On Belief: A Podcast About Cults
66 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★ - 65 ratingsWe all would like to think that we're immune to being persuaded, but were that true, advertising wouldn't work, the best candidates would always get elected, and our personal relationships would always be equitable.
On Belief examines why, with so much information available to us to dissuade us from joining harmful groups. I ask people who have had first hand experience with harmful groups and sects how they were seduced, how they were tricked, and how they got out.
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Episodes
Episode 318: Neurodiversity and Cults
February 22, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MBIn this episode, we discuss: Why she found herself in a high demand group How she felt targeted racially and because she was neurodivergent How decision making played into why she stayed What it was like to go from one group to another And more... Priscilla's website: https://whova.com/web/icsaa_202207/ The ICSA website: https://www.icsahome.com/
Episode 317: Unification Church
September 14, 2021 22:00 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBIn this episode, we discuss: * The basic beliefs of the Unification Church * What it's like for kids * What are the rules, and are they different by gender? * What is the companion book to the Bible that the Unification Church uses? * What are the political beliefs of the church? * And more...
Episode 316: Cult City Tours
August 16, 2021 22:15 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MBIn this episode, we discuss: How much real estate the church owns in Clearwater What the Scientologists do there What happens when David Miscavige comes to town The influence the church has over local politics What happens when they get heckled And more...
Episode 315: Matthew Remski
June 21, 2021 21:00 - 17 minutes - 23.7 MBMatthew shares his wealth of knowledge in this week's episode and we discuss what the heck "Conspirituality" is. Find Matthew's podcast here: https://conspirituality.net/ And Matthew's website here: http://matthewremski.com/wordpress/
Episode 314: Janja Lalich
April 12, 2021 16:00 - 14 minutes - 19.5 MBSupport On Belief: A Podcast About Cults
Episode 313: Bikram Yoga
March 03, 2021 23:00 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MBIn this episode, we discuss: * What drew her to yoga * What it costs to do the 2 month intensive * What happens at the 2 month intensive * Why vegans began to eat burgers * Why white instructors spoke in put-on "Indian" accents * And more...
Episode 312: The Salvation Army
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 22.7 MBIn this episode, we discuss: What are the core beliefs of the Salvation Army? Is it really organized like a Military? What are services like for kids? What is the leadership path like? What kinds of ceremonies are there? Where does the Bell Ringer money go? What's the Salvation Army stance on the LGBTQ+ community? And more...
Episode 311: Growing up LDS
January 28, 2021 17:00 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MBIn this episode, we discuss: What kinds of demands are put on children in the church from an early age How activities were sex segregated What rules her parents followed What happens to children of divorce in the LDS church What it's like to go to BYU What it's like to question at BYU All about the honor code And more... For more about The Modesty Talks, visit: https://themodestytalks.com/
Episode 310: Jehovahs Witnesses and Growing Up
January 06, 2021 18:00 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBMy guest joins me to discuss: Being born into the Witnesses What Jehovah's Witnesses believe about parenting What her mother believed about parenting What an average week looks like for a Jehovah's Witness kid What happens when your mom is disfellowshipped And more...
Episode 309: Church of Christ
November 25, 2020 16:00 - 17 minutes - 23.7 MBIn this episode, we discuss: 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...
Episode 308: Conspiracy Theories
October 14, 2020 19:00 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBSubscribe 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? ...
Episode 307: The Human Potential Movement
September 15, 2020 16:00 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBIn 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...
Episode 306: Gender Critical Movement
August 26, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 20.9 MBIn 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...
Episode 305: Men's Rights Activists
August 04, 2020 23:00 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBIn 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...
Episode 304: Independent Fundamental Baptists
July 21, 2020 13:00 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBOn 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...
Episode 303: Zendik Farm
June 09, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBIn 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...
Episode 302: The Inner Matrix
June 03, 2020 11:00 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBGuest 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 defect...
Episode 301: 60s Political Cults
May 26, 2020 11:00 - 19 minutes - 26.6 MBIn this episode, we explore 3 political cults: The Weather Underground, Ayn Rand's Determinists and The JOhn Birch Society
Episode 228: Conversion Therapy
April 15, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBIn 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.dailyx...
Episode 227: The Troubled Teen Industry
April 07, 2020 20:00 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MBIn 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 (https://open.spotify.com/show/2FUqbPy2iHM5zMcZllJKMN) Troubled podcast on social media: @talktroubled 2007 Congressional Hearing on Child Neglect & Abuse in Resi...
Episode 226: Robert Kelly
March 24, 2020 22:00 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBWARNING 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...
Episode 225: Acts 29: Part 2
March 17, 2020 12:00 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MBIn 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...
Episode 224: Acts 29: Part 1
March 10, 2020 15:00 - 17 minutes - 23.7 MBDana 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...
Episode 223: Toxic Workplaces
February 26, 2020 13:00 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBIn 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 (https://theinsurgents.substack.com/)
Episode 222: ISKCON (Hare Krishnas) Part 2
February 19, 2020 17:00 - 18 minutes - 26.1 MBIn 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...
Episode 221: ISKCON (Hare Krishnas)
February 11, 2020 15:00 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MBEric 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...
Episode 220: The LDS Church Part 2
February 04, 2020 14:00 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBIn 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...
Episode 219: The LDS Church
January 28, 2020 15:00 - 16 minutes - 22.4 MBIn 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...
Episode 218: Narcissists with W. Keith Campbell
January 21, 2020 15:00 - 16 minutes - 23.2 MBIn 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
Episode 217: Glynn Washington on Heaven's Gate
January 14, 2020 15:00 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MBGlynn 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...
Episode 216: XXXXXXX
January 07, 2020 16:00 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBThe 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 relati...
Episode 215: Soka Gakkai International with Juana Castanheira PART TWO
January 01, 2020 17:00 - 15 minutes - 28.6 MBJuana 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.
Episode 214: Jon Atack
December 17, 2019 14:00 - 21 minutes - 38.5 MBIn 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...
Episode 213: Overcoming Cult Trauma With Psychedelics
December 10, 2019 14:00 - 15 minutes - 28.7 MBChelsea Lockwood, author of this Medium Piece (https://humanparts.medium.com/how-i-overcame-cult-trauma-with-psychedelics-4342c03a074c?) 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 ext...
Episode 212: Abusive Relationships with Donna Anderson
December 03, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 29.6 MBIn 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...
Episode 211: New Kadampa Tradition
November 26, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 30.5 MBDr 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 NXIV...
Episode 210: The Work
November 19, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 29.8 MBIn 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.
Episode 209: Tony Ortega
November 12, 2019 11:00 - 20 minutes - 37.4 MBTony Ortega (http://tonyortega.org) 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?" Wh...
Episode 208: Transcendental Meditation (TM)
November 05, 2019 16:00 - 15 minutes - 28.7 MBAryeh 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 (h...
Episode 207: Steve Hassan
October 29, 2019 16:00 - 59 minutes - 82.1 MBSteven 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 in...
Episode 206: Tara Yoga
October 22, 2019 14:00 - 15 minutes - 28.2 MBMy guest Guy joins me to tell me his insider knowledge of a group called Tara Yoga, which last year became the subject of a Guardian investigation into their Asia-based Ashrams where multiple allegations of rape surfaced. Guy and I discuss: How he became aware of the classes How he found a community How his community tried to start a study group and was rebuked How Tara profits off of non consensual pornography What happens at Tara's retreats Why the Ashrams had masage parlors And more...
Episode 205: Soka Gakkai International with Juana Castanheira
October 15, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 90.2 MBThis 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.
Episode 204: OneTaste With Ellen Huet and Ruwan Meepagala
October 08, 2019 09:00 - 15 minutes - 28.4 MBEllen 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 Qui...
Episode 203: Munchausen By Proxy With Dr. Marc Feldman and Judy Tienken
October 01, 2019 10:00 - 14 minutes - 27.4 MBIn 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 (https://www.amazon.com/Dying-be-Ill-Marc-Feldman/dp/1138063835) 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 perpetrato...
Episode 202: Cult Therapy with Rachel Bernstein
September 24, 2019 10:00 - 15 minutes - 27.9 MBIn 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 (ht...
Episode 000: Cross Post: Hear the first episode of On Grief: a Podcast about Death Free Now
September 19, 2019 15:00 - 51 minutes - 94.4 MBPlease 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 ...
Episode 201: Hate Groups with David Neiwert
September 17, 2019 16:00 - 56 minutes - 78 MBDavid 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 a...
Episode 200: ***SPECIAL TEASER FOR ON GRIEF: A PODCAST ABOUT DEATH***
September 17, 2019 12:45 - 1 minute - 1.87 MBIt'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.fire...
Episode 118: Catherine Oxenberg on Cults and Families
September 03, 2019 10:00 - 15 minutes - 28.9 MBCatherine 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 he...
Episode 117: De-Programming With Mia Donovan
August 27, 2019 11:00 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MBMia 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.