On Belief: A Podcast About Cults

How the Church of Christ differs from 'mainstream' Christianity
How her parents, wanting her to have some religious education, inadvertently changed her trajectory in life
What the main teachings of the church are
What happens when you have a chastity doctrine at a highschool with boarders
What the church camp experience is life
And more...

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Episode 308: Conspiracy Theories Oct 14, 2020

Subscribe to Right Richter here: https://tinyletter.com/rightrichter
Read Will on The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/will-sommer

Will Sommer has been covering conspiracy theories since the inception of Pizzagate. He joins me to discuss what drives people to believe seemingly incomprehensible conspiracy theories.

In this episode, we discuss:

What is the genesis of Pizzagate?
Why did people believe and amplify Pizzagate?
Why didn't Pizzagate end when Comet Pizza was shot up?
What is QAnon?
How do people get progressively deeper into QAnon?
What are the societal impacts of collective belief in conspiracy theories?
And more...

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Episode 307: The Human Potential Movement Sep 15, 2020

In this episode we discuss:

What was Esalen?
How did the Human Potential Movement begin?
What made the Human Potential Movement so appealing?
Which groups sprung out of that movement?
Which forms of untested therapy became popular from the movement?
And more...

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Episode 306: Gender Critical Movement Aug 26, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

What is the Gender Critical movement?
What are the fundamental beliefs vs what they claim the beliefs are?
Where did my guest find out about Gender Criticism?
Are most of the leaders of the Gender Critical movement trans?
Who are the celebrities who are involved in this movement?
Why the 'science' Gender Critical people cite is erroneous
And more...

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Episode 305: Men's Rights Activists Aug 04, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

How someone finds MRAs online
Where the most active members hang out
What kind of moderation MRA forums have
Can you see people being radicalized in real time?
What drove my guest deeper
What family members and women told my guest when they were involved
When they started to question their views
And more...

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Episode 304: Independent Fundamental Baptists Jul 21, 2020

On this episode, we discuss:

What it's like growing up with a fire and brimstone church at the center of your life
What kinds of topics were taught in Sunday school
Evangelical home schooling
What a child understands about a sermon on homosexuality
What Bible camp is like
Why Bible College doesn't always make pastors
And more...

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Episode 303: Zendik Farm Jun 09, 2020

In this episode we discuss:

What is an intentional community?
What made Helen decide to join Zendik?
What was it like moving in?
What are the major beliefs of the group?
What was the Zendik approach to sex and dating?
How did the Farm make money?
What was the group's approach to working through trauma?

And more...

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Episode 302: The Inner Matrix Jun 03, 2020

Guest Katie Mount joins me to discuss her time both studying The Inner Matrix and joining the company, working for its founder.

In this episode, we discuss:

What brought her to study The Inner Matrix
What you study in their courses
Why she decided to join the organization
What she gave up to work for Joey Klein
Whether the office lived by the principles it espoused
Why some women in the office were treated differently than others
How she connected with other defectors on the other side

And more.

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Episode 301: 60s Political Cults May 26, 2020

In this episode, we explore 3 political cults: The Weather Underground, Ayn Rand's Determinists and The JOhn Birch Society

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Episode 228: Conversion Therapy Apr 15, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

How Matt got involved in a Facebook group that 'supported' men who wanted to overcome Same Sex Attraction
How groups recruit vulnerable men to join bootcamps
What happens at bootcamps that promise to help you 'pray the gay away'
What kinds of activities and 'therapy' happen at Conversion Therapy bootcamp
Why he sat in a room staring at a candle
Whether Conversion Therapy works
What the risks of Conversion Therapy are
And more...

Matt's Article: https://www.dailyxtra.com/lgbtq2-conversion-therapy-168786

Matt's Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/mattash89
https://twitter.com/mattash89

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Episode 227: The Troubled Teen Industry Apr 07, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

What kinds of kids get sent to these institutions
What kinds of rules are there at these places
What kinds of punishments happen
How everyone is turned into a snitch
What kinds of regulations govern these places
What recourse kids have if sent there
And much more

Links from this episode:

Troubled Podcast

Troubled podcast on social media: @talktroubled

2007 Congressional Hearing on Child Neglect & Abuse in Residential Homes

2008 Congressional Hearing on Child Abuse & Deceptive Marketing by Residential Programs for Teens (incl GAO findings from the investigation prompted by the 2007 Hearing

Aaron Bacon Short Film (his parents testified in Congressional Hearings)

The Last Stop Documentary (film here)

Last Stop (trailer)

Fix My Kid Documentary (film)

Fix My Kid (trailer)

ABC Special "A Boy Named Lucas"

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Episode 226: Robert Kelly Mar 24, 2020

WARNING This episode contains frank discussion of emotional, physical and sexual abuse of minors

In this episode, we discuss:

How Jim became aware of the initial allegations against R Kelly
How R Kelly targeted his victims
How R Kelly controlled his victims
What we know about his co-conspirators
Does R Kelly know he's an abuser?
How "The Settlement Factory" kept R Kelly abusing people for years
And more...

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Episode 225: Acts 29: Part 2 Mar 17, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

Why Dana quickly learned it's not ok to question things
What happened when Dana chose a bible passage to discuss in group
What happened to a friend of hers who was asked to leave
What was the final straw for her
What she learned about the group after leaving
What life is like outside of the organization
And more...

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Episode 224: Acts 29: Part 1 Mar 10, 2020

Dana was looking for a way to heal after a relationship break up. What she found was a high demand group with some questionable ideas about personal responsibility.

In this episode, we discuss:

What is Neo-Calvinism?
What does Acts 29 believe?
What is the Acts 29 lifestyle like?
What happens in study groups?
What made her begin to question her committment?
And more...

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Episode 223: Toxic Workplaces Feb 26, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

Some of the unusual requests made of him in the interview
How forcing candidates to work for free set up a culture of precarcity
What happened when he negotiated his salary
What illegal thing he was asked to do
The strange veneration of the group's leader
And more...

Follow Jordan at @jordanuhl on twitter or join his podcast at theinsurgents.substack.com

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Episode 222: ISKCON (Hare Krishnas) Part 2 Feb 19, 2020

In Part 2, We discuss:

What it's like to leave a group and a marriage at the same time
Leaving a group when you're not legally free to work inthe country where you live
How having a son made Eric re-evaluate his experiences
When he knew it was time to leave
How he got out
What he did once he was out
And more...

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Episode 221: ISKCON (Hare Krishnas) Feb 11, 2020

Eric joins me to discuss:

How his family beng involved in an LGAT might have primed him to join ISKCON later in life
What the belief system of ISKCON is
How restrictive the lifestyle can be
Why ISKCON is full of contradictions of practice vs doctrine
How love and marriage are handled
What the Devotee-Guru relationship looks like
And more...

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Episode 220: The LDS Church Part 2 Feb 04, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

The ways in which the Church operates like Scientology
The pressure put on women
What makes Mormon marriages perilous
What sealing is
Why if you're sealed to a man, you had better hope you die first
And more...

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Episode 219: The LDS Church Jan 28, 2020

In this episode, Marie and I discuss:

What do Mormons actually believe?
What are the expectations put on every member of a Mormon Family?
How are Mormon sons and Mormon daughters raised differently?
What does courtship look like in the church?
What does the church actually teach about homosexuality?
What is life like for women at BYU?
And much more...

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Episode 218: Narcissists with W. Keith Campbell Jan 21, 2020

In this episode, we discuss:

What preconditions cause Narcissism
How to tell if you're dealing with a Narcissist
Narcissists in the workplace
Narcisissts in relationships
Narcissists as parents
What makes Narcissists the perfect Cult leaders
How to protect yourself from Narcissists
And more...

Visit http://wkeithcampbell.com for more info

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Episode 217: Glynn Washington on Heaven's Gate Jan 14, 2020

Glynn Washington and I discuss:

Why he wanted to revisit Heaven's Gate
Why there are people who are sad they missed their chance to join the departed
What chilled him to his bone in the interview process
What it was like for him growing up in a cult
What it's like for an African American man to be in a cult with White Supremacist doctrine
What it was like to leave his cult
What he learned in covering Heaven's Gate decades later
And more...

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Episode 216: XXXXXXX Jan 07, 2020

The promise of Large Group Awareness Training is that it's a "bootcamp for the mind." You can get a lot of therapeutic benefit out of just a few highly intense days.

The problem is, LGATs have always been pure moneymaking operations with no credible therapeutic basis.

In this episode, Kate and I discuss:

How she got involved with XXXXXXX
What actually happens inside the seminars, day by day
Why people were sobbing in the bathrooms
Why the seminar tells you to call and make amends with relatives, even if they abused you.
What happened in the guided meditation sessions
What rattled her to her core
And much more...

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Episode 215: Soka Gakkai International with Juana Castanheira PART TWO Jan 01, 2020

Juana Castanheira, our survivor of SGI contacted me after her episode to ask to further articulate what processing out of a cult looks like.

In this episode, we discuss:

The shame and guilt of leaving
What happened when she tried to resign from her leadership position at SGI
Why she later worked again for SGI
Her experiences with MLMs
Her experiences with Transcendental Meditation and her sister being in the group
And much more...

Special Guest: Juana Castanheira.

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Episode 214: Jon Atack Dec 17, 2019

In this episode, Jon Atack and I discuss:

How he got involved in Scientology
What training Scientologists get on recruitment
Why we don't train kids how to spot predators, narcissists, and psychopaths
What we should be teaching children
Why it seems like more people are joining cults
And more...

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Episode 213: Overcoming Cult Trauma With Psychedelics Dec 10, 2019

Chelsea Lockwood, author of this Medium Piece Joins me to discuss her time in the Jehovah's Witnesses, leaving, and healing through Ayahuasca ceremonies.

In this episode, we discuss:

How aware children are made of the apocalyptic nature of the Jehovah's Witness beliefs
Corporal punishment in the Jehovah's Witnesses
What types of abuse she was privy to while a member
What it's like to be a child with extreme panic attacks
How she discovered Ayahuasca
What psychedelics have taught her about her life experiences
And much more...

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Episode 212: Abusive Relationships with Donna Anderson Dec 03, 2019

In this episode, we discuss:

How to identify a problematic partner
How sociopaths target and manipulate partners
Why love bombing is important to both cults and abusive partners
Whether we're as good at identifying liars as we thing
The similarities between cult leader behaviours and abusive partner behaviours
How to get out of a bad relationship
And more...

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Episode 211: New Kadampa Tradition Nov 26, 2019

Dr Michelle Haslam (https://newkadampatraditionreport.org) Joins me to discuss how she was seduced by the idea of living in a peaceful intentional community, only to find out the group's main focus was expansion and encouraging cruelty.

In this episode, we discuss:

Who is (Was?) Kelsang Gyatso
The differences between New Kadampa Tradition and mainline Buddhism
The hypocritical belief system
What it's like to live on site
Why some say NKT encourages sadistic behaviour
How NKT is like NXIVM and Scientology
And more...

Special Guest: Dr. Michelle Haslam.

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Episode 210: The Work Nov 19, 2019

In this episode we discuss:

How the group was not prepared for kids attending outside schools
What kind of weekly schedule the members had
How the group handled questions about the doctrine
How Brother Julius disciplined followers
How the group was at the mercy of Brother Julius' whims
How Sarah got through it with the help of parties and teenage rebellion
And more...

Special Guest: Sarah Ficca.

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Episode 209: Tony Ortega Nov 12, 2019

Tony Ortega Joins me for an extra long episode to discuss what it's like covering a group like Scientology for so long. In this episode, we discuss:

Why the Scientology/Nation of Islam alliance isn't so unusual
What kinds of retaliations the Church has made against him and those closest to him
What we know about the FBI's Trafficking case against the Church
Why the media was reticent to report on the Danny Masterson allegations
Are there still people in "The Hole?"
Where is Shelly Miscavige?
And much more...

Special Guest: Tony Ortega.

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Episode 208: Transcendental Meditation (TM) Nov 05, 2019

Aryeh Siegel was a member of Transcendental Meditation in the 1970s and early 1980s. In this episode, we discuss:

Why TM hides its religious origins
Why TM fought in court to not have a translation of the Puja made public
What the science is on the TM technique
How TM leverages celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah, and Ellen.
Why TM is making a big push for schools in low income districts
Whether you can be physically harmed doing TM
And much more...

TM Deception Website

Movie- David Wants To Fly

Special Guest: Aryeh Siegel.

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Episode 207: Steve Hassan Oct 29, 2019

Steven Hassan was once in the Unification Church, helping recruit and spread their thought reform. He was exit counselled and has since dedicated his life to the study of thought reform. He created the BITE model which explains how thought reform occurs and now counsels survivors and families on how to heal after leaving cults.

Steve joins me for an hour to discuss:

How the CIA went about trying to build a Manchurian Candidate in the 1960s
How Trump's parental ties and upbringing made him into an ideal person to lead a cult
How Trump found himself controlled by the only people who would lend him money after his business failures
How Evangelicals and Fundamentalists can support a man who has been immoral most of his life
What significance NLP played in Trump's election strategy
How groups like The Family will ensure that candidates like Trump will be there for them
And more...

Special Guest: Steve Hassan.

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Episode 205: Soka Gakkai International with Juana Castanheira Oct 15, 2019

This week, former member of Soka Gakkai International, Juana Castanheira, joins me to talk about her time in the group.

We discuss:

How she and her brother were recruited
How she knew she was all in
What is the significance of the 'scroll?'
What demands were put on her as she rose through the ranks
Why she never once complained
When she decided to leave
And more...

Special Guest: Juana Castanheira.

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Episode 204: OneTaste With Ellen Huet and Ruwan Meepagala Oct 08, 2019

Ellen Huet of Bloomberg Businessweek joins me to discuss her coverage of OneTaste: once a darling of Silicon Valley, now an organization with an ousted founder, cancelled classes, and looking to pivot.

Ruwan Meepagala joins me to discuss his time in the organization.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why women wanted to join OneTaste
Why the group deliberately marketed their courses to Silicon Valley
What Orgasmic Meditation is
What drew participants to work for the organization
What kinds of Quid Pro Quo were encouraged in the office
How consent lines were blurred for many
And More...

Special Guests: Ellen Huet and Ruwan Meepagala.

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Episode 203: Munchausen By Proxy With Dr. Marc Feldman and Judy Tienken Oct 01, 2019

In this episode, we explore Munchausen By Proxy, a disease that, while not fully understood by doctors, is having a pop culture moment.

Dr. Marc Feldman, Psychiatrist and author of DYING TO BE ILL: TRUE STORIES OF MEDICAL DECEPTION joins me to discuss the clinical side of Munchausen By Proxy, while Judy Tienken joins me to explain her survivor story.

In this episode, we discuss:

The profile of a Munchausen By Proxy perpetrator
Whether perpetrators know they're abusing their children
What the prognosis is for helping victims of a Munchausen By Proxy perpetrator
What other forms of abuse Munchausen By Proxy can take
Why Munchausen By Proxy might be an under reported issue
The connection between some SIDS cases and Munchausen By Proxy
How often is Munchausen By Proxy mis-diagnosed?
What needs to be done to help victims of Munchausen By Proxy perpetrators to get justice
And more...

Special Guests: Dr. Marc Feldman and Judy Tienken.

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Episode 202: Cult Therapy with Rachel Bernstein Sep 24, 2019

In this episode Rachel Bernstein lifts the veil on what Cult Therapy is about.

We discuss:

What types of services cult therapists provide
Why she must observe subtle cues from her patients
What families can do to cope with waiting for family members to leave
How to be a supportive family member when a loved one does leave a cult
What the unique challenges are for cult survivors
How to access resources if you need a cult counsellor
And more...

Visit Rachel Bernstein's website

Find out more about the IndoctriNation podcast

Special Guest: Rachel Bernstein.

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Episode 000: Cross Post: Hear the first episode of On Grief: a Podcast about Death Free Now Sep 19, 2019

Please note: this episode is not intended to endorse the use of substances that are illegal.

In this episode, we explore what it is like to die. I discuss this with Neurosurgeon and Bestselling Author Dr. Eben Alexander (The Map of Heaven) who tells me about his Near Death Experience.

I also discuss how we can simulate a Near Death Experience through a drug called 5-MeO DMT ("The toad" or "Bufo") with Hilary Agro, a researcher and anthropologist who studies psychedelics, and I take 5-MeO DMT and describe my induced Near Death Experience.

Please note that for legal reasons, I am unable to discuss sourcing of 5-MeO DMT

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Episode 201: Hate Groups with David Neiwert Sep 17, 2019

David Neiwert joins me to discuss White Supremacist Hate Groups and how their recruitment, control, and proliferation are cult-like. In this episode, we discuss:

How easy it is to recruit people with the internet
Why White Supremacists go for young people
How White Supremacist ideas spread
Why your child could be getting radicalized when they play games online
What the threat level of White Supremacist terror is
Whether White Supremacist terror can be contained
The role the mainstream media and law enforcement have in spreading White Supremacist ideas
How to get a loved one out of these groups
And more...

Follow David Neiwert on Twitter here

Special Guest: David Neiwert.

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Episode 200: ***SPECIAL TEASER FOR ON GRIEF: A PODCAST ABOUT DEATH*** Sep 17, 2019

It's the one thing we're not supposed to talk about.

Each week on On Grief, I talk to people involved with death, the dying, or the grieving to discover what they know about death that we don't.

Coming this week with interviews with:

A mortician on what happens to your body when you're embalmed
An expert on the history of why we grieve the way we do
Caitlyn Doughty, author, Funeral Director and partner in The Order of the Good Death
And many, many more.

See you soon

Visit https://ongrief.fireside.fm/ or patreon.com/ongriefpod for more information

Find us on social media at ongriefpod or https://twitter.com/ongriefpodcast

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Episode 118: Catherine Oxenberg on Cults and Families Sep 03, 2019

Catherine Oxenberg candidly reveals details of her daughter's time spent in NXIVM and assisting the FBI in bringing down NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere, who earlier this year was convicted on all counts after a jaw-dropping trial.

In this episode, we discuss:

Catherine's initial objection to ESP (the training that would become NXIVM)
What the 'therapy' part of NXIVM's training looked like
Why she eventually stopped taking classes
What happened when Catherine realized India was in over her head
How Catherine snapped into action to deliver a plan that would not only pull her daughter out, but would put Keith behind bars
What Catherine learned for the first time watching the trial
And more...

Special Guest: Catherine Oxenberg.

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Episode 117: De-Programming With Mia Donovan Aug 27, 2019

Mia Donovan discusses with me:

What were the conditions that led to the discovery of De-Programming?
Who was Ted Patrick?
What were Ted's credentials
Ted began his career working on his own son
What techniques did Ted discover?
Why was Ted repeatedly sued and brought up on charges?
And more...

Special Guest: Mia Donovan.

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Episode 116: Jehovah's Witnesses Part 2 with Jerry Minor Aug 20, 2019

Before Jerry Minor was a successful actor in Los Angeles, he was a boy growing up in the Jehovah's Witnesses. In this episode we discuss:

What it feels like to have one parent in the Witnesses and one parent outside
What kinds of pressures are put on Witness kids
How real the threats of the Apocalypse and Demons are
What he knew about the child abuse scandals that have plagued the witnesses
What he knew about Jehovah's Witnesses lobbying the government for consideration
And more...

Content warning: there is a brief mention of suicidal ideation

You can listen to Jerry's podcast here

Special Guest: Jerry Minor.

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Episode 115: Jehovah's Witnesses Part 1 with Dawn Wilburn-Saboe Aug 13, 2019

In this episode, guest Dawn Wilburn-Saboe explains what life was like in the witnesses, how traumatic and painful the process of disfellowshipment is, and what life is like on the other side.

We discuss:

How children are expected to contribute in services
How children are expected to live
What it's like to be 'the kid who has to sit in the hall for the national anthem'
What it's like to be a teen in the Witnesses
What it's like to have to answer to elders for normal sexual exploration
What it's like to be disfellowshipped
And more...

Special Guest: Dawn Wilburn-Saboe.

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Episode 114: Quiverfull with Guest Heather Doney Aug 06, 2019

In this episode, Heather Doney, raised in Quiverfull explains:

What homeschooling was like for her
The burdens and fears of children responsible for their younger (and infant) siblings
What kinds of strains are put on Quiverfull families
How boys and girls are raised differently
Why Quiverfull families eschew medicine, even when it can save a mother's life
And more...

Special Guest: Heather Doney.

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Episode 113: Quiverfull with Guest Kathryn Joyce Jul 30, 2019

In this episode, Kathryn Joyce, author of Quiverfull: Inside The Christian Patriarchy Movement (ASIN: B0029Y76I4)

Discusses what Quivefull followers actually believe. We discuss:

Where is church for Quiverfull families?
What is "Home Churching?"
Why is Homeschooling so important to these families?
Why Quiverfull families are distrustful of the government
Why some families live desperately close to the poverty line
And more...

Special Guest: Kathryn Joyce.

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Episode 111: Cult Hopping & NXIVM Trial Update With Guest EJ Dickson Jul 16, 2019

Guest EJ Dickson, who covered the NXIVM trial for Rolling Stone joins me to discuss the details of the trial and a phenomenon known as cult hopping, which she was made aware of from some people who testified at the NXIVM trial.

In this episode, we discuss:

The lurid nature of the testimony
Surprises revealed in court
Whether key figures are still supportive of Keith
Whether these verdicts are precedent-setting
How people cult hop
What makes a person cult hop
And more...

Special Guest: EJ Dickson.

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Episode 110: Falun Gong With Guest Ben Hurley Jul 09, 2019

In this episode, Ben Hurley unmasks the Falun Gong and explains why it is so appealing to so many.

We discuss:

How a walk in the park set him on his journey
What the feeling of meditation is like for him
What the Falun Gong believe
What kind of leader Li Hongzhi was
How Shen Yun is the pretty face for Falun Gong
What happens when Shen Yun rolls into town
And more

Special Guest: Ben Hurley.

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Episode 109: FLDS with Guests Leona Bateman and Briell Decker Blanchart Jul 02, 2019

Leona Bateman, founder of the Creekers Foundation, and Briell Decker Blanchart, board member of the Short Creek Dream Center join me to discuss their lives in and out of FLDS, and how they're helping others transition out.

In this episode, we discuss:

What courtship training is like
How marriages in FLDS are arranged
How questioning couples discuss their doubts with each other
What happens when you get engaged to Warren Jeffs
How people escape
What life is like after you leave the FLDS
And more...

Special Guests: Briell Decker Blanchart and Leona Bateman.

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Episode 108: FLDS with Guest Brenda Nicholson Jun 25, 2019

Brenda Nicholson grew up in FLDS under Rulon Jeffs and eventually under the rule of Warren Jeffs.

While there are many shows about FLDS, Brenda gives us her unique story and insights into the inner workings of the FLDS and how she got out.

In this episode, we discuss:

How her family got into the FLDS movement
What it was like being a student of Warren Jeffs
How marriage in FLDS works
How the rules were enforced
What happened when a new rule was introduced
And more...

Special Guest: Brenda Nicholson.

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Episode 107: Hillsong with Guests Lea Ceasrine, Rick Alan Ross, and Tanya Levin Jun 18, 2019

Guests Lea Ceasrine, Rick Alan Ross, and Tanya Levin join me to discuss Millennial Mega Church of the stars, Hillsong.

In this episode, find out:

The church's strict Pentecostal origins
How a trip to America dramatically changed the focus of the church by its founders
How Hillsong solicits money
Where the money goes
What secrets are Hillsong leaders hoping will be contained within Australia's borders
And more...

Special Guests: Lea Ceasrine, Rick Alan Ross, and Tanya Levin.

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Episode 106: Large Group Awareness Training With Guests █████, ███████, & █████ Jun 11, 2019

Large Group Awareness Training is on the rise. We live in a time when decreasing religious adherence, a growing need for order and rules in one's life and a sense of complete entitlement have combined to make the allure of LGATs nearly irresistible.

I spoke with 3 ex members of Large Group Awareness training students about their experiences. They explained:

Why anyone would tell a group of strangers about the worst day of their lives
How meditation, team building exercises and attack therapy combine to make people feel invincible
How these groups give students a sense of euphoria, then ask them to sign up for more courses
What happens as you progress through the ranks at LGATs
What the ultimate goal is for LGATs
And more...

Special Guests: Alan Smithee, Jane Doe, and Marty Flipman.

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Episode 105: Messianic Jews with Guest Rabbi Michael Skobac Jun 04, 2019

If you've ever wondered what Jews For Jesus or other groups in the Messianic Judaism extended universe actually believe.

In this episode, we discuss:

The origins of Messianic Judaism
How Messianic Jewish groups recruit
How Messianic Jewish groups appropriate Jewish symbols and give them a Christian spin
What Messianic Jewish groups actually believe
Is there harm to the Jewish community?
And more...

Special Guest: Rabbi Michael Skobac.

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Episode 104: Aum Shinrikyo with Guest Sarah Hightower May 28, 2019

Content warning: Frank discussion of abuse and murder

You may vaguely remember the Tokyo Subway Sarin attack, but that's not where the Aum Shinrikyo story begins or ends.

Guest Sarah Hightower explains:

How Shoko Asahara was an opportunist and bully from childhood
How Asahara was a multiple time grifter before settling on creating a cult
The day-to-day lives of adherents
What Poa was
Why a failed bid to intall Aum members in Japanese Parliament spurred Asahara to pursue chemical and biological weapons
And more...

Special Guest: Sarah Hightower.

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Episode 103: The Family with Guest Chris Johnston May 21, 2019

Content Warning: Frank discussion of child abuse

In this episode, Chris Johnston tells us:

Who was Anne Hamilton-Byrne?
How did she grow her cult out of a well-placed yoga studio?
How Anne took advantage of countercultre symbols like mysticism and LSD and used them to target rich conservatives
How Anne was able to grow her brood of children
How The Family evaded police and the homeschooling authorities
What happened to the children of The Family?
And more...

Buy Chris' book: https://www.amazon.com/Family-shocking-true-story-notorious/dp/1925321673

Special Guest: Chris Johnston.

Support On Belief: A Podcast About Cults

Episode 102: NXIVM With Guest Brock Wilbur May 14, 2019

**A change has been made to this episode. Two sentences not materially important to the content of the episode have been removed to comply with a nastygram from a law firm representing a particularly litigious group which, while not directly referenced in the episode, are related to the group previously mentioned in this episode. The group in question is in no way affiliated with NXIVM.

We at On Belief would like to thank the intern at the law firm for their patronage in the $5 tier.**

Brock Wilbur sits down to discuss how he became aware of Keith Raniere and NXIVM and what he has uncovered so far.

Brock discusses what it's like to worry for years you might be sued into oblivion by a cult
Brock describes some little-known facts about the inner workings of NXIVM
Who is Keith Raniere?
Who is Nancy Salzman?
Which organizations were used as fronts for NXIVM?
What does Keith Raniere's trial hold?

Special Guests: Brock Wilbur and Rick Alan Ross.

Support On Belief: A Podcast About Cults