A clandestine society aimed at indoctrinating a fleet of nationalist spies with an extensive entrance process, aliases, secretive language, isolation from the outside world, and no clear exit strategy... sounds like a cult, but it’s actually America’s most prized federal agency, the CIA. This week, former CIA intelligence analyst Christina Hillsberg joins th ... Show More
Nov 25
The Cult of Weddings (Update)
This week, Sounds Like A Cult is revisiting one of the most ritualistic, emotionally charged, and absurdly expensive cults of them all: The Cult of Weddings. We’re sharing (and offering a culty update) to Amanda’s Magical Overthinkers conversation with writer Allison Raskin, (@al ... Show More
1h 4m
Nov 18
The Cult of Fantasy Football
Lace up your cleats, because we’re about to tackle one of the most competitive, emotionally charged, and cult-ish communities in modern sports culture: The Cult of Fantasy Football. This week, Chelsea is joined by NFL host and analyst Kimmi Chex (@kimmichex) to break down how a s ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 2022
Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly - Transcendental Meditation & Cult Intervention
<p>Want to learn how to levitate? Cult Interventionists and Founders of Cult News 101, Patrick Ryan and Joe Kelly, talk about their work with ICSA (the International Cultic Studies Association), how levitation played into their experiences with Transcendental Meditation, early cu ... Show More
1h 13m
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
Sep 2022
651: Negative Reviews, Narcissist Conspiracy, & Cats Rule
<p>We discuss the negative review we got from a male listener, and share why he wasn't entirely wrong, but we're still mad. Sarah is literally falling apart after her slip-n-slide disaster, and she might have to avoid the powder this winter. We learn why narcissists are prone to ... Show More
59m 40s
Apr 2023
The secret gamblers using AI to hack horse racing
This week, we go to a racetrack in Miami, Florida to drink some beers, place some bets, and discover how AI is changing the sport of horse racing. FT data journalist Oliver Roeder joins Lilah to talk about how the ancient sport is being upended by anonymous computer-assisted bets ... Show More
23m 21s