In Episode 9 of the How We Escaped Podcast, Nate shared what it was like growing up in IBLP, the organization founded by Bill Gothard and known for its connection to the Duggar family. In this mini-episode, we dive deeper into his experience with ALERT (Air Land Emergency Resource Team), a training program for young men associated with IBLP.

• ACA Website⁠

• The How We Escaped Podcast Website: ⁠⁠HowWeEscaped.com⁠⁠

• Music Credits: Please ⁠⁠click here ⁠⁠with a special thanks to Kevin Mcleod

Church Bells at Blauvac, France by iainmccurdy -- https://freesound.org/s/768840/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Nate's parents loved him. They weren't abusive. Nobody was drinking. Nobody was yelling. From the outside — and often from the inside — it looked like a good home. But IBLP had quietly shaped everything about it: what they studied, how they spoke, how morality was defined, and who held authority over whom. As the oldest child, Nate learned from an early age to keep the peace, perform goodness, and make sure everyone was happy. If something went wrong, it was probably his fault. If something felt wrong, it was probably a spiritual attack.

Nate didn't know how much that mindset had cost him until decades later, when Shiny Happy People — the documentary about the Duggar family — cracked something open that he didn't even know was there. This episode is about what was buried, how it got there, and what it has taken — slowly, imperfectly — to dig it back out. And what he would say now to that little boy who spent his whole childhood performing goodness for a watching world — if only that boy could hear him.

• ACA Website

• The How We Escaped Podcast Website: ⁠HowWeEscaped.com⁠

• Music Credits: Please ⁠click here ⁠with a special thanks to Kevin Mcleod

It Will Be Worth It All Clip - Click Here

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Kathleen Marden joins me for this mini episode to discuss how UFO research has evolved since the landmark Betty and Barney Hill abduction case of 1961. She shares what it takes to become a UFO investigator and we explore whether we're getting closer to uncovering the truth about extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena — especially in light of President Trump's executive order to declassify top secret UFO files.

If you haven't heard our episode on the Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction, please click here to listen to it now.

Click here to visit Kathleen Marden's website.

Click here to visit the How We Escaped Website.

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Music credits and licenses are here. A special thanks to Kevin Mcleod for his awesome collection of music which you can see at http://incompetech.com./

What really happened on that New Hampshire  dirt road in 1961? Kathleen Marden — niece of Betty Hill and leading UFO researcher — joins us to unpack one of the most investigated and contested UFO abuction cases in history. Drawing from her book and a lifetime of personal access to her aunt’s testimony, letters, and memories, Kathleen shares details that never made the headlines — and why she believes the Hills’ account deserves to be taken seriously. If you’ve ever been curious, skeptical, or simply fascinated by the unknown, this conversation will leave you questioning what you thought you knew.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Kathleen's Book (Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience): https://amzn.to/4d1h2ty

Kathleen's Website: Kathleen-Marden.com

The How We Escaped Podcast Website: HowWeEscaped.com

Music Credits: Please click here with a special thanks to Kevin Mcleod

Sound Effects: Space Interferance by LaurenPonder -- https://freesound.org/s/635663/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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In ⁠Episode 7 (Burning the Cabbage Patch Kids),⁠ Amanda shared her story of growing up in the world of Bill Gothard and the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).

In this mini episode, she shares a story that was cut for time in Episode 7—about her time working in IBLP training centers, from Oak Brook, Illinois, to the Northwoods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

You can listen to Amanda's podcast - The Cult I Left Behind - ⁠here⁠.

Amanda's website is ⁠here⁠.

Visit ⁠HowWeEscaped.com⁠ for more episodes.

Credits:

"Ether Vox" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"ComfortableMystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Escape to a Peaceful World with Sunny Dream: A warm, Relaxation Song by kjartan_abel --https://freesound.org/s/532935/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Please note that AI generated images may be used in some of our episode cover art

In this episode, I interview Amanda Briggs, co-host of The Cult I Left Behind, about her childhood inside IBLP — the controlling fundamentalist organization led by Bill Gothard and tied to the Duggar family. Amanda shares jaw-dropping stories of growing up under its fear-driven rules, including being made to burn her Cabbage Patch dolls in a backyard barrel and enduring years of abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

You can listen to Amanda's podcast - The Cult I Left Behind - here.

Amanda's website is here.

Visit HowWeEscaped.com for more episodes.

Credits:

AI was used to generate the cover image.

"SpringThaw" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

"TranquilityBase" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

"SpacialHarvest" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

Despair andTriumph" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Crypto"Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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"Sardana" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Leaving Home" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Decisions" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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“Ether Vox” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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“ComfortableMystery 3” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Brief Cabbage Patch music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRhc5Pima10

Escape to a Peaceful World with Sunny Dream: A warm, Relaxation Song by kjartan_abel --https://freesound.org/s/532935/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Alexandra Amor spent nearly a decade inside a high-control group in Vancouver, Canada — one that began, innocently enough, as a meditation class. In this episode, Alexandra recounts how a charismatic Austrian leader named Limori slowly tightened her grip on the group's members, manipulating their relationships and decisions. Drawing from her memoir, Cult: A Love Story, Alexandra traces her years within the group and the long road that eventually led her to freedom.

Alexandra's Book: https://amzn.to/4v4zB73

Show Website: HowWeEscaped.com

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Credits:

AI was used to generate the cover image.

Escape to a Peaceful World with Sunny Dream by kjartan_abel --https://freesound.org/s/532935/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

"Lightless Dawn" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Bittersweet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Rites" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Thunderbird" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Concentration" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Crypto" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Soaring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Shores of Avalon" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Spacial Harvest" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Private Reflection" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Come Play with Me" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Despair and Triumph" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Anguish" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Rumination" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Tranquility Base" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Almost Bliss" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Mesmerize" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Dark Fog" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Ether Vox" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"ComfortableMystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Beautiful AmbientMelody by PatrickLieberkind -- https://freesound.org/s/341541/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

We are joined by Monica Connelly, who survived one of the most devastating natural disasters in modern history. At just thirteen years old, while vacationing with her family in Thailand, Monica found herself on the beach as the Indian Ocean tsunami struck—nearly losing her life to the massive wave. Tragically, more than 250,000 people would perish on that day. In this episode, Monica shares her experience as we discuss her book, Surviving a Tsunami at Thirteen.

Get Monica's book here: ⁠⁠ https://amzn.to/47bpjYs (affiliate link).

Visit our show's website: ⁠⁠⁠HowWeEscaped.com⁠⁠⁠

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Credits:

AI was used to generate the cover image.

"Ether Vox" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"ComfortableMystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Beautiful AmbientMelody by PatrickLieberkind -- https://freesound.org/s/341541/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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"Constance" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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"Decisions" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Please note that AI generated images may be used in some of our episode cover art

This episode features Shari Peterson, author of The View from 13F. She shares her powerful story of surviving a terrifying 1989 in-flight incident when a cargo door ripped off the aircraft, tearing a massive hole near her seat and tragically claiming the lives of nine passengers. Remarkably, she boarded the same model of aircraft the very next day to continue to her destination and complete her work assignment.

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Get Shari's book here: ⁠https://amzn.to/3MLWZoF (affiliate link)

Visit Shari's website: ⁠https://sharipetersonauthor.com/

Visit our show's website: ⁠⁠HowWeEscaped.com⁠⁠

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Credits:

"Ether Vox" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"ComfortableMystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Beautiful AmbientMelody by PatrickLieberkind -- https://freesound.org/s/341541/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Escape to a Peaceful World with Sunny Dream: A warm, Relaxation Song by kjartan_abel --https://freesound.org/s/532935/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Airplane security announcement right before taking off by bassimat -- https://freesound.org/s/826388/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Gerette Buglion spent eighteen years searching for meaning within a manipulative, controlling group led by a man who claimed he could see into her soul through her dreams. She shares her story in her book An Everyday Cult. In this episode, Gerette opens up about her experience inside the group and reveals how she finally found the strength to break free.

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Get Gerette's book here: https://amzn.to/4rSPQl8 (affiliate link)

Visit Gerette's website: https://www.gerettebuglion.com/

Visit our show's website: ⁠HowWeEscaped.com⁠

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Credits:

"Ether Vox" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"ComfortableMystery 3" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Beautiful AmbientMelody by PatrickLieberkind -- https://freesound.org/s/341541/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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