Cults to Consciousness

Latest Episodes:

Warren Jeffs’ Daughter Reveals What REALLY Happened Inside the FLDS Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Sienna shares what it was like growing up as one of Warren Jeffs' children inside the FLDS, from the 2008 Texas raid and years of strict control to the fear, isolation, and manipulation that shaped her childhood. She opens up about the moment she began questioning everything…

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find and support Sienna!

Sienna’s art

IG: https://www.instagram.com/siennahazej/

Resources for leaving Polygamy & volunteer opportunities

If you or someone you love has left polygamy and needs assistance, please reach out to "Holding Out HELP" at 801-548-3492 or visit their website at www.holdingouthelp.org

Holding Out Help

Short Creek Dream Center

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**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

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Gloriavale Cult Survivor Exposes Everything WRONG with New “Devotion” Doc (ft. Lilia Tarawa) Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

Lilia Tarawa—granddaughter of Gloriavale founder Neville Cooper—shares her perspective on the new Paramount+ documentary Devotion, which offers unprecedented access inside the isolated New Zealand religious community. While she appreciates the rare footage and the opportunity to hear from current members, Lilia argues that the documentary fails to present the full reality of Gloriavale by omitting critical historical context, survivor experiences, and the systemic ab*se that has shaped the community for decades. Drawing from her own upbringing inside the group, she explains how communal living, isolation, rigid gender roles, and absolute obedience created an environment where manipulation and control became normalized. The conversation then examines Gloriavale's culture of secrecy, forgiveness, and institutional protection of ab*se. Lilia challenges the documentary's balanced approach, arguing that presenting current leaders' perspectives without fully addressing their roles in enabling abuse risks minimizing the harm suffered by survivors.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch our initial interviews with Lilia

Live with Lilia

Follow and support Lilia!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/liliatarawa/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@LiliaTarawa

Book: “Daughter of Gloriavale: My Life in a Religious Cult”

For inquires, email: media@LiliaTarawa.com

Podcast - Brandbreaker with Lilia Tarawa: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/brandbreaker-with-lilia-tarawa/id1859810768

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Inside NXIVM Cult’s Collapse and the Hollywood Actress Behind It (ft. Bonnie Piesse) Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Bonnie Piesse shares the deeply personal story of how a successful acting and music career in Hollywood left her feeling spiritually empty, ultimately making her vulnerable to the promises of NXIVM. She was introduced to the organization by her future husband, Mark Vicente. What initially appeared to be an empowering self-improvement community instead slowly eroded her confidence through constant criticism, psychological manipulation, and a culture that encouraged members to relentlessly search for their own flaws while elevating Keith Raniere as the ultimate authority. Trusting her own intuition became the first step toward recognizing the group's darker reality, while Mark Vicente's willingness to believe her experiences helped spark the chain of events that eventually exposed NXIVM to the world.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow and support Bonnie!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/BonniemPiesse

https://www.instagram.com/yourquantumlife/

Our Costa Rica Vacation has sold out! Join our waitlist in case of any cancellations

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

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Venmo @sheliseann

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Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

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Why Narcissists Become Dangerous When You Expose Them (ft. Mark Vicente) Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

After our powerful conversation with former NXIVM insider and filmmaker Mark Vicente about The Narcissist's Playbook, we're sitting down with him once again for a special live discussion to go even deeper. This time, we're moving beyond understanding the mindset of narcissists to explore what happens when they're challenged. Why do narcissists react so intensely when confronted? What fears drive their rage, retaliation, and manipulation? How can survivors safely stand up to them—or should they at all?

Click here to watch on YouTube

Mark’s original interview

Find and support Mark!

Donate to & watch “Narcissist’s Playbook”: https://www.narcissistsplaybook.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/

Our Costa Rica Vacation has sold out! Join our waitlist in case of any cancellations

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

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Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

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Twitter @cultstocon

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I Interviewed Real Narcissists... What They Admitted Terrified Me (ft.Mark Vicente) Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Filmmaker and former NXIVM member Mark Vicente returns to discuss his new documentary, The Narcissist's Playbook, using both his experience exposing NXIVM and years of research into narcissistic personalities to explain why destructive leaders across cults, abusive relationships, and even public life often follow the same psychological pattern. Drawing from his own journey through multiple spiritual movements before becoming one of the key figures who helped bring down Keith Raniere, Mark explores how idealistic, empathetic people are especially vulnerable to manipulation. He reflects on the emotional aftermath of discovering just how calculated Keith Raniere's deception had been and how that realization reshaped his understanding of evil.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find and support Mark!

Donate to & watch “Narcissist’s Playbook”: https://www.narcissistsplaybook.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/markvicente/

Our Costa Rica Vacation has sold out! Join our waitlist in case of any cancellations

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How Mormons Enslaved & Erased Native American Children Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Following up the enlightening interview with Ember Hudson, today she joins us LIVE to further discuss Native slavery, which is the least discussed aspects of early Utah history. Early Mormon settlement in Utah profoundly impacted Native communities through slavery, land displacement, and forced assimilation. After the Utah Territory legalized Native slavery in 1852, many Native chiIdren were purchased or taken into Mormon homes, where they were separated from their families, baptized, given English names, and raised within Mormon culture—practices that foreshadowed the later Indian Placement Program. At the same time, Mormon expansion transformed the landscape, disrupting traditional Native lifeways, displacing tribes from their ancestral lands, and accelerating the loss of Indigenous language, culture, and identity.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch our initial interview with Ember

Follow and support Ember!

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@wayward_lamanite

@wayward_lamanite also on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

website is: https://www.waywardlamanite.com

Ember’s book “Wayward Lamanite”

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Mormon Church Called Me Chosen... and Cursed Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

Ember Hudson shares the deeply personal story of growing up as a Native American woman in the LDS Church, where Mormon teachings about Indigenous people left her struggling with identity, worth, and belonging. Raised between her tribal heritage and a predominantly white Mormon community, she recounts how doctrines surrounding the Lamanites, rac*st interpretations of skin color, and repeated messages that she needed to "repent more" caused years of emotional and spiritual conflict. The conversation also explores the LDS Church's historical treatment of Native Americans, including the Indian Placement Program, cultural assimilation, tokenization, and the lasting impact of portraying Indigenous peoples through the lens of the Book of Mormon. Her story is a powerful examination of reclaiming identity, healing from religious trauma, and rediscovering a cultural heritage that she believes was never meant to be erased.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow and support Ember!

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@wayward_lamanite

@wayward_lamanite also on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

website is: https://www.waywardlamanite.com

Ember’s book “Wayward Lamanite”

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why This Incestuous Polygamous Cult Turns Families Into Enemies (ft. Amanda Rae Grant) Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

Children in The Order, an incestuous polygamous break-off of the LDS church are tormented in every way possible for “the kingdom of God upon the Earth”. When they get the strength and courage to escape, they are met with total and complete exile. What no one talks about is how the mothers of these chiIdren, though they are also part of the problem, are punished and made to suffer as well. Joined by @TheAmandaRaeGrant who grew up in The Order and bravely escaped at 17, she shares her personal story and stories of those around her.

Click here to watch on YouTube

In an effort to bring our community together and make lasting friendships, we are also launching a trip to Costa Rica hosted by C2C today! Only 9 spots remain after our early booking launch.

Watch how our last trip went: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB-VQZnJTcy/?igsh=MWJ0N2VvZnYxcmQ2Yw==

Click here for the booking page and trip itinerary

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I Was Groomed to Die for God Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Liz Dieatrick grew up in an intensely fundamentalist Assemblies of God household, where she was told from childhood that God had uniquely called her to become a missionary. Raised by a pastor father and a deeply controlling, highly religious mother, she developed crippling religious scrupulosity, suppressed her own identity, and built her entire sense of purpose around sacrificial service to God. After studying missions in college, surviving life-threatening illnesses on overseas mission trips, and enduring the public scandal of her father's arrest in a sex sting, she interpreted every hardship as confirmation that she was faithfully following God's plan rather than questioning the system that shaped her.

Liz recounts her years with Live Dead, an Assemblies of God missions movement focused on reaching "unreached people groups" in restricted countries, the intensive security training for kidnappings and interrogations, pressure to deceive governments about missionary work, and an organizational culture that glorified self-sacrifice while minimizing personal autonomy. Looking back, Liz identifies numerous red flags she overlooked at the time, and reflects on her suicide attempt, trauma therapy, rebuilding her identity, and the possibility that this interview could permanently alter her relationship with her parents.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find and support Liz!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@formerfundie/

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dark Truth Behind a Sinister Christian College Ministry (I Ended Up Leading) Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Kathleen Brooks was drawn into Chi Alpha, a campus ministry affiliated with the Assemblies of God, while searching for purpose, belonging, and spiritual direction in college. What initially appeared to be a vibrant Christian community slowly evolved into an intensely controlling environment under the influence of a charismatic leader, Mark, who inserted himself into nearly every aspect of members' lives. Kathleen describes years of manipulation through love-bombing, spiritual authority, isolation, control over dating and marriage, financial sacrifice, and relentless ministry expectations. Even after becoming a respected leader herself, she remained convinced she was serving God, unaware of how deeply the system had shaped her thinking and enabled harmful practices she unknowingly perpetuated while in leadership. After Mark's death, hidden misconduct, financial irregularities, and broader organizational failures began to surface, ultimately leading Kathleen and her husband to question everything they had devoted their lives to.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon