IndoctriNation

Abbi Nye is an abuse survivor supporting cult survivors in their journey toward healing. An archivist in Wisconsin, Abbi holds an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a BA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College. In 2022, Abbi co-founded C.F.C.too, a survivor-led advocacy coalition for abuse survivors from Christian Fellowship Center, a Christian cult in northern Ne...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Episode. You can hear the full episode at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination Quinn Cummings is an Oscar-nominated actress (The Goodbye Girl) and the critically acclaimed author of Notes From The Underwire, Pet Sounds, and The Year of Learning Dangerously. She created the seminal blog, The QC Report which evolved into the highly regarded “A...

Tia Levings grew up in a Southern Baptist megachurch, was recruited into fundamentalism by mentors following Bill Gothard's IBLP (Institute of Basic Life Principles), and eventually landed in a high control group (cult) that taught Federalist Marriage: the idea that husbands are responsible for their wives before God, and so are accountable to lead and discipline them as children. She was exco...

Geoff Levin is a professional musician and former Scientologist who grew up in San Jose, CA. In 1962 at the age of 16, he started his musical life and embraced the burgeoning folk scene in the San Francisco Bay Area where he played stand-up bass with Jerry Garcia in the bluegrass group The Black Mountain Boys. In 1964 he formed the rock band PEOPLE! who were quickly signed to Capitol Records where...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the episode in its entirety by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest, Priscilla Eyles is a Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion trainer and facilitator from London. They are an advocate, and speaker passionate about raising awareness around the issues that Neurodivergent people face, sp...

Priscilla Eyles is a Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion trainer and facilitator from London. They are an advocate, and speaker passionate about raising awareness around the issues that Neurodivergent people face, specifically those of multiple marginalized identities. Alongside normalizing conversations around vulnerabilities to cult abuse, career, and intergenerational trauma. Priscilla i...

Sue Winter is a modern linguist who holds two graduate degrees, one from the University of London, and another from UWE Bristol. She taught for over 44 years in a variety of settings in both mainstream and specialist teams for vulnerable young people. Sue has multiple cultic experiences from religious to corporate to interpersonal, including both parental and spousal abuse. She became involved in...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the episode in its entirety by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest, Em Thomas was born and raised in the dogmatic Christian cult The Way International. The daughter of a Way Corps graduate and WOW ambassador, Em attended a fellowship in her home three nights per week, monthly branch...

Em Thomas was born and raised in the dogmatic Christian cult The Way International. The daughter of a Way Corps graduate and WOW ambassador, Em attended a fellowship in her home three nights per week, monthly branch meetings with other leadership families, and prolonged stays semi-annually at TWI headquarters. Em’s family was labeled “Mark and Avoid” (excommunicated) in 1998, after which they atte...

Chris Shelton is a former cult member who escaped from a lifetime of indoctrination and abuse, started a YouTube channel to educate the public about coercive or cultic control, undue influence, and brainwashing, has written a book on the subject of Scientology and why that group is a destructive, high-control group and has spoken at the Secular Hub many times on these topics. He hosts a weekly pod...

For this week's bonus episode, Patreon supporters can access Rachel's recent video lecture from the International Cultic Studies Conference. In this lecture, Rachel explains how fear can impact the decision-making process in members of high-control groups. This subject is for anyone including those who have gotten involved in a cult, in a controlling relationship, in multi-level marketing,...

Sarah Patch is a clinical counselor in Columbus, Ohio who has devoted the past few years of her career to educating herself and others on authoritarian abuse and cult involvement. Sarah cares deeply about raising awareness of the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of controlling behavior so that people can live more authentic and joyful lives. Sarah was both a participant and victim of authoritarian c...

Guinevere Turner is a writer, director, and actor who has been working in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced, and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page, and the 2019 film Charlie Says. She can be seen in film roles that include The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, American Psycho, and Th...

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest, Mark Turi discovered Scientology while on vacation in Los Angeles, just a month after graduating college in May 2005, Two years later, he joined the staff at the Church of Scientology in Berlin, Germany. While in Berlin, Mark worke...

Mark Turi discovered Scientology while on vacation in Los Angeles, just a month after graduating college in May 2005, Two years later, he joined the staff at the Church of Scientology in Berlin, Germany. While in Berlin, Mark worked for Scientology for over 90 hours a week, earning very little money. He left Berlin in February 2008 when he was transferred to the Church of Scientology in San Franci...

Dr. Tamara MC is a cult, child marriage, and human trafficking survivor and activist who advocates worldwide for girls and women to live free from gender-based violence. Her Ph. D. is in Applied Linguistics, and she researches how language manipulates vulnerable populations. Tamara attended Columbia University for an MFA and has been honored with residencies/fellowships in places such as Bread Loa...

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: http://www.patreon.com/indoctrination Andrew Pledger is a content creator, activist, and writer who uses social media to share his story and inspire others. He is a religious trauma survivor who was homeschooled K-12 and raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult (Independent Fun...

Alexandra Stein, Ph. D. is a writer and educator specializing in the social psychology of ideological extremism and other dangerous social relationships. She is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sussex. Dr. Stein offers programs and materials to help people understand how to identify and protect themselves and others from recruitment into cultic or extremist groups. She al...

Pamela Jackson is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, and creative nonfiction writer. She specializes in therapy for adult women who have estranged or difficult relationships with their mothers. After leaving the ICOC cult, Pamela attempted to repair her relationship with her mother, one of the main reasons she was vulnerable to the love bombing and manipulation of ICOC. The mother-daughter c...

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest, Marissa Hackett was born in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. At the time of her birth, her parents were involved with a group called the Foundation of Human Understanding, a right-wing cult led by Roy Masters. When Marissa was 11 y...

Dr. Laura Anderson is a therapist, trauma resolution, and recovery coach, writer, educator, and creator who specializes in complex trauma with a focus on domestic violence, sexualized violence, and religious trauma. She holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Ph. D. in Mind-Body Medicine with her research focusing on the experience of living in a healing body after sexual trau...

Kayla is a YouTube creator and launched her channel Keya's World back in 2021 to discuss toxic positivity, hustle culture, self-help, spirituality, scams, and everything in between. Kayla started her career in the broadcast & digital journalism industry and still uses her research and storytelling skills while creating her content. Kayla is a former personal development fan who thought the...

This is just a preview of our exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a supporter at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Returning guest Christa Lester‐Pitsch is a survivor of an offshoot of the infamous cult known as The Way. She was born into and escaped the high‐control religious group, River Road Fellowship at the age of 23. Christa’s main goal in sharing her sto...

CONTENT WARNING: Child Sexual Abuse Christa Lester‐Pitsch is a survivor of an offshoot of the infamous cult known as The Way. She was born into and escaped the high‐control religious group, River Road Fellowship at the age of 23. Christa’s main goal in sharing her story is to help people who might find themselves in similar situations as the one she was in. She runs an Instagram page called The Su...

Zachary Heinzerling is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director based in New York City. His latest docu-series entitled “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult of Sarah Lawrence" about Larry Ray and his victims, premiered February 9th, 2023 on Hulu. The New York Times praised it as “a true-crime-coup,” The New Yorker called it "a remarkable work, advancing the prestige true-crime...