Cults to Consciousness

Fresh off the heels of “Shiny Happy People: Teenage Holy War” we sit with April Ajoy.  She wouldn’t have called herself a Christian Nation*list when she performed her original song “America Say Jesus” on the Jim Bakker show, or when she participated in Jesus Marches across America. April just considered herself a good Christian: faithful, and determined to make America a Christian nation once again. But as her view of the world widened, and she was faced with loss, grief and confronting beliefs, she began to take a closer look at the ideology she fiercely defended and preached herself. A successful content creator and podcast host, April shares stories from her past and how she flipped a 180 in her thinking and way of life. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find April:

Book: Star-Spangled Jesus https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546006680

IG: @aprilajoy

Podcast: The Tim and April Show

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Featured in the new and second season of Shiny Happy People, Dani was determined to live a life dedicated to Jesus as a young teen. She attended Acquire the Fire events in her early years which eventually led her to officially joining the Teen Mania Honor Academy program. She spent years paying thousands to work for free to travel on a bus and put on these huge events weekends at a time. She would even hang lights as crew, before putting on hour long productions as an actress and singer. At the height of her seniority, someone in the town snitched on her for kissing a boy and her whole world came to a screeching halt. Her friends were no longer allowed to see or speak with her and her unpaid, yet highly coveted position at the Honor Academy was stripped away. Learn more about her journey of working her way back in, with a heavy heart, before finally unraveling it all years later. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find Dani on social media:

IG: @daniroccamusic

IG: @theworldinlights 

TT: @danirocamusic 

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Isolated within a world of a strict Independent Fundamental Baptist, Drew McCoy was more than invested in his beliefs. He would proselytize to anyone who needed God, even if it meant sacrificing his social status amongst non-believers. The closest he came to breaking the rules as a teen was hanging out with non-church friends who would smoke we*d in front of him.  A health scare drew him even closer to his faith and he attended a very strict Christian college that required even more time and devotion than his childhood. Everything came into question, however, when his family bought hard into Young Living Essential oils.  It became religion to them.  Drew did his research and found glaring issues with the founder, but when he confronted his family about it, they gave cultish responses that left him uneasy.  He had no idea that his entire reality was about to come into question. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch Drew's Cult Leader confrontation

Follow Drew on Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@GeneticallyModifiedSkeptic

Drew’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gmskeptic/

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter Marks

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:46 Drew growing up as an Independent Fundamental Baptist

00:06:15 The IFB uses the Bible as historical and scientific evidence

00:10:21 Growing up as the "good kid" in Sunday school

00:13:10 13 year old Drew defends the bible at skate camp

00:17:31 What it was like for Drew being homeschooled and going to church youth group

00:22:27 Was Drew ever worried about going to Hell?

00:27:42 Drew didn't realize he was being indoctrinated with white supr*mecy propaganda

00:34:32 Drew wanted many chiIdren because of the Quiverfull verse

00:36:53 How the IBLP made an appearance in Drew's IFB experience

00:39:54 What college was like for Drew

00:44:32 When Drew started to feel that the environment may have been creating manufactured spiritual experiences

00:48:03 Drew explains "Collective Effervescence"

00:52:49 Drew's family's involvement in a pyramid scheme created a divide with him

01:07:56 Drew's re-interpretations of what he once knew to be "true"

01:15:19 Why Drew started his YouTube channel

01:22:59 Is Drew's wife still a Christian?

01:25:45 Linda, listen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

The Lebaron group fled the US after being excommunicated from the Mormon church for still practicing polygamy. While in Mexico, the group split and the Ervilite side started implementing blood atonement in an attempt to wipe out the other. Pamela Jones grew up in fear that the Ervilites would come for them any moment. To escape the extreme abuse, she got married at 15, not realizing she was entering into the Ervilite family. Her husband went on to marry 5 other women while keeping her and her family in forced poverty, even restricting water. Today we speak with two of Pamela's daughters who give us their perspective on the cult and fleeing to the US to start a new life.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch part 1 of Pamela’s interview

Watch part 2 of Pamela’s interview

Find Pamela!

Pamela’s website: www.Pamelaspeaks.live

Pamela’s book:  The Dirt Beneath Our Door https://www.pamelaspeaks.live/book

Pamela’s Podcast:  Wicked Confessions Uncensored

https://www.wickedconfessionsuncensored.com/

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

In the Vampyre community that Father S was the head of, it was sometimes the case that the group rituals and spiritual practices were manipulated into something far more insidious. Khassa and Ashra describe what happened at the group ceremony called Babyl*n. They were each told something different by Father S about the intention of the ceremony concerning Khassa’s role. In the end, Khassa was severely compromised by him and left questioning everything. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch Khassa + Ashra's interviews:

https://youtu.be/R3SbSxyFews?si=JgIM7Uw8sLKM7l8C

https://youtu.be/nivycAxCicE?si=du7_tIyQB03UNQTg

Follow Khassa + Ashra on social media: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/liana_elizabeth_omar/

IG:  https://www.instagram.com/ashraduvide/

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Ashra was looking for a sense of community and understanding when she came into contact with Father S, the most public face of the Vampyre community. Eager to learn from him, she entered into a mentor/mentee relationship. Things would eventually devolve into conversations about sex magick and rituals that he wanted her to be a part of. She didn’t realize she was being groomed to be one of his many girlfriends. He would go on to tell her what to wear and confessed he liked dressing his girls like dolls. Ashra would also end up being exploited for her labor, expected to proofread and edit one of his manuscripts for free. After leaving and being lured back in, she would finally make her escape in 2024. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow Ashra on social media: 

IG: @ashraduvide 

Watch Khassa and Ashra's follow up LIVE interview

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Growing up, Khassa’ Kaikesi's mother felt plagued by her abilities as a medium. Even though Khassa came from a long line of Magickal practitioners, when she started understanding her own gifts, she was left with no support and felt isolated. She was bullied for her practices and attended 4 different high schools because of it. Once introduced to Vampyrism, the spiritualism resonated and she found herself meeting “the face” and fang master of the Vampyre community, Father S. He quickly showed romantic interest, but Khassa tried to keep her distance as she sensed something was off about him. Serious about her practice and interested in building a community, she set aside her fears about him to help create the inner circle. After a few years, things would take a dark turn and lines between spirituality and self serving ego would be blurred, leaving Khassa as one of many women who would be taken advantage of in more ways than one. For the first time, Khassa steps into the light to expose the inner workings of Father S’s Vampyre community.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find Khassa on social media: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/liana_elizabeth_omar/

Watch Khassa and Ashra's follow up LIVE interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/t3jPKLfNhKA?si=ZJ66QhPV88vtQFEc

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

After 34 years of being abandoned, neglected, and brainwashed, Pamela Jones and her nine children escaped a fundamentalist cult out of Mexico and fled to a new life in the US. She had 2 cars and nothing more than $5 and two credit cards which she didn’t know how to use. Her biggest challenge was acclimating to a life of leadership and tasks she was never allowed to do in the cult. Getting the courage to order food at a drive through was her first huge undertaking. Pamela shares her struggles with helping her children learn in a public school, finding ways to feed and shelter her family, including almost joining an even more insidious polygamous group, and slowly finding her voice and value as a woman. She would go on to found a multimillion-dollar business, Exclusive Services by MyGirls, and has shared her story across the country to show how someone who came from nothing can truly have everything. Her family has grown to include 32 grandchildren, keeping Pamela busier, and more fulfilled, than ever.

Watch part one (linked below) to learn more about her life growing up in isolation, hiding from a bl*od thirsty rival church and getting married off at 15 to escape her own familial abuse. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch pt 1

Watch part 3 with Pamela and her daughters

Find Pamela!

Pamela’s website: www.Pamelaspeaks.live

Pamela’s book:  The Dirt Beneath Our Door https://www.pamelaspeaks.live/book

Pamela’s Podcast:  Wicked Confessions Uncensored

https://www.wickedconfessionsuncensored.com/

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter Marks

00:00:00 Intro

00:05:26 Discovering How To Live in America

00:10:14 Practicing Reading & Writing

00:15:12 The Order Cult Almost Recruits Pamela!

00:22:59 The Struggles of Putting Her ChiIdren in Public Education

00:28:17 Starting Her Business & How Her Influence Caused More Women to Leave

00:37:25 Deconstructing the Religion

00:43:53 Realizations After Leaving the Cult

00:51:11 The Steps Pamela Continually Took to Heal 

00:55:56 CW: CSA from her brother

00:59:08 The Ways Cult Survivors Choose to Heal

01:04:53 The Beginning of Pamela’s Business & Where It's at Now

01:12:29 Finding Love After Being So Mistreated in Pamela’s First Marriage

01:23:40 Pamela's Shares About Her ChiIdren

01:29:50 Final Thoughts and Linda Listen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Pamela Jones was born in Los Molinos, Mexico to members of the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times,  a fundamentalist, misogynistic cult. She was the 11th of her abusIve father’s 57 biological children and 2nd of her mother’s thirteen children and it was from that moment on that Pamela held one single belief:  She existed for one reason and one reason only,  to be her eventual husband’s handmaid and to bear him as many children as possible.  Fast forward to age 10, Pamela was forced out of school to help her mom care for her 12 children,  giving her nothing more than a fifth-grade education.

At age 15, Pamela married David Lebaron, the grandson of cult founder Alma Dayer LeBaron Jr.  and was pregnant 17 times in 18 years. After 9 childbirths and 8 miscarriages, Pamela felt she had enough children to make it to heaven, a fundamentalist belief. One day, she awoke her nine children to escape the neglect and ab*se from her husband, and make their way to the United States to start a new life.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch part 2 of Pamela’s interview

Watch part 3 with Pamela and her daughters

Find Pamela!

Pamela’s website: www.Pamelaspeaks.live

Pamela’s book:  The Dirt Beneath Our Door https://www.pamelaspeaks.live/book

Pamela’s Podcast:  Wicked Confessions Uncensored

https://www.wickedconfessionsuncensored.com/

Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel!

Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast.

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness

Venmo @sheliseann

Find us on Social media!

Instagram @cultstoconsciousness 

Host Instagram @sheliseann 

Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ 

TikTok @cults.to.consciousness 

Twitter @cultstocon 

**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter Marks

00:00:00 Intro

00:10:31 CW: Murd*r, Pamela Explains the Practices of Blood Atonement and How it Impacted Her ChiIdhood

00:15:08 Pamela Talks about the Raid on Los Molinos & Her Role of a Mother from an Early Age

00:22:15 CW: CA,  The Ways Pamela’s Father Controlled and Ab*sed Her

00:28:14 Pamela Shares More About Her Father 

00:33:58 Pamela’s Father’s Reaction to Her Meeting Her Husband

00:39:30 How Quickly Pamela’s Husband Changed on Her

00:43:44 Pamela’s Husband's Actions and Infidelity

00:49:09 How Pamela Was Treated as a Polygamous Wife

00:54:16 Pamela Makes Plans to Leave Her Husband and the Cult

01:02:30 CW: Mentions of R*pe, Pamela’s Father Supports Her Against Her Husband

01:09:48 Pamela’s Escape Story

01:18:12 Pamela’s Experiences After Leaving Mexico & The Fear that Gripped Her

01:26:01 Final Thoughts and Linda Listen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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