IndoctriNation

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Leaving The Family Compound w/ Cody & Kandi Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

This week's guests Cody & Kandi are a married couple from a small town in the Ozarks, located near the Arkansas-Missouri border. They met and began dating in 2012. Cody grew up living on his family’s cult compound in rural Missouri, coincidentally near other infamous cult compounds. In July 2013, Cody found out the truth about his family. He was reunited with his mother after 15 years. Cody and his mother have developed a close relationship. Cody also met his father in July 2013, for the first time in 20 years. In November 2013, against the wishes of his family, Cody and Kandi married. After experiencing ongoing harassment by "the family" In 2019, Cody and Kandi moved several hours away from the Ozarks. Cody is now in college, pursuing a degree in American Studies, and with the fierce support of his wife Kandi, he has finally started going through the process of leaving the cultic mindset behind. Kandi continues to support him through this process as she continues pursuing her law school where she is due to graduate in May of 2022. Cody shares with Rachel his experience of being raised in an isolated family compound after being taken away from his parents by other family members involved in the cultic commune. He explains how these relatives attempted to cover up the sex abuse of his mother by elders of the group when she was a child. He talks about experiencing the effects of the religious trauma that affected multiple generations. Throughout the conversation, Kandi shares her perspective of discovering the abuses and cultic behaviors in Cody's family and explains her thought process as she slowly and graciously led her husband away from the trauma and indoctrination of his family. Kandi explains the negative effects these destructive relatives had on their relationship and what she did to overcome the difficulties. Before You Go: Rachel examines the ingrained fears that people who grow up with apocalyptic doctrine experience and the difficulties they have in shedding those worries later in life. Thanks to all our Patreon supporters!! You can help the show for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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Deception In The Dojo w/ Rob from McDojo Life Aug 11, 2021

Show notes

This week's guest Rob has been training in martial arts for over 24 years and has earned a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Karate and a Purple Belt in Brazilian jujitsu. He was on the International martial arts team Full Circle and ran his own martial arts school for four years. He has been consulting for martial arts businesses for 10 years and because of his experiences in the industry, he founded McDojo Life, a web entity where he has been exposing fakes, phonies, frauds, and pedophiles for the last decade. Throughout the conversation, Rachel and Rob both examine the similarities between cultic religious groups and martial arts schools. He points out the red flags students should look out for and what questions to ask potential instructors. Rob demonstrates with Rachel the five objections technique employed by salespeople, cult leaders, and martial arts instructors alike. Before You Go: Rachel provides further insights into how to be safe from control in a teacher/student relationship in any setting and reiterates the importance of examing these relationships even in seemingly innocuous organizations. Follow Rob's project McDojo Life: https://twitter.com/mcdojolife?lang=en https://linktr.ee/mcdojolife https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj0hSixOVSV4HvmbAQjk0WA Check out the trailer for his upcoming documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkjaGq3DcAw Thanks to all our Patreon supporters!! You can help the show for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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A Witness To Homophobia w/ Geoff Law Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

CONTENT WARNING: SUICIDAL IDEATION Our guest this week, Geoff Law, was raised a Jehovah's Witness in Northern California. As a Witness, he spent 35 years devoted to bible research using only Witness-approved publications, attending three weekly meetings, and spending upwards of 70 hours each month spreading the Jehovah’s Witness doctrine, trying to convert future members. His zeal for his beliefs led him as far as moving to Shanghai, China to proselytize underground, an activity that is currently banned by the government. Geoff grew up identifying as gay in a religion that does not allow its members the ability to identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The constant bombardment of homophobic rhetoric, being taught to believe being gay is a choice and is wrong, forced to come out to leaders in the congregation, to confess thought crimes and “sins”, and told to pray the “same-sex attraction” away, eventually caused so much self-loathing and depression that suicide seemed the only option. In 2019, Geoff decided to come out to his friends and family and leave the Jehovah’s Witnesses for good. Since leaving the organization, he’s been on a journey of self-discovery, unwinding deeply ingrained ideologies of sexuality and spirituality, instead of learning to live authentically as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He is focused on getting the truth about the Jehovah’s Witnesses out to the general public and encourages anyone that identifies as LGBTQ+ in the Jehovah’s Witnesses Organization or in other similar high control groups to find freedom and self-love as they live an authentic and truthful life. In today's conversation, Geoff walks Rachel through his experience of growing up gay as a Jehovah's Witness. He explains the difficulties of discovering his sexuality as a young man while navigating the shame and self-hatred he felt because of the archaic and homophobic beliefs of the church. He explains how the homophobic rhetoric of his high control church created in him intense feelings of isolation that eventually led to suicidal ideation. Geoff details his guilt-ridden confessions to the church and also reveals some of the ignorant and hateful writings on homosexuality that can be found in the Church's official archive to this day, Before You Go: Rachel examines the intolerance of some fundamentalist religious households and explains what a virtue and gift acceptance is not only for families but for society as a whole. Thanks to our newest Patreon supporter, Kamila Forson!! You can help the show for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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Weapons of Information w/Olga Yurkova Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Our guest this week is Olga Yurkova from Ukraine. Olga edits the Context and Opinions sections of StopFake.org. She teaches different audiences how propaganda works and how to identify fake news, consulting with a range of organizations and collaborating with mainstream media as a journalist. Yurkova explores propaganda methods and finds out new ways to overcome these challenges. In June 2017, she and her colleagues Maarten Schenk and Jordy Nijenhuis launched a project called Forbidden Facts, which explains how fake news spreads online through clickbait headlines on Facebook that reach out to skeptical audiences. Yurkova has 15 years of experience in journalism. She headed the local multimedia newsroom in Ternopil city for six years. She then ran the Donbas and Crimea department at the national multimedia newsroom Nova Informacia for three years. She has been working as a new media trainer since 2012, and for fighting propaganda, Yurkova was included in the list of New Europe 100 and was named a TED Fellow in 2018. Olga describes the disinformation campaign launched by Russia to influence Ukrainian popular opinion and the blatant and shocking false narratives that she set out to expose with her projects Forbidden Facts and StopFake.org .Throughout the conversation, Olga shares with Rachel her perspective on disinformation in the media landscape and talks about her work combating propaganda. Before You Go: Rachel expands on the importance of Olga's ideas around building information resilience and media literacy, explaining the manipulation of emotion that mass media often utilizes to influence large populations into believing certain narratives. Thanks to our newest Patreon supporter, Jenny Cornbleet!! Please support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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Playhouse Abuses w/ Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Returning this week are actors, Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin. Andrea and Michael teamed up to create a code of ethics for acting classes with one goal in mind: to create a safe and healthy environment for actors and acting students. After experiencing the unhealthy and cult-like culture fostered within many acting classes where sexual, financial, and psychological abuse were the norm, they created https://www.findyouractingclass.com/ and wrote a code of conduct for acting teachers to agree to and endorse, as well as guidelines to help teachers ensure that they are running their classes ethically. Andrea is a Los Angeles native. In addition to acting and piano, she has studied singing, guitar, and flute. She currently is in school earning a b.s. in nutritional sciences while she pursues her career in acting. She is also a freelance writer for online publications, including where she originally wrote about the cult-like atmosphere of acting classes. You can find her article here: https://www.wordsbetweencoasts.com/actors-beware-you-may-be-in-a-cult/ Michael Laskin has been a working actor for over 40 years, across all platforms: film, theatre, and television. Twelve years ago he started The Michael Laskin Studio, an acting studio in Los Angeles. His book, “The Authentic Actor - the Art and Business of Being Yourself” has been praised as a fresh, newly examined, and non-dogmatic approach to the work and the life of an actor. In the second half of Rachel's two-part discussion with Andrea and Michael, the actors break down their code of ethics and describe the personal experiences that directly inform many of the guidelines. Andrea explains the feelings of vulnerability and helplessness that acting students often feel and shares about the emotional abuse she experienced from teachers. Michael provides more insight from his perspective as an experienced teacher and explains how his outrage at the abusive practices became a catalyst to join Andrea in pursuit of a healthier and safer environment for students. Before You Go: Rachel examines how systems of control keep people in place by manipulating them into a feeling of scarcity and explains why claims of exclusivity can be a red flag. Thanks to our newest Patreon supporters, Deborah Schneider and Rosa Egede!! You can always help support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION http://www.michaellaskinstudio.com http://andreageones.com/
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Hero Worship w/ Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin Jul 14, 2021

Show notes

This week our guests are Andrea Geones and Michael Laskin. Andrea and Michael teamed up to create a code of ethics for acting classes with one goal in mind: to create a safe and healthy environment for actors. After experiencing the unhealthy and cult-like culture fostered within many acting classes where sexual, financial, and psychological abuse were the norm, they created https://www.findyouractingclass.com/ and wrote a code of conduct for acting teachers to agree to and endorse, as well as guidelines to help teachers ensure that they are running their classes ethically. Andrea is a Los Angeles native. In addition to acting and piano, she has studied singing, guitar, and flute. She currently is in school earning a b.s. in nutritional sciences while she pursues her career in acting. She also is a freelance writer for online publications, including where she originally wrote about the cult-like atmosphere of acting classes. You can find her article here: https://www.wordsbetweencoasts.com/actors-beware-you-may-be-in-a-cult/ Michael Laskin has been a working actor for over 40 years, across all platforms: film, theatre, and television. Twelve years ago he started The Michael Laskin Studio, an acting studio in Los Angeles. His book, “The Authentic Actor - the Art and Business of Being Yourself” has been praised as a fresh, newly examined, and non-dogmatic approach to the work and the life of an actor. In part one of Rachel's discussion with Andrea and Michael, The actors share their respective experiences and explain what led them to create their unique code of ethics. Andrea explores the link between Scientology and the Beverly Hills Playhouse and the origin of certain cult-like techniques in acting. Michael explains the abuse inherent in the pedagogy of some acting teachers and gives his perspective on a healthy teacher-student relationship. Before You Go: Rachel explains how important a code of ethics can be in any industry, how it helps both teachers and students alike, and the dangers that exist when no support or oversight is available in a group. Thanks to our newest Patreon supporters, Kate, Richard Dineen, and Kim Brown!! You can always help support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION http://www.michaellaskinstudio.com http://andreageones.com/
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Picking Up The Pieces Of Yourself w/ Lisa Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

Lisa got out of a small, suburban, new age, therapy-based group in 2016, which she had joined as a 19-year-old, single mother. This high-demand group went through many phases over the 30 years she was involved. The charismatic, narcissistic leader utilized modalities such as rebirthing, affirmations, hot seat talk therapy, sleep deprivation, as well as verbal, physical, and sexual abuse as a means to control. These techniques combined with intervals of positive reinforcement held her captive in a sealed system where all efforts towards personal success were directed to benefit the leader. Creative endeavors were quashed if it meant confidence and self-esteem were to be gained. In 2015, there were enough cracks that Lisa realized that she could never become the person she joined the group to be if she stayed. Since Lisa got out, she married the man who helped her find her way back to herself and out of the group. Lisa is passionate about supporting other cult survivors to find their own voices and share their own stories…and for those voices and stories to be heard, acknowledged, and understood. Lisa shares her experiences of being in an abusive high control group for decades, she explains what it was like joining as a single teenage mother and examines the differences between being raised in a cult vs joining one as an adult. Lisa then examines what led to her finally leaving the group and what triggered her passion for supporting cult survivors once she left. She continues the conversation by talking about #igotout the movement she founded to bring survivor's stories to the public. Before You Go: Rachel provides her professional insights on what an unhealthy therapeutic experience looks like, and how to keep yourself safe from a potentially harmful situation. To hear Rachel dive deeper into this topic, you can watch her video here: https://youtu.be/EEBo_Z2VTqE For more information on Lisa's #igotout movement please visit: https://www.igotout.org/ Thanks to Maura Campbell-Balkits for increasing their monthly pledge on Patreon!! You can always help support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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Cognitive Shift w/ Chris & Melissa Buckley Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Christopher Buckley of LaFayette, GA is an Afghanistan and Iraqi war veteran. When he returned from Iraq, he joined the Georgia White Knights as an Imperial Nighthawk, because their anti-Muslim and racist values were consistent with his worldview after returning from war. Arno Michaelis, a former white power skinhead, and Dr. Heval Mohamed Kelli, a Kurdish Muslim refugee, were able to teach Chris the error of his ways and helped bring him out of the movement. Today, he volunteers at The Haven in Georgia, a local organization that helps homeless and drug addicts. He also gives motivational speeches, trying to spread awareness and educate the public about the dangers of white supremacist extremism. Chris now works with Dr. Kelli on a program called Help, Heal, Love; where they work to repair flawed thinking in hate groups and spread a message of love and healing. He also created a deradicalization program designed specifically with veterans in mind but is geared to work with all manners of hate and extremist ideology. Melissa Buckley is Christopher Buckley’s wife and a key person in helping her husband leave the Ku Klux Klan. She realized that the KKK was damaging to Chris and their children and wanted a healthier path for the well-being of her entire family. She searched online to try and find someone to help her get Chris out of the KKK and found Arno Michaelis, a former white power skinhead, and Parents for Peace advisory board member. Over a several-month period, Melissa worked with Arno to help pull Chris out of the dangerous extremism he had become involved with. Thanks to the support of Melissa and Arno, Chris is now an inspirational model that spreads awareness about the dangers of white supremacist extremism and teaches others how to help their family members who have become involved with extremism. In this follow-up episode, Chris and Melissa share the details of the intense emotional journey that deradicalization brought to their relationship. Melissa explains how she went about planning the intervention that eventually led to Chris getting sober and leaving the KKK. Together they tell the story of how their love for each other gave them the strength to not only deradicalize Chris but completely transform his life for the better, of not just him and his family, but also for others who have loved ones involved with extremism. Before You Go: Rachel examines the strength and resilience that Melissa showed in planning and executing Chris's rescue from hateful ideology. For More Info on Parents for Peace, visit: www.parents4peace.org/ If you are worried about extremism, you can call their helpline at 1-844-49-PEACE For more info on Arno Michaelis visit: https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories/arno-michaels/ Thanks to our newest Patrons: Big Easy Blasphemy, Chris Campbell-Garcia, and Kendy Maher!! You can always help support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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Crazy Wise Guys w/Jonathan Hirsch Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

As an independent producer, reporter, and sound designer, Jonathan Hirsch has produced hundreds of long-form audio works for NPR, Vox, NBC, Fusion Media Group, and many others. He is a recipient of the Green Eyeshade, Edward R. Murrow, and DuPont Awards. His 7-part documentary podcast series Dear Franklin Jones debuted #1 on the iTunes podcast charts. In April of 2018, Jonathan launched Neon Hum Media, an LA-based podcast production company, specializing in narrative-driven, high production value, “audio first” documentaries, talk shows, and partner content. Jonathan talks about the insights he gained from researching the spiritual teacher Dr. Fredrick Lenz III for his new audio documentary podcast series I Am Rama. Jonathan shares with Rachel the story behind his fascination with Lenz, also known as Rama, which begins with his parents meeting at a spiritual convention organized by Rama. By the time Jonathan was born, his parents had changed paths and became devotees of another controversial spiritual leader, Adi Da, joining his new religious group Adidam which Jonathan was born into and raised in. Before You Go: Rachel explains why victims of cults or high control relationships often go from one bad situation to the next and what measures you can take to stop the cycle of abuse and protect yourself from manipulation. Listen to Jonathan's podcast Smoke Screen: I Am Rama here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smoke-screen-i-am-rama/id1525807626 Thanks to our newest Patron Sarah Mayberry!! You can always help support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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Too Cultish For Comfort w/ Amanda Montell Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

Amanda Montell is a writer, language scholar, and podcast host from Baltimore. She is the author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, about the language of "cults" from Scientology to SoulCycle. As a reporter and essayist, Amanda's writing has been featured in Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, Bustle, The Rumpus, Byrdie, and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell Amanda explains to Rachel her experience growing up with her father, who was raised in the cultic group Synanon, an alternative community centered on group truth-telling sessions that came to be known as the "Synanon Game" a form of attack therapy. She explains how from a young age her father's story informed her skepticism of the language of high control environments. She also shares some of the insights she gained about cultic language while interviewing sources for her book. Throughout the conversation, Rachel emphasizes the important role language plays in the manipulation of victims of high control groups of all kinds. Before You Go: Rachel elaborates on the idea of "Thought terminating cliches" and the dangers it can pose in the context of high control groups. Thanks to our newest Patrons: Isabel, Duncan, and Stephany Zamora!! You can always help support us for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link! www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION
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