PODCAST · religion
IndoctriNation
by IndoctriNation
Welcome to IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control.
Episodes
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When Hate Becomes a Coping Mechanism: Myrieme Churchill on Antisemitism and Radicalization
Rachel speaks with Myrieme Churchill of Parents for Peace about antisemitism, radicalization, and the emotional needs that can make people vulnerable to extremist thinking. Myrieme shares how childhood experiences with prejudice shaped her work as a therapist and her commitment to preventing…
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Rebuilding Confidence After Control: Dana Bristol Smith on Voice, Worth, and Agency
Rachel speaks with Dana Bristol Smith, founder and CEO of Leap to Success, about rebuilding confidence, identity, self-worth, and agency after abusive or high-control experiences. Dana explains how her work teaching public speaking led her to develop programs that help women strengthen their...
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Finding Your Way Back to Yourself: Nicola Ranson on Life After Rajneeshpuram
Rachel speaks with writer and psychotherapist Nicola Ranson about her decade as a disciple of Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh, later known as Osho, and the experiences behind her memoir, A Slice of Orange. Nicola discusses trauma, dissociation, somatic experiencing, and the search for belonging that shaped...
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Awe, Certainty, and Charisma: Yuval Laor on the Psychology of Cult Leadership
In this episode, Rachel welcomes back researcher and author Yuval Laor to examine his hypothesis about temporal lobe epilepsy, awe, and the behavior of some cult leaders. Yuval explains how hyperactive temporal lobes may contribute to intense emotionality, certainty, religious experiences,...
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Jon Atack on Scientology, Authoritarianism, and the Psychology of Belief
In this episode, Rachel speaks with Jon Atack about Scientology, authoritarianism, and the ways belief systems can shape behavior. Jon reflects on his experience with Scientology, the harassment he encountered after speaking out, and the contradictions he found within its teachings. Rachel and…
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Bonus Episode Preview - Breaking the Cycle: First Gen vs. Second Gen in Cult Recovery
In this insightful bonus episode, Rachel dives into the generational dynamics within cultic groups, exploring the distinctions between first-generation (first gen) members and their children, second-generation (second gen) members. She discusses the unique challenges and resentments that arise…
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When Healing Becomes Control: Jules Evans on Psychedelics and Cultic Influence
Jules Evans and Rachel discuss the overlap between psychedelic culture, therapeutic abuse, cultic dynamics, and coercive control. Drawing from Jules’ research into post-psychedelic difficulties and Rachel’s decades of counseling former cult members, they examine how charismatic facilitators and...
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The Invisible Grip of Covert Narcissism: Renee Swanson on Abuse, Anger, and Self-Trust
In this episode, Rachel welcomes back Renee Swanson, host of the Covert Narcissism Podcast, to discuss the often-invisible impact of covert narcissistic relationships. Renee explains why self-reflective people can internalize blame, how emotional and psychological threats affect the body, and why...
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BONUS EPISODE PREVIEW: Illusions of Depth
This is just a preview of our Patreon-exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this special bonus episode, Rachel dives into a thought-provoking quote by Friedrich Nietzsche: "They muddy the waters to make them...
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A Model Cult with Hoyt Richards
In this episode, Rachel welcomes Hoyt Richards back to discuss how he transformed his experience in the Eternal Values group into public education and survivor advocacy. Hoyt explains the difference between intellectually understanding coercive influence and emotionally processing it, why taking...
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The Power of Storytelling: Pamela Nickel Williams on Healing and Resilience
In this compelling episode, Rachel welcomes back Pamela Nickel Williams, who shares her profound journey of growing up in Scientology as a second-generation member. Pamela reflects on the complex dynamics of her family relationships, particularly the devotion to an organization that often...
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BONUS EPISODE PREVIEW: Understanding Dissociation
This is just a preview of our Patreon-exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this bonus episode, Rachel explores the complex phenomenon of dissociation, particularly in individuals who have experienced trauma...
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The Oracle's Daughter with Sarah Green
In this gripping episode, Rachel sits down with Sarah Green, the daughter of a former cult leader, to explore her harrowing journey growing up in a paramilitary religious organization known as the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps. Sarah shares her firsthand experiences of the chaos...
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What Now? Reconstructing Identity After Cults with Chris Shelton
In this episode, Rachel welcomes back Chris Shelton, a former Scientologist and author of the new book, What Now? They dive deep into Chris's experiences, discussing the complexities of recovery from high-control groups and the importance of understanding one's own moral framework. Chris shares...
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BONUS EPISODE PREVIEW - The Power of Consent: Navigating Boundaries in Healing Spaces
This is just a preview of our Patreon-exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this exclusive Patreon bonus episode, Rachel shares her reflections on the importance of agency and consent in our interactions with...
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Manifestation Myths: A Deep Dive into the Law of Attraction with Andrew Jasko
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein welcomes back Andrew Jasko, a religious trauma and cult specialist, for a thought-provoking discussion on the potential pitfalls of the Law of Attraction, also known as manifestation. Andrew delves into the historical roots of this philosophy, tracing its...
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Navigating the Complexity of Cult Recovery with Elise Heerde
In this episode, Rachel welcomes back Elise Heerde, a mental health practitioner and co-director of the Religious Trauma Collective in Australia. Together, they delve into the complexities of religious trauma, cult recovery, and the ethical considerations surrounding exit counseling. Elise shares...
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BONUS PREVIEW: The Courage to Stand Alone
This is just a preview of our Patreon-exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein discusses how difficult it can be to be the lone dissenting voice when others admire a...
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Holy Disobedience: Inside the Seventh-day Adventist Church with Melissa Duge Spiers
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein speaks with Melissa Duge Spiers, who talks about growing up inside the Seventh-day Adventist Church — and the hidden cost of its end-times, high-control culture. Her book, ‘Holy Disobedience: Sex, Sin, and Secrets in the Biggest Church No One Knows,’ traces...
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Recovering from Religious Trauma with Andrew Jasko
In this episode of IndoctriNation, Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, MSEd, welcomes back Andrew Jasko, psychotherapist and comparative religion scholar, for a deep and honest conversation about growing up inside evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity — and the long road to recovery from religious trauma....
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BONUS PREVIEW: A Model Cult Exposed
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein reflects on cult survivor and former supermodel Hoyt Richards and provides background…
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Justice After Coercive Control with Carol Merchasin
Carol Merchasin returns, and this time, Rachel and Carol go deep on what it actually looks like when survivors of coercive control, spiritual abuse, and high-control groups consider taking legal action. Carol shares how her career shifted from corporate employment investigations to building a...
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Reality in Ruins: How Conspiracy Theory Became an Evangelical Crisis with Jared Stacy, PhD
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, MSEd, sits down with Jared Stacy, PhD, who is a theologian and ethicist. He is the author of "Reality in Ruins: How Conspiracy Theory Became an Evangelical Crisis." They sit down for a deeply personal and clinically resonant conversation about...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Victim Blaming: Challenging the Myths
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, host Rachel Bernstein, LMFT, examines how victim blaming functions across abusive relationships, sexual...
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The Culting of America with Daniella Mestyanek Young
In this episode, Daniella Mestyanek Young returns to IndoctriNation to discuss how cults exploit group dynamics. Born three generations into the Children of God, then a U.S. Army intelligence officer, Daniella has spent her career studying coercive control from the inside out. In her new book The...
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Reclaiming Myself After Mormonism with Lindsey Sanders
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein sits down with Lindsey Sanders to talk about her memoir, The Sacred Song of a Heretic, and what it means to reclaim "sacredness" outside of a high-control religion. Lindsey was raised in a multigenerational Mormon family, where she was taught to value obedience,...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Inside the Cult of Two
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, host Rachel Bernstein unpacks the idea of "cults of two" — one-on-one relationships that can carry the...
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I Belong to Me with Tia Levings
In this episode, host Rachel Bernstein welcomes back author Tia Levings to discuss her new book, 'I Belong to Me: A Survivor’s Guide to Recovery and Hope After Religious Trauma.' Tia opens up about surviving church-sanctioned domestic abuse and the long, deliberately paced process of rebuilding...
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American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda with Ru Marshall
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein interviews Ru Marshall about the hidden world surrounding the guru Carlos Castaneda. Marshall shares insights from their research into Castaneda’s history, manipulation tactics, spiritual abuse, and the disturbing aftermath surrounding his inner circle after his...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Identity After Indoctrination: Rebuilding Yourself After Control
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein explores how survivors of narcissistic families, manipulative relationships, and cultic...
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Mind Games: Investigating NLP with Alice Hines
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein welcomes investigative journalist Alice Hines to discuss neurolinguistic programming (NLP), its origins, and the fine line between empowerment and manipulation. Known for her reporting on Twin Flames Universe and co-hosting Mind Games, Alice explores how NLP...
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Living Authentically: Escaping Aesthetic Realism pt. 2 with Donna Lamb
In part 2, Rachel Bernstein continues her conversation with Donna Lamb, a survivor of the Aesthetic Realism group. Recruited at 20 in New York City, Donna spent 32 years in the group before leaving in her fifties. She explains how founder Eli Siegel and his successor maintained control through...
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BONUS PREVIEW: How Cults Recruit and Control
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein explores “missionary tactics”—recruitment strategies used by high-control groups,...
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PREVIEW: Your Questions Answered: Exclusive Patreon Q&A
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Q&A video. You can access the full content by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination You asked. I answered, and these questions were remarkable. Every time I read through what this community sends in, I'm genuinely moved…
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Living Authentically: Escaping Aesthetic Realism pt. 1 with Donna Lamb
In Part 1, IndoctriNation host Rachel Bernstein speaks with Donna Lamb, a cult survivor and writer, about her 32 years inside Aesthetic Realism—a controversial group founded by Eli Siegel and still operating in New York City. Recruited at age 21 through an acting class, Donna shares how love...
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My Husband, The Rabbit Hole, and Me with Louise Williamson
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein speaks with Louise Williamson about the impact of conspiracy thinking on partners and families. Louise describes noticing her ex-husband’s shift in 2011, with conspiratorial topics becoming obvious by 2014 and escalating into extreme beliefs, worsening further...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Spotting Subtle Manipulation
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein explains how survivors of past coercion can miss quieter, covert manipulation that…
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UNLOCKED BONUS: Synanon’s Dark History
You can hear more episodes by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this unlocked Patreon episode, Rachel Bernstein gives an updated intro focusing on Synanon and includes recent news on renewed scrutiny of César Chávez and the United Farm Workers for allegedly...
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The Seven Mountains Mandate with Matthew Boedy
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein speaks with Matthew Boedy, who is a professor of rhetoric at the University of North Georgia. He researches and writes about religious rhetoric, particularly in the last few years about the rise of Christian Nationalism. In the interview, Boedy explains rhetoric…
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BONUS PREVIEW: Messages of Manipulation: Unpacking Internalized Beliefs
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein explains how people who leave controlling, groups, or manipulative relationships often...
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Gaslighting for God with Becky Garrison
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein interviews Becky Garrison, author of "Gaslighting for God," about spiritual narcissism, charismatic leaders, and how abuse is hidden behind a persona with little accountability. Garrison describes her background in religious satire, family alcoholism, and how...
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The Rise and Fall of an American Cult with Harrison Hill
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein interviews journalist Harrison Hill about his debut book, “The Oracle’s Daughter: The Rise and Fall of an American Cult.” Hill shares how he connected to survivor Sarah Green through his brother in Brooklyn and how the book centers on Sarah’s escape from the...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Breaking Free from Trauma Responses pt. 2
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In the continuation of this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein explains that staying busy can suppress, but not heal, painful...
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My Cult Your Cult: Church Universal and Triumphant with Sean Prophet
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein interviews Sean Prophet, whose parents founded the Church Universal and Triumphant. Sean describes feeling like an outsider in public school, the group’s rigid us‑vs‑them hierarchy, and being pulled into a tightly controlled cult school. They discuss how cults…
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Cult Life with Luke Allen
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein speaks with Luke Allen, a survivor of the River Road Fellowship group in Minnesota. Luke recounts his experiences growing up in this high-control group from 1996 to about 2015, emphasizing the psychological impact and the manipulation tactics used by the leader,...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Breaking Free from Trauma Responses pt. 1
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein explains why people who leave cults or other high-control groups often stay stuck in...
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Unveiled: A Story of Surviving Gloriavale with Theophila Pratt
In this episode, Rachel interviews Theophila Pratt, a Gloriavale survivor now based in Auckland, New Zealand, nearly 10 years out and working as an occupational therapist with youth. Born into Gloriavale as “Honey Faithful,” Theo describes a highly controlled life of constant surveillance, strict...
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Saved So Hard I Needed Therapy with Elise Heerde
In this episode, Rachel Bernstein interviews Elise Heerde, a certified coach and mental health practitioner specializing in religious trauma, cult recovery, and coercive control. Elise recounts being raised in fundamentalist Pentecostalism with fear-based teachings about hell and the rapture,...
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BONUS PREVIEW: Beyond Black-and-White Thinking
This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this Patreon bonus episode, Rachel Bernstein covers black-and-white (all-or-nothing) thinking and how cults and controlling partners...
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Weaponizing Religion with John Collins
In this episode, John Collins, founder of the William Branham Historical Research and the 'Leaving the Message' YouTube channel, shares his personal journey of escaping the cult of William Branham. Raised within the cult, where his grandfather was a leading figure, John dives into his awakening...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control.
HOSTED BY
IndoctriNation
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does IndoctriNation have?
IndoctriNation currently has 494 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is IndoctriNation about?
Welcome to IndoctriNation: A weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control.
How often does IndoctriNation release new episodes?
IndoctriNation publishes regularly with 494 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to IndoctriNation?
You can listen to IndoctriNation on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts IndoctriNation?
IndoctriNation is created and hosted by IndoctriNation.
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