Cult Hackers

Leaving a high control group is difficult for everyone. Men and women have specific challenges, and today Celine and Stephen explore the challenges for men.  To support Stephen's ride in aid of the Family Survival Trust you can donate on his Just Giving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cult-hackers To reach out to us: https://culthackers.com/ To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com...

In this bonus mini-series, Stephen talks about the psychology of cults. Today's episode is about the practice of shunning, its psychological effects, arguments some use to defend it and how society should view it. All of these episodes are available as blogs on Stephen Medium page.  To support Stephen's ride in aid of the Family Survival Trust you can donate on his Just Giving Page: https://www.ju...

Abby was a 15 year old girl suffering from anxiety when she was taken against her will to a lockdown facility in Utah. Abby's story is shocking but not, unfortunately unique, where powerful organizations prey upon desperate parents and the misery of children. This is the first time Cult Hackers has spoken to a victim the so-called troubled teen industry.  To support Stephen's ride in aid of the Fa...

In this bonus mini-series, Stephen talks about the psychology of cults. Today's episode is about how cults motivate members to carry out work for the group. All of these episodes are taken from Stephen Medium page. You can read the script here. https://medium.com/@SteEvilSheep/how-cults-keep-you-motivated-3d1eced8344c To support Stephen's ride in aid of the Family Survival Trust you can donate on...

Today's special episode focuses on Stephen's endurance challenge as he trains for the Land's End to John o' Groats 970 mile cycle ride from the southern tip of England, through Wales to the northern point of Scotland. Celine and Stephen also preview some of the guests and events coming up on the show. To support Stephen's ride in aid of the Family Survival Trust you can donate on his Just Giving P...

Susan Dones took on NXIVM before most of us had even heard about the cultic self-help group. Against the warning of the Judge, Susan defended herself in court against at the, then powerful and wealthy, self-improvement cult led by the now disgraced criminal Keith Ranieri. In this episode Stephen and Celine talk to Susan about her experience with the group, the coercive methods used to trap people...

Today's 'topic episode' is about grief, and Celine and Stephen explore the famous Kübler-Ross stages of grief and how they might apply to leaving a coercively controlling organization, relationship or cult. They also reflect upon the recent news items revealing the experiences of ex Jehovah's Witnesses and the Rebekah Vardy documentary, including the organization's responses. If you'd like to spon...

Rebecca Woodward is a writer, published in the New York Times, Huffpost and Electric Literature. She was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and recently wrote a well received piece in the Electric Lit about Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare'. Rebecca talks about her experience growing up in and trying to be part of the religious group and her burning desire to write, her struggles to make her way in educati...

Brent Lee, former conspiracist joins the podcast today to talk about his wild journey since we last spoke in January of 2022. He opens up about the importance of taking ownership of the past, dealing with accusations from former friends about being a government paid shill, and why he believes confronting and talking about grand conspiracy theories is important. Stephen and Brent also revisit some...

This week Celine interrogates Stephen on his claim that it's only a matter of time before we see our first AI cult leader. Is there already a cult algorithm that coercive groups have been using for years? And what happens as AI gets smarter at deploying these online? How does YouTube's recommender algorithms brainwash people according to some computer scientists? Often described as a cult, online...

On today's bonus episode Joy Cranham, from the Family Survival Trust, speaks to Stephen about a special event they are hosting with Gillie Jenkinson, psychoanalyst and author of a new book "Walking Free From the Trauma of Coercive Cultic and Spiritual Abuse: A Workbook for Recovery and Growth". Stephen and Joy also talk about the challenges for leavers of cults and high control groups including fi...

Stephen talks to Anke Richter, an international journalist and author of Cult Trip, a book about her investigations into a number of cults including Counterpoint, Agama Yoga and Gloriavale. It's a fascinating discussion about the cult phenomena, coercive control,  sexual exploitation, blame within cults and the need for protection from damaging behaviours within dangerous groups.  If you find the...

Prince Harry suggested that the Royal family might be a death cult in his book Spare. Today on Coronation Day, Celine and Stephen examine the institution of the British Royals to check whether it ticks all or some of the cult boxes. If you enjoy the podcast you can support us by becoming a patron for just £1 ($1.50 US) per month. https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts If you'd like to reach out...

This bonus episode is a conversation Stephen had with anarchist Hayward Gatch about his experience studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. They also get into the politics of anarchy and it's different forms where they have a lively discussion about the benefits and/or downsides of the state. Become a patron to support the podcast https://pod.link/1540824671/episode/c44b365f30de35687734f3e83af38aab Cont...

Part 2 of our discussion with ex-Jehovah's Witness, author Daniel Allen Cox talking about his upcoming memoirs, I Felt the End Before It Came. In part 2 of the interview, Daniel, Celine and Stephen discuss the use of language within cults and the wilful act of repurposing words upon leaving. Also discussed, dealing with the damage of growing up in a cult decades later. If you would like to support...

Part 1 of a two part interview with Canadian writer Daniel Allen Cox, former Jehovah's Witness and author of a new book, I Felt the End Before It Came: Memoirs of a Queer Ex-Jehovah's Witness. Daniel talks about his life growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, realising his sexuality and its implications within this highly socially conservative group, his interest in words and how he has used them to m...

Tamara MC, PhD tells her story of living in a Sufi cult from the age of 5 years old. Tamara talks about her strong beliefs whilst a child member, and her indoctrination to stay separate from the rest of the world even when spending time away from the group. She also talks about her experience of sexual assault in the group, child marriage and child labour. Despite such damaging experiences and a b...

In the light of the BBC documentary and podcast "A Very British Cult", exposing the practices of the life coaching cult Lighthouse, Stephen and Celine explore the wider question about the industry itself. Stephen is a qualified coach, and discusses with Celine some of his concerns about, and experience of, the unregulated life coaching industry. How can a life coaching business display all the hal...

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) is described as the largest worldwide megachurch. Rachael Reign was recruited at 13 and became an 'Assistant', a position of responsibility within the group. She tells her story of manipulative recruitment methods, coercive control, interviews with demons and fear of going to hell as well as financial exploitation. Rachael also talks about her acti...

Do cults exploit our desire for simple answers? Do they mire us in complexity to keep us in? Or do we prefer to complicate life? Is life simple or is it complex? Why do we reduce everything down to binary choices? Can we answer these questions in about an hour? This week Celine and Stephen explore the concepts of simplicity and complexity and their relation to cult tactics and life in general. Wou...

Todd Brown talks about his moving and emotional story of his 23 years in a small Sufi group, his suppression of self and sexuality, how the pandemic provided a way to break free, and his slow journey of rediscovery. If you'd like to contact Cult Hackers you can do here https://culthackers.com/ To support the podcast why not become a patron for just $1.50 per month. https://www.patreon.com/culthack...

Who gets to call themselves an expert? In a world where anyone can be a film producer, documentary maker or online guru, how can we navigate the vexed question of who to believe? Today is part 2 on the question of authority and Celine and Stephen build on the first episode about authority, to this time examine how the authority of expertise is being challenged and how some experts are fighting bac...

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We welcome back filmmaker Scott Homan and former Jehovah's Witness to update us on his amazing film Witness Underground, as well as to talk about his support for creative projects made by ex Jehovah's Witnesses. Scott updates us on Debutante, a movie for which he was an executive producer, written, produced and Directed by Kamila Dydyna, another former guest. Stephen also talks to Scott about the...

Why do we rebel against authority? When is it a good thing? When is it maybe not so good? How do ex cult members react to "the one who calls for the tribute"? Part 1 of our series looking at authority both governmental and that related to knowledge. We also explore the psychological phenomenon of reactance and reverse psychology. Become a patron for just $1.50 per month https://www.patreon.com/cul...