Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan

Melissa Duge Spiers was raised as a several generations Seventh-day Adventist. It wasn’t until years later, when she discovered information about her father, who had been both a youth pastor within the Adventist church and a Loma Linda-educated doctor, that Melissa would be called to deconstruct her entire relationship with the organization. “In my early middle age, I found out that my father, during his youth Co-founded by Ellen G. White, who claimed to possess the power of prophecy, the Seventh-day Adventist Church often emphasizes annihilationism (a belief in the Judgment Day) and the second coming of Christ. “Basically, it is at heart an end times cult still,” Melissa said, “It is severely high control in so many ways. And a lot of what they think makes them special, the true remnant, etc., is based on Ellen White, and it’s not biblical.” Melissa noted the strict focus on a “great fear of sex” in the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s founding. “That was one of the biggest control things, and purity culture, of course, is a control thing. But some of Ellen White’s first writings were admonitions for mothers on preventing masturbation in children, in babies, and I know that was sort of a Victorian obsession, you know, very puritanical,” she said. Melissa also noted the association with John Harvey Kellogg and the Battle Creek Sanitarium, which was founded by the Adventists. Of Kellogg, she related, “He was big into the health message, which, of course, Ellen White carried on. But his huge obsession was preventing sex and lust … He himself never had sex his entire life. He was married, but never had children, never consummated the marriage. He was even obsessed with preventing masturbation, or anything like lust itself was the big sin, and so you just had to shut that down no matter what.” She also noted his theories that a high fiber diet, like that found in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, would supposedly help prevent sexual impulses. To this day, many Adventists choose vegetarian diets largely based on White’s visions of the proper way to eat. Once Melissa was able to reconcile some of her own trauma around finding out about her father’s past, she noted the patterns of abuse cover-ups within the church. “This is an organization that does this. They are practiced at this. This is what they do. And so, I started speaking out on social media,” she said. It’s at this point that more abuse victims began to contact her. “At first, I just started saying I was raised in this really weird religion, and people started talking to me, and my DMs would fill up every day. I was abused. I was abused. I was abused. And so, I started interviewing survivors, and I started telling their stories,” she said. After accumulating lists of survivors, she had helped start a mass tort lawsuit through the law group Pintas & Mullins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christianity has been “hijacked” by Christian Nationalists, right-wing Conservatives and Dominionists, according to John Fugelsang, author of the 2025 book Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. “The entire history of the organized religion has been authoritarian control,” he said on our interview for the Cults, Culture & Coercion podcast. However, he also noted a deep appreciation for the teaching of Christ through the Bible and as used by non-violent activists like Martin Luther King Jr., “There’s this incredible history of liberation thought and a true history of Christian activism that’s almost always in resistance to Christian authoritarianism.” “This book is a guide to everything the haters got wrong, and how, even if you’re an atheist, if you’re debating a Christian fundamentalist, Jesus agrees with you whether he exists or not, on every topic that divides us, it gives you the right-wing arguments and why they’re full of crap.” I replied that I’d interviewed many biblical scholars over the years and that I felt John really knew his stuff when it came to countering Christian nationalist fascists. I encouraged listeners to read or listen to his book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Eddy has authored more than 20 books on high‑conflict personalities and disputes. He wants Americans, and societies everywhere, to keep a simple mantra in mind: “fantasy crisis, fantasy villain, fantasy hero with fantasy solutions.” Whenever we encounter another wave of chaos from the Trump administration or any potentially abusive elected official, this phrase helps us recognize the manufactured narratives at play. It highlights the endless cycle of contrived trauma spun by those in power, while also providing a mental shield against the constant barrage of fear, anger, intimidation, and hidden agendas driven by money or power. Bill is a therapist, lawyer, and mediator, and he serves as co‑founder and Chief Innovation Officer of the High Conflict Institute. The institute’s mission is to make “high‑conflict behavior manageable—even when it feels impossible.” Their “About” page explains that they “equip professionals with proven skills to navigate high‑conflict behaviors in any setting—confidently, ethically, and effectively.” Bill has also created practical tools such as the CARS Method®, BIFF Response®, EAR Statements™, and the New Ways® series, which are used to train others to regain control in high‑conflict situations. The Importance of Focused and Refined Messaging in Politics Bill understands how powerful words, repeated phrases, and tightly crafted messages can be in countering high‑conflict personalities such as narcissists and sociopaths. He argues that the Democratic Party must coordinate and sharpen its messaging to confront Trump. “What I find is Democratic politicians have hundreds of ideas, hundreds of words, but they haven’t settled on anything repetitive,” he said, “and that’s where we get into what we both talk about is the emotional mind.” Bill notes that Trump excels at creating short, memorable slogans that stick in voters’ minds. “You target the emotional mind with these really short, you know, build the wall, send them back, those kinds of phrases, and the Democrats are saying similar stuff, but all different words,” Bill explained. I asked Bill to discuss some of the basic rules in dealing with narcissistic personalities in conflict situations. He noted that trying to give them insight into their behavior often doesn’t help. Neither does focusing on the past. “You’ll never agree on the past. You'll just argue forever about the past, because they may be totally committed to something that you can totally show as false, but they’re locked into that,” he said’ We discussed Trump’s obsession with the 2020 election results and his focus on rewriting past history so that he has a win, for instance. Lastly, Bill advised against name-calling or attempting to confront the narcissist on their emotions. Bill then focused on what we should be using, like the CARS Method® “C for connecting A, for analyzing, R, for responding as for setting limits” or using EAR Statements™ where E is for Empathy, A is for Analyzing and R is for Respect. He gave an example, “So if somebody’s angry and they're pointing a finger at you, and they're saying, ‘Bill, you’re an idiot, and you don’t know what you’re talking about,’ then I would say, ‘Wow, well, I can hear you’re really upset. Let’s look at what we can do here. Let’s analyze what’s going on, what we can do here.’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White Christian nationalism is not an abstract political concept. For Adam James, it was the air he breathed from birth. Adam, who goes by @epistemiccrisis on Instagram with well over 700,000 followers, grew up in the Pentecostal and charismatic church culture of Augusta, Georgia, was raised inside the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), served as a worship leader and helped plant a church that is still operating today. He is also a licensed physical therapist with fourteen years of geriatric home health care experience and holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT). He has spent the last several years applying that dual expertise, as a former insider in authoritarian religion and as a clinician who works daily with elderly patients, to analyze what he sees happening at the highest levels of American government. I invited Adam to Cults, Culture & Coercion because the combination of his lived experience and professional training is genuinely rare, and the clarity he brings to both subjects is something my listeners need to hear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holly Pivec and Doug Geivett on Two Decades of Tracking the NAR’s Apostles and Prophets You walk into a church on Sunday morning. The worship band plays songs you’ve heard on Christian radio for years. The lyrics feel familiar, uplifting. What you don’t realize is that the words you’re singing were written to export a specific theology from a single church in Redding, California, one whose leadership claims direct prophetic authority from God. The church is Bethel. The movement behind it is the New Apostolic Reformation. And according to researchers Holly Pivec and Doug Geivett, who have spent over two decades studying this movement from inside Christian scholarship, it represents a radical departure from historic Christianity that is reshaping churches, politics, and millions of lives worldwide. I sat down with Holly and Doug on a recent episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion to discuss their latest book, Reckless Christianity: The Destructive New Teachings and Practices of Bill Johnson, Bethel Church, and the Global Movement of Apostles and Prophets. I’ve written about the New Apostolic Reformation in The Cult of Trump and interviewed researchers like André Gagné and Frederick Clarkson on these topics. Holly and Doug bring an essential angle: they are committed Christians sounding the alarm from within the faith, grounded in biblical scholarship and philosophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pam Hemphill has been fighting MAGA propaganda since the day she realized it nearly killed her. A retired substance abuse counselor cancer survivor and one of the most visible former participants of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol Pam served a 60-day federal prison sentence for her role that day. Her decision to reject Donald Trump’s presidential pardon and become a prominent activist exposing the cult dynamics of the MAGA movement makes her story truly remarkable. I was honored to have Pam join me again for a conversation about her ongoing activism. She is one of the few January 6th participants who not only accepted full responsibility for her actions but rejected Trump’s presidential pardon after his inauguration. Since her release she has received recognition from Mike Pence testified before Congress and become a courageous voice pushing back against the propaganda that fueled the attack on American democracy. More and more true believers are leaving MAGA and I wanted to highlight her activism. She continues to go to protests against ICE. It was an interesting interview because we got into techniques and strategies for communicating with those still in the thrall of the Cult of Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Bernstein is a licensed marriage‑and‑family therapist in Los Angeles and a seasoned cult specialist with more than 35 years of experience. Rachel specializes in helping individuals exit authoritarian cults and narcissistic relationships and begin healing. She works on a one-on-one basis, hosts group therapy sessions, and speaks more broadly through education and media appearances. Rachel also hosts the weekly podcast, IndoctriNation, which explores cults, manipulators, and strategies for protecting oneself from systems of control. Over the course of the show, she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts. Through the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Rachel on cases, witnessing firsthand the depth of her expertise and her commitment to empowering survivors. “I never thought this would be happening in the United States, that people would be looking for ways to escape for their safety,” Rachel observed of recent national events. We discussed the assaults on peaceful protesters and the recent killing of Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Rachel noted that her own children, who are within the trans community, worried about their personal safety, and many in different communities are looking for routes of citizenship to other countries. Rachel also noted the quote from Kamala Harris about Trump turning the military against his own country, and how that was once deemed “hysterical”; now, it is spot-on predictive. Her newest book, Restart and Restore: A Journal for Survivors of Manipulation, combines psychoeducation, therapist notes, journaling prompts, and integration practices into a self‑paced guide for individuals emerging or healing from a manipulative relationship. The accompanying Companion Notebook offers additional activities and provides space for personal reflection and notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With speculations by experts that Donald Trump’s health appears to be deteriorating regularly noting bruises on his hands occasional stumbling or slurring in his speech and gait. The White House has denied these claims. As vice‑president JD Vance born and raised in Middletown Ohio stands to assume the presidency should Trump become unable to serve. Vance author of Hillbilly Elegy a memoir that chronicles his working‑class upbringing was once an outspoken critic of Trump but has recently become a “true believer” and advocate for the administration’s policies. Nikki McCarty is JD Vance's cousin who grew up in the same family structure. She offered a unique view into the Vice President’s upbringing including an analysis of her family’s spiritual beliefs and practices utilizing my BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. Nikki McCarty at times identifies herself as the “childless cat lady related to J.D. Vance” a reference to his direct public criticism of women who choose not to reproduce. She also identifies as a “neurodivergent queer disabled” person and has spent many years deconstructing her Christian Nationalist upbringing and its views on those topics. With a master’s degree from Liberty University she has worked as a social worker and therapist in the child welfare system for 8 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Americans, untangling today’s U.S. politics feels especially tough because the rise of religious‑right conservatism can seem sudden and ominous. Without a grounding in religious history and its influence on American political development over time, sweeping dominionist initiatives like Project 2025, fringe movements such as QAnon, and shadowy organizations like the Heritage Foundation may appear to come out of thin air. Fortunately, author and fundamentalist‑politics expert Keri L. Ladner, Ph.D., guides listeners back through the archives, tracing these phenomena to roots that reach back to the late 1800s. Ladner, who earned her doctorate in Divinity from the University of Edinburgh, is the author of End‑Time Politics: From the Moral Majority to QAnon (2024). The book maps the evolution of conservative Christianity, from its use of prophecy and rapture‑focused visions to the rise of figures like Jerry Falwell. She shows how those ideas have mutated over decades, ultimately feeding the ideologies that underpin today’s Trump‑era regime. Ladner first explained that the type of religious movements she specializes in is not the same as what was known as ‘Christianity’ before the late 1800s. “The movements that I’m looking into are very new. They’re very new offshoots of Christianity, specifically of Protestantism, American evangelicalism. They did not begin to develop in a form that we would recognize today until the late 1800s,” she explained. Her doctoral thesis essentially covered Jerry Falwell and the theological system known as dispensationalism, a historical movement she connects to John Nelson Darby, a 19th-century religious leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research on psychedelics has shown that one of the most profound effects of the experience is how it places people in a more vulnerable, highly susceptible state. Along with creating time dilations, this powerful period is also capable of establishing new thought patterns surrounding trauma or addictions. For those who aim to support healing, this moment offers tremendous opportunities to empower individuals and help them reset temporarily or for good. Yet it’s that same openness that can be exploited by individuals attempting to manipulate, control, or indoctrinate. This tension prompted my guest Erica Siegal, a licensed clinical social worker who facilitates psychedelic sessions, to ask, “How do we as facilitators of psychedelic experiences, not create undue influence…?” Erica enrolled in my clinicians’ course, a nd we subsequently crossed paths at a Harvard‑hosted psychedelic‑assisted psychotherapy program where I was a speaker. I am honored to have her as a guest on this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion. Erica is the founder of NEST Harm Reduction, “an organization focused on psychotherapy, psychedelic-adjacent care, drug education, and consultation for communities and organizations working in high-influence environments.” She has worked for over 15 years in the realm of psychedelic research, behavioral health, community gatherings, and spiritual care settings. She aims to help individuals and organizations reduce harm while preserving autonomy and dignity. Join us for this illuminating interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Frank R. George is an internationally recognized authority in psychology, neuroscience, narcissism, and addiction. Through his Substack newsletter, The Gaslight Report, he demystifies pathological narcissism, explores its underlying causes, and offers practical strategies that readers can apply in their own lives. Over many years, his research has spanned neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and genetics as they relate to the field of addictions. He currently ranks among the top 1% of Google Scholars worldwide, with nearly 200 publications and over 30 patents. Additionally, he has received almost 4,000 citations for his work in the scientific literature. Dr. George explained that there is a growing amount of scientific evidence showing an overlap between symptoms of addiction and traits of narcissism, even to the extent that functional MRI reveals distinct neural activation patterns in individuals with that personality type. Similarly, withdrawal patterns appear when the person does not receive their preferred types of attention. “What do you see when a narcissist is not getting all that supply? They go through what’s called narcissistic rage, narcissistic collapse, and it just overlaps with withdrawal,” he said. This is a really important interview shedding light on Trump and other malignant narcissist cult leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The violent coup attempt of January 6th which sent Oath Keepers to jail was justice. Until Trump pardoned all of those people who were convicted and in jail, including Oath Keeper Stewart Rhodes. Now with recent events we are resharing our previous interview with someone who was involved. “America right now needs some exit ramps,” Jason Van Tatenhove said as we discussed his former role as national media director for the Oath Keepers, a group known for its far-right anti-government militia. While Jason would ultimately decide to leave the group in 2016 due to increasing racism and Holocaust denial within their membership, the Oath Keepers would go on to participate in the United States Capitol January 6th attack, led by followers of Donald Trump. Jason eventually testified before a U.S. House Select Committee about his position in media propaganda for the organization. He described their attempts at paramilitary tactics, plans for insurrection, and his relationship with Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, convicted of seditious conspiracy and evidence tampering. Jason publicly speaks about his concerns for continued paramilitary training groups and recruitment tactics in future election cycles. His book, The Perils of Extremism: How I Left the Oath Keepers and Why We Should Be Concerned about a Future Civil War, discusses the unsettled state surrounding extremism in America today and provides an insider view into the tactics used to recruit, train, and further radicalize persons with former military backgrounds, first-responders, and individuals who may otherwise feel disenfranchised by United States Democracy at this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cults and high-control groups often use sexuality to access and manipulate a person’s emotional regulation. Some cults, like the Moonies, used it to create a barrier of fear and shame surrounding sexual thoughts or actions. Ellen Huet’s new book Empire of Orgasm explores how OneTaste, Inc. and its founder Nicole Daedone used the topic of Orgasmic Meditation to challenge boundaries and minimize taboos through coercive practices and were ultimately convicted of a forced labor conspiracy. Ellen Huet is an award-winning investigative journalist currently writing for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek. She also hosts the narrative audio series Foundering, from Bloomberg Technology. In recent seasons, she has worked on topics such as WeWork and OpenAI, as well as examining the trustworthiness of OpenAI’s leader, Sam Altman. The 2022 Netflix documentary called Orgasm, Inc.: The Story of OneTaste featured her investigative journalism about the group. Her reporting has also been cited in news outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Slate, and many others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On her highly successful Czech podcast, Canaries in the Net, Alex co-hosts on topics surrounding digital propaganda and toxic algorithms. She combines her experience as a communication advisor to the chairman of the legislation committee in the European Parliament with the latest information on how digital space is becoming increasingly targeted. As one of the earliest to speak out about how digital information was being used to sway politics before 2016, she described herself as “one of those canaries in the coal mines”, giving an early warning of impending danger. She described the feeling of being overwhelmed by the information campaigns that we now understand create a technique of “flooding the zone” to destabilize. “At that time, we didn’t understand where it came from. It just came from everywhere, from social media, from news, newly built podcasts, and our news outlets.” “The entire information space became unbelievably toxic,” she said of the time. She now understands that Russia was conducting a highly organized campaign to learn to destabilize systems of democracy. When her husband was offered a job in Vancouver, British Columbia, she decided to take the opportunity to relocate. I agreed with Alex about the KGB methodology of demoralization and raising anxiety, fear, distrust, and disgust, particularly against experts in science and democratic institutions. I described the technique she was referencing as their attempts to see what sticks, amplify, and overload methods, a technique used against the U.S., as well as other NATO countries. It is an intentional polarization that allows us to start seeing the enemy in our neighbors, friends, and family. Alex Alvarová wrote a 2021 fiction book Feeding The Demons: The Conquerors of America. The book was inspired by her research on Steve Bannon and his role in the 2016 election. The outcome is a political thriller that depicts America, Russia, organized crime, and how big data might have been used to influence significant elections. Alex also wrote the 2017 nonfiction work The Industry of Lies, an analysis of how Russia used the 2013 presidential election in the Czech Republic as a trial run to perfect its hybrid-warfare aggression for altering the outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. She now teaches others how to recognize propaganda, increase data literacy, and defensive techniques against online attacks. Her new project, Radio Free America Prague, which she founded in collaboration with American writer and producer Natalie Kocab, launches in January. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neo-Nazi sentiment has seen a recent resurgence globally, fueled by political polarization, economic disparities, and social grievances. The internet and social media have played a significant role in spreading extremist propaganda, while some politicians' normalization of hate speech has emboldened these groups. Combating this rise requires a multifaceted approach, including education, countering online extremism, promoting social cohesion, and addressing underlying grievances. My guest for this episode of The Influence Continuum was Kelvin Pierce, author of the memoir Sins of my Father: Growing up with America's Most Dangerous White Supremacist. His father, Dr. William Pierce, was a notorious white supremacist and founded the National Alliance, a prominent hate group. Dr. Pierce also wrote the novel The Turner Diaries, which racists widely cite as inspiration for their racist beliefs and actions. Kelvin was subjected to physical and emotional abuse and was taught to believe that Jews and non-whites were responsible for society's ills. Despite the personal abuse he suffered, Kelvin accepted his father's teachings and held onto these racist beliefs as he transitioned into adulthood. It shaped his worldview and interactions with others, even though he didn't openly broadcast these beliefs. Kelvin was able to shed his indoctrination, create the charitable organization "Divine Child Foundation" to help orphans in Georgia, publish his memoir, and live a life of activism and inspiration fighting racism and extremism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we near the end of 2025, Trump has implemented Opus Dei’s Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to fundamentally gut America’s core values and checks and balances. The depth of harm is incalculable and Americans are 70% against Trump’s handling of the economy. Threats to free speech, ignoring Constitutional guarantees, unprecedented corruption and violence undermine people’s feelings of safety and security. So we are resharing this vital interview in the hopes of educating and motivating millions of Americans and people worldwide to stand up for democracy and rule of law. In this discussion with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, we discuss the subtle and often sinister ways authoritarianism intertwines with the psychological mechanisms of control. We connect the dots from my experiences with cults and coercive persuasion. Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian, as an NYU professor and expert on fascism and authoritarianism. She is also a celebrated author, Her book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present explores the tactics of illiberal rulers and the history of resistance against them. With a focus on unraveling the complex tapestry of undue influence in modern politics, my discussion with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat sheds light on the intricate relationship between authoritarianism and its psychological underpinnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most troubling aspects of cult dynamics is the way they generate self‑reinforcing histories that can become chaotic and fragmented, leaving individuals disoriented within the broader narrative. We need knowledgeable guides who can help us navigate these stories while providing a grounding in their historical context. I wrote Chapter Three of my book, The Cult of Trump, about the parallels with Jones, Moon, and Hubbard. Don Lattin, this week’s podcast guest, concurred, though he personally likened Trump more closely in his mind to Jim Jones, whose leadership culminated in the historic tragedy at Jonestown. Lattin is a long-established and award-winning religion reporter. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Both of us agreed that Trump exhibits traits of malignant narcissism and appears to be steering the United States toward escalating threats and harms. The MAGA movement itself is a cult, is led by cults, and has demented authoritarian leadership written all over it. Don Lattin is a journalist who has specialized in writing about religions, cults, psychedelic history, cultural norms, and other fascinating topics since the 1970s. He’s written seven books, including Jesus Freaks – a True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge and Changing Our Minds: Psychedelic Sacraments and the New Psychotherapy. He is also the author of The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America. I had the great pleasure of listening to his Substack channel recently and am honored to bring him on for an episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it feel like when an entire room seems to turn to shimmering gold, and you are certain you have just witnessed a miracle, only to later discover it was a hypnotic illusion? On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I sit down with my longtime friend, former client, and now colleague, filmmaker Jim Picariello. Thirty years ago, Jim was a devoted follower of Zen Master Rama (Frederick Lenz). His family hired me to help him leave the group, and together we unpacked how hypnotic suggestion, phobia indoctrination, and social pressure created those “supernatural” experiences and kept him trapped in a high-control cult.In this conversation, Jim walks us through his recruitment as an anxious college student, the engineered “golden light” experiences that convinced him Rama was enlightened, and the fears that cut him off from friends and family. We also talk about how his parents and I worked together to reach him ethically, how a single powerful hypnotic demonstration helped break the spell, and what it took for him to rebuild his identity and life on the outside.Today, Jim is a multi-award-winning filmmaker turning his story and decades of cult education into a dark romantic comedy feature called The Cult of Us, about two young people in different cults who fall in love and try to “rescue” each other. Along the way, we explore how fiction can teach people to recognize undue influence, authoritarian leaders, and coercive relationships in a way that is funny, moving, and truly life-saving. If you care about freedom of mind, rising authoritarianism, and how people actually wake up from destructive groups, this is an interview you will want to listen to and share. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick question. You’re born with your sexuality, and it stays the same your whole life... right? Well, no. This may be much further from the truth than initially thought. When I first watched Dr. Lisa Diamond’s TEDx talk on sexual fluidity, which began with a question very similar to mine, I immediately knew I wanted to interview her. Diamond is a psychologist and professor at the University of Utah whose groundbreaking research challenges the “born this way” narrative that has dominated LGBTQ rights discourse for decades. It might surprise you, as it surprised me, to learn that the “born that way” argument is outdated and scientifically inaccurate. However, Diamond’s research on sexual fluidity offers us a more sophisticated understanding of human sexual development. As a graduate student, Diamond had unearthed something that surprised many people when her book, Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire, was published in 2008. This is an utterly fascintating discussion that invited us to step out of the black & white, all or nothing ideology to embrace the neuroscience of neuroplasticity. We also discuss Folks on the Autism Spectrum who many naturally identify as bi-sexual, non-binary, or asexual. Diamond is brilliant and knows her social psychology research as well. Lots of more nuanced and related topics in this interview! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I sat down with one of my most trusted colleagues and best friends, Jon Atack—author, artist, poet, musician, and the recognized world expert on Scientology. Jon’s latest book, If Scientology Ruled the World: Nazi Occultists, Sex Magick, Space Aliens, and the Second Coming, begins with a chilling thought experiment: what if Scientology actually took power? To be clear: Jon does not believe that Scientology — which is facing serious challenges in maintaining current members and recruiting new ones — could ever gain enough popularity to control any government, let alone all the world’s governments. Still, with its extreme beliefs and ruthless disregard for human rights, Scientology could serve as a stand-in for any authoritarian movement. And there are many active Scientology offshoots. As I argue in my book The Cult of Trump, authoritarianism exists worldwide, and harmful groups influence politics through lobbyists, cash, and manufactured populism. Maybe a Scientology group won’t take over, but the idea that a destructive movement could dominate a nation, or even the world, isn’t far-fetched. In this book, Jon connects the dots with Nazi occultism and Hubbard, destroys eugenics, Nazi Aryan race theory, and so much more. With Nazism on the rise worldwide, this is a really important book—easy to read yet fastidious in its research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many reasons why parents or guardians choose to homeschool their children for some portion or all of their educational years. This can range from a child having a disability or neurodiversity, concerns about the quality of education, to other topics like moral or religious conflict with traditional schools. Ryan Stollar shared the story of his experiences as a homeschooled child of an Evangelical family upbringing. He also talks about some of the trauma that he has experienced or witnessed from homeschooling ideologies, including sexual and/or physical abuse. Ryan’s childhood included physical punishments from his parents, consistent with church doctrine. “There were teachers in evangelicalism who promoted how to raise and train children. And they always include corporal punishment,” he said. Ryan included that these punishments drove a wedge between him and his parents. He also noted that as he grew older and began speaking with other homeschooled children, he began to realize how bad some others had it concerning inadequate education, misogyny towards women’s roles, and other forms of abuse. This was when he decided to act in the name of future homeschool children to prevent their abuse. Ryan is the author of the book The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology. He co-founded the website Homeschoolers Anonymous, where many people who have been homeschooled share their stories of experiences and trauma. If you care about children, and worry about what is happening in America, this is an interview you will want to listen to and share. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Clayton, known on Instagram as #officialempathytour, is running for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the 2026 elections. The district is currently represented by Virginia Foxx, a Republican who has held the seat since 2005. David Clayton is the antithesis of the cult of Trump. He believes in women’s rights. As far as religion goes, he thinks everyone is free to believe in something or not believe in anything. He also believes that empathy is not a sin, but rather a necessary element of a functioning society, one in which people move away from the narrow confines and towards a more open, supportive, and accepting society. Fear-mongering online and on the news is its own form of coercive control. And, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence and social media conglomerates controlling so many people’s minds and lives, we need to see change led by people like David Clayton, who will put people over profits and power. David is running as an Independent and promises to call out the legalized corruption that plagues our current political system. David spent several years of his life passing out survival gear to homeless veterans. He has also drafted proposed legislation to house homeless veterans. This proposed legislation is called the Character by Integrity Act. David is currently building a following among both Democrats and Republicans by speaking plainly and simply about what is happening in America today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even the smallest actions can change the course of someone’s life and, in turn, strengthen the broader community around them. Preventing a suicide or encouraging a person to hold on for just one more day can be influential acts when we know how to approach the subject. As a child psychiatrist, Dr. Diane Kaufman has dedicated her career to this very work. Diane described herself as a “poet, artist, internationally award-winning lyricist, humanism-in-medicine awardee, and retired child psychiatrist.” She also noted herself as “a suicide attempt and loss survivor with Bipolar II Disorder.” She is the founder and director of the Hold On Campaign for Suicide Prevention. This nonprofit uses the power of art to “educate, connect, express, and heal”, as can be read about on their website. Diane is a certified Expressive Arts Educational Facilitator.Diane recommended calling or texting 988 in a crisis to get assistance with difficult conversations where suicidal ideation with or without a plan is occurring. The service is available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In this episode of Cults, Culture, & Coercion, I sat down with her to discuss suicide prevention and how to lead a fulfilling life amid today’s many challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States is facing a “crisis of legitimacy”, explained James Scaminaci III, PhD, an expert on fourth-generation psychological warfare. James earned his PhD from Stanford University, specializing in political sociology. I have done two previous interviews with him and wanted him to weigh in on current developments. He has a background as a former U.S. Naval intelligence officer, with specific expertise in the Soviet / Russian fleet. Additionally, James served as a senior civilian intelligence analyst at the European Command’s Joint Analysis Center. I was honored to invite him back to discuss Fourth-Generation Warfare (4GW) and its influence on our current political struggles in the United States and worldwide. He referenced the work of sociologist and political scientist Martin Lipset, who served as chairman on his dissertation committee, “One, the government’s effective, right? It performs well. It does its basic functions. It protects the people and gets the economy moving, etc. Everybody knows what that is, but then he said the second source of stability is the legitimacy of the political system.” James noted other essential factors as well, such as that individual values “are consistent with the values of the political system.” He discussed how the Christian Right currently sees the nation in a “spiritual warfare” scenario, thus exposing a conflict of cohesive values that threatens the legitimate services system. He noted that while this may not be a new phenomenon from a psychological perspective, we may be reaching an inflection point in the direction of destabilization. “The language changes, the means of communication have developed from the fax machine to memes on the internet, but it’s still psychological warfare, and it’s still getting in your mind and undermining the legitimacy of the United States government,” he said. This is a relly important interview! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interested in Scientology? Ever watch the “Truman Show” movie with Jim Carrey? Check out this long overdue interview with my longtime friend, the charming and resilient Tory “Magoo” Christman. Tory, was in Scientology for thirty years, had reached the uppermost levels of Hubbard’s “Bridge to Total Freedom,” specifically OT7 (OT8 is the highest) and was involved with John Travolta directly from the beginning of the Celebrity Centre. Ever since exiting after being manipulated by officials to disrupt the Internet group (at the beginning of the internet), ever since realizing the facts about the group, Tory has been devoting her time and energy to helping people get informed- and assisting people when they want to leave. Tory has helped me with clients and has a very active YouTube channel and still does street outreach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the oldest son of Alisa Daniels had a hockey injury and simply wanted to stay in shape by starting a new yoga practice, she couldn’t have imagined what path this would lead her entire family down. She now seeks to help others become aware of Il Chi Lee’s Dahn Yoga cult, now rebranded as Body & Mind, that drained her family of money and took hold of their lives. On this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I talked with Alisa about the high-control tactics the Korean cult used to influence and entrap her son and herself, as well as other family members. When her son became involved in the Dahn Yoga group, she was concerned and wanted to learn more to stay close to him. This would, unfortunately, be how she also would become deeply involved and ensnared. Then she recruited other family members and the cult got a lot of money. Fortunately, a successful intervention took place and everyone is happy and doing well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most powerful tools in healing from childhood sexual abuse is for a survivor to have the opportunity to share their story and truly be heard. Many survivors of early trauma at the hands of Catholic Church Priests went unheard or unbelieved for decades. Several Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigations and media discussions surrounding the findings were one of the first opportunities for many local survivors to recognize the extent of their own abuse fully. It also served to help survivors realize that they were not alone. Jay Sefton was one of these individuals. He experienced childhood sexual abuse by his family’s parish priest, and he is now working to share his story while also empowering others to heal from theirs. Sefton is an actor, playwright, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor living in Easthampton, Massachusetts. He is the co-author and performer of UNRECONCILED, an autobiographical story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a school play directed by a parish priest. I had the opportunity to see the play performed live. I listened to the discussion afterward, which included the former Boston Globe Editor Marty Baron, who empowered his Spotlight team to pursue the story of the church’s conspiracy to cover up the abuse. The play was amazing and there is a project to help bring it to a much bigger audience. Jay is a licensed mental health counselor and I believe his journey will be an inspiration for many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book, Sarma tells her story of how a successful businesswoman, co-founder and owner of the acclaimed NYC restaurant Pure Food and Wine and the brand One Lucky Duck, could fall for a con artist using a fictitious name, a covert backstory, and fantastical promises. Humans are social beings, and it’s that social aspect that manipulative and abusive characters can learn to exploit for their self-interest. With an increase in online dating and social media, individuals can be exploited relatively easily without knowing who they are really speaking to. Predators can create false identities. They can also buy profile data on a potential victim they wish to exploit. In addition, some unethical people earn money by teaching men how to manipulate women online using neurolinguistic programming (NLP) / hypnosis. With behind-the-times laws on recognizing and prosecuting coercive control in relationships, often victims like Sarma are blamed for criminal actions occurring as a result of abuse. Sarma Melngailis recounts her side of this traumatic story, ultimately culminating in her imprisonment on Rikers Island. She hopes that people who read her book will gain a better understanding of what happened to her and use it to warn others of their own vulnerability to online predators. She wanted to correct the story told in the Netflix documentary “Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.” Exploitative documentaries are often inaccurate, leading to media distortion and public shaming of the survivor.Yes, folks- There ARE one on one cults! Fascinating story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Cults, Culture & Coercion, I had the pleasure of speaking with Irene of Irene’s Entropy. Irene is a mechanical engineer turned musician, storyteller, pilot, and entrepreneur. Raised in a strict Mormon household where she underwent the experience of a recruitment mission, she left in her early 20s. She began documenting the honest rebuild of her identity as Irene’s Entropy.Her work blends songs, narrative, and a recurring symbol, a red door, through which she “walks” whenever she’s ready to learn and change. She calls her audience Door Walkers, and even launched Door Walker Coffee, a liberating nod to the Mormons’ coffee prohibition. Her ongoing experience as an ex-Mormon informs her work today, and Irene’s most vivid description of undue influence comes from her time as a missionary. She explains that the Missionary Training Center (MTC) is where scripts are drilled and identity is re-molded. Irene felt a strong need to reinvent herself after feeling the Mormon church had superimposed an identity onto her. After an intense reevaluation period, Irene decided to walk through the red door. Challenging herself to a new field of study, she pursued an engineering degree and worked up to an aerospace career to prove she could. Other critical personal changes followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Compassion, empathy, and science have all been under rapid-fire attack during the second Trump Administration. This is especially true towards Queer and Transgender communities, though other minority communities within the United States are also being targeted. Dr. Matthew D. Skinta, PhD, ABPP, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Affiliated Faculty of Women and Gender Studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He helped us better understand what areas of the science community are being targeted, what research projects have been cancelled, and on what grounds. We also discussed the discrimination against individuals who identify with diversity, equity, and inclusion principles surrounding topics of gender and gender nonconformity. We talked about “conversion therapy” which attempts to brainwash folks to believe they are straight and how it doesn’t work. Matthew and I met at a Harvard conference for psychedelic assisted therapy. This was a fascinating interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices