Santa Barbara surf coach Matthew Coleman murdered his two young children in Mexico nearly two weeks ago. He told the FBI that he was “enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and was receiving visions and signs revealing that his wife possessed serpent DNA and had passed it on to his children.”

Beneath the peak chaos of this story lies a social fabric torn to shreds by QAnon and related conspiracy theories. Marriages are ending, custody battles are raging, and parents and children are negotiating painful silences or estrangements.

Joining us today as a co-host is Jitarth Jadeya, one of the few ex-QAnon followers so far who has been willing and able to discuss what this fever dream did to him and his family. Marriage and Family therapist Rachel Bernstein, the host of the brilliant IndoctriNation Podcast, also joins to discuss her experiences working with cult survivors and providing recovery resources.

In this week’s closer, Derek examines the scientific hipsterism of Zach Bush, who has recently co-opted Malcolm X as a posthumous endorser, when Malcolm would have probably hated his gut biome.

Show Notes

Surf Instructor Killed His Children and Claimed QAnon Made Him Do It, F.B.I. Says

QAnon: a timeline of violence linked to the conspiracy theory

Former QAnon follower Jitarth Jadeja on “The Takeout” — 2/12/2021

Former QAnon believer says following the conspiracy “was absolutely a drug”

He went down the QAnon rabbit hole for almost two years. Here’s how he got out

How Ex-QAnon Followers Escaped The Cultish Conspiracy Theory

He’s a former QAnon believer. He doesn’t want to tell his story, but thinks it might help.

Rachel Bernstein’s excellent IndoctriNation Podcast

QAnon Casualties on Reddit

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