A Little Bit Culty – Dr. Janja Lalich’s book about the cult recovery process was a game changer for Sarah and Nippy when they first began unpacking their NXIVM experiences. It still is. As Nippy says: “She's someone who has been through (her own) heavy duty cult indoctrination, woken up, gotten her way out. She's kept on going. She's dedicated her life to helping other people understand how cults operate and how to come back from them.” In this episode, Sarah and Nippy reconnect with Dr. Lalich for a conversation about her journey from cult member to author-expert, and her insights on NXIVM’s now incarcerated founder, Keth Raniere. They also explore what leads people into abusive dynamics, what can pull them back in, and tools for getting back on track. 

About Dr. Lalich: Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. Dr. Lalich has written and lectured extensively, and her most recent book is Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships (Bay Tree Publishing, 2006), which is a  fully-revised and expanded edition of her first book, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, which has been the number-one book used by former cult members and their friends and families to better understand cult experiences and their consequences. A former Fulbright scholar, Dr. Lalich is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico. Learn more about her work at: cultresearch.org A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford

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