Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Creator of the one man show 3 Cults Walk Into a Bar, Uriah Wesman, shares about his FIRST cult experience in Church Universal and Triumphant, how they combined Christianity and New Age ideas, the paranoia that was created by beliefs surrounding demons, his mom's mental deterioration that led her to accuse his father of being a demon, and his parents split that led him to his next cult... which we'll discuss next week! We have deals for you! ZocDoc: Stop putting off those doctors appointments! Go to Zocdoc.com/trustme to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today!Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today our guests are historian Philip Deslippe and writer Stacie Sutkin, who together have done investigative reporting on 3HO (“happy, healthy, holy organization”), Kundalini yoga, and Yogi Bhajan. They’re going to tell us how they got started writing about 3HO, both interacting with Kundalini yoga in different ways, who Yogi Bhajan was and whether he had any credibility in the Sikh religion (spoiler: he did not), and how he began to get white Americans to believe he was the ultimate spiritual authority, rapidly expanding and profiting off of the money and property of his followers. They’ll tell us about some of the many ways Yogi Bhajan exerted control over his followers lives, the practice of separating children from their parents in a practice called “distance therapy,” and the boarding schools kids were sent to for years that turned out to be neglectful and abusive, all within full knowledge and approval of Yogi Bhajan. Plus, the wave of survivors that came forward to tell their stories of his and the organization’s abuse, and how they were failed by 3HO’s reparations program. We have deals for you! Quince: Upgrade your closet! Go to Quince.com/trust for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order! Shopify: Need help with your business? Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola

Episode 23: Lola Blanc & Meagan Elizabeth continue to interview Frank Lyford, former member of Heaven's Gate. In part 2, they discuss the growing number of red flags he began to notice after one of the leaders died, including talk of castration, and what led to his decision to finally, after 18 years, break away. He also tells the girls what it was like when he heard about the mass suicide on the news, how heartbreaking that was, the lessons he's learned as a result, and what his life is like now. Original Airdate: 03/17/2021 Trust Me is sponsored by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Episode 22: Lola & Meagan interview Frank Lyford, survivor of Heaven's Gate who left after 18 years--just a few years before discovering his friends and loved ones in the group had died by suicide. In part 1, he tells the girls how he began following the leaders Ti and Do, what it was like living a nomadic lifestyle with his "check partner," and what happened when they all settled in one place for "Class." They discuss being separated from the love of his life, how the rules became more strict and controlling, and how much darker things got after Ti got cancer. Stay tuned next week for part 2! Original Airdate: 03/10/2021 Trust Me is sponsored by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme   BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Cult interventionist and founder of People Leave Cults, Ashlen Hilliard, talks about her path to working in cult intervention and recovery, her personal religious experience that led her to this work, how interactions with Mormons in Utah affected her worldview, how she defines what a cult is, why accusing a group of being a cult isn't always helpful, how cult intervention today is different from how it was in the 70s, how it used to involved kidnapping and unethical practices, how her model takes a harm reduction approach, and when cult intervention practices can become culty themselves! We have deals for you!! Shopify: Upgrade your business (Or start one in the new year)! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme ZocDoc: Stop putting off your doctors appointments! Go to ZocDoc.com/trustme to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

You're a child living on a remote compound in West Texas. One day authorities show up at your front door and an exchange of gunfire breaks out. Just as you expected would happen. Survivor of the Branch Davidians and the Waco massacre, Joann Vaega, discusses her earliest memories of living on the compound, what cult leader David Koresh was like in person, why she did not feel fear when the siege began, how her mom bravely acted to save her, learning about the fire that killed 76 people, including her own parents, and how she's currently defying how people said she would turn out. Original Airdate: 08/03/2022 WE HAVE DEALS FOR YOU!!! Prose: Need better haircare? Get 50% off your one-of-a-kind formula Prose.com/trust Babbel: Want to learn a new language? Get up to 60% off your subscription at Babbel.com/trustme Masterclass: Want to learn from world class experts? Get up to 50% off at Masterclass.com/trust Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch   Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

FOR OUR 200th EPISODE, we are joined by eating disorder therapist, author, and expert Carolyn Costin to discuss her own experiences that led to her starting her practice, why so many cults control the eating habits of their members, why having an eating disorder is like having a little cult leader in your brain, and how Carolyn helped Meagan with her own eating disorder. Check out our holiday sponsors!! Quince: Gift luxury without the luxury price tag! Go to Quince.com/trust for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order!ZocDoc: Find and book a top-rated doctor! Go to ZocDoc.com/trustme and download the Zocdoc app for FREE!Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today is part 2 of our interview with Yoni Shrira, former student at the Family Foundation School, also known as Allynwood, the remote troubled teen program known for a series of lawsuits brought against it as well as over a hundred deaths from overdose or suicide by its former attendees. Last week, we talked about how and why Yoni ended up in the abusive school and the culture of required snitching, and this week he’s going to tell us about the punishments the kids endured, including hard labor and isolation. He’ll tell us about trying to run away, the origins of the group and the man who created it, how the kids were kept isolated from their families, the way it impacted him after he left, and why he thinks so many of its former students have died. Check out our holiday sponsors!! MasterClass: Want to learn from the very best? Get up to 50% off at MasterClass.com/trust Prose: GET 50% OFF your first haircare subscription order at Prose.com/trust  ZocDoc: Need a doctor? Go to Zocdoc.com/trustme and download the Zocdoc app for FREE!Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme Trust Me is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/trust to get 10% off your first month. Check out the work Lola's mom has been up to! https://www.sltrib.com/news/polygamy/2024/12/06/polygamous-prophet-how-flds/  12 Step / Substance Abuse Resources https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/12-step https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/treatment-program/aftercare/types-12-step-programs/ https://www.addictioncenter.com/treatment/12-step-programs/ 988 -- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today our guest is Yoni Shrira, friend of the show and survivor of the Family Foundation School, a troubled teen sobriety school that became notorious for how many of its former students died after going through the program. In part one today, he’s going to talk about what he was like as a teenager, how he was genuinely out of control when it came to drugs and alcohol, and why his parents believed the school was the best option to help him. He’ll tell us about the religious undertones of the group, how the students were separated into groups they called “families,” the culture of constant fear and snitching, and why he thinks so many kids died. Plus next week, we’ll talk about some of the harrowing punishments the kids experienced and what it felt like to finally leave. We have holiday deals for you!! Prose: Find your one of a kind hair care formula! Get 50% off your first subscription order at Prose.com/trust Quince: Gift luxury this holiday! Go to Quince.com/trust for 365-day returns PLUS free shipping on your order! Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today our guest is Tory Hess, former member of a small rural group in upstate New York she calls Crazyland. She tells us about how she always loved reading and fantasy growing up, never went to public school, and didn’t connect easily with folks in real life when she was young, and how she found connection in the online gaming community Second Life, where she acted out her dream of having a family of her own... until it began to consume her life. She’ll tell us how some of the friends she made on there convinced her that she was spending too much time on the game, and that she should come live with them in upstate New York... in Crazyland. We’ll talk about how 13 people were living in one trailer, extremely uncomfortable living conditions, but how it fulfilled her desire for a family to take care of (at first). We’ll get into who the leader Ron was, the financial and sexual abuse he was committing, how he isolated her from her parents, and how she finally got out. Email Tory to learn more about her story! toryhess037@gmail.com BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Groups!... I did it again. Jay Van Bavel, NYU Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science, Director of the Social Identity and Morality Lab, and co-author of The Power Of Us, discusses how our social identities change depending on our environment and context, how the groups we identify with affect our decisions and perception, and the importance of instilling healthy hierarchy in a group to prevent unhealthy leadership. They also discuss how emotionally charged situations can forge shared identities, how cults replace individual identities with group identities, what to do when someone has fallen prey to groupthink, and whether groups are even... good? Learn more about Jay's work here! https://www.powerofus.online Original Airdate: 01/04/2023  Check out our holiday sponsors!!! Quince: Get cozy in high-quality fall wardrobe essentials! Go to Quince.com/trust for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  Please donate to RedCross.org to help those affected by Huricanes Milton and Helene. BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today our guest is actor, musician, and now author Bethany Joy Lenz, whom we will just call Joy. Joy was the star of hit TV show One Tree Hill, and today she’s going to talk to us about how she was in a Christian cult the whole time she was filming the show. She’ll tell us about her upbringing and her career as a young actor, living in LA on her own and joining a small Bible study group that seemed like the perfect place to share a community with like-minded young Christian actors, and how a charismatic preacher named Les began showing up, leading the meetings, and changing everything. She’ll tell us about going to a house in Idaho they called the “God spa,” how she was drugged at the house (but did not realize until later), and how Les began to exert more and more control over her life - including isolating her from her family and taking over her finances, which were being drained without her knowledge the entire time she was working on a hit television show - and how the group’s hold over her led her to turning down her dream role in her dream Broadway play. Plus, how she discovered her money was gone and finally decided to leave. We have deals for you!!! Pretty Litter: Looking for the right litter? Go to PrettyLitter.com/trustme to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy! Trust Me is sponsored by BetterHelp! Visit BetterHelp.com/trust to get 10% off your first month! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch    Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today, our guest is a friend who we'll call Anne. We discuss the connection between psychosis and cults, the mental changes Anne experienced when her episode started, the delusions that grew stronger, how she felt like she was communicating with spirits, the paranoia that grew inside her, and how a psychiatric mental health professional helped pull her out of it. We also compare the similarities of Anne's experience with that of many cult leaders, how coming out of a paranoid delusion is similar to coming out of a cult belief, and why it can be wise NOT to directly attack the beliefs of someone experiencing a psychotic episode. Trust Me is brought to you by Shopify! Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch   Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Episode 15: Lola and Meagan interview Jitarth Jadeja, former QAnon believer. He tells the girls about how, despite being Australian, he first was a Bernie supporter, then shifted his support to Trump before becoming obsessed with conspiracy theories. They discuss the two years of his life in which he believed in Q, the moment he realized it was all a lie, how he'd have gone to the Capitol if he'd still believed, and what he suggests you should do if a loved one has fallen into QAnon. Original Airdate: 01/13/2021 BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today our guest is Gareth Gore, journalist and author whose new book Opus is about Opus Dei, an ultra-conservative Catholic sect, its harmful practices, its history of dark money, and its connections to modern day right-wing American politics. Gareth shares how he came to this story while investigating the shady practices at a bank in Spain, the history of the group and the leader’s goals of recruiting elite members of society, and its cultic practices like living in gender segregated homes with a highly controlled life and doing body mortification rituals. He tells about how members would groom kids as young as 11 or 12 to become people of influence in the group, how there are a number of reports of trafficking low-income young women and girls in various countries to exploit their labor at Opus Dei retreats, how some people were fed a cocktail of prescription drugs they didn’t need, and whether there’s been any accountability for these practices—which the group tries to officially distance themselves from. Plus, its ties to prominent US conservative activist Leonard Leo, who’s had an outsized influence in naming three of our current Supreme Court appointees and who’s tied to Project 2025, seeking to “crush liberal dominance.” Check out our great sponsors!! Quince: Get cozy in Quince's high-quality wardrobe essentials! Go to Quince.com/trust for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today our guest is a woman whom we’ll call Norah. She tells us about a Facebook group for women in Los Angeles that ended up getting very culty. We’ll talk about why it was exciting in the beginning to connect with other women in a new way, how other subgroups began to form (including one secret, exclusive one) and how the admin, who we’ll call Vivian, seemed to be creating a space that prioritized social justice, equality, and helping other people—at first. Norah shares how the culture of the secret smaller group, Girls Night In, began to change, becoming a place where posting nudes was normalized and encouraged, sending them to other people’s boyfriends, and attacking anyone who deviated from Vivian’s ideas about what was good or bad. Plus, red flags that popped up along the way, controversies that made Norah begin to question, and how the group finally collapsed. Trust Me is sponsored by BetterHelp! Visit BetterHelp.com/trust to get 10% off your first month! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch   Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today is part two with Demetria, survivor of the Oregon new age cult, Twin Ray. This week she shares more about the wild claims that the leaders made about their mystical backgrounds, how deeply rooted the culture of self blame was (including blaming one woman for her own cancer), and the massive property they purchased in Oregon which was financed by their followers. We talk about the dangers of the drugs they were giving people on spiritual retreats, when the cracks began to form in Demetria's belief system, and how important it was to feel her rage. Trust me is sponsored by ZocDoc! Find and book a top-rated doctor at Zocdoc.com/trustme and download the Zocdoc app for FREE! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today we're joined by Demetria, survivor of an Oregon new age group called Twin Ray (not to be confused with Twin Flames). She describes the beginning of her spiritual journey including reading the works of Eckhart Tolle, how one specific online guru captured her imagination, and how this guru's partner made the claim that they were Twin Rays with access to special spiritual knowledge despite their questionable backgrounds. We discuss how they strictly controlled their followers' diets, made them take a mysterious elixir while on retreats, and how they made their sales pitch to them while they were under the influence. Check out our great sponsors! Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  Prose: Be good to your hair! Get 50% off your first haircare subscription order at Prose.com/trust  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

This week is part two of a fascinating discussion with Joelle Tamraz, author of The Secret Practice: 18 Years on the Dark Side of Yoga. The story gets more wild! Joelle shares how her spiritual partner, Arun, became her husband, and how he brought her deeper into his world, including the strange visions he revealed to her. PLUS, the financial abuse, the cheating, the isolation from her family, and how Joelle eventually emerged from Arun's influence and moved on with her life. Check out our great sponsors!! Quince: Find your high-quality fall essentials! Go to Quince.com/trust for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns! CBDistillery: Get CBD with CLEAN ingredient! Visit CBDistillery.com and use code TRUST for 20% off! BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch   Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast

Today is part one of our interview with Joelle Tamraz, author of the book The Secret Practice: 18 Years on the Dark Side of Yoga. She will tell us about her introduction to different yoga practices at a young age including TM, or transcendental meditation, the hunger she felt for a deeper spirituality that landed her in India when she was fresh out of Harvard, and how she met Arun, the self-proclaimed swami who was 35 years older than her and quickly became her spiritual teacher--and she’ll explain a bit about swami culture in India and the yoga world. She will also talk to us about how Arun made her feel special and important, eventually revealing that he was in contact with a series of beings he called “elders” that gave him privileged access to the spiritual realm, some of the ways he began to work his magic on her and why she was the perfect target, and how she felt when he revealed they had been married in another life—and should be married in this one, too. Check out our great sponsors!! Trust Me is sponsored by BetterHelp! Visit BetterHelp.com/trustme to get 10% off your first month. Shopify: Upgrade your business! Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/trustme  BUY OUR MERCH!! bit.ly/trustmemerch  Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at TrustMePod@gmail.com INSTAGRAM @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK @TrustMeCultPodcast