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A podcast about cult hacking! Cracking the cult code to understand what they are, how they work, how people leave and how to make sense of the world after leaving. Father and daughter team, media graduate Celine, and former cult member now organizational psychologist Stephen, explore how cults work, why they are so dangerous and the experience of leaving and making sense of the world. They speak to cult hackers from all over the world, from ex members to academics, from writers to filmmakers ...
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Recovering From Jehovah’s Witnesses: Mental Health Counsellor Claire Alison Hams
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Claire Alison Hams was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and was a full time pioneer. She is now a mental health professional and is doing a PhD. It was so interesting to listen to Claire's journey out of the group and to talk about her insights into helping people recover from religious trauma as well as future research. Links Claire's website https:/…
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Cracking Cults Collaboration - Meet The Podcasters!
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Today Stephen and Celine are joined by Elgen Strait ex Moonie - Falling Out Podcast, Frankie Tease ex Morningland Church - Frankie Files and Clint Heacock ex Evangelical - The Mindshift Podcast to talk about cults, coercive control, cult research, cult education and much more. Thank you to Frankie, Elgen and Clint. If you've not already, check out …
Today's episode explores the 2012 classic The Master, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. The writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson admitted that the themes in the movie had been inspired by L Ron Hubbard the founder of Scientology and it’s clear that there are many recogn…
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From the Children of God to the Army: Uncultured with Daniella Mestyanek Young
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In her memoir, 'Uncultured' Daniella Mestyanek Young tells her story of being raised in the Children of God, her escape at just 15, finding herself in a world she didn't understand, getting an education and then joining the US army and becoming an intelligence officer. It's a compelling story and Daniella talks about her book, her life and her rese…
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Children of the Cult: Joy Cranham from The Family Survival Trust
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Today's guest is Joy Cranham from the Family Survival Trust, a charity that specialises in helping victims of cults and supports the families of those impacted. Joy's own background is as a born-in member of the Exclusive Brethren (also known as the Plymouth Brethren) so we talk about her childhood, and reflect on the hundreds of thousands of child…
The Invisible Man - it's not about invisibility! Coercive control is a signature tactic of cults and a sign of toxic relationships. The 2020 movie, 'The Invisible Man' explores the methods used and the red flags to look out for. Contains spoilers. Become a patron for just $1.50 per month https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts Contact us https://…
The final Cult Hackers podcast for the year with Celine and Stephen as they review their favourite episodes, talk about some of the amazing guests they've spoken to, as well as give a nod to some of the big news stories of 2022. Also did you get the pun? Get in touch https://culthackers.com/ Become a patron for just $1.50 https://www.patreon.com/cu…
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Bonus: The Jedi Cult and the Radicalisation of the Skywalkers
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In this bonus episode from the Cults on Film series, Stephen explores cult tactics employed by the Jedi and the Sith. Cult recruitment 101 by Alex Guinness and Ian McDiarmid. Become a patron for just £1 or $1 or an Imperial Credit.저자 Cult Hackers
For cult leavers raised in groups like Jehovah's Witnesses who don't celebrate Christmas, the holidays can create mixed feelings. Celine and Stephen explore this and talk about their own experience of learning to embrace cultural celebrations and holidays. Also, is it hypocritical for atheists to celebrate Christmas? The second segment is more pers…
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The God Virus and Recovering From Religion with Darrel Ray
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Dr Darrel Ray is a well known author, psychologist and speaker about the difficulties of making sense of the world after leaving problematic religious experiences and groups. This week Stephen talks to Darrel about his book 'The God Virus' and the work he does as the founder of 'Recovering From Religion', a non profit that supports people after lea…
Today's bonus episode is an analysis of the 2017 movie Apostasy written and directed by former Jehovah's Witness, Daniel Kokotajlo starring Siobhan Finneran, Molly Wright, Robert Emms and Sacha Parkinson. This is a very important movie and in this analysis Stephen explores the devastating realities and consequences of this group's policies, includi…
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Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and the KLF with Jexit’s Riley
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This week’s episode is a special one and welcomes guest Riley from the Jexit channel. It explores the spectacular story of the KLF, a 90s band who burned a £1M and promoted the cause of a counter-culture cult called the JAMs. Drawing upon the amazing book by John Higgs, The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds, Stephen and Ril…
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Special Mini Series Part 4: Cults at Work, Meaning and Purpose
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In this final episode of our mini-series Stephen is joined by Jane Stewart and and James Carrier from The World of World Project to explore the importance and the dangers of meaning and purpose being exclusively tied to the workplace.저자 Cult Hackers
Raised as a 4th generation Jehovah's Witness Natalie Grand wanted to educate the world about life for a woman growing up in the group. Celine and Stephen enjoyed talking to Natalie about her wonderful graphic novel called Cult Girls, which tells the story about a group of young women taking control of their lives from the patriarchal cult, the only…
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Special Mini Series Part 3: Cults at Work.The Importance of Having a Voice
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In this week's special collaboration with The World of Work Project we explore the importance of being able to speak up and have your say in healthy organisations. One of the defining features of cultic organisations is that the members have no meaningful voice and are encouraged to be obedient. How can we avoid this danger in our team? If you'd li…
Celine and Stephen explore the ever-present belief that the end is nigh, starting with Stephen's former group Jehovah's Witnesses, including the calculations he was taught as to why Armageddon would definitely come within the generation that saw 1914. Jehovah's Witnesses are not the only ones who have claimed this special knowledge, only to be made…
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Special Mini Series: Cults at Work Part 2, Leadership
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Part 2 of our special collaboration with the World of Work Project's Jane Stewart and James Carrier. This week we explore leadership within cults and business, and how progressive efforts to create collaborative cultures and transformational goals can set a trap for well intentioned organisations and individuals. References The Dark Side of Transfo…
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Cult Survivor, Activist and Podcaster, Andrew Pledger - Part 2
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In part 2, Andrew continues his discussion with Celine and Stephen. Andrew Pledger is a podcaster, activist, writer and life coach who left a fundamentalist Christian cult and now seeks to raise awareness of religious trauma, as well as help those who leave to rebuild their lives. To listen on a web page https://whatshouldithinkabout.podbean.com/ A…
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Cult Survivor, Activist and Podcaster Andrew Pledger - Part 1
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Andrew Pledger is a podcaster, activist, writer and life coach who left a fundamentalist Christian cult. He raises awareness about religious trauma and recovery from controlling religious groups. He is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and provides insights into how fundamentalist Bible groups compromise identity. It's a fascinating discussion over …
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Special Mini Series With The WOW Project: Cults at Work Part 1
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This is a special collaboration between Cult Hackers and The World of Work Project, exploring cultic practices in the workplace. Stephen welcomes Jane Stewart and James Carrier to discuss where work and cults intersect, how employees can spot potential risks, how managers and leaders can avoid cultic practices and how society can spot cultic groups…
To lift the mood this week Stephen and Celine review three of their favourite comedy movies, all with tangentially cult related themes; Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End. Also Stephen talks about the LEJOG cycling challenge for 2023. Become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/culthackers To support Stephen’s ride for the Family Surviv…
Jolyn Armstrong is a certified trauma recovery coach and has an interesting personal perspective, having gone through the experience of a son becoming incarcerated for a serious crime and of overcoming her own religious trauma. During the conversation Celine and Stephen discuss the use of coaching in recovery, the difficulty of finding friends afte…
Today Stephen briefly considers a week of hell, and then Cult Hackers revisits an episode from the archives exploring the supernatural, the Devil and the demons' interest in second-hand furniture. Celine and Stephen explore how upon leaving a religious Bible Cult long held beliefs about the spooky and supernatural are re-evaluated. There's also an …
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“Jonestown in slow motion”. Leaving Christian Science with Hilary Alexander
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Today Celine and Stephen explore a group they've not talked about before, Christian Science. Hilary Alexander was raised as a Christian Scientist and in this interview she talks about the process of leaving and making sense of the world afterwards. Christian Science – not to be confused with Scientology – is a religion that was started by Mary Bake…
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Bonus Episode: Separating the Quantum Science From the Woo
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After leaving a cult or fundamentalist group with an all-encompassing belief system, it’s great fun to explore science and philosophy and it’s not long before the quantum world is likely to attract attention. Today Celine and Stephen have the company of a special guest to explore quantum physics and try to separate the science from the woo. You can…
In this week's episode we explore how cults use power to ensure the obedience of their followers, drawing from French and Raven's Bases of Power and the work of Max Weber. To support the podcast you can become a patron for just $1:50 https://www.patreon.com/culthackers French and Raven review on the six bases https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article…
Assimilation, group identity and leaving is hard. In this bonus episode taken from our short series, Cults on Film, Stephen explores the science fiction favourite baddie, the Borg, from the movie Star Trek First Contact and the TV Series Star Trek Voyager, as a metaphor for cults and coercive control. You can become a patron for just $1.50 https://…
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Jennifer French: Reconnecting With Family After Leaving a Mystical Cult
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Jennifer French is a mental health counselor and podcaster. She was a member of a Christian Mystical Cult and as a result became estranged from her family for over a decade. She talks openly about her experience of joining and leaving her group and the long process of reconnecting with her family. It's an emotional episode. You can help support pod…
Celine and Stephen explore how cults use the promise of happiness to attract people and keep them on the hook. Also what is the science on happiness? Is happiness genetic? Is it dependant upon external factors? Does money make you happy? Are married people happier? All this and lots more in this week's episode. Become a patron for just $1.50 https:…
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Special Episode: Recovering from a Damaging Religious Group with Sherrie D’Souza
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Sherrie D'Souza is the International Development Director and board member of 'Recovering From Religion' an organization that specialises in helping people deal with the effects of leaving damaging religious groups and making sense of life afterwards. Sherrie was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and speaks about her childhood, growing up and becoming …
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Nicola Ranson: Life, love and leaving the Rajneeshpuram
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Welcome to the first official episode of Cult Hackers (formerly 'What should I think about..?') For our first show we have a wonderful and knowledgeable cult hacker, former cult member Nicola Ranson. The Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country became a worldwide hit with its fascinating story of a cultic group's strange journey from free love …
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Spirituality, Mysticism and Consciousness With Andrew Jasko
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In the last ever episode of 'What Should I Think About...?' (soon to become Cult Hackers), Andrew Jasko, M.Div. joins us. Andrew is a Religious Trauma Coach with an MA in Counselling Psychology. On the podcast today he talks about his own experience of being the subject of prophecy within a Pentecostal Church, his struggle with his faith, his exper…
Did Jesus have a work-life balance problem? What are the 'work' commitments for members of cults? As a former Jehovah's Witness Stephen reflects upon the work commitments of an active Jehovah's Witness? What may be the long-lasting psychological effects of being 'always on' for ex members? These are all subjects explored in this week's episode, plu…
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Changing Laws To Protect Society From Cults With The Counter Cult Coalition
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Taking action against cults and spiritual abuse requires changes in law and policies often at the National or State level. How is this achieved? Today we welcome Lisa Kendall, herself a former member of a cult called 'The Move of God', and the Founder and Director of the Counter Cult Coalition. Lisa has a Masters in Public Administration from Portl…
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Does Jehovah’s Witnesses literature cause psychological disorders?
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Prompted by a Tweet, Celine and Stephen explore the judgement that Jehovah's Witnesses literature can cause psychological damage and that it employs NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) in order to influence people. Lots of questions follow: What is the claim? How could we scientifically research it? What is NLP? Contact us https://www.evilsheep.co.u…
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Synergy between Terrorism and Cults with Darin Challacombe PhD
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Darin Challacombe is a social scientist and researcher in the field of terrorism. He recently gave a talk at the ICSA conference about the synergy between cults and terror groups. Stephen grabbed the opportunity to speak to him about what the similarities and differences are. Darin also discusses some groups who morph from cult to terrorist as well…
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Beliefs: The weird, the dangerous, the benign and the useful.
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Does it matter what cults believe? Or is it only what they do that matters? Should we respect beliefs that aren't true? How should we engage with beliefs? Should we challenge each others beliefs? And how should the podcast engage with cult escape stories that include finding a new set of religious or mystical beliefs? In today's podcast Celine and …
What function do heroes serve? Why were we not allowed to have posters of our heroes on our bedroom walls? Who are our modern day heroes? What happens when our heroes disappoint us or show us they are human? What cultural differences are there between the USA and the UK around heroes?저자 whatshouldithinkabout
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Special Episode: Reflections on ’The Last Days’ with Ali Millar
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On this special episode, author Ali Millar talks about the release of her wonderful new book 'The Last Days' and why she had to tell her story, growing up in, and eventually leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses. We explore with her the experience of childhood indoctrination and the lessons it teaches, Ali's leading a 'double life', her experience with a…
How many core emotions are there? How do we understand them? How do they come into play when people leave a high control group? We also review the Pixar movie 'Inside Out', a film all about emotions. Become a patron for just $1.50 a month. https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout Links Paul Ekman's website https://www.paulekman.com/about/paul-…
Kat Wallace is a 4th generation ex Jehovah's Witness and speaker at the recent ICSA conference, who struggled growing up to fit into the mould of the submissive JW woman. She shares some of her story of leaving, coming to terms with her self, her sexuality and her analysis of a process she describes as '7 Steps to Unpacking Belief Systems'. Become …
Did Google just create a conscious A.I.? If it has, what would that mean? Today Celine and Stephen explore the recent claims by a Google employee that they had created a machine that had gained sentience. If Google had, how could we know? What is a 'Turing test'? What would it mean for religious people who believe in the soul? Links Transcript of a…
Two conference speakers, the winner of an award, and the conference attendee first-prize winner! Today's special episode welcomes Daniel O'Brien, presenter of 'Pathways to Healing', award winning author Erika Bornman and Kacey from top podcast 'The Cult Vault'. We talk about legal questions around cults, recovery from coercively controlling groups,…
This week's episode looks at the question of abortion and the recent Supreme Court decision in the USA. It's a subject that we've planned to talk about for some time and recent events have made it absolutely time we did. Content warning: Obviously given the subject matter listener discretion is recommended. If you'd like to become a patron you can …
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”To say it was awful was an understatement”: Alisha’s Story
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Ex Jehovah's Witness Alisha tried to simply leave the religion she was raised in and build her own life. The elders had other ideas. Become a patron https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout저자 whatshouldithinkabout
The promise that you can be transformed into the person you've always wanted to be is a tempting one. This week Celine and Stephen explore the LGAT - Large Group Awareness Training industry and similar interventions. Can they deliver their promise? Are there risks associated with them? Are some of them cultic in their methods?…
One of the most emotional interviews ever on our podcast, author Kimberley L Miller talks movingly about her life as Jehovah's Witness. She describes growing up as a Witness and the struggle to just be a child, to just be herself, and the fear that came along with that upbringing. She also talks about her leaving the organization, her return and th…
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Does Nature Tell Us Anything About God? With John Elson
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In today’s episode I spend a very pleasant afternoon having a walk and a chat with a friend of the podcast and former guest John Elson at Castor & Ailsworth, a village just outside of Peterborough. John is a successful artist and he talked about his journey out of the Jehovah’s Witnesses back in September of 2021. Our main topic of conversation tod…
When you are a fundamentalist Christian, Theocracy sounds like a great idea but when you leave, the reality becomes clear. Celine and Stephen discuss what it's like to live in a Theocracy and then explore more democratic forms. They get 'into the weeds' about how these systems work, and why sometimes they seem not to. What is a filibuster? And why …
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The Psychological Impact of Shunning with Dr Heather Ransom
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The 'What should I think about..?' podcast goes 'sight & sound' this week on this special edition of the show, with an episode being shown on YouTube for the first time as well as a pure podcast. Stephen speaks to Dr Heather Ransom, who researches the experience of living in, and leaving a high control group often called a cult. Dr Ransom is a form…
