Cult Hackers

This short bonus episode is the audio version of a blog Stephen recently published on Medium. Many leavers of high control religions use 'waking up' as a metaphor for realising the group we had been a member of had been telling us lies, and that we had a warped worldview. The film 'The Matrix' holds resonance for many of us. In this short piece Stephen explores this, and another movie about dreaming and waking up - Inception. Upon leaving, knowing how to relate to the world is difficult and a learned suspicion of authority can sometimes lead us into fringe belief systems and Stephen reflects upon his own journey and what he learned.

The Medium Blog: The Medium Blog

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In the late 70s Sharon and Tracey were attracted to "The Jesus People" and joined the Last Days Ministries, living on a cult commune as teenagers with rock star Keith Green and the community he built. As teenagers they believed Jesus return would happen in 1981 and that they would be saved if they stayed within the group that was following Jesus properly. Their story is fascinating and important and they are also great fun to talk to.

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Useful Links:

Feet of Clay Website

https://www.confessionsofthecultsisters.com/about

For this week's podcast Celine and Stephen discuss the "software bug" inherent in human beings that makes us vulnerable to cults and their leaders.

The article on Medium https://medium.com/

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This week Stephen talks to Spencer Watson from the Truth Unrestricted Podcast about the question of 'Magical Thinking'. What is it? How is it different from scientific thinking? Why is it attractive? Why do ex cult members have a special interest in it? and many more questions. It's a bumper discussion this week that gets into some deep stuff as well as Spencer asking Stephen about his experience of making sense of life after leaving his cult.

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Spencer's podcast

Truth Unrestricted : https://pod.link/1613105409

When you're a member of a fundamentalist religious group, you find comfort in the certain knowledge that you have "The Truth". Leaving is partly a journey of coming to terms with uncertainty. Olivia Jackson herself a former member of such a group, has created an impressive piece of work, where she has interviewed 140 former members at various stages of deconstruction from former fundamentalist beliefs. Olivia is thoughtful and eloquent and treats the topic with respectfulness and curiosity.

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To Contact Olivia

Instagram @deconstructingwriter

https://www.oliviajacksonwriter.com/book/

Join the party to listen to some of our nearly 100 hundred different guests over the last three years. We chat over a glass of virtual bubbly to ex members of groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Children of God, NXIVM, Rajneeshpuram, Evangelicalism, Amish, Christian Fundamentalism and Conspiracism.

Guests featured:

Lizzie Ens, former Amish

Brent Lee, former Conspiracist

Daniella Mestyanek Young, Army Veteran and former member of the Children of God

Chris French, Emeritus Professor of Anomalistic Psychology Goldsmiths UOL

Susan Dones, ex NXIVM

Daniel Allen Cox, Author and Former Jehovah's Witness

Rachael Reign, Activist and Former UCKG

Clare Alison Hams, Therapist and Former Jehovah's Witness

JT and Lady Cee, YouTubers and ex Jehovah's Witnesses

Dr Heather Ransom, Academic and ex Jehovah's Witness

Alexander Millar, Artist and ex Jehovah's Witness

Ali Millar, Author and ex Jehovah's Witness

Kacey, Cult Vault Podcast

Dr Alexandra Stein, Academic

Daniel Stricker, Former Member KwaSizabantu

Erika Bornman, Former Member KwaSizabantu

Kendra Bryan, Former Evangelical

Nicola Ranson, Former Member Rajneeshpuram

Riley, YouTuber and Former Jehovah Witness

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Celine and Stephen speak to cult expert, therapist and podcaster, Rachel Bernstein about her introduction into the topic, her work as a therapist helping leavers and her thoughts on the anti-cult ecosystem. Such a thrill to speak to Rachel about her work, her experiences and her insights into cults.

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Links about today's guest

Indoctrination podcast: https://www.podpage.com/indoctrination/

Today we're joined by Cynane, a former member of a fundamentalist Christian group. Cynane is writing a book about the links between Fundamentalism, white Christian Nationalism and conspiracy theories. Cynane talks about her life as an evangelical Christian and how lizard people and space lasers led her out. 

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Witness Underground Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/witnessunderground/431102735?ref=akkj92&token=3e50ed5a

Cynane's website https://takingoffthetinfoilhat.com/

It's perhaps the most famous psychological study ever but what does it really tell us? And what might it tell us about cults?

In the 1970s Professor Philip Zimbardo created a simulated prison in the basement of a college building, separating volunteer students into the roles of prisoners and guards to observe their behaviour. What happened next is disturbing, and led to a view that when it comes to behaviour, more important than the individual's ethics and morality, it's the situation that really matters. In addition to the obvious ethical issues raised by the study there have fairly recently been challenges to its claims and the scientific methodology. Stephen and Celine go deep into what it really tells us and it's not what was claimed.

Zimbardo article about cults

https://www.lucifereffect.com/guide_cults.htm

Recording of instructions to "prison guards"

https://purl.stanford.edu/wn708sg0050

Video recordings 

https://exhibits.stanford.edu/spe/browse/video-recordings

British Psychological Society article

https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/time-change-story

Share this podcast with a friend https://pod.link/1540824671

To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/

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Witness Underground Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/witnessunderground/431102735?ref=akkj92&token=3e50ed5a

Stephen speaks to Scott Homan, Ryan Sutter, Anthony Mathenia, Denise Wise and Micah Allen Losch from the Witness Underground team. In this special episode each former Jehovah's Witness speaks about their struggle to find creative expression while a member, and their journey of self discovery as they left, as well as updating us on the amazing documentary film Witness Underground, and their mission to get it on the streaming platforms for more people to see it who need to.

Share this podcast with a friend https://pod.link/1540824671

To reach out to us: https://www.culthackers.com/

To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/culthackers/posts

Witness Underground Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/witnessunderground/431102735?ref=akkj92&token=3e50ed5a

Micah Allen Losh Website:

https://www.micahallenlosh.com/

Nuclear Gopher Website

https://www.nucleargopher.org/

Anthony Methenia books on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Anthony-Mathenia/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AAnthony+Mathenia

Denise Wise YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGk750bPcJUUPsnTS5vwhWg