If you think you’d never fall for a cult, think again.
The NXIVM cult didn’t lure the weak — it attracted smart, curious, ambitious people looking for growth and belonging. People just like us.
And right in the middle of it was Sarah Edmondson, a high-ranking member who helped blow it wide open in The New York Times and HBO’s The Vow.
In this conversation, we unpack how something that looked like empowerment turned into manipulation — and how the need to belong can become a weapon.

Sarah shares what actually happened inside NXIVM, how coercive control disguised itself as “self-improvement,” and the exact moment she realized she was part of something dark.
We talk about the psychology that keeps smart people compliant, the power structures that mirrored everyday life, and what breaking free really cost her.
It’s part cult exposé, part human study — and all about reclaiming your voice when someone else has tried to own it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How the NXIVM cult disguised coercive control as personal growth

The psychology of belonging and why smart people get trapped

The moment Sarah Edmondson decided to blow it all open

How language and hierarchy keep people obedient without force

What the NXIVM story teaches us about modern cults and power

Podcast: A Little Bit Culty hosted by Sarah Edmondson & Nippy Ames

Pre-Order new book: A Little Bit Culty

The Vow (HBO docuseries)

Scarred by Sarah Edmondson (book)

Sarah Edmondson’s website – sarahedmondson.com

“Cults don’t prey on weakness — they prey on hope.” 09:2409:2409:24

“I didn’t wake up and think, ‘Oh God, I’m in a cult.’ It was a slow drip of trust and fear.” 15:0215:0215:02

“The brand became my evidence. It was the proof we weren’t crazy.” 27:1827:1827:18

“I had to reclaim my story before someone else told it for me.” 34:4534:4534:45

“Once you understand coercive control, you start seeing it everywhere.” 42:1142:1142:11

0:00 Intro – How NXIVM hooked smart people
5:40 Sarah joins NXIVM and finds community
12:55 The early red flags everyone missed
22:18 The branding and Sarah’s breaking point
30:04 The New York Times story that blew it open
42:00 The psychology of control and obedience
52:33 Outro – Reclaiming power after indoctrination

Belonging is a human need — and that’s what makes it so exploitable.

Coercive control often sounds like self-improvement until you question it.

Recovery starts with reclaiming your own definition of truth and power.

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