IndoctriNation

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this episode, Rachel dives into the life and influence of Elizabeth Clare Prophet, the leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant. Rachel recounts her early encounters with the group and shares a chilling memory of hearing Prophet’s hypnotic man...

Returning guest, Tia Levings writes about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma. She is also a podcaster, speaker, and content strategist. She’s been quoted in Salon, the Huffington Post, and Newsweek, and appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. Based in Jacksonville, Florida she is mom to four incredible adults and likes to tra...

Returning guest, Jonathon Sawyer is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder. Working with the National Education Policy Center, Jon researches public and private education. Through his in-progress dissertation, Jon explores pressing tensions between the right to religious freedom and the separation of church and state, focusing on taxpayer-supported religious schools. Motivated by...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel shares her insights on the harrowing experience of testifying about abuse in a courtroom. Rachel discusses the re-traumatization many survivors face when confronting their abusers in court, the emotional toll...

Diana Nowak is a survivor of the infamous troubled teen institution known as The Academy at Ivy Ridge. She is featured in the recently released Netflix docuseries The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping which specifically covers The Academy at Ivy Ridge. The series directed by Katherine Kubler exposes the corruption and abuse of the troubled teen industry through the stories of Diana and her fell...

Tiffany Yecke Brooks is the author of the new book Holy Ghosted: Spiritual Anxiety, Religious Trauma, and the Language of Abuse which equips readers to understand and name tactics of spiritual abuse and manipulation. Each chapter covers a different method of control found in toxic religious communities--including legalism, indoctrination, praise, and fear--and how to identify and respond to it hea...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode by becoming a member at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this special bonus episode, Rachel dives deep into the dark and often hidden world of children’s television. Inspired by the recent docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," she explores the unhealthy culture plaguing TV...

Anke Richter is an international journalist and author based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Before immigrating there with her family in 2003 she was a magazine writer, TV producer, and, business reporter in Germany. Anke has covered everything from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake to the 2019 mosque attack and has traveled widely in the South Pacific reporting on climate change and social issues. O...

Judith Castillo is a passionate and determined PhD student at the University of Houston, where her academic focus is on Latino and Women’s studies. Her journey into academia is deeply intertwined with her personal experiences as a survivor of the La Luz Del Mundo cult. Forced into marriage at the tender age of 15 to a member of the cult's leadership, Judith faced unimaginable challenges and co...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination This special Patreon exclusive bonus episode with Andrew Pledger was recorded for Andrew’s Beyond BJU podcast which will be released later this summer, but we wanted to offer our Patreon supporters early access as a thank-you for your continued support. In this discussion...

Nikki G. is a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach who helps survivors recover and thrive after Religious Trauma & Cult involvement. She is also a survivor of multiple narcissistic relationships, religious trauma, as well as a former member of multiple cultic communities. Nikki is the CEO of Nikki G Speaks LLC, which exists to support survivors with individual coaching services, an online community...

Uriah Wesman is a multiple-cult survivor, and one-liner comedian turned comedic storyteller. Early in his career, he was hesitant to speak about the cultic involvement of his childhood, but now after nearly 8 years of performing and producing hundreds of comedy shows he’s found a way to transmute the pain of his childhood into laughter and catharsis. Uriah is now laser-focused on taking those dark...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this bonus solo episode, Rachel delves into the harrowing intersection of crime and belief, discussing the chilling case of 'God's Misfits.' She examines the tragic murder of two women by a group claiming divine justification for their actions. Rachel goes...

Returning guests, Rachel Holdt and Elizabeth Humble are sisters who were raised in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church they’ve now identified as a Cult, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1998, Rachel was the whistleblower instrumental in the eventual arrest and criminal conviction of Charles Dean Miller, the son of a pastor who would become known to be a decades...

Rachel Holdt and Elizabeth Humble are sisters who were raised in an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church they’ve now identified as a Cult, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1998, Rachel was the whistleblower instrumental in the eventual arrest and criminal conviction of Charles Dean Miller, the son of a pastor who would become known to be a decades-long serial pedop...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel shares her insights on the "Love Has Won" cult, led by Amy Carlson who is referred to within the group as "Mother God". Rachel points out the commonalities that Amy's manipulative leadership shares with other cult lea...

Jeff Guinn is the author of the new book Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and a Legacy of Rage. He has written several other best-selling books including; The Life & Times of Charles Manson, and War on the Border. Jeff was the co-executive producer alongside Leonardo DiCaprio on the TV docuseries "Terror in the Jungle," which is based on his book, The Road to Jonestown. He cur...

Scott M. Coley is a lecturer in philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His research interests include philosophy of religion, moral epistemology, and political philosophy. He is the author of the upcoming book Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right which unravels the rhetoric and biblical proof-texting that support Christo-authori...

This is just a preview of our Patreon exclusive bonus episode. You can hear the full episode at: https://www.patreon.com/indoctrination In this solo bonus episode, Rachel offers her insights on the benefits, but also the dangers of survivors offering forgiveness to their abusers. She outlines scenarios where it is and where it sometimes is not healthy, so that survivors can weigh the options and b...

Returning guest, Cynane Shay is a nuclear engineer in South Carolina. Her childhood in White Christian Nationalism normalized conspiracy theories like Obama “Birther-ism” and the Biblical apocalypse; but 2020, with COVID and Qanon, finally made her realize something was deeply wrong. Now Cynane is writing a book, “Taking Off the Tinfoil Hat: How Lizard People and Space Lasers Dismantled my Christi...

Cait West is a writer and editor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her work has been published in The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Fourth Genre, and Hawai`i Pacific Review, among others. As an advocate and a survivor of the Christian patriarchy movement, she serves on the editorial board for Tears of Eden, a nonprofit providing resources for survivors of spiritual abuse, and cohosts the podcast S...

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 In this solo bonus episode, Rachel examines the recent controversies of "self-help guru" Jay Shetty outlined in the viral Guardian expose by John McDermott. Rachel points out how Jay's deceptions are actually very common among...

Today we continue our conversation from last week with Tammy Synovec. Tammy was first introduced to Scientology in 1993 by a friend she met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. At this vulnerable time in her life, the ready-made group of friends in Scientology were of course there to welcome her with open arms....little did she know that she would become a dedicated Scientologist from that point on...

Tammy Synovec was first introduced to Scientology in 1993 by a friend she met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. At this vulnerable time in her life, the ready-made group of friends in Scientology were of course there to welcome her with open arms....little did she know that she would become a dedicated Scientologist from that point on. Tammy became deeply immersed in the cult for 17 long years w...

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 In this solo bonus episode, Rachel describes some of the most commonly shared psychological traits of cult leaders, pointing out several defining characteristics and narcissistic tendencies. She explains how through a lack of ability to fe...