IndoctriNation

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From The Archives: Tory Christman from 2018(Re-Release) Dec 28, 2022

Show notes

Once again, this week we'd like to encourage everyone to allow themselves some grace and self-care during the upcoming holiday season. No matter your religious background or your family situation, these cold winter weeks can be very stressful for everyone for a variety of reasons and it's important to take a step back and give yourself a break whenever possible and in whatever way you can. So to follow our own advice, we are taking a moment to rejuvenate ourselves and make plans for all the amazing shows we have coming up for you in the new year. So, today in place of a new episode we are re-airing one of our favorite episodes from our exclusive Patreon archive. This episode is Rachel's chat from 2018 with Tory Christman. Tory is a prominent American critic of Scientology and a former member of the organization. Christman turned to Scientology after being introduced to the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. She identified with concepts described in the book including the idea of attaining the Scientology state of clear and became a member of the organization in 1969. Since leaving Tori has become one of Scientology's greatest critics amassing millions of views on her Youtube channel and speaking out in a variety of media on the dangers of the organization. Our exclusive Patreon archive also features our early interviews with Janja Lalich, Tony Ortega, Chris Shelton, and many more. If you'd like to gain access to our first 50 episodes which are available only in this archive, as well as all of our bonus episodes and more, please consider becoming a member at: patreon.com/indoctrination. You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67JLTD22dSnVadqXKcYPcA You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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BONUS EPISODE PREVIEW: Stronger After w/Frances Peters Pt. 2 Dec 23, 2022

Show notes

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Frances Peters is a Certified Academic Coach/Counselor at her own practice FreeChoice in the Netherlands. She was born into a destructive group with a Christian background and left in 2004 with her husband and their two children. Frances has helped many former members to reclaim their lives. Frances has written magazine articles about the influence of cult behavior on identity development and the dark side of religion. Between 2011-2018 she co-hosted a support group for former members of destructive groups and relationships – OwnFreeChoice Praatcafe. Since 2015 she has been part of the Open Minds Foundation. She regularly speaks at Universities and national and international conferences, such as the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), Studiecentrum Bedrijf en Overheid (SBO) in the NL, and Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) In the second half of their informative discussion, Frances explains to Rachel the feelings of confusion and isolation she and her family felt after leaving behind their whole community. The two colleagues go on to discuss the Stronger After Foundation as well as the work she does in her own practice Free Choice Recovery. You can learn more about Frances and her work here: www.stronger-after.org/ More about her practice can be found here: www.freechoice-recovery.com/ Thanks to all of our supporters for making this episode possible!
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From The Archives: Matthew Remski from 2019 (Re-Release) Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

This week we'd like to encourage everyone to allow themselves some grace and self-care during the upcoming holiday season. No matter your religious background or your family situation, these cold winter weeks can be very stressful for everyone for a variety of reasons and it's important to take a step back and give yourself a break whenever possible and in whatever way you can. So to follow our own advice, we are taking a moment to rejuvenate ourselves and make plans for all the amazing shows we have coming up for you in the new year. So, today in place of a new episode we are re-airing one of our favorite episodes from our exclusive Patreon archive. This episode is Rachel's chat from 2019 with Matthew Remski. Matthew is the co-host of the popular Conspirituality podcast and is a cult survivor and researcher. His 2019 book, Practice and All is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics and Healing in Yoga and Beyond, is the first systematic analysis of pervasive cultism in the modern yoga world. He researches and writes on abuse in spiritual movements here, as well as for publications like GEN by Medium and The Walrus. His current research is pivoting to look at cultic dynamics in conspirituality and eco-justice movements. His upcoming book entitled Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat is available for pre-order now at: https://www.conspirituality.net/book Our exclusive Patreon archive also features our early interviews with Janja Lalich, Tony Ortega, Chris Shelton, and many more. If you'd like to gain access to our first 50 episodes which are available only in this archive, as well as all of our bonus episodes and more, please consider becoming a member at: patreon.com/indoctrination. You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67JLTD22dSnVadqXKcYPcA You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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The Tyrant Behind The Mask w/Sarah Landry Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

Sarah Landry is a Canadian jewelry artist who has made it her mission in life to expose the criminal activity of “Nithyananda,” a con artist whom she once called “guru. Sarah spent nine years in a destructive cult led by the fraudulent "swami" She fell into the trap of this dangerous organization in Vancouver in 2009, believing it to be a yoga and meditation academy. Once in, the group tightened control over her life to the point that she was pressured to take the vow of monasticism in 2015, at the age of 30, and only then, discovered the darkness behind the scenes. In 2018, she learned that children living in the ashram were regularly beaten, starved, sleep deprived, and verbally berated as punishment for failure to perform onstage and con people out of money through the demonstration of fake "third eye powers." It took her a year to deprogram and get the courage to speak out, but on September 11, 2019, she went public with a post on Facebook and a video on YouTube detailing the child abuse. Since then, Sarah has been the target of a massive character assassination attempt by the group she once wholeheartedly served. They have called her an agent of the Catholic church and accused her of such crimes as the attempted assassination of the cult leader, rape, war profiteering, and genocide. She is (obviously) innocent of all these trumped-up accusations, and much to the chagrin of those trying to silence her, she continues to speak out against the crimes and abuse of Nithyananda and his brainwashed followers. Sarah returns to the show to update Rachel on the ongoing saga of a dangerous cult leader still on the run from INTERPOL and the Indian authorities, she explains what it's been like coping with the attacks on her by the cult's followers as she almost singlehandedly raises awareness of Nithyananda in the mainstream media in an effort to finally bring justice to the numerous victims of his, many of whom have been suffering in silence because of the vindictive attacks whistleblowers receive. Before you Go: Rachel explains how cult leaders will deflect accusations by personally attacking the accusers, often by labeling them as "attention seekers" in an effort to distract the public from their criminal and immoral activity. Listen to Sarah's previous conversations with Rachel here: https://soundcloud.com/indoctrinationshow/sets/sarah-landry-indoctrination Find more information on Sarah's website here: https://www.sarahlandry.ca/ You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: http://www.paypal.me/indoctrination Connect with us on Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_indoctrination Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indoctrinationpodcast Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@indoctrinationpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67JLTD22dSnVadqXKcYPcA You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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BONUS EPISODE PREVIEW Stronger After w/Frances Peters pt. 1 Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Frances Peters is a Certified Academic Coach/Counselor at her own practice FreeChoice in the Netherlands. She was born into a destructive group with a Christian background and left in 2004 with her husband and their two children. Frances has helped many former members to reclaim their lives. Frances has written magazine articles about the influence of cult behavior on identity development and the dark side of religion. Between 2011-2018 she co-hosted a support group for former members of destructive groups and relationships – OwnFreeChoice Praatcafe. Since 2015 she has been part of the Open Minds Foundation. She regularly speaks at Universities and national and international conferences, such as the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), Studiecentrum Bedrijf en Overheid (SBO) in the NL, and Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) In this informative discussion, Frances explains to Rachel how her upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness was the catalyst for her to pursue the counseling work she does today. Throughout the conversation, the two experienced colleagues discuss their insights from years of helping people leave and recover from high control groups. You can learn more about Frances and her work here: https://www.stronger-after.org/ Thanks to all of our supporters for making this episode possible!
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Undoing The Work w/Lisa Guerci Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

Lisa Guerci was raised, from the age of five, in a Connecticut-based doomsday cult known as "The Work", led by a man who called himself Brother Julius and eventually God. His message was that he was a sin-demonstrating Messiah sent to bring about the end of the world. The altered reality of this small but extremely toxic group was Lisa's entire life until she escaped at age 26, with her young daughter. In this illuminating and moving conversation, Lisa opens up to Rachel about the deep trauma she experienced from being raised by her mother, a follower of the infamous cult leader "Brother Julius" She details the complex and difficult relationships with her immediate family, outlining the emotional damage and long-lasting effects of familial destruction at the hands of this manipulative and sociopathic cult leader. Together, Rachel and Lisa break down the steps she took toward recovery explaining the healing power of creativity, resilience, and storytelling. Before You Go: Rachel expands on the notion of the "sinful messiah" exposing the manipulative yet clever and effective tactic leaders use to avoid accountability from allegations of abuse. You can watch the documentary on Brother Julius mentioned in the show here: https://youtu.be/hmbkldpftJE You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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Litigating Spiritual Abuse w/Carol Merchasin Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Carol Merchasin brings her deep legal experience to McAllister Olivarius, heading up cases involving sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based, and spiritual communities. As an investigator, she has worked to uncover sexual misconduct within the Shambhala International lineage of Buddhism, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and is currently assisting other spiritual communities in bringing allegations of sexual misconduct to light. She has worked with survivors of abuse and misconduct across a number of global spiritual and religious movements and has extensive experience as both a litigator and an investigator. Before joining McAllister Olivarius, Carol was a partner in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius where she was a member of the firm’s employment law practice and the director of Morgan Lewis Resources, providing training on harassment and discrimination as well as investigation services for clients. She has conducted dozens of workplace investigations and taught investigative techniques to human resource professionals at many Fortune 50 companies. She is based in New Jersey and is registered as an attorney with the Massachusetts Bar. In this highly informative and insightful conversation, Carol details some of the promising progress of the legal system here in the US and abroad with regard to prosecuting sexual abuse in spiritual communities. She and Rachel also discuss the many obstacles survivors face in the courtroom and the disappointing failures of the current justice system. Before You Go: Rachel further emphasizes the importance of removing the impediments to justice currently preventing victims of high-control religious groups from their rights to legal recourse. Find out more about Carol and her Law Firm here: https://mcolaw.com/team/carol-merchasin/ You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html Thanks to all of our newest Patreon supporters: Desiree Stephens, Roo Roo, Harriet Allen, Jessica Peterson, Calley Heffer, Alexandra Lukasiewicz, Jessica Pritchett, Danielle Gorski, and, Tiffany Meldal-Johnsen!! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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BONUS EPISODE PREVIEW: Counseling, Cults & Coercion w/Janja Lalich, Ph.D. Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. She has been a consultant to educational, mental health, business, media, and legal professionals, as well as having worked with current members, former members, and families of members of controversial groups. In this deeply informative conversation between two longtime colleagues, Janja describes her new foundation, The Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion: A collaborative approach to cult information and recovery led by specialized professionals, and trained cult survivors. Together Rachel and Janja survey the current landscape of cult education and recovery offering insights from their years of experience. More info on Janja here: https://janjalalich.com/ More info on Lalich Center here: https://lalichcenter.org/ Thanks to our Patreon supporters for making this episode possible!
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Opening Our Minds w/Jon Atack Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Jon Atack has been a consultant or expert witness in at least 150 court actions and worked on over 200 media pieces, he’s published more than 500 articles and papers, and over 300 videos. His history of Scientology, Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky, is a best-seller. He has spoken at conferences all over the world and led the five-day Getting Clear of Scientology seminar in Toronto. Jon has been a scholar-practitioner for almost 40 years and has helped more than 600 people in their recovery. His most recent book, Opening Our Minds, exposes the similarities between authoritarian cults, multilevel marketers, pedophile groomers, terrorist radicalizers, pimps, and spousal abusers. It highlights the manipulative tricks shared by political spin doctors, advertisers, and PRs. Jon, along with his son Sam hosts the podcast “Jon Atack, family and friends” from his home near Nottingham, England where he resides with his two youngest boys. In this expansive and highly informative conversation, Rachel and Jon dive deep into the various common psychological states of Scientologists using examples from the hundreds of cases they have collectively worked on personally. Throughout the discussion, Jon offers his unique insights from his vantage point as an early architect of the independent Scientology movement to one of its most important and thorough critics. Before You Go: Rachel explains how followers of cultic groups are often unable to take note of the freedom they sacrifice in order to possess the security of absolute belief and devotion to community in high-control situations. Follow Jon's Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI4tcSMV2kEh3BooY_XFSYQ/playlists Find Jon's most recent book here: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/28159933-opening-minds You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html Thanks to all of our newest Patreon supporters: Meldal-Johnsen, Cassilly, NATALIE FABERT, Michelle Downs, Leti A, Eva Baumgartner, Jen Jeske, and Sue Walsh! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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Unlearning Myself w/Shannon Payton Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Shannon Payton, known as Shanny Pants by many, is a content creator and podcaster living in Rocklin, California. Her podcast, The ShannyPants Show is currently in its second season. In her interview-style podcast, Shannon shares her struggles of growing up in a cult, battles through years of infertility that ended in a hysterectomy, and finally her journey to parenthood through foster care and adoption. Shannon has been a guest on The Kelly Clarkson show and has appeared on local TV show GoodDay Sacramento multiple times. She enjoys sharing the struggles of life in a humorous way as part of her self-prescribed therapy and through this, has connected with her fans. In this interesting conversation reflecting on Shannon's childhood in a small and restrictive church, Rachel points out the ways in which children raised in high-control groups are affected in the long run. Shannon details her time in the bible study-based cult, explaining the tension and fear she grew up with as well as the isolation she felt from her peers as a young woman. Before You Go: Rachel reiterates the importance of humor and self-expression for children growing up in high-control groups explaining how it helps develop a strong and healthy sense of self. Find more about Shannon here: https://shannypantsshow.com You can purchase Rachel's webinar series LIVING IN FREEDOM here: rachelbernsteintherapy.com/webinar.html Thanks to all of our newest Patreon supporters: Meldal-Johnsen, Cassilly, NATALIE FABERT, Michelle Downs, Leti A, Eva Baumgartner, Jen Jeske, and Sue Walsh! To help support the show monthly and get bonus episodes, shirts, and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Prefer to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctrination You can always help the show for free by leaving a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show!
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