Generation Cult

**Live Show in San Francisco: Season 4 finale** Jul 23, 2025 01:22:37 Generation Cult's live show and literary event happened on stage at The Lost Church San Francisco in front of a fabulous audience on June 26, 2025. If you missed it, you're in luck because the recording is finally out now! It was a late night in North Beach deep down in the Victorian speakeasy-style venue that hosted our show and book signing featuring the three authors who were our guests: Sarito

Opening the 2X2s Floodgates with Mike May 23, 2025 38:19 Mike and Abbi grew up going to something they called "the truth" or "the way" or sometimes it didn't have a name at all. But it wasn't a church. A church was something the other kids attended. They went to "meetings" at people's houses and had leaders called "workers" who stayed with them. After they got married and left the religion, or whatever it was, they felt isolated from friends and famil

Special Film Edition: Beyond the Fence with Lindsey and Ashlen Mar 5, 2025 26:20 We're dropping back in with a Special Film Edition as Generation Cult's Season 4 draws to a close! For this bonus episode, we're bringing back our old friend and former Season 3 co-host Ashlen, who's been hard at work helping people recover from controlling groups through her LLC People Leave Cults, and has become a source of education on the topic in the media. In addition to appearing on the la

System Breakdowns & Perpetual Coercion with Brenda Jan 3, 2025 50:58 Brenda was "mentored" by the former leader of Students of Light, a Toronto-based esoteric group inspired by teachings by Carl Jung and H.P. Blavatsky, from the age of 11 to almost 17. She pursued legal action against him in 1997, and he was eventually arrested in 2019 and extradited to Canada to be charged with rape and assault of a minor. Her case was plagued with delays and procedural mishaps

Another Legal Chat with Carol! Dec 23, 2024 41:54 We've brought back a fan favorite from Season 3 for an update on litigation cult survivors can bring against their abusers, and this time we're also tackling the dreaded topic of defamation. Carol Merchasin, an attorney with the firm McAllister Olivarius, has had some success bringing lawsuits on behalf of people who were sexually abused in Buddhist, yoga and cult-like groups. Her focus has expand

Estranged from Mormon Royalty with Lynn Nov 26, 2024 41:32 Estrangement is a traumatic topic, no matter your family of origin, but it feels unavoidable when you reject your tribe's religious ideologies. Lynn knows this well. She was raised in Salt Lake City on a Mormon pedestal: the great-great grand-niece of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. It was a bit like being royalty. But then she rejected the whole thing. No one of her family status ha

The Cult of Oregon with Jesse Oct 27, 2024 54:20 Jesse grew up in "the perfect church," or so he was told. The small, albeit pushy congregation his life centered around in the town of Oregon, IL seemed almost ideal as a small child. But then the immortal leader died. She didn't come back to life like she was supposed to. And the new leader liked restrictions. There were so many restrictions. Jesse found himself trapped in a cycle of punishment,

Leaving Christian Science Pod with Hilary Sep 29, 2024 53:14 Most people have heard of Christian Science and passed by the reading rooms, but how much do you know about it? Hilary grew up as a radical reliant Christian Scientist, which meant her family avoided medical intervention in favor of prayer to try to cure ailments. She lived to talk about it, but others weren't so lucky. As an adult, Hilary became an atheist and started the Leaving Christian Scie

Sharing the Knowledge with Susan Sep 3, 2024 54:35 When Susan was 13, her stepdad brought her into what was then known as the Divine Light Mission, an organization led by Prem Rawat (aka Guru Maharaj Ji, aka The Boy Guru, aka Lord of the Universe, aka The Perfect Master. ... etc.) She became a believer and eventually moved into one of the ashrams while she was still a teen. By that time, Susan was grappling with a disturbing incident she and anoth

3HO Reparations with Philip and Stacie Jun 24, 2024 48:10 Philip and Stacie wrote about a recent reparations program meant to address complaints made for decades against 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization), led by the late Yogi Bhajan, who started Kundalini Yoga. Join us for a discussion with these two writers about the second generation of 3HO. The children of those who joined the organization felt like they were screaming into a void about the abu

BONUS: *Season 2 Rebroadcast* No Horses in India with Narangkar Jun 21, 2024 54:45 We're rebroadcasting an episode from 2019 to remind you about a guest from Generation Cult's first episode of Season 2. Narangkar is an artist who grew up in 3HO (Healthy, Happy Holy Organization), which is connected to Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma. Narangkar and her two sisters navigated a troubling childhood during their time within the group that included neglect, child-swapping, violence and

The Farm and The Neon Sun with Kate May 10, 2024 43:22 Kate grew up in the secluded High View Church Farm where children worked and lived in militant conditions, rarely saw their families, and had little contact with the outside world. She left with only a couple of dollars in her pocket and no idea if that was a lot of money or not. Education was a lifeline but it's also pretty expensive. Kate lived in her car some of the time to save money. Now she

Rejecting Race Rhetoric with Amanda Apr 30, 2024 55:05 The church Amanda grew up in was started by a man known for his ejection from the KKK for being too militant. The tight and secretive community that revolved around the church valued white supremacy, male dominance, and obedience. Amanda had a lot of questions. A girl with questions wasn't valued in this community. Neither were women who wore pants or got educations. She did a lot of things that m

In God's Name Pod with Grace Mar 27, 2024 37:04 Yes, we are back! We're kicking off Season 4 with a conversation with Grace. She grew up in a little-known Christian fundamentalist group referred to as the Geftakys Assembly and, although her family left when she was young, she was impacted greatly by leadership's harsh rules regarding women and children. So greatly was Grace impacted that she dove into a years-long history/research project and c

We Love New Books: Forager with Michelle Oct 20, 2023 41:46 We're back with yet another special literary edition! For this bonus episode, we're celebrating the recent launch of the book "Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult." It's out now in bookstores and on Amazon. The author, Michelle, was raised in an end-times group that was started by her grandfather in the 1930s. As survivalists in an organization referred to as "The Field," her family

Book Launch Edition: I See You Survivor with Liz Aug 29, 2023 48:52 Generation Cult is dropping back in with a bonus edition to celebrate today's launch of Liz Ianelli's new book called "I See You, Survivor: Life Inside (and Outside) the Totally F*cked-Up Troubled Teen Industry." In it, Liz details her years left at a program within the Troubled Teen Industry, a network of expensive residential programs, wilderness camps, and religious-affiliated establishments me

Ep. 14: Tween Marriage and the Culture of Polygamy with Tamara Apr 14, 2023 01:07:07 Tamara grew up in a Sufi polygamist organization in the US and England. Her father joined the group when she was 5 and she soon found herself torn between a somewhat "normal" life with her mother and a bizarre, hard-working communal lifestyle with her dad. Deemed a "special child" by her father's group, she was sent to live with the leader, who put her to work caring for young children and cooking

Ep. 13: Declared Evil with Rhonda Mar 31, 2023 51:08 Rhonda's parents joined the Holy Order of MANS (standing for Mysterian, Agape, Nous and Sophia in Greek, or mystery, love, mind and wisdom in English) when she was a year old. The San Francisco-based group held classes and meetings studying a mix of religions, initially leaning heavily on New Age concepts and Christianity. Children were not allowed to live with parents, so she was raised on a farm

Ep. 12: Searching for Healthy Community with Sarah Mar 24, 2023 36:49 Sarah grew up in a bible-based group in Ohio with about 400 members, many of whom are related to her. She was sexually abused throughout her childhood, something she reported to leaders of her organization, who not only didn't stop the perpetrators but told her she was one who had sinned. Sarah left in her early 20s struggling with mental health issues as she got her education, traveled the world

Ep. 11: The Influence of Faith with Will Mar 10, 2023 47:50 Will grew up devout in an evangelical community and attended Christian schools, camps and mission trips. His beliefs were so strong in his youth that he describes himself as becoming radicalized and isolated from the rest of society. But in his teens he began to question his church's strict guidelines regarding who can be saved or even considered a Christian. After conversations with people from o

Ep. 10: Cults and Courts with Carol Feb 24, 2023 52:47 While listening to the stories on Generation Cult, do you ever wonder at what point people can take legal action against their abusers? Do you want to know what charges have been brought against coercive groups and taken seriously in the courts? In this episode, Dhyana interviews attorney Carol Merchasin, who has brought successful lawsuits on behalf of people who were sexually abused in Buddhist

Bonus: Talking Twelve Tribes with Tim Feb 21, 2023 13:51 ****Bonus episode! Dhyana chats with Tim Elliott, host of the new podcast called "Inside the Tribe," which takes a deep dive into controversial religious sect the Twelve Tribes. This short interview is a great companion to our Ep. 9: "Finding Freedom from the Twelve Tribes with Suvav," which released to the public on Feb. 10. Suvav also appears on "Inside the Tribe," which you can find on most pod

Ep. 9: Finding Freedom from the Twelve Tribes with Suvav Feb 10, 2023 01:02:02 Suvav grew up in the Twelve Tribes, a controversial religious organization founded in the 1970s that has since been accused of systemic child abuse, medical neglect, labor violations, arson, murder, and even more. In 2019, Suvav -- now an adult with three children -- left with his wife and kids, and are still struggling to find housing and stability in the world outside the Twelve Tribes community

Ep. 8: End Times and Conspiracy Theories with Emily Jan 27, 2023 01:10:32 Emily was raised on a secluded farm in the Midwest with her six siblings before her family moved to the Pacific Northwest. Her parents were convinced that the world was going to end in 2012 and taught the children about survival, encouraged them to stay away from "outsiders," kept them minimally homeschooled, and controlled their day-to-day lives. Emily began a tough acclimation to the rest of the

Ep. 7: Life After Mormon and Trauma Recovery with Jolyn Jan 13, 2023 57:48 Welcome back to Generation Cult and Happy New Year! We are kicking off 2023 with this episode about Jolyn, who grew up in the Mormon Church. While her experiences weren't as extreme as some of the other stories we've had here, she describes a sort of "whisper campaign" she experienced as an unenthusiastic member who then left, and the harm that even subtle group pressure can do. After experiencin

Ep. 6: The COG and the Media Part II with Amy Dec 16, 2022 01:12:32 Welcome to Part II in our two-part series about the Children of God (aka the Family International), the infamous group created in the late 1960s that became known for the sexual exploitation of its members. Amy grew up in the Children of God (COG) and was coerced away from her parents to be trafficked as a child entertainer through many countries to promote the COG. She was also sent to live with

Ep. 5: The COG and the Media Part I with Christina Dec 2, 2022 01:01:12 Christina grew up in the Children of God (aka The Family International), a group founded in 1968 by the late David Berg. As the organization grew, its members moved all over the world and were coerced into prostitution and other labor to bring in more money and support. Many children were born overseas, moved around contently, exploited and sexually abused. Christina lived a controlled, isolated e

Ep. 4: Scientology Confessionals with Chris Nov 25, 2022 47:05 Chris, a former classmate of Dhyana and Ashlen in the Psychology of Coercive Control graduate program, grew up in Scientology. He stayed through adulthood, marrying another Scientologist, working for Scientology, joining the Sea Org. ... until he couldn't put up with all the lying anymore. After Chris left, he wrote a book about his time in Scientology and went on to amplify his voice through his

Ep. 3: Weight Loss & Coercive Control with Megan Nov 11, 2022 58:33 When Megan was young, her mom introduced her to Gwen Shamblin and her Weigh Down Workshop diet seminar. Gwen taught that God wanted them to be thin and helped Megan and her mom lose weight by cutting their food intake. Megan's life became steadily more controlled as Gwen, who also started the Remnant Fellowship, demanded absolute obedience to herself and the group. Megan stayed under the control

Ep. 2: Denial with Dhyana Nov 4, 2022 56:55 Want to know more about the host of Generation Cult? Join us as co-host Ashlen Hilliard interviews Dhyana Levey.

Ep. 1: What is a Cult? with Ashlen Oct 28, 2022 01:04:16 Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! We are so excited to be back, and also thrilled to welcome Ashlen Hilliard as a co-host. Since you'll be hearing her voice throughout the new season, we wanted you to get to know her better, so she's also our guest for this episode. Ashlen grew up in the conservative Church of Christ while living in the midst of Utah's Mormon culture. Mormons were constant

Ep. 10: You Don't Have to Tell Them Anything Apr 22, 2020 01:02:35 On the final episode of Generation Cult, we wrap up Season 2 with a conversation with Meghan, an ex-Jehovah's Witness. She left as a young adult when the mental anguish she experienced within the organization threatened to take her life. But that departure sent her on a roller coaster of family detachments that she still rides to this very day. Although relieved to flee the bible-based religion,

Ep. 9: TM Redux Mar 2, 2020 44:56 Do you remember Gina from Season 1? She discussed growing up in the Transcendental Meditation movement during the height of its guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's fame. Well, due to some pretty poor sound issues in that last episode, we've brought Gina back for Season 2! Hence, the "TM Redux" title. While Gina does talk again about her unattended childhood in the movement, which led to a relationship wi

Ep. 8: The Cult Pseudo Identity Feb 11, 2020 34:06 In this expert episode, we talk to Gillie, a psychotherapist and the director of the UK-based Hope Valley Counselling, which for the past 16 years has provided post-cult counseling to those recovering from extreme, "high-demand" organizations. Join us as we chat about the mental health services she provides to patients as well as the training she offers for other therapists who want to work with p

Ep. 7: Devastating Disconnections Jan 24, 2020 01:07:36 When Aaron and his twin brother were 4, their mom joined Scientology. The boys grew up with the organization as a main focus in their lives. Their formal education ended after Aaron finished the seventh grade. He then worked full time for Scientology as a staff member from age 12 to 26. But soon came a wave of family rifts, including a great tragedy that severed him from someone he loved. Aaron le

Ep. 6: The Medium and the Time Machine Dec 23, 2019 01:04:53 When Katharina was 10 years old, her parents packed up their possessions, moved out and joined "The Family," a New Age cult that started in Germany and moved around a bit before settling in a Belize jungle. The group was led by a controlling man who managed a woman claiming to be a medium. Both favored inappropriate relationships with minors and encouraged other members of the cult to do the same.

Ep. 5: You Might As Well Be a Therapist! Nov 21, 2019 37:49 It's time to bring in an expert! As much as we love hearing personal stories, we'd also like to add commentary about cults and coercive control from someone who has studied the subject matter and worked directly with patients. In this episode, we sit down with Colleen Russell, a San Francisco Bay Area therapist who has spent about 20 years counseling people who were raised in or joined cults. Coll

Ep. 4: Fright-Based Faith Nov 1, 2019 52:47 During this week of Halloween, we discuss fear -- fear of punishment, fear of the apocalypse, fear of God. Tammie grew up with these fears in an ultra fundamentalist Christian organization that subjected children to harsh punishments and encouraged its members not to interact with the rest of society. Tammie was taught everyone outside her church and school was sinful, but what she ended up fearin

Ep. 3: Moonies (But Don't Call Them Moonies) 2 Oct 14, 2019 46:17 In Part 2 of our two-part series about The Unification Church (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity) otherwise known as the "Moonies," we chat with Lisa Kohn, author of the recent memoir "To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence." Lisa joined the church at age 10 with her mom and little brother and thought it was the answer to her family's problems. She ha

Ep. 2: Moonies (But Don't Call Them Moonies) 1 Oct 1, 2019 52:26 In Part 1 of our two-part series about The Unification Church (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity) otherwise known as the "Moonies," we sit down for a chat with San Francisco artist and comedian Teddy Hose. He was a "blessed child" -- the result of a marriage between two church members brought together by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon -- and grew up close to the Moon famil

Ep. 1: No Horses in India Sep 16, 2019 01:00:48 *Artwork: oil on canvas by Narangkar Glover Shangri-La Girls School: A Thousand Stairs 2011 (60 x 60 inches) **This episode contains descriptions of child abuse and other content that listeners might find disturbing. Welcome back to Generation Cult! We are kicking off the second season of the podcast with a story about Narangkar, an artist who grew up in 3HO (Healthy, Happy Holy Organization), whi

Promo: Generation Cult Preparing for Season 2! May 23, 2019 02:48 Generation Cult is working on a Season 2! Come support the show at StudioToBe in Oakland on Friday, May 31 and enjoy a happy hour plus a Q&A with guests from Season 1. Tickets are available on eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/a-happy-hour-…ets-61544020823 Join us for a fun time and help us raise money for editing, sound engineering and more! If you can't make the event or just want to donate, chec

Ep. 9: Sandy Footprints Nov 9, 2018 53:59 Wrap things up with us for the season during a chat with Lalita, who was raised in the Science of Identity Foundation. This group, developed in the 1970s, has similarities to the Hare Krishna movement and revolves around a. ... let's say. ... very demanding leader. We'll discuss germaphobia, child labor, arranged marriages, eating sand out of footprints and pursuing a long-overdue education. We ho

Ep. 8: Escaping Utopia; A Conversation with Janja Lalich Oct 26, 2018 30:55 We had a visit from Dr. Janja Lalich, an author and educator who has a new book out about children raised in cults called "Escaping Utopia: Growing Up in a Cult, Getting Out and Starting Over." Janja chats with us about her research for this project as well as her time working and writing with the late Margaret Singer, a prominent psychologist known for her studies on undue influence. *A few sou

Ep. 7: The Age of Enlightenment Oct 19, 2018 55:06 Welcome back! Now we are talking Transcendental Meditation, focusing on the story of one women who grew up in the TM community during the reign of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Gina, the focus of this episode, talks about being a child in the group and then becoming mother of three who had to struggle once she left. *There were some noise issues during this episode including spotty microphone quality and

Ep. 6: God's Chosen People Sep 14, 2018 54:36 On this episode we learn about the harsh rules and restrictions for members --- especially children -- in Eugene Spriggs' The Twelve Tribes, which began in 1970s Tennessee. Samie, founder of a nonprofit to assist people raised in cults, tells us all about growing up in this group and her detachment from mainstream society. Her first attempt to escape at age 18 was unsuccessful. She'll talk to us a

Bonus Ep. 5b: IndoctriNation Interview w/Dhyana Levey Aug 30, 2018 57:48 Dhyana Levey, host of Generation Cult, was recently interviewed on another podcast called IndoctriNation. It's hosted by Rachel Bernstein, who was just a guest on our last episode titled "Let's Call an Expert!" Today we will share the interview from Rachel's show IndoctriNation. We hope you aren't confused. Just listen.

Ep. 5: Let's Call An Expert! Aug 20, 2018 42:58 Although we love a good personal story, we also love a good expert -- so we're going to call one. For this show we're chatting with family therapist and cult specialist Rachel Bernstein, who has spent 27 years counseling people who grew up in high-demand groups. She'll tell us about common struggles these people face when trying to get on with their lives, and where anyone seeking resources can go

Ep. 4: The Perpetual Armageddon Aug 3, 2018 01:01:41 Why do some people consider being a Jehovah Witness being part of a cult? Our first guest is Kourtney, who grew up a true believer in the religion only to lose her whole family when she began to question it. This is another two-guest episode: We'll also meet Andre, a makeup artist who tried desperately to fit in with his Jehovah Witness community until accepting that the community had rejected him

Ep. 3: Thetans Anonymous Jul 20, 2018 01:06:36 Scientology is such a large topic that we need two guests. First up we have someone going by a false name to explain the fall out of leaving the group after a questionable accusation. We also chat with Christi (real name) who appeared recently on A&E's Scientology and the Aftermath to discuss her chaotic childhood within the church. Warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual abuse.

Ep. 2: A Recovering Monk Jul 5, 2018 50:35 We catch up with Nitai, a student at Columbia University who just recently left his life as a monk with the The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, also known as ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas. What's our problem with these groups, anyway?

Ep. 1: The Real Guru Jun 20, 2018 01:01:52 Welcome to the first episode! Why am I talking about cults? Find out. Also, we chat with Eva, a Texan who spent part of her upbringing in an Indian ashram. But all she wanted to do was go back to school in America.

Promo: Generation Cult launches June 20 May 31, 2018 02:10 New podcast Generation Cult will be available on iTunes, Stitcher and SoundCloud starting June 20! Please give us a listen.

Preview featuring full song The Road (The Chaw) May 18, 2018 05:50 Samples of quotes from the new podcast Generation Cult featuring song "The Road" by the Chaw (full song)

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