S1E10: Bronwyn Rideout on the history of Highden Temple

How did a Victorian manor in rural New Zealand become an ISTA-connected mystery school? Bronwyn Rideout—Chair of the NZ Skeptics and independent researcher—joins Cara to trace Highden Temple's strange history, from its 1898 origins through Bruce Lyon's 2017 crowdfunded acquisition.Bronwyn walks through the digital evidence trail connecting Highden to ISTA despite public claims of separation, the systematic erasure of online records, and the broader context of why New Zealand has become a magnet for alternative spiritual groups. She shares findings from her DeCult conference presentation and the challenge of documenting harm when websites disappear and records get deleted.Content Note: Discussion of alternative medicine fraud, financial exploitation, cult manipulation, and organizational harm.ABOUT BRONWYN RIDEOUT:Bronwyn Rideout is a registered midwife by night and the Chair of the New Zealand Skeptics by day. She has been researching Highden and ISTA since 2022 and delivered a presentation on both organisations at the 2024 DeCult conference with Dave Booda, Shany Kedar, and Mordechai Braunstein. As regular contributor to the NZ Skeptics newsletter, Bronwyn regularly writes about Autism, Multi-level Marketing companies, cults/coercive groups, and skeptical history through a New Zealand lens.Articles: https://articles.skeptics.nz/author/bronwyn-rideout/ISTA Research: https://skeptics.nz/istaPodcast: https://podcast.skeptics.nz/RESOURCES:Safer Sex-Positive and Spiritual Communities: 3SC.CommunityICSA (International Cultic Studies Association): ICSA.orgDECULT: decult.netSeek Safely: https://seeksafely.org/Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741CONNECT:Conversations like these helped me get through the darkest times, and I hope they help us get through dark times together.If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.Questions or feedback: [email protected]: https://caracordoni.substack.com/Instagram: @caracordoniLike what you're hearing? Subscribe, share with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your engagement helps others find these conversations.CREDITS: Graphics: Paxton Scarberry | Music: "Midnight Rendezvous" by Sasha Ende (ende.app) Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0