A Little Bit Culty

In Part 2, we continue our convo with Cara Cardoni and “Lina” about ISTA, the International School of Temple Arts, and the deeper red flags that pushed them to finally leave. Cara and Lina describe how the group used glossy language, spiritual framing, and “consent” rhetoric to obscure coercion, while the reality included harm, manipulation, and a system that made it hard to tell what was actually happening.They speak about the moment each of them saw the organization more clearly: Cara describes finding a survivor Facebook group, learning about patterns of abuse, and realizing when she raised concerns, she was DARVOd (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender, a manipulation tactic used to evade accountability). Lina shares the devastating account of being raped at an ISTA retreat, the years it took her to name it as rape, and the way ISTA’s response, including NDA pressure and refund games, exposed the hypocrisy beneath the “healing” branding. They also dig into the bigger system around ISTA, including labor exploitation, sex work versus trafficking, temple trainings as a funnel, and the overlap with other guru-led communities. The message is clear: if something feels off, leave, because these groups are built to exploit the very human instinct to belong.Also read The Cut’s article, “The Neo-Tantric Sex Group That Promised to Change,” for background on ISTA and Lina’s story. Check out Safer Sex-Positive & Spiritual Communities (3SC) at 3sc.community and Cara Cardoni’s Substack, and podcast, Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift, on YouTube or where you listen to your pods.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault, rape, coercive control, manipulation, gaslighting, emotional abuse, cultic behavior, trauma, labor exploitation, sex trafficking, and references to suicidal ideation.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.In this episode, we sit down with Cara Cardoni and “Lina” (whose real name remains anonymous) to unpack their experience with ISTA, the International School of Temple Arts, AKA the “Harvard of Sacred Sexuality” that turned out to have a lot more red flags than a festival wristband. Cara and Lina describe how they came to ISTA looking for healing, community, intimacy, and expansion, and how the pitch was wrapped in glossy marketing, “consent” language, intensity, and just enough spiritual seasoning to make the whole thing look transformational.We get into the mechanics of how ISTA works, including LGAT sessions, “Horse and Rider,” “Pillow Thrusting,” “sacred spot,” emotional release tools, and the way language was used to lower defenses and keep people compliant. Cara and Lina also talk about the pressure to stay in the room, the expectation to surrender judgment, the push toward sexualized exercises, and how the group’s “no attachments” vibe could be used to make people doubt their own boundaries.A major theme is how easily self-help gets weaponized when charisma, group pressure, and pseudo-intimacy mix. Both guests reflect on the difference between real growth and being manipulated into thinking you’re the problem, and they connect the dots between ISTA’s practices and other groups listeners will know from the show. You’ll want to stay tuned for Part 2.Also read The Cut’s article, “The Neo-Tantric Sex Group That Promised to Change,” for background on ISTA and Lina’s story. Check out Safer Sex-Positive & Spiritual Communities (3SC) at 3sc.community and Cara Cardoni’s Substack, and podcast, Fool's Gold: Discernment in the Age of Grift, on YouTube or where you listen to your pods.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual coercion and coercive control, manipulation, emotional and psychological abuse, group pressure, cultic behavior, nudity, sexualized exercises, and references to trauma and predatory conduct.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Peter Young, we go deeper into the disturbing story surrounding Uncle Robert Booty and how charisma, secrecy, and unchecked authority created the perfect conditions for harm to go unchallenged. Peter continues to unpack what he witnessed and experienced, shedding light on how manipulation and control can operate in plain sight, especially when wrapped in familiarity, trust, or even humor.We talked about the ripple effects of abuse within close-knit communities, the difficulty of speaking up when the person causing harm is protected (or even celebrated), and the long, complicated process of making sense of it all years later. As always, we look at the broader patterns: how individuals like Uncle Robert Booty can maintain influence, why bystanders stay silent, and what real accountability could look like when systems fail. Part 2 is heavy, but it’s grounded in truth-telling, clarity, and the importance of naming harm out loud.Check out Peter’s memoir, Stop the Tall Man, Save the Tiger, and follow him on his website,  authorpeteryoung.com, or on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of abuse, manipulation, coercive control, family estrangement, and harm within trusted relationships and community settings.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of our convo with Peter Young, we step into the wild, uncomfortable orbit of Uncle Robert Booty, the “cult” leader who slowly took over Peter’s marriage, family, and sense of reality. Peter talks about his book, Stop the Tall Man, Save the Tiger, and how he first met Paige while working as a sports broadcaster in Idaho, only to discover that her family’s world revolved around a man who demanded blind obedience, spiritual authority, and a whole lot of deeply weird bathroom rules.What starts as a love story turns into a long, slow-burn case study in coercive control, isolation, and spiritual gaslighting. Peter explains how Uncle Robert used Bible verses, “saved” language, and endless conferences to position himself as the gatekeeper to God, while gradually eroding Peter’s role as husband and father. The episode also explores the infamous “true gospel” framing, the pressure to doubt yourself, and the way cult dynamics can hide in plain sight inside family systems and religious language. You won’t want to miss Part 2.Check out Peter’s memoir, Stop the Tall Man, Save the Tiger, and follow him on his website,  authorpeteryoung.com, or on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of coercive control, spiritual, psychological, and emotional abuse, gaslighting, family estrangement, isolation, religious manipulation, child endangerment, and cult indoctrination.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, and save more than 50% at SelectQuote.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Buckle up, cultiverse: it’s our catch-up bonus round, where we give you a little bit extra. In this episode, we bask in the glow of your Amazon book reviews (please, keep ‘em coming!) and eavesdrop on the spicy, kooky, and downright cathartic voicemails waiting in our inbox from listeners who are ready to dish out their “a little more culty” revelations, rants, and burning questions.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.In this episode, we welcome back Alice Hines, co-host of the Mind Games podcast, and dig into her reporting on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), NXIVM, and the slippery gremlin bridge between self-help, persuasion, and manipulation. Alice explains how Mind Games traced the overlap between Twin Flames, NLP, and NXIVM. She spoke about interviewing ex-NXIVM president Nancy Salzman—and Sarah appears in episode 8 on NXIVM too.Our conversation gets into how NLP was packaged as a legit-looking psychology tool before drifting into guru territory, sales culture, and cult-adjacent use cases. Alice breaks down the techniques, the industry hype, and the origins of NLP through its two founders, Richard Bandler and John Grinder. We got a bit fired up about how NXIVM borrowed, recycled, and repurposed the same influence tactics. And we talk about Nancy Salzman’s relationship to NLP, the role of “appeal to authority,” and how these tools can be helpful in one context and deeply abusive in another.Be sure to subscribe to the Mind Games podcast and follow Alice Hines on her website alicehines.com, Instagram, X, or TikTok.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of psychological and emotional abuse, sexual coercion, and blackmail/collateral.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 with Harrison Hill, we go deeper into his book, The Oracle’s Daughter, and the wonderfully unhinged rise of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC), which started out as Free Love Ministries and then took a hard left into full-blown extremity. Harrison talks about the limited public record, the giant legal paper trail, and the kind of reporting that makes you wonder how anyone ever untangles a cult story without losing their mind.A big focus here is Sarah Green, the oldest child of Jim and Deborah Green, who grew up inside the compound, watched the control tighten, and eventually made her move toward escape. Harrison also traces the timeline from the 1989 legal trouble to the group’s move to rural New Mexico, and finally the 2017 raid and trial that bring the story to a head. Along the way, he digs into Satanic Panic, cult fear tactics, and the weirdly persuasive power of “we’re the only safe people on Earth” energy.He also gets into religion, doubt, and the difference between faith and outright nonsense, which is honestly a pretty solid distinction to keep in your back pocket. Our convo with him is sharp, unsettling, and still somehow darkly funny in that very specific “welcome to the American weirdness machine” kind of way.Be sure to pick up his book, The Oracle’s Daughter, and follow him on Instagram @1harrisonhill.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of coercive control, family separation, religious and emotional abuse, sexual shaming, Satanic Panic, and child endangerment.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In this episode, Harrison Hill joins us to discuss his book The Oracle’s Daughter and the rise and fall of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC), a group that began as Free Love Ministries and spiraled into an intensely controlling Christian cult. He explains how founders Jim and Deborah Green evolved from 1960s hippies into charismatic leaders, built a world of early-morning prayer, deliverance/exorcisms, relentless meetings, and total obedience, and drew people in with a mix of housing, food, work, and spiritual certainty.Harrison also traces the stories of the women at the center of the book: Deborah Green, her daughter Sarah, and Maura Schmierer, whose slow movement into the group shows how cult involvement often happens in small, incremental steps rather than one dramatic leap. He describes the group’s use of “God’s army” rhetoric, demon-based explanations for ordinary feelings like fatigue, the deliberate cutting off of “blood ties,” and the way family bonds were treated as a threat to the movement’s authority. You’ll definitely wanna stay tuned for Part 2 of our convo.Be sure to pick up his book, The Oracle’s Daughter, and follow him on Instagram @1harrisonhill.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of coercive control, emotional and spiritual abuse, family separation, exorcism/deliverance practices, and references to child endangerment.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10 percent off at BetterHelp.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part 2 with Melissa Duge Spiers picks up at the “WTF moment” when a call about her beloved father—a once‑celebrated Adventist youth pastor and doctor—exposes him as a child predator and shatters the good‑dad/bad‑mom story she’d carried her whole life. She walks listeners through confronting her parents, befriending “Dr. Z,” a former teen congregant who details the grooming and abuse, and realizing how deeply the Seventh‑day Adventist structure protected her father from quiet removal deals and put him back in the pulpit despite promises to keep him away from children.​She zooms out to the broader SDA pattern: stories pouring into her social channels, the church’s historic role in conversion therapy and even female genital mutilation, and how these institutional obsessions with sex and control shaped her own relationships, including a dangerous “cult of one” partnership she ultimately escaped with the help of a religious‑trauma therapist and psychedelic‑assisted work. As she finishes her memoir audiobook and helps launch a new mass‑tort case against the Adventist Church, Melissa shares what real healing has looked like—naming crimes as crimes, accepting there may never be full closure, and doing the slow, ongoing deconstruction that turns “I left” into genuine freedom on the other side.​To file an abuse claim again Seventh-day Adventist Church with Pintas & Mullins: https://www.seventhdayadventist-claims.comBe sure to pick up Melissa’s memoir, Holy Disobedience, when it launches this week, and follow her at The Glory Whole on Instagram and TikTok or on her Substack page: substack.com/@melissadugespiersTrigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming by a clergy member, institutional cover‑ups, religious and spiritual abuse, conversion therapy, circumcision and female genital mutilation, and narcissistic/abusive relationships.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon!Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of our episode with Melissa Duge Spiers, she pulls back the curtain on Seventh‑day Adventism (SDA)—a massive but strangely invisible denomination she describes as a classic end‑times cult built on control of food, bodies, and behavior. She traces the movement’s roots through prophet Ellen G. White, mad‑hatters‑era health fads, Kellogg’s cornflakes‑as‑anti‑masturbation tool, and the church’s global education and medical empire, which still funnels power to “crusty old white men” in Washington while aggressively proselytizing in vulnerable communities.​Melissa zoomed into her own multi‑generational SDA family: a great‑grandmother pulled in by a job and schooling for her kids, generations of Adventist doctors, and parents who enforced extreme modesty, hair and weight control, media bans, and purity culture so intense that even nail polish and books were policed. Gymnastics, banned Saturday competitions, secret library runs, and a “shirt” virginity metaphor all shaped her sexuality and body image. As a teen, she decided to reclaim her agency by deliberately “losing” her virginity to a public‑school athlete, only to replay the same patriarchal script later through older conservative partners and dysfunctional marriages that echoed SDA-style submission without the theology.Be sure to pick up Melissa’s memoir, Holy Disobedience, when it launches this week, and follow her at The Glory Whole on Instagram and TikTok or on her Substack page: substack.com/@melissadugespiers​Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of religious and spiritual abuse, body‑ and weight‑shaming, coercive purity culture and sexual scripts, and child corporal punishment.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon!Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at MintMobile.com/culty.Right now as a listener of our show, you can get up to 50% off your first order at MeUndies, plus free shipping, at MeUndies.com/culty, promo code culty.Way Day is THE sale to shop the best deals in home – we’re talking up to 80% OFF with fast and FREE shipping on everything! Head to Wayfair.com April 25th through the 27th to shop Way Day. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we finally sit down with Ashleigh Freckleton, one of the central voices in the Apple TV docuseries Twisted Yoga and a former devotee of MISA/Atman Yoga, the transnational yoga-tantra empire orbiting fugitive guru Gregorian Bivolaru. We’ve been trying to line this conversation up for years, and it was worth every time-zone fail and calendar mishap to get her in the (virtual) studio.Ashleigh takes us back to the moment yoga and meditation felt like the only things keeping her afloat—and how that genuine relief became the doorway into a “serious spiritual school” that slowly revealed itself as a high-control group with a global footprint. She walks us through the pipeline: starting with online Atman classes, moving into the in-person community at the Tara Yoga Centre in London, and eventually realizing the whole network feeds back to one very problematic “master” in hiding.We also get into how these groups weaponize spiritual language to train you to ignore that constant low-grade anxiety buzzing in the background. Ashleigh describes what it’s like to see her story hit the screen after years of healing: the stress before the doc dropped, the relief of being believed, and the weird emotional whiplash of dragging an old, well-filed trauma box back out of the closet and cracking it open for millions of strangers. If you’ve ever wondered whether your “intense” yoga or tantra scene is actually…a little bit culty, this one’s for you.Be sure to check out Twisted Yoga on Apple TV and follow Ashleigh on Instagram @afreckle_ and CULTivate Awareness @cultawareness_.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of spiritual and emotional abuse, pornography, sexual abuse allegations, anxiety, and trauma responses.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon!Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Liz Gale shares what it means to be a third‑generation Scientologist, born into a fanatical family where every aspect of childhood—schooling, discipline, even getting sick—was filtered through L. Ron Hubbard’s “technology.” She describes being audited from before birth, sent to a Scientology boarding school at eight, and subjected to invasive “sec checks” by her own mother using the e‑meter, eroding any sense of privacy, autonomy, or secure attachment.Liz traces the devastating impact Scientology’s beliefs had on her family, including her brother’s highly planned suicide at MIT on Hubbard’s birthday and the way the church’s anti‑psychiatry stance and perfectionism left him and others without real help. She talks about slowly deprogramming through community college and early‑childhood education, recognizing how abusive the system of raising kids in Scientology really is, and ultimately going “no contact” with her still‑in mother to protect her own children from becoming fourth‑generation Scientologists. Now living in Oregon, Liz reflects on boundary‑setting, suspected surveillance and harassment, and the grief of losing both her brother and her inheritance in the name of “family legacy” and the church.Follow Liz Gale on her website, liz-gale.com, or follow her on TikTok or YouTube.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of childhood emotional abuse and coercive control, spiritual abuse, invasive interrogations of children, family estrangement, and suicide.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon!Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Nancy Ross, we dig deeper into the fascinating (and frankly under-discussed) world of Mormon temple garments, the sacred undergarments worn by many devoted members of the LDS Church. Building on the research we introduced in Part 1, Nancy walks us through the results of her large survey examining how these garments actually impact people’s daily lives, especially Mormon women. We talk about everything from comfort and body awareness to modesty culture and the unspoken rules that shape how members think about their bodies, sexuality, and spiritual worthiness.Nancy shares what hundreds of respondents revealed about the lived experience of wearing temple garments: the physical realities and the complicated mix of devotion, obligation, and identity tied up in this uniquely Mormon practice. We also explore how conversations around modesty, sexuality, and religious obedience in the LDS Church can shape women’s sense of autonomy and self-trust, and how everyday practices can reinforce belonging, control, and silence around discomfort.For more in-depth info on her survey, pick up her book, Mormon Garments, and follow her on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of religious control, modesty culture, sexuality, body shame, and sensitive topics related to women’s bodies.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Little Bit Culty: Navigating Cults, Control and Coercion dropped on Amazon this past weekend and has already hit #1 new release in the psychology & religion category!The Kindle version is coming any day now, and the book will be up at other online retailers in the next few weeks. Thank you! We love you!Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon!Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR: If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Nancy Ross—religious studies professor, longtime Mormon feminist, and co‑author of the forthcoming book Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret—joins us to talk about what it’s like to grow up LDS in small‑town Maine, move into the hyper‑gendered world of southern Utah, and then turn all of that lived experience into rigorous research on faith, clothing, and control.She walks us through the secretive temple “endowment” where young adults first receive their garments, the lack of informed consent around covenants like “wives obey their husbands,” and the confusing mix of sacred language, modesty rules, and unexpected physical exposure that shape how Mormon women understand their bodies from day one. Nancy also shares how online Mormon feminist communities helped her name what felt “off,” why she launched a massive survey that gathered 4,500+ anonymous stories about garments, and what those responses reveal about gender hierarchy, shame, sensory discomfort, and the emotional toll of wearing mandated underwear you’re not even allowed to talk about.For more in-depth info on her survey, pick up her book, Mormon Garments, and follow her on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of religious and spiritual abuse, sexism, body‑shaming, and non‑informed consent around touching.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.Set a new standard for how you relax and connect. Access 10% off for life and redefine your nightly ritual today at Piquelife.com/culty.As an exclusive offer, new listeners can get their choice between organic ground beef, chicken breast, or shrimp in every box for a year, PLUS $20 off when you go to ButcherBox.com/culty.Right now, go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada, too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation, Magnolia Zuniga goes deeper into how the Ashtanga world responded—or failed to respond—to decades of sexual abuse by Pattabhi Jois and what that reveals about belonging, power, and performative “accountability” in yoga culture. She describes discovering that early Western students had deliberately suppressed photographic evidence of his assaults, how senior teachers minimized or rebranded what happened as “adjustments,” and why Me Too exposed not just one predator but a whole ecosystem of victim‑blaming, choice‑feminism rhetoric, and leaders more invested in their status and income than in telling the truth.Magnolia also talks about closing her own Mysore school, losing her coveted certification after speaking out, and building a new, Ayurveda‑informed way of teaching that centers individualized practice, honest power literacy, and doing yoga without funding or protecting abusive lineages—even when that means giving up enormous social and financial capital. For more context, check out The Walrus’s article on the topic.Follow Magnolia Zuniga on her YouTube channel, Facebook, or on Instagram @magnoliasezso.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault and molestation, victim‑blaming, mention of elite child abuse networks, and trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In Part 1 of this two‑episode conversation, Magnolia Zuniga—one of only about 20 certified Ashtanga teachers worldwide as of 2015—joins us to unpack how a practice she loved became a textbook example of how charisma, secrecy, and male‑centered power can warp modern yoga. She traces her path from early days in Bikram to that first Ashtanga class in Los Angeles, explains the demanding Mysore method (memorized sequences, 5–6 day‑a‑week practices, and three‑hour sessions), and walks us through the Ashtanga hierarchy of authorization, certification, and total dependence on a single male guru in India for legitimacy.Magnolia also describes, in detail, witnessing Pattabhi Jois’s sexual assaults on women during adjustments in Mysore, the way “choice feminism,” sunk‑cost fallacy, and the promise of advancement kept her and others silent, and why she now sees Ashtanga as a system that consistently protects “the practice” and male authority over the safety and bodies of overwhelmingly female students. For more context, check out The Walrus’s article on the topic, and stay tuned for Part 2.Follow Magnolia Zuniga on her YouTube channel, Facebook, or on Instagram @magnoliasezso.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault and sexualized “adjustments” in yoga settings, molestation, gaslighting, misogyny, and patriarchal dynamics in yoga lineages.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Your emotional wellbeing matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at MintMobile.com/culty.Right now as a listener of our show, you can get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping at MeUndies.com/culty, promo code culty.Find furniture, decor, and essentials that fit your unique style and budget. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home.Right now, go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada, too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last.If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome back for Part 2 with Bjorn Bolinder: dancer, photographer, and the guy whose heart was screaming “GET OUT!” louder than any cult alarm system we've ever heard. We pick up in 2016 as Bjorn signs up for SOP (the men's program) in a moment of pleaser panic, and then experiences a full-body revolt between the commitment meeting and his Washington Heights apartment. He listened, backed out, and his intuition proved prophetic.He walks us through the weird Festival of Flowers, staying at Allison's overcrowded house, the underwhelming reveal of his “life issue” at the end of the student track, and the exact moment his internal guidance system said, “You're done—get out NOW.” He returned to V-Week 2016 on work exchange after negotiating a refund, and observed late-night DOS activity he couldn’t yet contextualize.Then comes August 2017: Coach V’s text, the Frank Report, Sarah’s disappearing photo of a brand, and the surreal experience of attending an ESP event the same day he learned the truth. Bjorn described the whiplash of connecting puzzle pieces, the validation of his year-old exit, his spiritual mentor’s eerily accurate read on Keith Raniere, and where he was when the guilty verdict came through in June 2019. We reflected on people still loyal to Keith, Bjorn’s healing journey, and why “excited state” actually worked for his depression (even if we're not saying “Thank you, Vanguard” anymore).Be sure to follow Bjorn’s work at findthelightphotography.com and on Instagram @findthelightphotography.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of depression and suicidal ideation.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.Bjorn Bolinder—photographer, NXIVM insider, and the guy on the ladder in The Vow Episode 3—finally tells his story. For NXIVM nerds, this is the episode you've been waiting for: a behind-the-scenes perspective from someone who witnessed it all but stayed largely unknown to the public. Bjorn walks us through his recruitment in January 2015, how a midnight kitchen conversation about curing Tourette's syndrome planted the seed, and why he signed up for his 5-day already knowing it would be expensive and a pitch.He opens up about his initial resistance on days two or three (and how one module blew right through it), the overwhelming workload as a V-Week photographer working until 2 a.m. for what amounted to $7/hour in "work exchange," and meeting Keith Raniere for the first time with stars in his eyes. Bjorn shares why Nippy was such a green flag for him—in an organization that felt safe after a childhood of being bullied in macho dance studio and school environments—and how NXIVM’s Goals Lab became a place where he felt genuinely supported and seen.This first part is all green flags with tiny red ones creeping in around the edges. Thursday's Part 2 brings Pam Cafritz’s memorial, the blow-up, and how Bjorn finally figured it out after we left.Follow Bjorn’s work at findthelightphotography.com and on Instagram @findthelightphotography.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of childhood bullying and homophobia.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Your emotional wellbeing matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at MINTMOBILE.com/culty.Right now as a listener of my show, you can get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping at MeUndies.com/culty, promo code culty.Find furniture, decor, and essentials that fit your unique style and budget. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Right now, go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada, too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last.If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus Q&A episode from our Patreon vault, Marc Headley broke down how Scientology actually works on the inside: from Sea Org recruitment scripts and billion‑year contracts to what really goes on at Gold Base behind the gates and cameras. He explained the day‑to‑day mechanisms of control—sleep deprivation, production quotas, “ethics” punishments, sec checks, disconnection, and constant surveillance—and how those systems are designed to keep members compliant while protecting leadership and celebrities.Marc also talked about what happens when people try to leave or speak up, including smear campaigns, private investigators, legal intimidation, and online harassment, and offers practical insight into spotting high‑control tactics in any group, supporting loved ones still in, and why exposing Scientology’s playbook has become a full‑time job in itself. We also tease something exciting coming from Marc’s wife, Claire Headley, also a past ALBC guest.Get your ex-Scientology merch @ The SP Shop, and support The Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation at Comedy For a Cause on March 11: https://comedyworks.com/comedians/comedy-for-a-cause-an-evening-benefiting-the-michael-j-rinder-aftermath-foundationYou can also follow Marc at blownforgood.com and on YouTube @blownforgood and @TheAftermathFoundation.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of religious and psychological abuse, forced labor and overwork, harassment and intimidation of defectors, high‑control group tactics, stalking, and legal pressure campaigns.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Following last week’s conversations with ex-Corey’s Angels musicians Margot Lane and Jezebel Sweet, director Marcie Hume joins us to talk about making Corey Feldman Vs. The World, the cinéma vérité documentary that starts as a quirky comeback chronicle and turns into an unexpectedly raw portrait of a former child star wrestling with trauma, ego, and the need to be believed.Marcie shares how she first got access to Corey Feldman, what it was like to embed with him, his band Corey’s Angels, and their inner circle over years of on‑again, off‑again filming, and how the story kept shifting as his grievances, paranoia, and yearning for redemption played out in real time on and off camera. She also pulls back the curtain on the ethics of documenting someone who is both a survivor and a deeply unreliable narrator, the pressure from all sides—Corey, producers, fans, critics—to shape the narrative, and why she ultimately chose to keep the camera rolling long past the “hero’s journey” arc in order to show something messier, more human, and uncomfortably honest about fame, fandom, and the stories we tell about abuse and accountability in Hollywood.Follow Marcie’s journey on Instagram @cfvstw, at YouTube.com/@CFVSTW, and be sure to watch the documentary on Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child abuse and sexual exploitation, emotional manipulation, trauma, PTSD, addiction, mental health struggles, and scenes of conflict and controlling behavior.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Give your skin a rest with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code CULTY at OSEAMalibu.com.If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 with Margot Lane and Jezebel Sweet, we dive more into the spectacle of Corey’s Angels and the documentary Corey Feldman Vs. the World and what happens after you walk away from someone else’s narrative and start writing your own. They talk about the emotional and professional fallout of leaving Corey Feldman’s orbit, how it felt to watch their time in the band reframed on screen, and the mix of validation, frustration, and grief that comes with seeing the “behind the music” story shown on film.Margot and Jezebel also share how they’re building their careers now—setting new boundaries in the entertainment industry, unpacking what they once normalized as “how it is,” and reconnecting with their own creativity, friendships, and instincts outside of the Corey’s Angels mythology.You can watch Corey Feldman Vs. The World on Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play (this is homework for next week’s guest too!). Also follow Margot Lane at margotlane.com and on Facebook and Instagram @musicismargot. Follow Jezebel Sweet at JezebelSweet.com, on Instagram & YouTube @JezebelSweet, and her doc commentary on YouTube.com/@JezebelSweetSpeaks.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of emotional manipulation and controlling dynamics, objectification of women, abuse, drug use, crossing boundaries of sexual consent, and mental health and trauma processing.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinIf you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In this episode, we’re joined by Margot Lane and Jezebel Sweet, former members of Corey’s Angels, the all‑female band and “angel” entourage formed and led by actor and musician Corey Feldman. Drawing on their experience, partially shown in the new documentary COREY FELDMAN VS. THE WORLD—a cinéma vérité chronicle of Corey’s attempt to reboot his career—they describe what it’s like to have the camera rolling long after the performance ends, how it felt to be inside the Corey’s Angels brand while he negotiated the cost of childhood fame in real time, and what they see now that they’re on the other side of that project.They talk about how what looked like a quirky Hollywood comeback vehicle came with an intense image regime, tight control over their time and presentation, and a blurry line between artistic collaboration and life inside Corey’s carefully curated universe. They also unpack the power dynamics of working for a controlling boss, the emotional whiplash of loyalty, doubt, and disenchantment, and in Part 2, we chat more about what it’s taken to reclaim their own narratives, music, and creative futures outside Corey’s orbit.You can watch Corey Feldman Vs. The World on Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play. Also follow Margot Lane at margotlane.com and on Facebook and Instagram @musicismargot. Follow Jezebel Sweet at JezebelSweet.com, on Instagram & YouTube @JezebelSweet, and her doc commentary on YouTube.com/@JezebelSweetSpeaks.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of emotional manipulation and controlling dynamics, objectification of women, abuse, drugging and rape, and mental health struggles.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Set your best health goals in motion. Access 20% off and begin your journey toward sustained wellness today at Piquelife.com/culty.Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.As an exclusive offer, new listeners can get their choice between organic ground beef, chicken breast or ground turkey in every ButcherBox box for a year, PLUS $20 off when you go to ButcherBox.com/CULTY.If you’re ready to start searching safely online, go to surfshark.com/culty or use code CULTY at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Sofia May, she continues sharing her experiences connected to Tara Mandala and the community around lama Tsultrim Allione. We get into the messy, nuanced territory where Buddhist teachings, spiritual leadership, and real-world power dynamics intersect. We explore what draws people to Tibetan Buddhist communities and retreat centers in the first place, and how things can get complicated when reverence, hierarchy, and human behavior collide. Sofia shared her perspective on navigating doubt, loyalty, and disillusionment, and what happens when your spiritual home starts raising hard questions instead of providing easy answers.We also zoom out to look at broader patterns across guru-centered and high-demand spiritual communities, including teacher-student dynamics, accountability gaps, community pressure, and spiritual bypassing. This conversation isn’t about flattening every Buddhist or Tara Mandala experience into one story, but about building discernment, consent, and self-trust when engaging with any spiritual teacher or organization. If you’ve ever wrestled with concerns about a spiritual leader or practice community, this one’s for you.Be sure to check out the article in Guru Magazine in which Sofia May first shares her Tara Mandala experience, and follow her comedy journey on Instagram or TikTok @sofiamaycomedy.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child and sexual abuse, coercive influence, and religious/spiritual trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of this conversation with stand-up comedian and former Tara Mandala practitioner Sofia May, she joins us to talk about how a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist retreat center in the Colorado mountains—founded by western author lama Tsultrim Allione—slowly revealed a deeply culty underbelly beneath the goddess imagery and tantric empowerment language. Sofia traces her path from sincere Buddhist seeker to close student of lama Tsultrim inside Tara Mandala’s residential community. She describes the powerful draw of the center’s practices, trauma‑informed branding, and female‑centered spirituality, and how all that coexisted with secrecy, hierarchy, and a guru culture where doubt was pathologized and obedience was framed as devotion.We also get into the day‑to‑day dynamics at Tara Mandala—pressure to attend costly retreats and trainings, complex power plays in teacher–student relationships, and how survivors are now comparing notes about gaslighting, spiritual bypassing, and psychological harm in a place that promised healing above all. You’ll want to read the article in Guru Magazine in which Sofia May first shared her experience, and stay tuned for Part 2.And be sure to follow Sofia May’s comedy journey on Instagram or TikTok @sofiamaycomedy.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual abuse and violence, spiritual and psychological abuse, financial and labor exploitation misogyny and boundary violations, and trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with author Tia Levings, we go even deeper into what it actually takes to leave a high-control Christian fundamentalist marriage and rebuild a life on the other side. Tia shares more about how religious doctrine, patriarchy, and fear were used to justify control, submission, and abuse, and how difficult it can be to recognize harm when it’s framed as God’s will or “biblical womanhood.”We talk about spiritual abuse, domestic abuse in religious communities, and the psychological gymnastics required to survive when obedience is treated as virtue and autonomy is treated as sin. Tia unpacks the long-term impact of purity culture, religious trauma, and coercive control, especially for women and children raised inside authoritarian belief systems. We also dig into grief, anger, and the slow, radical work of reclaiming agency after leaving a marriage and a faith structure that demanded self-erasure.As always, we look at the bigger patterns: how fundamentalist Christianity and other high-demand belief systems create conditions where abuse is normalized, victims are silenced, and leaving comes at an enormous personal cost. Tia’s voice is clear, compassionate, and unflinching—and her story is a powerful reminder that survival itself can be an act of defiance.Paperback copies of A Well-Trained Wife are available February 20, and you can pre-order Tia’s upcoming book, I Belong to Me, coming May 5. Follow her at tialevings.com and on social media @tialevingswriter.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of domestic and spiritual abuse, religious trauma, and misogyny.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In this episode, Tia Levings—bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife and survivor of Christian fundamentalism who appears in the Amazon docuseries Shiny Happy People—returns to dig deeper into what happened after escaping her high‑control marriage and the broader world of Christian patriarchy and homeschooling that enabled it. She talks about navigating the court system and custody battles with an abuser who knew how to weaponize “godly fatherhood,” how churches and pastors closed ranks around him, and what it really takes to rebuild a life, parenting, and identity after years inside complementarian theology, Quiverfull‑style gender roles, and domestic violence justified with Bible verses.Tia also shares how writing, advocacy, and connecting with other survivors of religious abuse, authoritarian homeschooling, and Christian nationalist culture have become part of her healing—and why she believes telling messy, complicated stories about faith, family, and freedom is one of the most powerful ways to push back on the systems that trained her to stay small and silent in the first place.Paperback copies of A Well-Trained Wife are available February 20, and you can pre-order Tia’s upcoming book, I Belong to Me, coming May 5. Follow her at tialevings.com and on social media @tialevingswriter.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of domestic violence, religious and spiritual abuse, child and family trauma, and brief mentions of suicidal thoughts.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:You’re going to love Hungryroot as much as we do. For a limited time, get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/culty and use code culty.Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Make this Valentine's Day one to remember with matching underwear from MeUndies. To get exclusive deals up to 50% off, go to MeUndies.com/culty and enter promo code culty.Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty. Ready to stop paying more than you have to? New customers can make the switch today and for a limited time, get unlimited premium wireless for just $15 per month. Switch now at MintMobile.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 with former Landmark Forum staffer Anne Peterson, we dig into what it actually took to leave the Landmark ecosystem emotionally, financially, and socially—and how she began unpacking the “technology” and jargon she once used to coach other people’s breakthroughs. Anne breaks down the aftershocks of working inside a Werner Erhard–inspired large group awareness training (LGAT): the burnout, cognitive dissonance, and shame hangovers that show up once you’re no longer being love‑bombed on course weekends, plus the grief of losing a whole community that insisted it was just about “possibility” and “transformation.”She also shares what recovery has looked like: learning to trust her own perceptions again, finding language for psychological abuse and undue influence, connecting with other ex‑Landmark and ex‑LGAT survivors, and building a gentler, consent‑based approach to personal growth that doesn’t require signing up for endless trainings, going into debt, or turning every relationship into an enrollment opportunity.Be sure to pick up Anne’s memoir, Is This a Cult?, follow her on Facebook or Instagram, and follow iLumn8.Life on Facebook and Instagram.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of psychological and physical abuse, financial and labor exploitation, depression, and trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of this conversation, former Landmark Forum staffer Anne Peterson returns to update us about life post-Is This a Cult? book launch. She takes us back inside the transformational training machine built on Werner Erhard’s EST curriculum, and how something sold as breakthrough personal growth slowly revealed classic high‑control dynamics. Going from enthusiastic participant to full‑time staff, Anne breaks down the structure of Landmark forums, leadership programs, and “enrollment” culture, and what it actually felt like to live inside a world of long days, unpaid labor framed as service, and constant pressure to bring in new people.She also unpacks the language games, thought‑stopping clichés, and emotional high/low cycles that made it so hard to question Landmark Education or Erhard’s legacy, and shares how she eventually stepped away, began naming her experience as loaded with undue influence, and started rebuilding a life, career, and sense of self outside the Landmark universe.Be sure to pick up Anne’s memoir, Is This a Cult?, follow her on Facebook or Instagram, and follow iLumn8.Life on Facebook and Instagram.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of parental and physical abuse and trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Give your skin a rest with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA. Right now we have a special discount just for our listeners. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code CULTY at OSEAMalibu.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Priya Hutner, we keep pulling back the curtain on life inside the Kashi Ashram and the world surrounding Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (“Ma”), including what happens when devotion, hierarchy, and silence collide. Priya continues sharing her lived experience growing up in and around the ashram and how spiritual ideals were often used to excuse harm, blur boundaries, and shut down questions. We talk about the normalization of control and coercion in spiritual communities, the pressure to reframe pain as growth, and what it’s like to realize—years later—that what you were taught was “love” or “service” didn’t actually feel safe.We explore the long tail of cult recovery and religious trauma, especially for those raised in high-control spiritual environments where obedience was spiritualized and dissent was discouraged. We reflect on the complicated legacy of Ma, the culture of the ashram, and how charismatic leaders and closed communities can create conditions where harm goes unchecked. Priya’s honesty adds to an essential conversation about accountability, healing, and reclaiming your voice after leaving a group that once defined your entire world.Be sure to check out Priya’s book launching March 3, 2026, Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker's Story of Love, Loss and Liberation, and follow her on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In Part 1 of our conversation with writer Priya Hutner, she takes us inside her years at the Kashi Ashram, a spiritual community led by guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, AKA “Ma,” in New York. She unpacks how an intentional, service-oriented “ashram family” slowly revealed deeply culty dynamics beneath the incense and darshan (beholding). She traces her journey from an earnest young seeker drawn to Eastern spirituality, meditation, and seva (service), to an insider navigating Ma Jaya’s love-bombing, manufactured mystique, public darshans and punishments, and the slow erosion of her autonomy and critical thinking in the name of devotion and ego death.We also get into the day-to-day life at Kashi—kids raised collectively, money and careers funneled into the guru’s vision, romantic and family relationships controlled from the top—and how Priya eventually recognized spiritual abuse, trauma bonding, and high-demand group tactics that still affect former ashram members decades later.Be sure to check out Priya’s book launching March 3, 2026, Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker's Story of Love, Loss and Liberation, and follow her on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:You can’t step into a lighter version of yourself without leaving behind what’s been weighing you down. Therapy can help you clear space. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at RocketMoney.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jared Van Driessche, we go even deeper into what happens when you start questioning the system you were raised in, especially when that system is built on family, faith, and authority. Jared continues to unpack his experience growing up in a high-control religious environment connected to the Bahá’í faith, and how parental power, spiritual obedience, and silence around harm collide in deeply damaging ways.We talk candidly about parental abuse, childhood emotional abuse, and family systems that protect belief over safety. Jared shares what it’s like to grow up when religious devotion overrides a child’s basic needs, how teachings were used to justify control and punishment, and the long road to healing after child abuse within his religious family. We also explore the grief, boundary-setting, and courage required to name harm, even when it means questioning a faith tradition you were taught was untouchable.For more on Jared’s work in protective security, read his book, Public Figures, Private Lives, and follow him on LinkedIn.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of parental, child, and emotional abuse and family violence.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of our conversation, security specialist Jared Van Driessche shares the story behind his polished “protector” persona: growing up in a Bahá’í family with a controlling and volatile father, and how a faith that preached unity, justice, and service coexisted with secrecy, fear, and emotional and physical abuse at home. He talks about being parentified from a young age, trying to manage his dad’s rage, and the confusing double bind of having a spiritual community that outwardly looked loving while he and his siblings learned to walk on eggshells, hide bruises, and normalize coercive control as just “family dynamics.” Jared also unpacks how those early experiences with authoritarian parenting, religious idealism, and blurred boundaries around obedience and sacrifice shaped his adult relationships, his sensitivity to child abuse and domestic violence, and his ongoing work to break intergenerational patterns and build a safer, more honest life for his own kids.For more on Jared’s work in protective security, read his book, Public Figures, Private Lives, and follow him on LinkedIn.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of violence, stalking and harassment, and child abuse.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Make this Valentine's Day one to remember with matching underwear from MeUndies. To get exclusive deals up to 50% off, go to MeUndies.com/culty and enter promo code culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 with artist and ex-Mormon creator Shelise Ann Sola, we pick up with what happens after you walk away from the LDS Church: family fallout, reclaiming your body and sexuality from modesty/purity culture, and learning how to trust your own inner authority instead of a prophet, bishop, or priesthood holder. Shelise talks about healing religious trauma, unpacking scrupulosity and intrusive fears about hell and worthiness, and the messy, funny, and sometimes dark reality of building a new life, new boundaries, and new beliefs in the “post-Mormon” wilderness.We also get into her online work: TikTok, podcasts, art, and ex-Mormon memes as a form of grief processing and community-building, why Mormonism and other high-demand religions can feel a little bit culty, and what’s actually helped her feel safe, connected, and spiritually grounded on the other side.Be sure to follow Shelise’s podcast, Cults to Consciousness, on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and Shelise at sheliseannsola.com and on Instagram @sheliseann.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the first part of our conversation, artist, podcaster, and former Mormon Shelise Ann Sola joins us to talk about growing up in a devout Latter-day Saint (LDS) family. She internalized “perfect girl” expectations and slowly deconstructed the high-demand beliefs that shaped her identity and relationships. Shelise shares how modesty culture, purity messaging, temple worthiness interviews, and the LDS obsession with eternal marriage impacted her mental health, sexuality, and sense of self, and how leaving the church meant losing community, certainty, and family approval all at once. We also got into her creative life after Mormonism, why she started talking publicly about high-control religion and religious trauma, and how she now uses humor, art, and storytelling to help other ex-Mormons and faith-questioners feel less alone while they untangle what was spiritual from what was spiritual abuse.Follow Shelise’s podcast, Cults to Consciousness, on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and Shelise at sheliseannsola.com and on Instagram @sheliseann.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Don't wait. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.Join the loyalty program for renters at joinbilt.com/culty.Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at RocketMoney.com/culty.Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Elicia Ybarra, she unpacks her path to healing through EMDR trauma therapy. She realized how buried triggers from years of grooming and abuse sabotaged her marriage and self-defense curriculum development, leading to a near-separation and inability to be touched even by her son. She broke down her "Pretty Hands, Hard Punches" empowerment model. We also discussed why stats show 975/1000 sexual assault perpetrators walk free, the red flags of abuse, multi-layered boundaries (emotional, time, social), and the "think, yell, run, fight, tell" progression with simple, realistic strikes like palm heels to the nose (tested by board-breaking!).Elicia shared red flags for parents: how to check for safe martial arts schools (check one-star reviews, watch instructor interactions, run background checks via Academy Safe, avoid MMA locker-room culture), how unquestioning obedience grooms kids to ignore gut instincts, and practical family rules like no adult secrets with children and always respecting "no" to hugs.Be sure to follow Elicia on her website, prettyhandshardpunches.com, or on Facebook or Instagram @prettyhandshardpunches.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault statistics and low conviction rates, trauma triggers/panic attacks, strangulation, and stalking/harassment.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 1 of our conversation with martial artist and empowerment self-defense instructor Elicia Ybarra, we trace how a childhood love of ninja turtles and karate turned into a 30-year journey through grooming, coercive control, and abuse in multiple martial arts settings, and how she eventually turned all of it into a curriculum to help other women fight back before it ever gets physical.Elicia described being groomed by a trusted instructor from ages 13–16, losing her community when she tried to set boundaries, getting pulled into a second “family” TaeKwonDo organization where a grandmaster weaponized rank, money, and humiliation, and how those patterns set her up for an extremely violent relationship she barely escaped. She walked us through the turning points: postpartum depression, COVID, therapy, watching cult docs (shoutout, The Vow), quitting smoking, and finally building “Pretty Hands, Hard Punches” and an empowerment self-defense model that starts with boundaries, intuition, and situational awareness—not just throat punches and palm strikes.Be sure to follow Elicia on her website, prettyhandshardpunches.com, or on Facebook or Instagram @prettyhandshardpunches.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual abuse, statutory rape, workplace sexism and harassment, intimate partner violence, and suicide.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:You’re going to love Hungryroot as much as we do. For a limited time, get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/culty and use code culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ring the sleigh bells for this A Little Bit Extra Thursday Christmas bonus. We navigate thorny territory around recent NXIVM-adjacent podcasts we legally can't discuss yet. Trust us, we have thoughts, and Sarah spills her feelings about all the drama on her hour-long debrief with Mark Vicente. We reflect on our favorite episodes from 2025—ones that surprised us, moved us, and occasionally got us in trouble—and tease what's coming in 2026: our book is finally landing, and we're doing a live Patreon interview with Marc Headley that you won't want to miss.We respond to the spicy, kooky, and downright cathartic voicemails waiting in our inbox from listeners dishing their “a little more culty” revelations, rants, and burning questions. It’s our usual gallows humor, a few tangents, and a mess of trying to talk about cults while actively avoiding new cult-like behavior. Cozy chaos with a side of legal caution on a Christmas platter.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Cheryl Tuppa joins the pod to tell the story of her niece Briana’s seven-year entanglement with Twin Flames Universe—from a late-night Google search about soulmates to a full-blown high-control group that nearly swallowed her life and savings. A longtime cybersecurity specialist, Cheryl walks us through how a close, resourceful New England family still missed key early signs, then organized “Team Briana” behind the scenes, contacting ex-members, law enforcement, journalists, and cult consultants (Sarah included), and ultimately helped Briana escape and rebuild her life. We get into money, “divine dish” food control, the pressure to stalk “twin flames,” Jeff and Shaleia’s role in mass gender transitions and the Mind Alignment Program, recent FBI action against the group, and why being a “safe place to land” may be the single most important thing loved ones can do.​We also mention therapist and cult specialist Rachel Bernstein, who worked with Briana and has been a guest on our show. Also check out our previous episodes with ex-Twin Flames Universe member Keely Griffin and journalist Alice Hines, who both helped expose the group’s abuses and digital reach.And for creative arts therapy approaches, look up clinical psychologist Jennifer French.Be sure to follow Cheryl’s YouTube channel and join her mission to expose cults and other high control groups.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of gender transition under high-pressure conditions, and disordered eating and food control.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Andrew-Ryan Profaci, we pick up right where things get extra bananas: the “quantum hoax,” the moment he pulled back the curtain on Love Has Won’s manufactured enemies, fake spiritual threats, and collective delusion. Andrew-Ryan realized the whole thing was a miniature version of the way abusive systems run in the wider world. We walk through how he went from compliant “Father God” to sabotaging the belief system from the inside, confronting Amy’s contradictions, and trying to protect vulnerable newcomers like Bill, a 55-year-old who liquidated his house and retirement for the group and died with nothing left. He shares the heartbreaking endgame—Amy’s denied medical care, her mummified body found in a shrine, zero accountability for the remaining members—and how he rebuilt his life, survived stage 4 cancer, and distilled it all into a core message about authenticity, belonging, and why cults are a magnified version of dynamics most of us already live in.Be sure to read Andrew-Ryan’s book, The War on Love, and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of medical neglect leading to death.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. In the first of this two-part episode, we finally go inside Love Has Won with someone who was actually there, and who tried to stop it from the inside out. We talk with Andrew-Ryan Profaci about how a lonely, spiritually curious guy dealing with addiction recovery, job loss, and a rabbit hole of conspiracies became “Father God–adjacent” in a group led by Amy Carlson, a woman who believed she was Mother God, destined to usher Earth into a new 5D age. Andrew walks us through the 10-day slide from chatroom seeker to walking into a trashed Colorado house at dawn, facing a drunk, drooling “deity,” and still deciding to stay because of intense, inexplicable experiences he couldn’t ignore. We dig into the daily grind, the alcohol-soaked nights, the Father God proposition, and the mind-bending “quantum hoax” that exposed just how far an insider would go to stay in the group—and with Mother God herself.Be sure to read Andrew-Ryan’s book, The War on Love, and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of alcohol addiction.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:This December, start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.Don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at Monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year.For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames—named number 1 by Wirecutter—by using promo code CULTY at checkout. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays! Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amanda Montell returns for round two, diving into what she's learned since Cultish dropped: Instagram comment wars as tribal battlegrounds, "platforming" as a thought-terminating cliché, and why understanding opposing views could get you canceled. We bonded over podcast economics, navigated controversy around Sounds Like a Cult episodes on Waldorf and fertility, discussed which cult she'd have joined (artist-led, obviously), and took a truly unhinged detour into vampire raves, Gen Z slang, and the etymology of "no cap." Chaos, warmth, and peak cult-nerd energy abound.Be sure to follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell and the Sounds Like a Cult podcast @soundslikeacultpod. Be sure to listen where you get your podcasts!Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amanda Montell—author, linguist, and our reigning three-time champion guest—returns in studio to talk about the newly released paperback edition of Cultish, the book that launched a thousand cult-discourse hot takes and made us all think twice about our SoulCycle memberships. We dove into what it's like to write a cult book when you're 27, watch it blow up unexpectedly, and face the onslaught of feedback (good, bad, and "I want to ruin your life"). Amanda opened up about the changes she made for the paperback after years of listening, learning, and hiring her own sensitivity checkers, and why the brainwashing debate is way more nuanced than an X thread can handle. Plus: updates on married life, her forthcoming novel Where To Put Your Tongue (yes, really), and why OneTaste's "get off on any stroke" might be the culty-est thought-terminating cliché we've ever heard.Stay tuned Thursday for part 2, follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell and the Sounds Like a Cult podcast @soundslikeacultpod. Be sure to listen where you get your podcasts!Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames—named #1 by Wirecutter—by using promo code CULTY at checkout. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast,  so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays! Support the show by mentioning us at checkout! Terms and conditions apply.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back for A Little Bit Extra Thursday filled with Thanksgiving word salads and gallows humor. We chat about the last few truly bonkers weeks, share a long-awaited update on the book (spoiler: it’s actually finished and with our copy editor!), and talk about why we can’t publicly comment on certain NXIVM-adjacent podcasts just yet.We listen to your voicemails about the podcast featuring Allison Mack, Nippy’s growth arc, Westerners hijacking Eastern spirituality, and a culty resort in Costa Rica that’s been pinging your radar. There’s also wild OneTaste/Morehouse prison-cult speculation. We invite you to send in future word-salad prompts and red-flag groups we should investigate. This one’s messy, weirdly cozy, but honest—just the way y’all like it.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When does sexual empowerment cross the line into cult control? Following Ellen Huet’s OneTaste expose, we sat with Anthia Gillick—former OneTaste “insider,” survivor, and truth-teller—for a deep dive into the mechanics of manipulation inside one of the most controversial so-called “wellness” groups of the last decade. Anthia shares her journey from lost post-grad to commune life, revealing how boundaries were vaporized, “personal growth” was weaponized, and manufactured intimacy masked abuse and exploitation. She breaks down the OneTaste playbook on love-bombing, sales, shame, and consent, plus what helped her finally get out—and how healing (and justice) have looked since. If you’ve ever wondered how “empowerment” can become a tool for control, or why smart people stay so long, this episode shines a bright and compassionate light on all the gray zones.You can follow Anthia on her website, anthiagillick.com, and follow her on Instagram or X.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual exploitation and assault, psychological abuse, emotional manipulation, and physical violence in relationships.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Take advantage of this exclusive offer: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/culty and use code culty.Don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year.For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames dot com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames—named number 1 by Wirecutter—by using promo code CULTY at checkout at AuraFrames.com, promo code CULTY. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply.Join the loyalty program for renters at joinbilt.com/culty. Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you.AG1 has their best offer ever. Head to DRINKAG1.com/CULTY to get a FREE Welcome Kit, Omega 3s, Vitamin D3+K2, an AG1 Flavor Sampler, and you’ll get to try their new sleep supplement AGZ for free. It’s been a game changer for our nightly routine.Get last-minute hosting essentials, gifts for all your loved ones, and decor to celebrate the holidays for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code CULTY.Shop for everything you need at Whole Foods Market, your holiday headquarters! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back with the second half of our conversation with the unstoppable Heather Gay: housewife, truth-teller, and newly minted slayer of Mormon silence. Heather gets real (and really funny) about what she’s gained since stepping away from the church: self-discovery, creative freedom, and the kind of joy 10-year-old her would’ve fainted over. We dig into her docuseries Surviving Mormonism, the tidal wave of stories she’s helping bring to light, and the church’s (let’s call it) “creative” approach to handling abuse reports. Heather opens up about the personal cost of speaking out, the shocking stories that rocked her the most, and how she’s rebuilding her relationship with spirituality from the ground up. And because this is our show, we of course veer into bras, garments, guilty pleasures, and whether Heather might be the Leah Remini of Mormonism (spoiler: yes). We laughed, almost cried, plotted a three-way meetup with Leah, and even talked laser hair removal. Settle in—this one’s heartfelt, hilarious, and peak Heather Gay.Follow Heather on Instagram and Facebook, pick up her memoir, Bad Mormon, and catch Surviving Mormonism on Peacock or Bravo.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child and sexual abuse.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heather Gay, Real Housewife, “Bad Mormon,” and faith deconstruction trailblazer, joined us to talk about her journey from devout church girl to outspoken survivor. She shares what made Mormonism so magnetic, how family, secrets, and ritual shaped her upbringing, and the pivotal moments that cracked her certainty wide open, including appearing on past ALBC guest Dr. John Dehlin’s Mormon Stories Podcast. From endowment ceremonies and culinary faux pas to finding her voice outside the fold, Heather dishes on the unique mix of pressure, community, and hope that comes with leaving a high-demand religion. This first part of our conversation’s raw, real, and unexpectedly relatable—even if you’ve never worn sacred garments, tried to appease your bishop, or “woken up” because of a frozen burrito.Follow Heather on Instagram and Facebook, pick up her memoir, Bad Mormon, and catch Surviving Mormonism on Peacock or Bravo.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We dive even deeper in Part two with Ellen Huet to unpack what drove OneTaste’s inner circle, its culty sales playbook, and the strange tangle of power, personal growth, and manipulation. Ellen reveals the hidden pressures—financial, sexual, emotional—that kept members tied to the group (and often hemorrhaging money), and explains how buzzwords like “aversion practice,” “getting off on any stroke,” and “rapidly changing reality” were really tools for bulldozing boundaries and controlling thought. Our conversation traces OneTaste’s journey from wellness trend to federal courtroom, busts modern myths about female-led groups, and highlights why charismatic leadership is always more about the follower than the figurehead. Plus: surprising cult parallels with AI, why new spiritual movements are getting more digital (and more female-fronted), and how lessons from OneTaste can help us spot red flags in even the most unexpected places. If you care about consent, community, or why smart people fall for shiny promises, this is essential listening.For more on Ellen’s exploration of OneTaste, read her book, Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult. Also, follow her on Instagram, X, or Bluesky.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.What happens when the pursuit of female pleasure blurs into high-pressure sales, psychological control, and a federal criminal trial? In this two-part episode, we’re joined by journalist Ellen Huet for a candid dive into the rise and fall of OneTaste and the controversial practice of orgasmic meditation. Ellen unpacks how a wellness company promising sexual healing and empowerment became a high-control, high-demand group, luring seekers with mindfulness and “goalless” pleasure, then pushing boundaries, demanding loyalty, and turning taboo into currency. We covered OneTaste’s celebrity endorsements, culty sales tactics, the “bait-and-switch” of so-called sexual liberation, and the subtle ways a quest for growth can lead to manipulation. Ellen also shared the behind-the-scenes story of her reporting: from her first incredulous meetings through years of deep-dive investigation, to witnessing the courtroom drama firsthand. If you thought you understood “sex cults,” this conversation will bend your notions, shift your Overton window, and leave you thinking twice about what empowerment really means. Stay tuned for part two, where legal fireworks and even wilder revelations take center stage.Be sure to read Ellen’s book, Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult, and follow her on Instagram, X, or Bluesky.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:This month, don’t wait to reach out. Whether you're checking in on a friend, or reaching out to a therapist yourself, Betterhelp makes it easier to take that first step. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/culty.Don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year.Calm your mind, change your life. Calm has an exclusive offer just for listeners of our show–get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at calm.com/culty. This is an amazing value. Go to calm.com/culty for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library. And tell Calm you heard about them from us!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What actually happens when the world doesn’t end, the “shelf” breaks, and the self-proclaimed prince of a doomsday empire is left standing amid the fallout? In this powerful follow-up, Sean Prophet takes us through the final years of apocalyptic shelter drills, shattered prophecies, and how an edict about near-beer triggered a total loss of faith in his mother’s spiritual authority at the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT). Sean shared how leaving wasn’t a single dramatic leap but a slow unraveling—pushed by impossible hierarchies, small acts of rebellion, and the radical idea that you get to decide how to live your life. Our conversation explores the difference between healthy community and destructive control, why smart people are NOT immune to cult influence, and the hard-won wisdom that it’s okay—vital, even—to put yourself at the center of your own story, but not the center of the universe. If you’ve wondered about post-cult identity, healing family rifts, or how to build meaning without myths or messiahs, this episode delivers straight talk, survivor insight, and existential laughs along the way.Be sure to pick up Sean’s memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, and follow him on Substack.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.