heart-wrenching and lifelong ordeal of a Christian doomsday cult led by their own father. Join us as we delve into the harrowing world of cults and the profound impact they had on Mattie, Ashleigh, and Jen's lives. They'll recount their early memories, the seductive promises of the cult, and the chilling reality they eventually faced. This raw and emotional conversation sheds light on the hidden dangers of cults and the insidious role that narcissism can play in the rise of cult leaders. We explore the complex dynamics within their family and the challenges they encountered along the way. Let's get social!: https://linktr.ee/cultnextdoorpodcast We'd love to hear from you. Contact us at contact@thecultnextdoorpodcast.com #cult #igotout #cultsurvivor #familycult

Celestine joined the LDS religion as a young adult after she was introduced to it by her first husband. After facing years of narcissistic, physical, and sexual abuse from him, she finally worked up the courage to leave. However, her ex-husband used her history of depression against her and was able to obtain full custody of their children. In this episode, Celestine tells her story of heartbreak, resilience, and hope.

Have you ever felt better about yourself after telling someone your story? Today we speak with author and cult survivor Gerette Buglion who guides others to tell their "I got out" stories in a process she calls Writing to Reckon. We start with a question from podcast listener Beth sent via Instagram, "What was your biggest motivation for telling your story and what were your hopes for it in the world?" We go deep into answers to those questions and also address the shame that people sometimes feel about discovering that they have been in a coercive situation. We talk about how writing your story can help you find a way back to yourself and why you might or might not want to share it and with whom. Support for writing your story can be found at igotout.org/empowerment including Gerette's free Writing to Reckon classes, or register here GeretteBuglion.com/writingtoreckon. Gerette finishes by sharing her three favorite writing prompts designed to help you reclaim your own power as you write your story. Her new book is a journal to help you flesh out your story. The August zoom book launch party will be Tuesday, August 29 at 7pm Eastern Time. To join, register here GeretteBuglion.com/writing-to-reckon-book. BIO: Born a middle child of seven, Gerette Buglion is a natural - and lifelong - educator. Today, she's Executive Director of IGotOut, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of cultic relationships and author of An Everyday Cult and Writing to Reckon Journal for Survivors of Religious, Spiritual and Cultic Abuse. Find our guest at: GeretteBuglion.com IGotOut.org #igotout #writingtoreckon #everydaycult Intro music is Water over Stones and outro music is Everything both by Mood Science. Today's ambient music is created by Rick Kleffel. The audio can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick Kleffel for also engineering the show, to Tony Russomano for answering the phones and to Ewa Malady for audio editing. Show aired on July 15, 2023. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM, streaming live at KSQD.org 10-11am Saturday mornings Pacific time.  Catch it live and call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Contact Katherine Bell with feedback, suggestions for future shows or to inquire about exploring your own dreams with her at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow her on FB and IG @ExperientialDreamwork or find out more at ExperientialDreamwork.com. Available on all major podcast platforms. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal. Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Rate it, review it, subscribe and tell your friends.

This episode is sponsored by Better Help. You know the old adage; person A joins an organization, person B joins the same organization, persons A and B learn organization is a cult and, after getting married, decide to escape. Wait, is that not normal? Well, thankfully Sarah and Nippy aren't the only ones who've experienced this. Gwenith Kikkawa (they/them) and Kevin Alexander (they/them) are multiple-cult survivors, meaning they've experienced culty horrors not just once (like a great majority of our guests), but numerous times. Now, the couple has channeled their experiences into art via playwriting, songwriting, and more, narrowing in on how one can reclaim identity after traumatic coercive thought control over several years.  #IGotOut (taking place on October 21st, 2023) GoFundMe Follow #IGotOut on Instagram Follow #IGotOut on Facebook Please note, this series includes details of sexual abuse. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you, or someone who know, is a survivor of sexual assault, abuse, grooming, child abuse, or human trafficking, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers support at 800.656.HOPE (4673). Also… Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad. Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty' on Patreon Get poppin' fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Senior Producer: Jess Tardy Writer: Mathias Rosenzweig Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ‘cult'ure series continues with a a two-part conversation with the co-founders of igotout.org. In Part 1, Candice shares how #igotout was a saving grace when she first released her story publicly. Lisa & Gerette join her to share about the origins of the movement, speaking about the hashtag's conception and why it is so important for cult survivors to have safe spaces to share their stories. Gerette makes a distinction between recognizing and ‘reckoning with' the harm we experience, and Lisa speaks to why anonymous activism is something she continually champions. Candice shares how the idealism that hooked her is also what enabled her to get out, and Lisa expands upon this with a potent declaration that bears repeating. The three discuss how involvement in cult communities and abusive relationships very often results in arrested development; how we stop thinking critically and our fears are leveraged and used against us. Carlos Castaneda's influence is explored through a peek into Lisa's childhood and family history, and she shares intimately how growing up in the hippie movement primed her for entry into a cult at age 19. And a fascinating dialogue about death leads Gerette toward a personal ah-ha around how grief shaped her exit from a a therapy-based cult. The episode wraps with a sneak peek at part two, which drops next week. Gerette Buglion, co-founder of igotout.org, is a spokesperson for the #igotout movement, co-manages day to day operations and communications while also providing her expertise in Cult Recovery and Education. Gerette is creator and facilitator of Writing to Reckon - and offers free classes for people to write their #igotout statement in a supportive environment. Gerette's educational memoir, An Everyday Cult was published in May 2021.Lisa co-founded igotout.org as an anonymous cult-survivor activist with the intention of creating a space for victims of high control environments to safely share their stories...in whichever way supports their healing. Lisa co-manages communications and is the main point of contact for messaging on the igotout social media platforms. She is a generator of community building initiatives within the #igotout space.Referenced In This Episode:An Everyday Cult, by Gerette BuglionHBO's The VowHoly Hell: a film by Will AllenThe Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda by Amy WallaceI'm Perfect, You're Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah's Witness Upbringing, by Kyria AbrahamsThe Denial of Death, by Ernest BeckerDeathCafe.comThe stories and opinions shared in this episode are based on personal experience and are not intended to malign any individual, group, or organization.Join The Deeper Pulse at Patreon for weekly bonus episodes + other exclusive bonus content. Follow The Deeper Pulse on IG @thedeeperpulse + @candiceschutter for more regular updates.

Saige is an exmormon up-and-coming queer writer and director. Her current project is a short film called Girls Camp in which a young girl must make a choice between going against her community and identity she's always known or being her authentic self. Saige's goal is to connect to the nuances of the human experience through a mixture of comedy and drama in which she highlights her worldview and observations of the people around her.  https://girlscampfilm.wixsite.com/short?fbclid=PAAaZiVEY8Pfxq18AKCmdfX9GNdERsLyWkTj234izr3DzSkroUOJ9INdlxs88

Sarah shares her emotional story of stepping away from high demand religion through poetry and prose which she has compiled into her book "STRAY, A Journey In, Through, And Out Of Faith." She used poetry to process through grief, loss, doubt, self-healing, self-worth, inspiration and motivation through the lense of spirituality. Her journey, much like many of us leaving Mormonism, is riddled with the remorse of knowing her loved ones would likely blame themselves and also the liberation of spirituality on her own terms. She emphasizes that walking away and honoring her own healing journey should never be considered the "easy way out."

Jen is a survivor of both narcissistic and sexual abuse. She takes us on a journey of her childhood and adolescence through the lens of adulthood understanding. Sometimes we don't recognize the full magnitude of the trauma we faced until we are adults and in a safe place in our lives to remember. Healing is a never-ending journey but it's so worth it. Join us for this enlightening discussion!

Ginny Sparks grew up on the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona. She shares her difficult story of being placed in the Mormon Church's Indian Placement Program as a child and the abuse she suffered as a result. Her story also includes religious trauma, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Ginny is a retired nurse and author.

Andrew Pledger is a religious trauma survivor raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult. He is LGBTQ+ and brings awareness to spiritual and religious abuse. He was expelled from Bob Jones University after a controversial interview with author Josh Harris. His experiences have inspired him to pursue psychology to help survivors. He is now a content creator, activist, writer, and religion recovery coach using social media to share his story and inspire others. 

Singer-songwriter Sister Teeth shares her story of growing up in a heavily Mormon populated community, how she and her family were ostracized by that community and how leaving it in her early adult years sparked her faith transition. She shares how she uses her music to process her traumas and connect with others around her. 

This month we are teaming up with igotout.org, throughout the month of November, follow along with us as we share education, survivor stories and ways you can join in on the movement. Each episode this month will include stories of cult survival, including the abuses described in Dr Steven Hassan's BITE Model. This episode in particular deals with covert abuse, along with a variety of triggering subject matter. Please use discretion when listening. All month we asked for your #igotout stories and boy did you deliver! From comment threads on Instagram and TikTok to the emails, and messages you sent us, I invited Danielle of From Huns to Humans to come help me tell them all! They teamed up with us this year as well to bring you even more cult focused content, and I wanted to invite them on the show to share their experiences and conversations too. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this episode, your stories will help so many. Show Notes From Huns to Humans I Got Out Part 2 - Coming Soon!! From Huns to Humans Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-huns-to-humans/id1585142247 IGotOut - https://www.igotout.org/ Out of MLM - https://outofmlm.info/ Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

Shaun Miskelly is a never-mo widower that saw first-hand the faith journey of his wife, Amy. From depression and suicidal ideation, to discovering who she is at her core, to flourishing; he saw it all. In this episode he takes us on this journey and puts words to Amy's story.

This month we are teaming up with igotout.org, throughout the month of November, follow along with us as we share education, survivor stories and ways you can join in on the movement. Each episode this month will include stories of cult survival, including the abuses described in Dr Steven Hassan's BITE Model. This episode in particular deals with covert abuse, along with a variety of triggering subject matter. Please use discretion when listening. Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | Submit ANON These stories will be used in anthology episodes for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! Gerette Buglion spent over 18 years in a cult that manipulated her dreams and kept her stuck in an endless chain of enlightenment masquerading as a cult. Since leaving her everyday cult, she's written a book about her experiences, helped found a movement, changed countless lives and encourages other cult survivors to embrace their story, by using an incredibly powerful tool, the written word. Want to take one of Gerette's classes? Join the FREE Writing to Reckon for MLM Survivors here!! Dec 4th, 2022 @ 5pm EST. Show Notes: Gerette's website - https://www.gerettebuglion.com/ IGotOut - https://www.igotout.org/ An Everyday Cult by Gerette Buglion - https://amzn.to/3AKGcJ0 Dr. Dan Siegel - https://drdansiegel.com/ Lisa from IGotOut on From Huns to Humans - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-93-i-got-out-lisa/id1585142247?i=1000586691304 Out of MLM - https://outofmlm.info/ Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

This month we are teaming up with igotout.org, throughout the month of November, follow along with us as we share education, survivor stories and ways you can join in on the movement. Each episode this month will include stories of cult survival, including the abuses described in Dr Steven Hassan's BITE Model. This episode in particular deals with covert abuse, along with a variety of triggering subject matter. Please use discretion when listening. Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | Submit ANON These stories will be used in anthology episodes for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! In 1997 the largest mass suicide on US soil happened as the Hale-Bopp Comet passed over earth. The tragedy was a result of the belief that evil space aliens were holding humans back from reaching their true potential, deeply held by the religious organization Heaven's Gate, founded in 1974 by leaders Ti and Do. One of the earliest members, Sharon Welsh just happened to be the aunt of my friend and fellow podcaster, Leslie Fear. So I asked Leslie if she would come help me tell the story of Heaven's Gate, using her never been told insider perspective. Show Notes: Follow Leslie on IG - https://www.instagram.com/lesliefear/ Hale-Bopp, Heaven's Gate and the Largest Mass Suicide on US Soil - https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2022/03/hale-bopp-heavens-gate-and-the-largest-mass-suicide-on-u-s-soil/ Hale-Bopp Comet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp Heaven's Gate - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven%27s_Gate_(religious_group) Do's Final Exit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdGXDQ_8bSA Student Exit Statements - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHz9it70TdI Out of MLM - https://outofmlm.info/ Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

Topics include: how my stint in a fitness cult forced me to contend with my white privilege, the similarities between cultic abuse and 1:1 abuse, and why multilevel marketing is trash. This bonus episode originally appeared on the From Huns to Humans podcast, whose host, Danielle, is a former MLM cult member and now works to help folks transition out of MLM cults.Are you a cult survivor or want to learn more about how to support cult survivors? Check out the #igotout movement.Xoxo,Leilah (Founder of A Stripper's Guide)Connect with A Stripper's Guide on Instagram, Youtube, our newsletter, or visit astrippersguide.com

Welcome to November! We've partnered with IGotOut.org to bring you a month full of cult stories and education! Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | Submit ANON These stories will be used in anthology episodes for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! Here is part 2 of the Minisode from last week! After reading the conversation between Thomas and Ronald, I needed to know more... and whoa. It's so much more difficult and convoluted than I could have ever imagined. CIA cover up plots, a ponzi scheme and an attempted murder? Grab a snack and buckle up, cuz we're about to confirm some suspicions. Show Notes: Thomas Willhite Plane Crash & BBRDW - https://isgp-studies.com/DL_1983-thomas-willhite-plane-crash-bbrdw How to get Away with Spying for the Enemy - https://www.topic.com/how-to-get-away-with-spying-for-the-enemy CIA Cover Blown by Honolulu TV Reporter - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140902212249-29817943-cia-cover-blown-by-honolulu-tv-reporter honolulu-tv-reporter Ron Rewald - https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Ron_Rewald CIA Officers Testify at Hawaii Fraud Trial - https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/03/us/cia-officers-testify-at-hawaii-fraud-trial.html Those Ugly Americans by Rodney Stich - https://books.google.com/books?id=RKecVf4JyDEC Plot Twists in History that Still Surprise People - https://historycollection.com/plot-twists-from-history-that-still-surprise-people/ Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

Irene is a singer, songwriter, mechanical engineer, exmormon, and owner of Irene's Entropy. She is the founder of The Identity Project; a collection of letters and art that explore the identity of women who are healing from religious trauma. Irene's journey takes the listener through her childhood sexual abuse and trauma, her LDS mission to Honduras, her break from Mormonism, her career in aerospace, and most importantly her passion for telling her story through music.   You can find Irene's album High Water on any streaming service, and are invited to visit her website to learn more about The Identity Project.   https://open.spotify.com/artist/3n0I0WyILDNu35WSGGVPv3   https://www.irenesentropy.com/   https://www.instagram.com/irenes.entropy/

Happy Halloween! All month long we shared MLM Horror stories, from creepy cults to literal murder! Next month, we tackle CULTS!!! Stayed tuned! Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | These stories will be used in anthology episodes in November for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! When I got to be on Let The Women, it was a dream come true! Not only did I get to be a part of an amazing series, I got to hang out with Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed and become friends! So when October hit, I knew exactly who I wanted to tell this story with, and she was more than happy to join us! On Gillian's show, she reacts to True Crime docs, so I told her quite possibly the most tragic and detailed MLM related murder I have ever come across. For those who are fans of Gillian, there is even more Patreon Exclusive content for the peeps! Show Notes: True Crime Obsessed - https://www.truecrimeobsessed.com/ Let The Women Do The Work with Rabia - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/let-the-women-rabia-chaudry-on-the-case-against-adnan-syed/id1232009882?i=1000560735576 Serial - https://serialpodcast.org/ Undisclosed - https://undisclosed-podcast.com/ Serial Dynasty - https://audioboom.com/channel/the-serial-dynasty The Secret Life of Paige Birgfeld - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-secret-life-of-paige-birgfeld/ Chef Success - https://www.chefsuccess.com/search/265032/?q=paige+dixon&o=relevance Missing Small Town Soccer Mom Found - https://truecrimedaily.com/2017/02/08/missing-small-town-soccer-mom-found-murdered-suspect-convicted-years-later/ Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

Happy October! All month long we will be sharing MLM Horror stories, from creepy cults to literal murder. Join us every Sunday with bonus episodes on Wednesday! Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | These stories will be used in anthology episodes in November for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! It was just a quick google to fact check something during a chat, but the rabbit hole it led me down made my head spin. I thought I was investigating the origin story of a course scam and I somehow STILL ended up in pyramid schemes, murder plots, Ponzi schemes and surprisingly, a first - CIA espionage. This is the first half of two unlikely stories with a common thread. Stay tuned for next Wednesday for the second half! Show Notes: William Penn Patrick - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Penn_Patrick Holiday Magic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_Magic Mustang Forum - https://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/who/case/152 The Incredible Implosion of Holiday Magic - https://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/The-incredible-implosion-of-Holiday-Magic-16785971.php William Penn Patrick Killed - https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/10/archives/william-patrick-is-killed-in-california-air-crash.html Thomas Willhite Plane Crash - https://isgp-studies.com/DL_1983-thomas-willhite-plane-crash-bbrdw Those Ugly Americans - https://books.google.com/books?id=RKecVf4JyDEC&pg William Penn Patrick & Holiday Magic - https://thesnappingpoint.com/william-penn-patrick-holiday-magic/ Thomas Willhite's Motorcycle Training Manual - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/motorcycle-training-manual Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

This episode is sponsored by Nobody Should Believe Me, a groundbreaking new podcast by Andrea Dunlop about Munchausen by Proxy told from the perspective of those whose lives were turned upside down by it. Listen wherever you listen to podcasts! Happy October! All month long we will be sharing MLM Horror stories, from creepy cults to literal murder. Join us every Sunday with bonus episodes on Wednesday! Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | These stories will be used in anthology episodes in November for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! We've all heard a story about an MLM funneling someone into a course scam, but what happens when the course scam funnels you into an MLM? For Andrea, all she wanted to do was help people, so why not supplement her college degree with some self guided, self-help courses and become a certified life coach? But from day one, everything seemed strange, and instead of trusting her gut, she trusted handsome young men in fancy suits. It wasn't until she ended up in the ER that she "woke up" and saw the scam for what it really was. *Next Wednesday's episode starts a strange 2-part Rabbit Hole into Thomas Willhite. Stay Tuned!* Show Notes: iPEC Coaching - https://www.ipeccoaching.com/ PSI Seminars - https://psiseminars.com/ World Financial Group - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Financial_Group Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Join the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/robertablevins Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

Have you ever lost a loved one to a controlling group? Whether around religion, self-improvement or politics, such losses can be devastating. Today we have a conversation with author and cult-recovery educator Gerette Buglion about why it is so important to keep open communication with the loved one and to offer our support for them even if we don't understand what they are getting from that group.  Gerette speaks about indoctrination and provides a check list we can use when questioning whether that group (or person) we have been so excited about might be a cult. We take a call from Veronica from Santa Cruz who asks how we can help loved ones get out of cults. She shares her story of taking the drastic step of leaving the US for a year to disentangle herself from a cult. Gerette offers a three week class starting October 18 called Writing to Reckon for Loved Ones in addition to her ongoing Writing to Reckon classes for people who are looking to process time spent in a high control group or relationship (check the image below or Gerette's IG feed). Gerette closes with a dream about reconciliation and forgiveness around her own cult experience. BIO: Gerette Buglion is author of An Everyday Cult, a memoir which shows how her innocent quest for meaning left her open to manipulation by a controlling dream teacher. Gerette's current work is in Cult Recovery and Education. Her signature writing course called, ‘Writing to Reckon' offers a safe space for cult survivors to share their stories. She is a founding collaborator of the #iGotOut movement, whose mission is to encourage people who have experienced cultic abuse to tell their stories. She also has a podcast called Everyday Cults, Everyday People. IG: @Gerette.Buglion Websites: GeretteBuglion.com, iGotOut.org Podcast: Everyday Cults, Everyday People Intro music is Water over Stones and outro music is Everything both by Mood Science. Today's ambient music is created by Rick Kleffel. The audio can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick Kleffel for also engineering the show, to Tony Russomano for answering the phones and to Ewa Malady for audio editing. Show aired on October 15, 2022. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM, streaming live at KSQD.org 10-11am Saturday mornings Pacific time.  Catch it live and call in with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or at onair@ksqd.org. If you want to contact Katherine Bell with feedback, suggestions for future shows or to inquire about exploring your own dreams with her, contact katherine@ksqd.org, or find out more about her at ExperientialDreamwork.com. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal. You can also check out The Dream Journal on the following podcast platforms:  Rate it, review it, subscribe and tell your friends. Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher  Spotify

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Listeners of the show receive 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/MLM Happy October! All month long we will be sharing MLM Horror stories, from creepy cults to literal murder. Join us every Sunday with bonus episodes on Wednesday! When I got an email from Mike Rothschild, asking me if I would be open to making a QAnon + MLM episode, I jumped at the chance. After interviewing and chatting with several people who slid down that pipeline, I knew we had to dedicate an episode to the terrifying cult movement creeping out of the darkest corners of the web and into your social feeds with little difficulty. And surprisingly, not all conspiracy theorists come with tinfoil hats, some are hawking wellness supplements and fad diets at the PTA meeting. Show Notes: Have an MLM CULT STORY to share? Email me! | Send a voice message! | These stories will be used in anthology episodes in November for Commercial Cult Awareness Month with IGotOut.org! The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything by Mike Rothschild - https://amzn.to/3MjAeDP Mike Rothschild on the Ongoing Influence of QAnon and Its Self-Made Mythologies - https://lithub.com/mike-rothschild-on-the-ongoing-influence-of-qanon-and-its-self-made-mythologies/ Parasocial Relationships - https://www.findapsychologist.org/parasocial-relationships-the-nature-of-celebrity-fascinations/ QAnon Anonymous - https://www.qanonanonymous.com/ Cultish by Amanda Montell - https://amzn.to/3Q7owx9 Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE Model - https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ Ponzinomics by Robert L. FitzPatrick - https://amzn.to/3q16oJb How can you help? Report false income and health claims here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Or go to: https://www.truthinadvertising.org You can also report to your state Attorney General's office! https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Not in the U.S.? Go here: https://www.ftc.gov/policy/international/competition-consumer-protection-authorities-worldwide Support the Podcast! Buy me a Taco and leave a note!

Maria McNeeley shares her story about the struggles of being a black woman in the Mormon church. She was adopted through lds family services to her white parents. You can find and follow Maria at: https://westsidestorymariamaria.blogspot.com/ https://instagram.com/westsidestory_mariamaria?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=  

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!

Becky is a survivor of narcissistic abuse in romantic relationships as well as religious trauma stemming from her membership in the Mormon church. As a single mother who has an educational background in psychology, much of her healing journey has centered around the changes that take place in the brain and what it means to heal as a woman post-Mormonism.  

Discussing the difference between a cult and a high control environment and the fine line between them. Addressing different tactics cult leaders use to control and how we reconnect with our core self after we've gotten out. Gerette Buglion is the co-founder of igotout.org, and is a spokesperson for the #igotout movement, co-manages day to day operations and communications while also providing her expertise in Cult Recovery and Education. Gerette is creator and facilitator of Writing to Reckon - and offers free classes for people to write their #igotout statement in a supportive environment. Gerette's educational memoir, An Everyday Cult was published in May 2021. Gerette is dedicated to helping others navigate, heal from and avoid the complex power dynamics involved in coercive control. From writing workshops, readings, and consultations to public talks, Gerette's work aims to cultivate compassion and discernment by engaging healthy dialogue and a psycho-educational approach that promotes autonomy and authenticity. Lisa co-founded and created igotout.org. She receives, designs, coordinates, and publishes survivor's stories, educational materials, and resources for the igotout social media. Lisa is the main point of contact for igotout communications through email as well as messaging on the igotout social media platforms and is a generator of community building initiatives within the #igotout space.Lisa is a firm believer in Creativity being The Great Healer…for all trauma, but especially when it comes to recovering from cultic influence where one's voice is often silenced. Through empowering and facilitating others to safely express their stories and voices, she discovers her own path of creativity and healing.Uncertain is a podcast of Tears of Eden, a community and resource for those in the aftermath of Spiritual Abuse. If you're enjoying this podcast, please take a moment to like, subscribe or leave a review on your favorite podcasting listening apparatus. You can support the podcast by going to TearsofEden.org/supportTo get in touch with us please email tearsofeden.org@gmail.comFollow on Instagram

Tom has been through hell as an abuse survivor himself and he is a fierce advocate for justice for other survivors of abuse especially children including his own. He sheds light on the efforts by the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to silence victims and defend perpetrators in the legal system and in the media. Tom continues his efforts to secure justice for his own children and the other children abused by their perpetrator.

Christina grew up in the Mormon church in Hawaii in the 1980's. Loss, trauma, and abandonment issues in childhood were exacerbated by religious trauma and indoctrination. These things would go on to inform much of her life and affect her relationships, marriage, parenting, and self worth. She is also a survivor of childbirth trauma and actively works to help other women understand and heal from their traumatic childbirth experiences.

Watchtower has made a number of changes to the elder arrangement throughout their history. Whilst policy changes are acceptable, the way this has been done indicates human direction and not that of God, despite Watchtower claims to the contrary.There's a new elders manual that has just been released by the Watchtower. It is called Shepherd The Flock of God and as with every iteration there are changes of course. One of the changes that is particularly concerning is their view of elders and the responsibility that is handed down to them especially in light of their age___________________________________________________________________If you would like to support the work I do and would like to see this channel grow please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjacksonBuy my book Losing The Faith: Amazon https://tinyurl.com/27x2htzmBuy my book Cults: How They Work Amazon https://tinyurl.com/3bw82jk4 #JehovahsWitnesses #EXJW #EldersManual

Watchtower has made a number of changes to the elder arrangement throughout their history. Whilst policy changes are acceptable, the way this has been done indicates human direction and not that of God, despite Watchtower claims to the contrary. There's a new elders manual that has just been released by the Watchtower. It is called Shepherd The Flock of God and as with every iteration there are changes of course. One of the changes that is particularly concerning is their view of elders and the responsibility that is handed down to them especially in light of their age ___________________________________________________________________ If you would like to support the work I do and would like to see this channel grow please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson Buy my book Losing The Faith: Amazon https://tinyurl.com/27x2htzm Buy my book Cults: How They Work Amazon https://tinyurl.com/3bw82jk4 #JehovahsWitnesses #EXJW #EldersManual

Watchtower has made a number of changes to the elder arrangement throughout their history. Whilst policy changes are acceptable, the way this has been done indicates human direction and not that of God, despite Watchtower claims to the contrary. There's a new elders manual that has just been released by the Watchtower. It is called Shepherd The Flock of God and as with every iteration there are changes of course. One of the changes that is particularly concerning is their view of elders and the responsibility that is handed down to them especially in light of their age ___________________________________________________________________ If you would like to support the work I do and would like to see this channel grow please consider supporting me on Patreon. It would be highly appreciated. https://patreon.com/robinjackson Buy my book Losing The Faith: Amazon https://tinyurl.com/27x2htzm Buy my book Cults: How They Work Amazon https://tinyurl.com/3bw82jk4 #JehovahsWitnesses #EXJW #EldersManual

https://protecteverychild.com/read-the-stories/ Sam's journey did not begin with survivors in mind yet his efforts have gained the support & validation of survivors. Many survivors stepped forward & shared their stories with Sam and the "Protect Every Child" movement. Often they have found that not only is it healing to share their story, but their story validates & heals other survivors. The LDS Church has no sense of urgency to reflect on & change its dangerous and inappropriate interview practices no matter how many members & exmembers point out the issues. They will have to be forced to change by societal pressures &/or law enforcement. Why do religious organizations blatantly lack accountability? Hypocricy is learned well in the LDS church.  

Rebecca's story shares the deep psychological and emotional effects of intergenerational trauma and religious trauma. When the person we are told we are and/or must be, is in direct conflict with the person we actually are or would otherwise choose to be, self loathing and self shaming become a daily routine. Rebecca is a courageous human with a beautiful soul and a new perspective on life after leaving Mormonism.

Many of you may know Sarah and Nippy from Season 1 of The Vow, the critically acclaimed HBO documentary series on NXIVM. The Vow shows real time and historical footage of the group and documents Sarah and Nippy, amidst others, revealing the emotional toll of unfolding events that transpire and the bravery of this core group that's resulted in the NXIVM leader, Keith Raniere, being convicted of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and other crimes. Season 2 of The Vow is set to release in October 2022.  Sarah's memoir on this topic is called Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life. In it, she shares her story from the moment she takes her first seminar to her harrowing fight to get out of NXIVM, collaborate with the FBI, help others, and heal. Sarah and Nippy are also actors. You can find Sarah on the Hallmark Channel and Nippy's latest appearance on the Good Doctor. You can also join Sarah and Nippy at SXSW this March of 2022. They will be doing a live show of their podcast, A Little Bit Culty. If you haven't checked it out, please do… Sarah and Nippy host survivors, experts,  and help their audience understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations, one little red flag at a time. In this discussion, Sarah and Nippy share about their family dynamics both during and post NXIVM amidst other related topics! Join us! Check out A Little Bit Culty: https://www.alittlebitculty.com/ For more on Sarah's book, Scarred: https://www.sarahedmondson.com/book Join Sarah & Nippy at SXSW 2022: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2022/events/PP119952 Check out The Vow: https://www.hbo.com/the-vow Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2022 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

A Little Bit Culty – He's just one guy, but there's so much culty shit flying around Bentinho Massaro that our first episode went into extra innings. Part two of our spotlight on the International Man of Alleged Assholery continues with Jade Alectra, Keilan McNeil, and Jacqueline Graham taking us into the pivotal moments that helped them wake up, pack up, and peace out of his toxic basecamp. They also share why they're speaking out, even though it is all still painful AF; what's helping them heal; and where they're finding the joys of life after Bentinho. Blessed be the whistleblowers.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty – Imagine a narsty blend of an Instagram influencer, spiritual huxter, Winklevoss twin, and Hugh Hefner's ghost. These are the vibes that Bentinho Massaro is serving. He's got all the scary charisma and shiny trappings of a culty overachiever, like thousands of social media followers, a grandiose plan to build a fully enlightened society by 2035, and he even claims to vibrate at a higher frequency than other humans. He's also already achieved a rite of passage that's becoming all too common among culty fuckwads: His name in headlines concerning the suspicious death of one of his followers at a Sedona retreat. Our trio of guests in this double episode whistleblower extravaganza are coming forward to call bullshit on Bentinho's special brand of mindfuckery. Jade Alectra, Keilan McNeil, and Jacqueline Graham were pulled into his mad world, and got themselves out. But they aren't going radio silent. Oh hell no. Because they want you to know that this so-called millennial spiritual guru is less of a messiah and more of a walking, talking human Fyre Festival. In part one, Jade, Keilan, and Jacqueline share what made Bentinho seem so alluring and transformational at first, and what happened when shit started getting real. ~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty –Speaking of soul-crushing scams that exploit the basic human need for love and belonging, we've got a doozy of a Valentine's Day episode for you. We're not labeling the organization at the heart of this episode a cult, but we are asking our guest Keely Griffin if loving and leaving Twin Flames Universe was the bad trip that reports published by Vanity Fair, Vice, and Daily Mail make it sound. Once a devotee of TFU, Keely shares what made the YouTubey, Facebooky spiritual community sound promising at first, just how quickly it went to the Upside Down, and how she's coming back from the whole shitshow now that she's out of its grips.Oh and just FYI, the list of what TFU officially disputes about its bad press practically writes our show notes for us: They dispute that they promote harassment and stalking. They dispute that they engage in exploitative and cult-like practices. They dispute that they coerce members into changing their gender. A Little Bit Culty, on the other hand, does not dispute that the whole TFU vibe makes us want to throw up in our mouths a little bit. Happy Freakin' Valentine's Day.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames.Production Partner: Citizens of Sound. Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty – Part 2 of our conversation with Alice Grecycn, the author of Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare & Sexual Purity delves into the neuroscience of belief, what's so cringe toxic religion, and what happens when mystical experiences bite you in the ass. We also cover sexual hangups, Seth Rogen, and culty summer camps. Content alert: Alice also shares her point of view on why it's hard to see certain sacred texts as anything other than a manual for aspiring sadistic, narcissistic, cult leaders. But don't mistake her frankness for sh*tting on people of faith. She's just looking out for you.About Today's Guest: Alice Greczyn is an actress, author, and founder of Dare to Doubt. Midwest-raised and LA-based, Alice's nomadic childhood moved her around the United States until her modeling career as a teenager led to an acting career in Hollywood. She's fascinated by the subjective experience of life, which she explores through acting and storytelling. Her own story includes a painful yet rewarding transition from Christianity to atheism, a journey that inspired her to found DaretoDoubt.org, a resource site for people detaching from belief systems they come to fnd harmful. Encouraging people to trust themselves and live courageously in their own truth is what gives Alice a sense of purpose. She lives in Los Angeles and loves hiking, traveling, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Learn more about her at her official website or get regular missives from her via her Substack.instagram.com/alicegreczyninstagram.com/daretodoubt/ twitter.com/alicefood twitter.com/daretodoubt ~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~ Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty – If you've ever felt trapped by the dictates of a high-demand group or an expression of religion that no longer felt true; or you find yourself feeling lonely and abandoned after a loss of faith, Alice Grecyzn has your back. The author of Wayward: A Memoir of Spiritual Warfare & Sexual Purity joins Sarah and Nippy to speak about her painful but rewarding journey out of Evangelical Christianity, what it means to recover from religious trauma, and what's rotten at the core about purity culture. About Today's Guest: Alice Greczyn is an actress, author, and founder of Dare to Doubt. Midwest-raised and LA-based, Alice's nomadic childhood moved her around the United States until her modeling career as a teenager led to an acting career in Hollywood. She's fascinated by the subjective experience of life, which she explores through acting and storytelling. Her own story includes a painful yet rewarding transition from Christianity to atheism, a journey that inspired her to found DaretoDoubt.org, a resource site for people detaching from belief systems they come to fnd harmful. Encouraging people to trust themselves and live courageously in their own truth is what gives Alice a sense of purpose. She lives in Los Angeles and loves hiking, traveling, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Learn more about her at her official website or get regular missives from her via her Substack.instagram.com/alicegreczyninstagram.com/daretodoubt/ twitter.com/alicefood twitter.com/daretodoubt ~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty – It sure is good to see Mark Vicente back in the saddle again. In Part 2, he shares what happened during his last conversation with Keith Raniere, how he's defragged his brain since he helped burn ol' Dead Eyes' playhouse down, and what the bleep he's working on next. Oh, and there is bountiful ass-chapping. More about today's guest: Author, speaker, and award-winning director Mark Vicente was behind the sleeper hit “What The Bleep Do We Know?!” Born in South Africa in 1965, Mark took his first photograph at age four and discovered his passion for being behind the camera. After working his way up the ranks of the camera department, his first big break came as Cinematographer on the musical “SARAFINA,” starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1992, he relocated to Los Angeles to shoot his first studio picture for Disney entitled “FATHERHOOD” From a very young age he found himself propelled to question beliefs about the human condition. His filmmaking activism led him to make a number of films, including ‘Encender el Corazon', about the rampant kidnapping epidemic in Mexico. It was a bittersweet victory; the film touched people deeply, but was by association supporting NXIVM. He made the difficult decision to pull the film from distribution and, with a small band of whistleblowers, expose their criminal enterprise. Mark's since developed a keen interest in exposing the coercive and duplicitous environments of high-control groups. His memoir: ‘QUEST' or ‘How the BLEEP did that happen?!' will be released shortly. It chronicles the many untold stories of what occurred in NXIVM , as well as he and his wife Bonnie's harrowing campaign to escape and expose the organization. He's also in production on a film about malignant narcissism, narcissistic abuse, and trauma bonding which exposes abusive strategies. He's still looking for real life stories for his film, anyone who would like to share their story can reach out to him at his official website.instagram.com/markvicentetwitter.com/markvicentefacebook.com/markvicentetiktok.com/@mark_vicente~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty – A wise man once said: “Nobody joins a cult, they join a good thing.” A Little Bit Culty kicks off Season 3 with the wise man himself, Mark Vicente. The epic whistleblower and stone-cold silver fox joins Sarah and Nippy to get the band back together in the first of two episodes. The trio catches up on life after making headlines and what it was really like to see the whole shitshow play out on HBO's “The Vow.” Expect a metric fuck ton of ass chapping anecdotes, and to love Mark even more than you already did.More about today's guest: Author, speaker, and award-winning director Mark Vicente was behind the sleeper hit “What The Bleep Do We Know?!” Born in South Africa in 1965, Mark took his first photograph at age four and discovered his passion for being behind the camera. After working his way up the ranks of the camera department, his first big break came as Cinematographer on the musical “SARAFINA,” starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1992, he relocated to Los Angeles to shoot his first studio picture for Disney entitled “FATHERHOOD” From a very young age he found himself propelled to question beliefs about the human condition. His filmmaking activism led him to make a number of films, including ‘Encender el Corazon', about the rampant kidnapping epidemic in Mexico. It was a bittersweet victory; the film touched people deeply, but was by association supporting NXIVM. He made the difficult decision to pull the film from distribution and, with a small band of whistleblowers, expose their criminal enterprise. Mark's since developed a keen interest in exposing the coercive and duplicitous environments of high-control groups. His memoir: ‘QUEST' or ‘How the BLEEP did that happen?!' will be released shortly. It chronicles the many untold stories of what occurred in NXIVM , as well as he and his wife Bonnie's harrowing campaign to escape and expose the organization. He's also in production on a film about malignant narcissism, narcissistic abuse, and trauma bonding. He's still looking for real life stories for his film and anyone who would like to share theirs can reach out to him at his official website.instagram.com/markvicentetwitter.com/markvicentefacebook.com/markvicentetiktok.com/@mark_vicente~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson &

CONTENT WARNING: Heads up, especially for any UC and ex-moonie listeners: This episode is pretty heavy on the cult content. We have a discussion about Sanctuary Church, a splinter cult of the main Unification Church. The discussion includes guns, violence against LGBTQ+, and alt-right ideology and conspiracy theories. If you're not up for it, feel free to skip this episode or come back to it when you are fully resourced. Here's what happens on the Jane Austen end: Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam have left the building. Elizabeth is still processing the aftermath of Darcy's letter. Lady Catherine is still “wakadoodle”, Mr. Collins is still annoying. Elizabeth and Maria head back home and meet Lydia and Kitty at an inn on the way. Lydia does some shopping and fills us in on important gossip. Elizabeth is conflicted about how to relay what she's learned about Wickham without revealing too much. We learn we're all a little bit of a “Mary” Resources mentioned in this episode: ICSA- International Cultic Studies Association https://www.icsahome.com (ICSA), founded in 1979, provides information, education, and help to those adversely affected by or interested in cultic and other high-control groups and relationships. ICSA is unique in how it brings together former group members, families, helping professionals and researchers I Got Out- https://www.igotout.org The sole mission of #iGotOut is to inspire survivors of cultic abuse to tell and share their stories, creating an online community dedicated to unflinching honesty. Email us: Janeaustenculturenight@gmail.com Find Laurel on Instagram and Twitter @laurelnakai Hosted by Laurel Nakai and Akina Cox Music and Production by Laurel Nakai Artwork by Akina Cox

A Little Bit Culty – We thought about recording our Season 2 finale in dubly, but you don't do heavy metal in dubly. In this wrap-up episode Sarah and Nippy answer your burning questions, preview what's ahead next season, seek a patron saint of quality mattresses, and generally have a good time all the time. We think you'll be knocked out by their exuberance, their raw power, and their punctuality. How much more Spinal Tappy could these show notes be? The answer is none. None more Spinal Tappy.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty – What do Pete Rose, Grandma Walton, skin boys, Dear Prudence, Brooks Brothers suits, David Lynch, Mary Tyler Moore, Merv Griffin, Mary Tyler Moore, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Margaret Singer have in common? They're all mentioned in this episode, and you'll have to listen to find out why. There's just not enough room in these show notes to tell you. But don't worry, you'll be glad you listened, because Patrick Ryan can tell a culty oral history with the best of them. He joins Sarah and Nippy for the penultimate episode of Season 2, and it's a doozy that just might make you take a second look at your meditation practice. As Stefon on SNL would say, “This one has something for everyone: Yogic flying, off-brand incense, and fake CIA operatives.” It's been a batshit year, kids, so enjoy 2021's last A Little Bit Culty episode drop.More about today's guest: Patrick Ryan is a graduate of Maharishi International University. He has been a cult intervention specialist since 1984. He's the co-founder of TM-EX, the organization of ex-members of Transcendental Meditation, established ICSA's online resource (1995-2013), and has presented 50 programs about hypnosis, inner-experience, trance-induction techniques, communicating with cult members, conversion, cult intervention, exit counseling, intervention assessment, mediation, religious conflict resolution, thought reform consultation, eastern groups, transcendental meditation and workshops for educators, families, former members and mental health professionals at ICSA workshops/conferences. Mr. Ryan received the AFF Achievement Award (1997) from AFF, the Leo J. Ryan "Distinguished Service Award" (1999) from the Leo J. Ryan Foundation, and a Lifetime Achievement Award (2011) from ICSA. Along with fellow intervention specialist Joseph Kelly, Patrick publishes several cult news sites that are an indispensable resource for all things cult-related:cultmediation.comIntervention101.comCultrecovery101.com​CultNews101.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultnews101Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/cultnews101Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultnews101/Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CultNEWS101/~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers:

A Little Bit Culty – If you think you're too smart to fall for a cult, this episode is your wake-up call. Undue influence can poison what starts out as a ‘good thing' and turn it into a culty shitshow. Just ask today's guest: Gerette Buglion. She was a member of an under-the-radar cult for over 18 years. In this organization, there was no tithing, no rules about where you should live, what brand of deodorant you must use, or what clothes to wear. Instead, far more subtle techniques were used...but they were powerful, and destructive all the same. When Gerette finally emerged from the cult at age 52, she asked herself, “How did I, an educated, caring mother, wife, and business owner become that lost and for that long?” She joins us to discuss her page-turning memoir, and her journey from hopeful therapy client to enthusiastic cult member to an anti-cult crusader. Spoiler alert: You're not too smart to fall for culty shit. More about today's guest: Gerette Buglion, B.A. Elementary Education and Special Education, earned her ‘Master's Degree' in cult awareness education from the school of life. This training occurred during her eighteen-year odyssey with Doug (Fictitious name. Real person) who was the leader of the ‘Center for Transformational Learning' (fictitious name for a real group, also simply CTL). Her memoir of her experience, An Everyday Cult, lifts the nuanced veil of controlling groups through its subtle weaving of personal experience with insight from recognized cultic phenomena. In addition to hosting retreats and her Writing to Reckon workshops, Gerette is a co-founding collaborator of the #igotout movement and igotout.org and co-host of the Everyday Cults, Everyday People podcast. Learn more about Gerette's work and upcoming events at her official website.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer:

A Little Bit Culty –Think you're immune to culty shit? Dr. Alexandra Stein begs to differ. She's one of the world's leading experts on ideological extremism and dangerous social relationships, and she makes a very convincing case that under the right set of circumstances almost anyone can be radically manipulated to engage in otherwise incomprehensible and often dangerous acts. In this episode, she joins us to discuss her experience as a former cult member, and the relationship between neuroscience, attachment, and indoctrination.More about today's guest: Alexandra Stein, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, writer and educator specializing in cults, totalitarianism and extremism. She is currently a visiting research fellow at London South Bank University and has previously taught at Birkbeck University of London, Westminster University and the University of Minnesota. Dr. Stein is a trustee of The Family Survival Trust, a UK charity working to raise awareness about cults and support those affected. She is the author of two books: Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems, and Inside Out, a Mmemoir of Entering and Breaking out of a Minneapolis Political Cult. Learn more about her work at her official website and follow her on Twitter @alexandraistein~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We start off by speaking with Katherine about working with cultural symbols vs letting the dreams speak for themselves through embodiment and personal associations. Gerette questions the idea that certain techniques are difficult to do on one's own and we launch into a discussion of what to look for in a dream teacher including certification and evidence that they are doing their own work. We also talk about the ethics of dream sharing from the point of view of the teacher or therapist. For one thing one must be aware of the egotistical high that can come from being in a position of authority. Also we speak about the pressure of being in the projections of the people we work with and how important it is for the teacher or therapist to be self-reflective and to have their own support network. In the context of peer support, we mention the work of the Association for Spiritual Integrity which can be found at Spiritual-Integrity.org We take a call from Jane who asks how can a practitioner recognize when a client is not the right fit for them? Katherine's BIO: Dr. Katherine Lawson has an MA in Counseling Psychotherapy from Pacifica and has her doctorate from Saybrook University in Mind-Body Medicine with a specialty Integrative Mental Health.  She is a therapist who has studied extensively with Robert Bosnak and is a certified Embodied Imagination practitioner.  She recently released a book: Dreamwork for Growth and Healing: A Guided Dream Journal. You can reach Katherine at DreamsHeal.com Gerette's BIO: Gerette Buglion is author of An Everyday Cult, a memoir which shows how her innocent quest for meaning left her open to manipulation by a controlling dream teacher. Gerette's current work is in Cult Recovery and Education. Her signature writing course called, ‘Writing to Reckon' offers a safe space for cult survivors to share their stories. She is a founding collaborator of the #iGotOut movement, whose mission is to encourage people who have experienced cultic abuse to tell their stories. She also has a podcast called Everyday Cults, Everyday People. You can reach Gerette at GeretteBuglion.com and at Igotout.org Both of these guests have been on the Journal before here they talked more about their specific history and influences. You can find Katherine's show here: https://ksqd.org/embodied-imagination-with-katherine-lawson/, and Gerette's show here https://ksqd.org/an-everyday-cult-with-gerette-buglion/, We play clips from the following two guest-selected songs: Head Full of Doubt by the Avett Brothers and Walking in the Rain by Grace Jones. Ambient music created by Rick Kleffel new every week. Today's composition is entitled Anullabye. Many thanks to Rick Kleffel for engineering the show and to Tony Russomano for answering the phones. Show aired on December 4, 2021. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM, streaming live at KSQD.org 10-11am Saturday mornings Pacific time.  Catch it live and call in with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or at onair@ksqd.org. If you want to contact Katherine Bell with feedback, suggestions for future shows or to inquire about exploring your own dreams with her, contact katherine@ksqd.org, or find out more about her at ExperientialDreamwork.com. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page is found here. You can also check out The Dream Journal on the following podcast platforms:  Rate it, review it, subscribe and tell your friends. Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher  Spotify

A Little Culty – She's just about the most rockin' Reverend we've ever met. In this episode, Nadia Bolz-Weber takes us to church on everything from sex-obsessed religious doctrine and toxic positivity to cancel culture. Also, if you've been searching for an episode that will illuminate what St. Augustine's medieval boner issues have to do with purity rings, you are in the right place.More about today's guest: Nadia Bolz-Weber is an ordained Lutheran Pastor, and founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, Co,, a progressive, queer-inclusive Lutheran congregation. She's written three New York Times bestselling memoirs, including Shameless: A Sexual Reformation, which takes on what she sees as the harmful ideas about sexuality that Christianity has promoted throughout history. She's the creator and host of The Confessional podcast, a pop-up prayer network called The Chapel, and the purveyor of a wildly inspirational Substack called The Corners. Learn all about it on her official website.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty –In 2009, Laura Tucker attended a Sedona spiritual retreat and sweat lodge hosted by charismatic spiritual teacher James Arthur Ray. It all went tragically wrong, resulting in the deaths of fellow attendees Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore. On this episode, Laura chats with Sarah and Nippy about her experience, what it means to practice safe spiritual seeking, and the dark side of self help.More about today's guest: Laura Tucker is the host of the Free Your Inner Guru® Podcast, a photographer, writer, and a self-described ‘recovering coach.' A creative at heart, Laura likes to explore, figure things out, create stunning visuals, and nuanced conversations. As an insight provoking leader and speaker, Laura has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and business leaders become more self aware so they can lead more intuitively. She is a former high school teacher, trainer, sales professional, multi entrepreneur, consultant and leadership coach. She survived the 2009 fatal “sweat lodge” at a self help retreat in Sedona. You may recognize her from Enlighten Us, a CNN Films/Netflix documentary about the self help industry and the Wondery Podcast Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment. She has also appeared on CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin and William Shatner's The UnXplained. Laura shares personal writing and nature inspired photography at lauratucker.com. Free Your Inner Guru® podcast episodes are released bi-weekly at freeyourinnerguru.com.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Adam Jones is a 27 year old former Seventh-Day Adventist, and theology student. He runs a ministry called “That Awkward Space” where he criticizes and critiques religious and political ideas. He is currently in school for social work and hopes to graduate soon. He is newly married and is currently enjoying a quiet life in upstate New York with his wife. Follow Adam on social media at:Instagram: @that.awkwardplaceTwitter: @space_awkward Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

Limi Marie Bauer was born into the cult where her parents met via an arranged marriage. They raised Limi in the Unification Church, known as the Moonies in popular culture, and Limi knew from a young age she would grow up and have an arranged marriage herself. As she got closer and closer to her wedding day she began to rebel and step away from church, but at 19 she married a man she'd met only three days before her wedding. It wasn't until she heard her children talking about being in the cult that she realized she could no longer stay. In this episode Limi shares her experience of the Unification Church's power dynamics, dogma, and how because of its many front organizations it is able to hide in plain sight. Today she's working on a memoir about growing up in and leaving the Moonies and active in the #IGotOut movement for cult survivors.   About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/   Connect with Limi: "The Champion" a short story for #igotout (high-demand group survivor stories) https://youtu.be/m1TP-ZMhfMg  Website: www.limimariebauer.com  Twitter: https://twitter.com/limibauer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingwithlimi/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@writingwithlimi?   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/

A Little Bit CultyIf you watched “The Vow” or have followed the fall of NXIVM, you know Moira Kim Penza as the prosecutor who brought Keith Raniere to justice. Her accomplishments are mighty: Like Keith's conviction on all counts including racketeering and sex trafficking and a brisk 120 year sentence. Moira's groundbreaking approach to the case has been credited with paving the way for other sex trafficking prosecutions against powerful individuals. In other words: She's a total badass. In this episode, Moira sits down with Sarah and Nippy to talk about what it's like to take on a world-class dirtbag (our wording, not hers) and what really chaps her ass about NXIVM's Voldemort.More about today's guest: Moira is now in private practice as a litigator, and a partner at Wilkinson Stekloff. Crain's New York business named her in the 40 under 40 list, she's been ranked as one of Bloomberg Law's 40 under 40, and her legal analysis has been featured in The NY Times, CNN, ABC, NPR and Daily Beast. ~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we're back in the spirituality series and we are taking a look at cults and high-demand groups. My guests have both been impacted by cults and they have a theory that adopted people may be more susceptible to these types of groups. Donna and Sara have extensively researched cults since they got out and have a ton of knowledge to share with us. They both tell their personal stories of how they inadvertently found themselves in high-demand groups, how they got out, and what adopted people specifically need to know about cults. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources Sara Easterly's previous appearance on Adoptees On E143 and Donna's E79 A Little Bit Culty Podcast The Vow: NXIVM Documentary on HBO Searching for Mom: A Memoir by Sara Easterly Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems, by Alexandra Stein More reading, research, and resources on the topic: #iGotOut www.igotout.org | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook ICSA: International Cultic Studies Association Traumatic Narcissism and Recovery: Leaving the Prison of Shame and Fear by Daniel Shaw Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems by Alexandra Stein BITE Model of Authoritarian Control by Steven Hassan Steven Hassan - What is a Cult? YouTube video with a whiteboard animation explaining the BITE Model Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Jana Lalich, Madeleine Tobias The Gift of Fear : Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin DeBecker Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Sunderland, Paul “Relinquishment and Adoption: Understanding the Impact of and Early Psychological Wound” presentation for iCAAD London 2019, August 12, 2019. (His reference about religiosity/fundamentalism as something commonly seen in adoptees with developmental trauma comes in around 45 minutes in) Podcast episode Roys Report “What Makes a Church a Cult” with guest Steven Hassan Connect With Us Donna: Email adoptee3 [at] gmail [dot] com Sara Easterly: saraeasterly.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

A Little Bit Culty – He was raised in a conservative Texan Mormon family, but today Dr. John Dehlin is an outspoken LGBTQ ally, a clinical psychologist, and a groundbreaking podcast host of the longest-running and most popular Mormon-themed podcast. The excommunicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or the LDS Church) joins Sarah and Nippy for a conversation about the history of the Mormon faith, the truth about John Smith, and what the ‘Book of Mormon' got right. More about our guest: John founded the Mormon Stories Podcast, was an influential early participant in the Mormon blogosphere, and is a passionate advocate for the rights of skeptics in Mormonism, LGBTQ rights, equality for women, and other individual views outside mainstream Mormonism. His research and podcasting work have been highlighted in the New York Times, Good Morning America, and on the CBS Evening News. His work was also featured in HBO's feature documentary film ”Believer” starring Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds and Neon Trees, Tyler Glen.~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we explore strategies you can use to get out of a cult or help a loved one get out. To setup the framework for our discussion, we look at numbers and definitions. The numbers are huge. Up to 10,000 cults still exist today in the United States. That number is growing. IGotOut.org suggests that “Millions of people have been affected by undue influence. Many of us have had religions chosen for us or we've joined self-help or spiritual groups that became harmful or destructive. We have suffered from coercive control and mind manipulations while bending to narcissists. We've given our power of decision making over to an organization and their leadership.”And language matters. The way we talk about cultic abuse influences how our good intentions are received. Someone who might shy away from what Gerette calls the C-word (cult), could respond better to “Controlling Group,” or “High Demand Group,” or “Spiritual Abuse.”We discuss Dr. Hassan's “reality testing,” and Gerette's escape after 18 years from the Center for Transformational Learning and the strategies that worked for her. We also talk about strategies we can employ when helping others who might be embroiled in a controlling group.If you have been in ANY culty high-control group or religion, share your story with the hashtag #igotout. Share on your own platform OR if you need to be anonymous and/or would like support, there are resources at www.igotout.org.To Learn more about Writing to Reckon, visit www.gerettebuglion.com/writingtoreckon.Learn more about the signs of thought control and other aspects of Dr. Hassan's work by visiting www.freedomofmind.com.

A Little Bit Culty – As a high school student, Elizabeth Gilpin was taken from her bed in the middle of the night, left in the woods for three months of forced camping with 12 other girls, then remanded to a prison-like boarding school where she and other so-called ‘troubled teens' were subjected to nightmarish conditions and psychological abuse. Her debut memoir, “Stolen” is a harrowing account of her time at Virginia's Carlbrook school, and examines the therapeutic boarding school industry's culty trajectory from an actual cult named Synanon to an entrepreneurial charismatic type with zero credentials named Mel Wasserman. In this episode, she joins Sarah and Nippy to discuss “Stolen”, her healing path, and how it feels to shine a light on a dark and insidious industry.Elizabeth Gilpin is an actress, writer, and producer. She starred in and produced Life Boat, a short film directed by Lorraine Nicholson which premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short Film at AFI Fest and won the Audience Award at the Napa Valley Film Festival. Elizabeth also starred in Endings, Inc. and Guerra. ‘Stolen' is her first book. ~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Little Bit Culty –Don't call her a #bossbitch. She's the boss, bitch. Roberta Blevins was a Trainer with LuLaRoe, had a team of 75 women under her, and made over $65,000 in bonuses alone. But when she came to the conclusion that it was a rigged, losing game she didn't just leave the business: she testified in the Washington State vs. LuLaRoe Pyramid Scheme lawsuit as a witness for the state. The fan favorite from the buzzed-about LuLaRich docuseries sits down for an A Little Bit Culty chat with Sarah and Nippy about what it's like when MLM gold turns to mold, the similarities between LuLaRoe and NXIVM, and the truth about those buttery soft leggings.Since leaving MLM, Roberta has educated herself on the systemic structure of the business model, the psychological manipulation, the seedy underbelly and governmental ties, the cult indoctrination, and the history of Multi Level Marketing. She educates daily on TikTok, and podcasts in her "free time" on her own podcast, Life After MLM, which explores the dangers of Multi Level Marketing through the eyes of the victims and survivors. Her work has been featured on Amazon Prime Video, Vice Media, Bloomberg News, Split, and Business Insider among others. Learn more on her website or find her on Instagram @therealrobertablevins~The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.~A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the #IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org~For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Freedom of thought is a universal human right.” This statement is the first thing you see on the IGotOut.org website. As modern, functioning adults, we like to think that we are in control of our own thoughts. This is not always the case. As we know from Gerette's book An Everyday Cult and from this podcast, we know that destructive cults use any number of techniques to get members to stay and commit themselves to what may be harmful activities. Thought Control is the most insidious. Listen in as we discuss the different techniques cult leaders use to control the thoughts of their followers. Some techniques are extreme, others are subtle but insidious...If you have been in ANY culty high-control group or religion, share your story with the hashtag #igotout. Share on your own platform OR if you need to be anonymous and/or would like support, there are resources at www.igotout.org.Learn more about the signs of thought control and other aspects of Dr. Hassan's BITE Model visit freedomofmind.com or freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model.

A Little Bit Culty – Sticks and stones break bones, but words build entire cult empires. In this episode, Sarah and Nippy sit down with Amanda Montell to discuss how cultish groups and social media gurus use language to manipulate followers and cultivate power. Amanda is a writer, language scholar, and the author of two critically acclaimed books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperWave). Her books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and others, and Amanda is currently developing Wordslut for television with FX Studios. Amanda's writing has been featured in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. She is also the creator and co-host of the comedy-cult podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell.The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. And also they want you to know that any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.orgFor more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1974, at twelve years old, Deb Donner's mother joined what she thought was loving, trusting, close-knit Christian Fellowship, committed to helping anyone in need called, The Ingleside United Methodist Church. They called themselves The Fellowship, and they were pastored by a man named Lou Hillendahl who touted an ‘inner healing ministry' that 'helped hundreds of people with all kinds of problems'. TW: adult & child abuse & sexual abuse Lou infused his version of biblical teachings with pseudo-psycho beliefs, constantly creating new “therapies” to “deal with the personal, family and sexual” problems he identified within his parishioners. In 1976, Lou began teaching that “sex is a myth in our culture” and developed bizarre therapies to prove his theory. At 14, against Deb's will, she was involved in several of the therapies. Knowing she wasn't supposed to talk about what she had experienced, she also knew it wasn't right, and told someone. The media got hold of the information and started bombarding Lou for interviews. When the church found out, they decided to take action and hold him accountable. On March 21, 1977, Lou submitted his resignation to the Methodist church to avoid a heresy trial. Lou and several of his devoted followers decided to create their own community, and eventually purchased a 58-acre plot of land on Vashon Island in Washington State where they lived in big green army tents for years while the community built homes, and a couple buildings. They called themselves The Wesleyan Community, officially called, The Wesleyan Christian Community Church and Retreat Center. Deb shares the story of her time in Ingleside and on Vashon Island until she eventually escaped in February of 1981, when she was 19 years old. Follow Deb on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letstalkcults/ To find out more about #igotout, please visit: https://www.igotout.org/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

A Little Bit Culty – It's been a minute, but A Little Bit Culty is back. Season 2's kickoff episode finds co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames covering what's been going on in their world, what's new in the cultiverse, and what's ahead this season on the podcast. There's a lot of cult news to catch up on: like NXIVM sentencings, R. Kelly's day in court, and Nicole Kidman's wig on ‘9 Perfect Strangers.' Sarah and Nippy report on what they've been up to over summer vacation, and answer all sorts of burning questions from the ALBC audience. Don't worry: There is also a side of Word Salad and an extra helping of Ass Chapping.The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. And also they want you to know that any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.orgFor more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @alittlebitculty~CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Score by Will Retherford See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1974, at twelve years old, Deb Donner's mother joined what she thought was loving, trusting, close-knit Christian Fellowship, committed to helping anyone in need called, The Ingleside United Methodist Church. They called themselves The Fellowship, and they were pastored by a man named Lou Hillendahl who touted an ‘inner healing ministry' that 'helped hundreds of people with all kinds of problems'. TW: adult & child abuse & sexual abuse Lou infused his version of biblical teachings with pseudo-psycho beliefs, constantly creating new “therapies” to “deal with the personal, family and sexual” problems he identified within his parishioners. In 1976, Lou began teaching that “sex is a myth in our culture” and developed bizarre therapies to prove his theory. At 14, against Deb's will, she was involved in several of the therapies. Knowing she wasn't supposed to talk about what she had experienced, she also knew it wasn't right, and told someone. The media got hold of the information and started bombarding Lou for interviews. When the church found out, they decided to take action and hold him accountable. On March 21, 1977, Lou submitted his resignation to the Methodist church to avoid a heresy trial. Lou and several of his devoted followers decided to create their own community, and eventually purchased a 58-acre plot of land on Vashon Island in Washington State where they lived in big green army tents for years while the community built homes, and a couple buildings. They called themselves The Wesleyan Community, officially called, The Wesleyan Christian Community Church and Retreat Center. Deb shares the story of her time in Ingleside and on Vashon Island until she eventually escaped in February of 1981, when she was 19 years old. Follow Deb on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letstalkcults/ To find out more about #igotout, please visit: https://www.igotout.org/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

In 1974, at twelve years old, Deb Donner's mother joined what she thought was loving, trusting, close-knit Christian Fellowship, committed to helping anyone in need called, The Ingleside United Methodist Church. They called themselves The Fellowship, and they were pastored by a man named Lou Hillendahl who touted an ‘inner healing ministry' that 'helped hundreds of people with all kinds of problems'. TW: adult & child abuse & sexual abuse Lou infused his version of biblical teachings with pseudo-psycho beliefs, constantly creating new “therapies” to “deal with the personal, family and sexual” problems he identified within his parishioners. In 1976, Lou began teaching that “sex is a myth in our culture” and developed bizarre therapies to prove his theory. At 14, against Deb's will, she was involved in several of the therapies. Knowing she wasn't supposed to talk about what she had experienced, she also knew it wasn't right, and told someone. The media got hold of the information and started bombarding Lou for interviews. When the church found out, they decided to take action and hold him accountable. On March 21, 1977, Lou submitted his resignation to the Methodist church to avoid a heresy trial. Lou and several of his devoted followers decided to create their own community, and eventually purchased a 58-acre plot of land on Vashon Island in Washington State where they lived in big green army tents for years while the community built homes, and a couple buildings. They called themselves The Wesleyan Community, officially called, The Wesleyan Christian Community Church and Retreat Center. Deb shares the story of her time in Ingleside and on Vashon Island until she eventually escaped in February of 1981, when she was 19 years old. Follow Deb on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letstalkcults/ To find out more about #igotout, please visit: https://www.igotout.org/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

#igotout is a hashtag, website and movement to make abuses of power unacceptable in all kinds of groups, not just cults. Gerette Buglion and Lisa are two of the founders of #igotout. They believe now is the time for survivors of cult dynamics to share their stories with unflinching honesty. Every story matters, and the ripple effect of speaking up can make a difference. Survivors of cultic abuse can raise awareness of undue influence and coercive control. The goal is to change the cultural acceptance of abuse of power in all kinds of groups, not just cults. Gerette and Lisa join me to share the story of how #igotout was formed, characteristics of cult dynamics in today's society, and how survivors can find support at igotout.org. Gerette Buglion, B.A. in Elementary and Special Ed, is the author of An Everyday Cult. She earned her ‘Masters Degree' in Cult Awareness Education from the school of life. Gerette co-manages operations and communications of igotout.org, is a spokeswoman and activist for the movement and hosts Writing to Reckon, an online workshop where survivors of cultic abuse write their I got out statement. Lisa owns, designs, and manages the igotout.org website intended to support the #igotout movement, as well as makes most of the material and posts for the social media accounts. She is the main point of contact for #igotout communications through email and messaging on the #igotout social platforms. Connect with igotout.org online: WebsiteInstagram - @igotout_orgFacebook Mentioned in this episode: Article: Elsevier - Aggression and Violent Behavior: Sexual abuse and charismatic cults Books: Gerette Buglion - An Everyday CultSteve Hassan - The Cult of Trump Podcasts: Jen Kiaba - Lessons on LeavingKaila Tova - Your Body, Your Brand Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletter

Melissa was raised in a conservative, cult-like faction of the fundamentalist Seventh-Day Adventist Church.  She left the church when she turned 18 and it was the late 80's. At the time, she was thinking she was out, done, through. Throwing herself into "the real world" she modeled, acted, earned an Ivy League degree, worked in politics, finance, and high tech. She also married twice and had two children. In addition, she also did a lot of exploring of all that had been forbidden! And always...she wrote. In her 30's she found out that various male members of her family had been abusers within the church. This sent her on a decades-long discovery process: confronting family members and tracking down and speaking to the victims. She formed an unlikely bond with one of the victims, and this led her to uncover and address her own trauma from purity culture, the patriarchal stranglehold, and church abuse. The Glory Whole is the name of her instagram account which she refers to as “a work in progress that chronicles her story”. If you follow her, you will occasionally see excerpts from her memoir, which is in process. Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_glory_whole/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

Sarah Edmondson is an actress who appeared on the popular CBC teen soap series, "Edgemont," SyFy's "Andromeda," "Continuum," and "Stargate SG-1", USA Network's "Dead Zone" and Lifetime Television's "Killer Hair" and "Hostile Makeover." As a voice-over artist, Sarah has created original voices for Cartoon Network's "Max Steel," and "Transformers Cybertron," Discovery Kids "Class of the Titans," Hasbro's "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," and Netflix's "Dinotrux." Sarah has also voiced characters for popular international children's series, including The Rose in France Télévisions "Le Petit Prince" and Thea Stilton for Italy's Rai 2's "Geronimo Stilton." Sarah was seen in various Hallmark movies, including AT HOME IN MITFORD, alongside award-winning actress Andie MacDowell. She played supporting roles in Hallmark's WEDDING OF DREAMS, starring Debbie Gibson, and Season Two of CBS's "Salvation." Just before the birth of her second child, she appeared in Hallmark's WELCOME TO CHRISTMAS. In 2005, Sarah joined NXIVM, a personal and professional development company. Over her 12-year tenure, she went from student to coach and eventually operated her own NXIVM center in Vancouver. In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, with Kristine Gasbarre. In this tell-all memoir, she shares her story from the moment she takes her first seminar to her harrowing fight to get out of NXIVM, collaborate with the FBI, help others, and heal. Sarah's full story is featured in“The Vow,” the critically acclaimed HBO documentary series on NXIVM. Now with the launch of her own podcast, “A Little Bit Culty,” co-hosted by her husband and fellow NXIVM whistleblower Anthony “Nippy” Ames, she aims to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations, one little red flag at a time. Her podcast: https://www.alittlebitculty.com Her organization, #iGotOut, inspires survivors of cultic abuse to tell and share their stories, creating an online community dedicated to unflinching honesty: www.igotout.org. Her book: https://www.sarahedmondson.com/book The Vow: https://www.hbo.com/the-vow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahedmondson Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahjedmondson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahJEdmondson Website: https://www.sarahedmondson.com Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/sarahandnippy ______________________________ Follow me on Instagram @LongDistanceLoveBombs: https://www.instagram.com/longdistancelovebombs Looking for a heartfelt gift? Visit my print shop here: https://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/theshop Sign up for my weekly newsletter! Each week, I share a personal story and my favorite books, tunes, articles, and ideas. Click here: http://eepurl.com/T0l91. It's easy and takes five seconds. Check out a list of 120 of my favorite books here, including many my guests have written and recommend reading: https://www.amazon.com/shop/longdistancelovebombs --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/longdistancelovebombs/message

Naomi Van Winkle was born into a religious group (King's Chapel) in Connecticut which was essentially a Christian cult. The group had a female leader who was based at their headquarters in England (Mansfield Woodhouse) and dictated much of the community's ongoings as well as individual lives, with the use of fear & high pressure tactics to interrogate and manipulate. After many years and as part of her own healing journey of discovery and exploration, Naomi and others are telling their stories through a podcast series that Naomi created, called Cult in Connecticut. In it, Naomi shares about her experience of being born and raised in this cult, and the journey of healing from the pain and confusion she experienced growing up. At eighteen, Naomi left the church and everything she had ever known to begin a new life. We discuss her process of leaving, healing, experiencing life and much more! Naomi is also a Nashville creative artist and business owner! To listen to Cult in Connecticut: https://anchor.fm/cultinconnecticut To follow Naomi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomivanwinkle/ For those interested, Naomi's group was also formerly known as Dayspring, King's Chapel, Bethel, Peniel, and International Church. Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

We explore the dynamic of unethical persuasion especially in the context of dreams. Sharing a dream is a vulnerable act. How do we support each other in owning our own dream experiences without unduly influencing each other? Today we talk with Gerette Buglion about her new book, An Everyday Cult. Gerette is passionate about promoting ethical forms of self-discovery. We talk about gentle ways of exploring dreams together and about what red flags to look out for around choosing a practitioner. Gerette shares some of her experiences about how her life was upended through a cult whose spiritual center involved manipulative dream analysis. We talk about Gerette's current work in the cult survivor movement and her part in the creation of the #Igotout movement in which people who have escaped from cults are encouraged to share their stories. We finish by talking about NXIVM and QAnon and the Unification Church (aka the Moonies). Gerette hosts a podcast called Everyday Cults, Everyday People. You can also learn more about cults and get help through organizations including the International Cultic Studies Association. She also hosts a writing class called "Writing to Reckon". Bio: Gerette Buglion B.A. Elementary Education and Special Education, was born on Long Island NY and migrated north, eventually landing in Vermont. Her work and passions merged in caring for others as an elementary school teacher, special educator, house parent for people with special needs, a hiking guide and business owner. Her greatest accomplishments include parenting two exceptional young adults, marrying an extraordinarily understanding man and escaping from what she calls ‘an everyday cult'. Also the title of her memoir, An Everyday Cult shows how an innocent quest for meaning was hijacked by a teacher who recognized Gerette's thirst for spiritual knowledge, awakening insight - while simultaneously eroding her capacity for critical thinking. In her book, she shows readers how a mind and psyche can be compromised by a controlling leader—using techniques that fly under the radar of human awareness—and implores readers to wake up to these ever-present abuses of power. Her current work in Cult Recovery and Education arises from her dedication to helping others navigate and avoid complex power systems found in controlling groups the world over. Gerette has been a regular presenter at the annual conference for ICSA, the International Cultic Studies Association since 2015. Her signature writing course called, ‘Writing to Reckon' offers a safe space for cult survivors to share their story through written word. She works as a consultant and educator in cult dynamics for individuals, families and organizations of all kinds and is a founding collaborator of the #iGotOut movement, whose sole mission is to encourage people who have experienced cultic abuse to tell their stories to help steer society towards a new day where abuse of power is not tolerated. She is especially excited to be a guest on The Dream Journal since the cult she was involved with for 18 years used dream analysis as a controlling technique. Her cult recovery process over the last seven years has included creating new and gentler ways of exploring dreams which continue to inform, support and inspire her. Gerette is passionate about promoting ethical forms of self-discovery. You can contact her at her webpages: GeretteBuglion.com Igotout.org And you can read a review of her book here. We play clips from the following two guest-selected songs: Pink Floyd's “Wish You Were Here” and Moon Panda's "On the Attack" Live ambient music by Rick Kleffel. Show aired on August 21, 2021. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM, streaming live at KSQD.org 10-11am Saturday mornings Pacific time.  Catch it live and call in with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or at onair@ksqd.org. If you want to contact Katherine Bell with feedback, suggestions for future shows or to inquire about exploring your own dreams with her, contact katherine@ksqd.org, or find out more about her at ExperientialDreamwork.com. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page is found here. You can also check out The Dream Journal on the following podcast platforms:  Rate it, review it, subscribe and tell your friends. Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher  Spotify

Janice Selbie was born and raised in a charismatic Christian home, attending Pentecostal, Vineyard, and other Evangelical churches before eventually marrying a man who would become a pastor. In her 30s she became ultraconservative, wearing a head-covering, homeschooling their children, and rejecting any vestiges of secular life ( including TV, radio, music, newspapers, magazines, etc.). “I referred to myself as ‘Mennocostal,' frequently attending closed Mennonite churches run by the Holdeman Mennonites.” It wasn't until her 40s that Janice began experiencing doubts about her deeply held faith. As her marriage unraveled, her questions grew. She found herself wondering about the impact of religion on sexuality, gender roles and equality, social justice, and more.    “Not permitted to explore these questions, I felt like a beach ball held beneath the water for too long. My sadness, confusion, and anger threatened to explode if something didn't change.”  After ending her decades-long marriage, Janice went back to school to attain her Diploma of Applied Psychology and Counseling.   “My passion is to help others who are experiencing the multiple significant losses associated with religious de-conversion. My own journey could have been easier if I had been able to connect with even one other person who had walked away from their faith and built a healthy life afterward.”   These painful experiences influenced Janice to develop the Divorcing Religion Workshop so that others could gain knowledge and tools to help with their own journey out of fundamentalist religions.   In May of 2021, Janice hosted the inaugural on-line 'Conference on Religious Trauma' (CORT), with over 20 speakers providing education & insight into RTS & recovery. For more information about Janice and her offerings: https://www.divorcing-religion.com/ You can still purchase access to recordings of all CORT speakers by purchasing a Resources ticket: https://pheedloop.com/CORT/site/home/ To find Janice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janice.selbie/ To find Janice on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxcCYdtSFUDK896rMRi7J_w Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

Kenneth Garrett is currently the senior pastor of Grace Church, located in Portland, OR. He is the founder of the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education, and he is also a member of the advisory board of ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association). Ken and Sharon (his wife) have 3 daughters and four grandchildren whom they see often. Ken has written a book called, “In the House of Friends. Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches”. You will hear a little bit about the book during our discussion but if you'd like to know more, you can find the book at the Amazon link below. From 1984-1996, Ken and Sharon were part of an abusive church with a pastor who is still in an ongoing legal case. However, on January 23 2020, a jury found the pastor guilty of the sexual abuse of a minor, and sentenced him to 160 months without the possibility of parole. Ken's book is a wonderful preventative resource that I would recommend for all who are or want to be part of a church community. In addition, for those serving Christian communities, this is also an excellent resource for leadership.  Ken's book, "In the House of Friends": https://www.amazon.com/House-Friends-Understanding-Spiritual-Christian/dp/1725266024 Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

Kenneth Garrett is currently the senior pastor of Grace Church, located in Portland, OR. He is the founder of the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education, and he is also a member of the advisory board of ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association). Ken and Sharon (his wife) have 3 daughters and four grandchildren whom they see often. Ken has written a book called, “In the House of Friends. Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches”. You will hear a little bit about the book during our discussion but if you'd like to know more, you can find the book at the Amazon link below. From 1984-1996, Ken and Sharon were part of an abusive church with a pastor who is still in an ongoing legal case. However, on January 23 2020, a jury found the pastor guilty of the sexual abuse of a minor, and sentenced him to 160 months without the possibility of parole. Ken's book is a wonderful preventative resource that I would recommend for all who are or want to be part of a church community. In addition, for those serving Christian communities, this is also an excellent resource for leadership.  Ken's book, "In the House of Friends": https://www.amazon.com/House-Friends-Understanding-Spiritual-Christian/dp/1725266024 Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com.

A Little Bit Culty –Join us for a special bonus episode with India Oxenberg. ~Don't get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.orgCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Scores by Will RetherfordFollow A Little Bit Culty:WebsiteInstagram

Sometimes I struggle to recall things from my childhood in the cult. There are long blanks in my memory, or when I do excavate memories, I have to sit with them for a long time and ask “did I hallucinate that experience?” These days, I've been talking to a lot of survivors, many of whom are actively sharing their stories online. But the theme of doubting our experiences is something that seems to come up again and again. I began to wonder why that is. Could it be that many of us blocked out memories simply to survive? Resources cited in this episode: The Falling Out Podcast. A 2018 interview Daily Mail interview with Dr. Alexandra Stein. The American Psychiatric Association definition of dissociation. Sharon K. Farber Ph.D.'s Psychology Today article. My post on love-bombing. The University of Washington's Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center's description of dissociation. An old post of mine from the blog Summer of Cheesecake, describing a labor trafficking program in the Unification Church called "Special Task Force." Sharie Stines, PsyD's a post on Goodtherapy.com describing "abuse amnesia." Dr. Janja Lalich's interview on Change The Narrative with JD Fuller. Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D's video on "euphoric recall." The psychological term "rosy retrospection." IGotOut.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jen-kiaba/message

After the passing of both her parents in her early 20's, Kelly Alder joined a Neo Native American tribe, marrying its leader and becoming one of his many wives. Red Bear was the spirit name given to Kelly during a ceremony held by the tribe's founder, John Twobirds. She began writing her memoir about six years ago when a little voice started persistently nagging her to, “Write this crazy stuff down!” And so, she gave into this call, grabbing moments where she could in between the cooking, laundry and school runs. And now, to our benefit, she shares her story in this beautifully written memoir. Kelly has received many accolades for the book and also has a blog that you can find at her website where she writes about life experiences and the topics of femininity, vulnerability and belonging.  Purchase Kelly's incredible book at: https://www.amazon.com/Fourteenth-Wife-search-belonging/dp/0620913134/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AH8YZSGG6EU6&dchild=1&keywords=the+14th+wife&qid=1623207549&sprefix=the+14th+wife%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-1 Check out Kelly's website at: https://kelly-alder.com Follow her on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/iamredbear/ Follow her on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheFourteenthWife Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

The term “love bombing” seems to have come into the cultural consciousness in a big way in the past several years, perhaps because of the prevalence of toxic behavior in arena like online dating. Culturally we're at a point where the term gets tossed around quite casually. A quick Google search on the term brings up cautionary articles from sources as varied as Cosmopolitan to Business Insider and Psychology Today. Many articles highlight the fact that love bombing is a control tactic, and so go as far to say that it's generally used used by people on the narcissistic personality disorder spectrum, especially in dating. They point to signs like constant compliments, showers of gifts and things moving quickly in relationships as being potential red flags. But many of these articles seem to miss the mark in terms of diving into how sinister love bombing really is. Resources discussed or cited in this episode are: The support group Betrayal Trauma Recovery. Domesticshelters.org, a searchable directory of domestic violence programs and shelters in the U.S. and Canada. Ronald N. Loomis' testimony before the Maryland Cult Task Force in 1999. Dr. Margaret Singer's book, Cults in Our Midst. Dr. Dale Archer's article in Psychology Today. Rev. Moon's 1978 speech telling members to perfect their love bombing. The movie Ticket to Heaven. The book Moonwebs: Journey Into the Mind of a Cult by Josh Freed. Narcissistabusesupport.com, which has a list of resources, from therapists to local support groups as well as links to free legal assistance and housing. SpiritualAbuseResources.com, which is s service to help people recover from coercive control in spiritual contexts. ICSAhome.com also has an extensive list of counseling resources here if you or a loved one is looking for a cult-aware therapist. IGotOut.org, an organization dedicated to helping survivors share their stories and end the stigma of having been in a high control group. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jen-kiaba/message

Jen Kiaba is an artist and educator who grew up in the infamous Unification Church, a religious group referred to by popular media as “the Moonies” and a primary example of a cult. After escaping a forced arranged marriage, she fought her way out in her early twenties and went on to earn her BA in Art History at Bard College. As an artist she uses photography to explore the failure of faith and the resulting loss of identity that occurs. Her work has been exhibited internationally, was a third place winner of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, a top 200 finalist in Critical Mass, and an Honorable Mention in the 13th Pollux Award. Since 2014 she has worked as an educator and mentor with  various non-profits that seek to empower youth. She also writes and speaks about art, healing and their intersection. To view Jen's artwork & writing: https://www.jenkiaba.com/Follow Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenkiaba/ Follow Jen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenkiaba Other organizations Jen mentions:Unchained At Last: https://www.unchainedatlast.org/ The Resilience Foundation: https://resiliencefoundation.org/ Trigger Warning: Topics of abuse Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

Follow the #IGotOut movement on social media and find their website - www.igotout.orgGet In TouchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultvaultpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CultVaultPodTumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/cultvaultReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/Cult-VaultGmail: cultvaultpodcast@gmail.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/thecultvaultSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/cultvaultpodcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Megan and Dom Benninger speak about their religious backgrounds and their journeys together through a religious cult, a charismatic nondenominational church, and a Southern Baptist church that all exhibited signs of spiritual abuse. As survivors, they have dedicated their lives to preventing spiritual abuse in institutional settings and serving others who have also been abused under the guise of Christianity. They hope to provide a safe place for victims of spiritual abuse to share their stories without judgement. They want to identify spiritually abusive wolves within organized religion, to protect others from harm. To find out more about this part of their mission, go to https://baptistaccountability.org/. They want to help others identify the signs and symptoms of spiritual abuse through their written works and educational resources, as well as through speaking engagements. Megan and Dominique shared their story with the USA Today, which was published online on February 13, 2020. The article, along w Megan & Dom's writings can be found on their website at https://churchtrauma.org.  To view writings about Oakwood and the letters Megan referred to in the podcast: https://churchtrauma.org/category/oakwood/ To view Dom's Narrowgate blog: https://churchtrauma.org/category/narrowgate-cult-series/ To visit Megan and Dom's website Baptist Accountability: https://baptistaccountability.org/ USA Today featuring Megan and Dom's story: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/02/13/southern-baptist-sex-abuse-pastors-history-divided-church/4586698002/ Rachel Denhollander quote & website: https://rachaeldenhollander.com/ “A review of protestant insurance companies found MORE reports of clergy sexual abuse than a review of Catholic insurance companies, even though Catholics actually keep better track.  And those predators are often being shielded by more pastors. This isn't a few random wolves.” Other people Megan and Dom mentioned: Jimmy Hinton: https://jimmyhinton.org/ Christa Brown: https://christabrown.me/ & Stop Baptist Predators: http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm Ashley Easter: https://www.ashleyeaster.com/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcombInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench  

Megan and Dom Benninger speak about their religious backgrounds and their journeys together through a religious cult, a charismatic nondenominational church, and a Southern Baptist church that all exhibited signs of spiritual abuse. As survivors, they have dedicated their lives to preventing spiritual abuse in institutional settings and serving others who have also been abused under the guise of Christianity. They hope to provide a safe place for victims of spiritual abuse to share their stories without judgement. They want to identify spiritually abusive wolves within organized religion, to protect others from harm. To find out more about this part of their mission, go to https://baptistaccountability.org/. They want to help others identify the signs and symptoms of spiritual abuse through their written works and educational resources, as well as through speaking engagements. Megan and Dominique shared their story with the USA Today, which was published online on February 13, 2020. The article, along w Megan & Dom's writings can be found on their website at https://churchtrauma.org.  To view writings about Oakwood and the letters Megan referred to in the podcast: https://churchtrauma.org/category/oakwood/ To view Dom's Narrowgate blog: https://churchtrauma.org/category/narrowgate-cult-series/ To visit Megan and Dom's website Baptist Accountability: https://baptistaccountability.org/ USA Today featuring Megan and Dom's story: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/02/13/southern-baptist-sex-abuse-pastors-history-divided-church/4586698002/ Rachel Denhollander quote & website: https://rachaeldenhollander.com/ “A review of protestant insurance companies found MORE reports of clergy sexual abuse than a review of Catholic insurance companies, even though Catholics actually keep better track. And those predators are often being shielded by more pastors.This isn't a few random wolves.” Other people Megan and Dom mentioned:Jimmy Hinton: https://jimmyhinton.org/ Christa Brown: https://christabrown.me/ & Stop Baptist Predators: http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm Ashley Easter: https://www.ashleyeaster.com/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcombInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcas or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

A Little Bit Culty – Consent is one of the most misunderstood words of all time, and in the confusion surrounding it, bad actors find loopholes. According to today’s guests, defining consent in penal code is key to prosecuting sex crimes and preventing sexual assaults. Joyce Short has fought to define consent for over a decade. A sexual assault survivor, she has written 3 books on the subject. Her most recent, "Your Consent - The Key to Conquering Sexual Assault," lay the foundation for New York's current bills, #A6540 and #S6200, defining "consent" in penal law. She is a TEDx Talk Presenter and the Founder and Director of the Consent Awareness Network (CAN): A coalition whose mission is to correctly define consent for society and to properly define it in laws and statutes across the US and around the world. She joins the podcast today with CAN Chief of Staff and Consent Outreach Ambassador Nina Lucas to talk about bill A6540, a piece of legislation currently in committee in New York state that seeks to define consent and clarify the definition of lawful sexual conduct. Today’s episode wraps Season One of A Little Bit Culty with the opposite of word salad around the issue of consent, followed by a clear call to action: Spread the word about #FGKIA, and help bill A6540 get out of committee. Learn more at: Assembly Bill A6540Sign The PetitionConsent Awareness NetworkJoyce’s TedTalk: Defining ConsentJoyce’s Book “Your Consent - The Key to Conquering Sexual Assault” Follow Nina on TikTok Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.orgFor more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Culti

A Little Bit Culty – Daniel Shaw, LCSW, checks every imaginable box on A Little Bit Culty’s dream guest checklist. He’s a psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City and in Nyack, New York. He originally trained as an actor at Northwestern University and with the renowned teacher Uta Hagen in New York City, and later worked as a missionary for an Indian guru. His eventual recognition of cultic aspects of this organization led him to become an outspoken activist in support of individuals and families traumatically abused in cults. Simultaneous with leaving this group, Dan began his training in the mental health profession, becoming a faculty member and supervisor at the National Institute for the Psychotherapist in New York. His book, Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation, was published by Routledge in 2014 and was nominated for the distinguished Gradiva Award. In 2018, the International Cultic Studies Association awarded him the Margaret Thaler Singer Award for advancing the understanding of coercive persuasion and undue influence. Shaw’s book Traumatic Narcissism and Recovery: Leaving the Prison of Shame and Fear will be published by Routledge in 2021. Dan joined Sarah and Nippy to share his story, drop some knowledge about the shameless ways of traumatizing narcissists, and provide insights on the recovery process.Learn more about him at: https://danielshawlcsw.comDon’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.References: Dan’s newest book is available for pre-order here: https://danielshawlcsw.com/publications/Gaslight (1944 Film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslight_(1944_film)Article: “Traumatic Abuse in Cults: A Psychoanalytic Perspective”https://www.spiritualabuseresources.com/articles/traumatic-abuse-in-cults-a-psychoanalytic-perspectiveA Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.orgFor more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Scores by Will RetherfordFollow A Little Bit Culty:WebsiteInstagramFollow Sarah Edmondson:

A Little Bit Culty –What happens when you find a sense of identity, and belonging, and maybe even something approximately like love within a group that is in fact a violent and racist extremist organization? And if by chance you wake up to what's inherently terrible about it, and manage to escape that thinking, how do you then seek redemption? In 2017, Samantha Freedom was the top ranking woman leader in Identity Evropa, the white nationalist organization behind the violent Charlottesville, Virginia ‘Unite the Right’ rally that resulted in the death of 20 year old Heather Heyer. That event was when Samantha’s descent into white supremacy, something she’s described as a ‘fever dream,’ finally began to break. Samantha joins Sarah and Nippy for a frank and sometimes painful conversation about her journey in and out of the alt-right, and why she’s nowhere near done when it comes to making things right. Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything.A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.orgFor more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will RetherfordAssociate Producer: Jess TardyTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinAdditional Music Scores by Will RetherfordFollow A Little Bit Culty:WebsiteInstagramFollow Sarah Edmondson:InstagramBuy Her Book Linktr.eeFollow Anthony "Nippy" Ames:Instagram

Gabrielle Locke graduated from Seattle University in 2019 for Journalism and has been actively reporting as a freelance writer. She is currently getting her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, as she feels called to bring others healing. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her parents and two sisters close by. Along with painting, meditating, hiking, and writing poetry and stories, Gabrielle is a singer/song-writer. She started going by the stage name, Goldi, when she joined the record label, Witch Wood Music, and she has released two songs available on Apple Music and Spotify. You can find her music here: https://www.witchwoodmusic.com/goldi Or via Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/goldi.locke/ (music link in bio) In her podcast episode you will hear Gabrielle describe her experiences in the organization that began as the Order of Christ / Sophia and then morphed into 2 separate organizations run by each leader independently. We will join her as she describes this journey weaving in and out of relationship with these leaders and groups. When Gabrielle left the last group she was a part of, she wrote her first music single, “7:30” about the struggle of finding herself. In the song she says “I want to know who I am” and “sometimes I don't feel right in my skin”. This song is about the beginning of her liberation. Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

This week's special bonus episode features an excellent conversation with Lisa and Gerette, two amazing women who started the igotout.org website.  Both cult survivors in their own right, each not only tell their stories of their time in their cults and also what led them to get out finally after spending years in the group. Following this decision, both women have dedicated themselves to activism and helping people to have a platform where they can share their stories of cults, religious groups, and other high-control groups they left behind. Check out their website and tell your story! Help Support the Ongoing Work of MindShift Podcast on Patreon! Contact Information Follow on Twitter @igotout_org Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018 Subscribe to the MindShift Podcast YouTube Channel

This week’s special bonus episode features an excellent conversation with Lisa and Gerette, two amazing women who started the igotout.org website.  Both cult survivors in their own right, each not only tell their stories of their time in their cults ... Read More »

Debbie is the first parent and family member with a loved one in a group of high demand, that I've had the opportunity to interview on the Project Hope Podcast. Debbie is not just a mother but also served as a United Methodist minister for 40 years. She is currently retired and lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband John. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading to children through the SMART reading program, as well as making quilts to give away. She is in the process of planning, together with John, as they build a net-zero house in Bend. It was such a pleasure to speak with Debbie and receive her story around the heartache and considerations that a parent specifically can experience when their child is in a group of high control / high demand. If you would like to hear her son, Joel Pitney speak to his experience, please refer to episode 11. Especially for those family members and friends with loved ones close to you heart who are in such groups, I hope you find that our discussion leaves you feeling not so alone.  The below article that is an interview that Joel conducted with Debbie. I believe it will provide further context to Debbie as it includes some references to how she has been a trailblazer in her own right.  https://religiondispatches.org/of-god-but-not-god-a-methodist-minister-speaks-about-churchs-refusal-to-open-its-doors-to-lgbt/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

Anna Fienbork was born in Austria, grew up and lived in Germany and the US, and is currently living in Bavaria. Her career has led her from studying Art History, to theatre, to studying again with a focus on education and working with the hearing impaired and children with special needs. What initially drew her to the group of high control that she became deeply involved with was the emotional-spiritual paradigm, that allowed her to take a deeper dive into working with inner parts, and further opening up spiritually. In that context she worked as an emotional facilitator in one on one sessions as well as in groups with both adults and children. She also gave seminars on the human psyche and how the structure of emotions can be explained within the paradigm of these teachings. During this time, Anna also learned emotional and energetic body work, helping others to release old patterns, in order to help people open up to their own potential. Anna is now a practicing psychotherapist (Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie). She also does online work as a coach with her main focus on helping couples find their way from struggles and a sense of having lost one another to healing communication and fulfilling closeness. Her passion to support people in learning to feel self love again, and relating to themselves and others from that place stems from her belief that relationship w oneself and others is one of the most important aspects to life. Please find Anna at the links below:Website: https://www.annafienbork.de/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/annafienbork Facebook group: http://bit.ly/NäheinderPartnerschaft Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna_fienbork/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the Project Hope Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

In this episode you will heard Mari speak about life after leaving the Ruach Center community. She also shares about her journey of emotionally leaving the group, beyond the physical leaving, and how she built a new life with creativity, community, and a commitment to integrating grief.  As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Mari was raised in Miami, and currently lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. Her career has taken her from social worker to midwife, to her current role as a registered nurse and grief revolutionary. Mari is passionate about breaking down the social barriers around grief & the stigma attached to it. Over the last two decades, she has had the privilege of ushering hundreds through the passage of life and death. Mari is a co-founder and editor of the Grief Rites Foundation, where art is used as agency to live boldly with grief. By curating monthly readings, publishing articles, & facilitating workshops, Grief Rites creates the space for grief stories to be witnessed. Join Mari's free beta program called, "Reconnecting with Yourself After a Major Loss": https://marialiciagonzalez.typeform.com/to/XRkv8z To further inquire about grief programs: Mari@TheGriefRevolution.com Follow Mari and her work on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MsMariGonzalez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmarigonzalez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegriefrevolution/ Grief revolution website: https://www.thegriefrevolution.com/ Grief Rites on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefRites Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

I initially met Michael Maciel when he packed up his things and joined us in Oakland, CA to become a part of the Order of Christ Sophia (aka. OCS and the Centers of Light). Unique to Michael's story is that he had already been ordained a priest in an mystical school that was the predecessor to the OCS, called the Holy Order of MANS (aka. HOOM). In this discussion, we dive into his history prior to the OCS, as well as how he came to join, and the unravelment of his experience with Peter Bowes. Since leaving the OCS, Michael has taken up the HOOM name and is carrying it forward with others. Present day, Michael Maciel is a priest and teacher in the Holy Order of MANS,  which is categorized as an esoteric school of initiation. He is the author of The Mystical Christ, an online journal of reflections on contemporary spiritual life. He has written two books, The Five Vows - Raising Your Spiritual Commitment to the Next Level and World Priest - Bringing Heaven to Earth, and is also the creator of The Mystical Christ Academy, a series of online tutorials for personal spiritual development.  Michael has two YouTube channels, The Mystical Christ and Lectures and Interviews, a collection of discussions on mystical Bible interpretation and esoteric symbolism. You can also connect with Michael on Facebook.  Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

I have known Marialicia Gonzalez for 22 years. She was the person who invited me to my very first Order of Christ Sophia event. When the teachers leading the group divided, she went with Peter Bowes who renamed his group, Ruach Center. This group is still functioning and Peter Bowes continues to lead the organization. Mari's story around her leaving is both heartbreaking and eye opening as it provides insight into the psychological torment that all too often happens in groups of high control. As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Mari was raised in Miami, and currently lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. Her career has taken her from social worker to midwife, to her current role as a registered nurse and grief revolutionary. Mari is passionate about breaking down the social barriers around grief & the stigma attached to it. Over the last two decades, she has had the privilege of ushering hundreds through the passage of life and death. Mari is a co-founder and editor of the Grief Rites Foundation, where art is used as agency to live boldly with grief. By curating monthly readings, publishing articles, & facilitating workshops, Grief Rites creates the space for grief stories to be witnessed.Thank you for your amazing work Mari! Follow Mari and her work on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MsMariGonzalez/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmarigonzalez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegriefrevolution/Grief revolution website: https://www.thegriefrevolution.com/Grief Rites on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefRites Online lawsuit regarding Peter Bowes & his psychology license:https://psychologist-reputation.com/States/Wisconsin/Board_Action_Documents/2001/ls010207psy-00074078.pdf Article on why the Order of Christ Sophia (OCS) aka Center of Light is a cult:https://cultnews.com/2012/07/order-of-christ-sophia-has-become-a-dangerous-and-destructive-organization/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

Helen Zuman is the author of Mating in Captivity (She Writes Press 2018), a memoir of her five years, post-Harvard, at Zendik Farm, a cult with a radical take on sex and relationships. After leaving Zendik in 2004, she helped expose its twisted innards via her Zendik FAQ. More recently, she's shared her story at the conferences of the International Cultic Studies Association, the Communal Studies Association (which honored Mating in Captivity with its 2020 Timothy Miller Outstanding Book Award), and the International Communal Studies Association. She's also written about aspects of her cult and communal experiences for Communities and Livelihood magazines, and the Foundation for Intentional Community's website. In all, she's visited or lived at more than a dozen co-ops, cults, communes, and intentional communities throughout the United States; she now homesteads with her husband on a steeply sloped quarter acre in Beacon, New York.  In this interview you will get a flavor of Helen's writing and most importantly her spirit and journey out of Zendik and into the life she now lives. Please check out Helen's website where you can find out more about her memoir, Mating in Captivity: http://helenzuman.com/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr6Ufd0I7My6dumbTpQwn8A/playlists If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

In 1989, at the age of 22, Alexandra Amor moved to Vancouver, BC and joined what she thought was a meditation class. Ten years later, she escaped what she describes as having become a mind control cult run by a self-serving guru. Leaving behind all her friends, her spiritual community, her sense of self, and the man she loved, Alexandra moved out into the world searching for healing, and to understand what had happened to her. “Cult, A Love Story” is the Amazon best-selling, award-winning memoir that shows by example how we are drawn into high-demand (cultic) groups. And what recovery from that experience looks like.  For me, this is one of those books that is helpful from every angle as Alexandra so beautifully writes about her experience and then gives us the bonus of seamlessly weaving it into her own learning about these patterns typically found  in cultic groups and controlling leaders. I highly recommend this book for families and friends with a loved one in such a situation as well as those who have left such groups and want a really well written memoir that also serves to educate. To learn more about Alexandra Amor and her career as a novelist and podcast host, please visit her website at: https://alexandraamor.com/ Check out "It's a mystery podcast": https://alexandraamor.com/podcast-its-a-mystery/ Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

It was an absolute pleasure to discuss Jamie DeWolf's lineage with Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard, his great grandfather. Jamie offers so much, guiding us through his history within his family and the incredible insights he's developed throughout the years as he sorts through his own conclusions and decisions about life. This is part 2 of our interview at the Project Hope Podcast! Check out Jamie's website to find out about all the interesting projects he's involved with.https://www.jamiedewolf.com Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench

It was an absolute pleasure to discuss Jamie DeWolf's lineage with Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard, his great grandfather. Jamie offers so much, guiding us through his history within his family and the incredible insights he's developed throughout the years as he sorts through his own conclusions and decisions about life. This is part 1 of our interview at the Project Hope Podcast! Check out Jamie's website to find out about all the interesting projects he's involved with.https://www.jamiedewolf.com Jennifer is a mental health counselor located in the Los Angeles area, using Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary modality of psychotherapy that she uses with clients. Jennifer will graduate with her second Masters degree in 2021 in the Psychology of Coercive Control. She works both across the US and internationally with those seeking insight and healing. For more information, please visit her website, Jennifer-French.com. Follow Jennifer on social media at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifermonica.holcomb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.french.jfh/ If you would like to be on the PH Podcast or have any inquiries regarding the show, please email, projecthopepodcast@jennifer-french.com. To check out Pure Haven: https://purehaven.com/jenniferfrench