Cults to Consciousness

Demetria is a survivor of an Oregon New Age group called TwinRay. She describes her journey into spirituality after reading Eckhart Tolle's works and being drawn to an online guru who claimed to have achieved spiritual liberation and later claimed he wasn’t even human. He introduced a woman (a former actress) to the leadership and claimed they were 'twin rays' with special spiritual knowledge. Demetria paid these self appointed Gurus $17,000 extra for life coaching and they put her on an all-fruit and charcoal pudding diet for 6 months, on top of charging $9,000 retreats where attendees were given a mysterious 'elixir’, later discovered to be DM.T. Once everyone was in an elevated state and under the influence, they would then make sales pitches for expensive products and future retreats. It was clear that the Twin Rays were living in luxury while their followers were exploited, used for labor, and not given a second thought. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow Demetria on Substack: Demetriam.substack.com

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Venmo @sheliseann

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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.**

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Feeling worthless as a young single adult in the Mormon church, Katie was sucked into a relationship with a “worthy priesthood holder” from her ward. Once he discovered her SA, a trauma that others were blaming and shaming her for, he claimed he could cure her using OneTaste’s Orgasmic Meditation. Vulnerable and left in the dark with all things sex related, he groomed her into thinking she needed these sessions with him to release her trauma. Unbeknownst to Katie, OneTaste was another cult who was pushing harmful ideas about SA, exploiting women and much worse. These harmful practices and ideologies combined with his predatory nature, led him to steal her virginity while she was unconscious having a seizure. He later admitted to purposely impregnating her so she would be forced to marry him. Barely 18, with no real support, Katie was left picking up the pieces while continuously being monitored and berated by the Mormon ran Brigham Young University’s honor code office.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch pt 1 of Katie’s interview

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**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.**

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Born and raised in a Mormon majority town, Katie was doing her best to be the most righteous and worthy Mormon she could be. Everything came crashing down when she was blamed by her mother and shamed by her bishop for being SA’d. They claimed her “purity was tainted” and she needed to repent. Upon graduation, she went to the Young Single Adults ward, where she was primed to be targeted by a “worthy priesthood holder” who tried to lure her into an orgasm cult with promises to “fix” her sexual trauma.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch pt 2 of Katie’s interview

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**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.*

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Amanda Rae joins us to talk about the ways in which her former polygamous cult weaponizes ignorance and purposely withholds information about reproduction to keep women submissive to their husband. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch Pt 2 on Amanda's channel:  https://www.youtube.com/live/Q_vdflUQ69Y?si=oyE3eTaPp0QMpbim

Find Amanda:

YouTube:   @TheAmandaRaeGrant         

IG: @amandaraegrant

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Venmo @sheliseann

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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.**

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Daryl Davis has spent decades infiltrating and befriending not only Klan members but Klan leaders, even going as far as to attend their rallies. On a quest to do nothing more than explore racism and gather information for his book, Klan-Destine Relationships, Daryl Davis eventually became the recipient of numerous robes and hoods given to him by Klan members who rescinded their beliefs after coming to know him. He had inadvertently stumbled upon a successful method of forming friendships between sworn enemies. His methods have made him the center of controversy in some circles where he is considered “politically incorrect,” but after proving his methods work, he has made supporters out of his detractors.

As a race relations expert, Daryl Davis has received acclaim for his book, Klan-Destine Relationships and his work in race relations from many respected sources including CNN, NBC, Good Morning America, The Learning Channel, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and many others. He is also the recipient of numerous awards including the highly prestigious Elliott-Black Award and the Bridge Builder Award presented by the American Ethical Union and Washington Ethical Society respectively, to name a few.  Filled with exciting encounters and sometimes amusing anecdotes, Daryl Davis’ impassioned lectures leave an audience feeling empowered to confront their own prejudices and overcome their fears, seeking to build a bridge and forge peace with their most unlikely adversaries.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow Daryl:

IG:  @realdaryldavis 

Website:  https://www.daryldavis.com/

Daryl’s book:  The Klan Whisperer

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

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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

00:06:12 Daryl’s First Time Experiencing Rac*sm

00:10:43  The Question Daryl’s Tried to Answer His Entire Life 

00:15:42 Daryl’s Thoughts of Why Someone May Join A Group Like the Kl*n

00:24:55 Daryl Shares About His First Positive Interaction with a Kl*n Member

00:33:39 Daryl Explains the Hierarchy and Organization of the Kl*n

00:38:15 Daryl’s Efforts to Interview Members of the Kl*n and Gives Some Definitions of Their Beliefs

00:42:57 Daryl Speaks on the State of Civil Rights for POC and Women in the US and Among the Kl*n

00:49:36 Daryl Tells of His Methods for Changing Peoples Perspectives & The Justifications Some Kl*n Members Use

00:55:55 Daryl’s Perspective On How to Change Someone's Faulty Perspective

01:02:43 Daryl’s Interactions with a Major Kl*n Leader and His Family

01:09:06 More Interactions with Kl*n Members and Some More Background on the Systematic Rac*sm in America

01:18:30  Why Daryl Still Feels Safe While Attending Kl*n Rallies and Events

01:23:36 The Significance of Cross Burning in the Kl*n and about Their Supposed Christian Faith

01:28:44 How Faulty Information Makes Its Way into Belief Systems

01:34:14 Linda, listen

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Isolated in the Apostolic United Brethren, Janae’s father went unchecked when exploiting the nature of the religious group. With 4 wives and over a dozen children, he misused his power to control them all. “Life lessons” laced in traumatic experiences would leave the girls feeling helpless, scared and vulnerable without him, even when he was the true source of danger. Essentially acting as a cult leader within an already restrictive cult, Janae’s father took advantage of the system which had lasting negative effects. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find and Support Janae!

IG: @janaedubose  

Facebook: Janae DuBose 

Book:  “In The Cult Next Door”

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Venmo @sheliseann

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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

00:04:07 How the AUB split from the mainstream LDS church

00:08:43 Hierarchy in the church and how Janae’s father affected their family's place

00:10:34 What Janae's father was like and how he got involved with the AUB

00:13:18 How Janae's father exploited AUB rules for his benefit

00:14:48 CW: CA Janae's father's man*pulation and ab*se tactics

00:25:31 Janae's mom's reaction to her chiIdren's ab*se and how the AUB predisposed her to marrying Janae's father

00:30:03 CW: CSA Janae's father's openness about his pred*tory behavior

00:33:05 How Janae's father's lack of self awareness led to a projection of his own feelings and issues

00:35:20 The use of other religious beliefs in the household

00:37:07 CW: SA How their father's ab*se affected the boys and their relationships with their sisters

00:40:06 The cycle of ab*se (or lack thereof)

00:41:43 The constant vulnerability in the house

00:43:22 Inability to understand AUB

00:46:57 Janae’s feelings on being a plural wife 

00:48:54 Janae's mother's search for answers led them to mainstream Mormonism

00:56:03 CW: r*pe - Janae’s past left her vulnerable after escaping 

01:01:41 Learning to stand in your power as a woman 

01:04:13 How people from ab*sive situations can be targets for other ab*sers in the future

01:08:47 Finding safety in yourself and life after a cult

01:16:16 What makes Janae happy today

01:17:50 Linda, listen

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In the Apostolic United Brethren, a break off from the mainstream Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), polygamy is not only expected, but a requirement to get into the highest level of heaven per the original prophet Joseph Smith. Women are also expected to “multiply and replenish the Earth”.  In this 2nd part to Emily’s interview, she delves into what it was like getting married at the age of 17, realizing her father was in fact “evil”, her reaction to him rising up as “Prophet” of the AUB, as well as what her deconstruction process has been like, and what’s it’s been like speaking out in recent years. 

Click here to watch on YouTube

Watch pt 1 of Emily’s interview

Watch Emily’s sister, Melanie’s interview

Melanie’s live

Find Emily on social media!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Good-Enough-444

IG: @good_enough_444  

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

Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here!

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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

00:03:51 Emotional damage from purity culture after CSA

00:06:01 Was Emily pushed into getting married at a young age?

00:12:12 Emily's parents told her and her siblings they all lived polygamy in their own ways

00:16:08 How much Emily knew about s*x Ed and getting pregnant at 18

00:19:28 When Emily started to deconstruct

00:24:54 Has Emily discussed what happened to her with her chiIdren?

00:31:07 What made Emily decide to tell her story

00:37:13 The "Without a Crystal Ball" interview

00:39:34 What brings Emily joy now

00:46:53 Emily's kind words about C2C

00:50:41 Linda, listen

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In the Apostolic United Brethren, a break off from the mainstream Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), polygamy is not only expected, but a requirement to get into the highest level of heaven per the original prophet Joseph Smith. Women are also expected to “multiply and replenish the Earth”. Emily’s mother (the second wife) had 11 chiIdren and had to work 3 jobs to put what little food on the table she could. Even with the best of intentions and all the love she gave her chiIdren, it often left them hungry, delirious and malnour*shed. Emily was babysitting infants and toddlers at just 7 years old with no milk to properly care for them. On top of this, the man who would later become the prophet of the AUB, her father, would come home and rage on all his chiIdren. An emotional and physical tort*re that left them scared and scarred for years to come.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find Emily on social media!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Good-Enough-444

IG: @good_enough_444  

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

00:04:00 Emily explains the AUB

00:06:42 Rac*sm when it's convenient

00:12:19 Emily's family unit- How many moms/sister wives?

00:16:37 CW: Depictions of CA- How Emily's father treated his chiIdren

00:21:10 How their father's ab*se affected them long term

00:27:13 Did Emily's mother try to step in to help?

00:30:23 Core memory babysitting infants at 7 yrs old

00:35:39 Limited access to food

00:38:49 Effects of malnour*shment

00:40:21 CW: CSA- why there is a high rate of CSA in the AUB

00:51:13 Emotional dam*ge from purity culture after CSA

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Born in 1968, Sarito spent her formative years constantly on the move with her mother, a young hippie in search of spiritual meaning. At just nine years old, what was intended to be a brief summer trip to India took an unexpected turn. Sarito and her mother joined the ashram of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, transforming that fleeting visit into a seven-year journey within the commune—first in Pune, India, and later in the notorious city of Rajneeshpuram in Central Oregon. While in the commune, Sarito was submerged in a world where devotion and freedom clashed with man*pulation, s*xual misconduct, and neglect. 

After the fall of Rajneeshpuram in 1985, sixteen-year-old Sarito was abruptly thrust into the “real world.” In her book “In the Shadow of Enlightenment” is the gripping story of Sarito’s chiIdhood inside the Osho Rajneesh cult—one of the most controversial spiritual movements of the 20th century.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Follow Sarito on social media:

Sarito’s memoir “In the Shadows of Enlightenment” 

Website: https://www.saritocarroll.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/saritoc

IG: @saritocarroll 

TikTok: @saritocarroll_author

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

00:04:59 How Life Has Been Since the Release Of Sarito’s Book

00:07:09 Sarito’s Family's Introduction to the Cult

00:10:52 The Beginning of Sarito’s Time in India as a ChiId & Some of the Cults Practices

00:17:50 CW: CSA, the Highly S*xual Nature of the Cult and the Attention Sarito Received

00:21:15 Specifics About the Cult Leader

00:25:59 The Cult Leaders Teachings on Materialism and Wealth

00:32:30 The Us vs Them Mentality of the Cult

00:36:58 CW: CSA, the Cult Settling into Oregon & the Beginning of Sarito Being Gr**med

00:41:54 CW: CSA, More Details About the Gr**ming Sarito Received

00:49:48 The Tumult of Growing Up without any Structure or Role Models

00:53:23 The Excellent Organization of the Commune & Its Settling in Oregon

01:00:50 The Stark Contrast in Wealth and The Cult Leader's Interactions with its Members

01:10:40 The Conflict Between Different Members of the Cult & The Demise of the Cult

01:15:58 Sarito’s First Steps Outside of the Cult at 16

01:21:54 Sarito’s Interactions with The Cult After Leaving and Publishing Her Book

01:28:43 Final Thoughts

01:31:06 Linda, listen

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Kevin James Thornton grew up in a small Christian town in Indiana. His early life started at a Baptist church, but once he discovered a Mega Church focused on rock bands and the youth, he became enamored and doubled down on his faith. A Jesus loving, self motivated chiId then teen, he loved his fully immersive church and heavily partook in extremely questionable youth events, but something inside himself felt wrong. Driven by his desire to fit in and “fix himself” he wouldn’t even allow himself to have the thought that he was gay. 

He attended youth group bible study religiously and went to inner city parks in NYC dressed as “sin” clowns to perform “morality plays”. They even put on extreme HeII based haunted houses with graphic scenes played out by the youth.  Things started to feel grim for Kevin once the group graduated high school and the boys he had crushes on coupled up and got married, leaving Kevin feeling more alone than ever.  Always having buried who he really was, it wasn’t until he escaped to college and found himself in a new group within theater that the inner turmoil would subside.  

Kevin dives into what it was like selling everything to move to LA to become a comedian, and how he blew up on TikTok during the pandemic by sharing his old bible study memories (with a splash of autotune).

Click here to watch on YouTube

Tour dates and tickets:  

Websites: https://www.kevinjamesthornton.com/

https://www.shamalahamala.com/

Follow Kevin on social media:

YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNQbKNgL8bcuH8z4pzh9flw

IG: @kevinjamesthornton  

TT: @kevinjamesthornton 

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

00:04:24 Kevin's early church experiences as a southern baptist

00:06:58 How Kevin changed churches and why it appealed to him as a teenager

00:09:40 How this mega church appeared to be less conservative but doctrinally the opposite

00:10:50 What Kevin's parents thought about his dedication to church

00:12:14 What the messages were like at the new church

00:14:28 Youth group mission trips to inner cities

00:19:10 Messages from the church and the pressure to proselytize and bring more people to the church through events

00:22:35 Kevin's dissonance with his s*xuality

00:26:56 The story about home bible study during youth group

00:30:13 How people in the same situations can have different experiences

00:33:25 The mega church's haunted houses for Halloween

00:37:27 Kevin's feelings at the time on the haunted houses

00:39:06 When Kevin started to realize there were issues with his church

00:43:28 How seeing other gay people be acceptable helped Kevin accept himself

00:47:14 How his old youth group felt about Kevin's new life in college

00:49:56 How reaching out can make someone second guess the best path for themselves

00:52:17 Kevin's shift from his old life into the comedy scene

00:59:11 How an app and the pandemic changed Kevin's comedy

01:06:08 How Kevin is doing today

01:11:47 Linda, Listen

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