Glennon, Abby, Amanda, and Sarah Edmondson continue their conversation:
1. “Love bombing” and other red flag strategies used by cults to reel people in.
2. The jarring similarities between cults and abusive relationships – and how in both your best qualities are used against you.
3. What to do if someone you love is pulled into QAnon, 4chan, or another co ... Show More
Mar 24
Jared Kushner, CIA Coups & the Bananas Reason We’re at War with Iran: Amanda with Jeremy Scahill
We’re told this is about bad guys, nuclear threats, and national security. History—and this moment—tell a different story. In this You’re Not Gonna Believe This Bullshit episode, Amanda traces America’s regime change playbook—then sits down with investigative journalist, co-found ... Show More
1h 25m
Mar 17
Tracee Ellis Ross: Holding On to Joy In Hard Times
In this deeply moving — and one of our all-time favorite — conversations, we take a beautiful, funny, honest dive inside the “wonderful, dangerous” mind of Tracee Ellis Ross. As the world asks us to stay engaged without burning out, Tracee offers a powerful model for how to show ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2023
NXIVM Whistleblower w/ Sarah Edmondson Part 2
In Part 2 Sarah Edmondson's story, we see how the truth slowly starts to unfold. Sarah realizes that Keith Raniere, Nancy Salzman, and NXIVM were abusing many of its female members. For the first time, Sarah sees the horrible truth about the organization, and how Keith was actual ... Show More
57m 3s
Jan 2023
NXIVM Whistleblower w/ Sarah Edmondson Part 1
Sarah Edmondson was a young actress pursuing a career in film and television, when she hit a low point and was hoping to find a new purpose in life. She ran into renowned filmmaker, Mark Vicente, who spoke to her about NXIVM and eventually brought her into the organization. There ... Show More
1h 4m
Oct 2022
How Do Cults Fashion Themselves? with Sarah C. Byrd
Let’s say you pass a group of people dressed identically. Are they a) following a trend, b) wearing uniforms, or c) in a cult? And who’s to say the answer can’t be all of the above? This week, we’re diving fabric first into the world of American cults, communes, and alternative ... Show More
1h 6m
Dec 2023
Bonus 1: Coaching or Culting?
<p>Sarah Edmonson publicly left NXIVM, a life coaching MLM made famous by the HBO documentary, The Vow, in 2017 shortly after being branded with the founder's initials. Jane and Sarah sit down to discuss the fine line between coaching and culting. Sarah and her husband, Nippy Ame ... Show More
28m 12s
Oct 2022
Cults: Manipulation Tactics, Celebrity Involvement, Escape w/ Lola Blanc + Meaghan Elizabeth
Joining the Deux U classroom this week are Cult survivors Lola Blanc and Meaghan Elizabeth. On their podcast, Trust Me, they talk to fellow survivors, former and current believers, experts, and everyone in between to try to get to the bottom of how extreme belief happens, who's s ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2021
544: Reincarnation, Penis Snake, & Sherpa Scandal
<p>Today we hear a full-throated defense from Sarah about she would never join a cult. Susie remains dubious. We learn why Sarah believes in reincarnation, who she was in past lives, and why she thinks she has a native american spirit guide. We learn about a snake species that mi ... Show More
56m 41s
May 2023
America's New Religions & the Cult of Self-Making | Tara Isabella Burton
<p dir="ltr">In Episode 314 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with novelist, sociologist, and theologian Tara Isabella Burton about America's new religions, the evolution of the self in contemporary culture, and what it all means for the future of Western society.</p> <p d ... Show More
59m 37s