TopPodcast.com
Menu
  • Home
  • Top Charts
  • Top Networks
  • Top Apps
  • Top Independents
  • Top Podfluencers
  • Top Picks
    • Top Business Podcasts
    • Top True Crime Podcasts
    • Top Finance Podcasts
    • Top Comedy Podcasts
    • Top Music Podcasts
    • Top Womens Podcasts
    • Top Kids Podcasts
    • Top Sports Podcasts
    • Top News Podcasts
    • Top Tech Podcasts
    • Top Crypto Podcasts
    • Top Entrepreneurial Podcasts
    • Top Fantasy Sports Podcasts
    • Top Political Podcasts
    • Top Science Podcasts
    • Top Self Help Podcasts
    • Top Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Top Stocks Podcasts
  • Podcast News
  • About Us
  • Podcast Advertising
  • Contact
Not in our directory?
Add Show Here
Podcast Equipment
Center

toppodcastlogoOur TOPPODCAST Picks

  • Comedy
  • Crypto
  • Sports
  • News
  • Politics
  • True Crime
  • Business
  • Finance

Follow Us

toppodcastlogoStay Connected

    View Top 200 Chart
    Back to Rankings Page
    Society & Culture

    Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

    Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.

    Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

    Advertise

    Copyright: 2025 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify

    Latest Episodes:
    Caleb Ward, Part 1 - Kingdom Life Ministries and Evangelical Youth Culture Feb 19, 2025
    Show notes

    Former pastor's son Caleb Ward joins Lola and Meagan to share his experience about the height of evangelical culture in the early 2000s in a church called Kingdom Life Ministries. Caleb discusses growing up in an environment where everyone was speaking in tongues and having loud prophecies in the middle of church, the pressures that come with being the son of a pastor, how heightened emotional experiences keep people connected to their churches, wild evangelical youth culture involving Christian rock, how good church leadership can actually exist, and why shunning is one of the worst parts of modern Christian religion.

    We have deals for you!!

    • Prose: Looking for customized haircare? Go to Prose.com/trust for your FREE consultation and 50% off your custom routine!
    • Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Uriah Wesman, Part 2 - Growing Up in Three Cults (The Hearts Center and The Ideal Society) Feb 12, 2025
    Show notes

    Today is part 2 with Uriah Wesman, former member of THREE different cults. This week he’ll talk to us more about cult #2, the Hearts Center (which was an offshoot of cult #1 from last week), what it was like being a rebellious emo kid slowly starting to realize inconsistencies in the church, and how his dad discovered cult #3 in Canada, the Ideal Society.

    We’ll talk about why he loved Canada so much, how he became obsessed with Alex Jones in his rebellious phase, and what that third cult - a vegan meditation cult - was like, being surrounded by adults who spoke French and didn’t want him there. Plus, how he ended up leaving, and how creating a one man show helped him process his experiences.

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Uriah Wesman, Part 1 - The First Cult: Church Universal and Triumphant Feb 05, 2025
    Show notes

    Creator of the one man show 3 Cults Walk Into a Bar, Uriah Wesman, shares about his FIRST cult experience in Church Universal and Triumphant, how they combined Christianity and New Age ideas, the paranoia that was created by beliefs surrounding demons, his mom's mental deterioration that led her to accuse his father of being a demon, and his parents split that led him to his next cult... which we'll discuss next week!

    We have deals for you!

    • ZocDoc: Stop putting off those doctors appointments! Go to Zocdoc.com/trustme to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today!
    • Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Philip Deslippe & Stacie Stukin - 3HO,Kundalini yoga, & Yogi Bhajan Jan 24, 2025
    Show notes

    Today our guests are historian Philip Deslippe and writer Stacie Sutkin, who together have done investigative reporting on 3HO (“happy, healthy, holy organization”), Kundalini yoga, and Yogi Bhajan. They’re going to tell us how they got started writing about 3HO, both interacting with Kundalini yoga in different ways, who Yogi Bhajan was and whether he had any credibility in the Sikh religion (spoiler: he did not), and how he began to get white Americans to believe he was the ultimate spiritual authority, rapidly expanding and profiting off of the money and property of his followers.

    They’ll tell us about some of the many ways Yogi Bhajan exerted control over his followers lives, the practice of separating children from their parents in a practice called “distance therapy,” and the boarding schools kids were sent to for years that turned out to be neglectful and abusive, all within full knowledge and approval of Yogi Bhajan. Plus, the wave of survivors that came forward to tell their stories of his and the organization’s abuse, and how they were failed by 3HO’s reparations program.

    We have deals for you!

    • Quince: Upgrade your closet! Go to Quince.com/trust for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order!
    • Shopify: Need help with your business? Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 2: Breaking Away Jan 15, 2025
    Show notes

    Episode 23: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth continue to interview Frank Lyford, former member of Heaven's Gate. In part 2, they discuss the growing number of red flags he began to notice after one of the leaders died, including talk of castration, and what led to his decision to finally, after 18 years, break away. He also tells the girls what it was like when he heard about the mass suicide on the news, how heartbreaking that was, the lessons he's learned as a result, and what his life is like now. Original Airdate: 03/17/2021

    Trust Me is sponsored by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    REWIND: Frank Lyford - Heaven's Gate, Part 1: The Nomadic Lifestyle Jan 10, 2025
    Show notes

    Episode 22: Lola & Meagan interview Frank Lyford, survivor of Heaven's Gate who left after 18 years--just a few years before discovering his friends and loved ones in the group had died by suicide. In part 1, he tells the girls how he began following the leaders Ti and Do, what it was like living a nomadic lifestyle with his "check partner," and what happened when they all settled in one place for "Class." They discuss being separated from the love of his life, how the rules became more strict and controlling, and how much darker things got after Ti got cancer. Stay tuned next week for part 2! Original Airdate: 03/10/2021

    Trust Me is sponsored by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Ashlen Hilliard - The Evolution of Cult Intervention Practices Jan 01, 2025
    Show notes

    Cult interventionist and founder of People Leave Cults, Ashlen Hilliard, talks about her path to working in cult intervention and recovery, her personal religious experience that led her to this work, how interactions with Mormons in Utah affected her worldview, how she defines what a cult is, why accusing a group of being a cult isn't always helpful, how cult intervention today is different from how it was in the 70s, how it used to involved kidnapping and unethical practices, how her model takes a harm reduction approach, and when cult intervention practices can become culty themselves!

    We have deals for you!!

    • Shopify: Upgrade your business (Or start one in the new year)! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme
    • ZocDoc: Stop putting off your doctors appointments! Go to ZocDoc.com/trustme to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today!

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    REWIND: Joann Vaega: Waco Survivor and Former Branch Davidian Dec 26, 2024
    Show notes

    You're a child living on a remote compound in West Texas. One day authorities show up at your front door and an exchange of gunfire breaks out. Just as you expected would happen. Survivor of the Branch Davidians and the Waco massacre, Joann Vaega, discusses her earliest memories of living on the compound, what cult leader David Koresh was like in person, why she did not feel fear when the siege began, how her mom bravely acted to save her, learning about the fire that killed 76 people, including her own parents, and how she's currently defying how people said she would turn out. Original Airdate: 08/03/2022

    WE HAVE DEALS FOR YOU!!!

    • Prose: Need better haircare? Get 50% off your one-of-a-kind formula Prose.com/trust
    • Babbel: Want to learn a new language? Get up to 60% off your subscription at Babbel.com/trustme
    • Masterclass: Want to learn from world class experts? Get up to 50% off at Masterclass.com/trust
    • Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Carolyn Costin - The Link Between Cults and Eating Disorders Dec 18, 2024
    Show notes

    FOR OUR 200th EPISODE, we are joined by eating disorder therapist, author, and expert Carolyn Costin to discuss her own experiences that led to her starting her practice, why so many cults control the eating habits of their members, why having an eating disorder is like having a little cult leader in your brain, and how Carolyn helped Meagan with her own eating disorder.

    Check out our holiday sponsors!!

    • Quince: Gift luxury without the luxury price tag! Go to Quince.com/trust for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order!
    • ZocDoc: Find and book a top-rated doctor! Go to ZocDoc.com/trustme and download the Zocdoc app for FREE!
    • Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Yoni Shrira, Part 2 - Hard Labor, Isolation, Running Away, and a Dark Legacy Dec 11, 2024
    Show notes

    Today is part 2 of our interview with Yoni Shrira, former student at the Family Foundation School, also known as Allynwood, the remote troubled teen program known for a series of lawsuits brought against it as well as over a hundred deaths from overdose or suicide by its former attendees. Last week, we talked about how and why Yoni ended up in the abusive school and the culture of required snitching, and this week he’s going to tell us about the punishments the kids endured, including hard labor and isolation.

    He’ll tell us about trying to run away, the origins of the group and the man who created it, how the kids were kept isolated from their families, the way it impacted him after he left, and why he thinks so many of its former students have died.

    Check out our holiday sponsors!!

    • MasterClass: Want to learn from the very best? Get up to 50% off at MasterClass.com/trust
    • Prose: GET 50% OFF your first haircare subscription order at Prose.com/trust
    • ZocDoc: Need a doctor? Go to Zocdoc.com/trustme and download the Zocdoc app for FREE!
    • Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme
    • Trust Me is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/trust to get 10% off your first month.

    Check out the work Lola's mom has been up to!

    https://www.sltrib.com/news/polygamy/2024/12/06/polygamous-prophet-how-flds/

    12 Step / Substance Abuse Resources

    • https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/12-step
    • https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/treatment-program/aftercare/types-12-step-programs/
    • https://www.addictioncenter.com/treatment/12-step-programs/
    • 988 -- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch

    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com

    INSTAGRAM:

    @TrustMePodcast

    @oohlalola

    @meaganelizabeth11

    TWITTER:

    @TrustMeCultPod

    @ohlalola

    @baberahamhicks

    TIKTOK:

    @TrustMeCultPodcast

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


    Previous 1 6 7 8 9 10 29 Next

    Related Podcasts

    Crimetown

    1

    Crimetown News
    Up and Vanished

    2

    Up and Vanished News & Politics
    The Joe Rogan Experience

    3

    The Joe Rogan Experience Comedy
    Freakonomics Radio

    4

    Freakonomics Radio Documentary
    The Joe Rogan Experience

    5

    The Joe Rogan Experience Society & Culture
    Casefile True Crime

    6

    Casefile True Crime Games & Hobbies
    footer-logo

    Contact Us

    Toll Free: 844-670-7747

    Links

    • Home
    • Top Charts
    • Networks
    • Apps
    • Independents Podcasts
    • Podcast Advertising
    • Podcast News
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Analytics & Insights

    Stay Connected

      Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights