Cults and the Culting of America

In this episode, Addison shares their experience working at the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, where they supported transitional-aged youth in both a shelter and drop-in setting. While drawn to the role through a deep personal connection and desire to help others, Addison quickly encountered unsafe working conditions, lack of labor protections, and a culture of self-sacrifice that blurred the l...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella and Scot speak with Dr. Cheyenne Gunn, a social media strategist and former member of the online activist network Operation Olive Branch. Cheyenne shares how she was recruited into the group after launching a viral fiber arts fundraiser following the October 7, 2023 Israel–Palestine escalation. What began as a mission driven online com...

Edward Francis joins Daniella and Scot to explore the cult-like dynamics inside drum corps and competitive marching arts. A former performer, judge, and designer deeply embedded in the activity for 25 years, Edward unpacks how high-control structures, financial exploitation, touring models, deification of leaders, and unpaid labor create systemic harm. The conversation examines how children and yo...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella speaks with Allison Powell, a longtime election judge from Illinois who has worked elections for nearly three decades. Allison explains how local elections actually function behind the scenes, including how ballots are handled, the responsibilities of election judges, and the multiple safeguards built into the system. The conversation...

CONTENT WARNINGS: Political extremism, fascism, authoritarianism, military force, war, January 6th, detention centers, corruption, sexual misconduct references (Epstein), strong language.   In this special unscripted episode, Daniella speaks with fellow veteran creator Angry Male Vet , a 23-year Air Force veteran who has become a prominent online voice pushing back against authoritarianism and mis...

Michaela joins Dr. Scot Loyd and Knitting Cult Lady to discuss her experience being born and raised in the Nation of Islam. Michaela breaks down the group's core ideology, how it functioned as a high-control system, and what daily life looked like as a "nation baby." She explains the exhausting time demands, the way dissent and questioning were handled, and how the group's public image often obscu...

Content warnings: discussion of child abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, trauma, recovery culture, substance abuse, and high-control groups. In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella and Scot are joined by Violet, a writer and creator who grew up immersed in 12-step programs from infancy. Violet shares her lived experience of being raised in Alcoholics Anonymous, exami...

In this special edition of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella speaks with Ashley Shelton, founder of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice in Louisiana, about organizing, democracy, and what it actually means to fight authoritarianism in real life. Ashley draws on her background in philanthropy, disaster recovery, and voter engagement to explain how Black and Brown communities—partic...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd are joined by hip-hop artist, author, and activist Spryte the Emcee, who shares her deeply personal journey through addiction, recovery, and eventual deconstruction from Narcotics Anonymous. Spryte recounts a childhood shaped by trauma, loss, and instability, followed by immersion in NA after a near-fatal...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella sits down with political scientist Thomas Kelly to revisit one of the most foundational ideas in cult studies: cognitive dissonance. Their conversation centers on Leon Festinger's famous book When Prophecy Fails , which is often cited to explain why cult members double down on beliefs after predictions don't come true. Thomas walks thr...

In this episode, guest Ara Jade shares her seven-year experience inside a high-control religious group adjacent to the Hebrew Israelite movement, known as the Israel of God . She recounts how she was drawn in through family influence, biblical study practices, and a strong sense of community, only to later encounter manipulation, racism-based doctrine, misogyny, surveillance, fear tactics, and emo...

This episode of Cults and the Culting of America features guest Emily Hulen , a massage therapist and trauma coach who grew up in Christian Science and later navigated additional cult-like environments. Emily describes the core beliefs of Christian Science — including the denial of physical reality, rejection of medical care, and heavy reliance on prayer as a means of erasing mortal experience. Sh...

In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Brown discusses her journey in women's health and fertility, emphasizing the importance of understanding these topics beyond conventional medicine. The conversation explores the Maha movement and its impact on women's health, cultural perspectives on pregnancy and motherhood, and the dangers of extreme birthing practices. The discussion also touches on the romanticizat...

Content Warnings: Sexual assault and child sexual abuse Sex trafficking and the Epstein list Cult dynamics, coercive control, and brainwashing White supremacy, racism, xenophobia, and fascism Historical violence, genocide, Nazism, U.S. colonial atrocities, police violence Political extremism, MAGA, Trump administration actions Death, including anticipated death of a political figure Domestic extre...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of religious and institutional abuse, child abuse, disordered eating, family estrangement, mental illness, trauma recovery, and medication withdrawal . Listener discretion is advised. In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , hosts Dr. Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young speak with Beth Granger , author of Born and RAZED: Surviving...

In this special episode, Daniella Mestyanek Young ("Knitting Cult Lady") speaks with Dr. Bryan Pitts, Assistant Director of UCLA's Latin American Institute, about the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985) and how studying Brazil's political history can help Americans understand current threats to democracy. They compare U.S. and Brazilian political systems, the cultural myths that obscure in...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella Mestyanek Young (aka Knitting Cult Lady) speaks with Chicago educator and social work student Jamal Bruce about his experiences teaching, navigating race and identity, and how her memoir Uncultured influenced his career pivot from education to social work. Their conversation explores how America's educational and social systems functio...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Daniella and Scot talk with brother-sister filmmakers Rebecca and Pete Davis , co-directors of the documentary Join or Die . The film explores the steep decline in civic engagement across America and how rebuilding community is the antidote to the loneliness, polarization, and manipulation that make people vulnerable to cults. Together, they di...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young unpack Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's recent dystopian-sounding address to military leadership, examining it through the lens of cult psychology, gendered standards, and authoritarian control. Daniella dissects how "standards" and "professionalism" in the military are tools to maintain patriarchal a...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , hosts Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd welcome Dr. Jo , a veterinarian from New Orleans, to explore the surprising overlaps between veterinary medicine and cultic dynamics. The conversation highlights how overwork, guilt, and moral injury can act as control mechanisms in "helping professions" like veterinary care—mirroring high-demand gro...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , hosts Daniela Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd welcome musician and activist Candi Carpenter . The conversation dives into parallels between growing up in evangelical Christianity and high-control cult environments, with both Daniela and Candi sharing deeply personal stories. Candi discusses their upbringing as a pastor's kid in a gospel family ba...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , hosts Scot Loyd and Daniella Mestyanek Young ("the Knitting Cult Lady") interview Ruwan, a former member of OneTaste , a so-called "orgasm cult" centered around female sexuality and human connection. Ruwan recounts his two years in the organization, explaining how he was drawn in by its promises of intimacy and meaning, but soon became entangle...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , hosts Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd welcome Sydney, a member of the Cult Book Club, to share her personal story of growing up in the shadow of a multigenerational cult. Sydney recounts her family's involvement with the commune Christ Circle in the 1970s–80s, her experience being homeschooled in a high-control, secrecy-driven environmen...

This episode of Cults and the Culting of America features guest Jess M. (aka White Mess Express), a former nurse, alongside hosts Daniella Mestyanek Young and Scot Loyd. The conversation explores how the U.S. healthcare system—particularly nursing—resembles a cult in its culture, practices, and systemic issues. Jess describes the hierarchical "rite of passage" culture in nursing (e.g., new nurses...

In this episode of Cults and the Culting of America , Scot Loyd joins Haley while Daniela is away on her book tour. The conversation centers on Scot's forthcoming memoir The God I Was Given: Looking for Faith After Losing My Religion , which blends personal memoir with philosophical and scholarly reflections on growing up in the United Pentecostal Church (UPC). Scot discusses the creative and emot...