Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Episode 68: In part two of their conversation with Sinasta Colucci, Lola and Meagan dive into the dramatic forbidden romances he experienced while in Twelve Tribes, the racist doctrines that were kept from him until he was already committed to the group, and a big secret that the community leaders covered up. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of po...

Episode 67: In part one of his conversation with Lola & Meagan, Better Than a Turkish Prison: What I Learned From Life in a Religious Cult author Sinasta Colucci shares his experience living in the Twelve Tribes communities. He talks about growing up poor in Detroit, living on a hippie Christian fundamentalist commune, the practice of giving up your personal assets, and how their end times pro...

Episode 66: Rockstar and Hollywood Park author Mikel Jollett shares how he spent his childhood in the drug rehab cult Synanon, how it impacted his family relationships from a young age, leaving the group only to live in poverty, incidents of violence committed by Synanon, and the residual impact on his adult life. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse...

Episode 65: Author Jillian Lauren shares what brought her back to Brunei after leaving the first time, her relationship with the Prince, meeting the Sultan, smuggling money out of the country, and how she became acquainted with the most prolific serial killer in American History. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trus...

Episode 64: You're young and struggling to make ends meet. Then you get invited to live in the lap of luxury in a place far away... with no guarantee of your safety. Writer Jillian Lauren recounts the events from her book Some Girls: My Life in a Harem as the guest of the Prince of Brunei, including how she was first recruited, how what she went through was similar to the Bachelor and the Hunger G...

Episode 63: Mentalist and magician Banachek shares how he exposed a scam by televangelist and debunked faither healer Peter Popoff in the 80s, why he fights against funding pseudoscience, and the difference between critical thinking and skepticism. Plus: he performs a trick on Lola and Meagan. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an...

Episode 62: World famous mentalist and magician Banachek joins Lola & Meagan to discuss the difference between mentalists, magicians and psychics, how he became involved in a parapsychology research project called Project Alpha, and how you can become emotionally invested in something that you know is an illusion! If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or ab...

Episode 61: Lola & Meagan share a heartfelt conversation with conversion therapy survivor Drew Amstutz about growing up gay as a pastor's kid, being forced into conversion therapy, having suicidal ideations, and how he coped and found a way out. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW US ON...

Episode 60: It's Lola's favorite topic. And today she and Meagan are joined by hosts of the Labyrinths podcast Amanda Knox and Christopher Robinson as they dig into the world of cognitive bias. They discuss Amanda's wrongful conviction in 2007, spending four years in an Italian prison, all of the biases that came into play in Amanda's trial, and the public perception of what happened. If you have...

Episode 59: In part two of their interview with psychic tracker Bob Nygaard, Lola & Meagan dig into what its like fighting with police and prosecutors to bring criminals to justice, how psychic fraud is organized crime, an interesting discussion of why most psychics are women, the difference between cold and hot readings, the importance of having a support network, "the psychic script", a reoc...

Episode 58: The notorious private investigator and psychic tracker Bob Nygaard joins Lola & Meagan to talk about his early career as a cop, getting started in confidence crimes and psychic fraud, how psychics groom their victims, and the kinds of people who seek out psychic advice (HINT: They're smarter than you think!). If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation...

Episode 57: In part two of their interview with hosts of the Hidden podcast, Lauren and Dr John Matthias, Lola and Meagan discuss the the chronology of the murders carried out by Chad & Lori Daybell, how a welfare check led to the discovery of two missing children, how Chad and Lori were living in an elaborate fiction, as well as the theories of "The Dark Triad" and "Rich Guy Syndrome." If you...

Episode 56: In part one of their interview with true crime power couple and hosts of the Hidden podcast, Lauren and Dr John Matthias, Lola and Meagan dig into the LDS backgrounds of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell, Chad's history as a fiction writer, how zombies and Munchausen by proxy play into their story, and the horrific deaths of the people close to the couple. If you have your own story...

Episode 55: Two best friends in a cult. Angie Kehler & Yahanna Masimer share their experience growing up in the Assembly of YHWHhoshua, founded by self-proclaimed prophet Laycher Gonzalez, who had visions from "YHWH." They discuss the strict dress code restrictions, not being allowed to have drawings, paintings, or photos, and how one member died after being forbidden from going to the doctor....

Episode 54: Lola & Meagan open up the hotline to Mlee in Houston as she shares her culty childhood with a narcissist "Super Dad", and Holly in West Virginia, a self-described "bus kid" who grew up dating two brothers in a small town Baptist purity culture. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FO...

Episode 53: Ever heard of a cult specialist? Therapist and IndoctriNation podcast host Rachel Bernstein shares what healing looks like after leaving a cult, common themes in manipulation recovery, signs that someone is in a high-control group or experiencing dissociation, and advice for those with loved ones in a cult. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or a...

Episode 52: Are you a narcissist? Statistically, it's possible! Dr. Ramani Durvasula joins Lola and Meagan for a clinic on all things narcissism. They discuss whether narcissists are born or made, how narcissism differs from psychopathy, why dating a narcissist is similar to being in a cult, and whether it's possible to prevent someone from becoming a narcissist. If you have your own story about c...

Episode 51: Jennings Brown, reporter and host of cult podcasts The Gateway and Revelations, discusses life on the lavish compound of the Fellowship of Friends leading up to their doomsday date, why people cling to their prophecies when they don't come true, allegations of sexual assault against the group's leader, and the orgy that was compared to a trip to the DMV. If you have your own story abou...

Episode 50: In part two of Lola and Meagan's interview with UFO cult leader Glenn Carter, they discuss the cloning controversy that the Raelian movement was known for, Glenn's relationship with the movement's founder, and an interesting debate on power dynamics and personal responsibility. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an ema...

Episode 49: It's a Trust Me first! Actor / musician / leader of the UK Raelian chapter Glenn Carter joins Lola & Meagan in part one of their conversation about Glenn's religious group with unconventional views on alien life, how he became the regional leader, and all things meditation, evolution, and cloning! If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse o...

Episode 48: Can success be its own cult? Lola & Meagan delve into how abuse of power plays into the entertainment industry, the experiences they've had firsthand with people in power, and the dark side of the pursuit of stardom. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @trust...

Episode 47: In part two of their discussion with author of The First 50, Natascia Mallin , Lola and Meagan discuss the trauma bonding that happened within the group, whether or not the program really worked, and the importance of staying anchored to the outside world. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail...

Episode 46: In part one of their chat with author of The First 50: A Saga of Backseats, Bedrooms, Lookout Points, and Dive Bars, Natascia Mallin , Lola and Meagan discuss how Natascia's time working at Cafe Gratitude and the Landmark Forum led her to join a "therapy cult" led by a well-read charismatic guru named Stan. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or a...

Episode 45: In part two of their interview with Children of God survivor, Christina Babin, Lola and Meagan discuss life in the "reprogramming camps," the difficulty coming forward about these kinds of experiences, and finding love after leaving the group. If you have your own story about cults, high-control groups, manipulation, or abuse of power, shoot us an email at trustmepod@gmail.com. FOLLOW...

Episode 44: Love bombing. Flirty fishing. Moving from country to country. Just a few standard parts of life as a member of David Berg's Children of God. In part one of their conversation with Christina Babin, Lola and Meagan discuss Christina's experience in punishment camps, the separation from her family, and being exploited in a child sex trafficking cult. If you have your own story about cults...