Cults to Consciousness

Latest Episodes:

Groomed to be the Submissive Wife of Her Father’s Choosing May 23, 2024

Show notes

Cait West was completely under her father’s rule down to all her decisions. She was told he would even make the biggest decision of her life for her— who she was going to marry. She was gr**med to be a submissive wife under the patriarchy movement and stay-at-home daughters movement. Her homeschooling was completely unregulated and not much attention was paid to her education, because her sole purpose was to be a mother who eventually belonged to her husband. Terrified that anything less than strict obedience would land her in the fiery depths of Hell, she felt she had no choice but to go along with it well into her 20s. This is how she gained her independence and escaped that lifestyle.
Click here to watch on YouTube
Find and Support Cait!
Buy her book Rift: https://www.caitwest.com/book
Website: https://www.caitwest.com/
Substack: https://caitwest.substack.com/
IG: @CaitWestWrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caitwestwrites/
TikTok: @CaitWestWrites
**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations. Click here to go to the official booking page

What is the patriarchy movement and where does it come from?
What were some of the gender roles her dad believed in?
How isolating was Cait's childhood?
How did Cait's religion focused education impact her life?
Did Cait ever yearn for a better education while being homeschooled?
How did Cait's fear begin and impact her life?
How did Cait's religious upbringing view mental health?
Cait's scrupulosity and taking communion
Cait learned s*x ed from movie reviews
Feelings for men outside of a courtship
What was courtship like for Cait?
What is the Stay-At-Home Daughter Movement?
What was Cait's parents' relationship like?
How did Cait's dad become their church's courtship expert?
When did Cait start to understand what she actually wanted?
How did Cait's husband help her find her way?
What was it like for Cait to discover her sexuality?
What are some resources for those who are struggling?
What was Cait's first

Our Merch!
Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness
Venmo @sheliseann
Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast
Website CultsToConsciousness.com
Find Shelise on Social media!
Instagram @cultstoconsciousness
Host Instagram @sheliseann
TikTok @cults.to.consciousness
Twitter @cultstocon
Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara
**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

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Forced Into Submission: Trapped in the Stay-at-Home Daughter’s Movement May 18, 2024

Show notes

Isolated in a cult within a cult within a cult, Ashley was completely sheltered from the outside world. From infancy she was labeled as unruly and even demon-possessed. Determined to break her as a toddler, then later brag about it, her pastor grandfather took it too far. She would be forced into submission and gr**med to be a “stay-at-home daughter” until her father transferred authority to her betrothed husband. This is how she accidentally escaped the prison in her mind.
Click here to watch on YouTube
Find and support Ashley!
https://www.ashleyeaster.com/
IG @iamashleyeaster
Twitter: @ashleymeaster
Cults Hidden In Plain Sight- FREE Ebook:
https://www.ashleyeaster.com/books
Get intuitive texts from Ashley! Text “Intuition” to 917-809-7311
Courage 365: A non-profit for ab*se survivors:
https://www.courage365.org/
Watch Ashley’s TEDx Talk: Why You Could Be Vulnerable To A Cult | Ashley Easter
https://youtu.be/eDvhN7rSLK4?si=uv9J4CYkuTZZVx3p
**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations. Click here to go to the official booking page https://trovatrip.com/trip/central-america/costa-rica/costa-rica-with-shelise-sola-aug-2024

Ashley's IFB background
IFB vs Southern Baptists
Drum Beats and Racism
Was there scripture to back their racism?
What types of music was Ashley allowed to listen to?
What it was like being isolated in the IFB home school
The Patriarchy Movement
What is the 200 year Quiverfull plan?
How did submitting to these types of men affect Ashley?
Ashley's grandfather locks her in the basement
Ashley's trauma responses
Starting the blog, The Stay-At-Home-Daughter
Ashley's relationship with her mom
How many siblings did Ashley have?
What was Ashley's big goal?
What was courtship like for Ashley?
"I kissed dating goodbye"
Were courtship relationships transactional?
What was Ashley's breaking point?
How Ashley's husband held space for her
How is Ashley doing now?

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Scientology Forced 12 yr Old to Audit Adults & Rehabilitate Pedophile May 17, 2024

Show notes

Scientology doesn’t believe in the young. They teach that they are trillion year old beings in small bodies. Therefore, they are not treated developmentally correct. Neglected, exploited for work and severely mistreated, they suffer the most in this organization. Serge Del Mar tells his story of growing up in Scientology and his advocacy work to make people wake up and listen to the lost souls who are begging silently for help.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find Serge on Social!

YouTube: @literallyserge

IG @literallyserge

If you need help escaping Scientology, visit:

https://www.theaftermathfoundation.org/

https://sptvfoundation.org/

**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations. Click here to go to the official booking page

Our Merch!

Patreon: Patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast

Website CultsToConsciousness.com

Find Shelise on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness

Host Instagram @sheliseann

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness

Twitter @cultstocon

Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

The Bad Cadet: Growing Up in the Church of Scientology's Sea Organization May 14, 2024

Show notes

At age six, Katherine Spallino is separated from her parents and sent to train for her future in the Church of Scientology’s clergy—the Sea Organization. She rarely sees her parents and never goes to a normal school. Later, Katherine is sent to live at a secluded ranch with other young prospective Sea Org members, called cadets, where she studies Scientology and does manual labor—weeding fields, digging trenches, and works in the galley. The indoctrination escalates, and her family slips even farther into the background. But as she enters her teenage years, a host of new, more immediate concerns emerge, along with fantasies of what else life has to offer. Should she commit herself to the church, or reject everything she’s ever known for a chance at a different life?

Click here to watch on YouTube
Find Katherine on Social!
IG @thebadcadet
Her Book: The Bad Cadet: Growing Up in the Church of Scientology's Sea Organization

**FULLY BOOKED** Our C2C vacation where we can meet you in real life and go on adventures together has sold out! However, you can add yourself to our waitlist in case of cancellations. Click here to go to the official booking page

Katherine was born in a Scientrology building with no SSN
At a young age, Katherine saw L Ron Hubbard as a God
Confimation bias when it comes to having super powers
Did Katherine know she was growing up differently?
Katherine joins a bootcamp for youth who want to become Sea Org members
The jobs Katherine had to do as a SeaOrg member
Incentivized to write knowledge reports (snitch on each other)
The youth ran themselves, which is how they were kept in line
Scientology getting around labor laws
Katherine gets shamed for only being able afford 1 pair of underwear
Did Katherine have non-scientologist extended family?
Racism was so bad, she thought she was a completely different race as a kid
Some medical care was provided among neglect
What made Katherine want to leave the Sea Org
High school shock- not like the movies
How she ended up back in LA with other ex-cadets
Why Katherine was declared a suppressive person
How she started writing "The Bad Cadet"
Katherine tries to reconnect with family after being cut off
How Katherine's family treats her today
How Katherine is doing now

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How Scientology Almost Killed His Elderly Mother May 13, 2024

Show notes

Raised by Scientology and forced into the Sea Org and labor intensive youth camps, Mike Brown didn’t have a choice but to be indoctrinated and used by the organization. After he managed to escape, leaving behind his mother and wife, years later he learned of the extreme elder ab*se that was happening. Determined to save his mother who was quickly being worked to death, he devised a plan to break her out and nurse her back to health before it was too late. Click here to watch on YouTubeFi...

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Sentenced to Torturous Christian Extremist Boarding School for 365 days May 12, 2024

Show notes

The troubled teen industry has been in the limelight lately for its more than questionable tactics to “reform” kids. Add in a heavy dose of religious extremism and you have the sometimes fatal Independent Fundamental Baptist all-girl’s school Ashley attended. The most common sentence was 1 year of brutal manual labor, peer-inflicted punishments and psychological warfare. Click here to watch on YouTubeFind Ashley on Social!IG @ashfilet Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ashley.kellam**FULLY BOO...

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Let Us Prey: Exposing the Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch & the Troubled Teen Industry May 11, 2024

Show notes

Disguised as a wholesome Christian school for troubled youth, was a house of horrors for those unlucky enough to be placed there. Diabolical and dangerous punishm*nts, intense physical labor left these girls scarred in more ways than one. The documentary “Let Us Prey”, finally started to expose the secrets behind the walls of the school and within the IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) churches as a whole. Amanda shares her story, as a young one of parents who ran one of these school...

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The Erasure of Gays in the AMISH & Mennonite Settlements Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Joined for a second time by Mary (former Amish) and Hannah (former Holdeman Mennonite), we discuss the ways in which being gay/bi in their settlements harshly affected them and how queer plain people are generally erased from society. Bringing awareness and visibility to the LGBTQ community, they share their experiences openly and shed light on the disproportionate harm they faced.Watch Mary's original episodeWatch Hannah's original episodehttps://www.lgbtamish.com/The Trevor ProjectHannah's ...

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Forced into AMISH Settlement, Narrowly Escaped Bishop Abuser Apr 06, 2024

Show notes

*Content Warning : SA, CA, CSA, mentions of rape* After enduring an excruciating youth at the hands of her mother and step father, isolated on a mountainside, Misty was forced into an Amish settlement at 18 years old. Though in many ways this new lifestyle was far more liberating than what she was used to, it came with darker days than she could’ve ever imagined. Hurt and blamed by those most trusted she took a risk and tried to escape. Http://www.Change.org/childrightsact to sign Misty’s pet...

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AMISH: How Growing Up in the Strictest Settlement Led to Drugs and Sex Work Apr 05, 2024

Show notes

*Content Warning: sexual assault, rape, prostitution, attempted murder* Due to lack of education when she left the strict Swartzentruber settlement, Naomi slipped into exotic dancing, prostitution, drugs, and almost getting murdered. In this episode, she opens up about her trials and tribulations with growing up Amish, her dark reality afterward, and eventually finding the light at the end of the tunnel.Naomi’s book: The Amazing Adventures of an Amish StripperFind and support Naom...

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