Speaking of Cults
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Speaking of Cults
A podcast about cults, coercive control and recovery. Formerly called the Sensibly Speaking podcast, in this weekly show host Chris Shelton interviews cult survivors, psychologists and other professionals and specialists about the topics of cult recruitment, retention and recovery. This also include...
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Speaking of Cults...Christian Nationalism and the Hobby Lobby Facade with Michael Blanding
This week I welcome NY Times bestselling author and investigative journalist Michael Blanding to discuss his new book, The Gospel According to Hobby L...
Speaking of Cults...Dealing with Religious Trauma ft. Anna Clark Miller, LMC
This week I welcome Anna Clark Miller, LMC, a licensed therapist who specializes in religious trauma syndrome and also has her own background of an ab...
Speaking of Cults...The Violent and Horrible Origin Story of Mormonism
This week I welcome back Bryce Blankenangel and Shannon Grover to help me understand first the financial rapaciousness of the Church of Jesus Christ o...
Speaking of Cults...The Children of Landmark/Forum with Lindsey Hartzel
This week I welcome Lindsey Hartzel, who is sharing her experience growing up in a family connected heavily with Landmark Worldwide (formerly Landmark...
Speaking of Cults...The Psychology of Narcissism with Dr. Tina Paone
This week I welcome therapist, author and narcissist specialist Dr. Tina Paone to discuss the psychology of narcissism and adjacent topics. She is the...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology Games and Abuse ft. Jon Atack
Today I welcome back Jon Atack to continue our series of podcasts to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This week we are taking on...
Speaking of Cults...The Struggle of Scientology with Matt Pesch
This week I welcome former Scientologist and Sea Org member Mat Pesch, someone who joined up in the 1970s, was early friends with Marty Rathbun and ha...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology, WISE and Delphi with Natalia Hirsch
This week I welcome back former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she i...
Speaking of Cults...The Scientology Experience with Natalia Hirsch (Part 3)
This week I welcome back former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she i...
Speaking of Cults...Carlos Castaneda the Guru Cult Leader
This week I welcome Ru Marshall, author of the new book American Trickster which is on sale now, about the infamous 1970s cult guru Carlos Castaneda,...
Speaking of Cults...Taking Cults to Court with Carol Merchasin
This week I welcome Carol Merchasin, the Board President of the International Cultic Studies Association and also known as the "Cult Assassin" for her...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology and the Arts with Geoff Levin
This week I welcome back former Scientologists and musician Geoff Levin to discuss the Art Series and L. Ron Hubbard from a different perspective, tha...
Speaking of Cults...The Scientology Experience with Natalia Hirsch (Part 2)
This week I welcome back former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she i...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology Beliefs Debunked (part 2)
Today I welcome back Jon Atack to continue our series of podcasts to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This is a wide-ranging and...
Speaking of Cults...The Scientology Experience with Natalia Hirsch (Part 1)
This week I welcome former Scientologist Natalia Hirsch, originally from Ecuador but who had a wide-ranging life and Scientology experience she is sha...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology's Musical Phase with Geoff Levin
This week I welcome back former Scientologists and musician Geoff Levin to discuss a period of time in Scientology when L. Ron Hubbard was fascinated...
Speaking of Cults...A Different Look at Narcissism & Cults
Today I am sharing some recent observations and learning on the subject of narcissism - a timely topic given our current world situation - and relate...
Speaking of Cults...I Belong to Me - A Discussion with Tia Levings
Today I welcome back author and cult survivor Tia Levings, who discuses her upcoming book "I Belong to Me" about her recovery journey and advice for a...
Speaking of Cults...7th Day Adventists and Holy Disobedience with Melissa Duge Spiers
Today I welcome Melissa Duge Spiers, author of the new book Holy Disobedience, which is her story of being raised in and dealing with the religious ab...
Speaking of Cults...Brothers Broken and Scientology with Geoff Levin
Today I welcome back musician and artist Geoff Levin, former Scientologist, who has produced a new feature-length documentary, Brothers Broken, tellin...
Speaking of Cults...Debunking Scientology with Jon Atack
Today I welcome back Jon Atack for a new series of podcasts we'll be doing to debunk the "basics" of Scientology, one bit at a time. This is a wide-ra...
Speaking of Cults...Helping People Escape Scientology with Phil Jones
Today I welcome Phil Jones, the Executive Director of the Aftermath Foundation, to discuss its purpose, activities and an upcoming fundraiser being he...
Speaking of Cults...Body Language and Manipulation
Today I welcome back Zach Elwood to discuss body language and how it really works to "read" someone, understand their tells and how to accurately pred...
Speaking of Cults...What are MAGA Christians Thinking?
Today I welcome back Dr. Clint Heacock, a former evangelical minister who was born and raised in an evangelical community and has done a great deal of...
Speaking of Cults...Transforming Landmark with Ben Eisenberg
This week I welcome Ben Eisenberg, someone who grew up in and around Landmark and its teachings, which did not help him in his early life. He's spent...
Speaking of Cults...You Can't Save Everyone - What 100 Podcasts Taught Me about People
This week we went live for the 100th episode of the Speaking of Cults podcast. I have some personal reflections and experiences to share as a cult exp...
Speaking of Cults...The Unpaid Army of God
This week I welcome back Shannon Grover and Bryce Blankenagel to discuss the details of Mormon missionaries and what they actually are called upon to...
Speaking of Cults...The Myth of Good Christian Parenting
This week I welcome Marissa Franks Burt and Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, authors of the new book The Myth of Good Christian Parenting, a deep exploration o...
Speaking of Cults...The Rise and Fall of the Exclusive Brethren
This week I welcome Cheryl Hope and Richard Marsh from the Get a Life Podcast to discuss the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (formerly Exclusive Br...
Speaking of Cults...How Body Language Experts Fool You with Zach Elwood
We are now back for 2026. This week I welcome back Zach Elwood to discuss so-called "body language experts" and the pseudoscience they push as "infota...
Speaking of Cults...The Mormon/Scientology Connection with Mitch Brisker
This week I welcome ex-Scientologist Mitch Brisker to discuss his many and varied experiences in dealing with David Miscavige, the leader of Scientolo...
Speaking of Cults...Restarting After a Cult with Rachel Bernstein
This week I welcome back therapist and author Rachel Bernstein to discuss her newly released workbook on cult recovery, titled Restart and Restore. We...
Speaking of Cults...What's the Deal with MAGA Christians? with Jennie Gage
This week I welcome back Jennie Gage, creator of Life Take Two on YouTube and a former Mormon MAGA tradwife who has been helping explain that world to...
Speaking of Cults...The Honor Trap in Scientology
This week I welcome back Jon Atack to help me dissect the Code of Honor, one of Scientology's earliest and most successful attempts to undermine peopl...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology Inside and Out with Patty Moher
This week I welcome Patty Moher, a former Scientologist staffer and kind of amazing person to talk to. We had a great chat about all things Scientolog...
Speaking of Cults - Mormonism's Violent Legacy
This week I welcome back Bryce Blankenangel and Shannon Grover for another deep dive into Mormon history and culture, this time digging into a truly h...
Speaking of Cults...Journalism and Reporting on Scientology with Tony Ortega
This week I welcome journalist Tony Ortega to discuss his career, his interest in Scientology and get his perspective on issues related to the church...
Speaking of Cults...Scientology, Nazis and the REM Model with Jon Atack
This week I welcome back Jon Atack to discuss his new book about the common origins of Naziism and Scientology, and then go deep into the REM Model of...
Speaking of Cults...Chase Hughes and the NLP Grift with Zach Elwood
This week I welcome Zach Elwood, host of the People Who Read People podcast and a very fun guest to discuss the entrepreneurship of influence that is...
Speaking of Cults...The Religion/MAGA Connection with Jennie Gage
This week I welcome Jennie Gage, an ex-Mormon/MAGA/trad wife who has a story to tell about her upbringing in the Mormon world, how she was literally t...