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Why L. Ron Hubbard Said Dianetics is Hypnotism with Amir Essalhi Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

Amir left his executive position at Scientology's Scottish HQ at the beginning of 2026. He has been asking Jon questions since then. The answers should prove useful to anyone trying to unpick Hubbard's invasive system.

In the book Science of Survival, in 1951, Hubbard said: ‘a pre-clear after he closes his eyes will begin to flutter his eyelids. This a symptom of the very lightest level of hypnotic trance’ However, in the Hubbard Dianetic Auditor Course, re-introduced in 1977 and sold ever since, practitioners are told ‘When the preclear’s eyes close and you notice his eyelids flicker, finish counting...’ So, according to Hubbard himself 'Book One auditing' is hypnotic.

Hubbard also said, 'Any time anybody gets enough altitude he can be called a hypnotic operator, and what he says will act as hypnotic suggestion.' (R&D 4, pp.324-5). Hubbard's 'Tech' is hypnotically absorbed by followers.

Hubbard implored his followers to study hypnotism, but this advice was long since pushed aside: ‘The next thing an auditor should know well is the effect of hypnotism and drugs, and he should have observed this actually.’ (R&D 1, p.307)

These are a few of the many Hubbard statements examined in Jon's paper Never Believe a Hypnotist. Or watch the video.

The Don Rogers Letters:
Part OnePart TwoPart Three

Buy Jon's latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World

And listen to a free sample

Buy Jon's book, Opening Our Minds

For the essential information on Scientology, check out Jon’s book, Scientology, Cult of Greed

And his bestselling classic exposé, Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky

And visit his website

And if you've made it through this much of the description, you deserve a song! so check out Spike's YouTube channel.

Liana Shanti, the "InstaScammer" - with Kacey from the Cult Vault Oct 10, 2026

Show notes

Liana Shanti has just been ordered to pay $40 million in a libel suit. She started out as a wellness guru and then sold astrological predictions to her burgeoning following. She claims psychic powers and followed the Scientology playbook - selling blue sky to followers, and vilifying and slandering anyone who saw it for what it was.

Learn about her Akashic grids and the mother and father wounds with Kacey from the Cult Vault. And then listen to her detailed podcast, for which she interviewed thirty people whose lives have been harmed by the Liana Shanti.

And check out Kacey's Cult Vault!

Buy Jon's latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World

And listen to a free sample

Buy Jon's book, Opening Our Minds

For the essential information on Scientology, check out Jon’s book, Scientology, Cult of Greed

And his bestselling classic exposé, Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky

And visit his website

AI, the end times and the Huns with Joe Szimhart Oct 03, 2026

Show notes

Cult specialist Joe Szimhart has been reading a history of the Huns, which shows that some Romans believed that they would bring the End Times. It made Joe think about the flurry of concern over AI as Armageddon, which led to a debate about Peter Thiel's preaching about the End Times as described in various recent books.

Throughout history, the End Times have been anticipated. Ron Hubbard wrote secretly that his Scientology existed solely to prevent the Second Coming of Christ (for which see Jon's If Scientology Ruled the World). Many Nazis had a similar view. Is Jacob Coxon's dire statement that there is a greater than ten percent chance that AI will destroy humanity actually true?

Check out Joe's video on The Huns

Buy Jon's latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World

And listen to a free sample

Buy Jon's book, Opening Our Minds

For the essential information on Scientology, check out Jon’s book, Scientology, Cult of Greed

And his bestselling classic exposé, Let’s Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky

And if you've made it through this much of the description, you deserve a song! so check out Spike's YouTube channel.

post-cult factions (and cults you wouldn't expect) with Hoyt Richards Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

Former members often form post-cult factions and fail to recognize the similarity of their own cultic experience with that of former members of other groups. Hoyt teaches about cultic relationships as an aspect of everyday life. Jon's book Opening Our Minds shows the way that the same dynamics are found in all cultic groups, but also throughout society. We urgently need to educate people about these dynamics and the consequences that our world is in the hands of authoritarian human predators.The NYT piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/style/donna-flagg-hoyt-richards-wedding.html link to Hoyt's documentary, "Bring Me the Beauties": https://www.hbomax.com/show/7c334e2d-0868-4205-8a40-4d33360aec51 Download your own copy of our predator poster here: https://jonatack.co.uk/predator-posters/lBuy Jon's book, Opening Our Minds, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP5PMNJTAnd buy Jon's latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World, here: https://mybook.to/8CIggd And listen to a free sample here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOprfY0DnRsbcKUUlDl2FAyL9kPbVtrlu

Charles Manson, Jolly West and the creation of a myth with Joe Kelly Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Joe Kelly trained and worked with Dr. Joylon "Jolly" West, who, through Tom O'Neill's work, has been cast as the creator of the Manson gang. Jon has researched the Manson gang in great depth and knew Jolly. Both Joe and Jon found Jolly to be devoted to good work and a tireless advocate for cult awareness. The descriptions being offered of him are completely at odds with their experience and not based on evidence.

Jon talks about his years of research into Manson, which have led him to dismiss the fairy tale created by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi. While Manson was most certainly a criminal, he was not a hippie, and there is no evidence that he planned a race war or ordered the murders led by Charles "Tex" Watson.

after cult therapy, attached beings and psychedelics with Pat Ryan and Joe Kelly Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Pat and Joe are two of the most experienced cult specialists. They reflect on the use of psychedelics and Internal Family Systems therapy. We have to be careful that we are not subscribing to untested therapies that seem to exploit unscientific notions of possession. To what extent is the ex-cult world becoming cultic? We all have reservations about the use of hallucinogens and deliriants in the therapeutic community. When does a psychotherapy become a cult?

consensual non-monogamy - a talk with Michelle Haslam, PhD Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

Michelle is a clinical psychologist who returns to the channel after a hiatus of some years to share some pointers for anyone who wishes to try out consensual non-monogamy, open relationships, or polyamory.

Be prepared for a new vocabulary and some challenges to fixed beliefs!

Here's Michelle's piece in LinkedIn

Spike's note: Apparently, the "frog in the pot" analogy, while a good metaphor for coercive control, is indeed a myth, and the real story is so, so, SO much worse. Here's a decent retelling of what really happened.

Scientology's Fundamentals of Thought part five - ft. Chris Shelton Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

Jon and Chris return to tackle this Hubbard classic again, and end up discussing thought control, authoritarianism, and how we're bamboozled into believing the unbelievable and supporting the unsupportable. And, as always, they share some laughs along the way.Also, PLEASE, if you haven't already, check out the Roehampton Research Study on Mandated Shunningand here's Chris' livestream, "Revolting in the Stars"

How do YOU want to be remembered? with Steve Moffic, MD Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Our friend Steve Moffic, MD, joins Jon to discuss a survey listing the top twenty behaviors people would like to be remembered for, and, of course, they add their own comments, additions, and observations on mortality and life, war and peace, and the nature of humanity. Please tell us in the comments what you would most like to be remembered for!

Links:

Here is the list that inspired this conversation

Dr. Zimbardo's Heroic Imagination project

Ira Chaleff's Intelligent Disobedience

and the song Spike wrote to teach kids about Intelligent Disobedience through "Blink, Think, Choice, Voice"

Leaving Scientology - with Håkan Järvå Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

Håkan Järvå left Scientology after reading online postings. He talks with Jon about the journey away from Ron Hubbard's invasive conditioning techniques. This talk will be helpful to anyone who is leaving an authoritarian cult and to anyone trying to help someone leave. The primary rule is - don't try to reason them out, but build rapport through friendly conversation.

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