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,...
Jan 07, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 216
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.
Jan 01, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 215
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...
Dec 17, 2019•21 min•Season 2Ep. 214
Chelsea 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 extrem...
Dec 10, 2019•16 min•Season 2Ep. 213
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...
Dec 03, 2019•16 min•Season 2Ep. 212
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 Sc...
Nov 26, 2019•17 min•Season 2Ep. 211
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.
Nov 19, 2019•16 min•Season 2Ep. 210
Tony 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?" Where ...
Nov 12, 2019•20 min•Season 2Ep. 209
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 (http...
Nov 05, 2019•16 min•Season 2Ep. 208
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 a...
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 207
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.
Oct 15, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 205
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 Pr...
Oct 08, 2019•16 min•Season 2Ep. 204
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 (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 perpetrator * ...
Oct 01, 2019•15 min•Season 2Ep. 203
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 (http:...
Sep 24, 2019•15 min•Season 2Ep. 202
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...
Sep 19, 2019•52 min0
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 ...
Sep 17, 2019•57 min•Season 2Ep. 201
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.firesid...
Sep 17, 2019•1 min•Ep. 200
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 ...
Sep 03, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 118
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.
Aug 27, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 117
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 warni...
Aug 20, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 116
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 ...
Aug 13, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 115
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.
Aug 06, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 114
In this episode, Kathryn Joyce, author of Quiverfull: Inside The Christian Patriarchy Movement (https://www.amazon.com/Quiverfull-Inside-Christian-Patriarchy-Movement-ebook/dp/B0029Y76I4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=quiverfull+kathryn+joyce&qid=1564500045&s=gateway&sr=8-1) (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 fami...
Jul 30, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Multi Level Marketing might seem like a harmless hobby for stay at home moms, but make no mistake: they can ruin lives. Learn how MLMs are like cults: They profile people in hard spots in their lives They promise an instant family They control many aspects of your life They will shun you if you question the leaders And more... Special Guests: Fallon Morey, Katie Young, Rachel Lloyd, and Sasha Zazzi.
Jul 23, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 112
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...
Jul 16, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 111
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.
Jul 09, 2019•17 min•Season 1Ep. 110
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....
Jul 02, 2019•17 min•Season 1Ep. 109
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 Nichol...
Jun 25, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 108
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.
Jun 18, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 107
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 com...
Jun 11, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 106
