IndoctriNation

Latest Episodes:

Extremism Is Like A Drug w/ Chris Buckley Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

CW: Sexual violence against children 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. Chris shares with Rachel his intense and traumatic personal story, identifying key moments in his upbringing that ultimately led him down a dark and destructive path of addiction, racism, and violence. Together, he and Rachel examine the "cognitive bias" and as Chris explains the "cognitive openings" that can be a catalyst both into and out of extreme belief systems. In the second half of their conversation, Chris talks about his journey towards healing through sobriety and deradicalization. He also tells us about the life-saving redemption initiated by his wife that led to him working with Arno Michaelis and Parents for Peace and the meaning he has found in helping others overcome their extremist ideologies. Before You Go: Rachel examines the vulnerabilities and sequence of events that can lead to indoctrination and radicalization, and how behaviors commonly seen in addiction are mirrored in extremist ideology For More Info on Parents for Peace, visit: https://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: Sabine Breiholz, Renee M Williams, Nicholas Herrera, and Felicity Kusinitz!! 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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Spiritually Advised Neglect w/ Lauren Hunter Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

This week's guest is a fourth-generation Christian Scientist. Lauren Hunter is a freelance writer, consultant, and entrepreneur. She is the author of "Leaving Christian Science, 10 Stories of New Faith in Jesus Christ". Lauren shares with Rachel her story of leaving the church and describes the religious trauma that followed. Lauren also talks about her work with The Fellowship of Former Christian Scientists, along the way, she provides some insightful and concise background on the history of Christian Science and its founder Mary Baker Eddy. Before You Go: Rachel explains the concept of spiritually advised neglect and the damage it can do both physically and mentally. You can learn more about Lauren and find her book here: https://www.laurenhunter.net/ Learn more about The Fellowship of Former Christian Scientists here: https://ffcsministry.org/ Thanks to our newest Patrons: Maura Campbell-Balkits and LeAnneRobinson!! 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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Living Between Two Worlds w/Elli May 26, 2021

Show notes

Elli was raised a third-generation Christian Scientist in Southern California. She left the religion in her late teens and discovered it was a cult in her mid-twenties. Her journey of over 10 years has been undoing the restrictive thinking and false beliefs imprinted since birth and finding out who she is underneath it all. In this conclusion of a three-episode series, Elli shares with Rachel her continued struggle of learning how to process and even recognize emotion in herself and others after leaving the church. She describes the deep and lasting impact being raised to deny the existence of her own emotions has had on her as an adult. Before You Go: Rachel addresses the importance of striving to, as Elii said "become yourself", after leaving a high control group. She also provides insight on how to overcome the fear that often accompanies meeting yourself for the first time. Thanks to our newest Patron, Thomas La Cour! You can always help the show for free by leaving us 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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Suppressing Emotions w/ Elli May 19, 2021

Show notes

Elli was raised a third-generation Christian Scientist in Southern California. She left the religion in her late teens and discovered it was a cult in her mid-twenties. Her journey of over 10 years has been undoing the restrictive thinking and false beliefs imprinted since birth and finding out who she is underneath it all. In this second part of a three-episode series, Elli continues sharing her story with Rachel and details her experience of starting therapy after leaving the church. She explains the difficulties she had in simply recognizing her own emotions, after being taught from a young age to ignore all feelings and even bodily sensations. Before You Go: Rachel addresses the importance of titles with regard to health professionals and the fraudulent use of them in Christian Science. She explains how this betrayal of trust can cause mistrust of healthcare workers that can be hard to unlearn. Thanks to our newest Patron Jackey Good!! 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 You can always help the show for free by leaving us a review on Apple/iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show!
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"It's not Christian, and it's not science" w/Elli May 12, 2021

Show notes

Elli was raised a third-generation Christian Scientist in Southern California. She left the religion in her late teens and discovered it was a cult in her mid-twenties. Her journey of over 10 years has been undoing the restrictive thinking and false beliefs imprinted since birth and finding out who she is underneath it all. In this first part of a three-episode series, Elli shares with Rachel her story of growing up in a restrictive household and church where she was denied access to any form of medicine or healthcare. Throughout the conversation, Elli provides insight into her uniquely sheltered perspective and explains the confusing and disorienting feelings she experienced while integrating into broader society for the first time. Before You Go: Rachel addresses Elli's feelings of confusion surrounding a lack of basic medical language and how it can prevent the solution-oriented thinking that would usually lead to treatment from a doctor. Thanks to our newest Patrons: Caroline Hinton, Dolan, Felicia Baucom, and Heather Silsbee!! 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 You can always help the show for free by leaving us a review on Apple/iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show!
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"I don't know who I am anymore" w/ Rachel and Erin Alder May 05, 2021

Show notes

Rachel and Erin Alder are a married couple from Seattle. Shortly after they met they became entangled in a situation within AA where their vulnerabilities were being used to control their behavior by a controlling sponsor. In Rachel's case, the vulnerability that was exploited was undiagnosed mental illness, specifically Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. While Erin’s biggest vulnerability became whether the marriage was dependent on continued work with this manipulative group leader. Eventually, Rachel and Erin were able to break free from the exploitation of the invasive sponsor and her high-demand group. They share with Rachel the details of how they were pulled into this controlling situation and describe the fears that kept them there for 7 years. In our third and final episode with Rachel and Erin, they conclude the story of their experiences in a high control AA group. They discuss the difficulties of leaving the group and the after-effects they felt once they finally left it behind. Before You Go: Rachel emphasizes the importance of taking breaks from high control groups. She explains how it gives your mind a chance to reset and gain a new perspective. Thanks to our newest Patrons: Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, Sherry Agee, Gina Claborn and, Connie Scum!! 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! http://www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION You can always help the show for free by leaving us a review on Apple/iTunes, it really helps the visibility of the show! To read more of Rachel's thoughts on AA check out this article in Filter Magazine: https://filtermag.org/deprogramming-from-aa-when-a-fellowship-resembles-a-cult/
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"If it's negative, it's a lie" w/ Erin and Rachel Alder Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

Rachel and Erin Alder are a married couple from Seattle. Shortly after they met they became entangled in a situation within AA where their vulnerabilities were being used to control their behavior by a manipulative sponsor. In Rachel's case, the vulnerability that was exploited Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder while Erin’s biggest vulnerability became whether the marriage was dependent on continued work with this manipulative group leader. Eventually, Rachel and Erin were able to break free from the exploitation of the invasive sponsor and her high-demand group after 7 years of control. In the second part of this 3-part story, the Alders detail some of the most heart-wrenching experiences they endured during their time in the group and explain the painful lessons they learned while trying to overcome tragedy. Before You Go: Rachel examines the narcissistic tendencies of group leaders who make everything about them. She explains how this manipulative tactic can be used as a means to control the narrative of others. 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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Mining For Vulnerabilities w/ Erin and Rachel Alder Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Rachel and Erin Alder are a married couple from Seattle. Shortly after they met they became entangled in a situation within AA where their vulnerabilities were being used to control their behavior by a controlling sponsor. In Rachel's case, the vulnerability that was exploited was undiagnosed mental illness, specifically Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. While Erin’s biggest vulnerability became whether the marriage was dependent on continued work with this manipulative group leader. Eventually, Rachel and Erin were able to break free from the exploitation of the invasive sponsor and her high-demand group. They share with Rachel the details of how they were pulled into this controlling situation and describe the fears that kept them there for 7 years. Throughout this first part of a 3 part story, Rachel offers insights into the manipulative tactics used by this sponsor that are so common amongst high control groups. Before You Go: Rachel explains how manipulators can use a sort of unwanted reciprocity, with claims of personal sacrifice for your benefit. She breaks down how they often disguise their intentions of guilting you into compliance as an innocuous social construct of genuine reciprocity. Thanks to our newest Patron Angelica Ceniceros!! 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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Spiritual Meshugas Of Nothing w/Robbie Balonick Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Robbie Balonick was raised in a non-religious, household, in middle America in the 1950s and 60s. She was a lifelong seeker who was looking for Truth with a capital "T" and passed quickly through psychedelics and the Hippy movement as mind-opening doors. After the assassination of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, she became totally disillusioned with the suburban, capitalistic dreams that her parents would have her follow. So, she packed up a large backpack and began to travel, for 10 years looking for knowledge about God as did so many other middle-class dropouts of the era. First landing in Europe, then Asia and the Middle East, and eventually the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula. All of this seeking ended up making Robbie the perfect candidate to be assimilated into a cult. Eventually, that seeking led Robbie to a lecture by John-Roger (formerly Roger Delano Hinkins) where she had a transcendent experience that pulled her into The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (or MSIA) an abusive cultic group was founded in California in 1968 by John-Roger. She eventually left the group after hearing about sexual abuse allegations against the leader by two of his most devoted followers. Robbie shares her journey with the group explaining to Rachel what drew her to the leader and how she eventually left. Before You Go: Rachel speaks about the spiritual aftermath of leaving a cultic group. She explains the psychological difficulties inherent when lifting the veil of deception that victims have lived with for so long. 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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Cult Classics w/ Paula Poundstone and Adam Felber Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

In a special crossover episode, this week we are airing Rachel's interview on Nobody Listens to Paula Poundston‪e‬. Paula, along with her co-host Adam Felber, ask Rachel about how to define a cult, the rise of cultic tactics in politics, and the intricacies of intervention, while Paula and Adam interject with their comedic takes. We hope you enjoy this lighter, yet still insightful, conversation about a serious topic. Before You Go: Rachel expands on the idea of interventions and deprogramming and addresses the misconceptions many people have about them. She also shares the dramatic story of a successful intervention in which she was involved. Thanks to our newest Patreon supporters: Mo, Nancy H, and Mike Ehrenkranz! 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! http://www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION Follow these links to hear Rachel's lectures for the International Cultic Studies Association: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbTm0DTi5Ck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itzv2DAXPow
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