Just as no one intentionally falls in love with an abuser, no one intentionally joins a cult—we fall for them. Falling, in this case, refers to both falling in love and falling asleep. Gerette fell. Her fall lasted eighteen years.

Often - but not always – cultic involvement begins with 'love-bombing' - a starry-eyed stage where someone is magnetically drawn to a group or a leader who promises the moon and it feels really good. Typically, the early stages of cultic involvement can include a lot of longing, learning about one’s self, and a whole lot of idealizing.

In this episode, we discuss the early days of Gerette’s cult life which devolved into the gradual erosion of her psyche.

Tune in for frank talk about everyday cults and how they can endanger everyday people like you and me.

Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Gerette Buglion arising from her personal 18-year cultic involvement and from her work in cult recovery and education.