This episode is sponsored by Better Help. But maybe it should also be sponsored by a company that manufactures blood pressure cuffs, because the “Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals” docuseries had us all kinds of pissed off. If you haven’t seen it yet, the doc wades into the darkness and depravity within the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement a ... Show More
Nov 24
Real Housewife and Bad Mormon: Heather Gay on Surviving Mormonism (Part 1)
<p>Heather Gay, Real Housewife, “Bad Mormon,” and faith deconstruction trailblazer, joined us to talk about her journey from devout church girl to outspoken survivor. She shares what made Mormonism so magnetic, how family, secrets, and ritual shaped her upbringing, and the pivota ... Show More
38m 8s
Nov 20
Empire of Orgasm: Ellen Huet on the Different Strokes of OneTaste (Part 2)
<p>We dive even deeper in Part two with <a href="http://ellenhuet.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ellen Huet</a> to unpack what drove OneTaste’s inner circle, its culty sales playbook, and the strange tangle of power, personal growth, and manipulation. Ellen reveal ... Show More
46m 42s
Nov 17
Empire of Orgasm: Ellen Huet on the Different Strokes of OneTaste (Part 1)
<p>This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.</p><p><br></p><p>What happens when the pursuit of female pleasure blurs into high-pressure sales, psychological control, and a federal criminal trial? In this two-part episode, we’re joined by journalist <a href="http://ellenhuet.com" r ... Show More
41m 22s
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 2023
126 - Healing Trauma Caused by Cults and Escaping NXIVM w/ Sarah Edmondson
Sarah Edmondson joins the show to share her experience of escaping the NXIVM cult, her childhood experiences that made her susceptible to joining the organization, and how to heal trauma caused by high-control organizations. Sarah was featured in HBO's NXIVM documentary, spen ... Show More
1h 18m
May 2023
Witch School, Chapter 1: Omisade Burney-Scott
<p>Witch school is in session. adrienne interviews the resplendent<a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"> Omisade Burney-Scott</a>, curator of the Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, doula, priestess o ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 2023
What is a Cult? With Dr. Janja Lalich
Dr. Janja Lalich, the world’s foremost expert on cults, reveals the four principles all cults share, how she survived ten years in a brutal cultic system and how these groups continue to abuse while evading authorities. Dr. Janja also shares an important warning on how to identif ... Show More
1h 39m
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 2022
158. CULTS Part 2: How Intuition Can Save Us with Sarah Edmondson
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 y ... Show More
53m 37s