logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
17m 51s

How to spot a cult | Sarah Edmondson

TED
About this episode

Nobody joins a cult on purpose, says Sarah Edmondson, a former member of the infamous NXIVM cult and one of the three whistleblowers that led to its downfall. She explains how she got ensnared in this highly manipulative group — and then escaped it — and shares red flags to help you distinguish between a cult and a safe community.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Sunday Pick: The Data Center Next Door with Dr. Jacoby Wilson | from TED Tech
Imagine if one day, your quiet neighborhood came alive with a steady hum… and it never went away? All throughout the United States, data centers are popping up next door and in your backyards. These buildings guzzle millions of water, cause noise pollution, and are raising homeow ... Show More
28m 44s
Jun 13
The human cell is wildly complex. Can AI decode it? | Silvana Konermann
Silvana Konermann and the team at Arc Institute are trying to crack one of science's most difficult problems: why complex diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer remain so stubbornly unsolvable, even as research advances. Her solution is a universal “virtual cell” — an AI model trai ... Show More
19m 31s
Jun 12
Talks on Love Playlist (1/5): Your relationship expectations could be holding you back | Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile
What if the secret to a happy relationship isn’t following the rules, but rewriting them? In this refreshing talk, couples therapist Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile explores why letting go of traditional societal expectations of romantic relationships — like sharing the same routine ... Show More
10m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
The Dangers and Warning Signs of Cults Part 1
In part one of a two-part Phil in the Blanks podcast, Dr. Phil speaks with cult expert Rick Alan Ross who explains how people can lose themselves inside organizations that can sometimes be dangerous. They also discuss how to define a cult, the methods that cults often use to enti ... Show More
46m 33s
Oct 2022
855 - The Cult of Entrepreneurship
When you think of a cult, you might conjure some very specific imagery. Groups of people dressed in white, huddled around a charismatic, long-haired leader. Glasses of red fruit punch, mixed with other things, in the background. And a general sense of impending doom as the leader ... Show More
22m 51s
May 2021
Women Cult Leaders: Part 1
<p>While probably not what you think of when conjuring up an image of a cult leader, women have been and are cult leaders and instrumental to propping up and running these organizations. Anney and Samantha discuss the definition of cult, what makes a cult leader, who they target ... Show More
42m 47s
May 2023
CLASSIC: A Digital Cult? The Strange Story of Bentinho Massaro
One person's cult is another person's inarguable truth, and over millenia many spiritual or cultural belief systems have been called cults. Typically organizations called cults have a few commonal traits, one of the chief of which is isolation. So can cults continue to exist in t ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 2023
Am I in a cult?
“I was losing myself”: When Mbali was introduced to a new church through a bible study group she was excited at the prospect of finding a new religious community. But as she became more involved with the church, she began questioning some of their unusual teachings and approaches ... Show More
33m 30s
Mar 2018
A Digital Cult? The Strange Story of Bentinho Massaro
<p>One person's cult is another person's inarguable truth, and over millenia many spiritual or cultural belief systems have been called cults. Typically organizations called cults have a few commonal traits, one of the chief of which is isolation. So can cults continue to exist i ... Show More
1h 4m
Mar 2022
The Cult of Toxic Relationships
This week, with the help of special guest Dan Savage (relationships advice columnist and host of the Savage Lovecast), Isa and Amanda are talking about cults of one: toxic relationships. How are toxic lovers (and friends and bosses) similar to cult leaders? What cult-like tactics ... Show More
43m 26s
Feb 2024
Proud Defector: Claire Headley On Scientology (Part 1)
<p>This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/culty and get on your way to being your best self.</p> <p>In part one of this 2-parter, we feature Scientology defector and whistleblower Claire Headley who spent 30 years in the church isolat ... Show More
59m 16s
Jul 2021
The Cult of Fraternities & Sororities
“Why does it feel like everything that has to do with tradition is actually a cult?” Such is one of our many musings from this week’s episode on the “cult” of Greek life. We call it “hazing” and “pledges” rather than “brainwashing” and “cult members,” but aren’t these highly excl ... Show More
28m 46s