Sarah Edmondson, co-host of A Little Bit Culty and NXIVM cult whistleblower, joins Dr. Mara Einstein to provide an insider’s perspective on cult tactics, how people are pulled into cults, and how to spot the red flags that ultimately help people get out. Together, they explore what defines a cult (yes, there can be a cult of one), who is susceptible to cults (hint: everyone), and how to avoid becoming a “cult hopper” (a key aspect of post-cult therapy).
In this conversation:
- Dispelling the myth that smart, capable people cannot get drawn into cults
- How cults lure with deception, notably masking as self-improvement opportunities
- Examining the slow, deliberate process through which people become part of a cult
- Why people ignore red flags when they are in a cult
- How cults mirror multi-level marketing and influencer tactics
- The work of recovery and the need to question the ingrained thinking learned through cult indoctrination
Mentions:
- Podcast - A Little Bit Culty podcast
- Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson
- Uncover: Escaping NXIVM podcast
- The Vow documentary (HBO)
- Escaping Twin Flames documentary (Netflix)
- Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. documentary (Netflix)
- Comprehending Cults by Lorne L. Dawson
- Phoenix Rising documentary (HBO)
About the guest
Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress and voice-over artist. Her whistleblower story is told in her memoir, Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM, and critically acclaimed HBO documentary series The Vow. Co-hosted by her husband and fellow NXIVM whistleblower Anthony “Nippy” Ames, her podcast A Little Bit Culty explores the fads, beliefs, and trends that blur the line between devotion and dysfunction to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations.
About the host
Dr. Mara Einstein spent a decade in corporate marketing working for some of the world’s biggest brands before turning her focus to exposing the industry’s inner workings. Now a tenured professor of media studies at CUNY, she’s dedicated to helping people understand how marketing shapes what we buy, what we believe, and even who we think we are. With a background spanning business, media, and the arts, Dr. Einstein brings sharp insight and humor to the systems that sell us our identities—and the power we have to push back.
Pick up Dr. Einstein’s book Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults on Bookshop.org (and beyond): https://bookshop.org/a/116018/9781493086153
Website: https://www.drmaraeinstein.com
Books: https://www.drmaraeinstein.com/writing
Instagram, TikTok, Threads: @drmaraeinstein
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Drmaraeinstein
Credits
Production: Multitude
Lead Producer & Editor: Bren Frederick
Music: Marc Langer
Cover art: Cayla Einstein
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