The Institute in Basic Life Principles, run by the predatory Bill Gothard, would turn thousands of families into their own isolated cults. Matthew Castle was trapped in his own family until his mid twenties. Shielded from the outside world and musically stifled, his talent on the violin was so impressive, multiple colleges including Juilliard tried recruiting him as a young teen. However, without choice in the matter, those dreams were quickly torn away. His mother was so strict and controlling, she even drove him to and from a local college ensuring he wasn’t led astray by the evil world. When she found his personal journal, revealing his sexuality, she immediately sent him to a cult approved conversion therapy conference. Learn how Matthew finally escaped, acclimated to the real world, and eventually found the love of his life– Paul. 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MatthewandPaulOfficial

Instagram:  @matthewandpaul 

Paul’s books:  https://paulcastlestudio.com/

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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.**

Chapter Marks

00:04:48 What Matthew's early education was like and how his parent's got involved in the Advanced Training Institute

00:06:10 How the "Umbrella of Authority" and other IBLP teachings changed the family's way of thinking

00:10:41 Matthew's s*xuality and the dichotomy between his feelings and what he was being taught

00:14:34 Music in the IBLP movement and how even some classical composers were taboo

00:17:52 How even classical music was a tie to the secular world for Matthew

00:20:24 How Bill Gothard's beliefs prevented Matthew from attending the most prestigious music schools in the country

00:26:18 Matthew's experiences at the IBLP institutes

00:28:11 Matthew's opinion of Bill Gothard and the favoritism in the group

00:29:01 Bill's pr*datory nature towards young women

00:31:31 Bill's near fat*l encounter with Matthew's father

00:33:30 The discovery of Matthew's journal and the beginning of the end

00:37:31 Matthew's experience at a conversion conference

00:41:42 Matthew's last straw and how he escaped

00:43:24 What it felt like to leave and how Matthew started to discover himself

00:48:22 Paul enters the chat!

00:49:26 What it was like for Matthew to starting dating and meeting his partner Paul

00:56:23 What secular things Paul has introduced to Matthew

01:01:01 How Matthew has learned to identify his feelings and communicate after leaving IBLP

01:03:59 What brings Matthew joy today

01:06:38 Linda, listen

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